About Simple Mathematics

Simple Mathematics is best described as a numerical guide to consumer consciousness. To understand what that means, we must first have a common understanding of what consumption is. I define it in three parts. First, consumption in its primal form is the act of processing and expending forms or forces for other forms or forces to continue to exist and grow. The second is the market-based version of consumption which describes the economic forces that drive and sustain the needs of humans. The third defines consumption as an addiction that afflicts modern humans and takes us beyond necessity past the boundaries of sustainability. My goal with Simple Mathematics is to reveal this third definition via the language of numbers and statistics. When it comes to environmental dialogue, it is far too easy to be judgmental. Numbers and statistics have the uncanny ability to stand alone and relay a much stronger argument.

Consumer consciousness is defined as the individual responsibility to educate oneself about the processes involved in satisfying one's own consumption. It is understanding that there is waste, both organic and inorganic, involved in the production and consumption of goods. Ideally, such knowledge leads to individuals eliminating certain excessively wasteful functions from their daily lives. This may be as simple as changing light bulbs to fluorescents or buying local produce instead of imports. And for some, it may be as extreme as trying to live a carbon-neutral life.

From an environmental standpoint, a conscientious consumer can see how his or her consumption not only directly impacts him or herself; but also how it affects the air, water and the land around us. The conscientious consumer understands the processes that every product first goes through before consumption and what happens to the waste left over after consumption. My hope is that Simple Mathematics can provide a simple numerical guide for those who are motivated to expand upon their own consciousness as consumers.