We can all make a difference to the environment.

[diamondcutter]

1.We can all make a difference to the environment.
2.We can all do something to improve the environment.
(By me)

I’d like to know if the two sentences can mean the same and if sentence #1 is more formal.

 

[tedmc]

2 is less formal.

I would write:
We can/should all do our part to make a difference to the environment.

 

[emsr2d2]

The main difference is that sentence #1 doesn't necessarily mean doing anything beneficial for the environment. The difference we can all make could be beneficial or detrimental. That possibility doesn't exist in sentence #2.

 

[Tdol]

I assume they mean the same- the person who thinks we can freely destroy the environment would be very unlikely to use #1. I don't see much difference in formality.

 

[jutfrank]

This really depends on what you mean by 'mean the same'. Are you talking about what the words themselves mean or about what a speaker might mean when uttering them?

And what do you mean by 'more formal'?

 

[diamondcutter]

Hi, Jutfrank.

I mean to make sure whether the two sentences are interchangeable in the context where people are talking about protecting environment.

My question about formalness may be not a good one. Maybe I should ask which sentence is more appropriate in the context I mentioned above.

 

[emsr2d2]

I mean to make sure I'm asking whether the two sentences are interchangeable in the context where people are talking about protecting the environment.

My question about formalness formality may might not be not a good one. Maybe I should ask which sentence is more appropriate in the context I mentioned above.

Note my corrections above. As I said before, they're not interchangeable because the first one makes no mention of protecting or benefitting the environment.

 

[tedmc]

This would be more precise, since "making a difference" could be for better or worse, as emsr2d2 has pointed out :

We can do our part to protect the enviroment.