Real people making real changes
November 21, 2007
Posted by CindyW in : Opinions & Thoughts , trackback
In the first part of our pre-Thanksgiving series, we talked about the super-sized American appetite for “stuff”, the resources this pulling-out-all-the-stops consumption has drained, and the trash it has produced.
Are we doomed? No, not yet. Is there hope? Yes. Many people among us have woken up from the consumption-induced daze. They are doing their personal best to put a break on the train wreck.
The consumer culture is a powerful force. But Marketplace spots some seeds of hope. The Mullens, a typical, middle-class family of four, live in the bedroom community of Daly City, California (no more than 20 miles from my home). They have sworn off buying new and joined the Compact - a group of people who vow not to buy anything new for an entire year, except basic necessities like food and toothpaste. So far, so good. “The lack of shopping as an entertainment option has had some definite upsides, too”. They have made more trips to the beach just a few blocks away and gone on more family hikes. Financially bills are paid sooner than they used to be and credit cards are in hibernation.
Tess Vigeland from Marketplac, Sueann Ramella from an NPR local station, Andrew Lane, an army captain, Kelsey McDonald,a student, and many others, participated in a “trash challenge”. They had to carry their own trash around for 2 weeks. Seriously! Results? One of them switched cloth napkins after realizing how many paper towels she used. One decided to start composting after carrying rotten apple cores and oranges peels around.
Most of them began to reexamine their daily habits and make changes. Sounds like a great idea to observe and change our throw away mentality.
Most of us won’t go as far as the freegans – a group of devoted people who employ alternative strategies for living based on limited participation in the conventional economy and minimal consumption of resources. In other words they are dumpster divers who find tossed away food, clothes, fax machines, furniture, and just about anything under the sun. No, they are not homeless people, they have consciously chosen that lifestyle. Not surprisingly, the reason that they are able to do so is because there are so many throw-aways from stores, companies and individuals. While I don’t think freegan will be my lifestyle of choice, it does demonstrate to us how much excess we are generating from our mindless consumption.
More and more people are waking up and questioning this very strange phenomenon called mass consumption. They are realizing that accumulating stuff does little for them in term of health, wealth, and ultimately happiness. Look around the blogsphere – bloggers everywhere are documenting how they have opted to live a simpler and more meaningful life with less-consumption, all without a book deal pending. Here are a few that we at Organicpicks visit often:
Reduce plastic and trash in their lives
Fake Plastic Fish
Bring Your Own Bags
Everyday Trash
Wasted Food
Living car free
Carfree in San Francisco
Family living car free in New Mexico
Moms trying to do something about their children’s future
Mindful Momma
Portland moms
Green Bean Dreams
To read earlier posts in this pre-Thanksgiving series:
Before the holiday shopping mania sets in
How long can we shop like there is no tomorrow?
CindyW at Organicpicks
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Comments»
Another great article. You are so right - our consumption has created an ecological nightmare. I always cared about the environment but I will be the first to admit, I was one of the biggest consumers before the light bulb went off! Oh, I was careful to donate stuff rather than throw it out but I never thought about just plain stopping consuming. If I can stop my weekly trips to Target (5 mos now since I’ve been there), anyone can. Guess what? We have more money, more free time and not so much junk in our house!
Thanks so much for this article and for mentioning Fake Plastic Fish. Another blog that I like to read is Going Green by a blogger who calls herself Burbanmom. I really enjoy what she has to say and the changes she is making in her life.