RideAgainstTheLizard

I recently came across this video about ARKs (Acts of Restorative Kindness) - small rewilded spaces that form a global rewilded network.

I thought this community would be very interested in this! It was started by an Irish woman and has spread all over the world. You can find the official site here: https://wearetheark.org/

Maybe you already have an ARK that could join the growing collective, or maybe you're interested in starting one.

I've been enjoying climate books recently. I've just finished How to be a Climate Optimist by Chris Turner, and before that The Ecology of Commerce by Paul Hawken.

Are there any books that you consider foundational/required reading for climate issues?

Some users from c/degrowth recommended The Dawn of Everything by David Graeber & David Wengrow and Survival of the Friendliest by Brian Hare & Vanessa Woods which I'm looking forward to checking out.

Observing what is currently happening in the US has led me down the Network State rabbit hole. The linked video is a great place to start if you're not already aware of these ideas.

Unfortunately these concepts seem to be cosied up to modern fascism/monarchism, but I do wonder if this is genuinely the likeliest alternative to modern day capitalism. Yanis Varoufakis' idea of technofeudalism seems like another way of viewing this.

Could greener, more altruistic network states co-exist with money and power hungry billionaire-led communities? Or would their greed and ambition be detrimental to the efforts of those trying to save the natural earth?

Degrowth is a noble ideal to strive for, and it would certainly mitigate a lot of our current problems if implemented. However, I fear that it is an ideal that can be adopted by the few but not the many. Growth, progress and personal ambition are inherent human traits - it may not be the case for all people, but it is certainly evident in today's society and many societies that have come before. In my opinion, we need solutions and frameworks that most (if not all) personalities can exist within. I worry degrowth is wishful thinking, and would love to hear your thoughts.

All of that said - I believe it is a very worthwhile thought exercise and even if all degrowth principles cannot be implemented, some can and that is what matters.

Many cafés and fast food places these days provide disposable dishes and cutlery when you're eating in. This used to infuriate me, but it seems to be improving slightly now as the trend has moved towards using compostable dishes instead of plastic ones.

However, it's still waste. It makes me wonder, what is more costly in the long run? Providing customers with compostable items or running hot dishwashers and using soap and water all day to reuse dishes?

The fact that it's the consumer's responsibility to sort their waste and to try and minimise its impact on the environment in the first place is completely wrong to me.

Most people in urban areas rely on stores for basic survival, and the vast majority of products we buy there come with unnecessary waste. It doesn't make any sense to then tell these people "by the way, you'd better clean up that mess when you're done because it's bad for the environment". If governments were truly concerned or willing to act, this waste wouldn't make it into our homes in the first place.

If a company wants to sell a product, they should be held accountable for the waste that comes along with it. They should have to prove that they can reuse the waste and be incentivised to reduce it. If they can't, they can't operate.

Ecocide laws need to become commonplace, and the consumer should not be responsible for their waste if they haven't got legitimate alternative options. I understand this community is more willing to do their part in this regard, but I don't think it'll ever be feasible to expect this from the wider population. We need to stem the flow, not just handle the mess.

Is anyone here involved in or aware of any organisations that create marketing campaigns that aim to tackle climate change via social influence?

An example that comes to mind are the UK group Led By Donkeys, but they focus on politics. I’m very interested in this line of work and would love to know more about it.