Consuming Our Planet

The uncertainty of the long term effects that our decisions and actions have on the environment make it easy at times to rationalize behaviors that one knows could and probably will be detrimental in the long run. Personal gratification is often chosen over the consideration of whether this action or behavior will have long term effects, over the environment and sustainability. This tale of two choices is what is known as a social dilemma (Schneider, Gruman, & Coutts, 2012). When discussing interventions that could aid in conservation of certain resources in our environment, it is often been discussed at a micro level, however one cannot help but consider the bigger picture of the resource dilemma.  Society as a whole seems to fall into the social trap of indulging in short term pleasures, often without considering the long term effect it has on the environment and the future sustainability of our planet.

Recycling is a great way to help the environment, as opposed to not recycling. Yet, does one ever stop to question why do we have so much recycling? Consumerism has a huge effect on many aspects of our environment and the degradation of it. With society’s insatiable appetite for the latest restaurant, toy, video game, technology, cars, and cell phones, there is not enough room for all the things that we eventually throw by the waste side. It has been said that American’s consumption is higher than anywhere else in the world (Mount Holyoke College, 2015). Not to mention the mass amounts of resources that are necessary to produce and process these goods: land, water, trees, and fuel. Environmentally, to create these products there is a great deal of pollution and byproducts that are involved with manufacturing. Forests are being destroyed, the ozone is diminishing, water supplies are being depleted and polluted, global warming is occurring, the lands are eroding and we are running out of land in general.

Consumption patterns must be changed, but that would be a major undertaking. This is not a topic that is heard of as often as the other areas of environmental concern. Perhaps, this is for a few reasons. First, our economy is heavily dependent on our consumerism. One must remember that economic growth is measured by the gross national product (GNP), which is “the sum total of goods and services produced by a given society in a given year” (Shah, 2005). It is a vicious cycle. One must consider that the system seems stacked against the change of these consumer habits. For instance, technology is made with planned obsolescence, to ensure one needs the latest and greatest or we are automatically at a disadvantage or disconnected. Second, our consumerism is indicative of our social status. If one has the original iPhone, they may be asked if a quarter is necessary to use it. There is shame associated with anti-consumerism. This indeed is a sign our perspective about the need for things may be skewed, as the need for them might just be our planet’s demise.

This tragedy of the commons will eventually lead to a very unpleasant circumstance if change does not occur in the immediate future.  While efforts on recycling and conservation are certainly commendable, the challenge is to address the bigger social picture and the bigger system that is reaping rewards while wreaking havoc on the planet. Perhaps the best form of intervention would be knowledge. For example, mandating environmental science in the curriculum at the secondary level of school would be a start. Although, the easiest thing to do is to rationalize that everyone is a consumer, that it’s necessary for the economy, and that one person won’t make that big of a difference, this resource dilemma must be thought through by each individual if change is ever to occur. This change must be of a social nature and possibly with some better government regulation.

To see one’s environmental footprint in everyday decisions National Geographic has an excellent educational interactive site up. It is definitely worth checking out!

http://education.nationalgeographic.com/media/human-footprint-interactive/

There is a great video out on the whole process behind consumerism that presents the real picture one cannot ignore after watching.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3eWBg8ojno4

References
Mount Holyoke College. (2015, September 20). American Consumerism and the Global Environment. Retrieved from mtholyoke.edu: http://www.mtholyoke.edu/~kelle20m/classweb/wp/page6.html
Schneider, F. W., Gruman, J. A., & Coutts, L. M. (2012). Applied Social Psycholgy: Understanding and Addressing Social and Practical Problems (2nd ed.). California: Sage Publicationss.
Shah, A. (2005, August 10). Effects of Consumerism. Retrieved September 2015, from Global Issues.Org: http://www.globalissues.org/article/238/effects-of-consumerism

 

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1 comment

  1. Hillary Renee Tilles

    I really enjoyed your opening paragraph really sold me on your post; it is so true that short-term goals take precedence over long term goals. However, there are a lot of steps being taken to reduce the United States’ carbon footprint in the industrial field. There are several environmental regulations that businesses must follow and if not they face serious punishments. The need to be sustainable is a relatively new universal concept and with technology constantly evolving, the need for the newest and best thing will grow with it.
    How do you suggest that these changes that you want be implemented? Consumerism will always grow and evolve with the times, so how do we solve this problem of mass intake of industrial products? Can it be stopped? Are these psychological issues that would take at least a generation to change? I agree that education is a very important part of the sustainability efforts, but that won’t change our needs to be a consumer society. I think your thoughts are extremely important and idealistic, but are they realistic? I know I’m proposing a lot of questions but they are all very real and I am curious if there are ideas that could actually change the way that we consume.
    Amitai Etzioni of the Huffington Post asserts that consumerism is responsible for the current economic mess that we are in. We become slaves to the items we think we need. What Americans see as the “good life” is constantly being redefined. Surprisingly, in the past, work and commerce was to be attributed to minorities like the Jews (which may explain their success in the market and Hollywood).

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/amitai-etzioni/the-crisis-of-american-co_b_1855390.html

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