"Domestic demand and especially consumption are increasingly taking over the role of exports as growth locomotive.
With oil prices above $115 a barrel, any business connected to fuel consumption is increasingly vulnerable.
He said the only plausible strategy to achieve energy independence is to reduce consumption with increasingly fuel-efficient cars and alternative fuels.
We've seen how the impacts of consumption are increasingly embedded along complex supply chains that stretch for thousands of miles across continents and oceans, defying economic, cultural or ecological boundaries.
"Linear models of production and consumption are increasingly challenged by the context within which they operate, and this is particularly true for high-volume, low-value materials such as plastic packaging," she said.
With music consumption an increasingly online experience, sales at Rhythm House, which has been around for seven decades, have been declining and its owners recently admitted defeat and made the decision to close down.
According to some economists the 20% drop against the dollar and even bigger slide against the euro is a good thing, boosting exports and deterring the consumption of increasingly expensive imports.
With business investment flat, foreigners are now largely financing Americans' consumption and, increasingly, a rising federal budget deficit.Driven largely by last year's recession, America's budget deficit is likely to reach 1.5% of GDP this year.
Several millionaires have already paid $50,000 a go to clone their pet cat.In America, at least, says Marian Salzman, a leading trendspotter, the focus of conspicuous consumption is increasingly on getting your children into the best schools and universities.
Thus, ensuring a reliable balance of energy generation and consumption becomes increasingly demanding.
The kernels undergo an elaborate preparation process to produce oil and butter for home consumption, and increasingly for selling.
