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#it’s a sustainable and ethical company. that’s all i have to say
viridianriver · 9 months
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I've been thinking a lot about my relationship with consumerism lately.
Growing up in a working class family - I accidently became kind of an expert in sustainability and anti-consumerism. More out of necessity than preference, really.
But nowadays, I even though I can afford to shop at corporate stores? I still won't. I feel bad for anyone who sees them as the default way to shop, because having seen the alternatives? Y'all are getting so screwed. Hard. Buy something for $40? Thats 20 bucks for materials and the laborers, 20 bucks for the CEO and investors? Can't we cut out the middleman?
Hell yes we can.
The Broke Bitch Guide to Ethical & Sustainable Shopping
Why Should I Listen To You?
Want better quality shit that's not subject to planned obsolescence, and not made impossible to repair when it breaks? Well you ain't finding it at a for profit company anymore.
Want a 50% off deal (or more) on everything you buy? I know it sounds unrealistic, but that's about how much companies across all industries mark prices up by. Just by avoiding corporations, you're cutting your spending in half.
Well where the fuck do I shop then?
The obvious ones: Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, and Ebay - You can find damn near anything on here, and haggle on prices. And buying used locally? You're putting 100% of the money into the hands of a neighbor who needs it more than a billionaire, and reducing waste!
Construction material recycling centers / The Dump - You can get reclaimed materials at many of these for dirt cheap or free. Also if you meet any contractors around here, ask them if they'd sell or give you any nice shit they tear out of rich people's houses.
Thrift, Vintage, and Secondhand shops - Another way to reduce waste, find higher quality clothes than fast fashion, and save a buck. For the best savings, go to Goodwill Bins - they're the last stop before clothes get recycled, and they sell clothes for a dollar or two a pound. (Great for sewing/craft materials too)
Car Junkyards - Cheapest spot to get car parts, lots of cars get totalled but still are intact enough to gut for parts.
Buy Nothing Groups or local "free and for sale" groups on Facebook - People post things they're getting rid of for free, it's an amazing way to reduce waste and save a lot of money!
The Dreaded Phone Call or Email - If you're looking for a specific product or material - Think of what industries might create that as a waste product? What kinds of workers might be tasked with hauling old ones away? When that thing is thrown out or recycled, where does it end up? Call or email a few of those companies and ask if you can buy their old shit.
Antiquing, Flea Markets, Yard Sales, and Estate Sales - A great way to get high quality furniture for cheap. If you're worried about bedbugs get the biggest black trashbags or tarps you can find, and put your furniture in there in the hot sun for a while to kill anything off. Spray some insecticide in there while you're at it.
Bartering - Make a group chat with your friends or neighbors where you post stuff you don't want anymore, and barter with each other! You can barter more than goods, you can also trade skills like tailoring, repair work, physical labor, teaching a trade, or home cooking!
Farmers markers and local grocery shops - If you have a lot of farmers nearby, this is a great stop for cheap produce and more ethically farmed meat.
The "Trash Day Walk" - Take a walk around town with a friend on trash day, and if you find anything good, have one of y'all wait there while the other grabs a car.
The "I know a guy" - If you ever need repairs done, and a company sends a guy who gives you a high quote... Ask him how much he's making out of all that. It'll be fuckin pitifully low. Then ask him if he'd come by off the clock to do the work for twice or triple the pay. It'll still be cheaper than the corporate quote. If he says yeah, congrats, now you "know a guy" who'll charge you a more a fair price! Knowing a contractor, plumber, electrician, etc can save you a lot compared to going through a company!
This seems like a big change - How do I make it easier?
Delete Amazon and all the rest of those apps off your phone and replace them with Ebay, Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, etc. You'll be surprised how quick your brain will rewire what it thinks of as the first-stop for shopping. You can still use them if you need something you can't find elsewhere - this doesn't have to be all-or-nothing, but you won't see them as the default anymore.
Talk to other people about it! Most of my barters started by mentioning the idea of bartering to my friends and neighbors
Get into vintage / antique shit. It's a fun hobby and if you make a day of it, it can be super enjoyable to look through all the weird shit for a few gems. Retail stores don't have the entertainment factor of ~weird shit~ after all
Learn a little about economics. Once you see behind the curtain of the cash flow through most large corporations, spite will probably drive you to look elsewhere anyway lol. Shit's bleak.
Your Post Wasn't Long Enough - I Want More
If anyone's interested, I've been wayy too obsessed with this shit lately and would Post again.
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selkies-world · 23 days
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Sign the petition to demand the creation of a new international law requiring fast-fashion garments to come with a statement of the human cost and environmental harm caused by their creation.
We all know fast fashion is bad for the planet - slave labor, environmental waste, air and water pollution, and unsustainable practices are just a few of the ways they impact our planet, our health and our lives. To date, the fast fashion industry is the 2nd largest consumer of water and is single-handedly responsible for 10% of global carbon emissions (that's more than all international flights and maritime shipping across a year combined). Even the simple act of washing these clothes releases 500,000 tons of microfibers into the ocean each year - that's equal to 50,000 plastic bottles. Fast-fashion is the 3rd leading cause of the climate crises we face, yet is rarely addressed.
Knowing these stats is one thing, and understanding them is important. Being aware of them is somewhat informative. But as long as we keep turning a blind eye to the issue, the stats are only going to get worse, and nothing will change for the better. Ignoring the issue or brushing it under the rug won't help anything. So what if we could see the real-world damage done by each of the garments we buy?
In the same way that cigarette packets have shown the harm their products do to our bodies ("SMOKING KILLS", lung cancer visualizations, etc.), what if fast fashion manufacturers & retailers had to show the harm their products do to our planet?
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[Image ID: A type-writer font has been used on a brown craft paper background. The text reads: "32 animals lost their habitat to the field where my crops were planted - 2 of those animals are already endangered species. 2,700 litres of water were used in my production. I was made in a sweatshop enslaving men and women aged 16 - 45, and children aged 6 - 14. I contain 0.22kg of carbon dioxide dye." End ID.]
This is a mock-up of a label / statement for a single T-shirt, with researched statistics and educated estimates for the information I couldn't find a calculated answer for.
Now imagine labels / statements like this for every single piece of clothing: how many toxic chemicals are in those new jeans? How many litres of water did that shirt take to make? How many animals were skinned to make those cute fur-trimmed boots? How many children made that jumper? How many people were forcibly removed from their homes, so production companies could plant crops to grow the materials used in clothes manufacturing? How many families were evicted for no reason other than corporate greed? How many trees were cut down? How many animals were displaced or killed?
Would you really want to buy those items of clothing if the answers to those questions were staring you in the face?
If this information was stated in clear, accessible ways on both the website and the ticket on the actual garment, this would dramatically reduce the number of people buying fast fashion items. It would also reduce the profits being made by fast fashion companies, and could lead to many of them being forced to choose between changing and becoming sustainable, eco-froendly and ethical brands, or shutting down due to being boycotted.
Who would really want to knowingly buy things that are made by slaves, or which cost a family their home, or which contributed to deforestation? Who would continue to buy fast fashion items knowing this is the damage caused by them, when sustainable alternatives are an option?
Whether it's second-hand fashion at affordable prices, or investing more money in sustainable products which were made with high ethical standards and which cost more money due to the fact their price accounts for the time it took a person to make that item... we can say for certain that sustainable shopping is going to become much more popular if people know how important that change is. Sustainable items last much longer than fast-fashion items, which by design are created to self-destruct, as they are made to be worn a few times and then discarded in order to be replaced by the next trend's items - and as trends speed up, these items become weaker and weaker. This then leads to people spending more money in order to keep up with the newest trends, and to keep replacing clothes they throw out after a few washes.
In contrast, buying sustainable items which are designed to last years means people won't have to spend money on new clothes every few weeks, which means they'll ultimately save money in the long term and actually be able to afford those pricier items which will last much, much longer.
Now, despite the amount of harm the fast-fashion industry causes to people and the environment, the last thing we should be doing is getting angry at those who continue to buy them. Being the target of anger doesn't make large populations change their behaviour - even a cursory look through history books will tell us that much. Neither does being the target of resentment or blame.
But guilt? Shame? Those are two of the most powerful emotions to magnify when you want change to happen in waves.
And frankly, if people feel ashamed of buying something, or if buying something makes them feel guilty... they're going to stop buying it.
Those aren't the only emotions that should be felt, though. Because only feeling guilt and shame leads to feeling hopeless, scared, anxious and depressed. And we don't want that. No matter how bad things get... we don't want that.
The only other emotions to provoke are hope and pride.
If there's no hope for the future, how can anyone be expected to imagine a better one?
You wouldn't think it, what with all the climate crises and disasters we experience around the world and the total lack of commitment made by billionaires, multimillion-dollar companies and corporations and politicians.
But it's true. Scientists in Scotland have discovered bacteria which eat plastic and speed up the decomposition of it. ‘Ecocide’ is now punishable by law. Some countries within the EU are already close to meeting their 2030 goals years ahead of schedule! Thanks to scientists and small, individual changes made on a massive scale by ordinary people who are making small adjustments to our everyday choices, we can and are healing most of the ozone layer before 2050. That is something we should all feel incredibly proud of.
So imagine how much we could speed that process up if more people made those changes. Imagine how much sooner we could heal our planet if billions of people made those changes, rather than millions. Imagine how much sooner we could be seeing the effects of a healthier planet if fast fashion companies were forced to choose between going green and transparent, or closing altogether due to a lack of interest from consumers. Imagine the changes we could create if corporations made massive changes in a short amount of time, in order to save their own profits.
Imagine more labels like this, sitting alongside each other on every single piece of fast fashion clothing. A statement like this beneath every item of clothing on fast fashion websites, which transparently states the harm done.
If every single fast-fashion company and store had to display this on their clothing, on their racks, on their websites, and if there were legal punishments for those who tried to evade or lie... fashion would turn a lot greener very quickly. We'd start seeing more and more labels with "I'm made from 6 plastic bottles! I used to be a newspaper! I had 0 pesticides used on me in my production! I only contain natural dye made from berries, beans and sustainably grown flowers. I was made from apple skins and corn! The people who made me get to go home to their families every night, have days off and the adults made £150.35 each in 1 week! The animal who made the wool for me is free-range and well-cared for! I came from a small family farm, and was created with a closed-loop water system!”
That'd be a much better civilisation to shop in, don't you agree?
That is hope for the future.
That is motivation, which can fuel ordinary people to do extraordinary things and create changes they thought were impossible.
If you want to be a part of creating this change, sign the Change.org petition which demands the the creation and implementation of an international law which will require all fast-fashion products to be displayed with a statement which states the harm done to people and the planet by that garment being made & shipped.
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earlgrey-lateatnight · 6 months
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Here is part 9 of my surfer Wille/Lifeguard Simon AU :)
You can also read the earlier chapters on ao3
“Simon,” Simon smiles, keeping his hand firmly by his side.
Kristina doesn’t offer hers either, “Nice to meet you.”
“Likewise.”
Simon doesn’t miss the way her eyes flit up and down his body, silently assessing him from head to toe.
“Simon and I actually have plans tonight, Mom,” Wille crosses his arms.
Kristina sniffs, finally turning back towards her son, “Oh?”
“Yes. We have reservations, so…”
A powerful silence fills the room. Simon wonders who will be first to break it. He’s about to cough, or clear his throat or something, but surprisingly Kristina is the first to speak.
“Hmm, alright. I’ll drop by tomorrow, Wilhelm. So we can finish our chat.”
Wille clenches his jaw. 
“Goodnight, both of you,” 
“Night.”
Wille’s shoulders slump as the door clicks shut behind her. 
“What was all that about?” Simon asks, pulling his shirt sleeves down over his hands. Kristina hadn’t been openly hostile towards him, but the atmosphere between her and Wille was so frosty he expected to see his own breath.
Wille perches on the edge of the sofa. His leg bounces as he brings his thumbnail up to his mouth, “She wants me to ‘take a more active role’ in the company now I’m in my twenties, and she’s not backing down this time. She said if I don’t start contributing, she’ll cut me off.”
Simon sits next to him. He doesn’t really know what to say, so he gives Wille a kiss on his temple. 
Wille hugs himself, leg still jittering against Simon’s thigh, “I suppose I could get a normal person’s job.”
Simon nods softly.
“I don’t know where I’d live, though. The rent on this place is not cheap,” he leans against Simon’s shoulder.
Simon plays with his hair, slipping the silky strands between his fingers, “You could come and live with us. There’s still a shelf in the refrigerator that isn’t assigned to anyone.”
Wille chuckles. The leg bouncing stops as he snuggles further into Simon’s warmth.
“We wouldn’t be able to have sex on the sofa any more, though.”
“Wow. That’s an unbearable compromise.”
They smile at each other. Wille sighs heavily, kissing Simon on the shoulder before sitting up again.
“What does she actually want you to do?”
“She didn’t say. She never does. It’s always hints and manipulation, making you guess what she wants and then laying on the guilt when you get it wrong.”
Simon nods thoughtfully, “So, in theory, your role in the company could be whatever you want?”
“I really doubt it.”
“OK, but you wouldn’t necessarily have to become a boring corporate asshole. Couldn’t you use your influence for something good? Like, being in charge of sustainability, or ethical manufacturing?” 
Wille’s eyes widen as he thinks about it. He’s talked to Simon at length about the threat to the oceans, all the plastic and the pollution and the damage it causes, “That’s… Actually brilliant.”
Simon beams.
“Holy fuck. I could do something that actually matters.”
“And keep your mom happy.”
Wille dismisses that with a hand wave, “Fuck, yeah, I could…”
His mind is racing faster than he can speak. He holds Simon’s hand, then cups his face, then leans in to kiss him, serious and giddy all at once, “I love you.”
Simon smiles as he says it back. Whispers it against Wille’s lips as they fall into bed together. Giggles it two hours later, when Wille finally remembers their dinner reservations. 
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intersectionalpraxis · 3 months
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The idea behind a boycott truly seems lost on some. Percy Jackson and the Olympians was watched 13.3 million times since it's release, what, a couple days ago? It's on Disney+ aka the Pressure list on BDS, the author wrote a stupid blog post after 10/7 saying there are "two sides" to the issue, and many people who worked on the show are Zionists. What happened to the good ol' days of pirating? It's all Free Palestine until a show you want drops, huh? And from an author who has never written Arab/Muslim characters well.
I was reading a post on X recently about how someone had to tell her friends to boycott Starbucks because they didn't know it was one of the major companies that so many creators decided to start with because they were the most direct and influential (alongside McD's and Disney). Her friends were happy to do so, it's just they were 'unaware.'
This person also argued that unless you're "chronically online," you wouldn't know about what is happening, and depending on the media you are consuming (especially if it's mainstream western sources because we know they weave a VERY and vastly different story about what is happening in Palestine). I can understand a fraction of what she is saying, while at the same time I think this automatically reveals the willful ignorance that permeates our societies. How so many people can 'turn off,' and not engage or at least not know about what is going on across the globe based on many factors (which includes their governments and censorship -like in Canada it's hard to access videos on the ground in Palestine on Instagram unless you see it on X or Facebook or use a VPN, otherwise we/I can't access Eyes on Palestine on Instagram), is all very confounding to me. Because even without being 'online,' I do believe it's our responsibility to know, at bare minimum, what is happening.
I think at the crux of this (and these are just my opinions of course) is that many people in the global north, firstly, don't want to unpack their complicity in imperialistic and colonialist structures of violence in the global south because of their degree of consumerism (how the systems set up -and how so much of how we live depends on the mass hyper-exploitation of people 'elsewhere' where 'we don't have to see.'). So that in itself is something I think of when I see that there are people who either refuse to boycott big tech or industries that align or support genocidal regimes and powers, extensively so -because that would mean getting uncomfortable, being reflexive, demanding changes from these despicable companies (like refusing to buy from them until the are ethical and sustainable beyond paper), and overall changing your habits. And I don't mean shaming working class/poor people to stop shopping at major conglomerates to buy their groceries because that's not fair -not everyone can afford to buy local and go to farmer's markets. I'm talking about the excessive aspects of capitalism. Or watching/viewing content from places like Disney because they have the privilege to 'look away.'
We all know that if no one consumed a damn thing from these companies, that they'd change their tune very quickly, and it's just frustrating and beyond tragic to see Disney thrive despite how evil that corporation is, and only recently became 'inclusive,' but even so there's many stories and voices they leave out, or don't do justice. I hear you. I know what you mean, and seeing it is disappointing. Because even if you wanted to see those fucking films or series -yes there are OTHER means, but the fact that people will pay to see it and subscribe to it is just frustrating.
As always, boycott Disney.
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sapphicteaparty · 1 year
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i've NEVER seen a single good faith discussions about pleather on this website and i want ppl to think critically for one second about the way businesses talk about their products. "vegan leather" is purely a marketing term and nothing else. it was invented by the fashion industry and it has nothing to do with vegans or veganism.
"vegan leather" is basically made of polyester (a type of plastic), but crucially a lot of clothes nowadays are made of polyester either fully or partially because it's cheaper to produce. so of course clothing companies are going to be producing and marketing things that make them more money.
these products are not even targeting vegans, they're making an average customer feel better about their purchases, same way they are now putting "eco" labels on some of their organic cotton clothing. it's just greenwashing. NOTHING in fast fashion is eco friendly in any way - this whole industry is extremely wasteful an exploitative on every level. when are ppl going to realize that these companies just say anything they can to make it seem like they care about anything other than their profit margins. because they don't.
my wish is that ppl that talk about how bad pleather is and how vegans are apparently responsible for all of the microplastic pollution in the world also talked or cared even a little bit about the absolutely horrific abuse and exploitation that happens in the clothing and fast fashion industry. talk about how this industry consistently fails (or outright refuses) to pay its workers a living wage or how they don't provide them humane working conditions - and how that led to thousands of garment workers dying and getting injured when a garment factory collapsed in Bangladesh (and that's not the only tragedy this industry is directly responsible for).
also microplastics are only the tip of the iceberg if you want to talk about the pollution that the clothing industry is responsible for (toxic chemicals and pesticides used in cotton production, garment dyes, the disposal of textile waste etc) - all of which has direct human costs tied to it.
but if your only concern ever was microplastics that clothes can shed then great! avoid all polyester and plastic clothing. but did you know textiles aren't even the primary microplastic contaminants? it's plastic bags, bottles and fishing nets by far. most ppl can't always avoid these plastic items in daily life. but do you eat fish? vegans don't.
i'm just so tired of the pleather discussion focusing on the wrong thing (vegans) when there are so many more aspects about the clothing industry and plastic pollution that never get addressed when they should. and the amount of misinformation on these topics is just laughable at this point. ppl sure enjoy reblogging posts that confirm their biases and free them from having to critically engage with complicated issues because it's so easy to just blame a group of ppl for it.
anyway if you're concerned about ethical clothing (i hope you are) then basically these are your best options:
wear what you already have and don't buy new clothes unless necessary
get second hand clothes
get upcycled clothes
this may seem a bit extreme but these are the only options that don't result in new clothes and textiles being produced because there is an overproduction issue in the clothing industry which is why over 80% of clothes end up in landfills. obviously these options aren't viable for everyone all the time but if the goal is sustainability then that's just the reality of things for now.
you can also do things like mend your clothes so they last longer, learn to sew to make your own clothes etc all of that is better than buying new clothes. donating clothes to a thrift store is also not ideal since they get so many donations that a lot of it ends up in a landfill anyway and recycling clothes is also not straightforward or even possible in a lot of cases. so not buying new/more clothes is the most environmentally friendly option. and before you go no ethical consumption under capitalism blah blah yeah we know. doesn't mean you are powerless and have no choices in anything ever.
please learn more about microplastics, the clothing/textile industry and veganism before you uncritically reblog another misinformed post about "vegan leather" or microplastics. also please don't uncritically believe what i wrote here either. if you're seriously interested in these topics then your source for this information shouldn't be some tumblr post in the first place. there are lot of studies, documentaries and articles about all the things i mentioned. i'm not a researcher or a scientist, so don't ask me. i'm just tired.
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carrickbender · 3 months
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Friday 5:
1. I thought it was going to be slick as hell this morning, but thankfully it wasn't. Still had to call in to work... #thanksgastricsystem
2. That being said, I really think I'd enjoy remote work more. I like my coworkers, but I'm trying to put up time boundaries and so far it's not really working. We work when there is product, so having 2 administrators there on a day like today is pointless, but I'd still have a difficult time getting a dictation of a SAP script done so that we don't have to rely on our support team so much. And I realize that I'm only in week 4, but the heat is there because another huge facility in our company goes live in a few days with a ton more product offerings, and not enough support to go around. So yeah...#sinkorswim
3. I will probably have the weekend off too, which is nice, and we have zero plans. Probably put away Christmas, clean a little, try to find a thank you gift for my stepson for fixing our sink(He, his wife, and their kids are such a delight!)... low key. Hell, I might even read a bit. READ, OMFG!!!!! H got me a book about "chasing the burst", the stories about the wood and the people who built the legendary guitars of Gibson and other great builders, and Im dying to just soak it all in. Funny thing is some of that wood can be traced to a mill that used to exist about 5 blocks from my house, and MANY moons ago Gibson took loads of blocks out of the maple grove right across from the farm we used to rent. (Fun fact: I have an aging burl from that grove that someday will become a guitar...someday...lol). Anyhoo... #nerdout
4. Speaking of which, I just finished the Audible version of Bono's book, "Surrender", and it was moving. It always amazes me the circles in which runs, like knowing people; but then it also amazes me that I've met people with whom he's friends. And to that end, I'm sure that I have very few degrees of separation with quite a few of yall, we just don't know it... lol! #itsasmallworld
5. I think that eventhough I've started this new job, and I'm really enjoying the challenge, I'm going to start looking at jobs with guitar manufacturers that match my education and skill set. Totally dreaming, I know, but here's the thing: I need to have an outlt for my passion for music. If it's not making the music, it has to be part of the supply chain that builds the instruments that make the music. It can be done ethically, with sourcing that's environmentally considerate, and at price points so that people getting into music can take those instruments and keep the tradition going. It's not me saying I'm quitting my craft, it's me making saying I want to commit to making the craft accessible and sustainable. #itstooearlyforthebullshitgeoff, #shhhhhh
Anyhoo, back to making music with my fingers and taking buggy to school. Much love to yall, and have a good friyay!
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phoenixyfriend · 10 months
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Ko-Fi Prompt from @apprendere:
Economics topic: ethical investing (what definitions are they using when companies like amazon are on lists of ethical/social/green stocks?)
This one took me a bit of research 😅
My first instinct is that those are frequently greenwashing, and that any individual company needs to be investigated for those claims, personally, before actually going ahead to invest. I'm generally hesitant to call most investment/stocks ethical, but there are ways and reasons for ethics in the given industry (as discussed here with @rhokitten and @dasnya).
Green-chip stocks are, by name, a play on blue-chip stocks (established, stable, reliable companies that are unlikely to waver overly much if the economy takes a bad turn). Green chip companies are those that claim to be environmentally sustainable, or to support the environment in some way. If the company in question is one that works directly in environmental sustainability, such as solar panels or wind farms or organic farming tools, that's probably not a lie.
However... you also get companies like Ford claiming to be green. Now, from what I can tell so far, they have been cutting down on carbon emissions for two decades now, but any large company that historically relies on gas or oil claiming to be green is... a bit questionable. The Climate Town video on Carbon Offsets is a good primer on understanding how large transportation and vehicle manufacturing companies can use 'green' language to claim progress while effectively not changing any of their practices. With Ford, we've seen minor cuts in manufacturing pollution, but as this Guardian article points out, they still advertise for massive cars with terrible mpg... which is a related issue, because said massive cars, the SUVs and 'extended cab' pickups are unregulated compared to sedans and other, smaller vehicles (see: Not Just Bikes video).
Ford spends a lot of money advertising a car that is the opposite of green, and doesn't actually provide a use for the vast majority of people buying it. Unless you work in an industry where you need to haul large, dirty equipment on the regular, like on a farm or in construction or landscaping, you don't need a pick-up truck. And if you do work in those industries, an extended cab is generally not helpful.
So Ford is talking good game, but... is it following through? That's up for debate.
You mentioned Amazon, so I went to look at their Climate Pledge Fund. They mention a "net-zero carbon goal," which already sends up red flags, as explained in the aforementioned Carbon Offsets video. They do seem to be investing in a lot of companies that will theoretically make their future work have less of an environmental impact; the companies include electric vehicles, renewable energy, and custom packaging to reduce waste. It all sounds good.
But what do the critics say?
In this Thomson Reuters Foundation article, Khalil Abdullah addresses how Amazon has historically hidden most of its information on environmental impacts, engaged in a number of greenwashing campaigns, and shoved numbers on its enormous pollution under the rug. Yet, despite this, it remains on the list of companies that the ESG (environmental, social, and governance) investors consider a viable choice, because it's... easy. It's a good investment financially, so they can just... look away from the complications, because the money and reputation is enough.
In my eyes, the concept of green stock is yet another form of greenwashing, one with no actual, specified definition, which means it's about as useful in understanding your investments as words like 'organic.' Unfortunately, it looks like this is going to continue being one of the ways companies lie to us, and any individual investment needs to be examined thoroughly before we can figure out what it is that we're actually supporting.
My suggestion would be to look into companies that are acting directly in support of environmentalism (solar and wind are probably safe), have a long and transparent history of environmentalism, from before it was trendy, or are small, local, and maybe new enough that they aren't killing the environment in the name of economies of scale.
Maybe if you get in early enough, you can grab enough shares to have a positive impact on future green initiatives!
(Prompt me on ko-fi!)
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eva-knits12 · 4 days
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Steve and the Puppy
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Trigger warning: Steve Rogers, mention of animal abuse, rescue dogs, puking, pregnancy reveal, fluff
Summary: Steve and you move into your lake house and adopt a puppy.
Steve is carrying the last few boxes from the moving van into the house. We spent the night at a motel, and left promptly before sunrise. I'm busy making sure that each box is in each room. I'm busy unpacking the kitchen boxes, and putting the plates in the dishwasher. Then, I unpack the silverware and load that in the dishwasher.
Steve contacted the water company and the electric company to turn on the water, the heat and the air conditioning, and the electricity.
The lake house Steve and I purchased is in a nice, little area that's close to the newer compound upstate. The house across the lake has just been sold to Tony. Tony and Pepper recently got married, and we were in the wedding. Steve and I have been together for four years, and Steve is home more often now. I'm home more often these days, too. I took a back seat from missions, and it feels nice. Steve and I just want to enjoy this time right now.
"That should be the last of it," says Steve, who is carrying the last box.
I look at the engagement ring on my finger. I look at the matching wedding band on Steve proposed last fall on my birthday, and he proposed with his mother's ring.
Steve's wedding band briefly catches the sunlight, and we're standing in our kitchen. We just returned from our honey moon in Rome, and we're moving from the city into a lake house. I slept on the ride up here, and I had to tell Steve to stop a few times so that I could throw up. I've been feeling very queasy and nauseous.
"Doll, are you okay?" asks Steve, as he's rubbing soothing circles on my back.
"I think it's something I ate. But I should have kicked this ages ago. Don't these things last 24 hours, and your better?" I ask.
Steve picks me up, and carries me bridal style to the bedroom. He puts a trash can next to me, and I sleep for a bit. I wake up, feeling even more queasier and nauseated than I already have. I throw up in the trash can.
Steve comes back from his morning jog, carrying a dog in his arms.
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"Steve, is that what I think it is?" I ask
"Yes. I think he's hurt", says Steve.
I immediately tell Steve to get in the car, and we're taking the dog to the vet. The dog is shaking, and moaning. It's too thin, and it's fur is all mattified. It looks pretty knocked around. If I could find his owners, I have no idea what I'd do, but to abuse an animal in this way is unforgivable. There's a special place in hell for animal abusers.
Steve and I take the dog to the local ASPCA. They thank us, and we just wait. I just start crying, and I have no idea why.
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"Shh. It's okay, doll. They'll report this to the police," says Steve.
"But, I just want him to be okay," I say.
"He will be. The volunteer said that we found him in time. He looked pretty knocked around," says Steve.
"How can people be this cruel?" I say.
Steve puts his arms around me and holds me close. I sob for a little while longer, and then ask where the bathroom is. The kind volunteer points me to the bathroom. I throw up, and I'm sobbing on top of this.
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We just wait. The vets that volunteer there do the exam, and they have various other tests that they have to put the dog through.
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I throw up again. The next day at work, Tony finds me passed out, and immediately runs me to the medical bay, with me unconscious in his arms. He immediately gets Steve.
Steve is busy training new recruits when Tony calls him to the medical bay.
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Tony made sure that Dr. Cho kept him updated at all times. Steve refused to leave my side.
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"Oh, doll. I didn't know it was this bad," says Steve.
"I'll be-BLARGH!" I throw up in the barf bin.
"Well, (y/n), we found out why you've been so sick lately. You just returned from your honeymoon in Rome, correct?" asks Dr. Cho.
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"Yes, but that was weeks ago," I say.
"When was your last period?" asks Dr. Cho.
"Two weeks before the wedding," I answer.
"According to your chart, that's correct," says Dr. Cho.
"Wait, Tony has JARVIS keep track of everyone's vitals?" says Steve.
"Yes, Mr. Rogers, including yours. For female employees, he even makes sure that JARVIS tracks their menstrual cycles," says Dr. Cho.
"We actually discovered a heart beat," says Dr. Cho.
Steve and I look at each other in confusion.
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Dr. Cho shows me the ultrasound. I look at it still doesn't seem real.
"But, that can't be. Steve and I were careful," I say.
"Wait, she's pregnant? That can't be. We were being very careful," says Steve.
Steve leaves the room to collect himself. Tony stays, while Bruce makes sure that Steve is okay.
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"Wait, so Capsicle's swimmers are still working?" says Tony.
"TONY!" everyone says
"Yes. Steve's altered DNA combined with (y/n) unaltered DNA made (y/n)'s symptoms intensify. Hyperemesis gravidarum is why (y/n) has been so sick lately," says Dr. Cho.
"Wait, I'm gonna be a mom? It still doesn't seem real," I say.
"How's Steve doing?" I ask.
"Steve is still trying to process all of this," says Dr. Banner.
"Okay. Can I have a photo of the ultrasound? Steve's birthday is in a few days, and I want to surprise him," I say.
"Sure," says Dr. Cho.
Dr. Cho gives me an envelope with the ultrasound inside it.
Bruce explains that my symptoms will be intensified, but that shouldn't stop me from carrying to term.
"As long as you keep your stress low, get plenty of rest, and eat plenty of food, and get plenty of exercise, you should be okay," says Bruce.
Steve kisses your hand, and you know that you'll be okay. It's such a small, but romantic gesture.
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"I want to keep her overnight, just to be on the safe side. I gave her some doxylamine, and pyridoxine. That will help reduce the symptoms. I'm giving her a prescription for that," says Dr. Cho.
I'm released the next morning, with my new prescription in hand. Steve and I spend the night in the tower, so if I need to go to the hospital, me and Steve are right there.
Luckily, we don't have to make another hospital trip, yet. So, that afternoon, we head back to the lake house. When we get back, and get settled in, Steve and I nap. My phone rings, waking both of us up.
"Hello," I say.
"Is this (y/n) Rogers?" asks the volunteer.
"Yes, this is she," I say.
"The dog you and Steve Rogers found is fine. He's ready to be adopted by you guys. We tried to contact the owners, but they don't want him. We were wondering if you and Mr. Rogers would like him," says the volunteer.
Steve takes the phone from my hand, and speaks.
"Sure. I'll pick him up in an hour," says Steve.
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"Great. See you then, Mr. Rogers," says the volunteer.
"Did you hear that, doll? We'll have a dog," says Steve.
"Steve, that's wonderful!" I say.
"I'll go pick him up, just go to the pharmacy and get that prescription filled," says Steve.
"Okay, but bring him home safe. Remember, you're carrying precious cargo," I say.
"Doll, you're carrying precious cargo inside you. Our baby is going to be the first baby of the Avengers," says Steve.
"Okay, I'll have Natasha take me to the pharmacy," I say.
"Nope, I'm taking you to the pharmacy," says Agent Coulson, who I didn't realize had been in the house.
"Steve let me in," says Coulson.
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"Oh, Agent Coulson, I didn't realize you were here," I say.
"Yes, when you passed out suddenly, we were concerned. When it's was announced that you're carrying Steve's baby, I immediately insisted that I be informed immediately of anything you needed. Since you need to go the pharmacy, that's where I'm taking you. Steve and Tony insisted that I be informed of everything, including daily updates of your precious cargo," says Coulson.
"Okay, let me get my purse and the prescription slip," I say.
"Steve, I'll see you when I get home," I say.
"See you then, doll," says Steve, giving me a quick kiss.
I get in Phil's car, and Steve get's in our SUV. Agent Coulson takes me to Target, and I give them my prescription. I go to the pet department, and get a leash, a collar, a water bowl, a food bowl, a mat, and some potty pads. I even get some Blue Buffalo kibble, and some wet dog food. Phil helps me pick out some dog toys, and loads everything into the cart. My prescription is ready, and I pay for it.
"Phil, you didn't have to do this," i say.
"It's no problem. Anything for the mother of Steve's baby," says Phil.
"Can you help me pick out some onesies? Steve and I are going to Costco later, and I really want to break the news to him. I really want to do this my way," I say.
I already made some booties in pink, blue, and white that will go in the package.
I even get some pregnancy tests. I got some blank onesies, two white ones, a pink one, and a blue one. I got some acrylic pain in red, blue and white, and some brushes. Phil helps me paints them when we get home, and we put them out on the card table that had a large towel on it so that they can dry properly.
"Phil, I hope this goes over well. Steve's birthday is in a few days, and I'm super nervous about it," I say.
"Knowing Steve, he'll take the news well. You helped him adjust to the modern world, and you even helped him use the computer and a smart phone," says Phil.
"Thanks, Phil," I say, with a smile on my face.
I go to the bathroom to relieve myself, and I look a the tests. I'll take those in the morning when Steve goes out for his jog.
Meanwhile, Steve is busy picking up our new dog. He calls me to give me an update, they're just busy making sure that he's clean, and they're finishing up the vet check.
"It'll be a little while longer, they're just finishing up the vet check, to make sure that he doesn't have any diseases, or anything that would bring up immediate concern. The shelter kept him longer because he needed some calories, and they even bathed him. When the volunteers brought the dog out, the dog ran right up to Steve.
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"Ready to go, pal?" asks Steve.
"Woof, woof," the dog barks.
Steve loads the dog in the SUV, and the dog is nervous. Eventually, he sees the his old house, and sinks down on the seat, a small growl escaping him.
"It's okay, pal," says Steve. The dog stops, and starts to look at Steve, with worry in his eyes.
"Nobody, and I mean nobody has the right to hurt you," says Steve.
'Shh, wait till you meet Mrs. Rogers," says Steve.
"In nine months, you'll meet our precious baby," says Steve.
The dog perks up when he hears the word baby, now he has all the more reason to protect someone smaller than he his.
Steve arrives home while Phil and I are prepping for dinner. Phil mentioned that Tony bought the house across the lake, and it's great that Tony cares. You knew that Tony cared, but never showed it. I thought he was the most arrogant, selfish jerk, but he was a softie deep down.
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"Tony feels that since you're carrying Capsicle's baby, he feels the need to keep an eye on you. Capsicle's baby is precious cargo," says Phil.
"Knowing Tony, he probably called our baby Capsicle's spawn," I say.
"You can say that. He also wondered since given Caps age, it can't be easy having a baby with someone old enough to be a pensioner," says Phil.
Phil and I both laugh, because well, that's typical for Tony.
"Doll, I'm home," says Steve.
"Hi, Steve," says Phil.
"Agent Coulson, how are you?" says Steve.
"(y/n) and I are fine. I'm just helping her with some household chores," says Phil, who's helping me load the dishwasher.
"Who's this?" says Phil, kneeling down to pet our dog.
"This is the dog we rescued," says Steve.
"He needs a name," I say.
"How about Liberty?" says Phil.
"Okay, Liberty," says Steve.
"No, how about Freedom?" I say
"I like Liberty better?" says Steve.
"Wait, how about Phil?" I say.
"Phil does sound better," says Steve.
"Wait, no. Coulson!" I say.
Coulson barks, and he seems to love his name.
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"I think Coulson loves his name," says Phil.
"Hi, Coulson," I say.
Coulson runs up to me, and plants himself on my feet. It's as if he knew immediately that I was carrying his new playmate.
"Someone likes you," says Steve.
"Bark," says Coulson.
"Steve, why don't we let Coulson get settled in here, and then we'll have dinner," I say.
"I better get going," says Phil.
"Please stay for dinner, Phil," I say.
"I don't want to impose," says Phil.
"Agent Coulson, you're not imposing, we'll have plenty," says Steve.
"No, I got to get back to the Tower, I have a meeting with Fury tomorrow," says Phil.
"I did get your invitation. I'll be here tomorrow for the Fourth," says Phil.
I'm feeling drowsy, so Steve picks me up, and carries me to the bedroom, and lays me in bed. Steve falls asleep next to me, holding me close to him. Coulson jumps up, and parks himself at my feet, and doesn't even leave my side.
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After, Steve and I wake up. Steve fixes me some dry toast and some ginger ale to help me keep things down. Before bed, I'll take another pill.
Tomorrow, I'll finish wrapping Steve's present. Right now, Steve and I are going to make a Costco run, and I want him to have the pizza and a hot fudge sundae. We go, and get water, pop, seltzer water, toilet paper, some more dog kibble, some wet food, and tons of potty pads. We also get the burgers, hot dogs, and the chicken to grill. We get two huge bags of chips, some muffins, some potato salad, tons of ears of corn, and we then pay for the purchase. I get some pizza and hot fudge sundaes for both me and Steve. Steve loves the pizza, and I'm actually able to keep something down. It feels nice to eat without throwing up after twenty minutes. Steve is amazed with the size of the store.
Phil is watching Coulson, and when we come back home, Phil and Coulson are having a nice game of fetch, even though Coulson is more invested in it than Phil.
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Steve and Phil tell me to go inside, and put my feet up, and eat. I put the pizzas in the house, and I put the sundaes in the freezer. I take one quick look at the onesies, and they're dry. I'll wrap them up in the morning.
Steve and I have our dinner and our dessert, and we start to discuss names. Steve and I agree on James Joseph if I'm having a boy, and we agree on Sarah Anne if I'm having a girl. Luckily, it's a boy. Steve is giving me a foot rub while I read my book. I fall asleep, and Steve carries me to the bedroom, and puts me in bed.
I wake up earlier than Steve. I have to pee, so I open the tests, and I take them. I cap them, and wait the three minutes to see the results. It's clearly positive, so I put the test back in the box, tape it back up, and I put it with Steve's present. I even wrap up the onesies, and put them in their properly colored packages. One package is blue, and the other package is pink. I place each bootie in the packages. One pair is pink and the other pair is white, and one pair is blue and the other pair is white. I put the onesies in the package, and I'll present them when we're ready to celebrate Steve's birthday after we have dinner.
Coulson follows me everywhere. He even follows me to the kitchen, where I make myself a piece of dry toast and some tea. Steve wakes up, and fixes himself some coffee.
"Good morning, doll," says Steve.
"Good morning Captain Handsome," I say.
"Still not feeling better?" says Steve.
"I will by September," I say.
"You mean, you have to wait this out," says Steve.
"For the most part, and I need to take my anti-nausea meds," I say.
Steve and I take Coulson for his morning walk. I make myself some peppermint tea. That helps my nausea, and Steve carries the poop bags. We come back, and I sleep for a bit. Later, Agent Coulson and Tony come over to help me set up. Pepper and I spend time together, but not without me throwing up at a few points. I take another anti-nausea pill.
The cookout goes well. Everyone is here
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I present Steve with the packages, and he looks at me, in confusion, but gives me a knowing wink. He then opens the packages and removes the onesies. He then opens the envelope, and he sees the ultrasound. He puts his hand on my stomach, and gives me a loving kiss.
Everyone gathers around this small photo, and congratulates the both of you. Even Phil, who helped named Coulson.
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Everyone leaves when all is said and done. Steve and I are so looking forward to this next chapter. Now with Coulson, our rescue dog, makes everything even better, and we have a lot more to look forward to. I think Coulson chose us, we didn't choose him. I chose Steve as my husband, and I chose Steve to be the father to our baby.
Steve and I fall in love even more.
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dylanthescientist · 3 months
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I am doing Veganuary this year, (for those that don’t know it is where you try to go completely vegan for the month of january) and so far I am really enjoying it. Though I want to come on here and voice some of my opinions of things i’ve noticed thus far in my journey. so far i have noticed that much of the vegan rhetoric and discourse is surrounding animal rights activism. while i’m not saying that is necessarily a bad thing, obviously we need dramatic change in the animal farming industries, i don’t notice nearly as much conversation surrounding climate activism or human rights. one major example i want to note is that once i made the switch from vegetarian to vegan i was trying to find some dairy substitutes to use in my cooking. on my hunt i was looking for a vegan butter alternative, but so far every single one that i have found is made with palm oil as its primary ingredient. and though they some companies claim that it is “ethically sourced” (some don’t even bother to mention that at all ) i did some digging and the “certifications” some of these companies received were from non legitimate companies and organizations. i want to ask, how is this more sustainable than just regular dairy butter? palm oil has significant negative environmental impacts just like the dairy industry. which brings me to my next point which is the reliance upon cashews and almonds for dairy substitutes. almonds are the least sustainable of any dairy alternative available. they use so much land and excess water that it’s almost laughable how much the almond cultivation resembles the land and water requirements necessary for dairy farming. not to mention the thousands of underpaid migrant workers who are abused in order to harvest those almonds. i think within the vegan community there needs to be a much larger conversation about sustainability and environmental ethics that focuses the same amount of attention that we do on animal rights activism.
i don’t want this to come off as knocking vegans nor am i trying to offer a solution everyone must follow and i do firmly believe that eating a plant based diet is overall much more beneficial for the environment than not. i am more just trying to bring awareness and open conversations within the community
(side note: i typed this out on my phone at work so apologies if it’s a little rambly or has any errors)
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lushenzener · 1 year
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Closing Thoughts, 2022 Edition
I think 2022 was the first time in FIVE fucking years that I haven’t felt like a charred burned-out remnant of who I used to be, creatively.
So, in these final hours of this wild and wacky year, let’s talk.
I started as a vtuber later into life than most in this scene – a cause for Radiohead’s “Creep” to play on loop in my head, over and over – but not so late that the growing pains for this scene, or the talented individuals in it, are unfamiliar to me, or distant memories with the day-to-day urgencies of it and the struggles experienced faded by time and age.
No, rather, I still have the scars, and I still feel the weight. In fact, I got into vtubing in part because of that weight – a mask, an avatar, a new name, and a fresh start. An act of self-hypnosis, in a sense, to become something other than the “me” that’s been defined by the last few years of struggle, in hopes that I can reclaim… something important. Something that was taken from me over the years.
And by “taken,” I do mean through agency.
A handful of years ago, I was working under conditions that… matches the experience, I believe, that some of you are going through – and the rest of you think you might want, or be able to handle. It was a job that entailed relentless 24/7 pressure and the most public kind of scrutiny – and one that was literally all about the numbers, as my supervisor at the time repeatedly stressed. We used every trick in the book, ethical and otherwise, to drive up the eyeballs on us, every strategy and approach to get as large an audience as possible.
The promise was that we just needed to hit a certain metric to be self-sustaining – it was a lie, of course, but given my instincts for a certain aspect of that work met a perfect storm of the scene’s conditions at the time, it almost seemed like I could do it. Despite the desperately limited resources at my disposal, I was able to match even the established veterans of the scene beat for beat, and surely if I worked just a bit harder, just pushed it all a bit farther…
...then, one morning, they took the audience I built for them, pivoted towards an entirely different industry and service, and told me to file for unemployment.
The company went bankrupt soon after. Fuck them.
So, for the rest of you, here’s what I learned from those years and my experience at the knife’s edge of content creation:
You’re going to feel like you’re failing, a lot. You’re going to be told by metrics and bar graphs that you need to work harder. You’re going to know, or think you know, that you should be optimizing your content, your presentation, making daily TikToks, sticking to a constant schedule and pace, to really succeed.
But you’re going to learn too late that none of it was for your own personal sake when you finally flame out.
This isn’t some feel-good parable about how your value as a human being isn’t represented by the numbers. This is a grim reminder, going into 2023, about what those numbers actually are.
Every one of those metrics, every last percentage and trendline, is only truly meaningful to somebody else – not you. They represent the demands of the platform, the agency, the company, the MBA degree wielding suit dictating how much of a share you get to keep from the value you bring to them. They represent the amount of money you’re making for somebody else – somebody that doesn’t have to deal with the creative and public pressures you’re going through to realize and make tangible that idea, that dream, that you had in your head when you started all of this.
When those metrics are telling you “that isn’t enough,” what it’s actually saying is that they want to take more from you. And that you’d better work harder, work more furiously, work more in a way that plays to what they want, if you want to have anything left after their share.
What I hope more vtubers, and more creators in general, will also learn to understand is that you can feed the beast everything you’ve got, and all it’ll leave you with is the same perpetual hunger it’s cursed with. It will never be sated. It will ALWAYS tell you that what you’re offering isn’t enough.
It will tell the sweetest lies to make you believe it.
But what you have built is worthy. What you have created has value. It doesn’t matter how amateurishly, or clumsily, or inadequate it might seem by the standards set by your peers and your aspirations. It has, at minimum, the value of the hard work and effort you’ve committed to learn the skills necessary for it, and the sweat involved in bringing it to fruition.
Don’t lose sight of that. Hang tight onto that fact – that the effort alone has made it more worthy than the empty void that once stood where your work now exists. Rest most assuredly in that fact as others, recognizing its value, negotiate and bargain with you for a share of it.
But never, never forget. And never let them make you forget. You’re doing this for yourself – first, foremost, and above the concerns of any other party.
You’re doing this because there’s something in you that wants to see the light of day. That yearns to breathe free.
And you have the right to do so, as your work has the right to exist, no matter if it comes before a million eyeballs or just your own.
And you are never a failure for not satisfying the bottomless demands of that species of hungry ghost we call corporate executives.
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The way you hate on Genevieve for wearing what you think is expensive clothing/accessories is comedy. If you were wealthy would you continue buying poorly made, child labor sweatshop, Shein clothing?
BTW clothing is cheaper (taking inflation into account) than it has ever been in history. The fact that there are jeans mass produced for under $40 is bad, actually, and indicates horrendous labor practices.
The way you anons pop off and think you’ve really done something is also comedy.
The thing is, I’ve actually said some very similar things on this blog. (BTW the underlined words are tags to posts.) I don’t focus on the price of her clothes and in fact I’ve bypassed a few of those types of asks in my inbox. She’s a rich lady who will do rich lady things like buy expensive brands and travel more often than most.
The problem is the inconsistent messages. I’ve outlined several examples in this post that you either didn’t read or in which you missed the point. Gen wants to seem “relatable” and give easy lil tips to others about how to live more green and yet she’s not really demonstrating the same lifestyle. It’s almost as if the whole point of Towwn is to “off-set” her own carbon footprint by ensuring that others do better. The $200 jeans might be sustainably sourced but at that point she’s passing the buck onto people who most likely aren’t doing half as well as she is financially.
If she, Towwn, or any other sustainability effort wanted to be taken seriously, they would instead focus on standing against large corporations. So much research in recent years has said that these individual efforts won’t make enough green changes to counterbalance the waste being pumped into the environment by the systems above us. But Gen will never say anything about that because that doesn’t come with ad partnerships, discount codes, and kickbacks. It doesn’t sell. Don’t believe me? When pressed to explain what she’s actually standing for…she can’t do it and instead relies on centrist statements that don’t mean anything.
I do appreciate you bringing up ethical business practices since your girl partnered with Amazon. Again, here we have a wannabe influencer talking out of both sides of her mouth: promoting sustainability while also promoting consumerism through a company with a well documented history of being anything but sustainable.
I think one of the few times I brought up the price of her clothes was when one of her stans outed her for wearing $485 cut-offs (shown below being donned in the chicken coop of all places) when she could have just made her own…like she suggested that others do. If you can’t see the problem with that, then that’s on you.
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muchymozzarella · 11 months
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I feel like I gotta mention I was a big fan of Mr Beast before and not so much now, but also like. I cannot pretend he doesn't help ppl because he absolutely does. Especially early on when he was simply spending money as fast as he could earn it by straight up giving it away. I found that charming if uninformed bc none of it was sustainable and yet it was genuine and did help ppl in the moment. He also allowed them to choose what they needed. Even now he often asks ppl what they need and provides it, which I think is good. The problem we run into is when his newer vids have such an obvious advertising angle for big companies. Oh you gave thousands of Brand Name Shoes away when many places have dumpsites full of shoes bc they don't actually need those shoes and a lot of them are bad quality, cool ok that sounds great (it does not) 👍🏾
Oh you're shilling for Tesla again sure ok whatever
I want to make it clear that I still appreciate he wants to help. Half the time he does very much help. He also informed ppl of the behind the scenes of stuff like what taxes and insurance goes into getting stuff like a new house and car and whatnot.
But philanthropy as a whole is kind of structurally harmful when it's done by rich ppl and companies that lobby against the social safety nets and structures that allow ppl to even afford to own a house. I don't know if MrBeast owns one of those companies, but he certainly collaborates with those types of companies and gives them good press to hide all the anti poor lobbying and other ethical issues
I must also say that according to him in his own interviews, his goal is just growth, which is probably Prime Capitalism and fills me with dread, just trying to one up himself over and over, when actual social welfare is not interested in infinite growth, but in sustainability. I don't know how these two goals will align if he purports to be philanthropic.
I can list down all the reasons MrBeast is Problematic but it will not change the people he helped, who I truly believe benefited from his help. But it will also not change the fact that he's become too big to be a good guy without the many, many caveats of "if you don't count his chocolate partner having a child labour lawsuit" or "if you don't count the many issues with the ghost kitchens his Beast Burgers operate out of" or "if you don't count that the Real Life Squid Game was just a clownishly bad idea that missed the point of the show entirely"
I also want to add that there's something I appreciate about him that I cannot fully agree with, but I can't say is wrong.
When he says he's "apolitical" outside of being LGBTQ+ positive, my first reaction is the usual cringe of people claiming to be apolitical, but then he follows it up with the fact that he believes there's no political boundary to charity and being poor, and quite frankly he's correct. In the USA both Democrat politicians and Republican politicians protect corporate interests, and there's functionally no political divide when it comes to class struggle.
He's directly worked with people who know the needs of those who are struggling. He works directly with people who actively volunteer or work for nonprofits that help poor people.
He may be a bit too centrist for some of y'all but I think he means well and is much more left than right.
I worry that he seems to aim to be a billionaire. I worry that he's further entrenching himself in that sort of crowd.
I liked the guy I used to see in his videos and the more he rubs elbows with crypto shills and billionaires and corporations the less I see of that guy.
I guess this is my long-winded way of saying I don't think Jimmy Donaldson is a bad guy. I just worry that, outside of his recent stand against transphobia, it doesn't seem like he's becoming a better guy than he was years ago. I could be wrong, but idk.
I also think his products mostly suck but that's not a personal failing lol that's just average YouTube product releases
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shadowmaat · 6 months
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Ethics vs. needs
I'm sure I've talked about this before but tumblr search is a shitshow and I can't find it. SO.
There is no ethical consumption under capitalism. We know it. We say it. We understand it. So while I appreciate the folks making lists of "ethical" companies and "sustainable" businesses, it would also be nice if they could recognize the fact that the majority of people shopping at places like A.mazon, W.almart and T.emu aren't doing so because they aren't aware of better alternatives, they're doing it because they have no choice.
If I could afford to buy $60 tank tops and be comforted in the knowledge that the workers who made that tank top were appropriately compensated for their labor and the materials are all-natural and not killing the environment, I would. Since I can't, I buy $5 tanks of dubious quality from ethically ambiguous sources.
I understand WHY small businesses charge more and I agree that those things are worth it... IF one can afford them. But if you're going to make a list of alternatives to the Big Bads, you need to think about pricing, too. And I'm just not sure it's possible to find ethical businesses that are also affordable. The two don't seem to go together. There's a similar issue with "healthy" food vs. "junk." Saying that "you just have to shop smart and look around for deals" is, hmm... less than helpful. Not everyone has the time/energy/resources to "shop smart" and not everyone has a choice of where they can shop.
I'm not saying the small business lists are bad because they're very helpful to some people and can do a lot of good for those businesses in terms of advertising/getting the word out. I just wish folks would stop acting as if it's a matter of choice. 99% of the time, it's a matter of price and convenience. So yes, while it's possible to decide that a single $60 tank is "worth it," that same $60 could buy an entire outfit- or more- at one of the cheap scummy places. Stop shaming people for being poor. Remember what Vimes said about boots.
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autogynocrat · 1 year
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thivvy what's your opinions on nespresso coffee?
i will start by saying nestle is a fundamentally evil company and i try to boycott them however i can. yes, no ethical consumption under capitalism etc, but i think nestles practices are bad enough to justify trying to avoid them.
now let's separate the art from the artist:
ALL coffee pod systems carry with them the problem of sustainability. each cup you make with them generates plastic or aluminum waste from the pods. this doesn't sit right with me personally.
the machines themselves are expensive. and per cup coffee pods are more expensive than beans or grounds.
the coffee itself is bad! super stale dark roast. why pay more money for worse coffee? convenience??? you can diy pods with your own coffee inside but then why? you give up the convenience and you just end up with a keurig that thinks its an espresso machine. and its not even good espresso.
real espresso has around a 1:2 real of grounds input to coffee output. usually 20g in 40g espresso out. nespresso pods have like 4-10g of coffee but output a similar amount of liquid. nespresso is watery and weak like my cum after i started taking estrogen but i think my cum probably has better taste and more caffeine than those beans.
depending on what you want theres a lot of better choices whether you want convenience, espresso, or just coffee. also nestle is ontologically evil dont buy from them on purpose
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amethysthelldragon · 11 months
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pretending as if he is not connected to his merch company (or at least not being transparent about that fact) is such a huge red flag. it makes it easy to avoid accountability for pricing or ethical business practices. dream has his name and face literally printed on every piece of merch they distribute
Yes yes yes, it does NOT bode well at ALL. Quackity stans love boasting about those stupid glasses about how the cost is justified because it's made of gold or from Italy when it's Not made of gold it's gold colored and there is no reason why it SHOULD be sourced from Italy, especially since "made in Italy" tags are often used to sand over the fact that a product was manufactured in a sweatshop with Chinese immigrants that are paid DUST for employees. Not saying it absolutely was 100%, but it doesn't provide any ounce of credibility.
These are choices QUACKITY made and has INTIMATE power over, and for him to willfully pretend like he doesn't is so disturbing
The difference between DreamBranding and FiveHills is the difference between water and tar. DreamBranding even has a group picture of all of the employees who all have custom dream blobs ON THEIR WEBSITE, FiveHills doesn't even show you who they work with (because they have something to hide, and that something is that it's a company made only for QUACKITY's benefit, AND i googled more about fivehills and found that there are only THREE registered employees, one of which is the CEO. Who are these 3 employees? I could guess that 2 are the ceo and Quackity, but there's no way of knowing for sure.)
It's just so dishonest and so gross, I can't believe I gave them any of my money. Even if FiveHills is perfectly ethical and sustainable, their unwillingness to have any semblance of transparency is a huge red flag
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revisingpotato · 11 months
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お久しぶり。
it’s been four years since i updated this blog, and five to six since i was last active in the studyblr fandom. a lot has happened since then, but life recap:
managed to keep my full scholarship during the entire four-year duration of my study in japan,
acquired other scholarships totaling over a million yen,
was representative of the indonesian student community in my university
did multiple internships, part-time jobs and research work in business / sustainability / web design / english teaching among others,
traveled more than 10 prefectures in japan, interacted vastly with local communities and students of all ages,
did my thesis on the impact of sustainability ⇆ fan culture and entertainment; two things i’m very passionate about,
acquired JLPT N1 and am using the language on a business level daily,
about to start my career in a major consulting firm in tokyo.
it wasn’t always smooth sailing, and i made sure to enjoy myself outside of uni and work (probably way too much as i was seeing a musical or attending a fandom event every other week lmao)
looking back, everything i did during my IGCSEs and IB hell - all the sleepless night and stacks of notes and hours spent revising and studying and doing past papers - were all so fucking worth it.
people say high school isn’t everything, that your grades don’t define the rest of your life - which is true! it definitely didn’t. but the study skills, the work ethic, the way i motivated and disciplined myself when times were tough, proved to keep me going wherever i was. 
i don’t think i’m particularly gifted or talented, nor do i have anything i’m highly skilled at despite all the experience i’ve gained throughout work and acads. but i sure can say that i’ve worked hard to achieve everything i did. i failed and stumbled many times along the way (job hunting stress was real; i probably applied to 50-100 companies), but somehow, i made it here.
and for the first time in a while, i think i’m happy with my life.
to all my fellow studyblrs and langblrs, i hope you’re having a good day and taking care of yourself. dreams do come true after all, i guess. who knew that me starting a little study blog eight years ago could lead me to the person i am today :)
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