Climate Catastrophe

For the service industry maybe, but if I recall correctly, having things delivered is better for the environment, especially if the alternative is driving to a shopping mall. The logic being that it’s far more inefficient to travel to the mall and back in a car that’s moving mostly just the weight of the vehicle itself, than a cargo vehicle making its way around a neighbourhood delivering parcels that comprise the bulk of its weight. In addition, these companies will usually have optimised delivery routes to save fuel (and indirectly pollute less).

However, it doesn’t work out if overall you end up buying more…

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Well presumably the stuff that you’d be buying otherwise would be made in China too? Unless the retail mix online vs in-store is different…

Yes, that’s true. I think my message is basically don’t buy stuff made in China (or similarly far-flung places). Try and get most of your produce made locally be that food, gadgets, consumables, cars etc.

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I’m trying that now, but it’s actually shockingly hard to do that for food, which is the majority of what I buy on a regular basis… The cost differential is really high.

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Of course a part of it was and still is stage managed. She was a child then, and it was obvious that her parents and surely a whole support team were behind her, as you would expect.

But in my opinion, that doesn’t take away anything from how strongly she felt and still feels about these environmental issues, and the force of her conviction has helped her to express the feelings of millions of other young people in the world. It does also make no doubt that she is right to voice the issues with greedy multinational companies and corrupt politicians. They need to be called for what they are, and I say credit to her for taking on that specific mantle. If it wasn’t for her, others would have to take up that fight.

That being said, she and the people surrounding her should really try to reflect about how to hurt the multinational companies more than just with protest actions. How about instating a ‘Month without Mc Donalds’ all around the world? Now that, if followed world-wide by young people, would have a massive effect on their business, and force them to rethink their ways. Or, say, a collective ‘Action of withdrawal the money from bank X or Y, well known for heavily investing in fossil’?

At the end of the day, I’m convinced that it’s neither the politicians nor Greta who will decide of our fate, but ourselves, with the way we spend our money. But it needs someone or something to bundle the massive amount of individual energies into collective actions, able to send out a clear message to the multinational companies.

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I’m not sure I 100% buy into that. I think we’re long beyond the point where me buying stuff from China really addresses the problem. Enough people do it and it will certainly help but it doesn’t do enough when so many other things contribute massively to the problem. I honestly think we need global and government lead action, action that forces change in people and business.

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My belief is that it is going to take both government led action, and some real changes in consumer mentality. As long as people keep demanding cheap energy and decisive action on climate, we are going to get perversity like Biden asking OPEC to pump more oil and saying America is back in the fray. Not to pick on the US, Johnson was talking about North Sea drilling today, Trudeau has bought(!) a pipeline for shipping crude and cleared the way for huge new LNG production, etc. etc.

We are getting exactly what we are collectively asking for from our politicians, by and large.

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I’m not sure what would change the consumer mentality to be honest hence leaning more on legislation. The authority is there to force real change in the price products, making them more or less attractive.

But then, you’re right, politicians wont do it either so perhaps it does fall on people to make the necessary changes. I dont see what can trigger that to be honest. I saw a poll the other day saying that over 40% of participants didn’t have a clue what COP 26 is. So it’s back to government again

Merry Go Round Oops GIF by Far Cry 6

Spot on. One can’t differentiate political action from how people behave in their everyday’s life. Both are linked. Same applies for the multinational companies by the way. They look to maximise their profits. If their clients don’t buy their products anymore because of environmental issues, they’ll have to rethink their ways.

It isn’t just that. It is absolutely mind-boggling that the Canadian electorate was willing to let climate change be an effective wedge issue for the Trudeau Liberals in this election…again, for the third time. A government that has delivered minimal reductions (an absolute increase) in the course of 6 years, and made minimal progress on the truly meaningful policies while making significant investments in oil transmission capacity. The same party that signed Kyoto and then did nothing but white papers. Yet it worked. My neighbours love the idea that their new subsidized energy efficient windows are saving the world, but when you work out the cost per tonne, it is laughable.

Greta should have been here in September taking a 2-by-4 to the hypocrisy.

Is there the appetite in Canada for taking on meaningful green policies and will another government be able to change that?

however, if you’re able to bang off a bunch of shopping at once, it saves multiple trips by multiple drivers from multiple sources if you’re able to do it all in one shot.

I get what you’re saying, but theory and practice can be two totally different things.

Retail is dying a painful death right now, important jobs for many.

most Canadians are sheep when it comes to politics. they see a pretty face…but fuck me how does the son of Fidel continue to run this country? it’s mind boggling the shit he’s gotten away with. should have been charged thrice already and removed form office.

there’s an appetite for something. god knows WTF it is. the largest growing food sector is manufactured protein replacements for vegetarian/vegan. I wouldn’t touch the stuff, but it’s a multi-billion dollar industry.

This fascination with protein for “normal” people is odd to say the least. You actually dont need to supplement it if you have a good diet. There’s a surprising amount in some vegetables for example.

and if it is?..i mean, whats the big deal if she is getting media training? lets just assume you are right, and someone is bankrolling her campaign, assisting her to make the biggest impact she can…whats the actual problem in that?

seems like the only people nowadays who arent getting some form of online assistance are footballers(sportsmen in general maybe)

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I quite like it (non-meat wannabe meat) on occasion but don’t really crave it. I went vegetarian in 1993 and haven’t had meat since. There was a period of about 2-3 years where I ate fish again but am vegetarian now. I cannot say i miss meat or fish and I despair when people say they need protein (meaning meat). They like the taste and want to eat a dead animal it but they don’t “need” it.

Behind as in supporting her, yes. Behind her as in stage managing it, no.

In practice however, you won’t get to that same efficiency as a delivery van. Unfortunately in this case, it’s your example that’s more theory rather than actually how it works in practice. At least in the UK, there tends to be only a few logistics providers, such that most of the time, a merchant/retailer will usually have large shipments to the logistics provider, who will then sort it at their warehouses to combine with all the other shipments going to particular areas. These shipments will usually go out in full vehicles, again to maximise the efficiency.

One caveat though is that this is also dependent on economies of scale, so if you’re the only online shopper in your area, it may well be true.