by Michael Smith (Veshengro)
According to the World Resources Institute the total material consumption in the U.S. grew 57% from 1975 to 2000, more than twice the rate of population growth.
And let’s not even talk about the food consumption and with burgers as large as small space craft, well almost, it is no wonder that the USA is leading the world in obesity.
It would appear that, aside from maybe the very poor and those that still live a frugal and homesteading life of sorts thinking of reusing what they have rather than buy new all the time, sticking with what they have got does not seem to feature much with most Americans.
Not that, I must say, the British are far behind this and it would appear, and we could just see this again with the launch of the new iPhone, that despite the fact that what they have at the moment still works perfectly well they have to have the latest fad. The cost to themselves and the environment does not even enter the equation, it would seem.
We have been conditioned, it seems to me, to want new all the time and every time a new product comes onto the market, whether the newest Kindle, or iPhone, or iPod, iPad, or whatever, people simply have to rush out and buy it. And that even if and when their previous gadget still does the job as well as the new one will do, bar minus a few bells and whistles.
Stick with what you've got and make it last...
© 2012
