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It’s not personal, it’s business


Everyone blames coal and oil companies for the current situation regarding climate change. There is always seems to be this focus on companies who care for nothing more than their bottom line. As I have said previously, everyone is so willing to place the blame on someone else in an attempt to avoid actual change themselves.
            Now I am not a great defender of big oil, but I argue that they are not the ones we should be blaming. The ones at fault are us, the consumers. If there was not a market for these resources, no one would be selling them. There is a reason you will not find cassette tapes at Walmart.
            If we the consumer want change, then we have to ask for it. We have to make conscious choices about the things we purchase. This means we are going to have to really understand the brands we are choosing to support. Brands follow the trends set by the consumer. If the consumer demands transparency and sustainability, the brands will deliver.
This, I argue, is where the individual can make a huge impact on the environment. It is so difficult for an individual to make any impact on the global environment though laws and regulations. The government of Zimbabwe does not care about the opinion of some random Hoosier in law school. But Coca-Cola cares, because I represent their customer base.
Consumers communicate can with companies in two ways. One, with your dollars. Buy from brands that put emphasis on the same values you do. Even big companies like Budweiser are taking steps to be more environmentally conscious because consumers demand it. Two, communicate with actual words. I email companies any time I feel they could make a change to be more sustainable. They always write back. Granted, some of the responses are nothing more than a brush off. However, some of them have been legitimate responses to my concerns. One such company told me they were considering changes similar to what I was suggesting but were gauging consumer interest. Meaning the email, I sent may have had some impact with that particular company.
My conclusion is that consumers choices have a significant impact on the environment. When consumers demand that companies do better, they will. Companies want to earn money, so they will move fast to implement changes that consumers are looking for. This will have a greater impact on the environment, in a faster time frame than waiting for the law to catch up.

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