-A lot of us are worried about how our everyday actions affect the planet.

With a cursory internet search, we find all sorts of ways to reduce our impact.

Recycle, go vegan, switch out a light bulb, or drive an electric car.

If you can afford it.

Companies do it too.

They build LEED-certified buildings, install solar panels on the roof, or enroll in carbon offset programs.

-Powered by wind and solar.

-While lowering the carbon emissions intensity.

-We aim to be net zero across all.

-For generations to come.

-Let's call this the "Do Anything" approach.

The idea that if everyone takes these small steps anywhere at any time, it'll add up to healthier environments.

Here's the problem.

These small changes don't add up to stop climate change or biodiversity loss, air pollution, or any of the environmental crises we face.

If anything, the "Do Anything" approach distracts us from th.. that we actually need to make.

The average person in the US emits about 16 tons of carbon per year, mostly through driving, household energy use, and food consumption.

Compared to the total global emissions, which are about 36 billion tons of carbon a year, our individual contribution is barely a fraction of a fraction of a percent.

Now, not everyone admits equally.

-The richest 1% of the global population accounts for more than twice the combined emissions of the poorest 50%.

-The wealthiest folks emit way above the average while people with lower incomes emit less.

You can make big changes in your life like installing solar panels to go off the grid but that's still a tiny, tiny percent of reduced global emissions, and let's not forget, the vast majority of us don't really have other options other than to drive a gas-guzzling car to work or buy food grown with chemicals and shipped from far away.

-The food system is responsible for 20% to 30% of global greenhouse gas emissions.

-There's a reason small individual lifestyle changes don't have an impact.

A single person going about their day has little control over the high-emission systems they rely on.

These are complex systems, which include where our energy comes from, the options available for getting to work, agriculture and land use, industrial operations, transportation of goods, and construction.

-Our individual footprint is actually quite small compared to the structure of society and the decisions that, for example, fossil fuel companies make, which have 10,000 times more impact than us as individuals.[?]

-If the changes we need to make are so big, then why do we default to the "Do Anything" approach?

-Food can be grown close to home, reducing the family's carbon footprint.

-If everyone carpooled just one day a week, we could reduce our carbon footprint.

-[crosstalk] reduce your dietary car.. -Reduce your carbon footprint.

Turn off those unused lights.

-Why do we place so much attention on small individual and convenient actions anywhere at any time to combat climate change and reduce our impact on environments?

For one, it's easier.

It doesn't require us to challenge our energy infrastructure where our reliance on fossil fuels accounts for two-thirds of carbon emissions, or to question how our economy works by encouraging endless pollution to maximize profits.

-Excellent intends to increase oil production in Texas and Ne.. -Chevron will be doing that as the year goes on.

We need to drive up supplies.

-For the wealthiest among us who use the most energy and also benefit the most from the economy, saying, "I'll just build an energy-efficient house," allows them to care about the climate crisis, but they don't have to question how they benefit from polluting processes to generate wealth and how they invest their money.

Same goes for companies.

With the "Do Anything" approach, the largest polluters get to claim they've contributed to climate initiatives while maintaining business as usual.

For example, from 2008 to 2018, Exxon invested $250 million to develop technologies that use algae to generate clean biofuels.

-That could one day power planes, propel ships, and fuel trucks.

-That's doing something.

Meanwhile, during the same period, they actually spent about $100 million a day to find and develop new sources of oil and natural gas.

They spent about $42 million annually to lobby against climate initiatives.

-Did we aggressively fight against some of the science?

Yes.

We were looking out for our investments.

We were looking out for our shareholders.

There's nothing illegal about that.

-With several other fossil fuel giants, they spent $175 million annually to market themselves as climate heroes.

-It's one of the ways ExxonMobil is advancing climate solutions.

-The "Do Anything" approach favors the politically convenient changes that keep the economy working the same way it always has.

-Kindly take your seats.

We would like to begin.

Thank you.

-At United Nations climate conferen.. countries negotiate global agreements to address climate change.

-The United States fully intends to be the world's preeminent leader in protecting the global environment.

-The human consequences of failing to act are unthinkable.

-The climate keeps changing faster than our efforts to address.

-It's simple.

Will we act?

-This is the moment of truth for our planet.

-Nations form coalitions to phase out coal ..

They celebrate their non-binding nationally determined contributions to reduce global emissions.

-We'll recommend the adoption of this protocol to the conference by unanimity.

-I am very pleased that the United States has reached a truly historic agreement.

-[?]

-I hereby confirm the adoption of the Paris Climate Agreeme.. -These reductions fall dramatically short.

They don't meet the goal that scientists have established to reach net zero emissions by 2015 to keep global temperatures from increasing above 1.5 degrees Celsius.

-The difference between 1.5 and 2.4 is really survival of millions and millions of people and species in the planet.

-The most recent commitments put us on track to temperature increases of 2.4 degrees Celsius or even more.

That's if UN countries actually meet their commitments, which so far they failed to do.

-Did the Glasgow conference do anything to limit the rise in temperatures?

China and India not allowing coal to be phased out, only to be phased down.

The final wording on coal has left disappointment.

-The "Do Something Anywhere at Any Time" approach allows countries and companies that produce the highest greenhouse gas emissions to fail to do anything effective.

All while making you believe that you are the problem and you are the solution.

It tells us that we can change the lightbulbs and buy energy-efficient cars instead of making widespread policy changes.

-On this vote, the bill as amended is passed.

-What do we need to do?

We need to understand that we can't save the planet through our personal choices day to day but we can work together.

We can work for social and political change.

-When they heard about the pipeline construction stopping, they celebrated.

-We can change where energy comes from.

-Hayward is the largest barrier jurisdiction to choose fully carbon-free electricity.

-How products are made and who can access sustainable ones?

-The city today unveiled its first-ever all-electric bus.

The city plans to eventually switch out its buses with electric buses.

-That way, everyone's emissions go down regardless of individual choices.

We can change how we all change our environments.

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