Consumerism Is Killing Us Free Essay Example

The world fails to realize that the human race is what will lead the Earth to destruction. The population is only doing what every other creature does to survive; however humans are doing it better. Therefore, all the expanding going on is going to eventually lead to an end to the population, because there will be no more room so the race will go down in its own waste. The reason for all this consumption is because humans have made consuming a necessity and this necessity is outstripping resources that are needed to satisfy the world’s demand.

Statistics show that humans consume 30 per cent more material and Americans consume the most by eating. All this consumption is more than the Earth can handle; therefore, eventually the world will not be sustainable because of the lack of resources. On the bright side, there are some ways to get out of this consumption mess. One way is for humans to live within the Earth’s means not their own.

Another way is for the government to step in and manage the resources. Otherwise, if nothing is done about this issue then only a disaster can shock the people out of their denial and by then it could be too late.

To show that consumerism should not be overlooked, Coghlan offers a reasonable explanation of what will happen if it is. Coghlan explains that when all the nutrients are gone humans will just eventually fade away and die. This emotional tie is brought in to make reader want to continue to read to find out more about what he or she can do over the issue, because no one wants to die.

Coghlan cites William Rees statement on the topic that, “Biologists have shown that it is a natural tendency of living creatures to fill up all available habitats and use up all available resources”.

Coghlans use of Rees’s statement is to divulge that is not going to be easy to get rid of this problem. Human are not purposely using up all the resources, they are doing it by accident without even thinking about it. Coghlan describes how “[humans are] driven by growing and expanding”. Humans do not want to be the cause of the races destruction; however, just like in the past when America was discovered and Britain wanted more and more land, they drove back the Indians constantly to acquire the land they wanted.

Now a days it is quite the same except, humans are not driving out other humans, they are driving out nutrients and resources. Humans just want more and more, it is their nature to be this way, because this how it was in the past and therefore, this is now it is now. One reason why humans are consuming everything is because of the advertisement of the items. Companies want money and to get that money they have to attract people to by their inventions; therefore, companies are making advertisements that are pleasing to the eye which causes humans to want more and more of the items.

Not to mention that when they are done with the items they do not recycle which leads to a big cause of loss of resources). Coghlan stating that humans are “consuming 30 per cent more material than is sustainable form the world’s resources” divulges how consumption crazy humans are becoming. Also, since Americans are consuming the most from eating alone, Coghlan uses Rees statement that “North Americans should be taking steps to lower their eco-footprints by almost 80 per cent” this divulges that if this is done there will be more room for growth.

The author wants to impress on readers that there is a way around this crisis; however, humans have to be willing to give up their denial and understand what is going on. Coghlan offers reasonable information on the topic of consumerism. He evokes concern and seriousness throughout the article by stating how civilizations will be no more if humans do not change their consumption ways. He divulges his concern of the world by wanting people to step up and make a change. Coghlan also portrays concern through his examples of what people can do to fix what is wrong.

His article is all based on a serious tone and this set tone is there to attract more readers to want to make a change. Coghlan uses words like: catastrophe, disaster, plague, and die to appeal to the caring and thoughtful side of people. These words cause an emotional stir in people that Coghlan was intending. Coghlan knows that the only way to get more people involved and informed on the consumption issue he has to use an emotional way of writing, because if he would have only used facts people would not have cared as much.

But, when he puts in the emotional side of the issue it attracts the audience. Coghlan’s sole purpose for writing this article was to spark a light inside of people to help them realize, and show them, that something different needs to happen. He wanted to appeal to people’s soft side in order to get them to want to change; he did not want it to be him telling them they have to change. Therefore, he uses certain words and statements to get people to change themselves and what they do, so it will their decision and not his demand.

This article gives an emotional connection between the readers and the author; they both want something different of the future. Coghlan does not only believe that global warming and consumerism is only what is leading the world to destruction, he just points his main focus on consumerism because there he can show some humans flaws. Showing humans flaws in the article may make some people want to change. No one likes flaws, especially when those flaws are theirs, because that only means negative about them.

Coghlan organized his article is such a way that each issue that is talked about goes into deeper context. This means that when he uses pathos to get readers attention he then ties in logos to put in some facts; therefore, readers will feel even more obliged to do something about the issue, because their emotional tie to the issue gets real when the facts are added. Coghlan has a deeper meaning for this topic and it is not just fixing humans consumerism issues, he wants to show one of the many flaws to get people to change all their ways that are harming the Earth.

Also, he wants to unite people together by forming a world government. Coghlan makes it seem that a world government will help the issue; however, he throws that in because he does want a united world and maybe he believes a united world is the only way to truly fix the issue on hand. Not only is Coghlan concerned on the issue, but he does all he can in his writing to make it everyone’s concern. This, along with him being involved in the Ecological Society of America divulges how truly passionate he is about the topic.

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