We are on a race to nowhere. Consumption drives our economy (watch www.storyofstuff.com to see why). We measure our success by consumption (how much we spend). Global consumption is equal to the cumulative GDP of all countries or the world economy. If we don't increase consumption and grow our economies every year, we deem ourselves in stagnation. We all seem to be tied to consumption. We work hard to earn money so that we can buy stuff to feel good. Yes, innovation is important and we need to replace things with better versions, but why do we need to have more things than the generation before? And by our own "buying in" to these patterns, what messages are we passing on to those who follow? Even more concerning is our trend away from durable products and toward more disposable products. On a personal level, even though I am deeply aware of the issue, I find it hard to consume only what I absolutely need. I'm single and have two cars, create garbage, buy more than I need etc. and sadly in relation to the "average" I'm consuming less per person than the average person in America.