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UNIT 16 ECOLOGY, ENVIRONMENT
AND THE CONSUMER
Structure
16.0 Objectives
16.1 Introduction
16.2 Definitions
16.2.1 Ecology
16.2.2 Environment
16.2.3 Consumer
16.2.4 Consumerism
16.2.5 Consumer Goods
16.3 Classification of Consumers
16.3.1 Urban Consumer
16.3.2 Rural Consumer
16.3.3 Green Consumer
16.4 Interrelationship between Ecology, Environment and the Consumer
16.4.1 Ozone Depletion
16.4.2 Global Climate Change
16.4.3 Deforestation
16.4.4 Loss of Bio-diversity
16.5 Historical Perspective of the,C,onsumer Movement
16.5.1 Global /
16.5.2 Indian
16.6 Evaluatio'n of the Concept in Contemporary Times
16.6.1 Liberalizcd Free Market as the only Ideology
16.6.2 Role of Media
16.7 Survival Strategies of the Consumcr
16.7.1 Validation of Existinflraditional Survival Strategies
16.7.2 Dissemination of Information through Educational Institutions
Information Researched and Documented
16.7.3 by NGOs
Consumers Education and
16.7.4 Awarzness Programmes - Both in Rural and Urban Areas
targeting their Specific Requirements
16.7.5 . Scientific Backup
16.7.6 Awareness of Packaging and its Disposal
16.7.7 Role of Women in Influcncing Consumption Patterns
16.8 Role of NGOs
16.9 Let Us Sum Up
16.10 Key Words
26.11 Some Useful Books
16.12 Answers to Check Your Progress Exercises
16.0 OBJECTIVES
After going through this unit, you should be able to :
understand the essentials of the concept of ecology, envirgnment, consumer and
consumerism,
explain the inter-relationship of these concepts,
trace the genesis of the consumer movement,
Consumer Protection: evaluate these concepts in relation to contemporary times,
Depth and Scope know the survival strategies for the consumers, and
comprehend the role of NGOs in relation to these concepts.
16.1 INTRODUCTION
Consumers, ecology and environment are actually the three dimenstions of existence
encompassing all areas of life on Planet Earth. The balance among the three can be maintained
murual dependence is comprehended. None of these can have an
only if the extent of their
existence independent of the others and yet the fragility of their interrelationship makes each
vulnerable. Consumers have actually been under the misconception, till very recently, that they
are in controi and-that ecology and environment are around only for their needs. Consumer
awareness programmes have their existence in the recognition of the fact that this is neither a
true nor a valid view point. The consumers' mindless exploitation of the environment and the
eco-systems has brought mankind frighteningly close to extinction point, like many other life
forms.
The need of the hbur is to halt in our tracks and take stock of the situation and initiate steps to
combat the situation. Consumers need access to legal, cultural, scientific and various other
areas of knowledge for survival on earth.
16.2 DEFINITIONS
For a clearer understanding of the areas involved in consumer education, the student needs to
understand the following terms:
16.2.1 Ecology
It is a study of interrelationships among organisms and between organisms and their
environment.
16.2.2 Environment
It is defined as the sum of all external conditions and influences affecting organisms.
Environment may be divided into abiotic (non-living) like air, soil, water, etc. and biotic
(living) components like plants and animals.
16.2.3 Consumer
He is a person who consumes or uses any commodity or service available to him either from
natural resources or through a market. According to John F. Kennedy, "Consumer by definition,
includes us all. They are the largest economic group affecting and affected by almost every
public and private economic decision." The Cbnsumer Protection Act of India, 1986 defines
consumer as' "One who buys any goods, hires any service or services, for a consideration which
has been paid or promised or partly paid and partly promised or under any system of deferred
payment."
16.2.4 Consumerism
It is an ideological movement whicb fxV~urs excessive consumption in compliance with the
market demands.
16.2.5 Consumer Goods
These are goods that are ready for consumption in satisfying human wants as clothing, food,
etc. and are not utilised in any further production process.
16.3 CLASSIFICATION OF CONSUMERS
The word "Consumer" is a derivative of the Latin word "Consumers" which means "to destroy,
ro take up totally or to waste". This approach regards consumers as passive receivers of Ecology, Environment and
commercial publicity and advertising. It also associates consumers with wants and needs the Comumer
artific~ally created by private and multinational corporations. However, in recent years these
negative traits have been replaced by more positive ones which place the consumer or the
individual in the centre of collective responsibility in relation to his behaviour towards
exploitation of natural resources.
Now a consumer is identified
as a citizen, who exercises his rights with discretion and
responsibility. For understanding the variety and complexity of the areas in which the consumer
might be operating, we can classify into three broad categories.
16.3.1 Urban Consumer
He can be seen to be market dependent and to have no links with environment or with the
production process of consumer goods. He is subject to numerous and continuous influences
like advertising, which play a prominent role in promoting life-styles de-linked from and
an urban consumer is tofally faceless
indifferent to the consumer's natural environment. Thus,
and alienated from his environment. The market place however strives to give variety as well as
quality control but in actuality deprives the consumer of both, for commercial reasons.
16.3.2 Rural Consumer
Such a consumer in contrast has immediate and direct access to his environment and is
relatively able to escape the negative impact of media manipulations and market strategies. A
rural consumer is more in control of environment. He is dependent on nature. So his life-style
cares for nature and its renewable resources. If he takes care of nature, that is, if he preserves
nature, then nature will take care of him. For example, in most parts of our country, trees are
leatplates and earthen cups are hygienic,
worshipped and held in great reverence. The Indian
They do not endanger the environment
bio-degradable, made from local and natural resources.
in any way and are easily disposed of without burdening the environment.
16.3.3 Green Consumer
The modem concept of Green consumer is a direct outcome of awareness in the industrial
readlness to accept personal
countries of the West about the environmental issues and a
responsibility for what people could do as individuals to minimize the negative impact of their
consumption habit on the environment. It is a process of transformation from a blind faith in
harket forces to use of discretion and awareness in market choices. A green consumer respects
the interdependence of man and environment and does not have an exploitative or wasteful
attltude towards natural resources.
Reduce, reuse, recycle and reject use of non-biodegradable consumer products have emerged as
, the characteristic of an aware consumer. To reduce his needs and reuse any product as many
times as possible, he individually recycles of arranges for recycling. In many European
countries like Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands, the United States of America and
Australia, recycling of paper and plastics are become an integral part of the Town Council's
duties.
16.4 INTERRELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN ECOLOGY,
- ENVIRONMENT AND THE CONSUMER
Twentieth century saw developments in all spheres of human activity. Scientific and industrial
progress changed and altered life-styles and attitudes in radical ways. Man's relationship with
his environment had been undergoing changes to the detriment of the latter. The causes of
which were, burgeoning populations, and economic strategies which controlled, manipulated
and exploited the environment for short terms immediate profit of a limited number of people.
This process dislocated indigenous communities which had evolved time tested survival
strategies in relationship to the environment.
All these put unprecedented pressure on natural resources in the environment as well as other
life forms in the eco-system. In the earlier decades of the century, as urbanization expanded and
cities grew, the market place also underwent drastic changes. Man grew away from his natural
environment and pushed away forests, cut down mountains, changed the course of rivers, built 37
Consumer Protedion: dams and dumped huge amount of toxic and bio-degradable wastes all over the planet. The
Depth and Scope market grew and expanded to bring the fruits of the earth to the consumer's doorstep. All this
involved transportation, shelf life, packaging and processing which altered production and
consumption patterns.
It is estimated that the total world wide manufacturing value added has increased from
about
$ US 2500 billions in 1975 to about $ US 4000 billions in 1990 at constant 1980 prices.
Such enormous development in industry has placed heavy demands on the world's natural
resources. Activities like mining and power generation caused serious adverse effects on the
environment. Every year millions of tones of chemicals are being produced. 400 million tonnes
of chemical products were produced every year in the second half of 1970. There are 100,000
commerically available chemicals in the market today used in various industries including
plastics, fertilizers and pharmaceuticals. Disposal of these plastics create serious problems.
They are not bio-degradable and add to the solid waste disposal problem.
Over the past two decades
world consumption of chemical fertilizers has doubled from 69
million tones in 1970 to about 146 million tonnes
in 1990. Total sales of pesticides has
$ US 7,700 millions in 1977 to $ US 25,000 million in 1992. Fertilizers are
increased from
easily washed away by drainage water. Nitrates and phosphates, when washed away into rivers
and seas, cause dense algal growth that harms fish and other aquatic life. The contamifiation of
ground water is a major problem in many European countries and United States. In the case of
pesticides, 90% of it did not reach the target pests but they contaminated land, water and air.
Thus, the environmental impact of industries affects various sectors like land, water and air.
The impact extends over the entire chain of events fromraw material extraction, manufacturing
process to the disposal of wastes and involve release of harmful gases, solid wastes and
numerous other effluents, some of which are highly toxic.
International concern over the state of environment was expressed in 1972. The United Nations
held a conference on "The Human Environment" from 5th to 16th June. This conference
popularly known as the Stockholm Conference (1972) was attended by delegates from 113
states and by 450 NGOs. Since Stockholm Conference, continuous scientific research has
further established the intricate link between various environnental problems, impact of
economic activity on environment and their interdependence.
In 1992 the UN again held a
conference at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It was called the "United Nations Conference on
Environment and Development" (UNCED). Thus, the relationship between environment and
development was formalised. This conference discussed the issues of ozone depletion, global
warming, deforestation and loss of biological diversity which have emerged as the major
environmental problems.
16.4.1 Ozone Depletion
Ozone is a protective layer in the atmosphere that prevents the harmfulhtra-violet rays of the
sun from reaching the earth. Due to the use of some ozone depleting chemicals, industries
mably Chloro-fluoro-carbons (CFC), British scientists documented the - existence of a large
hole over the Ozone layer in the Antarctica, in 1982.
16.4.2 Global Climate Change
Global warming or Green House Effect is defined as the rise in the average temperature of the
world due to the increase in the level of atmospheric carbon dioxide. The level is steadily
increasing due to various human activities especially due to industries and burning of fossil
fuels. If the current level of CO, emitted into
the atmosphere remains the same, then the earth's
global mean temperature would rise by about 1°C by 2025
AD. Green House effect would raise
the sea levels by about 20 crns by the year 2050 and 65 crns by the year 2100. This would spell
trouble for millions of people in low-lying coastal areas and low lying islands such as the
Maldives would disappear. -
16.4.3 Deforestation
The issue of deforestation and its consequences is more obvious due to its direct impact on
local environment.
It is the root cause of many severe environmental problems like increased
floods and droughts, situation of rivers and estuaries, destruction of fish breeding areas and
marine habitats, and the threat to the survival of millions of people would wide whose
livelihood are sustained by forests.
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