The fossil fuel companies knew their product was harmful years before the words global warming were even part of the zeitgeist. They could have begun planning for the future in a responsible way. Instead they spent millions of dollars every year spreading lies, misinformation, doubt, and turning it into a political wedge issue.

Probably 40% of Americans now live inside of a subculture that would ridicule them if they did decide to accept the science and take it seriously and that is a direct consequence of decades and hundreds of millions of dollars of concerted effort on the part of the industry.

corporations are building these products and then paying other corporations to convince people that they need to buy these disposable products made from nonrenewable and unsustainable resources.

We wouldn't buy the dumb shit that we use if we weren't convinced that we needed it by marketers.

It seems that you have become quite aware of the people that are trying to convince you to buy all these things. Now that you know this, are there steps you are taking to become less convincable?

You're pivoting right back to blaming the individual.

Why is it my responsibility to not be convinced - but if those companies are bombarding me with propaganda each day, backed by state-of-the-art psychology, that's perfectly fine?

Throw away your TV and always use an ad blocker online. You will still be exposed to some ads, but nothing compared to what you are avoiding.

In my case it works so well I am often unaware of new "trends" in products adverti

I am. Though it's hard to overcome the constant drumbeat of ads that exploit baser instincts. And while education is part of the answer it clearly doesn't work quickly or as thoroughly as regulation to protect the commons.

Our society is actually built so that if we stop consuming these products we will face an economic collapse.