Story of Stuff

[T.Cline]

be prepared ....its long.....but an interesting message


http://www.storyofstuff.org

[John R]

excellent short, and website.

goes hand in hand with:

http://www.mcdonough.com/cradle_to_cradle.htm
and
http://www.affluenza.org/

[elitrope]

As I scan all the threads under this forum, I noticed this post received the least amount of views at 29. It's too bad because this is probably one of the most important concepts for Americans to grasp and do something about if we truly care for each other and the other inhabitants (all species) of this planet like we profess we do. Thanks for sharing.

[ckhagen]

I agree... this is definitely a major issue, that requires us to alter the way we live. Regardless of your views on global warming, I don't think anyone can really argue that we can continue to use disposable everything and not expect it to pile up on us.

Has anyone read the study regarding the heavy metals building up in the Arctic waters? The women in the region are close to no longer producing male children because of the toxins they're ingesting from the fatty meats they consume (toxins cling to fatty meats). In the region the gender disparity has widened to two girls for every one boy. In the uppermost areas there are nearly no boys being born and there are suspicions about the barrage of toxins swaying the gender into the 3rd and 4th weeks post-conception. This is all because of the "stuff" (namely electronic equipment) that we're throwing away. It's leaching into the groundwater and draining into a current taking it right up into the arctic.

Altering our lifestyles can take a long time, but we have to start somewhere.

In our family we've taken a few measures.
No plastic/styrofoam dinnerware.
No disposable diapers (my kids have always been cloth diapered).
Reusable shopping bags. Reusable produce bags.
No plastic waterbottles.
Nearly eliminating aerosol products.

There are little things that all of us can do that will put us on the right track. You don't have to go all-out to start. It can be a slow and steady progression. I do it for my kids. First because I don't want them looking back and saying "wth were you thinking mom!?" when they're faced with the consequences of disposable living. And, I don't want them to be faced with having to wean themselves like we're having to. Growing up with this as a lifestyle will be easier than trying to "fix" it later.

[SHELLY]

The RE frenzy didn't help...it turned the earth's resources (wood, copper, granite, marble, seashores, mountains, woodlands and fields etc) into rows and stacks of overpriced, empty boxes.


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