POL101Y1 Chapter Notes - Chapter 10: Overconsumption
18 Jan 2018
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Reading journal 10: the irony of environmentalism: the ecological futility but political. Necessity of lifestyle change by paul wapner and john willoughby. While many environmentalist blame overpopulation and overconsumption as the causes for environmental harm, they recognize that lowering population and consumption is not solely based on governmental or corporate tasks, but also on individual lifestyle decisions. Environmental researchers and activists generally don"t acknowledge certain narrow conditions that make lifestyle changes ecologically irrelevant. While spending less may minimize ecological harm, cutting back on individual consumption or reducing family size will not reduce overall spending. Lifestyle choices that feel good rarely help the earth, Humans pull resources from the earth to power their material products, construct buildings and provide food. However, while some resources are renewable, others are non-renewable, meaning they will eventually deplete. By early 1970s, the opec nations to raised petroleum prices dramatically due to geopolitical crises intersected with intense demand for raw materials.
