Assadourian Response

In his essay, Assadourian argues that the dominant worldwide culture of consumerism must be drastically altered to a culture of sustainability to prevent the collapse of the human civilization. He acknowledges that in the short term, asking consumers to limit their consumption is the equivalent of “asking them to stop breathing – they can do it for a moment, but then, gasping, they will inhale again.” Being fully absorbed in this consumer culture, I completely agree with this sentiment and thus tried to step outside that environment to see Assadourian’s point of view. This was no small task, but I have still found aspects of his argument that I think are reasonable.

The only way Assadourian’s goal of an end to consumerism can be considered feasible is if there is a paradigm shift to sustainability, brought on by cultural pioneers. Even when I try to step back and see this point of view from an objective, unbiased standpoint, I still cannot imagine this happening. I’m sure that it also has something to do with the fact that it could never be achieved within my lifetime as well. This is because I believe that the world is driven by the economy and money and GDP and financial well-being will trump sustainability in people’s minds for a long time. However, I do like many of Assadourian’s suggestions that will lead to greater awareness and a stronger fight against climate change; I just do not believe that they will be significant enough to shift the world from a consumer to sustainable paradigm.

I strongly approve of the various proposed steps to change: discourage promotion of excessive consumption that harms well-being, replace private consumption with public consumption, develop “cradle-to-cradle” goods, enhance sustainable education, and promote greener practices in the media. These practices will produce significant changes in the fight against climate change and will thus be beneficial to the planet and its inhabitants. In this sense, they need to be pursued and undertaken to the fullest extent. I am still not convinced, however, that they will decrease the citizens of the world to “want” more. Besides the unlikelihood that those in developed countries will want to sacrifice what they already have and give more, the people of poor nations also have to be considered. It is just as unreasonable to think that their desire to have more and live comfortably will be abolished. The American Dream that has motivated the U.S. and millions more for over 200 years has become synonymous with consumer culture. Self-advancement and opportunity are desirable precisely because they will lead to comfort and indulgence and the possibility of excess. This powerful idea is not one that can be overcome simply with time and a few “cultural pioneers.”