Is It Possible to “Consume with Care?”

The World Environment Day 2015 Blog Competition is themed Seven Billion Dreams. One Planet. Consume with Care. Yardfarmers ask, “Is it really possible to consume with care?”

Our consumer culture has outgrown the ability to discuss sustainability in a manner that makes sense and that will be able to achieve results. The most obvious example of this inadequate language is the fact that the word “consumer” is considered synonymous with a human being.

Instead, what we’ll need is a paradigm shift in the way we view ourselves and the way we view our relationship to nature. We can no longer view ourselves primarily as consumers. We must learn to think of ourselves as first as community members (locally and globally), producers, and stewards of the land and planet we live on. Previously, nature has been viewed as an abundance of resources at humans’ disposal for our use. We must change the way we view nature as well. There needs to be a relationship, a give and take, rather than just a continual “taking” or consuming of the natural environment.