Deflating tires and inflating prices, but where do we go from here?

Raging against climate change

Tue Jul 26

When does a form of protest go too far? One 2018 study believes it's when violence gets added to the mix, ultimately losing allies of the cause. Some are pointing to such studies to condemn the Tyre Extinguishers, an anonymous collective that has deflated the tires of over 6,500 SUVs across Austria, Canada, France, Germany, New Zealand, the U.K., the U.S., and the Netherlands.

The group’s goal? To spotlight the over 900 million metric tons of CO2 that SUVs emit annually. To put that into perspective, if SUVs were an individual country, they’d rank sixth in the world for emissions. And it’s not like we need them. SUVs often move no more than two people across perfectly paved roads despite being built (and therefore carrying the heavy equipment) for rough terrain and utility. As frustrated as the Tyre Extinguishers are, they’re not the only climate activists resorting to extreme measures. Just this month…

The Just Stop Oil group glued themselves to the frames of paintings in major U.K. art galleries, hoping to jolt the isolated art world into realizing that climate change is their problem too. The ask is obvious: stop oil.
The group Doctors for XR broke glass at a JP Morgan office in order to draw the attention of health care professionals to the fact that the climate crisis is a health crisis.

Still, the majority of climate protests remain peaceful (including many from the aforementioned groups). Some are debating if the louder approach that garners global attention is what will move the needle.

BELOW THE FOLD BYTES

Shrinkflation Goes Beyond the Packaging

Pasta sauce cans with less sauce? Fewer coffee pods per box of K-cups? The quiet rollout of smaller packages is hardly fooling consumers. But now, some economists say it’s the shrinking quality (not quantity) of intangible products that is more worrisome. For example, paying the same room price despite the hotel eliminating housekeeping. Or, increased flight costs while the risk of bag loss climbs 5x higher. These signs of “shrinkflation” are going beyond grocery stores and beginning to plague every aspect of consumer spending.

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Nice-cream, Avo-toast, and Salmon Poke 👌🏽

Can’t help but enjoy salt in your diet? A banana might help! A new study finds that potassium rich diets (avocados, salmon, etc.) can help preserve women’s heart health. While the study included men, the results were significant for women, suggesting that potassium uniquely protected the heart and increased sodium excretion in urine. While this could help in a modern food world of high sodium intake, the study also encourages food companies to substitute sodium-based salt for a potassium salt alternative in processed foods.

>> Read More

🎬 Action of the Week

Want to spot shrinkflation in the wild — or at least at the grocery store? This guide shows how to identify and combat shrinkflation by reading labels, considering store brands, and more.

THIS WEEK'S SOURCES

Bloomberg: Deflating tires for change 3 days old | 7 minutes long
Daily Beast: Activists glued to paintings 19 days old | 8 minutes long
Doctors for XR: Breaking glass for climate 12 days old | 9 minutes long

ASCII-ING ABOUT THE NEWS

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Our group is tire-d of your carbon emissions!

Art Credit: Below the Fold