An inflection of conspicuous consumption?

The Great Disruption

It's heartening to see that two of the "Most emailed" columns of the New York Times were right in line with Living Green Living Good. First, Tom Friedman's article titled "The Inflection is Near?"

What if the crisis of 2008 represents something much more fundamental than a deep recession? What if it’s telling us that the whole growth model we created over the last 50 years is simply unsustainable economically and ecologically and that 2008 was when we hit the wall — when Mother Nature and the market both said: “No more.”

and he concludes:

In the meantime, says Gilding, take notes: “When we look back, 2008 will be a momentous year in human history. Our children and grandchildren will ask us, ‘What was it like? What were you doing when it started to fall apart? What did you think? What did you do?’ ” Often in the middle of something momentous, we can’t see its significance. But for me there is no doubt: 2008 will be the marker — the year when ‘The Great Disruption’ began.

The End of Conspicuous Consumption?

I'm sure it's not really the end of conspicuous consumption, but it's heartening to see that more people are starting to question our "more and more," "bigger and bigger" lifestyle. (See Extravagance Has Its Limits as Belt-Tightening Trickles Up.)

To many, the adjustment feels less like a temporary, emergency response than a permanent recalibration, one they view in terms of ethics rather than expediency.

“It’s kind of like we all went overboard,” said Ms. Taylor, 33. “And we’re trying to get back to where we should have been.”

Let's hope it this catches on!