Consumerism and overconsumption have led to widespread poverty and negative environmental impacts. The overconsumption in wealthy Western nations drives production that prioritizes Western demand over needs in developing countries, exacerbating global poverty. This overconsumption produces an excessive amount of waste that pollutes the environment, harming animal life through pollution and depletion of natural resources. It contributes significantly to climate change through high carbon dioxide emissions from industry and transportation meeting demand. Overconsumption also leads to overuse of natural resources and landfill pollution due to excessive waste.

1. Consumerism and over consumption effects
Poverty
Poverty is one of greatest problems that the twenty-one century is facing. This
phenomenon is inextricably correlated to consumerism. More specifically, it is
a consequence of the overconsumption in the West world.
To begin with, in the first place many businesses immigrate to the “third
world”, owing to the fact that there they are not obliged to pay so many and
high taxes. Moreover, the salary of the workforce is extremely low. As a
consequence, the profit of the businessmen is very high. In contrast, the
people of these country suffer from poverty. Not being able to afford buying
the products of these industries, the businessman decides to export the
products in the west, where the people are wealthy and “eager” to buy a lot of
goods.
In combination with the huge production of consumptive commodities in the
west industries, it is easily deduced that nearly the whole amount of the
production of goods targets in the west population. Under the influence of the
advertisements, people in the west societies consume an extravagant amount
of goods that are often unnecessary. This leads to overconsumption.
According to Unicef the 25% of population over consume and the 75% is in
poverty conditions. This is clearly illustrated by the fact that the weekly rubbish
of a western household would suffice for the survival of children in a village of
Africa that suffer from undernourishment.
Effects on animals
The over consumption has multiple effects on animal life. The more products we
consume, the more trash is created.Rubbish sometimes goes to the sea and fish
die and some species disappear. Moreover factories produce more products and
more gases are emitted in the atmosphere. This toxic air results in the death of
birds such as pigeon.

2. Consumerism and over consumption effects
Oil, needed for cars and transport can be transferred in the sea. For instance
with a crash of an oil tanker. Oil spills result in the death of huge numbers of fish
every time. With the over fishing more fish die and in the end we won't have fish
to eat. But apart from us in the future, sharks won't have fish to eat. As a result
they go hungry near the coast to find fish. This means that all the people who
swim are in danger. Humans die from shark attacks each year. Also nowadays
thousand of whales get out in the coast dead from all the rubbish and chemicals
that are found in the sea because of over consumption.
Effects on the environment
The development of industry and the overuse of cars demands big consumption
of fossil fuels. But by the combustion of these compounds, a lot of gases harmful
for organisms are released in the atmosphere. In the last few years because of the
liberation of huge amounts of carbon dioxide from industries and cars, bigger
amounts of radiation are restrained in the atmosphere. These huge amounts of
carbon dioxide are due to over consumption. The result is that the temperature
is more increased than normal.

3. Consumerism and over consumption effects
Problems are created in the terrain from the uncontrolled landfills where millions of
urban trash are accumulated. The most important contaminants that we meet in the
terrain are radioactive waste, insecticides and metals that can be emanated from
industries. These huge amounts of trash that pollute and destroy the terrain are due to
the over consumption.
Consumerism leads to over use of natural resources for more production of consumptive
commodities. This overuse has as a result the exhaustion of natural resources.
Fotis Syrros