How materialism will save the planet
Richard Denniss |
TEDxBrisbane
• December 2017
Economist Dr Richard Denniss is on a mission to help us save the planet, and his advice is simple: we need to be more materialistic.
While the words consumerism and materialism are typically used interchangeably, they actually mean the exact opposite. Consumerism is the love of buying things, where materialism is the love of the object itself.
In order to ensure the world's population can remain living on this planet, Dr Denniss wants us to love our stuff more – to cherish it, maintain it, repair it and rehome it. This is the true meaning of materialism.
Richard rebukes the economic legitimacy of arguments that a waste-driven, throw-away society stimulates jobs and grows economies. He challenges us to understand how our economy would truly function without so much waste, and encourages us all to embrace true materialism as a vital element to economic sustainability and the survival of the planet.