Opinion

Everything in this world feels so tainted. Is there any true ethical consumption? With everything in this world is so intertwined, my consumer habits have their impacts. The morality of it all is so confusing, and there doesn’t always seem to be a correct answer.

I watch “The Good Place” almost religiously. I love watching the plot unfold and, as it unfolds, see different takes on morality. I ask myself quite often, “Would I make it into ‘The Good Place’? Or would I doomed to eternal torture?”

Looking at my choices, I’d likely be tortured forever if I ever die. I credit this to my decisions as a consumer primarily.

Sometimes, I buy an iced coffee. Alright, so I have my prized drink, but what came before that drink? The company from which I bought it has a partnership with Monsanto, a company that produces chemicals and genetically modified plants. Monsanto produces a popular herbicide that kills bees. Bee populations are already declining rapidly, and without bees, we would all probably die.

Monsanto also has patented seed, and will sue farmers for violating the rule of “saving seed,” which is the practice of saving seeds each year without buying new ones the next. That violation also extends to plants that were contaminated accidentally. If a crop has the genes Monsanto patented and the farmer isn’t paying, there’s a likely lawsuit. That’s something I don’t support.

So by buying coffee, am I responsible? I paid money to a company that essentially condones these practices by partnering with this country. On the flip side, am I not at fault because I’m not directly killing bees or suing farmers.

However, based on my beliefs, I think I am. What about driving my car? I live in an area where it’s extremely difficult to go places without a car. The closest bus station is about a 30 minute bike ride, and sometimes that’s not a viable option because of the weather or what I’m carrying. My car isn’t a hybrid or any sort of green car—it runs on fossil fuel. By driving my car, I’m adding carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, along with the emissions from the fuel used to ship the car itself.

My iced coffee is a luxury. My car could be considered a luxury, but without it I couldn’t go places without inconveniencing someone else. Both my parents work, and I don’t want to be dependent on friends to give me rides.

There’s so many other unanswered questions. Should low income families be responsible when buying inexpensive meat from animals raised in a feedlot? Are lawyers responsible if their guilty defendant is acquitted? When charities give out free meals, are they guilty when the meals come in styrofoam boxes? Do we lose points for laughing at and sharing offensive memes that perpetuate stereotypes and biases that hurt others?

I keep wondering if I’ll wake up after I die on a couch and see “Welcome! Everything is fine.” When in reality, I’m faced with eternal punishment for moral crimes I didn’t know I committed. I know I’m not perfect, but still I want to be aware of my actions. Lessons with Hayden Struggling to find what's truly good' in this world