green consumerism:A myth or reality ????

[Dr. Deeksha Dave]

The world over, the human beings are paying the cost of economic development in terms of the health of self and environment. Global warming, the result of greenhouse gas emissions, is the price the world pays for its ruthless growth. Similarly ozone hole depletion, climate change, water scarcity, loss of biodiversity are some of the few environmental problems the world is facing these days.

When one thinks about it, in today’s modernized society, life without the purchase of products and services appears impossible (unless we plan to go back to a prehistoric age). A demand for products creates their supply. Keeping this in mind, one can go to the extent of saying that all environmental concerns we face are due to consumerism. While it is impossible to survive without consuming, it then logically seems that it would be for our greater good that our consumerism be ‘green’ than otherwise.

The gap between green concern and green consumerism has been widened by the different orientations given to green consumerism by various segments of the society. The differences in perceptions and ideologies have intensified the debate on whether green consumerism is a strategy to save the earth or is it just a fancy of the developed nations .mny issues realted to the credibility and purpose of green products is misleading.