Hayhoe says people can use their roles in their workplaces and communities to act on the climate crisis
Katharine Hayhoe has wrestled with her climate footprint. The climate scientist, who is now chief scientist for the nonprofit the Nature Conservancy, was shocked when she realized how much of her personal emissions came from work travel. But are these more justifiable because her work is educating people about the climate crisis?
There has long been a debate about how much individual actions matter when it comes to climate. The oil industry’s promotion of the concept of the carbon footprint has led some to believe that the whole idea is a huge distraction technique to divert attention from corporations driving the crisis. But as Greta Thunberg demonstrates, individuals can have a big impact, just not always in ways that can be measured.
