Re:How much do rich countries contribute by shipping their w...
by citrin_ru on Friday October 14, 2022 @03:36AM
(#33200650)
Carrying an empty plastic bottle / food packaging to the nearest litter bin (or even home if there are no public bins) costs no money and very little energy. I do this all the time even when I'm very tired. From what I see throwing litter around in many countries is socially accepted behavior. It's not like they have no choice and more like they don't see it being wrong.
I do see a correlation between amount of litter on the ground and country economical/political development but cannot think of a convincing casual link here.
Someone living comfortably in Western Europe can afford to stick to his principles. He has the extra money and energy to give a damn. He can cut meat, drive less, fly less, consume less.
It's silly for someone who enjoys air conditioning and two international trips a year, to tell people in developing countries to do their bit. It costs far less to do ours.
This is not a paternalistic view of people in developing countries, it's a critical look at our own inaction.