COMPLEXITY OF CONSUMPTION

AND LIFESTYLE

Sudhanshu Kumar
M.Sc. Environmental Sciences (Environmental Technology)
Semester- I, ROLL NO. 17430ENS025
Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development (IESD)
Banaras Hindu University
COMPLEXITY
 The dictionary meaning of complexity (noun)
according to Merriam Webster is
a. the quality or state of not being simple: the
quality or state of being complex.
b. a part of something that is complicated or hard to
understand.

 The “Science of Complexity,” emerged from the

interplay of physics, mathematics, biology,
economics, engineering, and computer science.
 Complexity describes the behaviour of a system or
models whose components interact in multiple
ways and follow local rules, meaning there is no
reasonable higher instruction to define the various
possible interactions.
CONSUMPTION

 The dictionary meaning of consumption (noun)

according to Merriam Webster is “The utilization
of economic goods for the satisfaction of wants or
in the process of production, resulting chiefly in
their destruction, deterioration or
transformation”.
 Consumption is an important activity performed
by the household sector. Whatever income is
obtained, from one source or the other, is spent
either on consumption or is saved.
 It is obvious that consumption is the utilization
of resources, services provided to us by the
nature by the help of technology.
LIFESTYLE

 The meaning of lifestyle as given by Merriam

Webster dictionary is “the way a person lives or a
group of people live”.
 Lifestyles are group specific forms of how individuals
live and interpret their lives in a social context, i.e. it
links social structure to attitudes and behaviour.
 Three core dimensions have to be combined to
describe a lifestyle from a macro-perspective
a. Social status or class

b. Attitudes and preferences or mentality

c. Behaviour or practice.
This is the determining factor in the change in pattern
of consumption.
CARRYING CAPACITY

 The resources are very limited in quantity and

are not replenished easily and hence it can
support a fixed quantity of consumers, which is
better stated as carrying capacity.
 According to Gerrett Hardin (1977) carrying
capacity is the maximum number of species that
can be supported indefinitely by a particular
habitat, allowing for seasonal and random
changes without degradation of the environment
and without diminishing carrying capacity of
that habitat in the future.
 Cultural carrying capacity is the human
requirement of quality food beyond subsistence,
clothing that is more than just functional, comfortable
housing, transportation and other items that
constitute a reasonable standard of living. (Hardin
1986).
 William Rees (1996) defines human carrying
capacity as the maximum rates of resource
harvesting and waste generation (maximum load)
that can be sustained indefinitely without
progressively impairing the productivity and
functional integrity of relevant ecosystems.
 The planet earth provides a life support system for its
human population as well as supports our industrial
metabolism, which requires natural resources as
input and produces output that must go back to
environment as waste after utilisation
ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT

 The ecological footprint is a tool for measuring

and analysing human natural resource
consumption and waste output within the context
of nature’s renewable and vegetative capacity.
 To achieve economic growth and sustainable
development the ecological footprint must be
reduced within earth’s limit by
a. Changing the way of production and
consumption
b. Efficient management of shared natural
resources
c. Recycle, reduce and reuse waste materials.
d. Halving the per capita food waste at retailer
and consumer level to ensure food security.
POVERTY

 Poverty is not only about basic needs and

material deprivation but also about engagement
and participation in society.

 Definition of poverty given by different

organisations include:
a. Income or level of private consumption
b. Human development index encompassing
measures of purchasing power, education, and
health.
c. Environmental dimensions: command over
resources ( through ownership or membership of
particular social group).
AGENDA 21 CHAPTER - 4

 In Agenda 21, the issue of changing consumption

patterns has been addressed in parts dealing
with energy, transportation and wastes, and also
in the chapters on economic instruments and the
transfer of technology.
 Objectives of Agenda 21.
a. To promote sustainable patterns of consumption
and production that can reduce environmental
stress and will meet the basic needs of
humanity.
b. To develop a better understanding of the role of
consumption and how to bring about more
sustainable consumption patterns.
INTERNATIONAL APPROACH TO ACHIEVE
SUSTAINABLE CONSUMPTION PATTERNS
 Countries should be guided by the following basic objectives
in their efforts to address consumption and lifestyles in the
context of environment and development:
a. All countries should strive to promote sustainable
consumption patterns;
b. Developed countries should take the lead in achieving
sustainable consumption patterns;
c. Developing countries should seek to achieve sustainable
consumption patterns in their development process,
guaranteeing the provision of basic needs for the poor,
while avoiding those unsustainable patterns, particularly in
industrialized countries, generally recognized as unduly
hazardous to the environment, i.e., efficient and wasteful,
in their development processes. This requires enhanced
technological and other assistance from industrialized
countries.
 ALTERNATIVE SOURCE OF LIGHT IN
VILLAGES OF SUNDERBANS: CASE

 An entrepreneurial woman can be trained, who has a

solar panel on the roof of the house. She charges these
solar lanterns during the daytime and rents them out
to all the villagers in the evening at a low price of five
rupees which is roughly eleven US cents.
 This way she can generate an income for herself and
the village gets much cleaner lighting. Some of them
can extend their working hours and therefore
increase their incomes as well.
 Therefore, this is only an example of how we need to
think out of the box and come up with unconventional
methods by which we can ensure that the resources of
this planet are utilized efficiently and sustainably.
 COMPLEXITY OF CONSUMPTION
AND LIFESTYLE
 Consumption is an integral part of our life.
 Patterns and effects of consumption are menace.
 Consumption pattern changes for both micro (change in
taste, lifestyle, income) and macro (structural shift in
environment) reasons.
 At present rate population on earth will increase in 5 years
to almost 8 billion which is a great problem regarding
consumption patterns.
 The North with major population accounts for more than
80 per cent of the world's consumption of natural resources
and generates more than 75 per cent of the world's
municipal and industrial wastes.
 Industrial countries have about 85% of the global income
and have contributed to about 80% of the global CO2
emissions since 1950 - North consumes 80 times as much
energy as a person in Africa south of Sahara.
 A. CONSUMPTION AND LIFESTYLE
CASE STUDY
 Economic disparity in the society results in
unsustainable lifestyle and consumption pattern.
 Changing consumption patterns will require a multi-
pronged strategy focusing on demand, meeting the
basic needs of the poor, and reducing wastage and the
use of finite resources in the production process.
 Taking the case of food consumption pattern and how
it affects the lifestyle of people. We can consider food
consumption pattern to be of 4 types.
a. Mis-consumption
b. Overconsumption
c. Between over and mis-consumption
d. Under-consumption
a. Mis-consumption:– rapid change in diets and
lifestyles impacts on nutritional status of
populations resulting into nutritional and diet
related diseases causing disability and premature
death in both developed and developing countries
(WHO 2004). It undermines the quality of life as
well as have other negative environmental, social
and economic impacts (Barber 2000).
b. Over-consumption:– it is a serious trend in
developing as well as affluent industrial nations.
Post industrial food systems add excess calories at
all stages (Production, processing, distribution,
preparation and consumption). Obesity and
overweight have emerged as the greatest public
health challenge of 21st century, particularly among
youths. A series of disabilities and psychological
problems are linked directly to excess weight (WHO,
2004).
c. Between over and mis-consumption:
anorexia and bulimia:- social system provides
easy access to high calorie- low cost food with high
prevalence of obesity and parallel development of
fear of fatness. Food is abundant and
advertisements encourage people to enjoy the full
pleasure of food consumption.
d. Under consumption:- large proportion of
people in developing countries have no access to
enough food and safe drinking water. Hunger is the
salient indicator of unsustainability of global food
system. There is enough food in the world to feed
12% more than the actual population. While there
is more food, the poor can’t afford to buy it. who
claims that nearly 30% of humanity is currently
suffering from one or more of the multiple forms of
malnutrition and hidden hunger.
 B. ANALYSIS OF EXPENDITURE ON FOOD
AND NON FOOD ITEMS: CASE STUDY
 The consumption pattern in India is defined with the
reference to the consumer expenditure survey by the NSSO.
 The expenditure on non-food items comprises of expenses on
beverages, intoxicants, tobacco and its products, hotel and
restaurants, clothing and footwear, gross rent and fuel and
power, furniture, furnishing appliances and services, medical
care and health services, transport and communication,
recreation and education and cultural services.
 In the pre reform period, gross rent, fuel and power was the
major non-food component but in the post reform period, the
emphasis was shifted to transport and communication
expenses.
 During pre economic reform period major expenditure was
on food items but at the end of the reform that is in the year
1990-91, expenditure on non food items fluctuated and
steadily increased.
CONTINUED..
ENGEL’S LAW

 Consumption expenditure on different food and non-

food items are generally used as the main yardstick
for measuring standard of living in developing nation.
 Engel’s Law, an economic theory introduced in 1857
by Ernst Engel, a German statistician, stating that
the percentage of income allocated for food purchases
decreases as income rises.
 As a household's income increases, the percentage of
income spent on food decreases while the proportion
spent on other goods (such as luxury goods) increases.
 Empirical data supports that the level of MPCE
(monthly per capita expenditure) has an inverse
relationship to the proportion of food expenditure.
 C. YOUTH AND ENVIRONMENT

 Consumer culture has become ever stronger, spread

by globalisation and supported by advertisements.
 Youths are the target of commercials not because of
any large disposable income, but corporations have
vested interest in creating long term consumers.
 Youths easily develop and adjust new products into
their lifestyle.
 Environmental education to youth provides skills to
recognise and draw links between products and its
ecological consequences.
 Growth of organic farming and fair trade goods
suggest that there is now greater public awareness,
consumers are choosing eco friendly products.
 CONCLUSION
 Changing consumption and production patterns is the
heart of sustainable development.
 We need to ensure that global consumption is more
sustainable than today, and that consumption is
reduced in high-income countries and slowed down in
developing countries, in order to avoid increasing the
level of damage caused by climate change and
greenhouse gas emissions.
 We recognize the need to end lifestyle trends
embracing high resource, high energy, and other
unsustainable consumption patterns
Major approaches in the consumption pattern
 Reduction of consumption and waste management
 Discontinue using harmful for the environment
products;
 Purchase and use of responsible products;
 Enter a proactive behaviour.
 Consumption and production have become more resources
and energy-efficient over the years, which has also
encouraged people to consume more with a faster rate.
 Consumers with increasing incomes have been buying
larger houses, with more heating and air conditioning,
more and larger appliances, larger and more powerful cars,
and more consumer goods in general, and they have been
travelling more.
 High-income consumers, mostly in the developed countries,
are continuing to set lifestyle and consumption standards
that are increasingly unsustainable.
 The earth cannot support 9 billion people with consumption
and production patterns like those prevalent in developed
countries.
 The challenge is to move towards consumption and
production patterns that can provide everyone with a good
standard of living with greatly reduced use of fossil fuels,
less depletion and degradation of natural resources and a
clean, healthy environment.
MAHATMA GANDHI

 When he was asked whether he expected India to

attain the same standard of living as Britain.

 He replied, “It took Britain half the resources of

the planet to achieve this prosperity. How many
planets will a country like India require?”

Thanks