Biologist looks at consumerism and our world

Q: What do you think is the biggest sustainability issue our nation faces?

Consumption. We are a nation driven by consumption. The world’s richest 10 percent account for 59 percent of the world’s consumption. The poorest 10 percent account for 0.5 percent. The U.S. has about 5 percent of the world’s population and accounts for about 30 percent of its consumption. This is bad from the point of view of social justice, but even worse from an environmental standpoint. The 59 percent used by the richest nations comes at a high environmental cost. Corporations have learned they can make more money for their stockholders by “externalizing costs.” In environmental terms, this means “make a big mess, and let someone else pay for cleaning it up.”

Q. You’ve posted about nitrogen pollution, mercury poisoning, the oil spill, ocean dead zones, water use in the desert. What’s the common thread?

Caring for the environment is caring for ourselves. The waterways of the world are our kidneys, the mountains our bones, the air our lungs. The world is us. We are what we breathe, drink, eat. I think we are beginning to learn this. It is tragic that the cost has been the degradation of the environment, but it is an important lesson, and one that we must learn. My blog is my small way of pointing this out. (Search for posts labeled “Inner Life.”)

Q. What do you focus on to stay optimistic?

The good news is that, along with Pogo, we can say, “We have met the enemy, and he is us.” This is good news because if we are the problem, then we are also the solution. I am not saying that it will be easy, but we can change ourselves. We can change our need for “stuff.” We can stop being consumers. It is a simple thing, really. We just have to notice what makes us happy. When we do, we will see that none of it is connected to “stuff.” We are happiest when we are transfixed by beauty, overcome with passion, laughing with friends, watching our children play – never when we are shopping, buying, watching, consuming.