Some think that these environmental problems are too big for individuals to be solved, while others think that individuals cannot solve these environmental problems unless governments make some action. Discuss both views and give your opinion.

It is true that our small individual actions often seem insignificant compared to the scale and complexity of global environmental problems such as pollution, deforestation and depletion of natural resources. That is why some people hold the opinion that individual action can do nothing. Others say that individuals can do something if some action is taken by governments. This essay shall discuss both views.

Individual actions, small as they may be, can prove more effective than we realize. We can avoid driving the car, and take public transit, walk, or bicycle instead. This will reduce the use of fossil fuels and cut pollution. Saving energy at home, like turning on the air conditioner only when we have to, or turning water heater down a few degrees, is also ultimately good for the environment. It has been rightly said that – ‘Little drops of water; little grains of sand; make the mighty ocean; and the vast land’.

There are, however, obstacles that stand in the way of individual action and intervention by governments is needed. The first obstacle is the lack of professional knowledge needed to cope with serious environmental issues like soil erosion and salinity, which require a significant amount of investigation and research. Another obstacle which makes individual action almost impossible is when an environmental emergency or accident happens such as an oil spill near the border line, which would necessitate government or even international coordination.

So, in conclusion, when it comes to environmental problems, individual actions are indispensable in the problem solving process. But the most pressing and complicated problems go far beyond an individual's capability and so require the concerted effort of the government as well as the global community.