Environmental Sustainability and Consumerism

Environmental Sustainability and Consumerism

Climate treaties, such as the Kyoto Protocol and the Copenhagen Accord, exist because environmental sustainability is under threat, with accelerating growth in global greenhouse gas emissions and biodiversity loss. This is largely due to a culture of consumerism that has increased in the past 50 years. Although consumerism is not the only factor driving environmental degradation, it is one of the key root causes on which other factors are built – and, as a cultural framework, it is expanding. Business as usual is therefore not an option, and sustainable development will require transformative change at the local, national and global levels [1].

Business has played the leading role in shifting cultures to center on consumerism, making an array of resource-intensive products such as bottled water, fast food, cars, disposable paper goods etc. The reality is that corporations and businesses exist to provide products and services, demanded by customers, which in turn drive revenues and profits [1].

Consumers are becoming more environmentally conscious and corporations are responding by going green. Corporations such as Walmart has adopted a green strategy into their Global Corporate Social Responsibility as a way to expand their customer base, improve profits and create a positive brand [2]. However, in the case of solar panels, fossil fuels are needed to create the panels. Those same panels also produce excess amounts of mercury and chromium. Installation of the panels uses PVC and glue, both of which are harmful to the environment. [3]

Can the nations of the world meaningfully address the threat of global climate change without inflicting unjustifiable damage to their economies? --- Yes. If appropriate and intelligent policies are employed, the job can be done at reasonable and acceptable cost. In the short term changing the energy mix will come at some cost, but this will hardly stop economic growth. As...