sustainable urban lifestyle, part 2
Secondly the information and knowledge is not easily accessible, or even available at all. One doesn’t have the time to get all the information necessary and it takes a great deal of engagement to penetrate the official versions. Or we just don’t want to know too much, it complicates habitual patterns.
One doesn’t want to know too much about the company. Because it makes you sad. (…) everything about child labour and such (…) and then there are no other alternatives, so it becomes really difficult not to buy the thing that you liked and that’s why I don’t want to know. (Emma 17)
Thirdly there is a common idea that others should take responsibility and act so that “I as a consumer don’t have to”; it’s the responsibility of the producing companies to act upon new demands made from an ethical standpoint. All attempts from authorities and companies to put responsibility in the individual are greeted as negative, compelling messages. It is therefore more effective, and natural, if big companies take this responsibility, thus I don’t have to care since it doesn’t matter anyway what I as a single individual do.
When our electricity company announced their “tips to save energy for environmental benefit” I was actually really annoyed. They make loads of money and then they tell me how to live more consciously. If they at least would have a made a point out of saving money instead of the world. (Nils 48)