I ride my bike most days and leave the car at home. I eat beef one meal a month instead of 4-5 times a week. I pay more for electricity from completely renewable sources. I tend to buy used clothes and I stopped running servers at home years and years ago.
Imagine a bunch of little compromises multiplied by millions of people, that adds up.
One of the things I've noticed about people who offer solutions like this is that they tend to offer things they like to do or can do. You live a life that's amenable to bicycling. If you're a single mother working two part time jobs, bicycling will not ever work. If you live in a rural town, cycling will not work. If you have any health issues, cycling won't work. If you are middle age, there's a good chance it wont work either unless you already cycled for most of your life.
You're asking other people to sacrifice that you aren't really doing yourself, because it's not a sacrifice to you.
Well, it's presumptuous of you to say that I'm just doing things I like, or implying that I'm not actually really making any sacrifices with the way I choose to live my life. Which is kind of a crummy way to start out your reply.
After all, you don't know that I might have a preference to live in a rural area, but choose to live in a city instead to reduce my carbon footprint.
After all, rural folks are choosing to live in rural areas, that's a choice they're making too.
And you don't know what I've given up by choosing to bike instead of drive--what jobs I've turned down, or people I haven't seen, or fun things I've missed out on.
In fact, your whole statement does come down to "your sacrifices are bullshit because I say they are".
Hey, if that's how you want to see the world--other people's sacrifices are bullshit--maybe it's because you're uncomfortable with how little you do on your own, or how self-centeredly you live?
But those other people who can't cycle can do other things. Rural people may not be able to cycle, but they can probably grow some or most of their own food.
Imagine a bunch of little compromises multiplied by millions of people, that adds up.
What about you?