The Treadmill of Consumption: We've lost too much already
America and the world today is a material opsessed capitalist society; I don't think thats a general concensus.We (The Western World) has lost much of ourselves. The treadmill of consumption has taken over. Not only is our country obsessed with getting money, but spending as much as possible to create as much "stuff" as possible. This shall be the downfall of mankind. We are creating waste far faster than any society in history. I myself have taken many steps to reduce the impact of the treadmill on myself. I spend as little money as possible on frivolous items that will inevitably be forgotten about in a few months. But even being environmentally conscious and being a conscious consumer according to www.myfootprint.org it would take 3.4 planets if everyone consumed as much as I did. This is ALARMING, is it not?
There are too many people on the treadmill, causing it to increase in size and increase speed. The faster we run on the treadmill the more damage we cause not only to ourselves but the environment around us. One simply purchase can have a huge effect on the world; believe it. Every item that we make and/or manufacture has two effects on the environment at the very least. The first is being that there are chemicals involved in the process of creating the product and in transporting that product to the shelves of a store for you to buy. The second is the fact that inevitably nothing lasts forever, items break, and then become waste. The number of environmental bads that are caused by one simple purchase is accelerating out of control. When will it end?
Will people ever learn that maybe they don't need that 5th SUV in the driveway that they bought (just in case because they could)? The people of the world need to wake up, becuase like in one of my favorite books, "The Awakening", we are wading out into deeper waters each day. I don't know if we have arms that are strong enough to swim back ashore if we don't turn around soon.
You make some really great points. I am seriously confused if I should have children and one major reason is how horrible our society treats mother earth. I don't want my future children living in a dirty poluted global warming atmosphere!! It breaks my heart how so little people consider their unborn children when it comes to taking care of OUR home!
Peace n Bike Grease~Sara
Thanks for making this blog. I feel this way too. We can't really do much to control other people, because humans have a need to spend on pleasures. People who spend money on ridiculous things in excess need some advice and counseling. I think it is a waste of money to spend on things that aren't useful. It just creates more trash and more pollution. I guess some people are spolied in that way.