This Earth Day, Consider the Impact of Your Dollar

It’s the 50th anniversary of the first Earth Day, and many of us are stuck inside, physically distanced from each other and in many cases, from Nature itself. On one hand, it’s a prescient time as the pause on “regular” life has lowered current climate emissions as very few people commute to work, factories slow their production, and travel plans are cancelled.

Still, boredom and unease do not mix well with modern technology, which offers us very easy opportunities to spend our money in the name of near-instant gratification. It makes sense- if you’re feeling lost at sea, what better than a little familiarity, a little known comfort to reassure you? But at what cost?

Ordering online has only exacerbated an issue we already struggle with in regards to 21st century production- the (sometimes deliberate) obfuscation of what goes into a product that will appear, like magic, on your doorstep. Before the arrival of the pandemic that brought the world to a near stand-still, environmental focus had narrowed in towards plastic packaging, a concern that only increases in a time where bubblewrap and styrofoam containers reign. That is, of course, a very valid concern- but what about the purchases themselves? What goes into your UberEats order, your new work-at-home clothes, your technological distractions?

Much has been said around the meat paradox- the idea that many of us are only able to eat meat as long as we distance ourselves from the actual animal cruelty that takes place. Of course, this mentality envelops far more than meat, as it makes it far easier to prioritise spending less when we cannot see the moral and environmental toll behind said price. Massive conglomerates were only able to get as large as they have and to offer prices as low as they are for a reason.

If you have the privilege to be “on pause” in this time, consider taking this opportunity to consider what is truly important to you. What will offer you a brief shot of serotonin, only to end up in the back of your closet for the rest of its lifespan? What can you see yourself making use of for hundreds of hours to come?

Perhaps there is no such thing as ethical consumption under capitalism, but can there not be conscious consumption? Our economy is incredibly fragile currently and what we invest in now will be what remains standing after this storm ends. It doesn’t have to be a binary situation where you either abstain or partake. I don’t eat red meat, but I still eat chicken and eggs, sourced from local free-range farms and bought from a local market. Instead of adding the 150th order to the backs of your local overworked and underpaid Starbucks baristas, maybe order a bag of free trade coffee for delivery from a local coffee shop. Buy one lounge set made ethically with quality clothing that will last a lifetime instead of a pile of clothes that won’t last the year.

Allow yourself the space for compromise. Often, as with New Year’s resolutions, it’s the striving for perfection and subsequent falling short of said perfection that makes you feel as if it’s not worth the effort at all. There won’t always be an option within your budget that works in place of a purchase from a major company. That’s okay. If you’re making an effort, if you’re aware of the impact, if you’ve thought through whether you really need this and came to the conclusion that you do- that’s more than enough.

And as a final note, please tip your delivery drivers well. Be patient with your postal workers. Don’t shop when factory workers and service workers are striking for better pay and working conditions. They’re not doing this out of choice, but necessity. Be kind, be conscious, for both the sake of our Earth and the sake of each other.