This defeatist attitude is terrible. There's so, so much you can personally do, even if you personally can't create change on a global scale a la Bill Gates and co.
They were asking for something proactive, to exit their defeatism. Perhaps you could suggest something.
I suppose reducing spending and food waste is one way an individual can help.
Or for specific problems like insects, if you have a lawn, don’t use pesticides, and cultivate areas of local plants. Grass only lawns aren’t very helpful for insects.
The list of things an individual can do to lessen their environmental impact could fill a book, and it's up to the person to determine where they can best act. These ideas are easily googleable, which is why I suggest that changing the attitude from "hole up with food and guns" to "look for ways to be proactive".
I suppose reducing spending and food waste is one way an individual can help.
Or for specific problems like insects, if you have a lawn, don’t use pesticides, and cultivate areas of local plants. Grass only lawns aren’t very helpful for insects.