Why I’m Changing My Consumption— Even Though Climate Policy Is More Important Than Personal Choice
The point of biking or going vegan isn’t the impact of a single person’s choice. It’s about throwing everything we’ve got at a problem that feels overwhelming.

First I went vegan. I’d been vegetarian for a decade and a half, but I’ve always loved cheese so much that taking that next step seemed impossible. ...Next I ditched my car for a bike...Most recently we got rooftop solar... when I feel an urge to check Twitter, I redirect the impulse to an app showing how much energy our installation is producing in real time… British Petroleum coined the term “carbon footprint” in 2004 in order to promote the idea that individuals like you and me—rather than fossil fuel majors like BP—are responsible for the climate crisis...
Ezra Klein framed this idea quite beautifully last year... “Don’t think about consumption—even your consumption—as individual. Think of yourself as a node for social, political, and moral contagion.
This is a hopeful week for humanity, with the...historic Democratic climate agenda.. it’s actually really important th—that we talk about how badass our new e-bike is…our house’s electricity production feels, or how yummy the vegan cheese they make nowadays can be, in the same way that we rant about how fossil fuel CEOs need to be dragged to the Hague and tried for crimes against humanity.

is a longtime progressive organizer, former Rhode Island state representative, and aspiring climate lawyer.