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Those milieus who care most about the environment consistently turn out to have the highest environmental footprint. The point isn't that these people are hypoc
by thomasz 7y ago
Those milieus who care most about the environment consistently turn out to have the highest environmental footprint. The point isn't that these people are hypocrites. Maybe they are (who, besides a cynic, isn't to some degree?), maybe they are not. The point is that it doesn't matter at all. People by and large will not alter their behavior in any major way for a common good as long as the individual marginal advantage is dwarfed by the individual marginal cost. Fishers will happily eradicate all fish in their fishing grounds and thus destroy their own livelihood, and will fiercely protest any meaningful regulation aimed at conserving. Consumers will happily fly around the world or commute in a SUV until the planet is doomed.^1
It's just the way it is, lamenting the sinful human nature doesn't change a thing. We need meaningful regulation.
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[1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tragedy_of_the_commons https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tragedy_of_the_commons