I think there’s a lot of focus on minimizing individual’s impact, and don’t get me wrong, that’s a great thing to do, but it puts burden and guilt on people for things that are out of their control

If your government (wherever you are) held fossil fuel companies and the agro-industrial complex to account and encouraged investment in renewables, public transport and ground sourced heating, you would be living a low impact lifestyle just by going to work, buying your groceries and living normally.

If you have the money to invest in solar panels, EVs etc, that’s fantastic, but don’t feel guilt for not being priviledged!

The most impactful thing you can do is put pressure on your government to recognise the impact we’re having on our ecology. Sign petitions, write to your representative, fund and/or join activist groups.

Importantly, try not to feel shamed, as an individual you didn’t cause the situation (unless maybe you are a fossil fuel lobbyist, or oilcompany CEO) - go easy on yourself and just do what you can.

Do you mean “how do I stay positive?” Honestly, the best thing you can probably do is to stop reading the news (or curate only positive sources). You likely already know what’s at stake, but you likely won’t see any impact from your actions directly.

By which I mean that this is a collective action over time. Keep reducing your reliance on fossil fuels and petroleum products, encourage your friends to think about their own choices, but don’t feel like you need to take on the entire burden of humanity yourself.

Remember, you’re not the only one who cares.