Consumer Society No Longer Serves Our Needs

David Suzuki

2018-11-01

Huff Post

Keywords: Consumerism, Planned obsolescence, Disposable culture,

How can we have serious discussions about the ecological costs and limits to growth or the need to degrow economies when consumption is seen as the very reason the economy and society exist?

David Suzuki, co-founder of the David Suzuki Foundation, reflects on the shift from a society that valued thrift and sustainability to one driven by consumerism and planned obsolescence. He recounts his parents' frugal values, shaped by the Great Depression, and contrasts them with today's disposable culture. Suzuki argues that the deliberate promotion of consumption as the engine of the economy, starting in the 1950s, has led to a society where individuals are primarily defined as consumers. He critiques the media's focus on economic indicators that prioritize consumption over ecological health and questions the sustainability of an economy that relies on constant growth. Suzuki also highlights the exploitation of nature in advertising and the challenges of addressing ecological limits in a consumption-driven society.

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Tags: Thrift, Sustainability, Economic growth, Ecological health