More on over-consumption

The symphony of articles surfacing on western culture’s preference for over-consumption continues with Grist this week. The article highlights a Netflix documentary that I will NOT plug here, and their focus (both Netflix and Grist) seems to be on the apparel industry. I see little difference between industries – so generalizable imho. Grist sets it up like this

Perhaps the biggest loser in the cycle of overconsumption, however, is the planet. Obscured by the low prices featured in online flash sales are externalized costs to climate and the environment — in the form of raw material extraction, climate pollution from manufacturing and transport, and the waste that results when products and their packaging are eventually thrown away. By some estimates, the retail industry accounts for a quarter of global greenhouse gas emissions.

Grist

Totally makes sense that the environment will pay the highest toll, and such behaviors are certainly beyond the framework of Seven Generation Decisions.

Grist took this point a bit Buddhist talking about the desire for more and the fleeting satisfaction once obtained drives continued desire for more, and the cycle continues. A vicious cycle of over consumption.

Here is where I think Grist was brilliant.

The internet is littered with blogs and opinion articles claiming consumers are to blamed — that “our need to shop is ruining our planet.” But Flora Bagenal, the producer of a new Netflix documentary called Buy Now! The Shopping Conspiracy sees an injustice in that framing. Why should everyday people feel guilty, the film asks, when manufacturers and retail companies are doing everything within their power to drive up the pace of consumption? These corporations have designed products to break down quickly, promised that recycling would keep the planet clean, and precision-engineered their advertisements and marketplaces to make the shopping impulse all but irresistible — all while passing the environmental toll onto the public.

Grist

The author continues with a simple phrase: “I’ve always felt that we don’t hold our companies to account,” … these corporate decisions are made by human beings and seemingly done without any respect for either our planet or future generations. They also have some of the smartest, high paid people in their field to continue convincing people that they MUST continue to consume.

While our bias to over consume is NOT our ‘fault’ or blame, we still can have an impact – we can still be responsible and accountable for future generations.

This post from Grist, the movie from Netflix, and the continuation of the symphony of articles may help us see that consumption on our part is a choice, an often VERY difficult choice given the marketing, but it’s still on us … when it comes time to buy, choose again!

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