Collective Power: How Small Actions Add Up to Big Change

When we think of saving the planet, we often imagine grand gestures and sweeping reforms. But as Jonathan Safran Foer shows in We Are the Weather, the real engine of change is collective action—millions of small, everyday efforts that add up to something extraordinary.

Foer draws on history and behavioral science to show how social change happens. It’s rarely the result of a single hero or a dramatic event. Instead, it’s the slow accumulation of minor acts—recycling, voting, planting gardens, choosing different meals—that shift culture and policy over time. Community gardens are a perfect example: they provide fresh food, foster social ties, and help neighborhoods adapt to climate challenges. These projects start small but can transform entire cities.

Foer’s message is that no one is exempt from trying, and no action is too small. When we act together, we inspire others, build momentum, and create hope. The future is not written for us; it is woven by us, choice by choice, day by day. The world is changed by your example, not by your opinion.