Do you believe individual actions can make a significant difference in combating climate change? (yes or no)

Question

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

Consider the question: do individual actions have a meaningful impact on climate change? 
Option a: YES. This aligns with well-supported climate science and behavioral research, which show that individual choices—like reducing energy use, opting for low-emission transport, consuming less meat, and supporting sustainable policies—can collectively scale to substantial reductions when adopted widely. Each action may seem small, but cumulative effect across millions of people matters. 
Option b: NO. This view underestimates the power of aggregate choices and systemic change. While personal actions alone cannot solve climate change, dismissing their impact ignores how consumer demand, cultural norms, and political pressure from individuals can drive corporations and governments to adopt cleaner technologies and stronger policies. 
Option a nuance: the effectiveness of individual actions increases when they are part of a broader shift—they accelerate market demand for clean options, reinforce social norms, and complement policy and technology developments. 
Option b critique: the blanket claim that individuals cannot influence outcomes fails to recognize studies showing significant reductions from behavior changes, as well as the leadership role individuals can take in supporting climate solutions and accountability. 
In summary, the argument for YES highlights that personal choices matter both directly and indirectly through collective action and systemic change, whereas NO rests on a narrow view that ignores aggregation, feedback loops, and the power of public sentiment to drive policy and innovation.

CCST9086_1A_2025 Climate Change Course Survey

Do you believe individual actions can make a significant difference in combating climate change? (yes or no)

View Explanation

Log in for full answers

Similar Questions

According to the IPCC Working Group 3 report, the stated emissions reductions from signatory countries are not enough to limit warming to 1.5ºC.

According to the global greenhouse gas emission pathways shown, what is the expected temperature increase by 2100 if current policies are followed without additional action?

Which of the following statements about carbon dioxide is most accurate?

Exxonmobile initially denied climate science showing fossil fuels caused greenhouse gas emissions that are responsible for a warming planet. But in recent years it has reversed its position and now spends millions on educating the general public about the issue.

According to the article "Climate Scientists: ‘Net Zero’ is a dangerous trap," the threats of climate change are the direct result of there being too much carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Solutions that don't actually change the amount of carbon dioxide in the air are not real solutions.

Results of recent climate models suggest that projected greenhouse gas emission patterns may lead to a global warming of 1.4 to 5.8 degrees Celsius during _____.

The amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) released by factories and automobiles has soared, while the quantity of plant life on Earth has diminished. The net result is a rising concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere, which in turn has led to __________.

Climate change mitigation to a level of 1.5 degrees Celsius can be achieved by radically cutting greenhouse gas emissions.

More Practical Tools for International Students

Homework AI Solver

Stylized Writing Assistant

Plagiarism Checker Assistant

Citation Assistant

In-Class Translation Assistant

Class Notes Assistant

Quiz Search Assistant

Past Exam Questions by School

Smart Practice Assistant

Adaptive Practice

Making Your Study Simpler