Consumerism and the Crisis of the Materials Economy

Introduction: The Real Cause of Environmental Problems

Many people today are concerned about environmental problems such as global warming, increasing pollution, lack of clean drinking water in many parts of the world, growing inequality between the Global North and the Global South, deforestation, overfishing, and wastefulness — to name a few. People sometimes look for the roots of these problems elsewhere: in the developing world's growing population, or in the absence of free markets in poorer countries. Analysis of current environmental problems and the facts associated with them, however, shows that these views are misleading. The main cause of current problems is, to paraphrase former President Bill Clinton, "It is consumerism, stupid!" It is mass consumption culture, propagated by governments such as that of the United States and by giant corporations, that is driving current levels of wastefulness, pollution, growing global inequality, and the oppression of native peoples around the world.

The Linear Materials Economy

Annie Leonard, in a presentation about the cycling of the materials economy, explains how consumption today causes environmental problems and global inequality. Leonard (2008) explains that the process of the materials economy is a linear cycle — that is, it does not correct itself — and starts with extraction. From there, it moves to production, distribution, consumption, and finally disposal. At first glance, the system looks functional, but a critical examination reveals that it is in serious crisis. If the system continues operating as it does today, the planet may become frighteningly unsustainable by the end of the century, because the materials economy is fundamentally in conflict with the idea of sustainable development (Speth, 2008).

Extraction and Production: Environmental and Human Costs

The facts and statistics surrounding the materials economy have reached alarming proportions. Consider, for instance, extraction. Humans use more resources today than ever before, and the rate at which we extract them from the planet is growing. In the last three decades, humans have extracted one-third of the planet's available resources. The level of global overfishing today stands at 75%. The United States has cut down most of its forests, leaving only 4% of what existed a few centuries ago. The population of the United States constitutes just 5% of the world's population, yet Americans consume 30% of the world's resources. If all people in the world lived like Americans, we would need three to five additional planets — planets we do not have (Leonard, 2008; Steffen, 2008). Humans are taking more and more from the planet without giving back, and this linear, destructive process cannot continue indefinitely.

Extraction is just the beginning of the destructive process. It is followed by production, which involves, among other things, the use of toxic chemicals on a massive scale. Through production, toxins are released into the environment and into human bodies. As Leonard explains, toxic chemicals have even contaminated breast milk. Because of the nature of the production system, humans are exposed to toxins from the moment they are born. Whereas breast milk is something that should be considered sacred and pure, the process of production contaminates it on a systematic basis. Another group most exposed to toxic chemicals is factory workers, including women of reproductive age. The only reason women of reproductive age may willingly agree to work in factories under such conditions is economic necessity (Leonard, 2008).