No Escape

In the Economist article The world’s waste problem is growing fast, Mr. Oliver did an excellent job as a journalist: digging and gathering truth, putting them on the table, so everyone have to face it, think about it and try to fix it in different ways. The article is an introduction to Mr. Oliver’s book, Wasteland. In the book he wrote down what he saw in some special places, where he called wasteland, to disclose some shady corners in global and local economic network, such as plastic pollution, toxic colonialism, planned obsolescence, etc.

Plastic pollution is the nearest problem related with our daily life.
In China years ago the plastic bags are free in super markets and grocery stores. Then the government (at least in Beijing) enacted a law about mandatory paid plastic bags. From then on there’s a charge for plastic bags in super markets, while free in most small grocery stores. People are more and more aware of the plastic pollutions. However, at least by my observation, the overall usage of plastic bags are not reduced significantly. The first reason is that most plastic bags are still very cheap. Most people choose to pay 0.1 or 0.2 Yuan (about 0.03 US Dollar) to buy a bag when they forget taking a bag in super market, which frequently happens in everyday life, not mention free bags in grocery stores. I’m not sure whether this is an example that government decrees cannot affect market behaviors.

The second reason is that by far the plastic bags still play a key role in everyday life. It’s thin, strong, waterproof and easy to carry.
As far as I know, there’s still no environment-friendly alternatives to replace its role.

Toxic colonialism is one of many problems emerged in globalization. When the cost of dumping garbage in developed countries is higher then the cost of transportation and dumping in developing countries, the garbage pours into poor countries inexorably. The government aware of environmental cost can ban the importation, while can’t stop smuggling completely. Maybe the ultimate solution is the cheap enough garbage disposal technology.

Planned obsolescence is often used as an example of “greedy capitalism”.
These critics miss the point, in a world where politicians are greedy for power,
scholars are greedy for knowledge and fame, students are greedy for high score in exams, and ultimately, every life on the planet is greedy for surviving and prospering. Greed is not our enemy, but friend. When anybody have to pay enough for their pollutions, maybe planned obsolescence or similar tricks will disappear without ideological altercation and moral condemnation.

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