this post was submitted on 01 Aug 2024
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“We”..?
Look, I know we are all on this planet together and stuff, but the vast majority of us aren’t doing anything at all that depletes resources at a too-fast rate.
Sure, most people in developed countries have some things they could do in their daily lives to be more efficient, like being a no-scrap-left-behind sort, and if they can practically implement those changes they absolutely should, but that actually makes an insanely small difference in the grand scheme, and requires a ton of individual effort, which makes any change unlikely to stick.
Instead, let’s look at the individuals (rich people) and companies (most companies) who are using more than a reasonable share of the resources, and force us as consumers and employees to use more (throw-away culture via product design, commute especially via private transportation, dress codes, etc.) and, you know, make them stop doing that..? If we did that, and made some changes to infrastructure/zoning/public transit, individual change would necessarily follow with very little individual effort, and thus be more likely to succeed.
Yeah, we need to stop framing this as overconsumption and instead frame it as overproduction.
The producers decides to push fartstuff onto us, which in itself creates artificial demand. At the same time they manipulate us through advertisements, movies and media to lust more for the superficial.
We need to remember to not hate the players, but hate the game. It's the game that got us here, not the players.
Withdraw your support for the system.
Sure, but only because the vast majority of us aren't European or North American.
Rich people and companies are the winners of a game that hundreds of millions actively support through purchasing patterns, voting, peer pressure, and political activism. Populists winning elections on platforms of ignoring climate change are responsible, yes, but so is everyone who voted for them.
Every example you name for how you could reduce consumption involve you remaining an individual consumer, continuing to work within their system. But there are co-ops, library economies, unionization, political groups, collective activism - many ways to work together to far greater effect. They want us to see ourselves as snowflakes in an avalanche, none of us strong enough to fight the system, but we can fuse our economic power and become a boulder or a barricade, digging into the ground and taking energy out of the system rather than adding to it.
This is something we have always been able to do, and we, as western consumers in relative privilege, are responsible for every second that we do not do so, and let ourselves vote with our wallets instead.