People Power and Magic Numbers

As climate change tensions have ramped up over the past two years, there have been two phrases, in particular, quoted and re-quoted: “The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it,” and, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” The first, attributed to environmentalist Robert Swan, speaks to the need for individual action and responsibility. The second, from anthropologist Margaret Mead, is about the power of the people.

Both actions—the individual and the collective—are important. Change needs to start with us; with personal responsibility and the ways in which we each behave in the world. Yet