Path To a Sustainable Earth: Less Consumption

Some people say that nonstop growth in consumption lies at the root of a healthy civilization.

If this were a planet of infinite size with resources that could never be depleted, there might be some merit to this claim.  As it is, however, humankind must find a way to keep society afloat without the mindless drumbeat of extraction, transportation, processing, manufacturing, distribution, sales, consumption, and waste disposal.

The so-called “Library of Things” is a fabulous idea in this regard.  The average cordless drill is used nine minutes from the time it leaves the shelf at the hardware store until it finds its way to the landfill. It doesn’t have to be that way.