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Will we look back at today's "go green" initiatives as stupid and inadequate? (lemmy.world)

submitted 1 year ago by CaspianXI@lemmy.world to c/asklemmy@lemmy.world

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When I was in elementary school, the cafeteria switched to disposable plastic trays because the paper ones hurt trees. Stupid, I know... but are today's initiatives any better?

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[-] B16_BR0TH3R@lemmy.world 12 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

That's frankly idiotic, since lobbyists, corporate donors and pressure groups have far, far, far more power to affect policy than voters.

[-] theinspectorst@kbin.social -5 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

You're comparing the collective influence of lobbyists, donors and pressure groups with the individual influence of a single voter - no shit the former looks bigger.

The collective influence of voters in choosing (say) Trump over Clinton, or Biden over Trump, or Macron over Le Pen, or voting for Brexit, has influenced the direction of these Western democracies in recent years dramatically more than any group of lobbyists could dream of.

You're telling yourself a comforting fairytale that society is directed by some powerful secret cabals pulling the strings so you as an individual are absolved from having to do your bit with how you spend your money and how you vote. If everyone thinks like you, nothing will improve. So fucking irresponsible.

[-] B16_BR0TH3R@lemmy.world 8 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Please don't invent strawman arguments. I haven't compared collective influence to individual influence, and I haven't mentioned any hidden cabal or fairytale story. Everything is out in the open and I'm happy to provide my source: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0261379421001256

this post was submitted on 10 Jul 2023

161 points (95.5% liked)

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