It can often feel like the issues that arise from the capitalist means of production and consumption exist without any means of solving them. The continued externalization of costs by industries and major corporations have gone on to negatively impact everything from the environment to developing economies to the livelihood of the people who carry out the labor. The externalization of costs are not always explicit, and are often hidden behind other encouraging labels. For example, it is important to recognize that when retailers are able to sell you their products for a very low price, it means that the company is able to afford it by having the labor force exist in areas that don’t enforce certain labor laws that protect the environment or enforce labor standards that protect the humanity of its workers. The capitalist ideologies that permeate our society and culture promote a self-serving agenda that benefits the personal and immediate needs of those in the system’s control and power. As a result, the consequences of overconsumption, waste production, and environmental damage can sometimes seem too abstract or not applicable to those fortunate enough to escape its immediate impact. But what if the solutions to these fundamental problems were presented as more personal or self-oriented?
The truth is, reducing consumption is an urgent problem, and as the world becomes increasingly interconnected and globalized, the more difficult it will become to avoid the distressing effects of our collective actions and behavior. It is becoming more important to understand the implications of our consumption, and that it is imperative that we begin to make changes to our lifestyles in order to reduce it. The consequences are only becoming more detrimental and permanent as time passes, so ignoring the problem is not an option now more than ever. Fortunately, there are a plethora of different ways to reduce consumption, like investing in clean energy, cutting down on meat, and driving less [iv] . It is just a matter of staying informed and practicing these new approaches with diligence and a mindset that embraces the true intimacy of these pressing issues.
Inspiring ourselves to work towards waste and consumption reduction is possible when we try to eliminate the intimidation factor, as well as the overwhelming, large-scale nature of this problem. It is necessary that we personalize this experiences in order to apply these values to our everyday lives. As a result, starting to make a change on a smaller scale is a feasible and encouraging way to adjust your lifestyle. Additionally, it is important to establish why you want to make a change, regardless of whether it’s because of financial reasons, your disdain for seeing litter, or your inevitable dread and concern for the future of your environment. Establishing your motivation for change is crucial to actually following through with it, and then you can begin to take steps like assessing your waste, prioritizing which areas you want to focus on, replacing items with sustainable versions as they run out, and researching how to properly recycle old items, donate, sell, or upcycle them [ii]. Furthermore, reducing consumption in the context of the food market is also a plausible and doable way to be active for the cause. Within the food market, alternative food networks exist that seek to, “organize flows of food products (in order to) link up those who wish to consume more ‘ethically’ with those who wish to get a better deal for the food they produce, or who prefer to produce food in ways that the market forces currently discourage” [i].
One way that people can make a difference is by being aware of the amount of meat that they are consuming, and actively trying to reduce the amount. Today, we now know that, “the de facto industrial model of raising livestock has had all kinds of negative impacts: It’s a major contributor to climate change, antibiotic resistance, water pollution, and air pollution. The people who raise and kill the animals often work in unjust, unhealthy conditions. Feeding the billions of animals we raise for meat with corn and soy takes up precious land and puts pressure on wildlife. And we have good evidence that high meat consumption is linked to risks of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, some forms of cancer, and premature death” [v]. These consequences for meat consumption are dire, but there are promising alternatives. Plant-based alternatives like soy milk instead of dairy milk is a way of making a substitution that doesn’t necessarily require you to undertake a plant-based diet in its entirety like vegetarianism or veganism, but allows you to contribute to a more humane and sustainable way of consuming food.
Discussions of waste production, climate change, and overconsumption are too often discussed on a larger scale, but they need to be framed more often as matters related to the current effects at the local level. It is a good thing that people aspire to save the whales, but the pressing issues exist closer to home than many people are aware of. Fortunately or unfortunately, depending on your point of view, the connections are becoming easier to make. There are countless examples, for instance, terrible flooding in the central USA, the record drought in California, recent heat waves in central Asia, or in Australia, etc. Individual people have an essential role in inspiring collective behavior within various spheres of influence (see the above figure), which is the kind of action that is necessary to alter the massive systems - food, transportation, retail, etc. - disproportionately affecting the planet.
Overall, it is important to recognize the significance of our personal abilities to instigate change, and to understand that, “individuals whose actions are informed by a deeper understanding of how the planet really works can galvanize collectives to change the larger systems that drive so much of human behavior. To radically alter the way humans think and live; educate the next generation; and design physical, governmental, and cultural systems, humans must experience and better understand their profound interdependence with the planet” [iii].
http://trashisfortossers.com/a-beginners-guide-to-zero-waste-living-ps-it-doesnt-happen-overnight/ [ii]
Americans should eat less meat, but they're eating more and more - Voxhttps://www.vox.com/2016/8/18/12248226/eat-less-meat-campaign-fail [v]
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