WHAT do the powerful mean by consumers?  Us yes, definitely us:  The folk on the middle and lower levels of the power triangle.  We buy and purchase and keep the whole structure moving.  When consumer confidence is deemed low, the Reserve Bank may change interest rates, politicians make strategies and businesses worry.  Might that lack of rush by consumers on their chain stores make the profit margin less.  Perhaps the Stock Exchange will not look benignly upon their shares!!

We people, classed as the “consumer” are provided through our work with funds sufficient to make the chains of the economy grind on.  Our consumption is paramount to the inequity of our society.  We keep the top five percent in extraordinary comfort.

But how can we consumers, buyers, purchasers, or simply “people”, make changes for a better society, indeed the future for our planet?

Electricity is an interesting example.  Very few of us are not consumers here.  Solar, micro hydro, or wind power could make us independent of power companies burning massive coal amounts to light up our homes.  Why don’t we?

  The answer is twofold, first to move to alternative energy is costly.  And secondly electricity companies would prefer to create their own alternatives on a massive scale which we can “consume”.

Food is another one of those inevitable consumables.  But have a close look next time you stressfully try and get hold of the evening meal.  Places of considerable unhealthiness, indeed probably the greatest source of fatness in this country also known as the Supermarket.  Large chains know exactly how to lay out the store.  Vegetables far away and chocolate plus sweets near the checkout, yes for the kids.  Everything is double packaged and the store managers ask you not to have a plastic bag at the checkout!  You just have to ask yourself who is really creating the endless piles of rubbish, the plastic bag for your goodies (or unhealthies) or the large corporations like Uncle Tobies who package to an excessive degree.

Cars and petrol are another of our consumables.  We can drive smaller vehicles and consume less petrol.  But do the car manufactures and petrol companies really want us mindful or is it in their interests to have us driving bigger, faster cars consuming more fuel?

OK no easy answers here, many of us consumers are employed in these industries, they provide our ability to consume, salary.  But as a massive block we consumers do have the ability though our consuming habits to break down some of the influence of large corporations by simply consuming at smaller independent outlets, the family grocer or butcher.  We can use small old cars, travel less and walk more.  We can start the process of using solar energy and make use of government rebates and throw way the electric gadgets that consume so much energy in our homes.  But the “Hardly Normal” chain stores would be unhappy.

We consumers vote but our influence on any government is so small in comparison to the big corporations.  They wine, dine and influence “our” politicians as we can never do.

But consumers united could make us truly powerful!  Let’s explore how.

Josephine Zananiri

Cars and petrol are another of our consumables.  We can drive smaller vehicles and consume less petrol.  But do the car manufactures and petrol companies really want us mindful or is it in their interests to have us driving bigger, faster cars consuming more fuel?