The technological advancement has great merits in improving our living standards. In the current era, people can travel from one part of the earth to another within a single day. The diseases that were once seen incurable, can be prevented through proper medication and vaccination. However, all of this has come at a cost: the environmental pollution. The adverse effects of the climate change warrant a prompt action to mitigate its effects, and multiple strategies are being devised by the activists to address the issue. Some of them believe that this is a global issue and requires intervention at the government level, while other believe that individuals can also play their part in mitigating its effects. This essay discusses the perspective of both sides before reaching a conclusion.
The proponents of the idea that climate change is a global issue argue that it is too big of an issue to be handled at individual level. To address the issue, major policy level interventions like research and investment (R&I) in eco-friendly technologies, and green initiatives like plantation schemes like ‘Billion Tree Tsunami’ are required. These initiatives can not be supported by the individuals and require the authority’s patronage.
On the other hand, some activists believe that each individual can also make difference by playing their part in conserving our environment. They maintain that if each individual plants a tree per year, the earth will have more than a couple billion of additional trees every year. If people buy electrical vehicles instead of fueled driven cars, they can play their role in alleviating the issue. Choosing public transport over personal vehicle is another way each person can play its role and combating this menace.
In conclusion, the climate change requires a consolidated and coordinated interventions by the governments, and cannot be left alone to be tacked at the individual level. Because, the investment in green technologies, environment friendly initiatives are too big of an undertaking for individuals. Having said that, the role of each individual in addressing the issue is also of prime impotence. As, small actions at individual level aimed at conserving our environment like tree plantation, use of mass-transit etc. over time can play a huge role in reducing the green house effect and improving our environment.