Consumerism

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Consumerism

• Money, get away.Get a good job with good pay and
  youre okay.Money, its a gas.Grab that cash
  with both hands and make a stash.New car,
  caviar, four star daydream,Think Ill buy me a
  football team.
• - Roger Waters

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Income and HappinessGDP per capita v. very
happy, US 1946-1996 (Layard 2005)
Most of the satisfaction we get from consuming is
a relative gain Sociologists refer to this as
context dependent i.e. keeping up with the
Jones.
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The Work and Spend CycleRising annual hours of
work, CPS, 1967-2000
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Commerciogenic maladies
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Tracking The Global Footprint sustainable
consumption was exceeded in 1978
This averages out to about 2.2 hectares (about 5
acres) per person
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Per Capita Footprints
The average in the United States is 10 This is a
function of population, affluence and technology
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Apparel AccumulationAnnual purchases of
garments per capita, 1991-2003(Schor 2006)
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Apparel DiscardUsed apparel exports from US to
ROW 1991-2004(Schor 2006)
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Buying computers

• By 2007, Americans will have purchased more than
  660 million computers
• Annual sales are expected to be 27.7 million in
  2005

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And throwing them away

• An estimated 349 million PCs have already been
  discarded by US consumers

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Slow down and smell the roses
Downshifters
Center for a New American Dream