Annalee: The individual responsibility narrative around environmental protection is designed, from jump, to get us pointing fingers at each other instead of regulating polluters

The individual responsibility narrative around environmental protection is designed, from jump, to get us pointing fingers at each other instead of regulating polluters

Today I learned that carbon footprints were invented by BP and pushed in a mega marketing campaign to shift the conversation from corporations to individuals and I hate everyone. Except NPR, thanks for the reporting.

I used to comment that if I were an evil corporation I would absolutely push the individual narrative so I wouldn't have to change my ways. And then I found out a few years ago that's literally what happened. Sigh.

Except that post is wrong. Carbon footprints existed long before the BP campaign. Also our individual choices matter, but the oil industry would love for you to believe that you are powerless and just keep consuming.i

Smokey Bear has kids thinking they're to blame for forest fires due to inattention, despite industry being responsible for most unintentional fires.

Or not www.nps.gov/articles/wil....

spoken like someone who puts their number 5 plastics in with their number 6 plastics

I recall when I was younger, in the '80s maybe, the phrase "Japan-bashing" started cropping up in the news and other places. And lo! and behold, it was later revealed (by NPR also, I think) that it was a term ginned up by a PR firm for Japanese corporations to push back against "buy American."

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