US Consumption the Greatest Currency in the World
Sadly, the world depends on US consumption to raise it’s standards. Our consumption is the world\’s biggest Ponzi scheme.
Even sadder, our government sets the example and encourages us to do so.
The challenges?
Meaningful employment for people throughout the world.
Determining how much ‘stuff’ we really need and if we should make or buy it and from where.
Production and transportation of ‘stuff’ should have least impact on environment.
Enough leisure or slow time to actually enjoy our ‘stuff’.
Some things to ponder as we enter 2009.
Debt, Economics, Simple living | Comment (0)Resolve to be less “Consumed” in 2009
Despite my rantings about sustainability, I’ve discovered I have a long, long way to go even though I’ve made much progress. One of the best websites to find a good overall look at your personal & family sustainability footprint is Consumer Consequences . After you input your information you have the ability to compare yourself with others in different categories: house, energy, transportation, food, etc. It helped me identify which areas I should make more efforts in the coming year.
I’ve been reading online the NPR special report “Consumed” that was broadcast November 2007 and highly recommend checking it out:
Its goal is to answer the question, “Is the consumer economy sustainable?” in a serious way. They tackle the question in a comprehensive manner, with a lot of breadth but, if you don’t want to be overwhelmed, just choose one or two that most interest you.
A partial list of the featured topics: ecological footprint, landfills and the waste disposal sector, consumer debt, air pollution, freegans, marketing, junk mail, energy independence, the effect of consumer culture on mental and emotional well-being, carbon tax, food miles, fashion obsolescence, the green economy, e-waste, clean tech, globalization, Bhutan’s happiness index.
Interesting things to ponder as we consider resolutions for 2009.