Protecting the environment is a crucial responsibility. Its current status is way less than ideal. The depletion of the ozone layer, global warming, desertification, polluted water bodies, polluted air are just some of the problems that the Earth is facing. These problems could reach alarming states, if they are not attended to with a sense of urgency. However, the question in the worldwide debate is, who should be tasked with safeguarding the environment - governments or individuals? Let’s examine some of the arguments that each has about why the other should be held more accountable.