[redpoint5]

I certainly think my perspective would be different if much of my country already was below sea level, and the rest of it not much above.

My guess is that VR will vastly reduce consumption. Anything that occupies time will cause a reduction in birth rates and in consumption in general, and I think VR/AR will be very addicting.

I've got few specific consumer goals in mind. I (mostly) joke about buying a helicopter, and sometimes think I might get serious about a powered paraglider... but I don't have time for those things at the moment. My purchases are mostly made to save time and make daily tasks easier. There's a space that begs to be a home theater, so I did buy a projector and I need to find some couches on Craigslist. Oh, I would buy an EUC (electric Unicycle) if one came up for the right price.

How much is consumerism a cultural thing, and how much is genetic? My sister is 7 years younger and plays the consumer game as well as anyone. She has a new 4runner and her husband has a boat and truck to pull it.

EDIT- Regarding Greta; society has done our youth wrong if bright kids like that are losing weight due to depression caused by global warming despair. 15 year olds should not be experiencing deep depression. You may be tempted to say the depression is rational given the circumstances, but it is not. You think 15 year olds had crushing depression back in the darker ages where tribal war was constant and life expectancy was extraordinarily low?

She broke free of depression by finding meaning, which is the very thing modern life has robbed its people of.