Kohak continually stresses in the opening sections of the book how the world we live in is facing an ecological crisis. This crisis is due to the actions of most careless humans. It soon becomes apparent that the reason for these problems is a result of the “Culture of the Consumer” that most humans in first world countries live their lives. Multiply this by the overpopulation of humans and the continual increase in our population, and a large reason for this ecological crisis can soon be seen.
So what exactly is the “Culture of the Consumer”? This Culture of the Consumer is a way of life that the vast majority of people live, especially those who live in countries with a developed economy. Kohak does a great job of summing it up. His statement that most people see nature as “a set of natural resources for satisfying all of our wishes” (p.3) is at the core of this lifestyle. It is the belief that “happiness is an inalienable right” that is fulfilled when we can purchase anything we desire (p.9). Such a belief leaves little thought for the harm our consumerism can inflict on the environment, because we are too entranced with the goal of making sure we are “happy”. Such lifestyles are one of the reasons why the American government would not accept limitations on emissions that were proposed at the Kyoto Conference (p.5).
This is not the sole reason for the ecological crisis, but I do believe it is one of the factors that has allowed these problems to grow mostly unchecked. The Culture of the Consumer is an interesting and important concept that must be understood when talking about the environmental problems we are faced with. It most be understood, because until such a lifestyle is altered in a more eco-friendly way, a solution to fix the harm to nature will be almost impossible to come by.
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