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Af-flu-en-za n. 1. The bloated, sluggish and unfulfilled feeling that results from efforts to keep up with the Jonses. 2. An epidemic of stress, overwork, waste and indebtedness caused by dogged pursuit of the American Dream. 3. An unsustainable addiction to economic growth. The traditional American dream of opportunity, progress, and freedom speaks to the hearts of most people. Yet the recent "more is better" definition of the dream has many hidden costs. Our way of life depends on a continuous influx of the very commodities that are most damaging to the environment. This is particularly troubling since nearly every other nation in the world is emulating American consumption patterns. As global population increases and consumption skyrockets, we are rapidly depleting the planet's natural resources, degrading its renewable support systems of water, soil, and air, and producing more waste than the Earth and its atmosphere can absorb. Our hectic work-and-spend way of life also has huge social costs. Millions of families have declared personal bankruptcy, credit card debt has reached new heights, and the personal savings rate has fallen to the lowest level since the Great Depression. Millions of Americans report feeling exhausted, pressured, and hungry for more balanced lives. They are seeking greater purpose and more free time to spend with family and friends. We need a creative combination of technology, innovative policies, behavior change, and cultural renaissance to sustain a high quality of life while consuming far fewer resources. The time for education and action is overdue. This site is part of the Center for a New American Dream's attempt to inspire that action. Visit www.affluenza.org
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