Think Global, Buy Local

While I'd like to think that I am now becoming part of the 'solution', I must confess that for most of my life, I've clearly been part of the 'problem'. The forces were set in motion before I was born with marketers in the 50's reshaping American values and shifting our ways towards insatiable consumerism. But, I was part of the generation that propelled the engine forward on a massive, global scale.

I emerged from business school in the early 80's and became a consultant for a global accounting firm. To meet the consumer demand for more and more 'stuff', we helped our clients become increasingly efficient so they could produce more stuff at lower prices. The big talk was about economies of scale.

During the 80's and 90's, many factors were combining to make our world a much smaller place - the ubiquity of telecommunications service, the fax machine, personal computing, the Internet, global airline service, and cheap fuel.

Increasing globalization and our quest for economies of scale quickly led us to moving much of our manufacturing to China. In parallel, the demand for low prices and corporate growth strategies led to lower product quality, built-in obsolescence, and the 'convenience' of disposables.

One might ask 'so, what's wrong with this picture?'. After all, I myself am a big believer in capitalism and the power of free enterprise. Well, as it turns out, creating global economies of scale in manufacturing and agriculture and responding to rampant comsumer demand for more and more stuff at the lowest possible price has not been good for our planet. And, it simply doesn't work without cheap and abundant fuel.

I used to think that my purchase of a toy made in China was helping someone across the world to earn an income and helping in a global sense to spread economic wealth. But, I no longer feel that way. Now, I worry that the toy might contain lead paint. Now, I know that factories in China often produce two versions of their products - one to meet the regulatory standards and health safeguards enforced in Europe and California, and another version for the rest of the United States. Now, I know that 400,000 Chinese die prematurely each year from respiratory illnesses caused by air pollution. Now, I know that most of China's rivers and lakes are polluted and water is scarce and lands are turning to deserts from deforestation, water diversion, and over harvesting.

I used to think that outsourcing manufacturing was a good thing for China's economy, but I now think quite the opposite. We have created a global problem, and we must all work together to find a solution. And, part of that solution is to re-invigorate our local economies and re-establish sustainable communities.

So, what do we do? Capitalism propelled us to this point, and I think it is the key force that can help us make the changes that we must. But, it begins with us as the consumer. We must make smart choices that result in a better environment for all. We should favor local produce and products and favor quality over quantity. Change is not always easy and decisions are usually far from clear-cut, but the past 50 years has taught us that all that 'stuff' doesn't really make us happy, and we now have the chance to rediscover the simple things that do.

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