Changing Consumer
Culture... One LED At A Time
I sit here as a 26 year old man, shaking my head at the state
of the world. At the recent COP21 (Climate Conference) in Paris, our leaders
made all sorts of grand promises about reducing humanity’s impact on the world.
Despite it being good to debate and share ideas, they failed to explain how our
growth-driven economic model is going to reach this summit and what strides we
all need to take to make a better world possible.
In this opinion piece I would like to explore how our economic
model and the associated consumer culture that drives it - needs to change, if
we are all to play our part in helping breathe new life back into nature’s
foundations. In order to turn our noble dreams into a tangible reality we all
need to face some cold hard truths about modern life and our own expectations.
Ultimately, we need to challenge ourselves to think and act in new ways, which
don’t necessarily revolve around endless growth and consumption.
We are all consumers
now, but are there any alternative ways of leading full and rich lives without
defining ourselves as consumers?
I’m talking about a complete culture change, a shift in
attitudes, right across the board and at every social level. It is no longer
enough for a handful of campaigners to bang drums and wave banners. We require
mainstream change by considering how the millions of everyday actions can be
made less harmful - quickly, easily and affordably. There are positive signs that
this is possible, take the last 10 years in the lighting industry, many of the
light bulbs we use today have become 90% more energy efficient and new
technologies have plummeted in price as they continue to be made in their
billions.
But what are the next steps? Plastic bags, cars, homes? How do
we learn the lessons from the giant leaps in energy efficient lighting? How do
we apply this model to every area of life?
Step 1 : Take stock of
what’s around you.
What do you own, how do you interact and what can be improved
upon. This can be anything from how you get to work to how you light your home.
Step 2 : Take the first
step
When trying to change, taking the first step can often feel the
hardest. It is therefore important to break the changes you want to make it
small pieces and to allow yourself some early successes. My recommendation is
therefore to implement some of the smaller and more achievable improvements
first. After this you can tackle the bigger changes, from firmer foundations.
Step 3 : Measure what
you monitor
In order to remain motivated, and sustain your efforts over the
long-term, it is important to measure what you plan to monitor, so that your
successes (and failures) can be quantified and used to show you what has been
effective.
Step 4 : Share what
works
Raising awareness of the changes you’ve made and demonstrating
these have worked will enable you to scale up what you have learnt and help
your environment. Try to influence your peers to make similar strides.
Step 5 : Build a team
Once you have some success under your belt, why not think about
what you and others can do to tackle the bigger picture. Maybe set up a group
with like-minded individuals and build a team with a clear goal and perhaps
even a sustainable business model, that will allow your efforts to build and
grow over the years.
The Transition Towns Handbook can offer some great advice on
how to do this.
Step 6 : Lighting the way:
On a more personal note, one of the easiest ways to reduce energy
consumption is to be savvy with heating and lighting. The majority of energy
efficient light bulbs, such as LEDs, are now produced to accommodate a vast
range of fixtures. So the next time you need to replace your halogen and incandescent
bulbs why not consider using some eco friendly LEDs and (cough) visiting our light bulb store at Direct Trade Supplies.
Change is never easy - especially when you are trying to change a whole culture - but I hope that the steps I ave proposed will give you something useful to think about.
Written by Thomas Bray from
Direct Trade Supplies, Electrical Wholesaler.