Conscious consumerism is a lie

Second Summer

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As a sustainable lifestyle blogger, my job is to make conscious consumerism look good. Over the course of four years Instagramming eco-friendly outfits, testing non-toxic nail polish brands, and writing sustainable city guides, I became a proponent of having it all—fashion, fun, travel, beauty—while still being eco-friendly. So when I was invited to speak on a panel in front of the UN Youth Delegation, the expectation was that I’d dispense wisdom to bright young students about how their personal purchasing choices can help save the world. [...]
More: Conscious consumerism is a lie. Here’s a better way to help save the world (March 01, 2017)
 
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What a great article! :fp:

She bashes recycling, veganism, using public transport and "buying green products" as meaningless, and, being a "sustainable lifestyle blogger", by golly, she MUST BE RIGHT.

Alden Wicker said:
We pat ourselves on the back for making decisions that hush our social guilt instead placing that same effort in actions that enact real environmental change. But there are small switches in our mentality we can take to make a difference. A few suggestions:

  • Instead of buying expensive organic sheets, donate that money to organizations that are fighting to keep agricultural runoff out of our rivers.
  • Instead of driving to an organic apple orchard to pick your own fruit, use that time to volunteer for an organization that combats food deserts (and skip the fuel emissions, too).
  • Instead of buying a $200 air purifier, donate to politicians who support policies that keep our air and water clean.
  • Instead of signing a petition demanding that Subway remove one obscure chemical from its sandwich bread, call your local representatives to demand they overhaul the approval process for the estimated 80,000 untested chemicals in our products.
  • Instead of taking yourself out to dinner at a farm-to-table restaurant, you could take an interest in the Farm Bill and how it incentivizes unhealthy eating.
I do not disagree with her that those things she mentions are things that people should be doing.

HOWEVER, I strongly disagree with her that it is "EITHER - OR".

Alden Wicker said:
On its face, conscious consumerism is a morally righteous, bold movement. But it’s actually taking away our power as citizens. It drains our bank accounts and our political will, diverts our attention away from the true powerbrokers, and focuses our energy instead on petty corporate scandals and fights over the moral superiority of vegans.

I can be a vegan, recycle, use public transport (or a bicycle) even though I get active in politics and so on.
 
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I'd agree with some of what she says, up to a point. Saving the environment is obviously of major importance, but it's not the only motivation behind my consumption habits. While the article briefly mentions health as a factor, it neglects the ethical dimension of animal product consumption. Also, veganism - which in one sense is a boycott of animal products, is both an individual and a collaborative effort (a political movement) at the same time, and both are needed to facilitate the necessary changes. We can of course discuss how much effort should be spent on avoiding animal products and how much time should be spent trying to influence politicians more directly.
 
While the article briefly mentions health as a factor, it neglects the ethical dimension of animal product consumption.

I was not even starting to get into this, as ethics clearly is not an issue for her at all.

I was simply criticising her IMO wrong logic as far as environmentalism is concerned.