Consume Differently
World consumption has expanded at an unprecedented rate in the 20th century, with private and public consumption expenditures reaching $24 trillion in 1998, twice the level of 1975 and six times that of 1950. 1 Consumption in and of itself is not bad—all living things must consume to maintain their biological existence. The real issue is the levels, patterns and effects of consumption.
For many in the developed world present consumption levels and patterns are unsustainable. The environmental and social impacts of consumption are being felt at both local and global levels. Locally, we see increases in pollution and a growing sense of alienation within our communities. Globally, climate change and the depletion of the ozone layer are but two stark reminders of the impact of our consumption levels.
One useful tool for measuring the extent of our consumption is the ecological footprint. It shows how much productive land and water we need to produce all the resources we consume and to absorb all the waste we make. Already, humanity's ecological footprint may be over 30 percent larger than the ecological space the world has to offer. 2
The ranking of ecological footprints shows which countries are ecologically most sustainable and which are running an ecological deficit. The average American has an ecological footprint 1.7 times larger than a person in Sweden, 3.8 times that of someone in Hungary or Costa Rica, and more than 9 times that of an individual in India. It is important, however, to realize that these averages hide inequalities within countries. More than 100 million people in rich nations suffer from poverty. 3 And a culture of material consumption is gaining ground among the emerging middle classes of such countries as India, Malaysia and Brazil.
Policies must be developed that promote consumption patterns which reduce our ecological footprint while meeting the needs of all people to enjoy a good quality of life. These policies must also raise the consumption of the world's more than a billion poor who are unable to meet their basic food, shelter and clothing needs.
Meanwhile, we need to shift how we make decisions—as consumers—from thinking about means to thinking about ends. For example, governments and businesses may collaborate to meet people's transportation needs by investing in improved public transit rather than building new roads. Even better, they may work together with communities to pass new zoning laws that allow people to live, work, and shop within the same neighbourhood. This would minimize people's needs for transportation while improving the accessibility of what they really want—goods and services.
1. United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). "Overview," Human Development Report 1998, New York: UNDP, 1998. Also: http://www.undp.org/hdro/e98over.htm
2. Redefining Progress. "Ecological footprint." http://www.rprogress.org/progsum/nip/ef/ef_main.html (March 1999).
3. United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). "Overview," Human Development Report 1998. New York: UNDP, 1998. Also: http://www.undp.org/hdro/e98over.htm | 
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