2 ms·

I started figuring in the cost of toxic landfills, and the pollution (manufacturing + transport) for items to come to my door. So I do mind throwing away cheap

• grandalf 9y ago
  True. Countries with lax emissions laws arbitrage environmental damage in exchange for short-term profits. When we import goods from these countries, we too arbitrage environmental damage for short-term profits. Since the environment is global, a filthy and polluted river or smokestack in China is harmful to all of us in the US, even if we are not directly drinking out of it or breathing it in. I think all products made from imported parts should contain disclosure about what environmental harm was created in the manufacture of the parts. I'm not loyal to American manufacturing in the least, but it's silly to pretend that there is fair competition when a product manufactured in the US must comply with extensive environmental regs that the Chinese product does not.