The Story of Stuff - AWESOME!

[suzy24]

This is an awesome, 20 minute documentary (downloadable from your computer) that talks about the production, marketing, consumption and disposal of goods. It's very illuminating, and there are definitely parts where you will sit there with your mouth hanging open. I HIGHLY recommend!!

www.storyofstuff.com

From its extraction through sale, use and disposal, all the stuff in our lives affects communities at home and abroad, yet most of this is hidden from view. The Story of Stuff is a 20-minute, fast-paced, fact-filled look at the underside of our production and consumption patterns. The Story of Stuff exposes the connections between a huge number of environmental and social issues, and calls us together to create a more sustainable and just world. It'll teach you something, it'll make you laugh, and it just may change the way you look at all the stuff in your life forever.

[austinmomto2]

Suzy,
Thx so much for the link! I look forward to watching it with DH and posting our thoughts about it!

Thanks again!

[austinmomto2]

Almost done watching it but DD has just called from "naptime" saying she has to go potty so guess DH and I will finish it up later

[Saveinapenny18]

Thank you for your post :)
All I'm going to say is WOW this download is really something else.
It will really make you think.... and than your going to post what you are going to do that is Green for Today Thread.

[derketchup]

oh. my. gosh.

That was explained so simply....

Why don't they teach that in school??? (I know, I know....)

[austinmomto2]

ITA Der! It put a lot of things into perspective for DH and I. Even if we get something with coupons at the store that is either free or a moneymaker for us, it really isn't "free". Her example of the $4.99 camera totally exemplifies this point. Makes me rethink a lot of my goals with couponing, the values I want to instill in my children, and the "mark" I want to leave with my existence (I know, deep huh? ).

Suzy,
Thx again for posting this! Really opened my eyes

[suzy24]

I'm so glad that people are "getting it." When we first watched An Inconvenient Truth and got kind of really scared (it's amazing how having kids changes your perspective) and then learned about peak oil and came to a general realization about the future of the earth and our way of life in America, we made a lot of drastic changes. Then I discovered couponing and CVS, and it seems like we got away from that for a while. Now I feel like things are coming into equillibrium and we are balancing our true needs with "great deals"...while of course looking for minimally processed, minimally packaged, mostly organic, pesticide-free, petroleum-free, toxin-free products that are a great value. Yeah, those are easy to find!

[chitownmelli]

wow

[jujubee]

Now I feel like things are coming into equillibrium and we are balancing our true needs with "great deals"...while of course looking for minimally processed, minimally packaged, mostly organic, pesticide-free, petroleum-free, toxin-free products that are a great value. Yeah, those are easy to find!

lol! I totally agree. Needs vs. Deals - a constant struggle for me.

Though, for the entire year of 2007 I kept track of my spending penny by penny and I made a real conscious effort to not buy more stuff. I'm proud of the progress I made, but I wouldn't have been able to do it had I not bought bought bought the entire year before. I'm hoping to still live off my stockpile for as far into 2008 as is possible, and I'm still keeping record of my entire spending and intake of more stuff.

The part in the video about having new stuff to make us happy...? That part really hit home for me. Not that I'm gravely materialistic, quite contrary, but who doesn't like to have a nice home? And to surround themselves with nice things? And to drive a car that's newer and more reliable? I mean, let's face it, the concept of stuff = happiness is so ingrained in our psyche...how do you recover from that...?

[derketchup]

Originally Posted by jujubee

I mean, let's face it, the concept of stuff = happiness is so ingrained in our psyche...how do you recover from that...?

First you have to recognize it. That usually decreases the joy. Then you find other things to bring you joy in place of it.

It's a slow process. Like learning Santa Claus isn't real... at first I was crushed... and then a little sad... and then I realized Santa isn't dead in spirit... and then I started leaving people Christmas surprises (and I don't mean poo on fire in a bag), and it just took off from there.

[austinmomto2]

My in-laws are very much the "keeping up with Joneses" type of people. DH and I are pretty laid back. While we like our house comfortablely cool (this is one area that it is so hard for us to go "green" on), modern technology, etc, it is not necessary for us to have the latest and greatest, the most trendiest clothes or the latest new toy for our kid. This kind of baffles my SIL who is all about appearances and shops just to shop.

We told DH's family that it is not necessary to buy the kids a lot of things this Xmas. And that we are trying to teach our children about "giving back" to society and those in need and not about material consumption. His parents told us they cut back, so we felt pretty good. Well, in the past they normally have filled their entire Tahoe from behind the driver's seat to the very back window, floor to ceiling with Xmas gifts for just 2 grandkids!!! It totally is RIDICULOUS! Well, this year they have a 4Runner and only did 1 trip and now 3 grandkids. So I guess they did cut back, but it still was too many presents and too excessive. It bothers me because there are a lot of things they purchase that our kids won't use, already have, or things for us that we don't use. Plus, we have to store at least half of the kids' gifts in both my DH's and my closets so that it is not so overwhelming....
It really defeats our purpose in teaching our kids to not be materialistic when materialism and consumption is enforced by many relatives in their family.