Forgetting to recycle your morning coffee cup doesn’t make you a bad person — it makes you human. As citizens of a climate-conscious world, we are all collectively responsible for how much we contribute to climate change, but we place too much importance on our day-to-day choices. 

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s 2023 Synthesis Report outlines the shortening window humans have to curb the effects of climate change. The report says that, as a result of industrialization and human activity, the global surface temperature from 2011 to 2020 was 1.1 degrees Celsius higher than levels from 1850 to 1900. 

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In the face of such depressing statistics, this report — and others like it — can feel prophetic, like you’re cheerfully waving and grinning at the four horsemen of the apocalypse. In a world where just 100 companies are responsible for 71% of greenhouse gas emissions, does it even matter what we do? 

Whether or not you realize it, you are making sustainable choices you consider part of normal life. Depending on where you live and your surrounding community, sustainability can be as simple as composting food waste, but our lifestyle changes can be subconscious as well.

Thrifting clothes can be good for the planet and owning a refillable water bottle helps to combat plastic waste, even if it is a Stanley cup. The bottom line: We all do things to help the environment. The question remains, however: How much is enough? 

There are many measures to indicate the worsening rise in global temperature. One of which is 1.5 degrees Celsius. Simply put, it means the average surface temperature should not rise more than 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels by the year 2100.

In the event we surpass the 1.5 degrees Celsius benchmark, scientists say there is a higher possibility that we would enter an environmental death spiral, which could be irreversible. Current data from Nature Climate Change suggests that we could be on track to surpass that number by 2029. 

In response to worsening climate conditions, bevies of articles have been published by activists, citizens, nongovernmental organizations and nonprofits outlining things that we can do as individuals.

One listicle from The Green Hub asks people to take cold showers, cut dairy out of their diets, fly less, eat less meat and air-dry clothes, among other things. Many of the items on this list involve cutting back or refraining from a certain practice or behavior. In other words, we need to sacrifice something for the greater good of the environment. While there’s nothing wrong with that, it’s an unhealthy mindset that can ultimately set back progress toward a sustainable world. 

In my daily life, I’ve encountered people who fall on both sides of the issue. Some are happy and willing to make the changes because they believe in protecting the environment, while others see the lifestyle changes they are being asked to make as never-ending and exhausting.

Climate nihilism is used to describe the feeling that nothing can be done about the impending climate crisis — that there’s no point in trying. 

That mindset isn’t completely wrong: We consistently overestimate the power our individual actions have. In all honesty, it really doesn’t matter whether or not you take a five-minute shower or recycle your yogurt cup. In the grand scheme of things, your environmentally conscious behavior is being canceled out by someone’s ignorance, and even more so by corporations.

That being said, I’m not encouraging you to throw trash in the ocean. Your actions matter. By adopting some of these practices, you are already spreading awareness about the impending climate crisis. Your lifestyle choices can inspire others and that can lead to changes in policy, both local and national. 

Solving climate change will demand unparalleled levels of communication and cooperation between governments and civilians. Nonetheless, one thing is crystal clear: If we don’t hold big corporations accountable through stricter legislation and changes in policy, nothing will change. 

Our world is quite literally on fire, and with the only options being perfect climate consciousness and nihilism, the solution is to find balance. Be okay with not always doing the most environmentally conscious thing. It doesn’t make you a bad person. 

Personally, I like taking hot showers that feel like they might melt my skin off. Sometimes, I leave my bathroom light on. And most shamefully of all, I loathe biodegradable straws. I will almost always ask for a plastic alternative. 

So, no, your actions may not save the planet, but the power in your actions is their ability to change the narrative. Truth is, no one knows if we’ll curb climate change. All we can do is try.