<![CDATA[Grist - Comment Feed for Forget about litter. Forget about recycling. Get political.]]> Grist Comment Feed en Comment #1 by farnishk http://www.grist.org/article/forget-about-litter-forget-about-recycling-get-political/ Tue, 23 May 2006 09:32:05 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/forget-about-litter-forget-about-recycling-get-political/1 Recycling is the last resort

Sorry to quote myself, but no point writing everything again...

"We recycle what we can."

That really is it.

And why should I be surprised? Maybe I should be pleased about the recycling, but I'm not; I'm really disappointed. Not because people recycle, but because for almost everyone I talk to - and I guess my friends and acquaintances are more environmentally sensitive than average - that's where the buck stops...

In our version of a civilised, free society, people will almost always take the least cost, least effort option. So what's the problem if people only want to recycle?

No problem, no problem at all. But if you do care whether the world gets better or not then you will already be doing far more.

http://earth-blog.bravejournal.com/entry/15780

So, for goodness sake, if someone says that the answer to the environmental crisis is recycling, then remind them that it's just the money makers that want us to do that - reducing consumption is simply not good business.

http://www.theearthblog.org Giving The Earth A Future.


]]> Recycling is the last resort

Sorry to quote myself, but no point writing everything again...

"We recycle what we can."

That really is it.

And why should I be surprised? Maybe I should be pleased about the recycling, but I'm not; I'm really disappointed. Not because people recycle, but because for almost everyone I talk to - and I guess my friends and acquaintances are more environmentally sensitive than average - that's where the buck stops...

In our version of a civilised, free society, people will almost always take the least cost, least effort option. So what's the problem if people only want to recycle?

No problem, no problem at all. But if you do care whether the world gets better or not then you will already be doing far more.

http://earth-blog.bravejournal.com/entry/15780

So, for goodness sake, if someone says that the answer to the environmental crisis is recycling, then remind them that it's just the money makers that want us to do that - reducing consumption is simply not good business.

http://www.theearthblog.org Giving The Earth A Future.


]]> Comment #2 by Heidi http://www.grist.org/article/forget-about-litter-forget-about-recycling-get-political/ Tue, 23 May 2006 23:11:15 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/forget-about-litter-forget-about-recycling-get-political/2 Reduce, Reduce, and Reduce some more

While I do believe that political involvement is important, I agree that if we want consumer action to have meaning, we need to focus on reducing.  Obviously this must be done at a grassroots level, and we unfortunately won't be able to rely on most of our government to help out with incentives and rebates.  But reducing is inherently cheaper for consumers - a reward in and of itself both financially and environmentally.  

http://groxie.com DIY Environmentalism

]]> Reduce, Reduce, and Reduce some more

While I do believe that political involvement is important, I agree that if we want consumer action to have meaning, we need to focus on reducing.  Obviously this must be done at a grassroots level, and we unfortunately won't be able to rely on most of our government to help out with incentives and rebates.  But reducing is inherently cheaper for consumers - a reward in and of itself both financially and environmentally.  

http://groxie.com DIY Environmentalism

]]> Comment #3 by Biodiversivist http://www.grist.org/article/forget-about-litter-forget-about-recycling-get-political/ Wed, 24 May 2006 04:53:42 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/forget-about-litter-forget-about-recycling-get-political/3 I agree that the

ability to make much difference is inconsequential for most individuals. But I have a problem with the following statement:

"..for instance, requiring can and bottle makers to use refillable containers, which are vastly less profitable."

That is another way of saying that refillable containers are vastly more expensive for consumers.

If all competitors were forced to use refillable containers, their profit margins would be untouched, the cost would simply be passed along to the consumer, where it belongs. Consumers would have no choice but to pay more for their beverages because everyone would charge more.

Carbon offsets and gas taxes are government actions I favor if applied to all competition and if the money is put right back into the hands of consumers instead of remaining in the hands of bureaucrats.

I shudder at the thought of putting my children's futures solely into the hands of government when I look at the Iraq war, our national debt, and the subsidies propping up industrial production of biofuels made from food crops.

Discourse on the internet may help lead us out of this mess.

In the end, it all comes down to biodiversity. Help acquire and protect ecological hotspots, give to a conservation organization: http://www.saveourbiodiversity.com


]]> I agree that the

ability to make much difference is inconsequential for most individuals. But I have a problem with the following statement:

"..for instance, requiring can and bottle makers to use refillable containers, which are vastly less profitable."

That is another way of saying that refillable containers are vastly more expensive for consumers.

If all competitors were forced to use refillable containers, their profit margins would be untouched, the cost would simply be passed along to the consumer, where it belongs. Consumers would have no choice but to pay more for their beverages because everyone would charge more.

Carbon offsets and gas taxes are government actions I favor if applied to all competition and if the money is put right back into the hands of consumers instead of remaining in the hands of bureaucrats.

I shudder at the thought of putting my children's futures solely into the hands of government when I look at the Iraq war, our national debt, and the subsidies propping up industrial production of biofuels made from food crops.

Discourse on the internet may help lead us out of this mess.

In the end, it all comes down to biodiversity. Help acquire and protect ecological hotspots, give to a conservation organization: http://www.saveourbiodiversity.com


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