Yes! A few months ago I was chatting with a friend and we somehow got to the question, “wait what happened to the hole in the ozone?” Imagine my surprise when we looked it up and it saw it was fixed! It feels like there should’ve been a massive celebration in the end. I agree so much with this. Apply it to social media or even recycling in the US. Both are things where the “Big” (insert industry of choice) want to shirk the responsibility of making big changes by blaming and pushing the agenda of small changes. It’s our individual behavior that’s wrong, not massive corporations unwilling to be inconvenienced 🙄
You'd think that something like the Ozone layer would have called for celebration? Why wasn't there some sort of announcement? I remember that shame and fear quite clearly. As a society, we're constantly bombarded by the negatives. I realize that that's not the point of this amazing post but it really brought back memories
This was ::chef's kiss:: I get so down in my contributions and then enraged when I recall that I'm a nanoscopic blip and that it really should be up to our governments to force the issue. Ironically, this is the type of innovation that is a pillar of the capitalism people cling to... so, y'know, you'd think they wouldn't mind government regulation protecting our planet.
I feel the same way! It’s so stressful to feel an individual responsibility to do the right thing within a system that only gives you wrong choices.
Completely agree re: innovation — the biggest capitalist lie. Innovation was never greater in the U.S than when we levied a 90% tax on the highest income brackets.
No amount of smug cyclists shaming drivers will address climate change. I’m a big believer in the unparalleled capacity of good policy to change millions of lives overnight and address looming global issues. I see the reactionary “but what about my freedom to use ODSs?” as just another hallmark of late stage capitalism. Love this essay!
or freedom as a convenient little rallying cry to mobilize public opposition, ensuring policymakers never have to dig deep and actually oppose industry. As a result, we individuals/consumers are tasked with responsibility for everything! It's now up to US to address climate change instead of government, etc. I could go on and on. . . :)
I live in Italy. My Italian friend told me this story of when they were building a new metro stop in Napoli and they found a fully intact ship from the Roman or Greek era. The entire project stopped because they had to find money to preserve and move this ship. His argument was that this wouldn’t be financed by Italy - it’s a global treasure to study how civilizations lived.
Maybe we need more global governance on these kind of things. Obviously there are some countries that are doing their part in terms of climate crisis and others who are not.
Yes! I wholeheartedly agree – but do you think certain choices still rest with the individual (like choosing to eat less meat) or can everything be solved at the system level?
I think personal choices like eating less meat and continuing to reduce our single use plastic where we can. and using our recycling bins while knowing its going to landfill are a part of how we signal to government that we care. Along with being careful who we vote for, and protesting.
That’s an interesting perspective! It’s very nuanced. You’re probably right that we need to take these actions (or at least be loud about promoting them) so the government can’t look at lack of engagement and interpret it as constituents not caring about an issue. However, our participation in these actions could just as easily be interpreted as compliance with the culture of individualism? But also, maybe individual behaviors help raise awareness and spread the conversation that leads to policy change?? We’re put in such a tough spot when the policies don’t give us many good options!
I agree 100% we don’t want to fall for compliance with the culture of individualism. Yes to the things that spread the conversation and lead to positive policy change. I do what I can, and seek ways to do more.
I thought so too… curious about the mechanism that is individual awareness and responsibility and how that informs bigger discussions and ultimately, mayyyybe, those even bigger moves via policy. As in, we all got freaked out about Aqua Net and became super aware of that hole, to the point that ‘constituent’ dialogue begat governmental action.
I’d like to think this is how individual awareness can fire up the big stuff. It’s not really about buying or not buying hairspray, but more so about syncing awareness, emotion, intent, with a systemic problem.
Can it be a combo of both? A release of the individual from the pressures of personal responsibility AND/ALSO, that certain amount of pressure on us that leads to conversation and commonality and action?
Definitely! Every issue always comes down to some and/also answer. And, of course, there's not actually a line between the individual and the government action, because we ARE our government. It's probably more a matter of moving our individual actions away from the consumer-level stuff companies want us to focus on and toward advocating for and voting on the policy-level stuff that can make a difference.
Where there’s a will there’s a way. 💯 And it is time for something radically different that serves the vast majority of the people.
I loved this essay. We need more of this to foster hope and to use our collective power to advocate for policy change.
I get so despondent when I hear people say “this is the best we’ve got”. Like things aren’t going to evolve. I’ve just finished reading a book called Utopia for Realists and it gave me hope that there are new ways to do things. Many of them already tried & tested on a small scale successfully.
I read an article recently encouraging people to reduce the microplastics being released into the environment by sourcing 100% plastic free clothing. Buttons? They better be wooden. Zippers? Metal. Does it have a collar? Check that interfacing, it might contain microplastics. What type of thread was it stitched with? While I think most of us can agree that fast fashion IS a problem for the environment and we can all reduce our clothing buying habits, the level of scrupulousness involved in this was something available to only those most privileged with the time and financial resources to track down clothes that meet their demands. And yet in the whole article there was not one mention of corporate responsibility. This extreme focus on individual responsibility just doesn't math well. Even if 2% of the population decided to source wooden buttons (a percentage I suspect is still far from where we are at) Shein would still crank out their same levels of production. I think as individuals we can certainly do our part (our daughter has given up beef, which means I rarely use it now), but from a math perspective it is vastly more effective to get a few large corporations to change than it is to get billions of individuals to change.
I have so much love for this post. I’m a fairly positive person but I’m sick to death of being told to wash my clothes at 20° and pay for plastic bags and eat veg only twice a week for the sake of the environment when I can’t help but have so little faith in the impact. I already only buy second hand clothes, shop local with as much as my food as I can (which is more expensive) and shower with cold water - yet the government in the UK are looking to introduce more harmful pesticides, tearing through ancient woodlands for a doomed trainline and going against the Paris Agreement. This is so where we need to see change happen!!
Hi Dana - just to let you know that I'll be sharing this piece of yours as a part of my Kissing the Earth project in June - more info here - https://satyarobyn.substack.com/p/a32095f2-c91e-4401-b692-d19d9eb75e52 - if you'd like to have a month's free sub so you can receive the emails etc, do just let me know satya@satyarobyn.com. Sending love from here hope you're well! x
This is always my response when I’m asked about the ethics of purchasing clothes. The burden is put on the consumer so that corporations and governments don’t have to actually do any of the work, when that’s the only thing that would make an actual difference.
This is why I make everything political (not a great party trick). When someone asks, like, “how can I invest in my future but not support a system built on enslavement and exploitation?” the only honest answer is to vote for people who’ll regulate capitalism better.
Yes!!! (this is why we need activism, those who are willing to go into politics etc.... system change not climate change.)
Agreed! And we need to spread more stories like this so people know the challenges of politics are worth it.
Absolutely. People think they don't have power. When we come together we totally do. Power to the people... (That's my last marching chant for now!)
Yes! A few months ago I was chatting with a friend and we somehow got to the question, “wait what happened to the hole in the ozone?” Imagine my surprise when we looked it up and it saw it was fixed! It feels like there should’ve been a massive celebration in the end. I agree so much with this. Apply it to social media or even recycling in the US. Both are things where the “Big” (insert industry of choice) want to shirk the responsibility of making big changes by blaming and pushing the agenda of small changes. It’s our individual behavior that’s wrong, not massive corporations unwilling to be inconvenienced 🙄
You'd think that something like the Ozone layer would have called for celebration? Why wasn't there some sort of announcement? I remember that shame and fear quite clearly. As a society, we're constantly bombarded by the negatives. I realize that that's not the point of this amazing post but it really brought back memories
Exactly! Maybe we’d fix more problems if we celebrated wins more before finding the next thing to freak out about.
This was ::chef's kiss:: I get so down in my contributions and then enraged when I recall that I'm a nanoscopic blip and that it really should be up to our governments to force the issue. Ironically, this is the type of innovation that is a pillar of the capitalism people cling to... so, y'know, you'd think they wouldn't mind government regulation protecting our planet.
I feel the same way! It’s so stressful to feel an individual responsibility to do the right thing within a system that only gives you wrong choices.
Completely agree re: innovation — the biggest capitalist lie. Innovation was never greater in the U.S than when we levied a 90% tax on the highest income brackets.
No amount of smug cyclists shaming drivers will address climate change. I’m a big believer in the unparalleled capacity of good policy to change millions of lives overnight and address looming global issues. I see the reactionary “but what about my freedom to use ODSs?” as just another hallmark of late stage capitalism. Love this essay!
Yes! “Freedom” as an excuse for oppression. Capitalism has gotten away with far too much in the name of freedom; there’s room to rein it in.
or freedom as a convenient little rallying cry to mobilize public opposition, ensuring policymakers never have to dig deep and actually oppose industry. As a result, we individuals/consumers are tasked with responsibility for everything! It's now up to US to address climate change instead of government, etc. I could go on and on. . . :)
I live in Italy. My Italian friend told me this story of when they were building a new metro stop in Napoli and they found a fully intact ship from the Roman or Greek era. The entire project stopped because they had to find money to preserve and move this ship. His argument was that this wouldn’t be financed by Italy - it’s a global treasure to study how civilizations lived.
Maybe we need more global governance on these kind of things. Obviously there are some countries that are doing their part in terms of climate crisis and others who are not.
“Global governance,” especially for the climate crisis, is so crucial, yes! Could do a lot for poverty and hunger, too.
Yes! I wholeheartedly agree – but do you think certain choices still rest with the individual (like choosing to eat less meat) or can everything be solved at the system level?
I think personal choices like eating less meat and continuing to reduce our single use plastic where we can. and using our recycling bins while knowing its going to landfill are a part of how we signal to government that we care. Along with being careful who we vote for, and protesting.
That’s an interesting perspective! It’s very nuanced. You’re probably right that we need to take these actions (or at least be loud about promoting them) so the government can’t look at lack of engagement and interpret it as constituents not caring about an issue. However, our participation in these actions could just as easily be interpreted as compliance with the culture of individualism? But also, maybe individual behaviors help raise awareness and spread the conversation that leads to policy change?? We’re put in such a tough spot when the policies don’t give us many good options!
I agree 100% we don’t want to fall for compliance with the culture of individualism. Yes to the things that spread the conversation and lead to positive policy change. I do what I can, and seek ways to do more.
I thought so too… curious about the mechanism that is individual awareness and responsibility and how that informs bigger discussions and ultimately, mayyyybe, those even bigger moves via policy. As in, we all got freaked out about Aqua Net and became super aware of that hole, to the point that ‘constituent’ dialogue begat governmental action.
I’d like to think this is how individual awareness can fire up the big stuff. It’s not really about buying or not buying hairspray, but more so about syncing awareness, emotion, intent, with a systemic problem.
Can it be a combo of both? A release of the individual from the pressures of personal responsibility AND/ALSO, that certain amount of pressure on us that leads to conversation and commonality and action?
Definitely! Every issue always comes down to some and/also answer. And, of course, there's not actually a line between the individual and the government action, because we ARE our government. It's probably more a matter of moving our individual actions away from the consumer-level stuff companies want us to focus on and toward advocating for and voting on the policy-level stuff that can make a difference.
Where there’s a will there’s a way. 💯 And it is time for something radically different that serves the vast majority of the people.
I loved this essay. We need more of this to foster hope and to use our collective power to advocate for policy change.
I get so despondent when I hear people say “this is the best we’ve got”. Like things aren’t going to evolve. I’ve just finished reading a book called Utopia for Realists and it gave me hope that there are new ways to do things. Many of them already tried & tested on a small scale successfully.
I am stealing this explanation. "I'm doing my part, now you (my government) need to step up and do yours." Love this!
I read an article recently encouraging people to reduce the microplastics being released into the environment by sourcing 100% plastic free clothing. Buttons? They better be wooden. Zippers? Metal. Does it have a collar? Check that interfacing, it might contain microplastics. What type of thread was it stitched with? While I think most of us can agree that fast fashion IS a problem for the environment and we can all reduce our clothing buying habits, the level of scrupulousness involved in this was something available to only those most privileged with the time and financial resources to track down clothes that meet their demands. And yet in the whole article there was not one mention of corporate responsibility. This extreme focus on individual responsibility just doesn't math well. Even if 2% of the population decided to source wooden buttons (a percentage I suspect is still far from where we are at) Shein would still crank out their same levels of production. I think as individuals we can certainly do our part (our daughter has given up beef, which means I rarely use it now), but from a math perspective it is vastly more effective to get a few large corporations to change than it is to get billions of individuals to change.
This is such a great example! And, my goodness, the shame we carry around for the microplastics in our fast fashion 🤦♀️
Ha yes, I just posted a similar comment before I saw yours!
Breaking the systems is how we save everything. ❤️
I have so much love for this post. I’m a fairly positive person but I’m sick to death of being told to wash my clothes at 20° and pay for plastic bags and eat veg only twice a week for the sake of the environment when I can’t help but have so little faith in the impact. I already only buy second hand clothes, shop local with as much as my food as I can (which is more expensive) and shower with cold water - yet the government in the UK are looking to introduce more harmful pesticides, tearing through ancient woodlands for a doomed trainline and going against the Paris Agreement. This is so where we need to see change happen!!
Hi Dana - just to let you know that I'll be sharing this piece of yours as a part of my Kissing the Earth project in June - more info here - https://satyarobyn.substack.com/p/a32095f2-c91e-4401-b692-d19d9eb75e52 - if you'd like to have a month's free sub so you can receive the emails etc, do just let me know satya@satyarobyn.com. Sending love from here hope you're well! x
Thank you, Satya! Just subscribed.
Marvellous : ) I've just comped you for a few months to cover June. So glad to be using your piece. Have a lovely day x
How generous!! Thank you so much 💖
I love this perspective and reality-check!
This is always my response when I’m asked about the ethics of purchasing clothes. The burden is put on the consumer so that corporations and governments don’t have to actually do any of the work, when that’s the only thing that would make an actual difference.
This is why I make everything political (not a great party trick). When someone asks, like, “how can I invest in my future but not support a system built on enslavement and exploitation?” the only honest answer is to vote for people who’ll regulate capitalism better.
OR - and hear me out here - individual sacrifice builds momentum for political action.
I know. Crazy talk.
Where there’s a political will, there’s a way. Such satire!