WhatYou CannotGive

Onthecrossroadsbetweenthe desiretomakeadifference, andtheneedtomakeaprofit

EvanDeAngelis

In the United States, we cannot simply ignore the harsh realities of late-stage capitalism; they permeate and shape the very essence of this country, and so too, the way we exist within it. For the majority of working age Americans, we are bound to the need to generate capital in order to survive, and we must accumulate wealth in greater amounts to improve quality of life. Our broader culture, as a result, is one built around affordability and convenience, all in order to make certain necessities cheap and convenient so as to give the worker more time to work for their boss and more money to spend on the products, services, and necessities which they generate. The worker creates these only to have them sold back at a premium, leaving the worker poorer, and so, needing to work longer.

Generally speaking, sustainable or environmentally friendly projects/products cost more. Even without active corporate pressure, the working people are deterred by the cost to reject new solutions; it is something they cannot give. Industries, for a similar reason, do not rework their businesses over to more environmentally friendly production/ business practices. It costs more to be sustainable in the short term than is lost in lawsuits and penalties. Good deeds breed bad business. With regards to even the most environmentally concerned individuals, many cannot afford, or do not want to take the financial risks that are necessary in order to purchase these sustainable/ carbon neutral goods and services.

According to the Pew Research Center, 62% of U.S. respondents over 18 believe climate change has an impact and that too little is being done in response in a study looking at 3,627 people that was conducted Oct. 1st. through Oct. 13th. of 2019, using the center’s American Trends Panel (Pew Research Institute, 2019). Meanwhile, the number and percent distribution of establishments in industries which the Bureau of Labor Statistics considers to be “ green jobs” by industry sector in 2009; is much lower. Only a total of 2,154,700 establishments (be they business or location) in the entire country at that time were qualified as “ green ” which when extrapolated to scale with Pew’s sample size, is a major difference in proportion (Bureau of Labor Statistics, n.d.).

We must understand how, statistically speaking, many environmentally minded people will work in unsustainable industries against their desire and moral compass. These people are before this crossroads in a much more direct manner; forced to choose between compromising upon their values and morality, and losing job security, if not their employment entirely. The answer to this question has been long sought, but as we are paralyzed by partisanship and fear, the solution evades us still. And so, watershed activists will still wash slag, coke, lime, and ash into the river, tree huggers will keep cutting timber by the cord, and heirloom gardeners will keep sterilizing seeds for Monsanto. Because good deeds, as it's said, breed bad business; and we all need money.

Cook Student Center

PlayPool

The nearest billiards place is Qzone in Edison and you can take the 814 bus from the New Brunswick station, however if you want to skip out on the commute and are playing with a friend or a small group, the Cook Student Center is perfect.

Resources:

RU Food Pantry

Elijah's Promise

5 Loaves Pantry

Middlesex Greenway, Metuchen

HikeorBike theGreenway

Take your Rutgers rental bike or your sneakers over to the Middlesex County Greenway in Metuchen, NJ. You can take the train to New York and ride for two stops or take the local NJ Transit bus. Bus fare is $1.60 and train fare is $2.25. Afterwards enjoy your homepacked snack or lunch.

This is a Middlesex County facility and was formerly a railroad.

SNAP (Food Stamps)

With SNAP, students can receive funds to help purchase foods In NJ, SNAP card holders also have reduced or free admission to art spaces including; Grounds for Sculpture, New Brunswick Performing Arts Center, and more!

LIHEAP (Energy Assistance)