Production demand has resulted in many environmental challenges that have brought around many issues that governments are still puzzled on the way to provide solutions. Capitalism has resulted in urban societies being highly dependent on the production of goods and many services to sustain the high standards of living 1 . The consumption of goods is a part of our culture as seen in major shopping cultures such as Black Friday. Many cities are now based on the strength of consumption trends. There is no way in which such a society can exist in such huge numbers without the realization that the environment has suffered massive damage.
The vast majority of major cities in the modern context are faced with huge population growth rates. At the moment, the world population is projected to go past the 8 billion mark in a number of years. In all these situations, the people have come to rely much on the environment to provide the means for growth and development. Modern cities are now defined by factories and factory complexes that utilize a lot of energy such as petroleum. These factories have also come to create a lot by products which are toxic to the environment. Toxic chemical wastes are responsible for various pollution effects such as air, soil, and water pollution 2 . These are responsible for decreasing the quality of life in major cities. More importantly, consumerism has resulted in people wanting more goods and services that have resulted in increased demand for goods that are harmful to the environment. In Western societies, people have relied on personal cars for transportation purposes 3 . It is a testament to the fact that most households in countries such as the USA have more than one family car. In such instances it is rather impossible for the environment to sustain its pristine quality which has supported many generations.
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Another area in which increased demand for products has resulted in extensive damage is in the area of land use. Misuse of land is responsible for many tracks of land being laid waste as capitalists do everything they can to generate wealth for the masses. One area in which land has been misused is in the area of agriculture 4 . Many large tracts of land have been developed for the purposes of plantation agriculture. In some of these plantations, land has not been used to plant crops that can be used for food production. Some of these plants have been used for the purpose of energy generation as seen in bio fuels. These are examples of situations in which a limited resource has been used to feed into the masses’ appetite for various products and services 5 .
A major concern with the use of land for plantation agriculture is reflected in the fact that people have had to depend on forested areas to find access to land that can be used for agriculture. Research into agricultural practices in areas such as Brazil has shown massive depletion of the Amazon rainforest 6 . The Amazon is one of the most important ecological zones in the world. Many ecological systems and plant and animal species can be found in the area. However, its depletion has caused a lot of people to suffer a lot of problems due to their dependence on the forest for their livelihood. It is a connection that can no longer be allowed to proceed on as it would mean many people experiencing a drastic fall in their living standards. The irony of the situation is that resource depletion is caused by people’s desire to have access to better products and services 7 .
Currently, junk-food chain companies are at the center of the movement that has resulted in misuse of land resources. Currently, organizations such as KFC and Pizza Hut are under various attacks and public relations nightmare. The huge appetite for meat products has resulted in intensive breeding of livestock and poultry which demands more land usage. Data shows that for every pound of red meat, eggs, poultry, and milk produced, farm fields get to lose more than five pounds of irreplaceable top soil. This has resulted in the development of highly infertile soil in many areas of the world. The scramble for land in areas such as Africa and the rest of the world is a testament to the fact that the demand for products has not waned despite the obvious effect that it has on the environment 8 . Animal farms are responsible for utilizing 40% of the world’s total grain which has meant that more resources are used to feed animals than people.
One issue that has resulted in increased concern from environmental groups is the fact that excessive plantation agriculture has resulted in the loss of biological diversity. The deforestation processes across major ecological zones has resulted in the extinction of many species that were considered endangered. Human encroachment into forested areas and wildlife reserves has come to unprecedented levels in the 21 st century 9 . The pursuit to go for greater profits has resulted in companies and multinational organizations owning large tracts of land which has pushed many more people towards restricted areas. Areas such as the Savanna in Africa have seen a high number of human-wildlife conflicts. Animals are now forced to migrate towards areas which are not their natural habitats. It is testament to the reality that the push towards consumerism is having a negative effect on the environment 10 .
Modern cities have resulted in large residential areas and big factories that have led to the increase of waste water. Coastal cities have become increasingly impactful to the world’s oceans. The amount of waste discharged in the ocean in solid and liquid forms has resulted in the acidification of the oceans which has made life increasingly difficult for marine life. The world’s marine system is responsible for supporting a large number of livelihoods. The growth of urban populations is responsible for this development. These are patterns that are seen to be prevalent with the practices that took place in the Fortunate Isles in 1400 in which increased human activity was responsible for resource depletion and the destruction of the volatile ecological system. It is crucial to guarantee that ecosystems are well managed as human beings are highly dependent on them for their existence and survival on the planet 11 .
Scientists are increasingly in agreement that human beings are at the core of the world’s pollution issues. The desire for human beings to consume as much as they can is harmful to the environment as it will lead to increased resource depletion. Volatile environmental systems have now become damaged and in some cases, this damage is considered irreversible 12 . The culture of the people is part and parcel of the problem and it is required that better policies be instituted to check into the production patterns of major corporations such as the agricultural farms and other multinational corporations.
Works Cited
Boström, Magnus and Mikael Klintman. Eco-Standards, Product Labelling And Green Consumerism . 1st ed. Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan, 2008. Print.
Dauvergne, P. and J. Lister. "The Prospects And Limits Of Eco-Consumerism: Shopping Our Way To Less Deforestation?". Organization & Environment 23.2 (2010): 132-154. Web.
Hackett, Bruce and Rita J. Erickson. ""Paper Or Plastic?" Energy, Environment And Consumerism In Sweden And America". Contemporary Sociology 27.4 (1998): 394. Web.
1 Dauvergne, P. and J. Lister. "The Prospects And Limits Of Eco-Consumerism: Shopping Our Way To Less Deforestation?". Organization & Environment 23.2 (2010): 132-154. Web.
2 Ibid.
3 Ibid.
4 Hackett, Bruce and Rita J. Erickson. ""Paper Or Plastic?" Energy, Environment And Consumerism In Sweden And America". Contemporary Sociology 27.4 (1998): 394. Web.
5 Ibid
6 Boström, Magnus and Mikael Klintman. Eco-Standards, Product Labelling And Green Consumerism . 1st ed. Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan, 2008. Print.
7 Ibid
8 Boström, Magnus and Mikael Klintman. Eco-Standards, Product Labelling And Green Consumerism . 1st ed. Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan, 2008. Print.
9 Dauvergne, P. and J. Lister. "The Prospects And Limits Of Eco-Consumerism: Shopping Our Way To Less Deforestation?". Organization & Environment 23.2 (2010): 132-154. Web.
10 Ibid
11 Dauvergne, P. and J. Lister. "The Prospects And Limits Of Eco-Consumerism: Shopping Our Way To Less Deforestation?". Organization & Environment 23.2 (2010): 132-154. Web.
12 Ibid
