Our enormously productive economy… demands that we make consumption our way of life, that we convert the buying and use of goods into rituals, that we seek our spiritual satisfaction, our ego satisfaction, in consumption… We need things consumed, burned up, worn out, replaced, and discarded at an ever increasing rate. - Victor Lebow, 1955
The quote was recently featured in a video at The Story of Stuff. The video might seem a bit long (20 minutes) but it might just get you thinking. And I'd love to hear the discussion.
It is just one side of the story. And probably a slightly biased and perhaps misrepresented one too. Even so, what if it's enough to make you stop and think for a moment or two? Would that be enough?
HT: Wade
What da heck!? I just blogged about "The Story of Stuff" too!
It was really interesting, but kind of depressing. Time and time again, the message I hear is that we, as consumers, can do little to stop the tide of environmental damage. It's the huge industries causing the problem, and they have little incentive to change their ways.
As an example, I had to do a report at school about electrical production and consumption in Saskatchewan. As residential consumers, we are only using 15% of the total electrical consumption. 51% is used by the oilfields and major industrial sectors, such as Ipsco and the potash mines, etc. So, even if we use the low-wattage bulbs and turn off our computers, we are still only saving a drop in the bucket.
What's the point!?