The increase in the production of consumer goods results in damage to the natural environment. What are the causes of this? What can be done to solve this problem?

The increasing desire for

consumer

goods today has accelerated industrial production and

this

poses a threat to the environment.

This

essay will delineate the reasons for

this

and

also

propose solutions for these concomitant environmental risks. Environmental degradation

due to

the production of

consumer

goods can be traced back to governmental shortcomings. Competition between

countries

makes it nearly impossible to agree on a cohesive global policy. There are attempts, like the recent Paris accords, but many powerful

countries

, chiefly the United States and China, fear losing their competitive advantages and are unwilling to sign over their autonomy. Developing

countries

also

feel that protecting the environment handicaps them and is a lower priority than rising standards of living.

This

is

coupled with

the rise of corporate lobbying groups and corruption in governments around the world. Powerful companies can fund studies for bills that support their efforts to ramp up production and downplay the environmental costs. The environmental implications of a

consumer

economy can be mitigated through an array of strict governmental regulations. The best examples of these laws come from environmentally conscious nations in Europe. The European Union has signed every global accord put before them and is making great strides in enforcing among its constituent members the agreed-upon limits set forth in these charters. These include allowing

countries

to buy carbon credits, banning plastic bags and controlling the disposal of toxic waste. There are

also

more proactive solutions that entail encouraging renewable energies

such

as solar and wind power. The rest of the world can learn from these European reforms how to wean themselves off an unhealthy dependence on the fossil fuels that underpin consumerism. In conclusion, the government is to blame for the impact of a

consumer

economy on the environment and they

also

hold the keys to averting future catastrophe.

However

, it is unlikely governments will opt to act until the situation is already beyond a tipping point.