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How our obsession with stuff is trashing the planet

Consumption is destroying the planet

How is the success of society measured in the west? Predominantly by how much stuff we consume. We are told to spend money to help revitalise the economy. But it's this consumption that is destroying the planet. The crazy thing is, it's not even making society happy.

The title of this post is taken from the subtitle of Annie Leonard' book "The Story of Stuff" which is itself based on her website www.storyofstuff.com . The book's full subtitle is 'How our obsession with stuff is trashing the planet, our communities, and our health - and a vision for change'. Leonard lays bare the linear process by which we exploit resources at one end of a conveyor belt that turns them into goods that ultimately satisfy us for a while but often quite quickly end up as landfill. Recycling is good, but how about buying less in the first place?

Problem is, our current economic system is not based on that premise and so it's highly unlikely our politicians are going to tell us to buy less. It could also be argued that in a society that prizes individualism, and where so much social structure has been lost, the 'buzz' that people got from doing things, particularly with others, has become harder to achieve and what we've been given instead is the opportunity to create that lost satisfaction by buying things. Sadly though, all the research that's looked at this shows that one can't buy happiness.

Leonard reminds us what the word 'consume' originally meant: "to destroy, as by fire or disease, to squander, to use up." A consumer society is therefore "a society of destroyers and squanderers". Not an appealing thought. And if you want to understand the full damage our consumptive lifestyle causes, you'll find her book an eye opener.

As Leonard says "choose quality of life over quality of stuff." And my own personal philosophy? As I come close to the end of my life, I won't look back and reflect I had a good life because I always had the latest phone, or a new car every few years. I will enjoy memories of doing things with friends and family, of days enjoying the outdoors. Got some spare cash that you really want to spend on yourself? OK, but use it to do things, preferably with others, to generate memories that will sustain you. Better for you, better for Earth.

'Buy' experiences, not stuff.


This is just one of the stories from my environmental talks

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