Like most of you, during the Pandemic I have been hunkered down at home, focusing on the things that are really important in my life. Family, close friends, getting outdoors, eating home cooked vegetarian (sometimes vegan) food....
Being at home with family has given me an opportunity to reflect on “Stuff.” And with that, also the issues of consumerism, waste, things we don’t need, things we do, and the impacts that all of this has on our fragile, resource-limited, planet.
Roughly 10% of my carbon footprint, my impact on this tiny globe, comes from the “Consumption of Stuff.” For most American's it is closer to a full quarter (25%) of their footprint.
What do I mean by "Stuff?" I mean ALL the non-food good and materials that I buy, use, and toss away as I go about my daily life. This includes all the food-related packaging, paper, cans, bottles, and most importantly, plastics. But it also includes all the sports equipment, appliances, clothes, gifts, furniture, games, books, etc. The things that I find myself buying at a store, or on Amazon, or Walmart, and inevitably and eventually, carting to the dump, either in trash bags or recycling bins, and often, with lots of life left in them.
Being at home with family has given me an opportunity to reflect on “Stuff.” And with that, also the issues of consumerism, waste, things we don’t need, things we do, and the impacts that all of this has on our fragile, resource-limited, planet.
Roughly 10% of my carbon footprint, my impact on this tiny globe, comes from the “Consumption of Stuff.” For most American's it is closer to a full quarter (25%) of their footprint.
What do I mean by "Stuff?" I mean ALL the non-food good and materials that I buy, use, and toss away as I go about my daily life. This includes all the food-related packaging, paper, cans, bottles, and most importantly, plastics. But it also includes all the sports equipment, appliances, clothes, gifts, furniture, games, books, etc. The things that I find myself buying at a store, or on Amazon, or Walmart, and inevitably and eventually, carting to the dump, either in trash bags or recycling bins, and often, with lots of life left in them.
Why is it important to work on my “stuff-print”? After all, it’s only about 10% of my total.
Because it is the buying, using, and tossing of Stuff that represents the single-most, detrimental, systemic problem contributing to Climate Change, and includes the extraction of scarce resources, the consumption economy, the perversion of democracy, the decline of happiness.... This cycle of extraction, production, transportation, use, and waste of "Stuff," all fueled by governmental policies, is the true planet killer.
If you have never seen it, the 17-minute, whiteboard video, "The Story of Stuff" by Annie Leonard, is worth watching: https://www.youtube.
And sharing,
And showing your kids,
And your parents.
If you are curious about plastic recycling, try googling and watching, "Plastic Wars."
(https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/film/plastic-wars/)
So what I am doing to lower my "Stuff-Print?"
8: Buying bulk, instead of packaged, (beans, rice, granola, nuts, flour,...)
7: Asking my friends and neighbors if I can borrow, AND offering that they can borrow mine, (picnic table, lawn chair, kayak, grill, rake, lawn-mower,...)
6: Shopping at the thrift store, instead of the buying new, (Salvation Army, consignment,....)
5: Yard sale, flea market, and estate visiting,
4: Finding a repair man, instead or tossing,
3: Choosing local wood as a material for building, furniture, bowls; over other choices,
2: Putting off the next purchase, at least until tomorrow, if not next week,
8: Buying bulk, instead of packaged, (beans, rice, granola, nuts, flour,...)
7: Asking my friends and neighbors if I can borrow, AND offering that they can borrow mine, (picnic table, lawn chair, kayak, grill, rake, lawn-mower,...)
6: Shopping at the thrift store, instead of the buying new, (Salvation Army, consignment,....)
5: Yard sale, flea market, and estate visiting,
4: Finding a repair man, instead or tossing,
3: Choosing local wood as a material for building, furniture, bowls; over other choices,
2: Putting off the next purchase, at least until tomorrow, if not next week,
1: Making a gift, instead of buying something, (a poem, pickles, pies)
Nice! I use that video series in some of my classes. Another thought related to gifting is the idea of offering an experience instead of an object as a gift. I've had fun with gifting little handmade "coupons" or currency to loved ones that can be redeemed for special time together, a pancake meal, and other shared experiences.
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