The coronavirus pandemic is amplifying the debate over the relevance of individual behavior in fighting climate change.
Why it matters: The real-time experiment is lending itself to different takes on whether individual steps — as opposed to only systemic policy changes, cracking down on polluters and tech innovations — can play a major role in cutting emissions.
But, but, but: "If this is all we get from shutting the entire world down, it illustrates the scope and scale of the climate challenge, which is fundamentally changing the way we make and use energy and products," Carnegie Mellon University energy expert Costa Samaras tells E&E News of the current reductions. "The dynamic highlights the limits of individual action and the need to transform how the economy is fueled," they report in summarizing comments from Indiana University professor Shahzeen Attari.
