On on the ever more society!

I've realised that many evolvers are questioning modern consumption society, and many good discussion have arise, yet , I feel it's still a bit raw for most. Since I have been part of the voluntary simplicity movement for a wile now, I felt like sharing with you an article that I've written for a local newspaper, were I give a simple explanation about the downshift / voluntary simplicity movement (translated from portuguese to english by myself, please fell free to improve it!):

“Downshift???

Downshift is a movement of people, a bit all over the industrialised countries, that are questioning the main purpose of modern society: economical growth.
The first thing that draws our attention is not a political nor idealistic notion, it's a physical one! There cannot be infinite growth, with no boundaries, on a finite world. This means that primary materials, whatever they may be, will have, at same point, an end. Especially if we continue to explore unconsciously the resources, without ever giving back.
The raw materials that require special attention right now are fossil fuels, not just because their end is at sight, but because about 90% of all industries, commerce, services, etc, are based on them to exist.

As such, if fossil fuels start to became expensive, because the extraction from source becomes harder, the cost of, for instance, production and transport of good of immediate consumption will rise... a lot. It'll no longer be profitable to get raw materials from Ukraine, transform them in India, pack them in China and then sell them at the U.S., because transport will be expensive, not to mention all the energy for machinery, etc... Transport the trash that result from that process far away from our sights will be equally expensive.
This example show us that, as consumers, we are just the middle man between a tentacular and spectacular chain of production and a complex network of trash treatment, with which, in our day to day life, we have absolutely no contact with and that we are hardly aware of.

At first sight one may think downshift is dealing with environmental issues alone, for, by questioning the boundaries of economic growth we handle initially with the destruction of natural resources, but this questioning take us far beyond that. Quickly we start realising the social degradation created by this lifestyle, the one of the perpetual MORE! More comfort, more material goods, more work, more cost of comfort, more time in public transports or traffic lines... more, ever more.

Capitalism is not an ideology, it is an economical theory, it has no political or social context, for it is empty human wise. However, it as became the engine of almost all modern societies, even the third world ones.
A society based on an empty theory cannot but create a society with an huge human emptiness. Loneliness affects millions of people on western societies, being depression the disease of the XXIth century. So we ask you, were are we going with a society were economic values are put in first then human values?

Downshift is based on these 2 main aspects, the environment, and the physical limits of the planet, and the social issues.
What can we do when faced with all this?

The first thing is to take conscience. When you are aware of what's going on around you, you make choices accordingly, and you start taking control of your lives. Many individuals, all over the world, are choosing voluntary simplicity, which put into other words, means choosing to live with less money, therefore consuming less, but have more time for themselves and their peers. Having a part-time job, renting a cheaper house, moving into the countryside to grow food, self-sufficiency, growing urban gardens, are some examples.To each it's form!!
Once you are aware you can always help others look at the world around them with “better” eyes. More we take conscious choices the weaker the system gets.

We can only have a life according to our will when we have built a system that is coherent with our human needs.

Let's build a new present!”