Contagious Consumption

Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, one of the leading illnesses was consumption, also known as the lung disease tuberculosis (TB). The mycobacteria infection caused about 1.5 million deaths in 2018. An article in USA Today four months ago examines the history of TB consumption stating, “the disease was eradicated through elimination of poverty, improvement of nutrition and through improvement in living conditions." TB remains prevalent mostly in the developing world. Ironically, another type of consumption is afflicting the entire world by the actions of the most developed nations.

Consumption of natural resources in a consumer economy includes use of energy, food, and water. As the chart shows, people living in the United States led the world in consuming natural resources. If everyone in the world consumed resources at the rate of people in the U.S., it would take 5 Earth’s to support all the people. Obviously this is not sustainable! The World Economic Forum stated in 2019, “the extraction and processing of natural resources alone cause 90% of global biodiversity loss and water stress, and more than half of global climate change impacts.”

The U.S. has only about 4% of the world’s population yet consumes about 20% of the world’s resources. Coal-fired power plants will continue to be phased out in favor of cheaper natural gas, solar photovoltaics, wind, hydroelectric and new designs including small-modular nuclear power generation. A green energy revolution is just beginning but sustainable consumption must be considered for all industries. Powering electric car batteries with lithium oxide places demands on this metal and other rare earth elements, which are also needed for computers and wind generators. Leading producers of these raw materials are in Australia, Chile, and China. However, the U.S. will quickly be a leading importer and consumer of green energy materials and therefore continue to be dependent on imports of natural resources.

As the Covid-19 pandemic becomes even more contagious (as well as TB and other diseases), we need to carefully reassess holistic connections among health care, dependency on natural resources, and consumerism to develop global actions that preserves and protects the planet and essential biodiversity.

Some of the personal and societal solutions are quite obvious: wearing a mask, washing hands, taking vaccines, 3R’s (reduce, reuse, recycle), walking, ride a bicycle, live near your work or telecommute, carry reusable water bottles and shopping bags, and buy products that promote sustainable living.

Carter Denounces Overconsumption

Forty years ago, President Jimmy Carter described Americans losing confidence of our future that, ‘too many people now tend to worship self-indulgence and consumption, human identity no longer is based on what one does but what one owns. Owning things and consuming things does not satisfy our need of longing for meaning. Piling up material goods cannot fill the emptiness of lives that have no purpose.’

He said, ‘We must face the truth and trust each other to restore faith in each other. Stop crying and start sweating, stop talking and start walking, stop cursing and start praying. We are the generation that will solve the energy crisis and rebuild confidence of America. We are at a turning point in our history…with two paths to choose… One path leads to fragmentation and self-interest, mistaken ideas of freedom, grasp some advantage over others for ourselves, will end in chaos and immobility and ending in certain failure. Another path to common purpose and restoration of American values leads to true freedom for our nation and ourselves. Energy is a way to unite this nation…and cease control of our destiny.’

Half the oil depended on foreign imports so he announced quotas to reduce imports and promote conservation and energy independence. Carter created the Department of Energy and first Solar bank to get 20% solar power by the year 2000. He proposed mandatory energy conservation as an act of patriotism. He said conservation is not sacrifice and saving oil would give us more freedom and control.

When Carter lost the election to Reagan in 1980, I witnessed the dismantling of several alternative energy initiatives including wind generation in Wyoming, geothermal in New Mexico, and solar panels on the White House!

Hear the entire speech on C-SPAN.

According to GovInfo:

“James Earl “Jimmy” Carter Jr. was the 39th President of the United States (1977-1981) and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002. President Carter had numerous domestic and foreign policy accomplishments. He created the Department of Energy, established a national energy policy to deal with the energy shortage and decontrolled domestic petroleum prices to stimulate production. He deregulated the trucking and airline industries and prompted Government efficiency through civil service reform. His expansion of the national park system to include protection of 103 million acres in Alaska was one of the many ways he sought to improve the environment. By creating the Department of Education, he increased human and social services, bolstered the Social Security system and appointed record numbers of women, African Americans and Hispanics to Government jobs. In foreign affairs, he was a champion for human rights. He helped bring amity between Egypt and Israel through the Camp David agreement of 1978. He obtained ratification of the Panama Canal treaties, and worked to establish full diplomatic relations with the Peoples Republic of China. He continued difficult negotiations over hostages in Iran, leading to the release of 52 Americans the day he left office.”

President Carter has continued to make a huge difference after leaving office by working on efforts for monitoring fair elections around the world, building homes for Habitat for Humanity, and continuing to support Middle East peace. He also recently spoke out that he believes due to Russia help the election of Donald Trump was not legitimate. Is Carter’s pronouncement coming true that decisions being made by some Americans will end in chaos and failure?