Session Information

2009 PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONFERENCE

Rethinking Consumerism: Why We Cannot Buy Our Way to Sustainability

In How Much Is Enough? Alan Durning writes, “If the life-supporting ecosystems of the planet are to survive for future generations, the consumer society will have to dramatically curtail its use of resources — partly by shifting to high-quality, low-input durable goods and partly by seeking fulfillment through leisure, human relationships and other nonmaterial resources.” As the U.S. society takes a green turn, we see rapid growth of “green” industries, offering us a range of green products for consumption. Is part of the solution to transfer our dollars from one type of goods to another, or is consumerism itself part of the problem?