Skipper

All kinds of scientists and ecologists warn us every day of the doom which is set to overwhelm us and it gives me no pleasure to flag up yet another, another, related to climate change but different, which we should start be worrying about as well. A report by the World Watch Institute describes how 'consumerism' has engulfed human cultures and the world's ecosystems 'like a tsunami'. It points an accusing finger at US 'greed culture', the desperate desire of modern man to accumulate and consume as life objectives. It observes that the:

average American consumes more than his or her weight in products each day, fuelling a global culture of excess that is emerging as the biggest threat to the planet. Erik Assadourian, the project director who led a team of 35 behind the report, said: "Until we recognise that our environmental problems, from climate change to deforestation to species loss, are driven by unsustainable habits, we will not be able to solve the ecological crises that threaten to wash over civilisation."

This habit of excess began in the USA but such a culture has been exported worldwide so that every world citizen is now a potential over-consumer. Owning prestige goods like expensive cars, houses, and personal effects have become worldwide badges of success and millions now strive to achieve the same level of unsustainable ownwership of material goods.

With 6 billion inhabitants the effort to sustain this exponential growth in consumption- 28% in the last decade alone- is gouging out vast indentations in the earth's surface, polluting both air and water and fast using up the finite resources available. The report sees some encouraging signs of attitude change, especially amongst the young, but argues that consumerism and changing views can only coexist up to a point. Even climate change deniers have to accept that a fundamental change of culture worldwide has to occur if the planet is not to head down the dystopic route indicated by novels and films like The Road.