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What Are The Environmental Effects Of American Consumerism

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“There is one rule for the industrialist and that is: Make the best quality of goods possible at the lowest cost possible, paying the highest wages possible.” Henry Ford

One American’s consumption of resources is equal valent to that of 35 Indians. Over a lifetime, the typical American will create 13 times as much environmental damage as the average Brazilian. Unfortunately, consumerism as a modern econo-political phenomenon contributes to abnormal waste and pollution, social discrimination, and lack of economical sustainability.
Consumerism encourages extensive production of goods that are not necessary, and are not being refurbished, repaired, or even recycled. As a matter of fact, consumption is an engine of the economy. Usually, in a free …show more content…

80-90 percent of people of the early twenties century spent most of their budged on food and basic needs, furthermore, luxuries were available only for a limited number of people who could afford them. These luxuries were main indicators of one’s wealth, and social group affiliation, that were not available to middle class, and poor people, but were very desirable. With appearance of discount stores, and new manufacturers ready to mass-produce luxuries at the affordable price, suddenly, it became affordable to look like rich. “It is true of dress in even a higher degree than of most other items of consumption, that people will undergo a very considerable degree of privation in the comforts or the necessaries of life in order to afford what is considered a decent amount of wasteful consumption; so that it is by no means an uncommon occurrence, in an inclement climate, for people to go ill clad in order to appear well dressed” [Veblen, p 107]. As a matter of fact, not only wealthy people were role models for newly-established trends, but also young indigent people, who were socially and politically active, inspired others to purchase brands of clothing companies they wore. These meanings are derived from bricolage, the process by which mainstream products are adopted and transformed by subcultures [Sturken, Marita and Cartwright, p.78]. For instance, …show more content…

Statista.com states that in 2015, the U.S. investments made in China were valued at approximately 74.56 billion U.S. dollars. The total direct position of the United States abroad amounted to 5.04 trillion U.S. dollars in 2014. Additionally, US overall advertising expenses went up from 158 to 210 billion dollars in 2011 and 2015 respectively. These facts indicate that large companies with great funds invested in production and advertising depend on overall sales and demand in most of the consumers’ target groups. As a matter of fact, these investments boost record breaking sales of some of the leading companies in the US such as Walmart with 354 billion dollars a year, The Kroger Co. with 103 billion dollars a year, and Costco with 83.5 billion dollars a year. Since the recession in 2008, Christmas holiday retail sales in the United States have grown steadily. In 2014, Christmas retail sales grew to about 620 billion U.S. dollars; a 4.1 percent increase from the previous year. The amount of money that U.S. consumers plan to spend on gifts has also increased. A November 2016 survey revealed that U.S. consumers expect to spend, on average, approximately 830 U.S. dollars in 2015; over a 100 U.S. dollar increase from 2015 [Statista.com]. These numbers of steadily growing economy and revenues from sales also impact other valuable

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