This video 'Story of Stuff' (embedded above) went viral in the US and elsewhere for a good reason - it shows, how, by adopting the consumer goods driven lifestyle, we are doing more harm to ourselves and the nature, than good.
"The primary way in which our value is determined is by how much stuff we own."
Isn't this true nowadays? While some of that stuff is required, most of them is not. This video shows how people have been brainwashed into thinking that they need to own more stuff to feel valuable, hence work more to pay for it, hence watch TV for entertainment, hence get exposed to ads advertising more stuff, hence think that their happiness depends on buying even more, . . . The vicious cycle just continues!
"The purpose of an ad is to make us unhappy with what we have."
In a consumerist culture, we think we need more stuff, but the resources/raw materials available to make them are finite. The people who work in factories making stuff are often exploited and made to work for minimal wages/harmful conditions that spoils their health. Manufacturing companies contribute to pollution as harmful chemicals are released in the air, water and land. The consumers are ridden into debt and have to work more and more to pay for all those goods. All this stuff quickly gets discarded and is dumped into landfills creating even more problems.
"99% of the stuff we buy is discarded within six months of usage."
It seems, there are two types of obsolescence of goods - planned obsolescence that involves stuff that is designed to be trashed quickly, and perceived obsolescence that involves us dumping perfectly working stuff because there is a newer model or latest design! This has been ingrained into the society consciously so that we buy even more stuff, that too frequently.
It's high-time we realize all this and change from a keep-buying-more-and-throw-away culture to a sustainable culture. Don't you think?
Renewable energy is an important component of sustainable living. Solar panels, for example, are warrantied to work for 10 years and their expected lifetime is 25 years!
Switch to renewable energy and a sustainable lifestyle, today.
