So, how was Amazon Prime Day for you?

For most of human history, the speed of most people's lives was more or less constant.

Improvements in technology gradually made it possible to grow more crops on the same amount of land for less effort; but you can't speed up the seasons.

With the industrial revolution, all that changed; factory production isn't bound by nature's timetable, so finding ways to make more stuff in the same amount of time, or with the same labour costs, became the grail. That way bigger profits lie.

And since then, we've somehow all been persuaded that progress inevitably involves more speed. Most recently, that things we really don't need urgently should come to us tomorrow - even today.

But there are no free lunches; for you, for the workers, or for the planet.

How was Prime Day for Amazon workers? A couple of months ago, a US Senate Committee's report revealed it as a “major cause” of warehouse injuries.

Sheila Hayman is concerned about the expected fast delivery of goodsSheila Hayman is concerned about the expected fast delivery of goods (Image: Sheila Hayman) During Prime Day in 2019, Amazon’s rate of injuries - just the ones the company is required to disclose - was over 10 injuries per 100 workers, more than double the industry average - the figures are from 2019 because Amazon refused to provide more recent stats.

So, to deliver your Prime Day bargains, one in ten of all workers was injured.

Not that things are much better on other days.

Last April, a report from official data by American labour unions found that Amazon was responsible for over half of serious warehouse injuries, despite employing only about 36% of factory workers.

And of course, the speediest way to get those bargains to you is on a plane. Despite Amazon's 'net zero by 2040' pledge, shipping emissions seem to have actually increased by 75% since 2019, mostly because more things travel by air.

Emissions per package may be down - but only because more packages are being crammed into bigger planes. “Keep an eye on the skies for even more A330s delivering for Amazon customers in the coming months and years,” as a recent blog post cheerily exhorted.

So, as Black Friday looms, spare a thought for the workers and the planet, and ask yourself how much of a bargain it is, after all.