What is enough: Consumer society and the future of the Earth

Author: Alan Durning (USA)
Publisher:
Publication Date: 1997-12-01
Features: The lifestyle of consumerism spread like lightning across the globe in just one generation, and the vast majority of humanity has become car drivers, TV viewers, and consumers dominated by advertising. Unfortunately, consumerism tempts us to indulge in material possessions but fails to give us a sense of fulfillment and abundance, as we remain hungry in spirit, society, and psychology. The opposite extreme—poverty—may be even worse for the human spirit and also destroys the environment. The hungry burn forests, recklessly cut down trees, overcultivate, and overgraze. Whether humans have too much or too little, the Earth suffers. How much is enough? How can consumption be brought to a level that the planet can sustain? This book argues that if we do not adjust our consumerist lifestyle, we will only end up destroying the Earth. "How Much Is Enough" breaks this vicious cycle by explaining the nature of needs. Alan Senoi Durning argues that consumer society is only a temporary phase—because of its own future and the habitability of its planet, all parents want to give their children a better life. However, we must now recognize that such a life cannot be composed of more cars, more air conditioners, more pre-packaged frozen foods, and more shopping malls. If we hand over to our children a world where their choices for food, education, fulfilling work, housing, and good health expand rather than shrink, how wonderful would that be! This situation can be achieved if those in consumer society shift our lifestyles. Some faint signs suggest that such a shift is possible. The ostentatious consumption of the 1980s has given way to an era of lower expectations for consumption. This also reflects the recession in many countries, as public opinion polls show that the current situation is far from satisfactory. It is time to move beyond the pitfalls of consumerism and embrace the sustainable culture that Alan Durning advocates. A sustainable culture is a society that lives within its means; one that extracts interest rather than capital from Earth's resources; and one that seeks fulfillment in networks of friendship, family, and meaningful work. As Alan points out in the final chapter of this book, the fate of humanity and the natural world is in our hands—the hands of consumers.