What can be done to reduce overconsumption?

Overconsumption of natural resources is frequently portrayed as a significa nt environmental threat. This paper addresses overconsumption from the indi vidual level, discussing the problems associated with identifying overconsu mption and identifying general approaches that can he used to reduce consum ption. A behavioral approach to understanding resource consumption is prese nted, with the existing literature reviewed as it applies to this approach. Using this framework, we identify key issues requiring empirical attention and note the important contribution that ecologists, economists, and other behavioral scientists can make in research and intervention efforts aimed at reducing resource consumption. By discussing what is known to be effecti ve in reducing consumption and some questions that remain unanswered, this review aims to assist researchers and those designing intervention programs in developing programs and policies that reflect the behavioral complexiti es associated with reducing resource consumption. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.