[ericmcer]

It would not be a good idea because the goal of companies are not to get you to consume only what you need, they want you to consume more.

You should check out "Ascension" (it is on Paramount unfortunately). It gives a pretty close up look at China and factory culture and how their entire country is mobilized to push maximum consumption. The corporation's don't view Americans high per-capita consumption as a problem but instead wonder how to drive the rest of the world to consume the same absurd amount. It gives you a sort of fly on the wall view of the whole thing and it really makes you question what kind of psychotic road we are barreling down.

I agree with you about food though. I care about food and healthcare, very occasionally transportation. Can we focus on those instead of all the bullshit "amenities" corporations are churning out, are we really gonna decimate the planet for clothes, cosmetics and plastic conveniences?

[throwaw12]

> It would not be a good idea because the goal of companies are not to get you to consume only what you need, they want you to consume more.

It's good exactly because of this. Every company is pushing us to consume more, and Wall Street is at the top of this, growth at all costs (including human lives, mental health, just anything)

Only way to save Earth is to stop the Wall Street greed machine.

We should be making shoes which lasts 4 years, clothes which last at least 2 years with no "fashion" industry pushing us to change it every 2 days.

[lotsofpulp]

Where are the 8% annual returns going to come from to pay for all the defined benefit pensions and retiree healthcare plans?

[cronin101]

Not trying to pick apart your point but I rotate a small set of staple clothes and they’re in fine condition after two years (haven’t had much time for clothes shopping since toddler arrived), despite me abusing “quick wash” and “drycare 40c” constantly on Miele W1/T1 stack for “90 minute, good to fold” laundry.

I don’t buy the cheapest brands, but also don’t buy anything marketed as premium/luxe.

Mostly I gravitate towards stuff with a fairtrade cotton (and good thread count, but that’s from preference of how it feels to wear)

Plus, I may be deluded but I’m of the opinion that polo shirts and jeans/neutral trousers are a multi-decade winning combination.

[groundzeros2015]

> Only way to save Earth is to stop the Wall Street greed machine.

Wall Street here is a boogie man.

Using resources to make life better is actually good. And we keep getting better at it, and doing so in more sustainable and efficient ways.

And if it’s not - you fundamentally believe technology is not beneficial. Then all of industrial society needs to be reversed.

[SpicyLemonZest]

Shoes which last 4 years and clothes which last 2 years are widely available, if you want them. They're not particularly expensive. But many consumers prefer to buy less robust items that won't hold up to daily wear and then complain about longevity.

[elzbardico]

It is ok companies think like that. It is not ok we let them do it without any limits or regulations. We just need to be careful with unintended side effects and tighten the controls carefully

[vladms]

> It would not be a good idea because the goal of companies are not to get you to consume only what you need, they want you to consume more.

This regulation is not about consumption but about production. Yes, this would not solve the potential over-consumption (I agree generally with what you say) - people actually buying shit they use once - but imagine how bad it is if for each shit used once the company produce 3x that shit...

[mrgoldenbrown]

It isn't just "companies" that want you to buy more, our entire economic system encourages it.

[martin_balsam]

+1 to Ascension, one of the most fine piece of filmmaking that tries to explain the world of today

[insane_dreamer]

Reduced consumption of non essentials is a good thing not a bad thing