The Treadmill Production Theory

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Origins of the treadmill production theory focuses on the social, economic and environmental conditions, established in1980. Thus, it raises the question and addresses why U.S. environmental degradation had increased. Schnaiberg argued that capitalism is the reason of increase in demand of natural resources. The treadmill production looks to replace production labor with new technologies to increase profit. New technologies are emerging and in high demand. The treadmill production helps understand why people create environmental problems through politics. It focuses on Post WII out comes. Out comes like script in gender roles changed, economy shifted, new form of consumption, housing booms etc. The initial response of the treadmill production …show more content…

Presumably, they state that decisions about technologies, the use of labor and volumes of production are made beyond the consumer. Arguing that it is within the production process, not the consumption. The treadmill production implies that if there is more democratic ownership and control over production there could make better social and ecological problems to attempt control rates of consumption or consumer choice of products (Hooks & Smith 2004:302). Arguing that it is not individual consumers that can make the change rather it is the democratic ownership. adding on, that the treadmill production is organized for production and not for the consumers. The treadmill production is in fact growing and operating at a larger global scale. Although it does not explain all patterns of economic and environmental changes. In addiction, the treadmill production is dialectic because of economic growth and environmental impacts. Furthermore, the treadmill forces a different level of dominance of the political economic system. There is tension between the two forces because while economic growth is valued the ecological disruption is harmful to human society. For example, National parks there are laws implemented and created to protect national parks it essentiallyservers both …show more content…

When reading more about the treadmill production it brings to light how it is affecting minority communities who live in proximity to environmental dangers. Minority groups are more likely to live environmental hazards because of capitalist production and the unequal exposure. The authors emphasize the destruction of the U.S. military of Native American lands calling it the environmental genocide because it is degrading their lands and pollution. The sacrifice of the Native Lands is understood as an example of the treadmill destruction. US military used and damaged native American lands for their own gains. Treadmill of destruction are the outcomes that we have to face because of the treadmill production. We have to go through social and environmental consequences. For instance, the housing market exposes minority groups to toxic dangers. The consequences of bad exposure is affecting the lower class. When we discussed in class about having a classless society, some ideas came to mind. Ideas with having a classless society is maybe having equal opportunity, change in order, and maybe resources would be distributed equally. Connecting the ideas we talked about in class with this article I find myself thinking about the outcomes of the treadmill destruction. As a society would we pay more attention to such toxic outcomes if it was equally distributed? How will we feel if society was equally exposed