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For the past six weeks, we have analyzed what you eat, what you drive, how you travel and what powers your home. Along the way, you’ve tackled weekly challenges that will help you develop a toolkit for implementing greener lifestyle choices. Building new habits can be challenging, but there are science-backed steps you can take to make them stick.  

Now it’s time to talk about the bigger picture: The climate crisis is not your fault. And it’s not your responsibility alone to fix it.

For decades, the fossil fuel industry has embraced the concept of individual action because it shifts the burden of responsibility away from industry and onto you, the consumer.

Yes, we should minimize our climate impact wherever possible. But policymakers and industry leaders also need to make big strides as soon as possible. Here are a few of the big-ticket actions they need to achieve, according to scientists:

Ditch fossil fuels: Solar, wind, geothermal and nuclear are some examples of the energy we need to replace coal, natural gas and oil. Renewable energy is growing, but not fast enough.

Build up electric infrastructure: If we’re moving to all-renewable, all-electric energy, then we need better infrastructure to make it work. That means more transmission lines; more electric-vehicle charging stations; better battery storage for when the sun isn’t shining; no more natural-gas hookups.

Suck CO2 out of the atmosphere: We are way beyond just being able to cut emissions -- we’ve got to undo the damage we’ve already done. The technology already exists, it just needs to be scaled up.

Slash methane emissions: Methane, that potent greenhouse gas we talked about in the food edition, comes from more than just cows. The fossil fuel and waste industries are leaking it in massive quantities, and that needs to stop before it pushes the planet past irreversible change.

Help low-income countries: Wealthy nations need to pony up more money to help developing countries bypass fossil fuel and move straight to renewables. The global community also needs to help those countries adapt to climate change -- a crisis that was not caused by the underdeveloped world that is most at risk.

The good news is that scientists have shown this is all possible starting tomorrow, if policymakers really want to get it done. We have the ability to do it. We just need the will.

If this newsletter has inspired you to think beyond hamburgers, gas-guzzling cars and heat pumps, we asked a few scientists and advocates where to focus your energy.

“Pay attention to how the climate crisis is linked to other injustices, and push policymakers to implement equitable solutions that address multiple problems simultaneously. … Vote for policymakers who understand the interconnectedness of these important issues and prioritize just climate solutions. And, if you are able, donate to grassroots organizations working for change at the community level.”

-- Rachel Cleetus, a policy director at the Union of Concerned Scientists

“I'm convinced that the first most effective thing all of us can do is to use our voices to advocate for change: where we live, where we study, where we work, where we worship and even where we play. We need companies to change, as well as cities and churches; schools and universities, businesses and organizations. And no matter who they are, or where they are, that change begins when someone starts a conversation -- about why climate change matters to them, and what they can do to make a difference.”

-- Katharine Hayhoe, climate scientist and distinguished professor at Texas Tech University and chief scientist at The Nature Conservancy

“We need to demand climate action at every level of government, from city councils to state legislatures to the federal government. We need to demand the rapid deployment of clean renewable energy infrastructure in a way that doesn’t leave the most vulnerable behind.”

-- Eddie Bautista, executive director of the New York City Environmental Justice Alliance

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Have you read anything from other scientists that inspired you to live greener? Send us your suggestions by reaching out to lifebutgreener@cnn.com.