MINDFULNESS AND SUSTAINABILITY

https://theconversation.com/how-mindfulness-can-help-the-shift-towards-a-more-sustainable-
society-79127

http://www.lucsus.lu.se/research/urban-governance/contemplative-sustainable-futures

Leonard calls upon wider research to argue the sociological and

psychological consequences of our all-consuming epidemic, including that
of Tim Kasser and Robert Putman. Kasser identified a connection between
an excessively materialistic outlook and increased levels of anxiety and
depression, while Putman argues we're paying the ultimate price for our
consumeristic tendencies with the loss of friendships, neighbourly support
and robust communities. Together they suggest we are witnessing nothing
short of the collapse of social fabric across society.

Part of the problem, according to Leonard, is our confused sense of self.

We've allowed our citizen self to be dwarfed by a relatively new reflex action
– consume, consume, consume. "Our consumer self is so overdeveloped
that we spend most of our time there. You see it walking around – we
usually interact with others from our consumer self and are most spoken to
as our consumer self. The problem is that we are so comfortable there that
when we're faced with really big problems [like climate change], we think
about what to do as individuals and consumers: 'I should buy this instead of
this.'