Considering the costs of our consumptive habits

FUNDAMENTAL

CHANGE, on an individual or societal

level, is sometimes seemingly impossible to achieve

Suidies indicute that people are willing to change their buying pat- ferns to correspond with — en- vironmental concerns. But there doesn’t seem to be much sign that people are willing to stop buying, Period.

Psychological studies conducted in several nations have determined that there is litte, if any, dif- ference in the overall: happiness level of people in a rich country Or a poor country.

Says social commentator Jonathan Freeman: ‘*Above the poverty level, the relationship be- tween income and happiness is remarkably small,"

And religious historian Robert Bellah: “That happiness is to be attained through limitless material acquisition is denied by every religion and philosophy known to humankind, but is preached in- cessantly by every American tele- vision set.’’

But while we may intellectually concur with the ‘tmoney doesn’t buy happiness’’ theory, not many of us have managed to tune out the overall impact of the hundreds of advertising messages we are bombarded with daily through a variety of media.

Our society has trained us to consume, and it’s something we do now without thinking what it is we are really trying to achieve. Are we heading down to the mall because we really need a particular item, or are we wandering through the shops because we are bored, depressed, or otherwise in need of a mental doost?

Nor do we consider the en- vironmental and social costs of our consumptive habits. An inter- national team of researchers, headed by Jose Goldemburg of the University of San Paulo, stud- fed the world’s potential to cut fossil fuel consumption.

The team cons:luded that the world energy supply could support the global population if everyone followed a typically Western European lifestyle, in which peo- ple live in modest homes and rely to a great extent on public transit.

The world would never survive, however, if the population lived like North Americans, with our large houses, two and three-car

Peggy Trendell-Whittaker

ECOINFO

families and plethora of electrical gadgets and appliances.

Reads a line from State of the Warld, the 1991 report from the Worldwatch Institute, ‘‘Long be- fore all the world’s people could achieve the American dream...the planet would be laid waste. The world’s one billion meat eaters, car drivers and throwaway con- sumers are responsible for the lion’s share of the damage humans have caused to common global resources.”’

In the chapter ‘*‘Asking How Much is Enough,’’ writer Alan Durning brings forth figures that clearly outline our growing con- sumption of world resources.

“Per person,”’ he states, ‘‘the Japanese of today consume more than four times as much alumi- num, almost five times as much energy, and 25 times as much steel as people in Japan did in 1950.

“They also own four times as many cars and eat nearly twice as much meat.”’

We are addicted to buying, and our addiction is fed by a never- ending stream of objects that are not designed to play a permanent role in our lives,

Clothes go out of fashion. Elec- tronic gadgets break, and cost more to repair than to buy new. Kids’ toys are outmoded as soon as a new cartoon character is promoted into commercial suc- cess.

My personal weakness is books. And more books, many of which sit half-read on omy shelf for years.

While [ can rationalize that I need them for ui work, or to enhance my overail knowledge so {can turn around and make the world a better place, the fact re- mains that just as often [can get the job done by visiting the library or borrowing from a friend.

For the next week or sa, Ive decided to experiment with a lifestyle that is, if not non-con- sumptive, at feast fess-consump- live.

Friends may claim that this timely venture is solely in response to my recent reaction upon open- ing my Mastercard bill, but the exercise goes much deeper than simply saving money.

I'm curious to see what will happen if [ cut out spending that isn’t strictly necessary. Even defining ‘‘strictly necessary”’ opens up the door for some heavy-duty thinking. Is the gas { put in my car ‘‘strictly necessary.” or could f be taking the bus more often?

And what will [ do with the time saved from not poking through shops on lunch hours, or sitting at home contemplating potential purchases?

If any readers would care to try a similar experiment, or have thoughts on our society's pen- chant for consumption, I'd be in- terested in your reflections, which could be addressed in a later co}- umn,

Drop me a fine at the North Shore News, 1139 Lonsdale Ave., North Vancouver, V7M 2H4, or fax me at 985-3227,

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Friday, July 5, 1991 - North Shore News ~ 19

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