Consumption and Community

Reading Leonard’s chapter on consumption an idea that stuck out to me was her assertion that we need more than simply greener alternatives to what we already consume. She states, “trying to consume our way out of the mess we’re in is a familiar dead end” (174). I probably like many others at Oxy, do tend to fall into this mode of thinking. Much of the time my reaction is to try and find products that are produced in ways which are less exploitative or polluting and instead to consume greener, fair-trade products. But in the end this is still a form of consumption. According to Leonard, this concept of “greensuption” or “conscious consumption” should be practiced when we shop but “being an informed and engaged consumer is not a substitute for being an informed and engaged citizen”(175). Leonard’s solution to this in part participating in strong communities, which means, “we buy less stuff, use less energy consume fewer resources because we can share things and help one another”(176). This is where I feel that programs at Oxy can make a big impact on our consumption. Instead of simply shifting to buying greener products programs like bike sharing and zip car have the potential of contributing to Oxy’s sense of community and making the campus more environmentally friendly. So that instead of buying a more fuel-efficient car, students can join programs like zip car. To me, the idea of a secondhand store or exchange where students could drop off items they no longer want and pick up things they may need plays into this idea of building strong community resources as a way of reducing consumption. Not only will this be good for the environment, but also, according to Leonard, the decrease in consumption and having a strong local community will make us happier.