What would we do if we decided to stop consuming?

[Illuminati Primus]

Modern society is based on consumption - things are researched, manufatured, distributed, sold, used/consumed and then the cycle continues. This fuels the service and retail economy, much of our technology economy and our leisure economy too. In fact in the developed wolrd we seemed to have reached a point where absolute necessities like food, clothing and shelter are easily provided for to the point where we barely consider them.

The stuff we actually care about and really enjoy are consumables, and even those with a pratical use (like clothes) are still bought and discarded quite regularly to ensure a constant flow of consumption.

Contrast this with the desire to live green and have a future that is less consumptive because it's unsustainable - what does that look like? What do we do with ourselves and our money if we're not going out and buying things all the time? Indeed, can we adjust our economies enough to even accommodate such a shift without a crash?

Thoughts?