The possibility of environmental catastrophe has led many leaders, scholars and average citizens to reconsider an economy based on constant growth. It is becoming clear that people, especially in the United States, will need to consume less in the way of natural resources to avoid planetary peril. The million-dollar question, of course, is how the U.S. can move to a sustainable, zero-growth economy without losing more jobs... The whole economy collapses if we don’t consume enough, and we’ve got to change. (John Talberth, president for the Center for Sustainable Economy, Source)We've based our entire society on consuming things, and that's a hard habit to break. Part of being an ethical consumer is REDUCING the amount of stuff you have. But currently it's easier to buy something new than to make or fix something. And with high fashion and social stigmas surrounding appearance, it's going to be pretty difficult for America to kick the habit. Not to mention that going cold turkey would result in a collapse of the economy. Damned if you do, damned if you don't?
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Facing Unsustainable Levels of Consumption
Great post today on Bonnie's RRRethink blog. Some wonderful quotes dealing with consumerism and it's effects on the U.S.
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Don't they sell books on how to downsize and attachments to help one organize what they need?
ReplyDeleteZero growth?? What does that mean? You can have growth in services, for example. Why is it growth vs. no growth? It implies a duality and contends that no-growth is the answer because it is the opposite. Can there not be a hybrid?
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