It is believed by some that states have the responsibility to preserve the environment but individuals are less responsible on this matter. I totally disagree with this opinion because almost everyone can easily control their environmental damage by reducing their carbon footprint, and governments are unable to alleviate environmental problems only by themselves.
There is no doubt that every individual from adolescents to older people are able to take the responsibility and manage the amount of their waste. This is because it does not require too much effort, on the controrary, all they have to do is to buy more eco-friendly products, support plastic recycling, and understand the negative consequences of ignoring the problems. Residents of urban areas, for example, may start commuting by public transport more actively, which will definetely reduce vehicle emissions in the city. Hence, the air will become much clearer just because citizens start to manage their carbon footprint produced by their private cars saving nature.
Additionally, authorities do not have enough influence and force to improve nature’s condition without ordinary people’s assistance. The prime reason is that the greenhouse effect and climate change are global problems that cannot be solved by just establishing new legislation as it will solve the root causes. Communities from all over the world have to work as a team to tackle these problems, since they directly treat their lives. It basically means each individual has to be cooperative and mature enough to take some actions for preservation of ecosystems.
In conclusion, individuals are more responsible for the well-being of the planet rather than governments. I think so because many people have no problems with controlling their waste and governments’ actions alone will not be enough to protect the planet.