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Thank you. These changes are nice in the right context but are even worse than useless if they distract from systemic changes. Especially useless is the kind of

by 0x262d 7y ago

Thank you. These changes are nice in the right context but are even worse than useless if they distract from systemic changes. Especially useless is the kind of personal change like buying solar panels or an EV that take being middle or upper middle class as the economy continues to get worse for most people. Almost every major source of carbon pollution is socially interdependent(eg transportation) or controlled by a few near-monopolies (eg general purpose energy production). And lots basically exist due to how capitalism controls the state (as it always has) for its own purposes, eg in the massive subsidization of industrial meat production. We need social solutions that correspond to how the economy is socially specialized and interconnected.

rainyMammoth 7y ago
The distraction here is exactly the issue. It actually removes the urgency of climate change. Companies greenwashed us into thinking that all it take is buy a upper-class Tesla to save the planet (Yes I'm reusing this example because I see it every single day in the bay area). This is not the solution, you are marginally polluting less with a Tesla but you are not solving the issue at all. you are only making yourself feel good. Even worse, as you say it creates two class of people based on money: The ones that can afford the green-washed toys and the ones that cannot and are now blamed for "polluting". Real change is going beyond single occupancy car for example, or reducing over population on the planet. But those are mainly economical changes that nobody wants to conveniently talk about because those are actually hard. Buying solar panels, walking to work or taking shorter showers are conveniently nitpicked easy metrics for feel-good effect.
- 0x262d 7y ago
  Yes. And then to add insult to injury the luxury teslas have fancy air filters in them while everyone else is choking on wildfire smoke. I already linked this somewhere else but the only thing that makes me feel sane about the environment is socialist organizing. we have some people in the bay area, check it out: https://www.socialistalternative.org/2019/08/08/climate-catastrophe-and-the-case-for-a-planned-economy/ https://www.socialistalternative.org/2019/08/08/climate-cata...

by 0x262d 7y ago

rainyMammoth 7y ago

The distraction here is exactly the issue. It actually removes the urgency of climate change. Companies greenwashed us into thinking that all it take is buy a upper-class Tesla to save the planet (Yes I'm reusing this example because I see it every single day in the bay area). This is not the solution, you are marginally polluting less with a Tesla but you are not solving the issue at all. you are only making yourself feel good. Even worse, as you say it creates two class of people based on money: The ones that can afford the green-washed toys and the ones that cannot and are now blamed for "polluting". Real change is going beyond single occupancy car for example, or reducing over population on the planet. But those are mainly economical changes that nobody wants to conveniently talk about because those are actually hard. Buying solar panels, walking to work or taking shorter showers are conveniently nitpicked easy metrics for feel-good effect.

0x262d 7y ago
Yes. And then to add insult to injury the luxury teslas have fancy air filters in them while everyone else is choking on wildfire smoke. I already linked this somewhere else but the only thing that makes me feel sane about the environment is socialist organizing. we have some people in the bay area, check it out: https://www.socialistalternative.org/2019/08/08/climate-catastrophe-and-the-case-for-a-planned-economy/ https://www.socialistalternative.org/2019/08/08/climate-cata...