The following article summarizes the original event which is listed below the summary.
Outsourcing the impacts of consumption
The U.S. is a consuming nation the likes of which the world has never before seen. During UMRA A.M. on April 13, Professor Emeritus Jim Bowyer made the case that we should be mindful of what happens when high levels of consumption are accompanied by pervasive resistance to domestic generation of the raw materials that are needed to support that consumption.
We like our cell phones, tablets, computers, large homes, large cars, trucks, recreational vehicles, appliances, boats, and so on, but not the environmental impacts associated with obtaining the metals and other raw materials from which these products are made. Accordingly, we have over a period of many decades put in place a myriad of laws, rules, and regulations designed to inhibit domestic raw materials extraction, with a focus on environmental protection.
Current policy, according to Bower, adds up to irresponsible behavior in the present and potentially serious trouble for future generations. Nevertheless, while massive consumption of basic raw materials is needed to support our economy, stiff resistance to domestic extraction of raw materials has become routine. And less is being done than could be to recycle waste.
The cumulative result of high consumption, resistance to domestic raw materials extraction, and lack of interest in recycling has led to an institutionalized pattern of outsourcing the environmental impacts of consumption. What this means for the U.S. is that citizens are able to enjoy the benefits of high consumption with minimal exposure to the environmental impacts of that consumption—especially in the case of metals. It is an ethically bankrupt position, said Bowyer, who also noted that our penchant for outsourcing is raising strategic and national security concerns.
Actions to alleviate the issues
He proposed several actions we can all take to alleviate these issues, including developing greater awareness of the local and global impacts of our consumption, thinking about issues of global equity, and considering how we might view the situation were the shoe on the other foot. We need to rethink our active or tacit support for what has become automatic opposition to proposals for domestic raw material extraction, he said. In addition, Dr. Bowyer urged greater societal investment in materials recovery and recycling, and said there is need for civic engagement with local, state, and national elected officials to bring this issue to the forefront with our policy makers.
See the PDF (below) for information about the “UnShopping Card,” developed by the Oregon State University Extension Service, that Bowyer referenced in his presentation.
Upon his retirement from the U of M in 2006, Bowyer founded a consulting firm focused on helping organizations to improve environmental performance, and became an associate in Dovetail Partners, Inc.—a Minneapolis-based environmental nonprofit—where he recently published a 20-part online series on responsible consumption.
Bowyer has published widely on the topics of life-cycle assessment, carbon tracking and reporting, bioenergy, green building standards, and environmental policy, and for many years has been a frequent speaker nationally and internationally on these topics. His latest book, The Irresponsible Pursuit of Paradise, was a finalist for the 2017 Midwest Book Award.
—Eric Hockert, UMRA Program Committee member
Are we exporting our environmental problems?
Tue, April 13 2021, 9am
Jim L. Bowyer
Professor Emeritus
Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering
Event to be held via Zoom.
We want electric cars, and we want solar power and wind turbines to generate electricity. But what about the raw materials needed to produce them? We like our smartphones, computers, and TVs. But what are the environmental consequences for the locations, often outside the U.S., where the critical metals and other materials used to make them are found? Are we exporting our environmental problems to other countries?
These are questions Professor Emeritus Jim L. Bowyer will discuss for UMRA A.M. on Tuesday, April 13. Please register to attend this webinar starting at 9 a.m. via Zoom.
In a fast-moving presentation, Bowyer will address population and economic growth, consumption, raw material needs, the environment, ethics, and even a bit of politics. Based on his recent book, The Irresponsible Pursuit of Paradise, the focus will be on environmental policy. Bowyer retired from the U of M Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering in 2006.
A feeling of environmental superiority
What the cumulative result of high consumption, resistance to domestic raw material extraction, and a lack of interest in recycling on the part of many means for the U.S. is that consumers here are able to enjoy the benefits of high consumption with minimal exposure to the environmental impacts of that consumption—especially in the case of metals.
Moreover, these same consumers are able to bask in a feeling of environmental superiority over nations whose environments are not as pristine as those in the U.S. In Bowyer’s view, it is an ethically bankrupt position.
But there are also reasons other than ethics that require self-examination of current practices. Many countries exporting raw materials are now experiencing their own rapid economic growth and becoming competitors for the raw materials coveted by the most economically developed countries.
In addition, rapid increases in consumption worldwide have triggered concerns about the potential for conflict as resource competition intensifies.
These realities, coupled with changing global demographics, suggest a need to rethink our relationship with the rest of the world and to reexamine the U.S. approach to environmental protection.
Upon retiring from the University, Bowyer founded a consulting firm focused on helping organizations to improve environmental performance, and became an associate in Dovetail Partners, Inc., a Minneapolis-based environmental nonprofit.
Bowyer has published widely on the topics of life-cycle assessment, carbon tracking and reporting, bioenergy, green building standards, and environmental policy, and for many years has been a frequent speaker nationally and internationally on these topics. The Irresponsible Pursuit of Paradise, his latest book, was a 2017 Midwest Book Award finalist.
Please register and join us for UMRA A.M. starting at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, April 13, via Zoom.
—Eric Hockert, member, UMRA Board and Program Committee
Upcoming Events
We are fortunate to have UMRA member and former Minnesota Landscape Arboretum director Peter Moe to lead this approximately 3.7-mile hike at the Arboretum on Monday, May 6. Plan to have lunch together after the hike at the Eatery café inside the Oswald Visitor Center.
This session will continue the discussion begun in the May 8, 2023 session. See that article for details.
If you currently live in your own home or apartment, have you looked ahead to when you might want to consider a senior living option? Do you have any idea what those options might be? How much they cost? What they provide? UMRA’s May 14 workshop will provide an overview of the world of senior living and the basic information you need.
You’re invited to join the final Family History Interest Group meeting for 2023–24. This will be an opportunity to ask questions related to family history, share insights, talk about recent projects, and suggest topics for next year.
Stephanie Daily will lead the discussion of Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law by best-selling author Mary Roach when the UMRA Book Club meets via Zoom at 2 p.m. on Friday, May 17.
The May 20 hike will start at the Historic Lift Bridge in Stillwater and go along the river to the new bridge, cross over and then back on the Wisconsin side, a total of approximately 5 miles. Most of the route is paved. We will eat lunch after at Brian's Bar and Grill in Stillwater. Car pooling will be available.
Climatologist and meteorologist Mark Seeley joined the U of M faculty in 1978 and has been a weekly commentator on Minnesota Public Radio since 1992. We are honored to welcome him as our guest speaker for UMRA’s May Luncheon Forum and 2024 Annual Meeting. He is always entertaining and informative.
UMRA’s Fourth Friday Book Club welcomes back, for the second time, author Julie Schumacher, U of M Regents professor of creative writing and English, for a conversation about her novel The Shakespeare Requirement.
We are in for a treat on June 3! Lynn Anderson, will lead us on trails at two parks near her Monticello home. Bring a bag lunch and we will gather in Lynn's yard along the Mississippi River for eating and socializing after the hike.
Get out to the ballpark with fellow UMRA members for the annual U of M Day at Target Field as the Minnesota Twins take on the Oakland Athletics on June 14 at 7:10 p.m.
Please join us at 9:30 on June 17, 2024 for a walk around Lake Como in St. Paul before attending the UMRA Summer Social and Picnic starting at 11 at the Como Pavilion. A perfect opportunity to get in a walk before we gather to celebrate summer.
Picnic under the covered, open-air Como pavilion, gaze at the water, spy some birds, catch up with friends and former colleagues, and meet new members. We’ll have lunch with plenty of time for visiting and then compete in teams as we are challenged by our Quiz master(s)!
Healthy aging, mindfulness, fighting ageism, and more will be the focus of the third annual Age-Friendly University Day to be held on the U of M Twin Cities campus.