Whenever the question of whether a person's individual action or even getting involved in political action is worthwhile, I think of my friend Mayer Vishner. He is a peace activist, and he has been since the 1960s.
Once, I asked him why, after all this time, when peace had clearly not been achieved, he carried on. Hadn't he become disenchanted?
He told me that he no longer does his peace work out the hope for results. He does it, he said, because he can't stand the idea of war. And it's just in his nature to react to it and and to try to end it, whether his actions will help or not.
When I think of it this way, then the efficacy of individual action when it comes to climate change and the environment becomes kind of moot. If it's in my nature, then it's in my nature.
PS But let's be clear where I stand. In my life, I believe I can be most effective by a combination of individual action and political action.
Colin Beavan (that's me!) is now leading a conversation about finding a happy, helpful life at Colinbeavan.com. If you want to know how people are breaking out and and finding authentic, meaningful lives that help our world, check it out the blog here and sign up to join the conversation here.
