Why is My Dripping Faucet Under More Scrutiny Than A Billionaire’s Greed?
By Miranda Morgan
The Earth’s health is suffering at an alarming rate – devastating wildfires, flash floods and record-breaking heat waves serve as daily reminders. As these threats continue to grow, so does the push for the individual to take responsibility. Are the common people really the ones that need to be held accountable?
Why is the responsibility not on the corporations – 57 of which account for 80% of the greenhouse gas emissions, according to a 2024 report by The Carbon Majors Database – who actually have the means to make global change? Better yet, how are they getting away with scapegoating this accountability? Why is the blame for Earth's destruction being placed on the individual and their plastic grocery bag?
One way is through "greenwashing," a relatively new term that is causing damage to the planet by the second.
Greenwashing refers to the misleading practices by corporations and companies that make themselves appear more ecologically friendly than they truly are. The aim of these practices is to garner trust with consumers, and circumvent responsibilities for harmful practices.
In Feb. 2025, Apple faced a lawsuit challenging their ‘greenwashing’ of the newest Apple Watch. The company labeled it as carbon neutral, which was contested by seven plaintiffs who, “allege that carbon credits from forest projects in Kenya and China used by Apple to support these claims do not actually reduce carbon emissions.” (Sustainability Magazine, 2025.)
Shein, a fast-fashion giant, claims to progress toward being a more sustainable company, yet has continued to nearly double emissions since 2023, according to Yale Climate Connections. On Shein’s website, they claim to source responsibly, optimize efficiency and focus on circularity to reduce waste. Since when is listing 10,000 cheap and unethically produced items online everyday living up to the sustainability standards they claim to value?
Corporations continue to waste, dump and destroy the Earth on a scale so large, it offsets any good that comes from remembering to turn the hallway light off. Yet, businesses continue to shrug off responsibility and shift the blame toward individuals.
In 2005, oil company British Petroleum pushed for the individual to be more conscientious of their ‘carbon footprint’ through their ‘carbon-diet’ campaign. In their statement, they said, “Based on current scientific opinion, BP believes that it is realistic to promote actions that ensure stabilization of atmospheric CO2 concentrations…”
The irony is that the company’s own carbon footprint has continued to accelerate since the controversial campaign. They have also been listed as one of the top three contributors to carbon emissions, along with Chevron and ExxonMobil. (Carbon Majors Database, 2024.)
Despite the campaign being 20 years old, the messaging has stuck. Carbon footprint calculators are plentiful in the app store on phones, heightening the pressure and anxiety folks feel for things as simple as buying a t-shirt.
This anxiety is beginning to permeate into every aspect of the lives of newer generations, from choosing careers to having children. Why should the added stress of being the ones to change it all be placed upon which straw they use, rather than on the companies who produce the straws?
According to a 2025 report from GlobeScan and BBMG, “38 percent of Gen Z globally say they feel stressed or anxious ‘all’ or ‘most of the time’ –– a full 21 points higher than Baby Boomers.” Coincidentally, they also report that, “Gen Z is significantly more likely than Baby Boomers and older to say they've been ‘greatly affected’ by climate change (49% vs 38%, respectively).”
Initiatives like the National Ocean Service’s “Protecting our Planet Starts with You” campaign are honorable, but like so many others, the campaign once again shifts the focus away from where eyes truly should be, and makes day-to-day life stressful for individuals. A more fitting approach to encouraging individual contribution to helping the planet can be seen from the World Wide Fund for Nature, whose first three recommendations are “Use your Voice. Be Informed. Be Political.”
What exactly does that look like, though?
To make real change, it will look like the common people standing up to corruption, corporations and politicians whose intentions are to be self-serving rather than planet-saving.
The most critical ways to do this is to speak to local politicians, protest when necessary and band together in the fight. Individuals' focus should be staying up-to-date on policy changes, statistical data (a great resource for this is Sustainability Reports) and environmental news to make fighting the fight more effective.
Read the fine print on “sustainability” that companies claim to value in order remind them that people are watching, and their every move matters too.