The Critique And Transcendence Of Consumerism In The Context Of Climate Change

At present, the world is experiencing climate change characterized by global warming. There is urgent need to reduce carbon dioxide emissions substantially to respond to climate change. In the industrial society, the features of the production pattern are high energy consumption, high pollution and high carbon dioxide emissions. Mass production intensifies greenhouse gas emissions. After all, consumption activities promote production activities. Under the influence of consumerism, unlimited desire for consumption is to blame for climate change. Therefore, it is imperative to respond to climate change from the consumption perspective.There is an internal connection between climate change and material production, which is rooted in human consumption demand. Consumption can be divided into basic consumption and luxury consumption. When symbolic, excessive and partial consumption patterns appear, general consumption activities gradually evolve into consumerism, leading to excessive waste and global climate warming.Under the influence of consumerism, some people attempt to possess everything to meet the greed. Consumerism treats consumption as the life goal and pursues excessive consumption. Consumerism poses real threats to the environment, including climate change. For human beings, the subjectivity is deprived, concept of happiness is distorted, and comprehensive development is suffocated. In the very essence of consumerism, anthropocentrism is a kind of abnormal values, and worship of GDP is a type of partial development views. In nature, consumerism, pursuing capital logic, originates in political and economic system of capitalism.Nowadays, the global society are working together to cope with climate change actively. Consumerism is supposed to be criticized and transcended. Therefore, low-carbon consumption is put forward. And the value foundation, which is fairness, is suggested. In terms of consumption and carbon emission permit, unjust phenomenon among consumers in China, the world and intergeneration are revealed. Obstacles and misunderstandings of low-carbon consumption must be defused. It is imperative that the government, enterprises and consumers work together to practice the low-carbon consumption pattern. Idea transformation and institutional innovation shall be vigorously promoted to make contributions to sustainable development.