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A single individual can make a small difference and, importantly, he can influence others and the difference that individuals can collectively make is so much greater.
Also, the benefits of making a small difference multiply back through the supply chain because of inefficiencies in each step. By choosing to cut consumption at the end of the supply chain an individual can save much more resources – often in the order of ten times or more – than meets the eye.
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Individuals
No person in their right mind would consciously want to destroy the planet but that is exactly what most people (certainly in the western, industrialised world) are doing unconsciously.
For our planet's ecosystem to become healthy and sustaining we individuals need to become aware of the human systems and practices that are negatively affecting all life on this planet – including human life.
We also need to learn about alternative, sustainable systems and practices – reduce, reinvent, restore – so that we can create our individual plans of action. Then we can act.
Connections
Please don't underestimate the power of individual actions. All individuals are connected within families, communities and societies as a whole. Human societies are part of nature. The natural ecosystem that we are part of is dependent on us as much as we are on it. What one human does, or what one part of the ecosystem does, influences another. A society is based on the behaviours of the individuals in it and an individual’s behaviour is affected by society. This concept is expressed in the catch cry “all for one and one for all”.
Baby steps
Our production and distribution systems are very inefficient. Whether it's energy, materials or water the amount of each that ends up as waste – as heat, landfill, emissions and wastewater – is huge relative to the amount that is useful. Studies have shown that in the US material throughput is only 6%. This means that only 6% of all materials used in the production process actually make their way into the final product. (Another telling statistic is that another 5% is trashed within six months of production! So only 1% of materials used are still being used after six months.)
Inefficiencies in each step of the production process and supply chain and they multiply together. The point is that not consuming at the end of the supply chain, an individual's choice, saves much more resources – often in the order of ten times or more – than meets the eye.
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