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consumerism

Page history last edited by lmd005 15 years, 6 months ago

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Consumerism

 

Trash strewn everywhere by Bay to Breakers participants makes cleanup non-trivial

http://www.mccullagh.org/photo/1ds-16/bay-to-breakers-trash-cleanup


Population growth and consumerism/consumption are inextricably linked: the more people there are on the planet, the more things are produced, purchased, and consumed.  But what about the energy and resources it takes to produce goods?  Production of food, cosmetics, technological gadgets, toys, cleaning supplies, and just about everything which people buy requires a huge amount of energy.  Air and water pollution from factories and transportation of goods is constantly accumulating, and the material waste from leftovers of the production process ends up in the trash.  And what about afterwards?  After food and material things have been used up, we are left with waste.  Much of this waste is not responsibly disposed of, and contributes to material pollution of the plane.  In this way, population growth is connected to an increase in material pollution.

 

It is our hope that considering these questions will make readers stop and think about the products that they buy- how they are made and transported, and whether or not the product is destined for the trash.  It may seem daunting that so many people create such huge amounts of pollution, but every individual can do their part to contirbute as little waste as possible to the earth.  For example: don't litter, try to buy locally grown/made food and products; recycle; reuse things and make them last.  Take a look at the contents of your garbage can, and take a moment to think about it. 

 

Resources to consider:

 

Anup Shah: global issues: consumption and consumerism [Internet]. c1998. Anup Shah;

[updated 2008 Sept 3]. Available from: http://www.globalissues.org/issue/235/consumption-and-consumerism

 

Anup Shah, editor of globalissues.org, is the author of most of the essays on this site. Although Shah has a degree in computer science, he maintains this non-profit website in order to raise awareness and provide links to information about global issues. The essays on the "Consumption and Consumerism" page bring to light the correlation between human development, increased consumption, and growing strain on the environment. The objective of the essays is to encourage readers to think about what they consume and what effects their habits have on the environment. Shah cites all of his sources and provides direct links to many additional resources, as well as gives readers several options for contacting him with questions and suggestions.  Overall, this website is a well-rounded source of information, and it is a great example of the fact that every person is a contributor to the world in which we live.


 

Association of American Geographers: population growth, energy use, and pollution:

understanding the driving forces of global change [Internet]. Association of American Geographers; [updated 1999 May 14]. Available from:http://www.aag.org/hdgc/Population_Growth.html

 

The Association of American Geographers is a non-profit, scientific, and educational society with interest in geography and the environment. This webpage provides an overview of a learning module run by Clark University’s School of Geography. The module itself must be purchased online and is intended for educational courses that introduce human/environment relationships, but the overview page discusses the connections between growing human populations, increased material flow, and the resulting waste. For more information, readers can contact Susan Hanson, the Project Director for this and other educational programs. 


 

Population Information Program: population reports: population and the environment

[Internet]. c2000. Population Information Program, Center for Communication Program, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health. Available from: http://www.infoforhealth.org/pr/m15edsum.shtml

 

The “Population Report” is produced four times per year by the Population Information Program at the Center for Communication Programs, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health. This publication provides an overview of how exactly natural resources are being polluted and ruined due to world population growth. While this particular report is a bit outdated (2000), the problem still exists, thus the conceptual information remains valid and useful.  Newer publications of the report are available for purchase. 


 

Sierra Club: global population and environment [Internet]. c2008. Sierra Club [updated

2008]. Available from: http://www.sierraclub.com/population/overview/

 

The Sierra Club is the “oldest, largest, and most influential grassroots environmental organization in the United States,” and as such it has reputable arguments about the correlation between population growth and environmental impact. The “Global Population and Environment” page provides an overview of the club’s project goals, which include the promotion of healthy family planning and awareness of sustainable environmental issues. Links to details about the project and other resources are provided and up-to-date. 

 


 

 

 

United States Environmental Protection Agency: wastes [Internet]. US

Environmental Protection Agency; [updated 2008]. Available from: http://www.epa.gov/epawaste/

  

The “Waste” webpage of the US Environmental Protection Agency provides readers with a wealth of information.  Although it does not directly discuss the correlation between population growth and pollution, the site recognizes the fact that increased consumption leads to rising amounts of consumer waste.  The site encourages consumers to focus on resource conservation and think about the reduce-reuse-recycle mantra, as well as provides guidelines for how to properly dispose of wastes.  It is overall a very informative and easy-to-follow website for all consumers who want to learn how to decrease their impact on the environment.

 


 

Matt Johnston: Victoria’s population boom will hasten change-Madden [Internet].

c2008. Herald Sun; [updated 2008 Sept 6]. Available from: http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun /story/0,21985,24301588-2862,00.html?from=public_rss

 

This online article from the Herald Sun, Australia’s largest selling daily newspaper, provides an example of localized human population increase and its environmental impacts.  It details how the local government in the city of Melbourne is preparing for population growth and for the strain that it will surely have on the environment.   The plans bring together industry, city planning, and environmental committees in order to create a city that minimizes the impact of a large human population on the planet.  The article indicates that the results of such plans will alter how home owners look at household consumption, in particular energy use.  Contacts for the paper and for the article’s author, Matt Johnston, are provided.

 

   

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