Examining some environmental choices and decisions as a consumer

Graphic by Libbe Phan

Back in late April, millions of people celebrated or agonized over the 52nd annual Earth Day. Many marked the occasion by striking or writing an Instagram post. Regardless of the severity of your climate anxiety, in 2018, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) declared that CO2 emissions must decline by 45% relative to 2010 levels by 2030 to limit temperature rise to 1.5 °C.

As consumers in an increasingly capitalist society, these numbers are grim. As much as I feel guilty being offered a plastic straw when I bring a reusable one with me or when I fly for vacation, we must shift blame from consumers to corporations. That spur-of-the-moment flight home means nothing compared to the 100,000 ghost flights flown in Europe this past winter to retain takeoff and landing slots at airports.

In addition to your equivalent of bringing a reusable straw everywhere you go, consider a few other action items to help our planet.

Educate yourself on the consumer choices you make. As sustainability has become a buzzword, many corporations are guilty of greenwashing, a practice in which companies mislead consumers on how environmentally-friendly their products really are. For example, Allbirds is facing a lawsuit for misleading consumers in their life assessment tools and animal welfare claims.

As sustainability becomes a key factor for consumer purchasing decisions, some companies have come out with biodegradable products that may take months to break down compared to hundreds or thousands of years. Although that may sound great, landfills are not designed to allow anything to decompose so even if these labels are accurate, they still contribute to waste. Some plant-based single-use containers, although compostable, consume more energy to produce than other materials like Styrofoam.

This is not to say that plant-based materials are not essential for a global transition away from plastics; they are. But without the infrastructure in place to properly compost or shift materials away from landfills, the end result is the same, albeit more energy wasted and a false sense of satisfaction stemming from the assumption that you made an environmentally-conscious choice.

In order to build that infrastructure, political or structural action is critical. Organizations like the National Wildlife Federation Action Fund and Center for Biological Diversity offer email templates so you can easily email your local or national representatives. 

Many cities like San Francisco offer city-wide compost while other cities can rely on independent organizations. In Cleveland, Ohio, where I reside, Rust Belt Riders is a worker-owned co-op that accepts compost for both pick-up and drop-off. If that isn’t an option for you, you can also explore environmentally-conscious organizations in your area or start your own. I’ve written about a few environmental organizations at my alma mater for inspiration.

Environmental issues are often intertwined with social justice issues. Consider joining your local chapter of Sunrise, a youth-led, political action movement, or other organizations like Strong Towns, which focuses on local infrastructure. Overconsumption and demand are often coupled with child labor or other unethical practices and I’ve written about the damaging effects fashion industry at length in a different publication.

Overconsumption can also come in the form of purchasing seemingly environmentally-conscious items like tote bags or a houseplant. However, according to a 2018 study, an organic cotton tote bag must be used 20,000 times to offset the environmental cost of production. Many house plants are shipped overseas and plastic pots are difficult to recycle and plants are often discarded between moves or untimely deaths. 

This isn’t a warning to throw out all your tote bags now in favor of worse options, but rather speaks to a new market of consumerism that overstates its environmental impact. The 20,000 number has been disputed and using your tote bags is always better than using single-use plastic or even paper bags, but it wouldn’t hurt to examine the actual environmental impact of the products you buy.

Try to stay informed on environmental news. Many newspapers have environmentally-focused newsletters including the New York Times’ “Climate Forward” and The Guardian’s “Down to Earth.” Other newsletters I like include environmentalist Bill McKibben’s “The Crucial Years” and the “Changeletter.”

Environmental issues are often tricky and convoluted, but with a little research and well-directed action, we can all reach the environmental goals we need to minimize damage to the Earth.