by Shyann Cherokee

Created on: May 06, 2009

The conception of consuming less and spending more is a realty. Ideally, if we consume less, thereby using less of our natural resources, less manufactured goods, the cost of the product should decrease. The average consumer buys items for whatever their purpose and don't consider the actual cost of the production of the item.

The manufacturing companies this country were at an economical point where they were paying higher wages, providing medical insurance, retirement funds, annual and sick leave to their employees and once the Free Trade Agreement was signed and put into action, the companies that employed Americans in the manufacturing plants, provided their faithful, long time employees with "pink slips", closed the factories and relocated to a different country and pay less in production costs as the citizens in foreign countries do not expect to earn what the American worker was earning, there is no medical insurance, annual or sick leave or retirement provided to these foreign employees. The company then imports these same goods and charges the importation taxes, and shipping fees to the American consumer. The imports helped those large corporations to enjoy huge profits and cost the livelihood of many Americans. Those jobs that at one time created a thriving community, left a huge deficit to those same communities. The large American corporations now had an economical means of earning huge profits and if the corporate headquarters is not located within America, a tax relief as they are exempt from paying Federal taxes.

During the 1970's, there was a "gas shortage" and people were encouraged to commute using mass transits, carpooling, walking or riding bicycles when possible. The speed limits were reduced to lessen the consumption of gasoline, smaller economical cars were produced and sold at an affordable price. Americans did what was necessary in order to forestall the loss of one of the most widely used products available and consumed less. As the nature of economics will have it, once the consumer started to consume "less", the prices suddenly were lowered and the "gas shortage" disappeared. The prices however; did not return to the low prices that had been enjoyed prior to the gas shortage, companies realized people require certain goods in order to survive and therefore; would pay the price that was set.

During the 1980's, 1990's and 2000's, society was no longer encouraged to conserve, the manufacturer's and corporations wanted people to spend more, buy larger automobiles, buy huge homes, they fed into the younger generation of "must have all of the newest and biggest of everything".

The six billion plus human beings that now inhabit the planet Earth, will cause a continuous depletion of our natural resources, the cost of our basic human needs, food, water, electricity, medical care, education, housing will by the sheer volume of consumption cause the cost of these to increase. As we continue to populate the Earth, as our population continues to live longer, we will continue to consume more. Realistically, if we have more and more humans to feed, to clothe, to house, to bathe, to educate, to care for medically, the cost of everything will continue to rise. With more humans on the planet, the cost will not only be monetary but it will be environmental as well and for that reason, we need to seriously consider consuming less.

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