Introduction
Allan Durning, in his piece “The Dubious Rewards of Consumption”, argues against the unchecked consumption in the developed world. As a researcher on the social aspects of increased consumption characteristic of western societies such as the US and the UK, he cautions that the pursuit of happiness by individuals in such societies should not be tied to materialistic gains.
By offering research findings on the level of contentment by people in different societies, he shows that monetary benefits and acquisition of material wealth are not related to increased happiness; on the contrary, such unbridled pursuit for wealth and unchecked consumption contributes to environmental degradation, wars and conflicts, and exacerbates such phenomena as global warming.
Insatiable Nature of Human Consumption
The author argues that although the general feeling amongst many people is that they would achieve a higher level of happiness if only they could increase their income, such a notion is untrue. Durning quotes Aristotle by stating that, “the avarice of mankind is insatiable” (770). According to research findings presented in the article, the levels of happiness for people in higher income groups compared to those of lower income groups are not different (Durning 773).
The author’s aim is to show that the belief in a notion that happiness is commensurate to increased income is merely a psychological belief similar to the notion ‘the grass is greener on the other side’, even when this is never the case. The author therefore, argues that understanding the insatiability of human desires, greed and wants is the beginning of liberation from the extreme desire for material gains characteristic of citizens of western nations.
Excessive Consumption and Environmental Degradation
Excessive and unnecessary consumption prevalent in many western societies have a negative impact on the environment. According to the author, since the year 1940, Americans have consumed more resources than all previous generations of the world combined (Durning 771).
This startling statistic opens a window of analysis of the effects of such a ‘culture of consumption’ in the world’s resources. Consumption and acquisition of goods such as cars and other gadgets and appliances in the home inevitably leads to higher energy needs. Factories and industries created to produce these machines and appliances for home use are the biggest contributors to global warming. More vehicles on the roads also emit carbon fumes that worsen an already pathetic situation.
Excessive Consumption and Wars/Conflicts
Furthermore, as energy needs fuelled by consumption rise, the limited natural resources that service this need continue to dwindle. The over-reliance on oil as the chief source of energy by most western nations has directly contributed to the many wars that have been fought in the Middle East and the Persian Gulf – region with some of the world’s largest known oil reserves.
American interest in the Persian Gulf is exclusively due to the presence of oil reserves, and with oil as the chief source of energy for the average American consumer, successive American governments have been willing to wage war in order to secure the oil fields in this region.
Conclusion
Excessive consumption amongst individuals in western societies creates a sense of dissatisfaction in people, contributes to environmental degradation and fuels wars and conflicts related to securing natural resources. Therefore, western nations would do well to take cognisance of these facts, and undertake policies that limit excessive consumption and utilise more sustainable energy sources that reduce conflicts.
Works Cited
Durning, Allan. “The Dubious Rewards of Consumption.” In Bill McKibben (Ed.),
American Earth: Environmental Writing since Thoreau (pp.770-780). New York: Library of America, 2008.