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Americans can't choose trains over air travel because we don't have high-speed trains -- it would take institutional change to develop that

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Americans can't choose trains over air travel because we don't have high-speed trains -- it would take institutional change to develop that

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Europeans choosing trains over air travel

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Europeans choosing trains over air travel

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This individual choice has been more common lately and is making a difference in CO2 emissions in Europe

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Why Many Europeans Are Opting for Train Travel Over Flying

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A growing number of Europeans are limiting air travel in favor of more eco-friendly transportation. But can rail infrastructure catch up?

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Companies making people pay for plastic bags when shopping should logically reduce the plastic output and usage

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Individual action is hard to monitor and enforce while institutional changed can be enforced through taxes, laws, and other positive and/or negative consequences.

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Change on an institutional level allows for more of a widespread impact.

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The increase of electric vehicles used by individuals is putting a spotlight on the need for cleaner energy and better infrastructure to support electric vehicles.

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Bringing reusable bags to the grocery store

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Bringing reusable bags to the grocery store

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A personal choice that makes a difference

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Giant retailers such as Amazon and Walmart making an aggressive (not gradual) switch to renewable energies in manufacturing and transportation of their products.

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Switching from plastic straws to either paper straw or lids that do not require the use of a straw is an institutional change that would greatly reduce the amount of plastic being released into the environment and damaging wildlife such as sea turtles.

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many families are choosing to use solar panels, hydro, or wind energy in order to meet their heat and electricity needs. of course there is always the issue of money tough.

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Individuals are more likely to choose actions that comply with what is popular or that others have paved the way for doing in both negative and positive ways.

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Two-pronged approach of institutional + individual action?

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Two-pronged approach of institutional + individual action?

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Both the trains and the plastic bags examples highlight that making institutional change and individual change may be best, OR making institutional change can lead to individual change.

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Collective individual actions can drive companies/the market to invest in institutional change.

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In recent years many people have decided to opt for reusable utensils rather than disposable plastic. This individual action has contributed to the reduction of plastic waste to some extent.

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Individuals acting to start movements that drive institutional change are key. Many civil rights movements, environmental movements, and workers rights movements could not have tackled the institutions they sought to change by themselves.

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New laws force companies to rebuild what they destroyed in terms of the environment. Ex: if a company dug up an area for oil, they have to help rebuild that habitat

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Individuals separating compost and trash

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Individuals separating compost and trash

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Spending a few extra minutes to throw something away in the right bin makes a difference in minimizing waste

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I think some overlap between institutional and individual action is shown in the plastic bag initiative mentioned. While institutions made the decision to charge more for plastic bags, it is still up to the individual to decide whether or not purchase the plastic bag.

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Individuals often follow trends: "If everyone else is doing it then I will too." So, by implementing institutional change, individuals will be more likely to themselves take individual action since large corporations, companies, and governments will be doing the same.

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Individual action does not require having to go through a bureaucracy in the way that institutional change requires. Institutional change takes years if not decades due to opposing legislative groups, lobbyists, and the interference of special interest groups. The timeline for individual action is much shorter, more efficient, and even more probable.

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Institutions need to take the initiative to create safer practices when it comes to oil drilling. Our oceans shouldn't be on fire.

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Getting green, carbon neutral companies into the S & P 500 or other top index funds could drastically change the economic value of green business.

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teaching your children the habits of recycling, reusing, etc. at an early age will most likely result in them doing so by habit when older

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Companies have the potential to reduce their environmental impact by establishing rules and regulations within specific unions. If properly managed, whole industries could keep each other in check in order to lower overall carbon emissions.

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can choose to recycle, or  a more friendly alternative is purchasing a brita filter and reusable water bottle instead of constantly purchasing plastic water bottles.

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Increasingly, people's dietary choices reflect their environmental stances. People adopt vegan, vegetarian, and pescatarian diets to combat emissions from the meat industry.

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Institutional change is often created and passed with the coming decades in mind. These large scale plans are often implemented to hit quotas and goals over large periods of time that will indicate a collective move towards a more sustainable society. In comparison, actions made by individuals tend not to reflect the years of planning and implementation of governmental changes.

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other alternatives to commute- riding a bicycle, scooter, skateboard