The price of consumerism

Abstract

An important new issue is emerging in the arena of sustainable development that rivals environmental concerns in importance. It is consumption — or rather, mis- and over-consumption. This is a less tractable problem than environmental degradation in that politicians see efforts to contain consumption as a superb way to lose votes. It is at the heart of the sustain- ability debate, as it covers the depletion of natural capital, such as key non-renewable resources, and the capacity to absorb pollu- tion. But it will receive almost no attention at the World Summit on Sustainable Devel- opment in Johannesburg next week.