Now, there are some points here. Things like the right to repair, and not disposing of so many products which end up in landfills, which is an environmental issue. But, the climate cult likes to link everything to their cult
Fixit culture is on the rise, but repair legislation faces resistance
Americans are responsible for throwing out more stuff than any other nation in the world. According to the Public Interest Research Group, people in this country generate more than 12% of the planet’s trash, though we represent only 4% of the global population.
“We keep going at this pace and we’ll reach the heat death of the earth in a few hundred years,” said Adam Savage, the leader and host of Tested, a popular YouTube channel and website aimed at makers, and an outspoken advocate for repairing the things we own rather than trashing them. “So time is of the essence.”
Throwing things away comes with an environmental cost. Manufacturing processes and decomposing products in landfills emit significant levels of climate warming pollution. Some materials, like plastic, never decompose. Savage said it’s time human beings reminded themselves that throwaway culture is a relatively new phenomenon. It started about a hundred years ago with the rise of mass manufacturing.
They also have a slight point there, namely that landfills are an issue with releasing methane, which is a much more potent greenhouse gas than CO2, though it doesn’t last as long in the atmosphere. I’ve long stated that mankind is responsible for a small portion of anthropogenic global warming, and landfills are part of that. But, seriously, do we need to make everything about ‘climate change doom? Seriously, heat death of the Earth because of throwing out products?
“We have been repairers and restorers for millennia longer than we’ve been profligate thrower outer of things,” Savage said, as he worked on mending the hulking wood-and-metal-shaping lathe that occupies a corner of the professional tinkerer’s cavernous workshop.
It’s a lot easier to repair a horse drawn cart than your coffee maker, fridge, TV, etc. Sadly, products aren’t made to last as long as they used to.
Nevertheless, the appetite for fixing things is on the rise. From patching jeans to replacing phone screens, U.S. consumers are showing an increased interest in prolonging the life of the things they own, rather than getting rid of them.
Unfortunately, it’s often less expensive to replace than repair, or, in other cases, not that much more expensive to replace. If a new coffee maker costs $30, and $25 to repair (can you even find someone to repair it? Does anyone fix TVs anymore?), do you repair the old one or replace?
This points to a shift in how Americans are defining what it means to be a responsible shopper as global consumption continues to contribute to climate change.
Sigh. But, yes, I would like products to last like they used to. I’ve had the same washer and dryer since 1994. The same JVC receiver since about 1988. I recently took a tube TV from about 1989 to the dump. It still worked fine. Nobody wanted it. An acoustic guitar since the early 80’s. But, I have an electric that would cost a lot to fix, as the locking wammy bar is toast, and electronics are not great. Great guitar, but, is it worth it? Or, just get a new one? The neck is still perfect.
Daniel Leong was among the crowd attending one such event at the San Francisco Public Library. The San Francisco resident has brought two bikes along for the volunteer bike repairers to repair. His wife’s has a flat tire; his son’s, malfunctioning brakes.
“We don’t know much about repairing bikes,” said Leong. “We just ride every so often.”
A basic bike tune-up in San Francisco can cost well over $100. Leong said he’s a fan of fixit days because the service is free. But it’s about more than the unbeatable price.
Yeah, well, if you’re trashing a bike because you can’t take it to someplace like a bike shop, or Dick’s sporting goods, you’re a moron. That’s not really fixit culture. It’s easy. Of course, the climate cult wants all you peasants out of your cars and onto bikes. I repair a lot of stuff myself, from plumbing to toilets to this and that where I can. Electronics? I do not have the parts. If a laptop goes toast, less expensive to replace.
Anyhow, the climate cult stuff ends in the previous excerpt, and is an interesting read.
Read: Fixit Culture Is Now Linked To Climate Crisis (scam) »