This is why you talk to people - ordinary people - and convince them to (1) buy less plastic garbage (2) vote for restrictions on plastic garbage.
And then the people you talk to talk to other people and convince them.
And then those other people talk to still other people.
And eventually you have a critical mass. And politicians listen to them when they demand changes in the laws. And corporations have less money because enough people are boycotting their products so it’s harder for them to hire lobbyists and bribe politicians.
This has already happened. Coca Cola refused to change from plastic bottles. Even at the face of being told there was going to be a plastic ban. By countries. Who did talk to everyone, and took a poll and agreed on it.
And then trump happened.
The discontinuation of asbestoes and lead in oil was not removed just cuz someone went around and talked to the customers to stop driving cars until the big bad capitalists listened. They removed toxins out of paint for children’s clothing and toys. This was not from going around and just talking to just the customers. DuPont certainly didn’t stop pouring pfoas into the world’s water simply because customers were smart enough to not want it anymore.
This is why you talk to people - ordinary people - and convince them to (1) buy less plastic garbage (2) vote for restrictions on plastic garbage.
And then the people you talk to talk to other people and convince them.
And then those other people talk to still other people.
And eventually you have a critical mass. And politicians listen to them when they demand changes in the laws. And corporations have less money because enough people are boycotting their products so it’s harder for them to hire lobbyists and bribe politicians.
And all this starts with you talking to people.
This has already happened. Coca Cola refused to change from plastic bottles. Even at the face of being told there was going to be a plastic ban. By countries. Who did talk to everyone, and took a poll and agreed on it.
And then trump happened.
The discontinuation of asbestoes and lead in oil was not removed just cuz someone went around and talked to the customers to stop driving cars until the big bad capitalists listened. They removed toxins out of paint for children’s clothing and toys. This was not from going around and just talking to just the customers. DuPont certainly didn’t stop pouring pfoas into the world’s water simply because customers were smart enough to not want it anymore.
These all required lawyers.
And lawyers required laws.
First laws had to be passed protecting the environment. Then lawyers (and government agencies like the EPA) could go to court and enforce the laws.
And we got those laws passed because enough people advocated for them loudly enough and persuasively enough that government listened.
In other words: talking to people worked.
That’s incredibly reductive.