Over the weekend, the New York Times ran an op-ed piece discussing consumption levels and sustainability. The punchline:
No, we could have a stable outcome in which all countries converge on consumption rates considerably below the current highest levels. Americans might object: there is no way we would sacrifice our living standards for the benefit of people in the rest of the world. Nevertheless, whether we get there willingly or not, we shall soon have lower consumption rates, because our present rates are unsustainable.
Jared Diamond, author of the column, goes on to argue that managing resource consumption down to sustainable levels is a better idea than the tough adaptation forced by increasingly scarce resources.
I agree, but looking out at the piles of post-holiday trash lining the street for pickup tomorrow…I’m not hopeful that Joe Average American is inclined to agree with any sacrifice.