The day the world stops shopping : how ending consumerism saves the environment and ourselves

The day the world stops shopping How ending consumerism saves the environment and ourselves

J. B. MacKinnon, 1970-

Book - 2021

"We can't stop shopping. And yet we must. This is the consumer dilemma. The economy says we must always consume more: even the slightest drop in spending leads to widespread unemployment, bankruptcy, and home foreclosure. The planet says we consume too much: in America, we burn the earth's resources at a rate five times faster than it can regenerate. And despite efforts to "green" our consumption--by recycling, increasing energy efficiency, or using solar power--we have yet to see a decline in global carbon emissions. Addressing this paradox head-on, acclaimed journalist J. B. MacKinnon asks, What would really happen if we simply stopped shopping? Is there a way to reduce our consumption to earth-saving levels witho...ut triggering economic collapse? At first this question took him around the world, seeking answers from America's big-box stores to the hunter-gatherer cultures of Namibia to communities in Ecuador that consume at an exactly sustainable rate. Then the thought experiment came shockingly true: the coronavirus brought shopping to a halt, and MacKinnon's ideas were tested in real time. Drawing from experts in fields ranging from climate change to economics, MacKinnon investigates how living with less would change our planet, our society, and ourselves. Along the way, he reveals just how much we stand to gain: An investment in our physical and emotional wellness. The pleasure of caring for our possessions. Closer relationships with our natural world and one another. Imaginative and inspiring, The Day the World Stops Shopping will embolden you to envision another way"--provided by publisher.

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Subjects
Consumption (Economics) > Environmental aspects.
Environmentalism.
Published
New York, NY : Ecco, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers [2021]
Language
English
Main Author
J. B. MacKinnon, 1970- (author)
Edition
First U.S. edition
Item Description
"Originally published in Canada in 2021 by Random House Canada."--Title page verso.
Physical Description
322 pages ; 24 cm
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN
9780062856029
  • Prologue: We must stop shopping but we can't stop shopping
  • I. First Days
  • 1. What we give up and what we hang on to
  • 2. We don't shop equally, so we won't stop equally
  • 3. It's not that time turns weird, it's a different kind of time
  • 4. Suddenly we're winning the fight against climate change
  • 5. We need to get used to the night again
  • II. Collapse
  • 6. The end of growth is not the end of economics
  • 7. The consumption disaster begins, the disaster of everyday life is over
  • 8. Can advertising turn into the opposite of itself?
  • 9. We adapt to not-shopping more quickly than you think
  • 10. We may need to see the ruins to know it's time to build something new
  • III. Adaptation
  • 11. A stronger, not a weaker, attachment to our things
  • 12. Fast fashion cannot rule but it may not have to die
  • 13. Business plays the long, long, long, long game
  • 14. If we re no longer consumers, what are we instead?
  • 15. We are still consuming way too much (part one: inconspicuous consumption)
  • 16. We are still consuming way too much (part two: money)
  • IV. Transformation
  • 17. We finally, actually, save the whales
  • 18. We need a better word than happiness for where this ends up
  • 19. Now we're all shopping in cyberspace?
  • 20. It's like a world with fewer people but without losing the people
  • 21. One hundred and fifty thousand years later
  • Epilogue: There's a better way to stop shopping
  • Acknowkdgements
  • Source Notes
  • Index
Review by Booklist Review

In this fresh take on consumer culture and its devastating effect on planet Earth, author MacKinnon (Plenty) imagines what the world would look like if humans adopted less consumption-oriented lifestyles. He uses a global perspective to show how modern culture is steeped in consumerism. He decries the overabundance of material goods, and suggests that once individuals reevaluate what and how much they really need, worldwide production rates will go down, resulting in meaningful reductions in carbon dioxide levels. He addresses such topics as economic indicators, advertising, green "demarketing," our 24-hours-a-day commercial society, and the psychological and ethical aspects of materialism. Pages are filled with examples, statistics, profiles, quotes, and anecdotes, many relating to the worldwide COVID-19 shutdown. MacKinnon reassures readers that no, civilization probably won't collapse if people stop shopping. Great things might even happen: renewed respect for wildlife, less stress and competition, and more personal satisfaction. MacKinnon's writing flows effortlessly and logically, incorporating solid research, relatable scenarios, and compelling arguments. Hopefully readers will stop and think the next time they're about to click Buy.

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

Journalist MacKinnon (The Once and Future World) delivers an intriguing report on the "consumer dilemma": in order to prevent ecological disaster, humans must significantly reduce their consumption of the planet's natural resources, yet doing so would be disastrous for the world economy as it's currently structured. MacKinnon tackles this paradox by drawing on research from the fields of anthropology, psychology, biology, and economics to imagine what would happen if consumer spending suddenly dropped by 25%. A visit to the last U.S. county to enforce "blue laws" banning the sale of most consumer goods on Sundays leads to a discussion of how time seems to "broaden and slow down" when commercial activities cease. MacKinnon also posits a connection between widespread racial justice protests in 2020 and a shift toward "intrinsic values" that occurred as a result of Covid-19 shutdowns, and interviews marine biologists who have studied how slowdowns in human activities have benefited endangered species including the North Atlantic right whale. Though MacKinnon underplays the shocks (unemployment, tax shortfalls, political discord) that such an economic disruption might incur, his thought experiment is well-researched and stimulating. Readers will be galvanized to make changes in their own buying habits. (May)

(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Kirkus Book Review

An examination of the effects that the end of consumerism would have on society. Many politicians insist the economy will collapse if spending slows, while environmentalists warn we cannot sustain our current level of consumption. MacKinnon ponders what would really happen if we stopped shopping. While many of the concepts are familiar, the author digs deeper than most. Rather than allowing his conclusions to be directed by the theories of others, MacKinnon traveled the world, conducting interviews with experts and gathering information to support his findings. Among other places, the author visited Namibia, Ecuador, Finland, and Japan. The proliferation of the global pandemic, which occurred while MacKinnon was writing the book, allowed him to examine, in real time, the effects that changes in consumer spending could have. His conclusions should encourage readers to carefully consider their own habits. Throughout history, consumers have stopped shopping, albeit temporarily, for various reasons, including war and economic recession. Prior to the pandemic, MacKinnon notes, consumer consumption was often driven by impulse buying, vanity, and the desire to keep up with others. While consumerism initially increased at the beginning of the pandemic, as people began hoarding household and food items out of fear of shortages, a shift soon emerged. People continued to shop, but their purchases were more in line with intrinsic values, including spending more time with family and in nature. Rather than spending their money on luxury vacations and cars, consumers chose products such as camping gear, gardening supplies, books, and board games. They also sought out higher-quality and longer-lasting products. As MacKinnon shows, such shifts would likely continue to offer numerous benefits for all, including improved health and a cleaner environment. He cites a "humble goal: to reduce consumption by 5% across the rich world." That shift, he writes, "might be the end of the world as we know it. It will not be the end of the world." A well-researched and provocative analysis offering hope and optimism for our future. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

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