Title: Individual vs. Collective Action | GEOG 30N: Environment and Society in a Changing World
Headings: Individual vs. Collective Action
Individual vs. Collective Action
Individual vs. Collective Action

Content: There are some exceptions: vehicles that use electricity or natural gas instead of oil, though both of these typically involve emitting greenhouse gases and extracting resources from the ground.) When you eat meat or other animal products that come from “factory farms” – which is most meat/animal products sold in the United States – the farming process causes several environmental impacts, including deforestation, water pollution, and greenhouse gas emission. When you choose where to live – including which city to live in and which neighborhood to live in within the city – there are several environmental impacts, including how much energy your residence and transportation uses and how heavily you will stress water supplies. When you exercise your voice or your vote in a democracy, you influence the policies that the government will take, including policies it takes on the environment. But for each of these actions, you’re not the only person doing it. Other people drive, ride buses and airplanes, eat meat and other animal products, choose certain cities and neighborhoods, and speak up and vote in any given democracy. Individual action refers to the actions taken by one individual person, acting based on his or her personal decisions. Collective action refers to the actions taken by a collection or group of people, acting based on a collective decision. For example, if you choose to walk instead of drive, then you are taking an individual action.