Comment by BobbyTables2 | Hacker News Reader

Comment by BobbyTables2 | Hacker News Reader

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I’m also amazed people don’t talk more about reducing consumption than carbon capture.

It boggles my mind that a StarBucks coffee, drank in a few minutes involves a lined paper cup, plastic lid, plastic stopper, corrugated holder ring.

Using disposable plastic utensils in dine-in restaurants also bothers me.

All the energy spent to gather/create/transport the raw materials, produce the cup, etc, store it in a warehouse, transport to the restaurant… Seems massively inefficient for such a short use.

Yeah, a dishwasher isn’t free either but surely heating some water to clean reusable things is got to be much better than disposable trash.

Heck, compared to plastic ware and coffee cups, disposable plastic grocery bags almost seem amazingly better in terms of utility vs waste. (Less material)

There's no profit motive behind reducing consumption to lower emissions, so it's not a message being pushed by companies. It's obviously the easiest way for most people to reduce their environmental impact though, but it's always been very unpopular to tell people to 'spend less, save more.'

Because for many people reducing consumption reeks of poverty.

They've grown up in a world where everything just yells more! more! at them. It's the dominant paradigm of our times - growth above everything. Conspicuous consumption as a measure of wealth.

It's become so absurd that even the mere suggestion of improving efficiency - at the consumer level - is met with the outcry of "forcing people into poverty". We are rich, so we can afford to be wasteful. Not be wasteful means poverty.

It's insanity.

Most customers aren't dine in at a coffee shop.

I would also be careful with the claim that it is cheaper to wash, mugs are heavy and require the same: gather/create/transport the raw materials, produce the cup, etc, store it in a warehouse, transport to the restaurant. Periodically replacement of broken cups as well.

Silverware makes good sense as it is not usually subject to being broken, only lost or stolen.

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