Climate Watch: On Earth Day 2021, remember that individual action is not enough

At the first Earth Day on April 22, 1970, crowds gathered throughout the country to celebrate the earth and learn about ecology. The events varied, but, in the spirit of the times, the celebrations raised consciousness about environmental problems and spurred many to change their habits to use more “natural” products in everything from fabrics to gardening.

The enthusiasm of ordinary people made the first Earth Day a success, but it was obvious that individual action would not be enough. The Environmental Protection Agency was created later that year, along with similar agencies in the states. Laws to protect our air and water were strengthened.

It is still nice to celebrate Earth Day, but we now realize that the earth has an even more daunting problem: climate change. Solving it will require a restructuring of our entire energy system.

During the last year, the pandemic has shown the limits of individual action. We cut back on flying and driving. We stayed home and learned to cook. The economy suffered a dramatic blow. And yet the greenhouse gas emissions went down only by 5.8%, according to the International Energy Agency. By historical standards, that is a dramatic decline, but it came at an enormous cost with millions dead and the crippling of many sectors of the economy, including aviation and tourism.

In an article on March 19, Erica Smithwick of the Penn State Institutes of Energy and the Environment argued that “We need to stop blaming individual consumer behaviors (only) and start changing the systems and structures that produce the most emissions.” She concluded: “A decrease of 5.8 percent in carbon emissions is astounding because it highlights the real-time fingerprint of humanity on the atmosphere ... yet it is also a warning sign that we can’t solve the climate challenge by individual action alone; larger societal changes are needed.”

Energy use for lighting our homes has been going down, not because we gave up electricity, but because the federal government mandated the end of wasteful incandescent bulbs and we switched to more economical LEDs. Emissions in the power sector have fallen because natural gas was substituted for coal. The transition to renewable energy has already begun. The cost of solar power has gone down dramatically, making it now the cheapest electricity we have.

Businesses understand that their competitiveness in a world-wide economy depends on making this transition. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce “supports a market-based approach to accelerate GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions reductions.” Even the American Petroleum Institute has endorsed putting a price on carbon.

The transition will be easier and faster with the right laws in place. At the local level, we can support the Centre Region’s Climate Action and Adaptation Plan. Pennsylvania needs to pass legislation allowing for Community Solar. The U.S. Congress should put a price on carbon. We are going to have to do a lot of things, but pricing carbon is a first step that we can do right now while other technological breakthroughs are being developed and implemented.

This Earth Day, as we celebrate the beauty of the earth, let’s go beyond the old parades, displays, and games for kids. Join a group that is advocating for system-wide changes (such as Citizens’ Climate Lobby). Send an email to Congressman Thompson or Congressman Keller. Encourage business owners and entrepreneurs to find new and profitable ways of doing things. Persuade your group or organization to take a stand and get involved. Think big because the problem is big.