The study 1.5 Degree Lifestyles shows that consumption patterns and dominant lifestyles are essential parts of the solution to climate change.
However, the topic turned out to be controversial, especially among those who call for system change, not personal change.
Treehugger, however, reminds us that these two don’t exclude one another. They must go hand in hand.
“The question of individual behavior change versus systems change is a false dichotomy. Lifestyles choices are enabled and constrained by social norms and the physical environment or infrastructure… It is important to differentiate between the factors that can be addressed at the individual level and those that are beyond individual control, and to recognize how the two are mutually reinforcing.”
The truth is that while we are pursuing technological solutions for climate change, we are overlooking the changes we need to make in our lifestyles.
In short, we must learn how to consume less, drive less, and occupy less space.
We need to build more efficient cars and buildings, and seriously consider vegan diets.
This might be a huge challenge.
On one hand, policymakers are afraid to threaten the lifestyles of voters, and on the other, the most impoverished populations will need to consume more in order to achieve elementary levels of well-being.
In a fair consumption space, people in poor countries should get more, and people in rich countries would have to make serious cuts in emissions per capita.
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