this post was submitted on 08 Jan 2024
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I disagree that the really hard things don't cost money.
Eating less meat does, at the surface, cost the consumer less money. If I go in to the supermarket, it's cheaper to buy a bunch of chicken wings than it is to buy some plant based protein (not to mention my kids will actually eat the chicken). And yes, I know, "ThErE aRe pLeNTy oF cHeAPeR WaYs to EaT a nOn-MEaT DiEt.". Thank you, Mr Vegan, we're talking about converting the masses here. Government's can change that by changing subsidy weights, but then it's not really an individual-led change at that level.
Same for decarbonisation of heating - if I want to install a heat pump and insulate my home better, that costs money!
As for flying yes, that's more about regulating air travel to make it cost more and stopping the practice of airlines having to fly empty flights to retain their use of that flight plan. Again, not really an individual-driven change. Especially because the impact of flying disproportionately leans towards the more wealthy and business.
I agree, "the really hard things often don’t require money, but a change in people!" despite what I'm sure are OP's best intentions, is juts more of the same corporate shifting of responsibility away from themselves and on to the individuals they have trapped. Unless the change they mean is becoming an active anti-capitalist and plotting the demise of the rich, which I somehow doubt.
As long as profit is the priority of society, those who make it off of the backs (and eventual destruction) of the rest of us aren't going to stop, and as long as they keep going, anything we do in terms of personal eating habits/recycling/travel and so on is an irrelevant drop in the ocean. The only way to have any real impact is remove them and destroy their system.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/oct/30/capitalism-is-killing-the-planet-its-time-to-stop-buying-into-our-own-destruction
Sorry about that, that was really badly worded by me. I meant to express that behavorial change is a hard challenge, while (some) technological issues can 'simply' be solved by throwing money at it.
I am fully convinced that we need a radically different economic system that steers away from profit as ultimate goal.