That Consumption Chill

Andy Revkin muses on whether the recession has chastened Americans into becoming de facto minimalists, perhaps unwittingly embracing a more sustainable way of life. Sorry, but it's way too early to tell. When I see people socking away napkins and ketchups from Wendy's, the way my grandfather was still doing forty years after the depression (even though he had built a successful business), then maybe I'll believe there's a cultural shift afoot.