Capitalists want business-as-usual. Tell them no.
Climate activists are disappointed, and rightly so, with the lack of urgency and empty promises by world leaders at COP26. We are all sick of profits before people. We are tired of the status quo. South African climate activist Raeesah Noor-Mahomed had this to say:
We’re in the climate crisis right now, we’re in the position where and because of empty promises, because they prioritized themselves and their economies over the planet and the people. They have always been putting profit over people. And why would this be any different?
-Raeesah Noor-Mahomed. (https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/whats-at-stake-at-cop26-as-climate-activists-decry-empty-promises)
I agree with Greta and Raeesah, but it’s time for our side to stop talking and start acting. Capitalists are going to continue with business-as-usual. How do we stand up and fight back when the only thing they care about is money?
Boycotts
Capitalists actually care about you more than you think. They care about your consumer confidence. They care about what you buy, because it determines how much money they make. This lengthy report by Deloitte goes into exhaustive detail about holiday spending forecasts. On average they expect American households to spend $1,463 this holiday seasons on gifts and holiday experiences.
$1.46 Billion Dollars
If 1 million climate activists, or to put it another way 20% of Greta’s twitter followers, boycotted Christmas and other year-end holiday celebrations this year – no gifts, no gift cards, no ski trips, etc – that would mean a $1.46 billion loss of revenue.
Boycotts, in addition to other actions, can help promote change. Apartheid in South Africa, segregation in the US South, and most recently anti-trans laws in North Carolina all benefited from boycotts to help overturn unfair laws.
Holiday waste is something we need to end anyway. Billions of pounds of food and gift waste are thrown away each holiday season. Billions of dollars are wasted on gift cards that never get used. And why? Because ad executives invent rituals and stories that prod us buy more. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and Elf on the Shelf were invented by Don Draper types to separate you from your money.
Next Steps
Read this website to learn more. Tell your friends and family you are joining the Christmas Climate Strike. To make it easier, send them this blog post.
Buy Me No Gifts and I’ll Do The Same
https://christmasclimatestrike.org/2019/10/30/buy-me-no-gifts-and-ill-do-the-same/
Please share on social media as well. Tweet at other activist and climate groups you admire and work with to ask them to join the #ChristmasClimateStrike
Give the Future, Not Presents.
Christmas Climate Strike 