It is starting to become increasingly prevalent of a belief that corporations are the only entities to blame for global warming. At first glance, it doesn't seem to be an inaccurate sentiment.

During childhood, we are taught to reduce, reuse, and recycle, and we learned that we should cut our shower time as much as possible, and we are informed that we should use energy-efficient light bulbs and rechargeable batteries, it's hard to think that these small changes don't make a difference when that's what has been impressed upon you your whole life.

When I got older, however, I could not help but be surprised at the sheer magnitude of pollution and environmental degradation that international corporations are responsible for. According to the 2017 Carbon Majors Report, since 1988, only 100 companies are responsible for 71% of the world's greenhouse gas emissions. Furthermore, in an analysis of plastic waste found by global cleanup efforts, the top ten companies found included the likes of Coca-Cola, Pepsi, and Nestlé.

It is hard to look at these staggering figures, see the damage that is being done by the companies in production, and rationalize how the individual actions of mine and thousands of other households could possibly have an effect on mitigating the negative state of the environment. Even if every single person collectively turned off their taps while they brushed their teeth and started composting their perishable garbage, why should I feel the need to feel like I, a single person, should have an impact?

Of course, it is easy to blame corporations for doing the damage they have done. But on the same token, corporations don't operate out of an insidious desire to ruin the environment - they exist to maximize revenue. These entities are able to degrade the environment with pollution and with emissions because they face no consequences from the people who give them the profits - their consumers.

When anyone goes to the grocery store, we do not operate like mindless drones and grab anything off the shelf. We have preferences between goods, and we distinguish between our preferences based on prices, ingredients, perceptions of quality, whether or not it was organic, or whatever whims one may have. If we have the ability to choose the products we buy, why not buy things that are more earth-friendly? Buying your produce locally is just one way to slash transportation costs that incorporate fossil fuels out of your shopping list. Lowering your consumption of meat is another way. Avoiding buying water bottles is yet another method.

When we consume, we vote with our dollars. Shopping with a more environmentally-conscious mentality does pose another thing to think about, but we cannot change the behavior of companies if they do not feel pressure from buyers. Corporations will continue to take the largest share of damage, but only for as long as we continue to enable them.