I did a 'carbon-footprint' analysis of my personal lifestyle a few years back. I've been a vegan then already, avoiding flying where I could and also otherwise avoided most of what has a big
footprint. To my big surprise if everybody lived like me we would end up with consuming 1.7 times the earths available resources per year. How could that be? An A+
pupil in the climate class like me? I went on filling in the 'footprint calculator' one more time, this time filling in everything as sustainable as possible (e.g. living in the least energy
consuming house etc., which I didn't back then). I ended up still consuming 1.4 earths. I was baffled.
The disclaimer of the WWF website which provided the calculator, said that even if we make sustainable individual choices, there are lock-ins in the system that we cannot change with our
consumption choices, they're only a part of what our society and economy as a whole (over-)consumes.
Individual change is important but system change is key. I could go into lengths here. But to keep it short: the concept of the 'personal carbon footprint' is an invention of BP, yes, British
Petrol and it has not been invented by a fossil corporation out of altruism or a vision for a better world. It's been invented to deflect the discourse away from systemic to individual choices.
As long as we're busy optimizing our footprint (and flight-shaming our neighbor) these corporations can go on with business as usual until our planet is a train wreck.
I could again go into lengths about the fossil industry's track record of disrespect for science and the evidence based method that both you and I hold dear. Of climate change obstruction, of
sowing doubt about scientific facts about climate change, of discrediting scientists. But I just want to say that them wanting to stay present at 'the world's most sustainable university' is not
by accident.