
Target: Lina M. Kahn, Chair of the Federal Trade Commission
Goal: Prohibit planned obsolescence in order to curb overconsumption and unnecessary carbon emissions.
Unbalanced consumerism across the world makes a significant contribution to the production of greenhouse gasses. Disproportionate numbers of people buy more products than they need and purchase them more often, leading to superfluous production and consequential carbon emissions. Leveling out enormous consumerism is a major step towards addressing climate change.
Planned obsolescence is the concept of producing consumer goods with a shorter lifespan than necessary and limiting options for repair versus replacement. The practice ensures companies maintain target profits, and no laws exist to limit production of manufactured goods and the resulting carbon emissions. For countries like the U.S. that have a high dependence on a range of household electronics, there becomes a need to perpetually replace these items. Manufacturers must make shifts to change this vicious cycle.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) needs to start regulating manufacturers to build products that last in order to reduce the carbon footprint of the U.S. Sign the petition below to urge FTC Chair Lina Kahn to help prevent overconsumption and its destructive effects on the environment.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Chair Kahn,
Planned obsolescence is manufacturer gold and something that has become a standard practice in consumer electronic design for around half a century. Unfortunately, engineering products to have a shorter lifespan generates an abundance of greenhouse gasses from creating more products than needed and replacing them at an unnecessary frequency.
Routinely replacing products with potential for a longer life is engrained in U.S. culture. The effect, however, is a routine we must break. Despite representing only 4.5% of the world’s population, according to the Associated Press, people in the U.S. account for almost a quarter of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere that is trapping more heat year after year. Factories have been, and continue to be, a constant culprit for these gasses. When you consider our reliance on goods produced overseas, our carbon footprint only grows.
The solution is to create regulations against planned obsolescence and encourage companies to once again create products that are more capable of performing for years after purchase. Whether a phone or refrigerator, home electronics need to spend more time in the home and less in landfills and on the production line.
We urge you to take a stand against overconsumption, excess consumerism, and its devastating effect on the planet.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo credit: Jeremy Keith