Re: Are development and environmentalism incomaptible?

Development and environmentalism need not be incompatible if there is a focus on sustainability. Unfortunately, this is a hard trick to pull off if we equate development to wealth or living standards to level of consumption. Basing our economies so heavily on consumer spending is one fatal flaw - the kind of development where everyone consumes more stuff is certainly unsustainable. Quality of life can, however, improve without devastating environmental harm. In the West we could achieve a better balance by finding ways to buy less junk and waste less. We'd consume fewer resources and by focusing on quality we maybe enjoy what we did buy a little more. An economy of more selective consumers could force a change from selling stuff people don't need to creating things they really love, and we might even invest more in our future.