5 ms·
A flaw in modern economics is that we should buy more expand the economy. But for environment we should buy less.
by acd 5y ago
A flaw in modern economics is that we should buy more expand the economy. But for environment we should buy less.
- supertrope 5y agoYeast cells generate alcohol waste until the concentration is so high they stop growing. But an individual microorganism can’t do anything but metabolize as fast as it can.
- frockington1 5y agoinstead of buying a shitty microwave every year, buy 1 good one that will last. You'll kitchen will look nicer and you'll be helping the environment
- iammisc 5y agoI bought the cheapest microwave i could possibly find on Amazon, and it's lasted way more than a year. I sometimes wonder what people do with their stuff that it lasts so little time.
- 0des 5y ago"Buy it right, or buy it twice"
- tuatoru 5y agoYou can never tell what will last, though. 15 years ago I bought a cheap microwave (not the cheapest, but the second cheapest IIRC). I probably use it about 15 times a week. The plastic film over the buttons is flaking off, but it still works just as well as it ever did. I have bought "name brand" appliances that have failed in months.
- nicbou 5y agoI accumulate these items because they just won't die. They tend to have one thing in common: they are simple, practical and versatile. A good example is every last minute purchase I made at decathlon. Every time I buy something there just for this one trip, I end up wearing it every day for years. They're practical clothes that suit every activity. Same with my Bluetooth speaker and my mini projector. They do a single job well, and interface with other things that do a single job well. I basically try to buy into the hardware equivalent of the unix philosophy.
- mijamo 5y agoYou don't need to buy more. You need to spend more. There is a big difference between both. And you can spend more while buying less and help the environment.
- gota 5y agoI can see that. You can spend more on services without buying more. Examples I could use - A dog walker for an extra round of exercise to my dog; a personal trainer, physical therapist of some kind or nutricionist, just to keep tabs on my health even if not "necessary" (as in, not in response to a problem or medical request); a tutor for a tour and introduction to a hobby that I always thought was interesting (sculpting plasticine figurines) but really never knew where to start, etc. I guess it can be argued that a few hours of any of these would do the average person much better than "upgrading" a perfectly functional appliance or dinner table
- legitster 5y agoGDP growth doesn't care about whether spending is on durable or consumable goods. If anything, falling aggregate spending on durable goods is probably hampering our GDP overall. A lot of this consumer preference - people just want new things more often than they want things that last. And social media has probably accelerated the half-life decay of trends to chase.