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The Flower Industry

The Flower Industry

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Is the flower industry, and buying cut flowers particulary, a huge waste of resources or is it beneficial to society as a whole?

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Originally posted by uzless
Is the flower industry, and buying cut flowers particulary, a huge waste of resources or is it beneficial to society as a whole?
I get your point -- but why pick on flowers?

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Originally posted by uzless
Is the flower industry, and buying cut flowers particulary, a huge waste of resources or is it beneficial to society as a whole?
why bother about something so small and irrelevant?

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Originally posted by generalissimo
why bother about something so small and irrelevant?
Huge carbon emissions for small cargos.

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Originally posted by uzless
Is the flower industry, and buying cut flowers particulary, a huge waste of resources or is it beneficial to society as a whole?
I don't know what "better for society" means, but I do know that stopping people from growing, harvesting, selling or buying flowers is wrong.

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I would keep the flower industry but ban moving food/ icecream trucks. These trucks are excessively polluting by consuming fuel all day as well as ringing bells (additional noise polution) plus they generally provide llow quality and low nutrition foods (we have enough obese people on the earth)

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Originally posted by AThousandYoung
I don't know what "better for society" means, but I do know that stopping people from growing, harvesting, selling or buying flowers is wrong.
The flower industry has a very large carbon footprint, uses land that could be used for farming/natural vegetation, requires the flowers to be put on trucks which use oil/pollute/congest roads.

The flowers will typically last only a few days and then get thrown in the garbage and release vast amounts of stored carbon as they decompose.

The only real "benefit" to society from the flowers grown commercially is that they tend to "pretty" up a room at a wedding or funeral or on your kitchen table at valentines day.

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How about...they provide jobs!

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Originally posted by uzless
The flower industry has a very large carbon footprint, uses land that could be used for farming/natural vegetation, requires the flowers to be put on trucks which use oil/pollute/congest roads.

The flowers will typically last only a few days and then get thrown in the garbage and release vast amounts of stored carbon as they decompose.

The only real "be ...[text shortened]... nd to "pretty" up a room at a wedding or funeral or on your kitchen table at valentines day.
You sir are a Ditz.

GRANNY.

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Originally posted by uzless
The flower industry has a very large carbon footprint, uses land that could be used for farming/natural vegetation, requires the flowers to be put on trucks which use oil/pollute/congest roads.

The flowers will typically last only a few days and then get thrown in the garbage and release vast amounts of stored carbon as they decompose.

The only real "be ...[text shortened]... nd to "pretty" up a room at a wedding or funeral or on your kitchen table at valentines day.
I love getting given flowers, they brighten up my day.
How do you rate cheap production things in compassison as their cost to the Earth I wonder? You know what I'm talking about don't you?- they are made by childern real cheap sold in the poundland/ dollar stores. Did you know those kids are locked in and actually not only pay for hte privillage of working there but also for their board. The £20 a month dosen't nearly reach thier families. That human cost for things which, in my experience go in the bin, must be higher hten the carbon cost you've caluclated.

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Originally posted by uzless
The flower industry has a very large carbon footprint, uses land that could be used for farming/natural vegetation, requires the flowers to be put on trucks which use oil/pollute/congest roads.

The flowers will typically last only a few days and then get thrown in the garbage and release vast amounts of stored carbon as they decompose.

The only real "be ...[text shortened]... nd to "pretty" up a room at a wedding or funeral or on your kitchen table at valentines day.
The CO2 released at decomposition were absorbed from the atmosphere when the flower was growing - so these two processes are carbon neutral.

I think the use of land for growing flowers is neglible compared to major grain sorts.

It is however very energy intensive, for several reasons :
Usually grown in greenhouses, usualy a long and delicate transport.


But if this is the problem, should your issue then not be with how we value (tax) energy consumption.

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Originally posted by pritybetta
How about...they provide jobs!
Many industries provide jobs but are banned. Sex industry...asbestos mining...CFC production facilities....PCB manufacturing industry...DDT manufacturing....etc etc.


Try again.

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Originally posted by uzless
Is the flower industry, and buying cut flowers particulary, a huge waste of resources or is it beneficial to society as a whole?
I think it is valuable to society in the same way barbers are valuable.

E.g. no one would die if their service disappeared,
they are not providing anything that people could not produce them self (maybe not as good, but still),
But a lot of people think that their service make the world a more pretty place.

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Originally posted by smw6869
You sir are a Ditz.

GRANNY.
Thank you.

Now, do you have anything to contribute to the topic at hand?

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Originally posted by pritybetta
How about...they provide jobs!
That is no compelling argument, then you could also argue that we should set up a ministry of silly walks - since that would provide jobs.

The question was does it create value ?
The answer is given above.