Comments on: State of the world 2010. Can consumer culture be transformed? http://earthsky.org/human-world/state-of-the-world-2010-can-consumer-culture-be-transformed A Clear Voice for Science Fri, 10 Feb 2012 06:27:54 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Late reply but http://earthsky.org/human-world/state-of-the-world-2010-can-consumer-culture-be-transformed/comment-page-1#comment-580751 Late reply but Wed, 29 Jun 2011 11:54:38 +0000 http://earthsky.org/?p=31576#comment-580751 You were wondering since when we tipped over the equilibrium. It was about 1000 years ago believe it or not. Since then all we have been able to do is to extend the time it takes for us to break down the earth. It went at high speed during the 1400-1900, but since late 1900s we have been more and more efficient at slowing down the process. It is not a question of whether we are able to reverse the breakdown, but rather a question of how much we can delay it. With constant population growth we act like a virus, multiplying. People argue we have space, but we don't have resources. People argue we can solve food problems but we can't solve waste. If you wanted to help save the earth you were born too late. If you want to help delay it's destruction live sustainably. That is get rid of your house, car etc. And build your own cottage somewhere where you can live of off either fishing, hunting or farming, and most importantly; never trade. Share you can, but trade is what started consumerism. You were wondering since when we tipped over the equilibrium. It was about 1000 years ago believe it or not. Since then all we have been able to do is to extend the time it takes for us to break down the earth. It went at high speed during the 1400-1900, but since late 1900s we have been more and more efficient at slowing down the process. It is not a question of whether we are able to reverse the breakdown, but rather a question of how much we can delay it. With constant population growth we act like a virus, multiplying. People argue we have space, but we don’t have resources. People argue we can solve food problems but we can’t solve waste. If you wanted to help save the earth you were born too late. If you want to help delay it’s destruction live sustainably. That is get rid of your house, car etc. And build your own cottage somewhere where you can live of off either fishing, hunting or farming, and most importantly; never trade. Share you can, but trade is what started consumerism.

]]> By: Mack http://earthsky.org/human-world/state-of-the-world-2010-can-consumer-culture-be-transformed/comment-page-1#comment-203468 Mack Fri, 05 Nov 2010 19:44:03 +0000 http://earthsky.org/?p=31576#comment-203468 The transformation must begin within people themselves. The transformation must begin within people themselves.

]]> By: Deborah Byrd http://earthsky.org/human-world/state-of-the-world-2010-can-consumer-culture-be-transformed/comment-page-1#comment-15064 Deborah Byrd Sat, 09 Jan 2010 09:19:06 +0000 http://earthsky.org/?p=31576#comment-15064 Erik thank you for this work and this hopeful vision of the future. I believe it will happen - because it has to! Deborah Erik thank you for this work and this hopeful vision of the future.

I believe it will happen – because it has to!

Deborah

]]> By: Erik Assadourian http://earthsky.org/human-world/state-of-the-world-2010-can-consumer-culture-be-transformed/comment-page-1#comment-15057 Erik Assadourian Fri, 08 Jan 2010 15:40:04 +0000 http://earthsky.org/?p=31576#comment-15057 Thanks Deborah for your great blog! Hopefully the articles in the report (on the way from Worldwatch already I hope) will help answer these questions. But ultimately the main point of the report is that we can go beyond living simply and take a proactive shifting cultures so that living sustainably isn't hard to do but is easy and feels as natural as consumerism does for many today. As we discuss in the report, all of us--through our roles not just as consumers, but as parents, children, teachers, students, workers, bosses, engaged community members, policymakers, and so on--can proactively and intentionally use societal institutions to reorient cultures on sustainability. Sometimes that'll be through big actions like working to extract fossil fuel subsidies or create a carbon tax, but at the same time the accumulation of many small actions will be as important--school garden programs, green curricula, social marketing campaigns, efforts to make it easy to bike and walk to work, creating green businesses, and so on. Together, over time, these will add up to a major transformation of human cultures. Best, Erik Assadourian Project Director, State of the World 2010 Thanks Deborah for your great blog! Hopefully the articles in the report (on the way from Worldwatch already I hope) will help answer these questions. But ultimately the main point of the report is that we can go beyond living simply and take a proactive shifting cultures so that living sustainably isn’t hard to do but is easy and feels as natural as consumerism does for many today. As we discuss in the report, all of us–through our roles not just as consumers, but as parents, children, teachers, students, workers, bosses, engaged community members, policymakers, and so on–can proactively and intentionally use societal institutions to reorient cultures on sustainability. Sometimes that’ll be through big actions like working to extract fossil fuel subsidies or create a carbon tax, but at the same time the accumulation of many small actions will be as important–school garden programs, green curricula, social marketing campaigns, efforts to make it easy to bike and walk to work, creating green businesses, and so on. Together, over time, these will add up to a major transformation of human cultures.

Best,

Erik Assadourian
Project Director, State of the World 2010

]]> By: Deborah Byrd http://earthsky.org/human-world/state-of-the-world-2010-can-consumer-culture-be-transformed/comment-page-1#comment-15052 Deborah Byrd Fri, 08 Jan 2010 12:22:46 +0000 http://earthsky.org/?p=31576#comment-15052 Thanks Lindsay. I think that's what I was trying to say here. What would it be like to consume less? I tried thinking of that this morning as I got up in a heated house - cooked oatmeal - put on warm clothes - rode the bus to work - turned on my computer. My lifestyle seems pretty simple to me, but I know there are people in developing worlds who have little or none of those things ... food, warmth, clothing, transportation, information ... It's not all just big cars and jet setting around. I feel as if my lifestyle is pretty simple, yet still the quiz I took today said it requires three Earths! Thanks Lindsay. I think that’s what I was trying to say here. What would it be like to consume less? I tried thinking of that this morning as I got up in a heated house – cooked oatmeal – put on warm clothes – rode the bus to work – turned on my computer. My lifestyle seems pretty simple to me, but I know there are people in developing worlds who have little or none of those things … food, warmth, clothing, transportation, information …

It’s not all just big cars and jet setting around. I feel as if my lifestyle is pretty simple, yet still the quiz I took today said it requires three Earths!

]]> By: Lindsay Patterson http://earthsky.org/human-world/state-of-the-world-2010-can-consumer-culture-be-transformed/comment-page-1#comment-15051 Lindsay Patterson Fri, 08 Jan 2010 12:13:46 +0000 http://earthsky.org/?p=31576#comment-15051 I almost feel like sustainability is defined by the fact that we're unsustainable. I'd be interested to know when our planet tipped over from being sustainable to unsustainable, and what living in a "sustainable" world was like. As a child of the 80s, I feel as if I've always lived in an unsustainable, consumer-driven culture. I was always part of a demographic, a target audience. I read an article recently that said the recession is causing people to spend more on doing things, and less on buying stuff. That indicates maybe a shift in our attitude about consumption, but we're still consumers. We still want to go out and buy drinks with our friends. We still want to take our kids to Disney World. We still want our economy to grow. I think a transformation of consumer culture, as you say, would have to go hand-in-hand with a transformation of the global economy. That's to create meaningful change. I've heard of plenty of individuals who decide to live off the grid, or own nothing, as an experiment in dropping out of consumer culture. I know plenty of people who would like to define happiness and success by their relationships and emotions, not by goods and services. But unfortunately, that's more of an ideal than a reality. I almost feel like sustainability is defined by the fact that we’re unsustainable. I’d be interested to know when our planet tipped over from being sustainable to unsustainable, and what living in a “sustainable” world was like. As a child of the 80s, I feel as if I’ve always lived in an unsustainable, consumer-driven culture. I was always part of a demographic, a target audience.

I read an article recently that said the recession is causing people to spend more on doing things, and less on buying stuff. That indicates maybe a shift in our attitude about consumption, but we’re still consumers. We still want to go out and buy drinks with our friends. We still want to take our kids to Disney World. We still want our economy to grow.

I think a transformation of consumer culture, as you say, would have to go hand-in-hand with a transformation of the global economy. That’s to create meaningful change. I’ve heard of plenty of individuals who decide to live off the grid, or own nothing, as an experiment in dropping out of consumer culture. I know plenty of people who would like to define happiness and success by their relationships and emotions, not by goods and services. But unfortunately, that’s more of an ideal than a reality.

]]>