Materialism and Global Warming

Global warming has resulted from our ever-increasing desire for more convenience and a more luxurious lifestyle. For instance, the bigger cars that ply our roads not only consume more fuel but by making travel more convenient; they lure us into using them more often – sometimes even for very short distances.

With more manufactured goods and processed foods making their way into our homes, numerous factories have sprung up to fulfill the demand. Outsourcing of production to developing countries has worsened the situation because it has fed the increasing materialism of the people in the west by making it cheaper to consume products. It has also exposed people in developing countries to more conveniences causing them to demand these products. It would be wrong to say that we take a step back and reduce our consumption and pursuit of materialism. But surely, we need to find more efficient ways of satisfying our desires without impacting the environment.