“Economists use the word consume to mean "utilize economic goods," but the Shorter Oxford Dictionary's definition is more appropriate to ecologists: "To make away with or destroy; to waste or to squander; to use up." The economies that cater to the global consumer society are responsible for the lion's share of the damage that humans have inflicted on common global resources.” HumansMeanUseCommonEconomyShareEconomicWasteResourcesResponsibleDefinitionsConsumersDamageAppropriateGoodsLionsConsumerismEconomistDictionaryOverconsumptionOxford Author:Alan Thein Durning
“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 avenues. We in the consumer society will have to live a technologically sophisticated version of the life-style currently practiced lower on the economic ladder.” IfsHumansUseQualityGenerationsEconomicStylePlanetsLowsResourcesEnvironmentalSeekingVersionsConsumersFulfillmentGoodsLeisureSustainabilitySophisticatedLaddersShiftingFuture GenerationAvenuesHuman RelationsEcosystemsHuman RelationshipsInputHigh QualityLife Style Author:Alan Thein Durning