Climate change is ravaging the planet. Wildlife 

populations are diminishing rapidly around the 
world. The Earth is dying — and it’s all our fault.

This mantra cycles through my head every day, 

guiding my actions as I move through my daily 
routine.

“Can you turn off the lights?” “Did you make sure 

to shut off the TV before you left the room?” “You 
don’t need to keep the water running while you’re 
washing dishes; you only need it for rinsing.”

I have said all of these things and more to my 

roommates on a regular basis. Even the smallest 
action left undone fills me with anxiety about 
the possible negative impact it could have on the 
environment. I stopped eating red meat. I attend 
climate protests at state Capitol buildings. I walk 
or take the bus on campus. My mindset has gone 
beyond just doing what I can to promote the envi-
ronmentalist cause — my stressors have instead 
morphed into a never-ending checklist that must 
be completed or the world will fall apart. Yet, even 
if I do accomplish every task, my personal actions 
still won’t be enough to stop what’s already hap-
pening. It won’t be enough to erase what genera-
tions of human activity, industry and development 
have already done to the natural world. 

The barrage of warning signs indicating the 

planet’s Armageddon are inescapable in today’s 
world. Reports of dangerous weather events, 
species endangerment and worsening climate 
emergencies are constant reminders of the state 
of the Earth. Whether seen on the news, viewed 
on an Instagram story or learned in class, distress-
ing details of these issues flood every medium of 
communication. It was precisely the prevalence 
of these crises that inspired me to pursue a minor 
in Environment when coming to the University of 
Michigan. And despite knowing my education in 
environmental science will only make me more 
prepared to take on the challenges of climate 
change, it also reminds me of everything I’m up 
against. 

It’s hard to feel inspired to create change when 

your classes are designed to inform you about 
increasing emissions and the detrimental effects 
of the Anthropocene. 

All of these experiences force me to constantly 

ask myself: Are my individual actions pointless? 
Do we have to completely redesign our lives to 
make a “sustainable” world? Is it too late to do 
anything?

Sustainability is Trending

In an age of widespread environmental aware-

ness and activism, the concept of a sustainable 
lifestyle has become more mainstream, especially 
among members of Gen Z. Reusable water bottles, 
thrifted clothing and metal straws are staples in 
many young people’s homes. Many restaurants, 
and even U-M dining halls, have shifted to com-
postable packaging to reduce their plastic waste.

Large corporations have joined in on the trend 

to appeal to today’s environmentally conscious 
consumers. In 2018, Starbucks changed its dispos-
able cups to a design that doesn’t require the use of 
a straw. In April of this year, they launched their 
Earth Month Game: an interactive experience 

in which customers can play games of chance 
or complete Tetris-like puzzles right from their 
phones. As they complete the levels, players can 
choose which environmental initiative they’d like 
the company to support, including clean water 
and habitat rehabilitation. Participants also get 
the chance to win in-store prizes while learning 
about what drink or food substitutions they can 
make for a more sustainable diet.

On a surface level, these actions show great 

initiative. In a society where a small number 
of companies are responsible for almost three-
quarters of greenhouse gas emissions, seeing 
large corporations actively spread information on 
sustainable consumption seems like a step in the 
right direction. But there is a caveat to consider: 
Though these big-name businesses are promot-
ing sustainable practices, their approach puts all 
of the responsibility on the consumer instead of 
the producer. In turn, they fail to adapt the very 
actions they’re advocating for. And in reality, the 
“steps” they have taken to become more environ-
mentally conscious may not even truly be helping: 
less than 1% of the world’s plastic pol-
lution 

comes from disposable straws and 
the combination of their strawless 
lids and cup actually equates to a 
greater amount of plastic than their 
original design.

Starbucks is just one of many com-

panies that advertises their commit-
ment to sustainable practices while 
neglecting to examine or address 
the actions that are actually the 
most problematic. This phenom-
enon, called greenwashing, allows 
companies to market their “green” 
actions for a better public image 
without making true positive 
change.

Volkswagen and IKEA have 

also been confronted with similar 
issues of greenwashing. In 2015, 
the car company used a special-
ly designed device to pass emis-
sions tests without actually 
reducing their carbon waste. 
As for IKEA, the company has 
historically been praised for its 
sustainable practices, including 
a “buy-back” program where 
they repurchased customers’ old 
furniture for resale at a reduced 
price. Yet despite this admirable 
effort, the furniture conglomerate 
was later linked to illegal logging prac-
tices in Ukraine.

In many cases, it seems like sustain-

ability is used as a marketing ploy instead 
of an actual commitment to improvement, 
with companies putting their “best foot for-
ward” for the sake of advertising and consumer 
appeal. Dr. Stuart Kirsch, a professor of Anthro-
pology at the University, criticized the mass mar-
ket’s commodification of the term “sustainability” 
in an interview. He emphasized that those who do 
pursue eco-friendly actions will be better off in 

the long run as the government implements more 
environmental regulations.

“I have raised concerns about the ease with 

which we use the term ‘sustainability,’ to the point 
that we sometimes lose track of what it actually 
means,” Kirsch said. “Corporations benefit from 
their appropriation of the terms of their critique, 
claiming to be responsible, sustainable and trans-
parent while watering these terms down or rede-
fining them in ways that reproduce the status quo.”

But the issue of sustainability doesn’t just affect 

large corporations — small businesses feel the 
impact on a much more day-to-day scale. Due to 
their size, non-corporate companies are often left 
behind in the race for sustainability, with items 
such as compostable packaging often much more 
expensive than other standardized products.

If these large-scale corporations are doing lit-

tle, or nothing, to improve environmental condi-
tions, placing pressure on the individual to change 
their habits can feel overwhelming and almost 
impossible in a modern capitalist society with so 
many other issues to address. In her Ted Talk, 
“What to do when climate change feels unstop-

pable,” activ-

ist 

Clover Hogan 

dives into this concept of 
“eco-anxiety:” a helpless, counter-
productive and guilty feeling that 
many young people experience as 

we witness disaster after disas-

ter arise as a result of climate 

change and human activ-

ity. She specifies that eco-

anxiety has culminated 

in a surge of mental 

health issues for 

many individ-

uals around 

the 

world. 

This eco-anxiety is the root of my mindset 

as I complete my daily checklist, repeating my 
mantra in my head. But why is this mentality so 
particularly prevalent among individuals in our 
age group? Hogan perfectly articulates why 
Gen Z-ers especially feel this immense pressure 
to solve the world’s environmental problems: 
“Young people today have not created this real-
ity. We’ve inherited it. Yet we’re told we’re the 
last generation with a chance to save the fate of 
humanity … And in the war against nature, young 
minds are the collateral.”

Dominance of the Collective

In the case of sustainability, the dissonance 

between individual and collective action can 
result in fear or distress over the choices we make: 
Should we even bother playing our part in the 
push for environmentalism if we don’t make sub-
stantial change, or should we shoulder the burden 
of everyone else not advocating?

It’s an example of the collective action prob-

lem in which individuals believe that their role in 
a large scenario will not make a difference in the 
grand scope of the issue. This occurs within many 
contexts, including election voting. 

1 — Wednesday, October 6, 2021 // The Statement
When sustainability feels impossible

Page Design 
by Sarah Chung

BY SARAH STOLAR, 
STATEMENT COLUMNIST

Read more at 
MichiganDaily.com

