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Letter: Small changes only produce small effects

Published 28 January 2026

From Ben Craven, Edinburgh, UK

Paul Whiteley writes about the value of small changes in averting the climate crisis. But small changes, however much they are multiplied, produce only small effects. If every person and business in the world were to reduce their energy consumption by 1 per cent, the global decrease in energy consumption would be just that – only 1 per cent (Letters, 10 January).

Yes, we need to do the small and easy things, but we mustn’t let that lead to complacency about the need to do the large and difficult things. The small things are necessary, but they aren’t sufficient.

Issue no. 3580 published 31 January 2026

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