How is consumerism effecting global warming?

Question

How is global warming effecting global warming? Also, if you have any links to good websites, that'll be great!

Answer 1

Consumerism is the unabated purchase of products and produce whether or not it is useful to us in the long run. In North America only 1% of the products are used after 6 months after purchase. Which means 99% of the goods which have been produced are going to landfills (or languishing in the garage going a waste) and also a huge amount of pollution has been created to produce those 99% of products (which includes C02). And CO2 in atmosphere increases the temperature.

So consumerism has a direct role to play in global warming problem.

See the video on  http://www.storyofstuff.com/ for a very elaborate description of this problem.

Also it is important to distinguish consumerism and capitalism. Capitalism refers to free market economy. Capitalism is not bad if it takes into account the cost of pollution. But unfortunately polluters do not pay any price today and individuals do not lose money by polluting more. So pollution has not been taken into account at all.  We should add this cost into our economy very soon (for example carbon cap and trade system). Capitalism is the best way to go, but occasional corrections need to be made (in this case accounting for the cost of pollution).

Answer 2

a world economy based on continuous 'growth'.....

Answer 3

In short because of the disease of consumerism many people mistakingly see the economy as our source of survival and not the environment. What people are not being mindful of is if the environment (as interwoven whole) is critically damaged their will be no economy.

Also consumerism fuels the certain vices. Unfortunately the system most of us stuck in is a winter take all system. Those who are the most aggressive often get rewarded with luxury and power which further prevents people of moral intention to stop the abuses which often come with consumerism, such as "hyper-individualism" predatory like behavior, greed, economic disparity, spiritual numbness, as well as environmental degradation.

Answer 4

"Waste not want not"  Don't know about GW---- But the

landfills! One often wonders, we are a disposable, instant

world of waste and trash, Items manufactured are made not to last. Plus all the technology tools to dispose of etc. What

is in our good earth, can not be good.

Answer 5

Consumerism drives global warming.

Answer 6

Consumerism, capitalism, development. All the bad guys.

Socialism and high taxes and more government always seem to be the ready answer for the activists. In fact you dont even have to have a question for them, because the answer is already there for you. Why? Because they are smarter than you, and they care more than you do, and...they trust government.

Answer 7

Consumerism, capitalism, free markets, freedom, and the American individualism and wealth drives a large number of leftists (socialists) into a guilt ridden psychosis with manifestations of paranoia about slight temperature variations.  Consumerism is the real target of global warming fanatics whether they realize it or are simply "useful idiots" (to use Karl Marx's label.   These socialists have successfully fooled a large number of people into following their doomsday cult.  Other than that, consumerism doesn't significantly affect global warming.

Answer 8

We live in a materialistic society, and the type and amount of purchases we make has a tremendous impact on global climate change. Do you buy locally produced foods?  Products with the least amount of packaging?  From nations with stringent environmental regulations?

The links below are from my 'sustainability' file. I may have others that would be useful, but I have to reorganize the master list.  I've got 2 pages listed under 'other,' and undoubtedly half of those probably fit in other categories.

Good question.

Answer 9

As LRG said on another post "the market can be a good servant or a bad master".  I wouldn't recommend anyone assume that capitalism is invariably "good" or socialism invariably "bad", with no other qualifications or conditions.  (unless the word "dupe" appeals to you).

Answer 10

Everyone alive consumes, so it's more accurate to say taht population causes global warming, than to blame some abstract concept such as "consumerism".  

We could all adopt a different viewpoint than "consumerism", but we'd still live in a house, ship food to eat, drive a car, and so on.  And the population of the earth will still be projected to reach 9 to 12 billion by 2050.

If we think that conservation by the 20% of the population that lives in developed nations will stop the basic math behind growing greenhouse gas emissions, we truly are screwed.