Although snow days from Jan. 21-24 redirected classes and resulted in joyous fun, the bizarre event was indicative of an unavoidable reality: the planet is dying.
Climate change may seem like a broad, abstract concept, but the effects are actively changing the world. Climate change is more than just global warming, it manifests itself in severe weather patterns globally. Extreme weather conditions will only intensify.
South Carolina, Louisiana and parts of Florida were buried in the recent winter storm. It’s a bad sign for the state of the planet when warm coastal areas are blanketed with snow for several days. Hurricane Helene destroyed swaths of Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia and Tennessee, with damages totaling over $50 billion in North Carolina alone, according to the NC Office of State Budget and Management.
We, the consumers, are constantly bombarded with guilt-tripping campaigns about our plastic straws and meat consumption, while the true villains, the behemoth corporations, escape scrutiny.
The Guardian reported in 2024 that a mere 57 oil, gas, coal and cement producers are responsible for the lion’s share of global emissions.
This should have been a wakeup call.
Instead, we’re left with a “climate crisis” tab on every news site, a constant reminder of our collective failure, conveniently overlooking the systemic rot at the heart of the problem. The U.S. withdrawal from the Paris Agreement, a global pact to combat climate change, was a symbolic act of defiance against international cooperation. It sent a clear message: profits trump the planet.
While individuals are encouraged to shoulder the burden of environmental responsibility— reusing bags, carpooling, embracing a “green” lifestyle— the real polluters, the CEOs of these fossil fuel giants, continue to amass wealth while poisoning our planet.
This manufactured “tragedy of the commons” absolves corporations of their responsibility. They’ve successfully shifted the blame onto the average consumer, creating a culture of guilt and individual responsibility while their own greed goes unchecked.
It’s time to stop scapegoating individuals and demand accountability from the corporations that are truly
destroying our planet. We need systemic change, not individualistic guilt trips. We need to dismantle the systems that prioritize profit over people and the planet.