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who did that?! (lemmy.world)
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[-] KairuByte@lemmy.dbzer0.com 100 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

While it’s everyone’s fault, there is very little consumers can do to actually help.

For example:

  • When every company is using single use plastics for certain products, you don’t have any alternatives.
  • When the local government doesn’t offer the ability to recycle, your options are limited.
  • Or worse, the local government offers recycling services, but the collected items are literally just dumped into the trash.

So while I again agree everyone is at fault, I’d say the consumer has vastly less overall control than any other entity.

[-] rodolfo@lemmy.world 45 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

market won't regulate itself. that's established. EDIT: no way to "vote" with my wallet

[-] TwoGems@lemmy.world 32 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Or apartments aren't mandated to have recycling. Or how oil corporations controlled anti-climate change propaganda, as well as Republicans. Or how corporations forced us to use oil to get to our jobs because there really was no public transportation alternative (particularly in America).

That makes this meme stupid, because consumers didn't have much control over big money buying everything or basically requiring the use of specific materials.

[-] DessertStorms@kbin.social 12 points 1 year ago

So while I again agree everyone is at fault

no, only those in power and making profits are to blame, not the people trapped in their wealth extraction system with no choice but to participate or die.

[-] idunnololz@lemmy.world 6 points 1 year ago

All consumers need to do is commit mass suicide /s

[-] whofearsthenight@lemm.ee 2 points 1 year ago

I mean, I think it would be cool if I could go into a store and buy a flash drive that wasn't surrounded by a mountain of plastic and other resources. Or replace that with just about everything else. Although we're at another wealth inequality problem in general (I can go vegan tomorrow, move to a commune where everything was made of hemp, and it will still probably take 100 of my lifetimes to offset the carbon footprint of Elon or Taylor Swift over the next week, or maybe even just hour) I do often think about the very nature of our system now is that goods sold are often going to come with at a bare minimum equal parts waste to product.

[-] Wanderer@lemm.ee -1 points 1 year ago

Consumers have the very real ability to vote and protest for changes but the people don't care and the politicians know it would be unpopular so they wouldn't do it.

[-] kenbw2@lemmy.world -5 points 1 year ago

Plastic and recycling have nothing to do with climate change though

[-] KairuByte@lemmy.dbzer0.com 6 points 1 year ago

Those were examples, but as pointed out they absolutely do have an effect on climate change.

However, I can provide a couple more direct examples if you like:

  • No public transit available, and neighborhoods built in such a way that the majority of residents need to travel miles to reach their place of business.
  • Products being grown, packaged and sold in completely different countries. Driven by profit, meaning many companies make the same ridiculous decisions. Consumers are often given no alternatives for certain products.
[-] aesthelete@lemmy.world 4 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

https://www.goingzerowaste.com/blog/which-is-better-for-the-environment-glass-or-plastic/

They do though. Manufacturing in general has a high carbon footprint, and the overwhelming majority of plastics the containers won't be recycled so the next packaged item will have the exact same carbon footprint as the first one.

this post was submitted on 27 Aug 2023
363 points (85.7% liked)

The memes of the climate

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The climate of the memes of the climate!

Planet is on fire!

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