Individual Actions Matter: Your Voice Can Drive Change
It’s easy to feel small in the face of planetary challenges.
Industrial fishing fleets span oceans. Global supply chains stretch across continents. Policy debates unfold in distant rooms. Against all of that, what does one person ordering dinner really change?
Erin Hudson, Director of the Seafood Watch program at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, offers a deceptively simple answer:
Ask the question.
“Is this seafood sustainable?”
“Do you sell sustainable seafood?”
“Where can I find sustainable options?”
Erin reminds us that while it may not feel like much in the moment, those questions create a measurable signal. Businesses pay attention to demand. Chefs respond to customers. Suppliers respond to markets. And markets shift when enough people make it clear that sustainability isn’t optional — it’s expected.
Change rarely begins with sweeping gestures. More often, it begins with a conversation across a counter.
As Vicki Nichols Goldstein reflected at the close of our conversation, it was a delight to explore how accessible ocean action can actually be. You don’t have to be a marine biologist. You don’t have to overhaul your life overnight. You can start where you are — with curiosity.
The ocean connects all of us. And so does our voice.
If you’ve ever wondered whether your individual choices matter, this episode is a reminder: they do.