Summary
Chapter 11 focuses on overconsumption, the "extraordinary inefficiencies"(134) of the U.S. consumer market, from production to the market to the consumer. Woodhouse argues that the engineering field, and therefore the engineers that fuel it, is responsible for making the changes to be more ethically, socially, and environmentally mindful to reduce the harmful inefficiencies currently in place. He believes the market system is currently set up to encourage engineers to be wasteful and ignorant, with a heavy focus on adding variety, causing change rather than improvement. He argues engineering curriculums cannot continue to be technical and theoretical- new engineers must be looking at current problems at the cutting edge of the field from a holistic and sociological perspective. Woodhouse argues universities must make engineers that are willing and capable of challenging the norms and values of the system they are being put into in order to stop the harm currently being caused to our society, economy and our planet.
Analysis and Synthesis
At first, I was very upset with the way Woodhouse began this chapter, claiming "U.S. consumers use more
per capita than people living anywhere else on the planet" (131). He proceeds to list what exactly U.S. consumers produce as a result of this consuming: 3.5 billion lbs of carpet in
landfills, 25 billion lbs CO2, 6 billion lbs polystyrene, 28 billion lbs of food, 300
billion lbs chemicals for manufacturing and processing, 700 bil lbs hazardous
waste in chemical production. However, his next statement is that "95 percent of these
amounts occur before a product ever gets into the household"- American consumers are hidden from seeing or knowing this because of "consumer
culture" (131). So is it fair to say that each of us consumer more per capita, when really it is just huge corporations and industry producing it before we even touch it? Is it our fault as consumers that we do not see or know these things? What exactly is our consumer culture and how is it blindsiding us from the truth about what we purchase? Woodhouse went on from there to talk about the engineers' side of things, behind the scenes, but I want to explore our responsibility as consumers as we receive and are effected by engineered products.
The Problems:
1) Vagueness and Ignorance
Responses to numbers stated above differ, from "it's entropy, so whatever", to enacting Industrial Ecology- clean production and an environmentally friendly system that "can cure problems while contributing to business profitably" (132). Woodhouse claims this spectrum stems from everyone having a different view on what is too much. He points to David Orr, who claims our consumer culture subjects consumers to and involves them in technological cleverness, the dreamland of the original bounty of north america at its discovery, seductive advertising, entrapment by easy credit, prices that do not reflect products' real costs, political corruption, all of which cause overconsumption.
2) Your Endangered Personal and Global Environment
Most people in developed countries have been hearing about this thing called climate change, and overconsumption contributes to it. These are what Woodhouse calls "destabilizing ecological effects" of overconsumption, and they include atmospheric changes, oceanic changes and harm to ocean life, he increase of human habitation at the expense of ecosystems and unsustainable depletion of natural resources, and the endangerment and extinction of animal species due to all of the above. However, if that isn't enough to motivate you to do the research and make decisions on your purchases, these kind of things can happen close to home. Feel like you're spending too many hours at work, at the expense of your personal health, neighborhood culture, recreational time, family life, love life? Should these things really be Are you in the pits of debt because of impulse buying, or purchasing more than you need? Should your personal security, the security of your loved ones, and your daily happiness really be jeopardized because that commercial or that neighbor told you those things were worth it, in the long run?
1) Vagueness and Ignorance
Responses to numbers stated above differ, from "it's entropy, so whatever", to enacting Industrial Ecology- clean production and an environmentally friendly system that "can cure problems while contributing to business profitably" (132). Woodhouse claims this spectrum stems from everyone having a different view on what is too much. He points to David Orr, who claims our consumer culture subjects consumers to and involves them in technological cleverness, the dreamland of the original bounty of north america at its discovery, seductive advertising, entrapment by easy credit, prices that do not reflect products' real costs, political corruption, all of which cause overconsumption.
2) Your Endangered Personal and Global Environment
Most people in developed countries have been hearing about this thing called climate change, and overconsumption contributes to it. These are what Woodhouse calls "destabilizing ecological effects" of overconsumption, and they include atmospheric changes, oceanic changes and harm to ocean life, he increase of human habitation at the expense of ecosystems and unsustainable depletion of natural resources, and the endangerment and extinction of animal species due to all of the above. However, if that isn't enough to motivate you to do the research and make decisions on your purchases, these kind of things can happen close to home. Feel like you're spending too many hours at work, at the expense of your personal health, neighborhood culture, recreational time, family life, love life? Should these things really be Are you in the pits of debt because of impulse buying, or purchasing more than you need? Should your personal security, the security of your loved ones, and your daily happiness really be jeopardized because that commercial or that neighbor told you those things were worth it, in the long run?
What Can I do?:
Well, first you, as a consumer, can admit that you contribute and are part of all of this. As Woodhouse jeers, if you get all riled up hearing Orr's list, then you must admit that very feeling is because it has become part of the culture and way of life you value.
1)My suggestion is to them come up with your own personal definition of what is too much. Write it down, put it in bold and/or bright colors, hang it on your fridge, your trash can, make it the header on your grocery or other shopping list. Do it again, but for your ideal company. If you were to start your own company of any sort, what would be 'too much'? How would you handle your waste? What would your production goals and policies be? Then, do some good old fashioned research. Look into the companies and brands you love-- what are people saying about them? What is their mission statement? Can they provide evidence of what happens to their products when consumers dispose of them? Is there record of their waste disposal during production, by the company or by other sources? What accreditation do they have, and by whom? Get as much information as you possibly can, and decide what brands you use are consistent with your definition of 'too much'.
While there isn't much that you can do in terms of your current debt, make sure you're making choices based on what you want.
2) Ask yourself: Did you want a new fridge, a new car, a new puppy, before you saw that advertisement or your friend's fridge/car/puppy? Could you say your life was truly unhappy or felt unfulfilled before you thought of getting one? Do you want to stay with this job or take on one with less hours to live the lifestyle you want? Do you really need all that extra income, fancy dinners, the new iphone, if it means you get more vacation days, more hours at home? Consider what you need, what you can afford, and the negative effects that purchasing or working will cause on your life. If you still feel it is worth it, follow the steps in step 1. Also consider if your company is consistent with the definition of 'too much' you made for the company you would start. Is the company you're working for doing things you want to support?
Taking the time to make informed, hard decisions in order to increase efficiency and awareness is important. By cutting down the number of products you use and contribute to to what is necessary and what you personally believe in, consumers can help slow down the production treadmill, decrease the number of harmful products, and have a more efficient and enjoyable life. It is not enough for engineers to do all of the work; consumers cannot merely consume mindfulness, they must consume mindfully in order to truly accomplish these things. While products shape consumers lives from cradle to grave, consumers can just as powerfully and systematically shape products from cradle to grave.
Well, first you, as a consumer, can admit that you contribute and are part of all of this. As Woodhouse jeers, if you get all riled up hearing Orr's list, then you must admit that very feeling is because it has become part of the culture and way of life you value.
1)My suggestion is to them come up with your own personal definition of what is too much. Write it down, put it in bold and/or bright colors, hang it on your fridge, your trash can, make it the header on your grocery or other shopping list. Do it again, but for your ideal company. If you were to start your own company of any sort, what would be 'too much'? How would you handle your waste? What would your production goals and policies be? Then, do some good old fashioned research. Look into the companies and brands you love-- what are people saying about them? What is their mission statement? Can they provide evidence of what happens to their products when consumers dispose of them? Is there record of their waste disposal during production, by the company or by other sources? What accreditation do they have, and by whom? Get as much information as you possibly can, and decide what brands you use are consistent with your definition of 'too much'.
While there isn't much that you can do in terms of your current debt, make sure you're making choices based on what you want.
2) Ask yourself: Did you want a new fridge, a new car, a new puppy, before you saw that advertisement or your friend's fridge/car/puppy? Could you say your life was truly unhappy or felt unfulfilled before you thought of getting one? Do you want to stay with this job or take on one with less hours to live the lifestyle you want? Do you really need all that extra income, fancy dinners, the new iphone, if it means you get more vacation days, more hours at home? Consider what you need, what you can afford, and the negative effects that purchasing or working will cause on your life. If you still feel it is worth it, follow the steps in step 1. Also consider if your company is consistent with the definition of 'too much' you made for the company you would start. Is the company you're working for doing things you want to support?
Taking the time to make informed, hard decisions in order to increase efficiency and awareness is important. By cutting down the number of products you use and contribute to to what is necessary and what you personally believe in, consumers can help slow down the production treadmill, decrease the number of harmful products, and have a more efficient and enjoyable life. It is not enough for engineers to do all of the work; consumers cannot merely consume mindfulness, they must consume mindfully in order to truly accomplish these things. While products shape consumers lives from cradle to grave, consumers can just as powerfully and systematically shape products from cradle to grave.
