The pandemic handed us all a super easy win on doing something about climate change by forcing a large chunk of us to (temporarily, it seems) stop sitting in our cars twice a day. Instant reduction in the amount of CO2 we’re producing. It’s not 100% of the solution, but it’s not nothing, and a year in, most of us had adapted just fine (I’d argue, most who could WFH, prospered, seeing a lot more benefit than negative).
But nah - let’s get back in our cars, waste time at the beginning and end of every day, spend more money on coffees and lunch, and breathe in the cubicle goodness because, fuck it - that’s the way we’ve always done it.
Do you know what I learned during the pandemic? CO2 emissions by PEOPLE are a rounding number. The pandemic hit and CO2 barely changed.
It’s industry and corporations and farms that output like 80 % of all CO2, yet we’re made to believe it’s “on us” to make a change.
It’s the same with recycling, it’s pushed like we’re saving the planet recycling some bottles while a paper plant will pollute the equivalent of 200,000 homes…
You are totally right, industry is the big polluter, but I think it’s important to also realize: what we consume drives industry to produce polluting goods, the only reason they pollute is to produce stuff to sell us, if we want them to stop polluting, “part” of the solution is to stop buying their stuff.
The pandemic handed us all a super easy win on doing something about climate change by forcing a large chunk of us to (temporarily, it seems) stop sitting in our cars twice a day. Instant reduction in the amount of CO2 we’re producing. It’s not 100% of the solution, but it’s not nothing, and a year in, most of us had adapted just fine (I’d argue, most who could WFH, prospered, seeing a lot more benefit than negative).
But nah - let’s get back in our cars, waste time at the beginning and end of every day, spend more money on coffees and lunch, and breathe in the cubicle goodness because, fuck it - that’s the way we’ve always done it.
Do you know what I learned during the pandemic? CO2 emissions by PEOPLE are a rounding number. The pandemic hit and CO2 barely changed.
It’s industry and corporations and farms that output like 80 % of all CO2, yet we’re made to believe it’s “on us” to make a change.
It’s the same with recycling, it’s pushed like we’re saving the planet recycling some bottles while a paper plant will pollute the equivalent of 200,000 homes…
You are totally right, industry is the big polluter, but I think it’s important to also realize: what we consume drives industry to produce polluting goods, the only reason they pollute is to produce stuff to sell us, if we want them to stop polluting, “part” of the solution is to stop buying their stuff.
There is some truth to that, but you also need to be reminded that companies will look at profit before they look at environmental impact.
Yes, producing goods pollutes, but it could pollute way less if they changed the way they produce.
But corporations won’t do that because it cuts into their profit.
So it is much cheaper to blame the consumers for wanting products.
(Products they try to convince you to buy through marketing I might add)
Also fixing rent by not making it necessary to live in the same city you work in giving everyone more choices