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"Anti-Capitalism" is Capitalist

How Degrowth Can Save The World

Have you ever noticed how often you purchase things that we actually don’t need? You get a new phone just because the latest model is released, even though an old one still works perfectly. You buy new clothes not because you really need them, but because the ones we have are old fashioned. You have products on our bathroom shelves that could easily replace one another; however, society has hypnotised us into thinking that a particular product will make us happier.

We live in an era of consumerism. The economy is built around the consumers who are constantly pressured to spend money on things they don’t need. Consumption has become a lifestyle. We go shopping for fun, pleasure, for the sake of buying anything. We do this because when we purchase something, our brains release a surge of the neurotransmitter Dopamine. Our brains literally get high off of shopping. But to complicate things the surge actually hits when we are considering purchasing something, a process referred to as ‘the Chase’. The reason we get pulled into the cycle of wanting to purchase more and more things is because the high is not actually attached to the things themselves- its literally in the acquisition process.

We live in a culture that has plugged the addiction to acquisition into the functioning of our economy- thus the addiction to buying stuff is acceptable in our society. But just because the human-created economy is powered by infinite consumption, does not mean the planet- a system of finite resources- can sustain our shopaholic tendances.

“Everything is sufficient providing we know how to distribute it. However, the deplorable condition today is that one is taking more than he needs while another is starving”

There's always an alternative.

Let's say you notice that you throw out your shampoo bottles, like clockwork, every month or two. They're plastic no. 3 bottles, and your local recycling plant doesn't actually recycle them, so they end up in a landfill. What do you do?

If you're really a fan of the standard pump model, or the squeeze bottle, then check your area for a store that has a refill bar. Your local salon may even offer this to their customers.

If that's not an option, check and see if there are any stores that sell shampoo bars. If there isn't a locally owned store that offers these products, there are chain stores like Bath and Body Works and Lush that certainly do, and there are larger chain stores like Walmart and Target that also offer these options. And, though it uses a lot of carbon, you can consider a delivery service.

If none of that works for whatever reason, you can look into making your own shampoo, or even your own shampoo bar. It may take some research to find a good recipe, and a little more to find the ingredients, but you can certainly do it.

If that fails, perhaps you don't want to spend the time, you can try out the no-poo method, which exchanges the traditional shampoo approach for a more natural one, utilizing apple cider vinegar, baking soda, or even just plain old water for a healthier scalp.

If none of those work, then you can circle back around. Can you try using half as much shampoo, and make sure the bottle is completely empty before tossing it? Perhaps you can keep the bottles until you travel to a city whose recycling program accepts that kind of plastic. Maybe you can find somewhere that sells your favorite shampoo in a larger size, so you are only creating waste every three months, rather than every thirty days.

This is just an example, but the point is, almost every waste-creating facet of our lives has numerous alternatives. If you're getting frustrated pursuing one, it's ok! Take a step back, and see if there's another approach you can take that might fit your lifestyle a little better. :)

Satori generation (さとり世代, Satori Sedai) is a Japanese language neologism used to describe young Japanese who have seemingly achieved the Buddhist enlightened state free from material desires but who have in reality given up ambition and hope due to macro-economic trends. The term was coined around 2010. The Satori generation are not interested in earning money, career advancement, and conspicuous consumption, or even travel, hobbies and romantic relationships; their alcohol consumption is far lower than Japanese of earlier generations. They live in a period of Waithood and are NEET, parasite singles, freeters or hikikomori. The Satori generation in Japan is roughly equivalent to the Sampo generation in Korea, and is somewhat similar to the Strawberry generation in Taiwan.

End consumerism.

Hey y'all, here's my suggestion for a great low waste, healthy, flavorful alternative to soda: kombucha! Not the stuff you buy at the health foods store that costs like $6 a bottle, no- the stuff you make at home.

Materials: a large glass container with a decently wide mouth (a pitcher, a jug, etc), a cloth (linen or cotton or whatever, a tea towel works), rubber bands, a wooden spoon, a ladle, green tea leaves, sugar, water, and a Scoby; you can buy the latter online, or you can find one locally with a little sleuthing, or you can make your own- just use an unflavored or 'original flavor' premade kombucha from the store.

Boil 4 cups of water, let cool 1 minute, and steep 3 tbsp green tea in it for 7-10 minutes. Remove the tea (don't press on it, you'll release tannins) and mix in 1 cup of sugar. Add in 8 cups of ice water to cool it, then pour that into your glass container. Ensure that it's room temperature, then add your Scoby. Seal the container with the cloth and rubber bands, and let sit 7-30 days, depending on how you like yours to taste.

You can drink it as is, or you can do a second fermentation to add carbonation; get some swing top or otherwise resealable glass bottles, and leave 1 inch of headroom when adding the booch. You can flavor it with a few tablespoons of whatever you want. I just did a batch of pinecone booch this week. I did lemon and charcoal last week, and hibiscus rose passion fruit the week before. The more sugar, the more carbonation. Seal it and let it sit for a few days at room temperature. Don't open them at room temp though, refrigerate for at least 3 hours before opening so you don't have an explosion.

To make your next batch, simply reserve the pellicle (the weird white thing that will appear on the top of your brew) and a cup of the liquid, and that's your Scoby for next time! You don't technically even need the pellicle- if it gets too thick, you can always toss it in the compost and just use the liquid, or you can make a fruit leather out of it, or even dog treats.

Anyhow, the cost of having a constant supply of kombucha flowing is simply the cost of water, green tea, and sugar, and about five minutes of your time every so often. It's easy, it's fun to experiment, and it's a great way to avoid soda while drinking something technically good for you.

But hey, kombucha isn't for everyone. And things can go wrong, it can be frustrating sometimes. All this is is a suggestion if you're looking for a more sustainable alternative to kick a soda habit!

PS- if you're disabled, look into getting a glass punch dispenser, it negates the need for a ladle, just ensure that the spout is not a reactive metal. You can find them at thrift stores, and they're always on sale at big box stores!

Spotted in Parramatta, Australia.

Reasons to go zero waste that aren't because of the environment:

It's good for your wallet! Wasting less means that everything you buy either is reused, or consumed completely with zero excess; so you aren't paying for anything that's just going to end up in the bin.

It's much less stinky! And you'll get fewer flies, if you live in an area like me where fruit flies appear if you so much as leave a jam jar open for more than 2 seconds! If you compost whatever food waste you do produce rather than dumping it in the trash bin, then you'll end up with a centralized location where the food waste can properly decompose, thereby not producing a horrible methane-filled stench, and not stinking up your trash bag.

Less trash means fewer trips to the curb or dumpster! I know that taking the trash out is my absolute least favorite chore, even below snaking the drains. It can get really gross and grimy, and the trash bin itself, or dumpster, can be absolutely unholy.

It might help you achieve that lifestyle that you wanted to do for a while, but couldn't quite manage. Whether that style is minimalism, which is facilitated by the idea of only buying the things that you absolutely need, with minimal excess if any at all, or maximalism, which is conversely supported by the idea of using what you have without letting anything go to waste, or anything in between, you'll find that you can focus more on your lifestyle goals when you aren't wasting time, energy, and money on needless waste. (I'm a maximalist with a house that has been described as 'an ADHD dream' so I really do mean it when I say any lifestyle is attainable through zero waste ideas.)

It can help support your community in ways you might not have thought of previously. If you find that you have a lot of old kitchen supplies and clothing that are very nice but unnecessary, then you can easily donate them to organizations for folks in need. In your journey towards a zero waste lawn, with more native plants and less wasted space taken out by hungry grass, you might find yourself advocating for more native greenery in your town, and make it more beautiful as a result. Heck, just going to the farmers market regularly can help you build friendships with people in a way that you could not possibly do at the grocery store- all the while helping local businesses and farmers!

You might discover a new hobby by doing DIY, you also might discover that you absolutely suck at DIY, either way, you'll have new and creative experiences to look back on. Fondly or not.

And finally: it can be way better for your health. Micro plastics are a HUGE problem both environmentally and biologically. BPA (and all those other three letter acronyms) is extremely bad for your endocrine system, and is likely linked to a lot of the illnesses rearing their ugly heads as of late- not to mention the unknown long term exposure effects we've yet to realize. They can cause neurological issues, hormone imbalances, even cancers. Aside from all those physical things, a zero waste lifestyle can be great for your mental health- certain aspects can be therapeutic in a meditative way, (for me I find great peace in gardening and baking,) while others can lessen your anxiety, (again, for me, I have found great relief in knowing that I have a stocked pantry, and I no longer have allergic reactions to the occasional hygiene product because I actually know what's in them).

Feel free to add on! Not all of these will be applicable to everybody, but I hope at least one speaks to you. 🌺

Dystopian Christmas, pt 3

soft power move for the planet #1: deleting emails.

Did you know that receiving and storing emails emits CO2? It’s estimated that average year of emailing emits as much CO2 as driving 200 miles (321.869) in a gas powered car. 

I just got around to deleting literally thousands of unopened emails that was mostly promoting crap I’d never buy. (Wish, Poshmark, Dominos, etc). 

Don’t think that these small acts will go unnoticed! Take some time this week to go through and delete/unsubscribe from email lists. I guarantee you’ll feel better after doing so. :)

Controversial environmentalist opinion:

Aspiring towards a perfectionist ideal and demonizing anything less alienates those impassioned individuals for whom such particular lifestyle choices are inaccessible.

It is better to inspire others to make better, more informed choices, through encouragement rather than shaming them for what they cannot change, as greater numbers will lead to a greater impact, even if that impact is imperfect.

Don't be a dick.