We all need stuff to live. Seems simple. We need food, shelter, clothing, education, representative government, healthcare and employment. But our contemporary culture, and more importantly the people around us, would have us believe that we need more stuff than we actually require for day to day living. Why? To look good, to feel good, to identify ourselves with others with whom we share a common interest, be it fashion, music, sport, or a particular part of life that appeals to us. For many, this need to identify has somehow turned into a self-perpetuating circle of continuous consumption which has become unsustainable.
Like Annie Leonard, many people don’t have an issue with stuff per se. The problem is how much we consume, what we consume, and why.
Check out this article, and her two videos, here and here.
Image courtesy of and with thanks to colodio: http://www.flickr.com/photos/colodio/
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