Toivo Saarelainen 19D

The Case of Greta

Climate change is an enormous environmental problem. It derives from the pollution of the environment, caused by manmade machines and factories. In a world where sizable corporations are mostly liable for the climate crisis, is there anything that a single person can do to stop it?

Initially, the thought of an individual's actions possibly slowing down climate change might seem downright impossible. Or so I thought at first, but after some research, I came to realize that it all comes down to a very simple idea. That is the potential of influence. Personal initiatives to fight climate change can influence others to do the same, and when multiplied, can cause what’s called a ripple effect.

A ripple effect occurs when an initial disturbance to a system proliferates outward to disrupt an increasingly larger portion of the system. That could mean, for example, the biggest and most polluting corporations going bankrupt, due to political issues or an economic blockade. In that event, climate change would be substantially decelerated.

In conclusion, individual actions on climate change do actually have an impact on a larger scale. I am aware that everything I just said could easily be labeled as wishful thinking, but it still grants us a glimmer of hope. The possibility of it happening is what matters.