We Do a Lot of Sneering at “Virtue Signaling.” It May Be Time to Rethink Our Approach.

How You, Yes, You, Can Make a Difference When It Comes to Climate Change—and Just About Anything Else

May 15, 20265:45 AM

Photo illustration by Slate. Photo by azgek/iStock/Getty Images Plus.

The past 11 years have been the 11 warmest years on record. The next 11 will be even warmer. It may feel like nothing we can do as individuals will make a difference to stem the climate crisis. But this is a mistake. Individual actions do matter, just not the way we usually think.

Mostly we think about making a difference in straightforward, material terms. If the issue is climate change, and we know that climate change is caused by greenhouse gases, then we ask, “What can I do to reduce my share of greenhouse gases—my personal carbon footprint?”