by Theresa O'Riordan

Created on: April 16, 2008   Last Updated: July 12, 2010

To say that the choices of individuals does not matter is basically the equivalent to saying it would be fine for people to throw garbage and chemicals into a pristine lake and walk away, and that the lake would proceed to clean itself. Individual choices certainly do make a difference in creating a more sustainable society. Each person has the obligation as a citizen of the world and as a part of nature to recognize this key fact and keep it in mind as much as possible on a daily basis. It is a popular trend in our society, when talking about pollution for example, to focus all of the blame on large corporations. Much of the blame does, indeed, belong there - but that doesn't mean individuals should be completely off the hook.

We all share the environment, which I like to picture as a body of water. If the water source becomes polluted and unsafe, all of us are affected. It is helpful for me to view the environment that way, because many times we cannot quite see all the pollution in our air supply. People have no problem living in big cities, for example, but anyone who talks about the East River in New York or Boston Harbor knows you don't go swimming there. Pollution in one part of the world inevitably leads to the degradation of surrounding areas through its transfer in rain, ground water, and the air we breathe. Some may argue that the choices of individual people don't really add up to much, but those are the same people who never take action on a given cause or issue because they feel there are Forces out there they can't influence. It's really a no-brainer: We all have to make an effort.

An apt example at this point would be the SUV and "light truck" issue. Car companies were irresponsible for introducing and marketing enormous gas guzzlers at a time in our history when oil is at record high prices and everyone is aware of the need to develop more sustainable fuel sources to be used by the public. But people are not supposed to be mindless drones who can't resist the efforts of advertisers. The companies started it, but each one of us with a car that could easily seat fifteen have kept the trend alive and well.

Let's take a look at the interplay between governments, corporations and individuals, and their impact on our environment. During all this, it is of course helpful to remember that governments and corporations are, after all, made up of individuals too. But these entities face challenges because they are bureaucratic and they are just trying

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