Who are the worst offenders?
As individuals, it’s very important that we recognize our impact on the environment. Although the main polluters on earth are corporations, consumers make conscious decisions to purchase their products from and continue to support these corporations. According to the Carbon Majors Report, 100 corporations make up 70.6% of carbon emissions from 1988-2015 (CDP, 2017).
Now, I’m not advocating for you to begin boycotting these businesses, because when talking about the environment, there are many economic and social considerations that impact every decision made.
Many companies are beginning to shift their focus towards the triple bottom line, those being people, planet, and profit. In the past, most companies strictly focused on profit, but with changing customer wants, it is important for companies to act socially and environmentally responsible. As consumer demands continue to evolve toward positive environmental impacts, businesses will be forced to adapt if they want to survive.
As an individual, it is very important to voice your opinion about how corporations should deal with the environment. If you don’t believe that a business is offering enough options to help the environment, switch to another and they will be forced to adapt to retain environmentally conscious customers.
Changes for individuals
There are several other ways for individuals to become more environmentally responsible. You could become part of a carbon offset program, ensure that you are recycling properly, take public transportation more often, and stop using unnecessary one-time use products.
Many products people purchase are essential to the way that they live. If you need to purchase a certain product, why not consider one that is environmentally friendly. There are many substitutes for one time use products. Instead of cling wrap, you can purchase beeswax wrap. Beeswax wrap is made with all organic ingredients and is washable, reusable, and compostable making it far more sustainable than cling wrap (Nature Bee, 2019). Many people believe that minor changes like this will not have an impact on the environment, but if we all commit to making changes in our lives, we will slowly make progress towards a better world.
References
CDP. (2017). The Carbon Majors Database. Retrieved from https://b8f65cb373b1b7b15feb-c70d8ead6ced550b4d987d7c03fcdd1d.ssl.cf3.rackcdn.com/cms/reports/documents/000/002/327/original/Carbon-Majors-Report-2017.pdf?1499691240
Nature Bee. (2019). Beeswax Wrap. Retrieved from Nature Bee Wrap: https://www.naturebeewraps.ca/