The role of consumerism in climate change
[1] Money doesn’t buy happiness. Neither does materialism: research shows that people who place
[2] a high value on wealth, status, and stuff are more depressed and anxious and less sociable than those
[3] who do not. Now new research shows that materialism is not just a personal problem. It’s also
[4] environmental.
[5] A study published in the Journal of Industrial Ecology shows that the stuff we consume — from
[6] food to knick-knacks — is responsible for up to 60 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions and
[7] between 50 and 80 percent of total land, material, and water use. “We all like to put the blame on
[8] someone else, the government, or businesses, but between 60-80 percent of the impacts on the planet
[9] come from household consumption. If we change our consumption habits, this would have a drastic
[10] effect on our environmental footprint as well,” Diana Ivanova, a PhD candidate at the Norwegian
[11] University of Science and Technology and lead author on the study, said in a press release. According
[12] to the study, about four-fifths of the environmental impact of consumerism comes not from direct
[13] behaviors like driving cars or taking long showers, but rather from sources further down our products’
[14] supply chains. The amount of water that goes into a hamburger or frozen pizza, for example, proved
[15] much more significant than showering and dish washing habits.
[16] To figure this all out, Ivanova and her colleagues used economic data from most of the world
[17] and looked at different product sectors, including supply chain information.They found
[18] that consumerism was much higher in rich countries than in poor countries (surprise!) and that those
[19] with the highest rates of consumerism had up to 5.5 times the environmental impact as the world
[20] average. The U.S., they reported, had the highest per capita emissions with 18.6 tonnes CO2
[21] equivalent (“CO2 equivalent” is a metric that rolls multiple types greenhouse gas emissions into one).
[22] Luxembourg had 18.5 tonnes, and Australia came in third with 17.7 tonnes. The world average, for
[23] comparison, was 3.4 tonnes, and China had just 1.8 tonnes.
[24] So if you’re like me and occasionally use the individual-action-doesn’t-matter rationale, it’s time
[25] to face the music: Consumerism is killing the planet (and our souls).
Adapted from:< http://www.psychologicalscience.org/index.php/news/releases/consumerism-and-its-antisocial-effects-can-beturned-
onor-off.html> and < http://grist.org/living/consumerism-plays-a-huge-role-in-climate-change/>
Acessed on September 1st, 2016.
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