Between consumerism & lifestyle choices
The conversation about having responsible consumption habits seems to get wider attention. Of course, not the central role it should have, becoming the heart of every serious discussion. But, at least, there is a growing interest in this matter.
The impact of consumerism
More people acknowledge that our actions have an impact on the planet. Specifically, our mindless consumerist culture is causing irreversible climate and ecological breakdown. And irreversibility is a fact we cannot ignore.
However, what leaves us quite perplexed is the idea of splitting consumption habits into multiple areas. Indeed we see sustainable fashion, sustainable tourism, organic food, and so on. On the one hand, segmenting helps to tackle the issue field by field. But on the other hand, it brings along a certain inconsistency.
Sustainable consumption habits: are we missing the point?
First, communication tells us that consuming green-labelled products will solve the issue. Second, you can consume sustainable products in your favourite segment and get away with it. For instance, you can purchase sustainable fashion garments but care less about wasting food.
There’s no logic in that!
Shifting our behaviour towards healthier consumption habits is a lifestyle choice. So, it regards every product we purchase and any experience.
Therefore, we can promote sustainable fashion, tourism, furniture, and food. Automobiles and technology. But to make our behaviour effective, sustainability must embrace all our individual choices. We need to develop a conscious behaviour towards life.
The line that separates sustainability and greenwashing is very subtle. Our lifestyle doesn’t become sustainable because we buy more green products. We can make products with eco-friendly materials, but still, we will impact the environment.
We will reduce our impact on the planet only if we consume less. Much less. And it’s a lifestyle matter. Taking a sustainable approach means stopping what we were doing!
And so, are you ready to change your consumption habits?
We can start by modeling the behavior we hope others will adopt. “Leadership” isn’t always about having someone in a hierarchy tell us what to do. We can each be leaders simply by living our values. Why wait for political, business or celebrity “leaders” to wake up when there are so many conflicts of interest that encourage them to do otherwise?
“No one is too small to make a difference.” ~ Greta Thunberg
We agree with you 100%! There are too many conflicts of interest, so we better wake up and do something. Thanks for your comment!
Unfortunately it is so hard for people to change their consumption habits on their own. They always need to see someone else doing it first, but when we see celebrities and political figures using private jets, etc. there is always the question “if they don’t care, why should I?”
How do we open peoples eyes?!
Exactly! How do we open people’s eyes? That is a crucial point we are investigating. We need to make a change, and we need to do it now!