UNIT-7 SHARING NOT BUYING

UNIT-7 SHARING NOT BUYING

7.1 GETTING AND SPENDING

BUYING NEW PRODUCTS IS DIRECTLY RELATED TO:

• EXPENDITURE OF FINANCIAL RESOURCES
• USE OF ECOLOGICAL RESOURCES
• PRODUCTION OF WASTE WHEN THEIR UTILITARIAN LIFE IS OVER
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APPROPRIATION OF NATURAL RESOURCES FOR MAKING PRODUCTS

ALL PRODUCTION PROCESSES REQUIRE NATURAL RESOURCES. HENCE RESOURCES ARE UNDER
HEAVY PRESSURE. HERE IS SOME STATISTICS:
• TELEPHONES ARE MADE FROM 42 DIFFERENT MINERALS, INCLUDING ALUMINUM, BERYLLIUM,
COAL, MERCURY, COPPER, IRON, LIMESTONE, SILICA, SILVER, TALC
• TELEVISION REQUIRES 35 AND COMPUTER REQUIRES 30 DIFFERENT MINERALS
• ON AVERAGE A PERSON USES 16 KILOS OF RESOURCES EXTRACTED FROM EARTH EVERY DAY -
METAL, FOSSIL ENERGY, AND MINERALS.
• IN THE WESTERN WORLD THIS NUMBER IS HIGHER - UP TO 57 KILOS OF NEWLY-MINED
MINERALS PER DAY.
• PRODUCTION OF MINED METAL COMMODITIES IS EXPECTED TO INCREASE BY 250 % BY 2030.
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• THE APPROPRIATION OF NATURAL RESOURCES IS MULTIPLYING AS WORLD
POPULATION IS INCREASING AND THE CONSUMPTION PATTERNS ARE ALSO
GROWING FAST.
• IT HAS BEEN CALCULATED THAT HUMANS ARE USING 30% MORE RESOURCES
THAN THE EARTH CAN REPLENISH EACH YEAR.
• THE GLOBAL POPULATION WOULD REQUIRE TWO PLANETS TO PROVIDE FOR
THEIR CURRENT RATE OF CONSUMERISM IN 2030s.
• PRESSURE OF RESOURCE USE IS LEADING TO DEFORESTATION, DEGRADED SOILS,
DEPLETION OF WATER AND DRAMATIC DECLINES IN MANY NATURAL RESOURCES.
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PRODUCTION OF WASTE
• DISCARDED AND OBSOLETE E. WASTE IN FORM OF PHONES, COMPUTERS AND
OTHER GADEGTS BY WEIGHT WAS 53.6 MILLION TONS IN 2019.
• THE CYCLE OF CONSUMPTION HAS MADE E.WASTE THE FASTEST GROWING SOLID
WASTE STREAM.
• THE E. WASTE CONTAIN MATERIAL LIKE MERCURY AND BERYLLIUM SO IF THEY
END UP IN INCINERATORS OR LANDFILLS THAT HAS ALSO HAS AN
ENVIRONMENTAL COST
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ECOLOGICAL IMPACT
THE LONGER THE OVERSHOOT THE GREATER THE PRESSURE ON ECOLOGICAL
SERVICES, HIGHER THE RISK OF ECOSYSTEM COLLAPSE, PERMANENT LOSSES TO
RENEWABLE AND NON-RENEWABLE RESOURCES.

“OVERSHOOT WILL ULTIMATELY LIQUIDATE THE PLANETS

ECOLOGICAL ASSESTS” (MATHIS WACKERNAGEL 1998 )
THUS WE PAY A HEAVY PRICE FOR OUR BUYING SPREE ENVIRONMENTALLY AND
ECOLOGICALLY.
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THIS DICTATES THAT WE MUST CONTROL OUR SHOPPING ADDICTION AND BUYING
SPREE. THAT BRINGS US TO THE QUESTION WHY DO WE BUY? MANY REASONS
INCLUDE:
• SOME THINGS ARE NECESSARY AND USEFUL
• PRODUCTS ARE OUTWARD SYMBOLS OF WEALTH, RANK, PRIVILEGE, STATUS AND
PLACE IN THE SOCIAL PECKING ORDER
• TO SATISFY SWINGS OF FUN, TREND, FAD, FASHION, STYLE, FRENZY
• OUT OF BOREDOM TO FIND SOME EXCITEMENT
• BUYING ON IMPULSE (OTHERWISE OR SALES)
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• DEEP AESTHETICS AND ASSOCIATIONAL IMAGINATIONS CREATED BY

ADVERTISEMENT ABOUT PRODUCTS
• TRAPS OF ADVERTISEMENT LIKE SMALLER, COMPACT, MINIATURE, SLEEKEST,
VALUE ADDED OBJECTS
• MANIPULATION OF DESIRES WITH ACHIEVING EXTRA CONTROL AND FEATURES
OR PORTABILITY IN NEW PRODUCTS
• LURE OF PACKAGING IN THE NAME OF BEAUTY, DELIGHT
• FEELINGS OF DIS-SATISFACTION WITH WHAT ONE ALREADY HAS AND TO SHOP
FOR SOMETHING ELSE
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• TO PROVE INDIVIDUALITY IN THE FACE OF CONFORMITY
• TO BUY OUT OF NECESSITY AROUND PLANNED OBSOLESCENCE THAT SEEMS TO
BE BUILT INTO THE BUSINESS PLAN OF MANUFACTURE AS WELL AS THE PSYCHE
OF CONSUMER
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ON THE OTHER END, INDUSTRY’S OBJECTIVES OF NEW SHAPES AND PRODUCT

DESIGNS ARE
• LEGITIMATE PROFITS
• NEW SHAPES WITH BETTER FUNCTIONS, ADDED FUNCTIONS OR NEW TECHNO-
BASED FUNCTIONS
• BLIND PURSUIT OF GREED BY INTROUCING NEW FASHIONS IN PRODUCTS
• FACTORIES, CORPORATIONS, INDUSTRIAL CARTELS, TRANSPORTATION NETWORKS,
ADVERTISING INDUSTRY, MEDIA AND GOVERNMENTS –ALL CREATE, EXPLOIT AND
DIRECT THE CONSUMER LIFE STYLES IN THE NAME OF ECONOMIC ACTIVITY
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7.2 CONSUMER TRIANGLE
THE GLOBAL POPULATION CAN BE DIVIDED INTO THREE CATEGORIES ACCORDING
TO THEIR CONSUMERISTIC BEHAVIOURS:
1. THE AFFLUENT WESTERN SOCIETIES WITH THEIR COWBOY THINKING, THROW-
AWAY LIFE STYLES AND WASTE CULTURE (WHICH IS NOW CHALLENGED AND IS
IN THE PROCESS OF CHANGE)
2. PREVIOUS COMMUNIST REGIMES WITH THEIR PRESENT CRAVINGS FOR MORE
AND MORE MATERIAL GOODS
3. DEVELOPING COUNTRIES WITH COLONIAL PASTS ENTERING INTO THE AGE AND
STAGE OF LONGING DUE TO DEVELOPMENT, GLOBALIZATION, EXPLOSION OF
TOURISM AND GROWTH OF TELEVISION
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CHANGE WE NEED
WE MUST LEARN TO:
• MANAGE TO BUY FEWER THINGS
• MAKE BETTER DECISIONS ABOUT WHAT WE REALLY NEED
• EXPLORE OTHER ALTERNATIVES TO BUYING

WE WILL BE ABLE TO PLAY OUR PART

• IN GLOBAL PURSUIT OF SUSTAINABLE RESOURCE USE
• TO STABALISE THE FRAGILE ECOSYSTEMS OF THE WORLD
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CONSIDERATION AND DECISION WHETHER TO BUY OR NOT TO BUY SEEMS VERY VALID, AND
THERE IS AN URGENT NEED FOR PEOPLE TO THINK ABOUT BUYING AND BUYING
ADDICTION. BY CONTROLLING OUR ‘PRODUCT ADDICTION’ AND OUR IMPLUSE TO BUY WE
WILL BE ABLE TO

ENRICH OUR INNER LIVES AND ENHANCE OUR QUALITY OF LIFE

(REMEMBER THE FOCUS OF THE COURSE IS BOTH ECOLOGY AND ETHICS AND
SPIRITUALITY.)
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7.3 THE QUALITY OF LIFE
• CONSUMERISM IS FAIRLY RECENT PHENOMENON
• A FEW DECADES AGO IT WAS NOT INGRAINED IN WORLD CULTURES
• HENCE SATISFACTION AND LONGING ISSUES RELATED TO BUYING ARE RELATIVELY
NEW
• PSYCHOLOGIST HAVE SHOWN THAT OBJECTS CAN NEVER FULFIL REAL HUMAN
NEEDS AND LONGINGS
• WE CAN LEARN TO COME OUT OF IT .
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QUALITY OF LIFE SURVEYS SHOW THAT PEOPLE FIND HAPPINESS, PEACE, INNER JOY
DURING
• PASTIMES WITH FAMILY
• PARTICIPATING IN SOCIAL GATHERINGS
• RELIGIOUS WORSHIP RITUALS
• WATCHING OR DOING SPORTS
• ARTISTIC PURSUITS, CRAFTING ACTIVITIES
• WORKING OR REPAIRING AROUND THE HOUSE
• GARDENING
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• COOKING
• SPENDING TIME WITH NATURE
THE TIME SPENT IN NON-MATERIALISTIC PURSUITS AND ACTIVITIES PROVIDE :
SPIRITUAL JOY
INNER CALMNESS
ESTABLISH STRONG HUMAN BONDS
MEANING TO OUR LIVES
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7.4 THE QUESTIONS BEFORE BUYING
BEFORE MAKING A BUYING DECISION WE MUST ASK THESE QUESTIONS FROM
OURSELVES.
1. DO I REALLY NEED IT?
1. PURPOSE
2. ADVANTAGES/DISADVANTAGES
3. PAYING FOR UN-NECESSARY FEATURES NOT TO BE USED
4. POSSIBILITY OF ATROPHY OF MY SKILLS
5. EASE OF REPAIR, MAINTENANCE, SPAREPARTS
6. WELL MADE?
7. STURDY AND LONGLASTING ?
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2. CAN I BUY IT SECOND HAND? (DISCUSS CULTURE, INHIBITIONS ETC)
3. CAN I BUY IT AT DISCOUNT?
4. CAN I BORROW IT?
5. CAN I RENT IT?
6. CAN I LEASE IT?
7. CAN I SHARE IT?
8. CAN WE OWN IT AS A GROUP?
9. CAN I BUILD IT MYSELF?
10. CAN I ASSEMBLE IT MYSELF BY OWNING A KIT?
11. WHAT UNDER-UTILISED OBJECTS ARE THERE IN MY CLOSET?
12. IF I BUY I WILL GO FOR THOSE PRODUCTS WHICH GIVE LENGTHY WARRANTIES
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MUST ASK QUESTIONS AIMED AT PROTECTING ENVIRONMENT

CONSIDER THE UPSTREAM (CREATION OF PRODUCT) AND DOWNSTREAM( DISPOSAL EFFECTS)

COSTS AND BENEFITS.
1. WILL IT HARM THE ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES?
2. WHAT KIND OF MATERIAL HAS BEEN USED IN IT?
3. DOES IT SAVE/WASTE ENERGY ?
4. IS IT MADE BY CLEANER TECHNOLOGY?
5. DOES IT OFFER RECYCLING ?
6. WHERE WILL IT END?
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DISCUSSION

FIGHTING AGAINST CURRENT ENVIRONMENTAL CRISIS, CLIMATE

CHANGE SCENARIO, SCARCITY OF RESOURCES AND DETERIORATING
PLANET HEALTH FOR CURRENT AND FUTURE GENERATION ICAN BE
DESCRIBED THROUGH A TERM “A PERFECT MORAL STORM”