A Tale of Two Worlds: Wealth and Wastage, and Scarcity and Sustainability

Abstract

Sustainable consumption is assumed to lead to sustainability. The old wisdom that consumers in rich countries tend to consume more and pollute more than the poorer countries is affirmed by the life styles of the consumers in emerging economies. It is also claimed that poor in developing societies put pressure on nature. The context of this paper is neither the rich nor the emerging economies, but the life styles of the urban rich and the livelihood of the rural poor in a poor country, Bangladesh. Combining historical analyses, observations, in-depth interviews and narratives it draws together threads of a number of research works to arrive at a somewhat integrated idea of likelihood of wastage by the urban rich. A preliminary analysis show that the urban culture stimulates competitive consumption and a life style based upon conspicuousness. There the interaction between individuals and their environment, both social and natural, is disrupted. A contrasting picture is the livelihood of the rural poor people who mostly live in harmony and interaction with nature, something that resists technological innovation. However, when needs around they find a solution without disrupting the interacting relationship between man and nature. They adjust to the changed environment and find new ways to survive.

Keywords: Adaptability, Bangladesh, Consumption, Development, Sustainability