processed in factories or refineries and turned into marketable
products. These in turn are put into distribution. Products are
transported to points of sale and put on the market.
Consumption is the act of purchasing and putting the product
into use. After the product has served its purpose, it is put into
the final step of the chain, disposal.
The narrator then points out that the standard explanation
of the Materials Economy does not address all the relevant
facts. “That’s not all the story…” she ominously says. The
system is not as benign as it may seem due to the fact it is a
linear system in a world with finite resources for raw
materials and limited space for disposal. Unfortunately, it is
controlled and perpetuated by government and corporations,
fueled by greed. The natural resources that are being extracted
for processing into products are limited. One third of our
available natural resources have been depleted in the last 30
years. We are losing 2,000 trees a minute in the Amazon rain
forest. The United States today has less than four percent of
its original forests remaining, with 40% of our water rendered
undrinkable. With just five percent of the world’s population,
the United States consumes 30% of the world’s resources and
creates 30% of the world’s waste. The narrator further states