Conscious Consumption WP1

I still haven’t taken a side in this debate, even after reading all of the articles. I found the 2nd article titled ‘Conscious Consumerism is a ’more convincing than the first, because I felt like it brought up better and more realistic points. With that being said, I found the overall message of the first article more convincing. It took a more optimistic approach, saying that they couldn’t see conscious consumption being a bad thing. That’s my beliefs diverged from the ones presented in that article. I figured that it couldn’t be true because sustainable products are most likely going to cost more to produce, so the price would go up in response, especially if the quantity must be reduced like the article suggests. This would make the cost of living greater than what low income people can afford. Where I did agree with the first article was when it made its points about conscious consumerism being a distraction from larger issues and false security being a result of conscious consumerism. The ‘conscious consumerism is a lie’ article made more sense to me, but it made it seem like conscious consumption was pointless, which I thought was wrong. I think that conscious consumption makes a small difference in itself, but it also alters the mindset of the people. What’s taken as the norm could change, especially with the support that celebrities have been giving lately. As a result, people would be more likely to vote for policies and individuals who aspire for a greener planet and society. I also disagree with the article’s statements about how contributing money was the best solution. It seemed extremely impractical, because not many people would want to give away their money without getting an immediate return or an item in exchange. Others simply can not afford to give their money away either. I do agree with the statements about over consumption being a major issue that can’t easily be resolved in America, a country whose economy relies on consumption. My perspective is evolving so that I’m considering more potential outcomes and some possible solutions. I’m also thinking about different aspects of the scenario, which further complicate things and make it harder to come to realize my true beliefs. I still need to figure out what I believe to be the best course of action to resolve the issue. I also need to figure out more about what I believe to be the ideal outcome and what that would mean for others. You have to consider corporations, the people, the economy, the planet and the world as a whole. All of them require different things, which makes this issue harder to figure out.