Collaborative Consumption

[ack44]

This is an awesome lecture that everybody should watch. I love this idea because its neo-Marxist but doesn't find the need to establish capitalism as the arch-enemy of common man. It's totally practical but of course will be despised by the operators of systems that benefit from inefficiencies in markets and the kings of hyper-consumption societies. Peak oil will probably force anybody that gives a shit about mankind to seriously consider this model though.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQa3kUJPEko

inb4 "I'd hit that"

[XJDenton]

Really interesting. Good link.

[William Wallace]

"Collaborative consumption" sounds a lot like "capitalism." There's a marketplace that facilitates the exchange of goods and services between self interested individuals. I have no problem with the concept as far as she took it, and I think it's lovely that people who want to rent out their cars or grow vegetables in another person's garden can do so. But I find the social engineering spin she put on the idea a little annoying, using trade as a means to encourage less driving, more recycling, and so on. I'd also like to learn more about how she proposes to change people's behavior on a massive scale under such a system.

[Tanatra]

Peak oil will probably force anybody that gives a shit about mankind to seriously consider this model though.

I would be more inclined to believe the Peak oil crowd if they didn't consist mostly of conspiracy theorists.

Granted, it's common sense that oil is a non-renewable resource and shortages would seriously screw over the global economy, and these guys have a lot of facts and science to back their claims. However, nobody is going to take them seriously as long as they continue to spout off nonsense about how the "elite" have quietly been preparing for this for decades, that the government is building detention camps in the event of the national emergency, and how the Pentagon is going to order the seizure domestic power plants for military use.

I'm not making any of this up, either. All of those claims and more have been made by Matt Savinar at lifeaftertheoilcrash.net.

[ack44]

"Collaborative consumption" sounds a lot like "capitalism." There's a marketplace that facilitates the exchange of goods and services between self interested individuals. I have no problem with the concept as far as she took it, and I think it's lovely that people who want to rent out their cars or grow vegetables in another person's garden can do so. But I find the social engineering spin she put on the idea a little annoying, using trade as a means to encourage less driving, more recycling, and so on. I'd also like to learn more about how she proposes to change people's behavior on a massive scale under such a system.

I agree, it pretty much is capitalism. I think capitalism can be viewed as benefiting two sides; the consumers (competition driving down price) and the corporations (minimal regulations allowing them to pursue different business models etc.). Collaborative consumption is highly in favor of the consumer and is almost anti-corporate ("I don't want ownership, I want the need it fulfills").

I didn't pick up any social engineering spin. The benefits of this imagination, whether it be environmental or health, is in her mind resulting from the shift from hyper-consumption to more moderate consumption, and not by any authority engineering things, as far as I could tell.

[ack44]

I would be more inclined to believe the Peak oil crowd if they didn't consist mostly of conspiracy theorists.

I'd recommend this short documentary.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrjX4Nf_wGM

[Tanatra]

I would be more inclined to believe the Peak oil crowd if they didn't consist mostly of conspiracy theorists.

I'd recommend this short documentary.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrjX4Nf_wGM

I've actually done formal research on Peak Oil. In no way am I denying that it will one day become a very serious issue, and in fact I'm quite concerned about it. My last post was more of a rant about the idiots who are twisting it into conspiracy theories and doomsday predictions. People like that are the reason why Peak Oil is still being treated as a fringe theory.