Let’s Save the World, One Sip at a Time You’ve seen it: the triumphant announcement that your favorite coffee chain has switched from plastic straws to paper ones. “We’re saving the oceans,” the posters tell us. Cue the mental image: sea turtles smiling, dolphins applauding, a cleaner, bluer world. Not into coffee? Then maybe you’ve seen: – A clothing brand bragging about “sustainable” cotton while paying its workers barely enough to survive. – An airline offering you the chance to “offset” your flight’s emissions with the click of a €2 checkbox. – A car manufacturer touting its “zero emissions” vehicles. . . while sourcing cobalt from mines where children work without safety gear. On the surface, it all feels good — a little lighter conscience, a little hope. But if you squint, something is off. The Hidden Categories of Misguided Goodness When the urge to “do something” strikes, it’s easy to reach for solutions that feel satisfying right away. But these well-intentioned fixes often hi...
Let’s Feel Good for a Moment Attention: heartwarming story ahead – a teacher was recently awarded $1 million as “the best teacher in the world.” He earned that title by, amongst others, “teaching from a school kitchen, working with students from disadvantaged backgrounds, children with learning disabilities, and parents who lacked formal education...” ( globalteacherprize.org ). What a feel-good moment! But hold up — the glow doesn’t stop there: A local nonprofit raised $15,000 so one homeless man could live in a tiny house ( operationchillout.org ). Strangers funded £3,000 to save Nelly , a Labrador puppy with a rare liver condition, through a GoFundMe campaign launched by a veterinary nurse who cared for her ( BBC News ). A waitress who walked 14 miles daily got a free car from generous strangers ( the-sun.com ). …I could keep listing similar stories, but you probably understand the pattern. Wow, this is heartwarming. Good still happens in the world! Is it? The Pattern ...