Essay On Sustainable Consumption

Global warming has been a big problem of the world for a long time now. There are a lot of contributors to this, from the activities of an individual to the larger group of people; from the daily to occasional activities we do. Thus, the lifestyle of the people is seen as one of the factors. Consumption has been part of one’s daily life. People tend to buy things that they want more so than what they need. Sometimes, they buy the necessary things in large quantities that most of it will just be wasted. However, changing our lifestyles can reduce the worsening effect of global warming; consume sustainable goods, practice anti-consumption, and benefit yourself as well as the environment. Global warming is pandemic, affecting all the lives on

The term sustainable consumption meant “level and pattern of consumption, which meets the need of the present without compromising the ability of the future generations to meet their own needs.” It is usually conceded that overconsumption is a pressing threat to the environment (Ozgen 137). Although this may be true, it is not getting more attention from the US government. The policymakers do not see sustainable consumption as compatible to their priorities, which is economic growth (Cohen 408). And it is continued to be prioritized since with increasing consumption, economic growth will be attained (Morse and McNamara

Most of the times, our happiness can be associated with the things we consume. According to Van Gelder, there are ways to sustainable happiness. She said that people should drop their self as consumers and focus on something much more such as spending time with family and friends. Labels and brands should not define their self-worth and happiness. Debt can also be minimized. Also, spend some alone time and make a special bond with the environment and avoid consuming products from big companies that are exploiting the natural world. Value the true things that matter and remember that “sustainable happiness is contagious” (121-124). Quality of lives has been better after they turned their backs from consumption (Kennedy, Krahn, and Krogman