Consumption and Consumerism the United States Reexamined

Nearly three decades ago the Brundtland Report called for us to reduce both the quantity and quality of our consumption. Yet how much has really changed since then? Do we all live a lifestyle that consists of using only what we need? Unlikely. Overconsumption is a major ethical problem in the Western industrialized nations, particularly the United States. You do not have to live in Texas to follow the “bigger is better” adage. Since the Industrial Revolution consumption rates continuously increased. Populations grew. Consumerism grew. Resources diminished. How did a society that developed out of the Great Depression, where everything was saved and reused, turn into the society we live in today? Progress in the economy helped. Women entering the workforce helped. Yet how much bad came out of the good? Today the problems we discuss about the environment and sustainability stem from the history of the United States.

The insatiable demands of the rich world continues to enlarge the human footprint left on our planet – pumping greenhouse gases into the air, polluting the oceans, trashing forests (instead replacing with garbage forests), and more! Can we as a society change from the attitude widely held the richer we are and the more we consume, the more self-centred and careless we appear to become? Today many promote the idea of sustainable development as a framework for understanding an appropriate lifestyle for present generations.

I ask myself what is an appropriate lifestyle? As my knowledge of sustainability develops my attitudes and actions change. I try conserve more than I use. I have a wonderful organic garden in the summer (which is leads to a short growing season here in Denver). I stopped buying water in bottles and instead refill my old high school water bottle that I used for sports. I switched to eating mostly organic natural foods and buy products straight from the deli instead of pre-packaged to diminish waste. I could go on, but I will stop here. I know my experience has changed my outlook on environmental issues and concerns. Is it possible for the rest of society to do the same?

When is enough, enough? I believe more and more people are beginning to realise consumption patterns must change. I contend it can start at the individual level and develop to the global level. If each person in this society takes the time to analyse their own consumption patterns they can change them. If society changes to a more “green” and sustainable society then the political arena will have to change to consider the demands of the people. It just takes one person at a time to make a world of difference. Education, training, and initiatives will make the transition more adaptable to current standards. The media needs to adapt a more sustainable approach to their listings and stop promoting TV shows that exude overconsumptive lifestyles and people need to stop watching them.

Learn, grow, develop.

To juice or to blend, that is the question...

It's all about the fiber, energy, and nutrients use when you are considering juicing or blending your fruits and veggies.

Blending- unlike juices, smoothies consist  of the entire fruit or vegetable, skin and all and contain all of the fiber from the vegetables. This helps create a slow, even release of nutrients into the blood stream and avoids blood sugar spikes. "Smoothies" tend to be more filling, because of the fiber, and generally faster to make than juice, so they can be great to drink first thing in the morning as your breakfast, or for snacks throughout the day.


Juicing-  is a process which extracts water and nutrients from produce  and discards the indigestible fiber. Without all the fiber, your digestive system doesn’t have to work as hard to break down the food and absorb the nutrients. It makes the nutrients more readily available to the body in much larger quantities than if you were to eat the fruits and vegetables whole. You get more nutrients out of juicing than blending. Be aware though that if you are just juicing fruits can lead to rapid sugar spikes due to the natural sugar in fruits!


Either way you decide to do it they are both excellent ways of getting your daily amount of fruits and veggies! I always like to try new recipes that are delicious and beneficial to my body. I like to use almond milk or coconut water in smoothies. Find the freshest organic ingredients to make this a part of your daily routine! Do your research to see which method is best for you and give them a try!

Go local!

Today people are demanding more sustainable practices from providers. One of the best ways to support this initiative is to go local. Many restaurants now use local (read fresh) ingredients. You can find "local" items in the major supermarkets and not just the famers markets. By supporting your community through the promotion (read consumption) of local products you are supporting a sustainable practice that not only makes you greener, but makes your community stronger.

"Learn, Grow, Live"

Personal Experience (Chia)

My sister and I have a routine of getting together for dinner on Sunday nights. I head over to her place in the morning and we go shopping for the ingredients we want to prepare that night. This week we started our shopping by going to Sprouts https://www.sprouts.com/ and picking up some great ingredients to make a very nice charcuterie. While perusing the vast amount of goodies available for purchase I came across the raw drink section in the refrigerated aisle. I am a huge fan of juicing and eating lots of fruits and veggies in their natural form, but while in this section I came across something new to me. Chia. When you think of Chia you may think of this (like I did)

however, Chia is becoming better known as a great source of healthy omega-3 fats and fiber, and, according to my research, it's an easy food to add to your diet. Chia seeds come from a flowering plant in the mint family that's native to Mexico and Guatemala, and history suggests it was a very important food crop for the Aztecs.

The little seed appears to have a huge nutritional profile. It contains calcium, manganese, and phosphorus, and is a great source of healthy omega-3 fats. As an added benefit, chia seeds can be eaten whole.

Chia's positive health effects are noted to include boosting energy, stabilizing blood sugar, aiding digestion, and lowering cholesterol.

I am going to start adding some of these seeds to my juice in the morning and I will let you know if I feel any of the results this little seed is supposed to add to my overall well-being.

Happy juicing everyone!

Styrofoam

When purchasing a product we should consider how its packaged.

Although Styrofoam can be recycled few places accept it because it is not cost effective. Styrofoam is too light. Recycling is measured and valued by the ton. Styrofoam is so light and bulky that this makes it difficult for facilities to manage Styrofoam. Styrofoam is similar to plastic bags in which it takes a very very long time to break down naturally. It sits in landfills for a very long time. Then, if it is incinerated it lets off toxic chemicals. There is no great way to dispose of Styrofoam.

So why is it still used in packaging? Can we think of better (greener) ways to package products?

When you are at the store, instead of buying chicken prepackaged with Styrofoam, go to the butcher counter and pick out your choice from the display. It is then wrapped up thus limiting the use of Styrofoam.

*Restricting the use of foamed polystyrene takeout food packaging is a priority of many solid waste environmental organizations. Efforts have been made to find alternatives to polystyrene, especially foam in restaurant settings. The original impetus was to eliminate chlorofluorocarbons (CFC), which was a former component of foam.

Read more:
http://www.cawrecycles.org/issues/plastic_campaign/polystyrene
http://www.keenforgreen.com/b/styrofoam-recyclable

Polystyrene
Expanded polystyrene packaging A polystyrene yogurt container

Videos on consumerism and consumption to watch

Consumed: Discover how the secrets of the human mind are destroying our world

Watch the Full film on Journeyman:
http://jman.tv/film/4614/Consumed

Consumerism has become the cornerstone of the post-industrial age. Yet how much do we know about it and what it is doing to us? Using theories of evolutionary psychology to underpin a bold narrative of our times, this film takes a whirlwind tour through the "weird mental illness of consumerism", showing how our insatiable appetite has driven us into "the jaws of the beast". Both an apocalyptic and redemptive view of the human condition.

Journeyman Pictures is your independent source for the world's most powerful films, exploring the burning issues of today. We represent stories from the world's top producers, with brand new content coming in all the time. On our channel you'll find outstanding and controversial journalism covering any global subject you can imagine wanting to know about.

YouTube link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOKl04TWVsU

Surplus: Terrorized Into Being Consumers is an award winning Swedish documentary film on consumerism and globalization, created by director Erik Gandini and editor Johan Söderberg.

It looks at the arguments for capitalism and technology, such as greater efficiency, more time and less work, and argues that these are not being fulfilled, and they never will be.

The film is about our world, the modern civilization that eats more than needed. It's not very much information that is physically showed, its the pictures in symbiosis with music that is the real strength in this flick.

The film leans towards anarcho-primitivist ideology and argues for a simple and fulfilling life.

YouTube link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXmuWecIQos

The One Percent
This 80-minute documentary focuses on the growing "wealth gap" in America, as seen through the eyes of filmmaker Jamie Johnson, a 27-year-old heir to the Johnson & Johnson pharmaceutical fortune. Johnson, who cut his film teeth at NYU and made the Emmy®-nominated 2003 HBO documentary Born Rich, here sets his sights on exploring the political, moral and emotional rationale that enables a tiny percentage of Americans - the one percent - to control nearly half the wealth of the entire United States. The film Includes interviews with Nicole Buffett, Bill Gates Sr., Adnan Khashoggi, Milton Friedman, Robert Reich, Ralph Nader and other luminaries.
YouTube link:
http://www.theonepercentdocumentary.com/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmlX3fLQrEc

Overconsumption

Why do you throw out the coffee maker that still works and replace it with the newest version? Same goes for cell phones. Why replace something when it is not broken?

Consumer society in the U.S. chooses to purchase "the latest and greatest" products each year instead of buying quality items that are going to last from the get go. Many items produced for the consumer class today are not built to last. Instead producers are making cheaper products that will need to be replaced. And that is what many of us do? What has happened to all of the repair shops that used to span the U.S.? Why is it harder to find a vacuum hose than it is to replace the entire vacuum?

We as a society need to change the way we consume products and then lay them to waste when they are no longer the "newest" version. Think about that coffee maker your family probably had as a child. It probably would still work today if it had not been replaced by mass marketing campaigns telling you to "upgrade."

Think about quality over consumption. Many of us cannot afford high quality products and instead purchase time and time again cheaper versions of products that actually end up costing more to us in the long run do to having to replace the item. My advise, go to the library, research the product you are interested in, determine if the company environmentally friendly, do a price comparison between products, check for warranties for replacement parts and maintenance, make the final decision based on your research. Try to spend three to six months making this determination. Impulse buys are some of the hardest challenges to face, but taking the time to really determine what product you want and why it is important to you will have a better product that is likely going to last and gives you extra time to save some money for a higher quality product. The extra time you use on your research will also let you know what you really want and need.

Think long term and quality over consumption!

Best