I Change, the World Changes: The Big Impact of Small Actions
Soka Gakkai Italy’s “I Change, the World Changes” campaign aims to raise public awareness of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the climate crisis. Rooted in the ethos of “Think globally, change internally, act locally,” the campaign seeks to inspire individual action for global environmental change.
A key campaign initiative is the exhibition “The Heritage of Life—Climate is a choice, let’s save the future” that was launched in 2021. A version of the exhibition tailored for children is set to be launched. The campaign is also introducing educational activities in schools to inspire children to create their own sustainability projects. On the international stage, the campaign has collaborated with other organizations on side events at the 28th and 29th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties.
In this interview, the campaign’s executive director, Stella Bianchi, and its coordinator and organizer, Giulia Pellizzato, confront the critical state of our planet and put a spotlight on the power of individual action in reshaping it. They urge us to move beyond mere awareness and embrace concrete steps toward sustainability, showing that hope grows through each small, determined choice.
What is the state of the environment and the world we’re living in today?
Stella: We are in a critical situation of continuous resource exploitation. Our use of natural resources is exceeding what the Earth can regenerate each year. We are seeing a constant rise in the global average temperature. April 2024 was the hottest on record, and these records unfortunately come one after another. We need to realize that this is not the new normal, but a situation that will get even worse if we do not change course. Developing awareness of this, even if it creates pain and concern, is the first step in making decisions and taking action for the climate.
Giulia: Resource exploitation and global warming are leading ecosystems, which have maintained the ecological balance on Earth for millennia, toward destruction. At the same time, more and more environmental groups are taking action and more and more people are asking how they can take action.
Stella: The continued use of fossil fuels and deforestation increase greenhouse gas emissions, which trap heat in the atmosphere and cause global warming. Trees are vital allies in capturing carbon dioxide, the most significant greenhouse gas contributing to human-caused climate change. The main way to reverse course is to switch from fossil fuel energy to clean energy.
Giulia: Another issue pertains to the destruction of marine ecosystems. When we talk about deforestation, we tend to think that it only involves the cutting down of trees, but in reality, underwater seagrass meadows that help retain carbon dioxide are being destroyed as well.
In concrete terms, what can be done?
Stella: Let’s start by turning concern into the determination to act. Don’t give in to the temptation to say that the problem is bigger than we are or that it is something decided by the great powers. There are many actions each of us can take, such as:
- walking short distances instead of driving,
- reducing meat consumption,
- joining energy communities,
- reducing plastic use,
- limiting the purchase of new clothing, and
- making our voices heard by talking about the climate crisis.
What matters is taking action. Hope is found in concrete steps. This is how we get out of the circle of destruction and into the creation of a different system.
Giulia: It is important to ask ourselves what we can do to contribute. People often feel demoralized when they see that their efforts don’t produce results. It is important, however, to remind each other that every cause we make, every action we take, inevitably has consequences with effects that accumulate and multiply.
Let’s observe the world around and ask, ‘How can I change my everyday life so that I am living more sustainably, living a more harmonious, richer, poetic life?’
Anxiety about climate change and environmental issues, known as eco-anxiety, is on the rise among youth. It is not at all easy to imagine a great future, as hope often gives way to resignation.
Stella: We can counter eco-anxiety with the hope we feel when our actions help to change the world, when we set out on a new path.
Decreasing greenhouse gases is an intergenerational challenge—it has to happen fast. It is an urgent situation, and it is crucial that people of all ages take the lead in this challenge. In Switzerland, some two thousand elderly women joined together and took legal action against the Swiss government, bringing the case to the European Court of Human Rights. By proving that the 2003 heat wave had damaged their health, they won the case. Failure to comply with climate policies violates human rights.
Gulia: When we face a crisis that requires radical change to resolve it, everyone is involved. In 2011, while studying in college, I read a book by Jared Diamond called Collapse, which looks at why wealthy and powerful societies suddenly disappear. The book identifies environmental degradation and unsustainable lifestyle choices as the main causes of the climate crisis.
After reading the book, my obsession became figuring out what I could do. Soka Gakkai Italy’s climate action exhibition “The Heritage of Life—Climate is a choice, let’s save the future,” part of the “I Change, the World Changes” campaign, showcases the stories of people who have turned challenging circumstances into concrete actions. These stories are about the joy that emerges when one’s actions are based on a desire to contribute.
What first steps do you believe people should take to help create a sustainable future?
Giulia: It would be wonderful if each person took the time to reflect on the changes they would like to see. Let’s observe the world around and ask, “How can I change my everyday life so that I am living more sustainably, living a more harmonious, richer, poetic life?”
Stella: I would like all people to become aware of the seriousness of the situation and decide to be agents of change, protagonists of climate action. And for everyone to deeply feel their connection with nature and with the universe.
Adapted from issue 865 May 30 to June 5, 2024, of Il Nuovo Rinascimento, Soka Gakkai Italy.
