🌱Can individual choice influence climate change?

Oftentimes, as an avalanche of doomsday climate reports starts to settle and people unbury themselves, some ask if their individual choices matter. The argument is often made that the scale of global emissions is so large and mostly stems from large corporations six-times removed from the little guy that driving less or reducing your waste will not make a difference. But public pressure is a powerful thing. In the British Isles, the Welsh, Scottish and now UK Parliament have all declared national emergencies in response to days-long protests by climate change activists Extinction Rebellion. In the U.S., growing awareness of the potential global calamity has recruited the majority of the Democratic presidential nominees onto the climate change action train. So what would happen if, as a collective, our individual choices added up to widespread benefit? What would play out is the opposite of the tragedy of the commons - the economic theory that individuals acting in their own best interest in a shared-resource system behave contrary to the common good by depleting or spoiling that resource. What if we all reduced our meat intake or passed on the disposable cutlery that comes with takeout? How would that change the consumption patterns of the world at-large? This newsletter is primary focused on just that: how the choices that consumers make impact the planet. Further, how a thoughtful choice can cascade into a series of choices that accumulate into something much greater. And on a philosophical level, these discussions can give the individual hope, raising them out of the encroaching sense of climate despair. Unpredictable frosts, pests and longer growing seasons are changing the way that crops are grown in the United States. This story is one of a series by The New York Times' staff on the impacts of climate change on food and dining. [Read More +]( [Burger King's Impossible Whoppers will roll out nationwide]( By the end of the year, all of Burger Kind's 7,300 locations will sell the Impossible Burger, a 100 percent plant-based patty that bleeds just like meat. [Read More +]( [Maine becomes first state to ban Styrofoam]( Maine convenience stores, restaurants and super markets will be barred from carrying or selling Styrofoam, one of the most commonly littered items in America. [Read More +]( [Jay Inslee unveils his energy plan, calling for a '10 year mobilization']( The Washington governor and presidential hopeful published his plan to tackle climate change, which seeks to reach net zero emissions no longer than 2045. Axios Science Editor Andrew Freedman [said,]( proposals are more aggressive than what @BetoORourke recently put forward." [Read More+]( O'Rourke's proposal, released earlier this week, was recognized as the most detail action plan any presidential candidate had so far released. [Read More +]( [U.S.'s renewable energy set to surpass coal for the first month ever]( A new report shows that renewable energy will start to exceed coal in 2019 and 2020 on sporadic, month-to-month bases, a sign that the investment in sources like solar and wind are taking off in the U.S. [Read More +]( [UK Parliament declares climate change emergency]( The UK Parliament - pressured by activists from the Extinction Rebellion - declared a national emergency in response to climate change, following in the footsteps of dozens of British towns and cities, and the Welsh and Scottish governments. [Read More +]( What else we're reading this week - First-of-its-kind study documents [impacts of beetle-kill]( on forest wildlife via The Gazette - State Senate passes [Colorado Climate Action Plan]( via Colorado Politics - Justice Department [investigating Ford]( for possible emissions violations via Bloomberg - Trump administration moves to [ease safety rule]( put in place after the deadly 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon explosion via AP Quote of the day: "We pledge to work as closely as possible with countries that are serious about ending the climate catastrophe and make clear to US President Donald Trump that he cannot ignore international agreements and action on the climate crisis." -Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn on the UK declaring a national emergency in response to climate change Tip of the day: Assess your diet. Eating less meat, especially red meat, can reduce your carbon footprint substantially. Beans, grains and other plant-based foods often have comparable protein, less fat and more nutrients in addition to their environmental benefits. [Subscribe now!]( A free weekly environment briefing that comes to you. No algorithms, clickbait or ads – just what's worth reading. I've got your back Hi, my name is Liz Forster. I am an environment reporter and have a particular interest in public land management, natural disasters, climate change and ecology, among other topics. I received a degree in Environmental Policy from Colorado College and have worked for a Colorado newspaper since. Subscribe and each week, I'll comb through newspaper's headlines and send you the latest, most pertinent environment news. Questions, comments, suggestions? Email me at liz.forster@gazette.com or follow me on Twitter at @lizmforster. You're receiving this email because you signed up for Environment Weekly emails The Colorado Springs Gazette, L.L.C. | 100 E. 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