(Over) Consumption

I think one of the biggest factors in the degradation of our natural resources and our environment is over consumption. Additionally, I think over consumption is one of the biggest factors in the degradation of our culture. Let’s face it, if we all took an inventory of our rooms, our houses, or our work spaces; what would we find? Stuff, stuff, and more stuff. Where did all this stuff come from? Why did we buy it? Do we even need it? The answer is no. Culture today defines success as the accumulation of this “stuff”. “Stuff” is a reflection of our monetary worth; the more money we have, the more stuff we can accumulate. And not only is it the accumulation of stuff that represents our success, but the accumulation of expensive stuff is even more lucrative. It means we are even more successful people. When did this happen? The answer is the birth of advertising and marketing. Billions of dollars in America are spent worldwide trying to convince us that we need stuff. We need cars, but not just four wheels and an engine but leather interior with a surround sound entertainment system. We also need a cell phone, a lap top, a ipod touch, an ipad all to stay connected. I think you get the point, we accumulate all this stuff to make other people think we’re successful, which in turn; makes us feel better. But do we really feel better?

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The problem of our cultural need for consumption is relatively irreversible. The elimination of the multibillion dollar business of marketing will never be met by campaigns explaining why you don’t need this “stuff”. Once someone owns a cell phone or an ipod, it would be extremely difficult to reverse that psychological need. The only way we can attack this problem is the source. The companies that produce this “stuff” themselves. Companies are currently in the business of what is described as planned obsolescence; meaning a product is designed for the dump. Companies realize that the key to economical success is the constant consumption of products. Additionally, marketing creates a smoke screen for the short life span of a product with perceived obsolescence; companies make us think our stuff is obsolete, even before its durability fails.



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How can we combat this overconsumption of useless “stuff”? We have a variety of options. First, sometimes consumers forget the fact that companies produce what we want. If we ask nothing of our products, companies are more than willing to take the short cut. But what if we start asking more of our companies? What if we make our point by cutting back on our consumption until they start producing better “stuff”. Products that are made using ethical practice and renewable resources, products that have a long life span, products with less packaging and biodegradable components. Companies can begin utilizing the concepts outlined in the theory of biomimicry; based on the theory that evolved solutions require low energy input, no waste, no toxicity, and more sustainable that traditional solutions.

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Although I believe our society would benefit with a healthy future by companies changing their traditional practices to those outlined in the theory of biomimicry, I feel that addressing overconsumption is an even better idea. I am avid subscriber to the magazine Adbusters. Although the magazine represents some ideas that are a far reach from attainable, one of their main concepts is that of the evil of marketing and overconsumption. One of their strong campaigns is the “buy nothing Christmas”. It makes individuals begin reconnecting with family as opposed to material things. For more information on the “buy nothing Christmas” and other theories on the evil of marketing check-out the magazine, it’s always an interesting read.

www.adbusters.org

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