Cycles of Production and Consumption

Systems of production and consumption are often analyzed in a static way, the interactions and dynamics of the two often being overlooked. The way humans produce goods and services tends to be analyzed separately from the way they consume the same goods and services, except for some relatively simple interactions premised on the basis of consumer demand. More recent accounts have shown that such production and consumption systems can better be described as dynamic equilibriums, in which gradual developments or sudden shocks can lead to tipping points changing the practices of consumption and production (Tukker et al. 2008). Commuting, [Page 412]for example, has for a long time depended on cars, buses, and rail-based transport, but deregulation and the advent of low-cost aviation carriers has transformed ...