European researchers said Thursday that the the start of June saw global surface air temperatures rise 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels for the first time. That is the limit governments said they would try to limit global warming to at a 2015 summit in Paris.
These sound like good initiatives. I’m not sure it’ll be enough, though. The planes for regardless. And public transport is still getting worse – often, driving isn’t a choice.
Due to shrinkflation, too, for example, the contents of products have reduced by 10–50% over the last year but the packaging is more or less the same size. So the carbon footprint of consumables is higher than it was, and when it was less it was still higher than it needed to be. The manufacturers simply do not gaf and will undermine any local or individual efforts unless pressure is put on them.
We need to focus our attention, collectively, on the production side of the equation if we want to save the planet in time.
Couldn’t agree more! Buy in bulk where and when you can (not always an option due to expense). Environmental cost of products and packaging should 100% be part of the manufacturer an brands responsibility.
I think it’s going to have to come from governmental level, forcing certain packaging materials out and taxing other ones heavily. I would recommend writing letters to your local representatives.
That would be a sight to see. And it’s an easy win for a government as it’ll cost them nothing and even save the capitalists money on packaging and logistics.
More broadly, though, I don’t see this coming from government. Only organised workers have the power to put this kind of pressure on, like they did to secure the New Deal and the welfare state.