Sacrifice for the common good? No Thanks!

In Erik Assadourian’s article The Rise and Fall of Consumer Cultures, Assadourian calls for a cultural transformation of one of the foundations of American culture – consumerism. According to Assadourian, this is the only way the world can avoid complete ecological annihilation. It is a controversial argument, but one I think to have much value and truth.

From my understanding of Assadourian’s argument, we (the consumers) must change our perceptions of what brings us satisfaction and happiness. In the United States today, consumerism plays a significant role in shaping people’s lives, whether it’s the night’s plans to hang out at the mall or go nuts on Black Friday. As individual consumers, we’ve become accustomed to having the latest gadgets, the best cars and the most fashionable clothes. Assadourian claims that to effectively combat climate change, we must change our attitudes towards materialism, only consuming what we really need rather than what we want.

For the most part, I agree with the steps Assadourian advocates in bringing society towards a more sustainable future, mostly with his idea of government intervention through taxes and regulations. The world’s most livable cities didn’t end up that way because their citizens suddenly felt the need to buy reusable bags– it was government actions that incentivized populations to change their daily routines. Not too long ago, Copenhagen was just as car centric as any wealthy Western city – but through government action to make driving inconvenient and biking easier, people began to choose biking over driving. Thanks to government action, the city of Copenhagen has become home to one of the liveliest biking cultures in the world, with 37% of residents choosing to commute by bike.

Governments have the power to change the culture of their citizens – the only issue lies in the how much a government is willing to put up with. After all, it is much harder to take something away from someone than to give something. Consumers won’t like new taxes, restrictive regulations, or any sort of sacrifice that may be called from them (just ask Jimmy Carter how that worked out for him). We can move towards a less materialistic and consumption driven society, but the road ahead is fraught with difficulties that may just prove to be too much to overcome.