Consuming the Environment

Consuming the Environment looks at what everyday buying and using of products does to the environment, and at how people can consume more sustainably. It is written in an accessible style and starts from ordinary experiences such as shopping online, in the grocery store, or at the mall. From there it shows how these habits tie into a global system that depends on ever-increasing consumption. The chapters draw on researchers working in areas including energy, food, water, land, fashion, electronics, eco-tourism, green products, and (micro)plastics. They uncover the complex and mostly hidden links between consumerism, resource extraction, and manufacturing. The book looks at a wide range of everyday goods, and also at things that have been turned into products, such as knowledge, waste, and pets. The central argument running through the chapters is that people need to see themselves as citizens rather than consumers. As citizens, they can organize their communities and press governments and industry to stay within planetary sustainability boundaries. Each chapter has summary boxes, directed discussion, assignment questions, and further reading. The book is aimed at undergraduate and postgraduate students on courses in consumerism, sustainable consumption, and environmental sociology.