While the correlation between escalating extreme weather phenomena in Canada and globally, and anthropogenic climate change is well-documented, a crucial narrative often remains unaddressed: the environmental impact stemming from our purchasing habits.
Pioneering research reveals that the cumulative carbon emissions embedded throughout a product’s existence – from the initial extraction of raw materials, through its fabrication, transit, utilization, and eventual disposition – far exceed the product’s physical mass, by a factor of 6.3 times its weight. Notably, the supply chain, encompassing the often-unseen processes involved in product creation and distribution, emerges as a particularly carbon-intensive component.
Viewed through the lens of human history, the transformation in our relationship with the material world has been extraordinarily rapid. Our forebears maintained a profound connection with the natural environment that sustained them both physically and spiritually.
Only in very recent epochs have a significant portion of humanity found themselves living so disconnected from the sources of their sustenance. Contemporary unchecked consumerism is demonstrably contributing to climatic shifts that profoundly affect all populations.
Narratives Encouraging Increased Consumption
Previously, overtures to acquire more goods – encompassing apparel, electronics, household appliances, toys, vehicles, and more – were confined predominantly to advertising. In the 1990s, the average American was reportedly exposed to an astonishing 3,000 advertising messages daily.
Today, the sheer volume of consumption-related solicitations is nearly incalculable, seamlessly and incessantly integrated into our screen-dominated existences. These arrive via text messages, tailored pop-up enticements, and social media platforms that actively promote acquisition, exemplified by influencer-generated “haul” videos.
Our Possessions and the Climate Crisis
Over the preceding decades, populations in more materially prosperous regions have readily accumulated possessions, only to discard them with haste. For instance, in the United States, the average individual’s consumption of goods has doubled within the last fifty years. Furthermore, in 2019, North Americans collectively disposed of nearly 21 kilograms of electronic waste per capita.
The repercussions of our voracious consumption are starkly evident in the planet’s ecological systems. Consumption patterns in “developed” nations have precipitated extensive deforestation, leaving a mere three percent of global ecosystems in an intact state. The pervasive production, application, and disposal of plastics result in an estimated annual deposition of 8 million metric tons of plastic debris into the world’s oceans.
These outcomes have traditionally been perceived as “tragedies of the commons,” implying that the adverse consequences were externalized and not directly experienced. However, climate change has irrevocably altered this dynamic, exacting a toll on lives and livelihoods, and devastating homes and entire communities through extreme heat, prolonged drought, powerful winds, widespread fires, and severe flooding.
The Significance of Product Life Cycles
The process commences with the procurement of “resources” – encompassing minerals, metals, fossil fuels, water, and timber – followed by their transformation into finished products, subsequent distribution, usage, and often rapid obsolescence. Every phase in a product’s life cycle carries environmental implications and contributes to its carbon footprint.
For example, forests serve as vital carbon reservoirs. Yet, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) estimates that approximately 10 million hectares of forest are eradicated annually. In 2018, furniture and furnishings contributed to municipal waste (predominantly wood products) amounting to nearly 9 million metric tons, as reported by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, a substantial increase compared to the roughly 1.8 million metric tons landfilled in 1960.
Despite this, ancient forests continue to be felled, and consumers often lack transparency regarding the origin of wood products, unaware if they incorporate timber from centuries-old trees.
While adopting more sustainable production and purchasing practices can diminish our carbon footprint, a fundamental shift towards reduced production and consumption by the world’s affluent populations is ultimately imperative.
The Necessity of Both Large-Scale and Individual Change
Consciously reducing consumption during the holiday season can yield significant positive effects. In the United States, for instance, waste generation escalates by 25 percent between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day, with half of the annual paper waste – primarily holiday wrapping and decorations – totaling approximately 8 billion metric tons being discarded during this period.
Similarly, Canadians are estimated to dispatch over 2.6 billion greeting cards and utilize 540,000 metric tons of wrapping paper for gift adornment during the holidays. For each kilogram of paper produced, 3.5 kilograms of carbon dioxide are generated.
Indeed, a substantial aspect of addressing consumption and its climate impact involves acknowledging the disproportionate consumption and environmental burden borne by affluent segments of society. UNEP highlights that the wealthiest 10 percent of the global population are responsible for nearly 50 percent of worldwide carbon dioxide emissions, whereas the poorest 50 percent contribute only 12 percent of these emissions.
The act of giving serves as a profound means of fostering connections with our loved ones, thereby strengthening families, friendships, and communities. Arguably, these interpersonal bonds are more critical now than ever before. However, the ingrained narratives promoting excessive consumption must be consciously unlearned.
It is incumbent upon us to challenge narratives that champion rapid and ostensibly “economical” consumption. We must advocate for and disseminate narratives that accurately delineate the link between our extensive consumption patterns and the devastating consequences of climate change. Furthermore, we must elect leaders committed to the challenging transition away from an economic model predicated upon perpetual growth, fueled by the overconsumption of products that are financially inexpensive but environmentally costly.
We are entitled to demand crucial product information, such as comprehensive life cycle carbon footprint data. Additionally, each of us must commit to resisting the incessant enticements to consume quickly and cheaply, by embracing a paradigm of giving less, more deliberately, and with greater thoughtfulness.
Jennifer Ellen Good, Associate Professor Communication, Popular Culture and Film, Brock University.
