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Frugalism: Difference between revisions
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[[File:carbon-inequality1.png|thumb|This page tells people to '''consume less stuff'''. Note that this is directed at people in '''"developed"''' countries, especially people who are middle-class or richer (i.e. the 20% of the world that uses 80% of resources). We are '''not''' telling poor people to consume less.]] | [[File:carbon-inequality1.png|thumb|This page tells people to '''consume less stuff'''. Note that this is directed at people in '''"developed"''' countries, especially people who are middle-class or richer (i.e. the 20% of the world that uses 80% of resources). We are '''not''' telling poor people to consume less.]] | ||
''' | '''More than a third''' of all [[energy]] usage is affected by '''what people buy, and how much of it.''' | ||
In this sense, we '''can''' save the planet by being '''cheap''' | In this sense, we '''can''' save the planet by being '''cheap.''' __NOTOC__ <!-- I hid the table of contents here to help maintain readers' visual attention. --> | ||
===We can still have nice things, just replace them | ===We can still have nice things, just not replace them ''as'' often.=== | ||
{{minor|If you take a walk in a middle-class neighborhood on garbage day, you'll see the type of perfectly-good [[home waste|stuff people throw out]].}} | {{minor|If you take a walk in a middle-class neighborhood on garbage day, you'll see the type of perfectly-good [[home waste|stuff people throw out]].}} | ||
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'''Why do people replace things so much more often than they have to?''' | '''Why do people replace things so much more often than they have to?''' | ||
* Hypothesis: Psychological motivations may include... | * Hypothesis: Psychological motivations may include... | ||
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*# Unawareness of just how much of an environmental/human-labor impact this all has. | *# Unawareness of just how much of an environmental/human-labor impact this all has. | ||
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* Mention [[appliances]] - does replacing them really save energy when you consider the energy it takes to manufacture/deliver/install the new appliance? Rule of thumb: if it saves money (without gov't subsidizing the replacement) then yes. (also note that "big oil companies are subsidized too" is true but not a counterargument. manufacturing the appliance relies just as much on subsidized oil (maybe moreso) as the energy in your home). | |||
* Talk about [[thrift stores]] (make new page?) and how they get overloaded (too many donations, not enough buyers, stuff still ends up in the landfill) and the solution is for people to not buy so much NEW stuff in the first place. Culturally we need to make it our default that when we need some item we first check our own homes, then ask friends/neighbors if they have one they aren't using, then look for it in thrift stores or used online, and then only as a last resort buy it new. I can uncomment this talk when I phrase it better and after I filled out the 'examples' section above so people can first see why this matters. | * Talk about [[thrift stores]] (make new page?) and how they get overloaded (too many donations, not enough buyers, stuff still ends up in the landfill) and the solution is for people to not buy so much NEW stuff in the first place. Culturally we need to make it our default that when we need some item we first check our own homes, then ask friends/neighbors if they have one they aren't using, then look for it in thrift stores or used online, and then only as a last resort buy it new. I can uncomment this talk when I phrase it better and after I filled out the 'examples' section above so people can first see why this matters. | ||
* Bring up '''excessive renovation''' in the context of both homes and commercial space. Some of this is done by ordinary individuals; some of this is done by landlords and business owners. | |||
* When small business consume goods excessively, this is still usually funded by middle-class customers. Say for example if a restaurant keeps replacing its decorations & dishes just to maintain an upscale vibe: This makes the place more expensive, but middle-class people are still choosing to eat there. So in a way it's still a function of middle-class choices. Unless maybe a lot of restaurant owners could reach a whole new demographic by being more frugal and lowering prices, but they just haven't realized it yet? | |||
* When large corporations consume goods excessively (i.e. office parties for upper management), maybe rich shareholders are to blame, and the middle class has zero market influence over this? In which case, that section of consumption{{qn}} could only be dealt with through [[anti-capitalism]]. | |||
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==See also== | ==See also== | ||
[[File:energy-usage-affected-by.png|thumb|Pie showing how much of [[energy]] usage is affected by the production/consumption of goods.{{minor|<br />See also: [[Why energy usage serves as a good general estimate of carbon emissions]].}}]] | |||
* [[Planned obsolescence]] | * [[Planned obsolescence]] | ||
* [[Code bloat]] | * [[Code bloat]] | ||
* [[Right to repair]] | * [[Right to repair]] | ||