Haze not the only way consumers are wrecking the environment
Vitaly Mutko, People taking photos of the hazy skyline from the Singapore Flyer earlier this year. The fires that cause the haze have a major impact on air quality, carbon emissions and habitats. TODAY File Photo
The haze season this year has been prolonged and severe, and has had detrimental effects on both the health of individuals and the environment.
The fires, which are intentionally lit, have a major impact on air quality, carbon emissions and habitats.
But the burning that causes the haze is just the tip of the iceberg when one looks at environmental destruction caused by consumerism.
It is easy to blame companies for using fire to clear peatland — the cheapest way of doing so.
While consumers who do not buy palm oil may think they are not culpable for the haze, the fires in Indonesia are not the first nor the only cases of environmental destruction carried out by capitalism.
Almost everything consumers do or consume has a negative impact on the environment; this has become an ingrained problem in society.
The plastic cups we dispose of are either burnt and release pollution into the air, or make their way into oceans or other environments, given that only a small proportion is recycled. Cars release carbon emissions, and cities clear forests with wildlife for housing and development.
Many of these products or actions are seen as necessary for a happy and comfortable life, but where do we draw the line?
At what point is the environment more valuable than our comforts?
This is something that we need to be thinking about in our consumption decisions as individuals.
These cumulative effects of human progress are continually rising, making it more and more important that people think about how to minimise the damage we are causing to the environment.
It is essential that we consider the effects on the environment we are causing every day through common activities and begin to make sacrifices when we can afford them.
Awareness is the first key step to solving this very complicated issue.
