The Shadows of Consumption: Consequences for the Global Environment [Hardcover]

Peter Dauvergne (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0262042460 | ISBN-13: 978-0262042468 | Publication Date: October 31, 2008

Winner of the 2009 Gerald L. Young Book Award in Human Ecology given by the Society for Human Ecology.

The Shadows of Consumption gives a hard-hitting diagnosis: many of the earth's ecosystems and billions of its people are at risk from the consequences of rising consumption. Products ranging from cars to hamburgers offer conveniences and pleasures; but, as Peter Dauvergne makes clear, global political and economic processes displace the real costs of consumer goods into distant ecosystems, communities, and timelines, tipping into crisis people and places without the power to resist.

In The Shadows of Consumption, Peter Dauvergne maps the costs of consumption that remain hidden in the shadows cast by globalized corporations, trade, and finance. He traces the environmental consequences of five commodities: automobiles, gasoline, refrigerators, beef, and harp seals. In these fascinating histories we learn, for example, that American officials ignored warnings about the dangers of lead in gasoline in the 1920s; why China is now a leading producer of CFC-free refrigerators; and how activists were able to stop Canada's commercial seal hunt in the 1980s (but are unable to do so now).

Dauvergne's innovative analysis allows us to see why so many efforts to manage the global environment are failing even as environmentalism is slowly strengthening. He proposes a guiding principle of "balanced consumption" for both consumers and corporations. We know that we can make things better by driving a fuel-efficient car, eating locally grown food, and buying energy-efficient appliances; but these improvements are incremental, local, and insufficient. More crucial than our individual efforts to reuse and recycle will be reforms in the global political economy to reduce the inequalities of consumption and correct the imbalance between growing economies and environmental sustainability.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Dauvergne (Paths to the Green World) takes a look at five industries to see what consequences they have on local and global environments, showing the environmental spillovers from the corporate, trade, and financing chains that supply and replace consumer goods. He points out that cumulative progress is not keeping pace with the impact of rising consumption in a globalizing economy and higher environmental standards in first world countries often means transferring ecological degradation to poorer regions. The author's examinations of the ecological effects of automobiles, leaded gasoline and CFCs reveal that industries usually undermine efforts toward safety and sustainability until they find a salable substitute, thus ensuring more profits. An analysis of the harp seal hunt demonstrates that although activists saved seals from near extinction in the 1970s–1980s, their publicity campaigns will be unlikely to make an impact in markets like Russia and China. Dauvergne proposes balanced consumption, but his solutions range from the unlikely—that international donors... serve the interests of people and ecosystems in developing states more than the financial interests at home—to the fanciful—that the World Trade Organization... guide global trade with anticipatory strategies to prevent ecological shadows. (Oct.)
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Review

"Dauvergne's brilliant investigation will show you the 'other side' of the coin and that we must all incorporate a deeper awareness and take the 'long view' into our efforts to make a positive difference for human well-being near and far – immediately in your neighborhood and incrementally on the other side of the planet."
— Scott D. Wright, Human Ecology Review

"In The Shadows of Consumption, Peter Dauvergne tackles the often hidden consequences of globalization and consumption for the environment and for human health and well-being. He demonstrates how the worst of these consequences are displaced, often to the most marginalized sectors of global society, and discusses ways to cast light into the shadows of global economic development. This book will be essential reading for students and scholars, indeed anyone interested in understanding more about globalization and its impacts."
—Kate O'Neill, Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, University of California, Berkeley

"The ecological and social consequences of modern patterns of consumption are often overlooked, underestimated, and poorly theorized. Engaging, convincing, and nuanced, Peter Dauvergne's book masterfully excavates and politicizes the shadows of consumption that modern life casts, from the consumption of beef to the use of cars and fridges. Wide-ranging and superbly written, this book is sure to be widely read."
—Peter Newell, Professor of Development Studies, University of East Anglia

"With The Shadows of Consumption, we have at last an elegant elucidation of the often hidden environmental and social costs of today's consumption. Dauvergne has described the problem brilliantly and provided an analysis that should spur far-reaching change, including change in contemporary environmentalism. I hope this book finds a wide audience—soon."
—James Gustave Speth, Dean, School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, Yale University, author of The Bridge at the Edge of the World

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 328 pages
• Publisher: The MIT Press (October 31, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0262042460
• ISBN-13: 978-0262042468
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #847,706 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Essential reading for a new era, November 18, 2008

By 

Katherine Gonsalves (CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Shadows of Consumption: Consequences for the Global Environment (Hardcover)

Consumer culture and environmentalism make strange bedfellows -- is it oxymoronic to simultaneously love shopping and love the planet? Must The West end its love affair with consumer culture -SUVs, KFC, and "I want my MTV"? Can `greening' corporations really help prevent environmental collapse? These were some of the many questions I had on my mind when I read Peter Dauvergne's "The Shadows Of Consumption: Consequences for the Global Environment."

General readers, political economists, and anyone looking for a fresh take on environmentalism will find Dauvergne's work clearly articulated, provocative, and non-preachy. He does an excellent job of providing investigative analysis linking consumption with the ensuing, and often unseen, global repercussions. This information was of great help to me. I often wonder how to make sense of international trade patterns, global warming, biodiversity and other complex environmental factors when faced with mundane decisions at the grocery store. The consequences of our purchases often seem foggy, distant, and difficult to grasp. In succinct chapters, Dauvergne makes these complex relationships concrete by bringing to light such factors as governance structures, political economy, geography, and corporate power. The author roots his argument about the hidden costs of consumption using five clear examples: cars, gasoline, refrigerators, beef, and seals.

The author succeeds in linking these five disparate cases in support of his overarching argument about the global shadows of consumption. I learned that rising consumption patterns are increasing everywhere, at the same time, the distance between producers and consumers is lengthening so that it's more difficult to comprehend negative spillover effects (Often to the detriment of the environment, poorer countries, and indigenous communities which end up bearing the costs.) This "shadow" concept allows the reader to move beyond individualized solutions to environmental problems to examine the roles of multinational corporations, trade, finance, globalization, and governing bodies.

Sweeping reforms will be needed to create balance. Understanding why ecological shadows form, how they drift, and occasionally, why they fade away will be key in crafting effective environmental strategies on a global context. I enjoyed the way the author seamlessly weaves together these multiple dimensions of trade, governance, health, and corporate power. This book made me think twice about the broader consequences of my purchasing power. The stomach-turning details about "advanced meat recovery systems" combined with the statistics about the rise of meat consumption, rapid loss of rainforests, and broader ecological effects made me vow to "vote with my fork" and cut beef out of my diet entirely. The other chapters are equally hard hitting.

Thanks to Dauvergne, I have a new appreciation for the urgency of drastic structural reforms on a global level including greener technologies, tougher environmental standards, and ways for products to reflect their true environmental costs. At the same time, I have a more realistic understanding of consequences. I understand environmental spillover and link my individualized consumption practices to collective shadows forming in distant communities. While I'm committed to curtailing consumption as a whole, and think others should do so too, I strongly recommend purchasing this book.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Towards an ethos of sustainable consumption, March 25, 2009

By 

Malvin (Frederick, MD USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Shadows of Consumption: Consequences for the Global Environment (Hardcover)

"The Shadows of Consumption" by Peter Dauvergne is a penetrating and far-reaching analysis of consumerism and the environment. Written in a highly accessible manner, the author presents a sobering assessment of our relationship with the planet, supporting his research with an impressive amount of references, data and statistics. The end result is a cogently argued and persuasive book that will prove useful to anyone seeking to transcend the limitations of environmentalism as it is currently understood; significantly, the book can also provide guidance as humanity seeks to achieve a brighter world that is characterized by an ethos of balanced, sustainable consumption.

Mr. Dauvergne studies five consumer products to help us understand their "shadow effects" on the environment, meaning how commodity extraction, production and consumption can result in damage to ecosystems that may be located far away from their actual points of consumption. The products include automobiles, leaded gasoline, refrigerators, beef and harp seals. Through a series of fascinating case studies, the reader gains familiarity with the controversies associated with these products. The stories are sometimes precautionary, where the consequences of introducing new technologies were later found to cause severe damage to the environment. Importantly, we also gain hope by learning how sustained social struggles have sometimes persuaded governments to rectify severe environmental problems, such as the international ban of CFCs which has proven effective in helping to protect the earth's ozone layer from further harm.

Of course, Mr. Dauvergne demonstrates that when profits are at stake, business often finds a way around its opposition - if only for a while. Corporations have become much more adept at public relations, using the media to blunt or counter criticism from environmental groups. For example, the Canadian government was urged by the business community to reinstate the seal hunt on the dubious assertion that fewer seals might help the cod population to rebuild. In another case, Mr. Dauvergne explains how industry delayed the phaseout of leaded gasoline by first challenging the scientific evidence and then relocating production and sale to the developing world.

Mr. Dauvergne credits the environmental movement for its victories in raising consumer awareness about the relationship between consumption and distant ecosystems, such as the Forest Stewardship Council's seal assuring that lumber sold by retailers has been harvested sustainably in the source country. However, Mr. Dauvergne stresses that these gains are being overwhelmed by growing demand of a global marketplace. For example, automobiles may be safer to drive and have better mileage than ever before, but an expected increase from 800 million to two billion automobiles by mid century will mean more hazard for humans due to accidents and pollution and will exert enormous pressure on the environment. Clearly, the evidence presented by Mr. Dauvergne proves that the actions of individual consumers and single-issue environmental campaigns, while helpful, are inadequate to the task of solving the problem of inexorably rising consumption on a global scale.

To that end, Mr. Dauvergne asserts that a systemic challenge to the status quo is necessary. The author makes a number of sound policy recommendations, including a commitment to the precautionary principle with respect to scientific discovery, restrictions on waste dumping, an end to corporate risk-shifting, and so on. Through Mr. Dauvergne's skillfull framing and discussion of the issues, the reader is thoroughly persuaded and inspired to support the author's commonsense solutions.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Enlightening, December 27, 2008

By 

Robert "Imperfect Critic" (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Shadows of Consumption: Consequences for the Global Environment (Hardcover)

As someone who has only recently been giving personal thought to my role in the environmental crisis, this book helped move me from the sidelines to being more actively engaged in considering what I can do to help the environment. The author understands that trying to scare people into doing something different doesn't usually work and that good information is how to change people's interest in the issues.