**6.3 Consumerism**

The lifestyle in much of the developed world consists of rapid consumption and replacement of consumer goods. Such consumer items include automobiles, appliances, electronics, computers, garments, etc. Spending by consumers generates revenue, jobs, taxes for the government, and stimulates the economy in general. Media, such as newspapers, and TV consist of much advertisements, which promote a lifestyle with rapid replacement of consumer items. The problem arises as the production of consumer goods heavily consumes fossil fuel.

While proponents of such a lifestyle argue that such consumption is a choice made by consumers, it is clear that such practices are unsustainable beyond the next few decades. In the past, increases in fossil fuel prices have contributed to price increases in consumer goods. Depletion of fossil fuel will tend to continue the upward trend in prices of consumer goods, forcing consumers to ultimately move away from such a lifestyle. A program to save
