Hyperconsumption

An interesting article in the Goldstream Gazette was a comparison of values and standard of living in the past and present using the authors’ personal life experience. There were a few points that he brought up that got me thinking. One was whether the wondrous goods now available, out weigh the costs and damages of making, obtaining and disposing of them. Costs include trying to reverse the poisoning of our water, soil and air. Are we actually happier and better off because of these products ?. The author also brought up a new term that I think fits our consumer ways quite well – hyperconsumption.

Has all the accumulation of stuff really and truly made present life better than in the past? We currently have a world of technological marvel along with ever increasing personal hyperconsumption but at the expense of communities, species diversity, clean air, water, and soil. Each of us is a carrier of dozens of chemicals and not surprisingly cancer is one of the biggest killers.

Are all the new gadgets and gizmos worth the personal and environmental destruction and contamination. This does not seem very sustainable. The author feels from personal experience that past generations were not deprived or bored with the lack of a constant supply of new games and television, and believes it actually resulted in communities being closer and more connected when the outdoors were where activities occurred.

One thing we tend not to consider when we mention how we have poisoned our soil, water and air, is that it is not truly “ours” it belongs to all organisms that inhabit the earth. However we have taken the liberty to destroy it and disregard all other populations. Our culture tends to place a high value on possession of material goods and a relatively low value on the natural environment; this allows maximum exploitation of resources with minimal guilt.