Terry Newholm

Hon. Reader in Consumption Ethics, University of Manchester UK - Buxton, UK
Buxton, UK
Terry Newholm

I committed to stop flying in 2005 when my co-authored book The Ethical Consumer was published. We had decided that, instead of promoting our prowess as academics in this book, we would each give a short account of our consumption practices. As part of this I admitted my growing concern about academic flying; I felt I then had no choice but to stop.

It’s worked out fine; the new normal. I mostly retired in 2011 and it might be argued that that has removed academic travel from the equation, but I still have many slightly awkward conversations with friends about their flying.

I’m a generalist (sociology, ecology, geography, philosophy, history, education, etc.) focussing on consumption ethics. I have wanted to extend what was the tiny study area of consumption ethics.

We began with detailed qualitative and quantitative studies of self professed ‘ethical consumers’ and have moved on to record its long history. Recently we have become concerned with the relationship between consumption ethics and unsustainability.