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HEAG's Corner: Even the little things count...recycle!

By Lia Parker-Belfer '16

November 8, 2012

I have always believed that individuals owe it to both themselves and the people around them to take responsibility for the world we live in. I am an adamant advocate for incorporating sustainable and environmentally friendly actions into our daily lives. I myself make an effort to turn off lights in my dorm when I leave. I use my Hamilton Nalgene instead of plastic water bottles. I wash my clothes in cold water.

Recently I read an article in the New York Times by Annie Leonard, the author of “The Story of Stuff”, titled “Individual Actions Just Don’t Add Up.” Leonard argues that though buying “green” products has many upsides, it also generates the illusion that progress is being made. She says this leads green shoppers to feel less compelled to engage in the broader social and political actions needed to make deep, lasting change. The bottom line she makes in her article is that green shopping, even when practiced by millions of people, doesn’t add up to enough to affect the system.

I find her argument extremely disheartening but I see where she is coming from. Despite her argument though, I still advocate for shopping green and living greener. She mentions at the very beginning of her article that shopping green can send a message to the corporate supply chain that we want responsible products. I think this is reason enough to shop green. I truly believe every bit helps.

In regard to her comment on progress, I think progress is impeded when people stop being accountable for their actions and start believing their actions have no effect on the world. Leonard argues that the goal we are all striving for in living greener lives can only be achieved through citizens coming together to work for change. In arguing this she makes the assertion that individual consumer action by itself is meaningless. I don’t agree with this argument because I believe individual consumer action and group action are not mutually exclusive and that through individual action, group action is spurred.

I believe we need to continue trying to live more environmentally friendly. I think it is the least we can do. A major part of Leonard’s argument is that people need to stop simply living greener lives and through civic engagement, start trying to change polices and structures in which production and consumption happen. I agree that civic engagement is necessary for bringing about a certain level of change but we are not all about to go to such lengths as civic engagement. It is naïve to think everyone cares so much about the world to do so. And that is okay. We don’t all have to be environmental activists. But that doesn’t mean that those who are not willing to engage in civic action cannot or should not try to do little things to improve our environment and ecosystem. Everyone should recycle. Everyone should reuse. We must all continue doing our part to take care of our world and live more sustainably.

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