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Not my OC but what I've believed for years: there's no conflict between reducing your own environmental impact and holding corporations responsible. We hold corps responsible for the environment by creating a societal ethos of environmental responsibility that forces corporations to serve the people's needs or go bankrupt or be outlawed. And anyone who feels that kind of ethos will reduce their own environmental impact because it's the right thing to do.
Thoughts?
I'll start out with the most damning response to the "footprint" concept: carbon footprint is almost entirely dictated by your income.
The logic that consumer behaviour puts pressure on corporations is based on the logic of supply & demand based pricing.
The problem is, that's an article of faith and not really supported by the evidence. When you put that theory to the test the evidence shows that pricing follows a model where companies effectively dictate their prices to you. It doesn't follow supply and demand.
This is an interview of two economists on this topic: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/105-it-could-happen-here-30717896/episode/everyone-else-admits-we-were-right-122933018/
They also skewer the whole institution of orthodox economics here. I found it quite cathartic.
But the upshot of this is, in my opinion, the only way to reduce your personal carbon footprint is to make yourself "poor" at least as far as the economy is concerned. That may sound impossible, but I think it dovetails nicely with my own politics of building mutual aid networks, where people create alternative methods of directly meeting one another's needs and help wean one another off our dependence on capital and the state.
That isn't consumer activism as much as it is anti-consumer, and that's kind of incidental to its primary goal to create a political body that undermines the entire machinery of capitalism whilst educating common people on how to run a world for and by themselves.
I think I'd quite like to try out a society that praised things like humility, modesty, selflessness
and vilified things like, gluttony, vanity. envy, pride, greed.
I'm not sure where i'm going to find one of those - it'd probably get attacked by some international agency that claims to have intelligence.
That's why part of the key is autonomous on the ground activity that is not on the surface a direct threat to them - although it should be openly aspiring to become a threat. The more we make up of the ecosystem the owning class depends on for support, the less feasible it becomes for them to attack us, until we eventually grow around their entire root system and choke it out.
I'd agree with your politics there, too. The poorer you make yourself, the more likely you are to live a moral life. Unfortunately, it's very difficult to also make it a good, comfortable, safe life, and I think it's a bit much to ask people to go that much against their own interests. (This varies from country to country of course, I'm sure there's places where you'd be ok)
Part of the point of the mutual aid is to make life better without needing the money. That's why I put "poor" in quotations and specified in the eyes of the economy.
Fair, I should have made the effort to use "poor" in quotations, too. I love the idea of mutual aid working that way. I guess I'd be worried about relying on it for anything as potentially life-or-death as healthcare, but that's a few steps further down the line than we're discussing here
Yeah, you take the steps you can when you can. The ultimate point is to create a real alternative to the existing power structure. The anti consumerism is a by-product.
Edit: maybe the anti-consumerism is necessarily interwoven in the project, because you are freeing yourself from reliance on consumer goods and from the entire consumer identity.
Their "own interests"
this is a key phrase here for me.
Once a person has a modest amount; is it in their interests to eat more and get fat, or to live in a place where other people share in having a modest amount, or, at least have a fair oppotunity to get a modest amount.
A person's morality will influence the scope of their concept of "own interests".
And therefore how much they want beyond meeting their "own basic needs" before they start caring more about neighbours with unfulfilled "basic needs".
I fully agree. I just think that the economic situations have been getting more and more precarious for lots of people, meaning getting to a modest amount moves further into the distance. I truly believe that we'll have more people championing climate change issues if we put them in positions where fulfilling their own needs is easier
I agree entirely. You should live ethically because it's the right thing to do, and the fact that it won't save the entire world on its own shouldn't be an excuse not to. That there's so much leftist pushback on this idea of maintaining your ethics in your personal life is really disheartening. Consumption really is a mind virus that is determined to keep you hooked, even among those who should know better.
If we can't maintain our ethics in the small bubble that is our own lives, how exactly do we intend to maintain them on a societal level? And if you don't respect nature now, why should I expect you to start respecting it after we change some laws? Start now, at least for some of it. You're gonna have to do all of this eventually anyways. So what do you have to lose?
I'm all in favour of everyone deciding this for themselves. Every person acting ethically is a good thing.
What I disagree with is people pushing other people to act ethically in the same ways when the impact is so small and their activism could focus on much bigger fish
how to convince people who don't know or care
By changing the system to give them better options and easier choices. It depends on why they don't care or know, of course. I'm assuming a low SES here, where there's little energy to inform yourself or change, different strategies should be used for other groups, like more education in schools, etc
Do you similarly believe this for pushing others to vote? A single vote is small fish too.
Not an unfair point, I grant you. I'd say that while a single vote is a small drop as well, it also requires much less effort of someone, whereas changing your life consistently every single day in ways that are difficult and unpleasant is a lot more to ask. I'd say it's a matter of effort vs. reward
Staying informed so you can actually vote effectively is a constant effort too. Especially if you actually participate in the primary process and local elections. You just don't see that as a constant effort because it's something you already do. It's an ingrained part of your routine and habit.
Similarly, I don't see reducing my consumption as a constant effort, because it's something I already do. I eat less meat, I use less plastic, I buy less junk than I used to. It took a bit of adjustment at first, sure. But now it's just something that I do.
You're right, that is also an effort, though I think it's one that our current situations make easier, given the amount of free information and the ubiquity of smartphones. Still, I see your point.
The other side knows this, which is why it ridicules our movements at all times. When, for instance, 400,000 people march on New York City, I know that I will get a stream of ugly tweets and emails about how—saints preserve us—it takes gasoline to get to New York City. Indeed it does. If you live in a society that has dismantled its train system, then lots of people will need to drive and take the bus, and it will be the most useful gallons they burn in the course of the year. Because that’s what pushes systems to change.
When brave people go to jail, cynics email me to ask how much gas the paddywagon requires. When brave people head out in kayaks to block the biggest drilling rigs on earth, I always know I’ll be reading dozens of tweets from clever and deadened souls asking “don’t you know the plastic for those kayaks require oil?” Yes, we know—and we’ve decided it’s well worth it. We’re not trying to be saints; we’re trying to be effective.
... Movements take care of their own: They provide bail money and they push each other’s ideas around the web. They join forces across issues: BlackLivesMatter endorsing fossil fuel divestment, climate justice activists fighting deportations. They recognize that together we might just have enough strength to get it done. So when people ask me what can I do, I know say the same thing every time: “The most important thing an individual can do is not be an individual. Join together—that’s why we have movements like 350.org or Green for All, like BlackLivesMatter or Occupy. If there’s not a fight where you live, find people to support, from Standing Rock to the Pacific islands. Job one is to organize and jobs two and three.”
And if you have some time left over after that, then by all means make sure your lightbulbs are all LEDs and your kale comes from close to home.
--Bill McKibben: The Question I Get Asked the Most
I've personally witnessed the tension between people who equate individual environmental impact with morality and those who are trying to organize social movements. I wish they were complementary, but often that is not the case. The condescension from people who can afford environmentally-conscious products or have hours to spare for less time-efficient forms of travel and cooking is destructive to movements, especially when organizing in low-income and immigrant communities. Ecological individualism is great if it is done in ways that complement or support mass action, otherwise it is merely performative.
Unless you're a millionaire, I don't care how you're spending your money, as long as you're there when we need you.
@stabby_cicada The rich (people, countries) are the ones who pollute the most... they should be the first to decarbonize (because they can afford it) and they should help pay for everyone else to decarbonize. *Everyone* can help pressure corporations/politicians (with pressure campaigns and votes) to decarbonize at scale, to develop a climate plan for your local school/government, to demand better regulation of pollution.
It's ALL OF THE ABOVE that needs to happen. As fast as possible.
People who reduce their own environmental impact often take it personal when other's don't praise them or copy their behaviour. There's often a tendency of judging others for their choices. I really try to watch myself but I'm not free from it, and I guess we all know also how annoying it is to be on the receiving end of these world improvement attempts.
Companies on the other hand are not people, so we don't have to be kind to them. We should always hold them accountable for their actions.
... thinking this further, personal responsibility and corporate responsibility are connected. Corporations consist of people. I decide every day to continue working for a bunch of corporations who aren't providing useful service for society. You might do the same. Each individual person who gets up in the morning and continues to do their job within a deeply unjust and destructive society is perpetuating the destruction - but it's like we are waiting for the others to start first. Because obviously it's utterly scary to imagine running to join the revolution with a raised fist and then find everybody else stayed sitting at their desks. So we just shake our fists a little, and go vegan or take the bus so we don't feel so bad about our participation in perpetuating the destruction.
... and I think that's where our joy of life and art comes in, because art gives us the chance to dream the life we want, the society we want, the relations we want, while we are forced to survive in this deeply flawed version of reality. As for our fellow world improvers, the kind thing is to cheer them on: yay, you're still with us, plant eaters, bus takers, writers, doers!
The drivers for change are multifaceted, as you point out. One of the main drivers for big corporations are there reputation because it directly affects their long-term profitability. Other drivers include things like shareholder perception which is also linked to their reputation. You see this a lot in mining, where companies like TECK are splitting or offloading coal investments because of public and shareholder perception. Perception also plays a role in regulatory approvals for mines as well, which ultimately can dictate their approval and how they operate. At some mines there are now electric mining trucks or electric assisted mining trucks that are more fuel efficient because of perception but also because of fuel costs. When multiple drivers come together, it creates change.
I don't really know how oil corps are going to be "held to account" at an international level in any effective way. Who is going to do what to them? for how long? with what mandate? Edward Norton with some home made soap?
Oil/coal corps seem to be better at creating laws for the benefit of them than democratic processes are for the benefit of people. Even in countries that they don't operate in (especially if they want to operate there).
I think underlying it all is a prisoners dilemma / tragedy of commons type situation - co-operative solutions can sometimes emerge and even persist, but they can be unstable or easier to destabilise than would be nice. Coupled with a large power imbalance (since wars, military and oil are all quite closely related).
If a person can reduce the amount of fossil fuels they use directly and indirectly, or modify their lifestyle / environment to use less of it, then that might be their best (only) method to actually erode their power (however slightly).
@stabby_cicada its still collective action at the end of the day if you hope to have an impact.
I would suggest strategic boycotts can have an impact at times. Generally voting with your dollars is most useful when supporting local alternatives where your individual dollars really have a big impact.
The danger with individual responsibility campaigns is they tend to shift focus away from those with the real power (as has been stated here by others).
Take a look at the history of the Make America Beautiful campaign to see how corporations have intentionally pushed this narrative to shift focus off of them.
Slowing/stopping/reversing climate change could be achieved much more readily if "people" (in general or specifically activists) were willing to accept some sacrifice, which is to say decrease in their standard of living.
However, I think that's a third rail that no one wants to touch. See "veganism is too hard", "biking takes too long", "I'm really busy, I have to use plastic water bottles", etc. There are of course people for which it really is not possible, but also many where they are just unwilling to sacrifice.
Therefore, the only way to maintain our current standard of living while ameliorating climate change is through rapid technological advancement. I'm not hopeful.
I feel like this is the option that is most discussed in public discourse, which is the problem. If we discuss climate change through the lense of "Why don't people bike, since driving is bad for the planet?" rather than "What structural changes (bike lanes, public transit, car-free city centers, etc.) can we offer to encourage people to cycle more?" or even "What are the biggest transport-related emissions (private jets, flying in fresh fruit from halfway across the world, using trucks for shipping, etc.) and how can we work as a society to eliminate them?", then people will feel disenfranchised, and even if we all started cycling it wouldn't help nearly as much as if we tackled the bigger corporate issues. It's neither pragmatic nor fair to focus on individual action at the scale of single consumers.
I agree with that wholeheartedly. "How do we make people want to behave better" is the question I want to pour my energy at, and I don't think shaming them and making them defensive is the way to do it.
Because right now, we mostly do the opposite. We systematically encourage people to make the wrong choices through our markets and built environments. And pearl-clutching about bad actors in that environment is totally unreasonable and unfair, in my opinion.
That's a great point. I hadn't thought about it quite that way before. Thanks.
I had to think about this a bit. Ultimately, I still can't think of any historical precedents where a people reacted proactively to a threat with relatively unknown consequences (to the individual). Maybe I'm missing something.
While it does no harm (and in fact probably makes sense) to invest in multiple strategies to fight climate change as a society, I have to admit that I don't think attempting to change people's minds regarding climate change is the most effectual. Consider that not only do you have to convince the "Western" world (which already has a high standard of living) to reduce emissions, you also have to somewhat repress development of nations which are striving to industrialize and will almost certainly be emitting more greenhouse and toxic gases in the future. See China, India, Africa, etc.
I agree that blaming consumers is counter-productive to the goal of convincing society to be more sustainable, but given the limited time we have, technologies like carbon capture, fusion, massive solar/wind, should be the core strategy in ameliorating the effects of climate change.
Ethical consumption without collective action has no teeth -- what if none of the corporations offer ethical goods to consume?
Collective action without ethical consumption has no stamina -- if people are unprepared for personal sacrifice, how many will continue to support the reduction of unethical goods once the corporations reduce production and/or raise prices?
I guess it just yanks my chain to have to limit the way I live (or use more expensive “green” options) when I know the major polluters are doing nothing of the sort and only make steps towards renewables or green options when it directly benifits them with lowered costs or a better public image.
I understand that change happens in small increments and spending money on green alternatives will guide the market but it is annoying that it falls to the ones who are smart enough to understand the dangers and caring enough to do anything about.
I know a couple who make coffee at home every morning and put it in a disposable cup with a plastic lid. New cup every day. They aren’t callous, they’re just not smart people. And their reward is to not worry about the the things we do.
End rant
You dont understand i have to get this massive SUV, ive been exploited by neoliberals. Its not my fault.
Corporations don't operate under the same rules, laws or have the same motivations as humans do.
The humans that run them can't change this without laws and appropriately tough penalties enforcing new behavior.
What he speaks of may work on the local mom and pop retail store or restaurant.
Whoever wrote this is way off base when it comes to multinational mega corps.
We hold corps responsible for the environment by creating a societal ethos of environmental responsibility that forces corporations to serve the people's needs or go bankrupt or be outlawed.
Or maybe it creates a market for feel-good products, like plastic coated wrapping which looks like recycled paper.
Or companies actually do what you want, but continue to serve this other customer bubble who does not share your values at all. Environmentalism becomes just another lifestyle option.