Less is more : Responsible consumption, should we get started?

Less is more. Really? Does buying less improve life? Do we have the resources to choose ecology? Yes, says author and economist Anne-Sophie Novel, who offers green living tips.

Psychologies: You studied collaborative economy for years. You support alternative consumption. What's wrong with our behaviour today?

Anne-Sophie Novel: We lost sight of the need to live and consume. We buy more, especially more than our neighbours. Thorstein Veblen [1857-1929] called this "conspicuous consumption"—buying cars, living rooms, and luxury goods to indicate social standing.

The system of possession and comparison traps us, with commercials, social media, branding, and brand imagery not helping. Everything encourages buying. We realise this mindset is outdated.

In a global village, we are aware of the difficulties caused by obsolete, destructive manufacturing methods and overexploitation of natural resources, which pollutes and releases toxins. Many of us wish to halt this throwaway civilization that wastes and moves too fast.

Our striatum, a brain region, stimulates us to continually crave more. Do it how?
Anne-Sophie Novel: A few years ago, British ecologist George Marshall created Sébastien Bohler's inventory. Neuroscience shows that we buy based on our desires. Should we deactivate striatum?

Do not think so. We must choose the object of our impulses. Can we go from “always more” to “always better”? Most people see changing as depriving themselves: eating “without” sugar, gluten, a car, or “zero waste”.

People often say, "Oh my!" But it's coercion! Punitive ecology!" No. The limits we face today appear overwhelming, but if we accept them, apply our imagination, and convince ourselves it's doable, even if things don't go well immediately. They suddenly reveal a world of possibilities, adventures, and discoveries.

We need a new perspective and story. Changing diets, sorting waste, and saving energy take time because you have to explore, make mistakes, and start over, but we become more autonomous, freer, more resilient.

I've cooked tonnes of grains I didn't know existed since giving up wheat. Discovered new flavours and extended my recipe range. Some goods were easier to market, according to our system. Everything is standardised for commercial use.

I discovered this in 2009 while investigating the locavore movement. I saw how the number of apple varieties had decreased to five to fifteen per year.

Only the roundest, most resistant was kept. Profitability has shaped life and eliminated diversity. Cost optimisation increased margin and earnings.

Anne-Sophie Novel: Get information to understand the mechanisms first. We have cross-flows. We export food and buy stuff we could easily manufacture locally. Fashion is like a weight on our shoulders while we're covered up.

We've seen brands' looks and collections manufactured in Bangladesh and elsewhere in poor conditions. International inequities allowed us to consume more cheaply, as we now know.

Add the resources used and you'll see the issue! Cotton production demands a lot of water, even organically. Its source countries will not use this water for other production. We're unravelling this slowly.

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