The Story of Stuff

Extraction … Production … Distribution … Consumption … Disposal = Materials Economy

Waste Resources … Waste People

Work … Watch … Spend

It’s the story of stuff.

The Story of Stuff

is a 20-minute, fact-filled look at the underside of our production and consumption patterns, with a special focus on the United States. All the stuff in our lives, beginning from the extraction of the resources to make it, through its production, sale, use and disposal, affects communities at home and abroad, yet most of this is hidden from view. The Story of Stuff exposes the connections between a huge number of environmental and social issues and calls for all of us to create a more sustainable and just world.

Written by Annie Leonard, Produced by Free Range Studios

– Borrowed from Lynda via Facebook. Thanks!

While I think The Story of Stuff video I posted last Saturday makes us stop and think, I don’t think it offers us an answer.  I don’t agree with the end message.  I don’t believe we can change this world.

You see, I believe that we live in a fallen world, a world destroyed by sin.  No where in the Bible does it command us to go out and change society, to change our world system.  In fact, it is to be expected that this world system will become increasingly corrupt as time goes on.  But we are commanded to go out and reach people and change their lives through the gospel message.  We are commanded to love and by this all will know that we are disciples of Jesus Christ.

So, please take a moment and watch this video.  Tell me what you think.

For more information, you can visit adventconspiracy.org.

Kembali ke hari rabu. Waktunya rebel -rebo belajar- kembali.

Setelah beberapa minggu sempat off dulu dikarenakan kemalasan yang amat sangat, kemaren mencoba untuk refreshing sambil berkumpul dan belajar bersama kawan-kawan yang lain.

Tema kegiatan kemaren adalah mengenai keberlanjutan, atau bahasa kerennya mungkin “Sustainability Development for Environment” (alagh, sok tau banget sih si agung, bikin judul sengenae dewe), lupa lagi euy pokoknya mah tentang “keberlanjutan” gitu deh.

Stop-stop ga usah diperpanjang lagi, mudah-mudahan yang baca nih tulisan udah pintar dan ngerti apa yang saya maksud.

Sangat seru, karena selain berperan sebagai orang yang sedikit linglung, saya dan beberapa teman lain yang sudah mencapai usia dewasa produktif baik secara hormonal maupun reproduksional dan juga sakutebal -kuitansi utang- harus membimbing adik-adik yang usianya berkisar anak smp.

Acaranya sendiri terbagi menjadi tiga sesi. Sesi pertama yaitu games tentang daya dukung. Sesi kedua games menjadi nelayan yang berkelanjutan. Dan sesi terakhir menononton film dengan judul “The Story of Stuff”.

Kedua games yang dibawa bukanlah sekedar games biasa. Keduanya merupakan games yang menjelaskan sebuah konsep meskipun tidak persis sama sekali namun konsep yang sulit dipahami menjadi lebih mudah untuk dimengerti. Kedua permainan tersebut mengetengahkan sebagian dari isu lingkungan yang saat ini sedang terjadi.

Hasil yang didapat dari permainan pun beragam, karena melibatkan pengalaman si peserta baik pada saat bermain maupun dalam kehidupan sehari-harinya. Tidak ada yang salah dan benar ketika kesimpulan dari permainan dijelaskan, disinilah justru titik penting bahwa kita pada akhirnya mengerti benar bahwa setiap keputusan yang diambil memiliki efek yang berbeda dan pilihan terakhir tentunya ada di tangan kita semua.

Di sesi yang terakhir, sebuah film independen yang entah punya siapa -mungkin bisa dicari di situs video- mengalihkan semua perhatian kami pada baris-baris kalimat serta gambar-gambar yang dijelaskannnya. Film ini termasuk film yang mudah dicerna, apalagi sudah ada teks bahasa Indonesianya -terimakasih untuk relawan subtitle- sehingga kami tidak usah buka-buka kamus klo nggak ngerti.

Filmnya sendiri menceritakan tentang asal usul sebuah benda yang kita gunakan sehari-hari, benda apapun yang ada di sekitar kita. Film semi animasi ini memaparkan bahwa benda/ barang-barang yang selalu setia menemani kita ini melibatkan empat elemen utama, yaitu:

Bumi: sebagai sumberdaya alam yang terbatas, dimana hampir setiap hari isinya selalu dieksploitasi, diobrak-abrik, diobok-obok dan jika sudah habis satu lalu pindah mencari lahan baru kemudian terulang lagi deh lingkaran setannya.

Industri: proses berikutnya dimana sumber daya alam dibawa lalu diproduksi dan dikombinasikan dengan bahan-bahan kimia berbahaya menghasilkan produk yang nantinya akan digunakan oleh kita. Secara sosial, dampak dari eksploitasi sumberdaya alam justru mengubah orientasi masyarakat yang awalnya mengantungkan hidupnya pada alam kini tergantung pada cerobong-cerobong asap yang akan mengupah mereka agar bisa tetap bertahan hidup. Cukup miris juga, karena hampir kebanyakan para buruh pabrik merupakan perempuan dalam usia produktif yang memaksa mereka bersetubuh dengan toksik kimiawi. Dan pada akhirnya, para calon bayi merekalah yang menjadi korban dari kejahatan kasat mata ini.

Toko: barang-barang yang sudah dibuat akhirnya dijajakanlah di toko-toko dan menunggu orang seperti kita-kita inilah untuk membelinya. Patut dipertanyakan pula tentang pantas tidaknya suatu harga pada barang yang kita beli, mengingat bahwa untuk menciptakan sebuah barang ternyata melewati beberapa proses dan jarak yang bisa dibilang lumayan panjang. Misal, untuk sebuah HP buntet BuruBeli yang pabrik utamanya berada di Kanada ternyata beberapa komponen lainnya semisal material logam dipasok dari Afrika, kayu dari Indonesia, plastik dari China, dan mungkin di antaranya menggunakan pekerja dibawah usia hingga akhirnya sampai di tangan anda dengan harga tiga juta. Itu baru HP BuruBeli, coba kalo HP-HP murah lainnya (HTC -hape ti cina-) yang ternyata prosesnya pun sama saja.

Rumah: akhirnya, barang tersebut mampir dan menjadi bagian dari rumah. Kenapa dikatakan mampir, karena entah kenapa kualitas dari barang-barang sekarang di desain hanya untuk tahan selama kurang dari lima tahun. Belum lagi ditambah dengan pergerakan fashion yang selalu berubah setiap saat. Jangan percaya bahwa penjajahan di dunia sudah dihapuskan. Penjajahan tak pernah bisa menghilang, ia hanya berubah bentuk saja hingga akhirnya muncul kembali dengan istilah “kapitalisme”. Penjajahan kapitalis ini akhirnya menyebarkan virus-virus berbahaya yang bisa kita sebut sebagai “konsumerisme”. Virus-virus ini juga semakin didukung dengan kehadiran media baik secara audio maupun visual yang menawarkan, mengiming-imingi hingga akhirnya menciptakan garis batas yang sangat jelas antara si miskin dan si kaya, si gaul dan si kuper, si hitech dan si lowtech, si up to date dan si up to you. Bayangkan saja, hanya karena sepeda merk Federal seseorang menjadi urung untuk bergabung dalam komunitas bersepeda ke sekolah yang anggotanya rata-rata menggunakan sepeda dengan merk HARGA di atas satu juta plus aksesoris pendukung gaya bersepedamu yang sebenarnya nggak penting-penting amat untuk digunakan -teori bung  Aso, sebuah komunitas hobi terkadang malah menghilangkan esensi dari hobinya sendiri dan menjadi ajang unjuk gigi kepunyaannya bukan kebisaannya-.

Last but not least semuanya berakhir di Tempat Pembuangan Akhir: Barang-barang yang sudah tidak layak digunakan/ rusak akhirnya dibuang begitu saja. Dikubur, dibakar, dikubur, dibakar terus menerus seperti itu dan pada akhirnya racun-racun yang dulu dibenamkan pada saat proses produksi kini terurai bebas mencemari tanah, air dan udara. Daur ulang, upaya yang memang sebaiknya dilakukan namun tetap saja hanya menyentuh sebagian dari barang-barang yang bisa di daur ulang. Dan sampah terus saja semakin bertambah, karena setiap barang baru dibuat terkadang dibuat berbeda jauh dari versi sebelumnya sehingga memaksa kita untuk membuang versi lama hanya untuk sebuah versi baru yang mungkin dalam kisaran satu bulan ke depan akan tergerus kembali oleh kemunculan versi yang lebih baru lagi. Begitu dan seterusnya.

Nah dari keempat elemen tersebut tentunya ada elemen-elemen lain yang cukup berperan penting menunjang keberlangsungan mereka. Elemen-elemen luar tersebut antara lain adalah:

Kita: ya kita, aku kamu mereka kalian situ ogut dikau ente loe gue maneh urang-urang you me ambo beta awak -manusia- sangat berperan penting dalam setiap proses yang terjadi di tiap elemen. Tanpa kehadiran manusia, tak mungkin setiap elemen tersebut bisa berjalan.

Pemerintah: pihak berwenang yang seharusnya bisa mengatur dengan lebih baik dan bijak. Aparatur tertinggi yang seharusnya menunjukkan keberpihakannya pada rakyat bukan pada suatu golongan atau kalangan. Dari rakyat oleh rakyat untuk rakyat. HIDUP PEOPLE POWER

Para Penguasa saham/ Pengusaha: Merekalah yang sebenarnya sangat sangat sangat diuntungkan. Pemerintah justru menjadi penjilat dan bagian pencuci bersih segala noda yang ditinggalkannya. Kebijakan-kebijakan pemerintah hanyalah sebuah citra dipermukaan yang seakan membatasi namun membuka seluas-luasnya kesempatan mereka asal Pemilihan nanti jangan lupa sokongan dananya yah…

Well, itu lah sekelumit kisah yang ternyata terjadi pada barang-barang yang sejatinya selalu menemani kita sehari-hari. Nah sekarang, mari kita coba untuk lebih bijak terhadap barang-barang yang kita punya. Karena proses benda tersebut untuk sampai di tangan kita ternyata tidak sesimple yang kita perkirakan. Mudah-mudahan saja barang yang kita punya saat ini bisa bertahan sekurang-kurangnya untuk 10 tahun ke depan. Dan upaya keberlanjutan ini dapat menyelamatkan bumi yang hanya ada satu-satunya -tidak dapat tergantikan- untuk bertahan lebih lama lagi di luar dari ramalan-ramalan yang diperkirakan oleh para ahli. Hopefully.

How ironic is it that last week I blogged about struggling through my consumer oriented holiday shopping and then this week I saw this: http://storyofstuff.org?

This is a twenty minute documentary about where all the stuff we buy comes from, who makes it and how it’s made.

So I settle in to watch the movie with my skeptical pants on because I’ve seen a lot of ultra preachy films on being eco friendly and pretentious ones about not eating your weight in meat per day. And that can get to be a bit much, even when I agree with what they’re saying.

But I was instantly sucked in by this film. It’s not preachy and it’s not pretentious. And after watching it I couldn’t get it out of my mind. Follow me on my train of thought, if you will…

I like to buy stuff. I like to have the latest and greatest in electronics and fashion. I want to keep up with Joneses, even though there is a big part of me that fully rejects the idea of being concerned with such things as fashion, having the latest and greatest and buying into the notion of name brands. And why should I even care what the Joneses are doing? What makes me think their taste is so great? They probably listen to R. Kelly and put out human-sized waving Santa Clauses on their lawn every December 1.

From there I start to wonder about this discrepancy between what I want and what I think is right. I start thinking about the way I’ve been indoctrinated since earliest childhood to focus on not just consumption, but very specifically guided consumption.

I love watching television. And I know that I am being sold something at every moment, not just during the commercials, but in the shows themselves. That’s called product integration and as a writer I’ve even done product integration passes on screenplays I’ve written in order to help producers get money to make the films from the makers of the products I’ve mentioned. So I’m aware of the process and what’s going on and I think I’m above it all and yet… and yet… I’ve fallen victim to it to such an extent that I hadn’t even realized how deeply indoctrinated I am.

So I’ve decided I want to change my mindset from that of an avid consumer to that of a person who is able to happily do without all this stuff. Except for my iPhone, of course. And my computer. And… well, it’s going to take a long time, even though I have long known that the corporations that produce the stuff I buy are engaged in practices that I don’t condone, from polluting my environment to using the money they earn from me to support causes and ideals that I do not agree with. The best I can do is take it one product at a time and ask myself if I really need it and if I really want the people who make it to have my money.

And that will have to go for holiday presents too, but next year. Yep, I’m definitely starting next year.

In the meantime, I’ll go back and watch this documentary every time I need to be reminded of the ideals I’d like to call my own because knowing that things are wrong is half the battle, right, G.I. Joe? Although, I wouldn’t be able to watch the documentary again without my computer, so… hmmmm. Maybe we need some of the evils to help make things right. Or maybe I’m just looking for an excuse to keep the things I want to keep.

I watched this video a few years ago and some things started to make sense to me.  I think it’s a good video to watch around Christmastime, when we’re all buying so much “stuff.”

Now, I’m no environmentalist.  The environment is not what sticks out to me in this video.  It’s really more of the senselessness of our economy and world system.  And it bothers me that most of the gifts my children receive are tossed aside so quickly.  They’re novelties, they’re not very useful, they’re not lasting.  It also bothers me how many of the things we buy are poorly made and are meant to be thrown away, rather than repaired.  Did you know, people actually used to mend the holes in their socks?  But we get a hole and the sock is thrown away.

And this trend of “recycling” things to make new things (like toys and such) isn’t good enough either.  It’s just a slight delay to the trash.  Most of these reusable shopping bags are made from plastic bags.  When they finally get thrown away, they won’t decompose.  Kids make toys out of paper towel tubes and such.  These “toys” last for a couple days and then they fall apart or the kids tire of them.

Here’s a novel idea–don’t buy all that stuff!  Do we really need most of it?

I’m not advocating we stop giving gifts, but think about what you’re buying.  Choose things that are lasting and useful.  A friend mentioned that she was getting her son a year pass to the Air and Space Museum.  That is a fantastic gift!  It won’t collect dust.  It won’t break.  It builds knowledge.

I like to buy books.  The recipe cards I mentioned the other day are a great gift. I seek out things for my children that they can grow with, learn from, and use as the years go by.

It’s fascinating to me to read the Little House on the Prairie books (Laura Ingalls was a real person, not just a television character).  I recall in one of the books, Laura and Mary each received a new tin cup (they had had to share up until this time), a little heart-shaped cake, a peppermint stick, and a shiny new penny for Christmas.  In another book in the series, Farmer Boy, the story of Almanzo’s childhood, he got a cap, a pair of mittens, an orange (a rare item in those days), some candy, and a jackknife–with four blades!  The part that fascinates me is that these children were thrilled with these presents!  They weren’t just accepting of them, knowing that this was all their parents could afford (actually Almanzo’s family seems quite prosperous and Laura’s family always had what they needed (my definition of prosperous).  They were overjoyed!

How did we turn into a people that needed so much stuff?  Do we really need all this stuff?

This video is is 21 minutes long, but it will make you think, so please take the time.

The last lecture (Energy and food regimes, social justice, and climate change: the constraints that need to be shifted) was so much of an eye opener for two reasons.

Firstly, the video on the story of stuff reveals our contribution towards environmental degradation and the urgent measures that must be taken in ensuring sustainability.

Secondly, the example of the food production chain (the production of chicken nuggets precisely) reveals the detrimental effect of junk food consumption; not just to our lives but that of factory workers who are continuously exposed to hazardous chemicals all in a bid to make a living wage.

The “stuff” we consume and the trashes we dispose in some way affect the longevity of someone; somewhere on the planet.  Though we may not do so deliberately (after all canny manufacturers of “stuff” do embed obsolesce into their products), more awareness needs to be raised not just within lecture rooms but in our communities.

Below is a podcast from the BBC World Service (digital planets) that highlights the challenging working conditions of poor people in the Northern part of India and how the “stuff” we discard can really threaten the life they cherish.

Note Before; please start from the 19^th minute for exact information.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0053g1z

We just wanted to share with our readers this video that creatively explains what is wrong with the Cap & Trade policies that Big Business/Big Polluters, the Obama administration and even some environmental groups endorse.

The video is produced by The Story of Stuff Project & Free Range Studios, in partnership with Climate Justice Now! and the Durban Group for Climate Justice, two leading international networks of climate justice advocates. Below we have embedded the trailer for this short film. To see the entire video, go to http://www.storyofstuff.org/capandtrade/. 

Running an eco-friendly shopping website feels like an oxymoron some days.  But as I sit here sipping tea, I am thankful that I am not fighting the masses, rushing around malls, and participating in this make-believe holiday we call Black Friday.  I’m saying no to the hysteria thrust upon us by the companies benefitting, and passing on the senseless urge to buy, buy, buy.  Now don’t get me wrong, I like shiny new things as much as the next person, but this year I want to be accountable and proud of my lessened impact on the planet.  And whether that resonates as integrity for you as it does me, or otherwise, I am here to help you reach that same goal this year.  Being a conscious consumer doesn’t mean it isn’t nice to give thoughtful gifts to loved ones or that the thrill of opening a gift is any less, so for the next four weeks we’ll be highlighting holiday gifts here on orGLAMic that make less of an impact on our planet while still bringing that same holiday spirit to all.  Before we begin, I urge you to recalibrate those shopping senses and take 20 minutes to watch Annie Leonard’s The Story of Stuff - it is fun, informative and impactful.  Enjoy your weekend and get ready for a month of orGLAMic gifts beginning right here on Monday!

   Acabo de assistir  “The Story of  Stuff”  e estou em êxtase!!  Eu só me  pergunto, como eu não vi isso antes?? Justo eu que sou tão adepta de toda e qualquer medida de proteção ao meio ambiente, do consumo consciente, da sustentabilidade do nosso mundo , da nossa natureza,  da raça  humana!  Ok, ok, antes tarde.. . E é por isso que estou aqui compartilhando com vocês que podem não conhecer também este vídeo maravilhosamente ,  escrito por Annie Leonard, uma americana (beeeem consciente!) que explica  absolutamente tudo sobre o ciclo doente  de consumo e degradação do nosso meio ambiente por parte dos Estados Unidos, mas que na verdade, não se restringe somente a eles, certo?  Mas gente!  Ela conta de um jeito tão fácil e agradável, tão beabá,   como eu  posso explicar… Vocês sabem quando alguém não entende o que a gente está falando, mesmo depois de explicarmos 10 vezes, aí a gente,  ironicamente diz: “Quer que eu desenhe bééééim, pra você entender”?   Então, é assim que ela explica, desenhando! 

    Bom, tá aqui o link,  não deixem de ver!                                                                                                                                                           Por um mundo melhor,vejam!  Separei nas duas versões: Original, em inglês e traduzida para o português.

The Story of Stuff with Annie Leonard (versão em português)

The Story of stuff with Annie Leonard (english version)

Beijokasss!!

Ok, I’ll admit it right away: I totally blew the No Impact Experiment. By Tuesday (I was supposed to start on Sunday) I hadn’t done anything and after finally reading the how-to manual, I was feeling overwhelmed and behind. I didn’t want to give up but needed to rethink how to do this. Thanks to a friend’s idea, I decided that what would work best for me would be to do one part each week, rather than each day. I wanted to give this thing proper attention and time and it’s a lot to do in a week. So, feeling much better I focused on the first topic last week: consumption.

The instructions for the consumption day were to: 1) create a list of the things I need to buy this week, then delete the items I can do without and figure out if I can get anything second-hand, borrow them or make them myself; and 2) try not to shop for new items (other than food). For this particular week this task turned out to be pretty easy; I didn’t feel like there was really anything I needed to buy beyond food. I avoided dangerous places like Target. I pulled out the needle and thread to mend some socks (my husband loves to call it darning for some reason; I guess it makes him feel old fashioned). I definitely enjoyed being a non-consumer for a week.

But that’s the thing–it was only for a week. No Impact Man did this for a year! That would be very, very hard. Just this week I bought several things to prepare for Thanksgiving. And then the TV broke, so we’ll be getting a new one soon. Although I’m not No Impact Man and won’t just “do without” no matter what, I did think about what I could do differently long-term. I could be shopping second-hand more (Craigslist is such a great resource–husband recently found a keyboard with all the bells and whistles for $20. It’s older but works great!), and although I don’t think I’m purchase-crazy, I could put some more thought into what I buy and think about whether I really need what I’m about to buy.

The No Impact Experiment shared this video that I saw awhile back that helps you get into the mode about thinking (probably way too much) about stuff:

There are two things that cause people the most anxiety, one is the fear of not getting what you want and the other is the fear of losing what you have. 2009 made many people face those fears.
This year has sucked economically for so many people, which has resulted in people feeling down about themselves and life. Now Christmas is around the corner and for this Christmas I would like to invite you to think differently about what you ‘want’ and what you ‘have’. Hopefully taking some of the pressure off you this Christmas and look darn cool in the process. Our campaign is to shift consciousness towards improving the condition of the Earth and having a meaning full Christmas to boot.
I know you have had enough doom and gloom, but I have to point out why the shift in consciousness is so important. We will be looking at positive things you can do to make this Christmas easier and more magical for all and I promise you won’t be feeling all negative and crap by the end of reading this.
Christmas is full of traditions: Presents, cards, large amounts of food and family gatherings.
If your family is anything like mine, you buy things for each other that look expensive, but are in fact cheaper than they look. The reason we do this is because we want your friends and family to know that we care by looking like we are spending money on them. It is our way of showing love. The truth is often the stuff is useless and ends up in a draw. By buying stuff we are adding to the Earths land fill, we send out more poisonous toxins from the factories and pollute the planet.
I invite you to watch this film ‘The Story of Stuff’ http://www.storyofstuff.com/index.html as it gives a full explanation as to why spending money on stuff at Christmas is such a bad idea. But here are three reasons to start you off:
• An estimated 6.3 million children suffer from asthma, double the rate 20 years ago.
• Since World War II, the production of synthetic materials has increased 350 times, and billions of pounds of chemicals have been poured into the environment.
• An Estimate of 64,000 people die prematurely every year due to the soot from power plants.
(ref: Building a green economy success stories from the grass roots. Danaher, Biggs, Mark)
I also invite you to watch the film ‘An Inconvenient truth’ Check out: http://www.climatecrisis.net
So how do we get out of buying presents?
Adults are easy; you can send them this information so they know where your coming from. You can tell them you gave the money to charity in their name: http://www.goodgifts.org. Or make a pact that you don’t buy Christmas presents, as my family decided to do. If you must buy, check out www.naturalcollection.com and other mindful places to spend your money.
If people insist on buying you presents clearly distinguish between your needs and your wants. Give them ideas about what your really need. Down to basics like shampoo and food!
But Children have expectations that we have given them around Christmas. What’s great is Children love stuff if it’s new or second hand (recycled) check out www.freecycle.org. We know kids will play for hours with the card board box the gift came in. So buy second hand or give away your old stuff to children you know. We often care too much about looking ‘tight’ with money, but what is the greater cost?
Wouldn’t the greatest gift for a Child be the same environment that you grew up in? Many of the toys that are made pollute the environment for the children that live in the areas around the factories. In some places even child labour is used to make the toys.
Cards:
Not sending cards and saving trees is a no brainer! Trees give us the air that we breathe, I know you know that, but it’s so hard to think that our air is getting polluted. You can send an E-card if you feel that the date can’t go by unmarked www.BlueMountain.com.
By inviting your friends to join this campaign it’s a subtitle way of letting them know not to expect a card from you! Once upon a time, we sent cards as a way of keeping in touch with the people we wouldn’t see all year. We would remember them and check in when we looked through our address book. Now we can see their face and check in on IM or facebook all year. If you have to send cards save them for those you really love. Tell the person how much they mean to you, say something from your heart and connect with theirs.
Trees and decorations:
The trees are the lungs of this planet they quite literary ‘breathe’ in and out with the change of seasons. Why not plant a tree, or have your Christmas Tree in a pot and bring it in and out of the house living every year.
Keep recycling your decorations. Don’t by new, make your own from recycling stuff with your kids, turn the lights on all night, less is more artistically effective.
Food:
This is a subject close to many hearts! So I won’t bang on about the issue. The biggest problem is that food is all about commodities and not about communities.
Check out: Food inc film: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eKYyD14d_0
Today, we produce more food than ever before, more than one in ten people on Earth are hungry (800 million). While there are also more people overweight (1 billion).
Studies show that 287 toxins and chemicals are regularly found in umbilical cords. That is just super freakin wrong on all levels of wrongness!
• Support locally owned business. Check labels for produce from as close to the country you live in as possible.
• The food in street markets is about a third cheaper than the supermarket and often sourced locally.
• Buy organic and fair trade when you can.
• Don’t buy more than you really need, you know you will feel like you have to eat it and feel like crap afterwards!
• Grow your own for next year, so easy and totally satisfying.
If you have a large family and they are all coming to you for Christmas, consider having an organic potluck event. A potluck is when everyone brings one dish they have made themselves, enough for everyone to share. It’s fun because everyone gets to participate and no-one person gets lumbered with the whole day’s food. Plus the host often gets the leftovers!
(Ref: Stuffed and Starved Raj Patel)
What I believe has been great for us in 2009 is that facing our fears of ‘not getting what we want or losing what we have’ is that it makes us revaluate what is important. The whole point of Christmas is about spirituality, letting people know we love them and think of them, being nurtured and nurturing and being joyful. Yet for many people the reality of Christmas is so far from this idea.
I believe our real deepest fear isn’t about not getting the ‘stuff’ we want or losing the ‘stuff’ we have. Our deepest fear is losing love and not having love. Love shows up in many ways. In the compliments we give and receive, in the time someone takes out of their busy life to be present for someone else. It’s the simple stuff we somehow find so difficult, to connect with each other. It’s so easy to stay pissed about something that happened many Christmas’s ago or in childhood, or even yesterday. Open your heart to someone and just to say ‘Hi, how are you? Good to see you’ in a heartfelt way. This makes the world of difference, to them and you.
Laughter and enjoying life affect the immune system’s health in a positive way. Touch is an important factor in healing, yet when we freak out about swine flu we do the total opposite. Studies show the benefits of holding hands or employing touch. Studies of humour show that the simple act of smiling improves the function of our immune system’s cells.
2010 is a time to live consciously and realise that our small steps to make a difference do work. The way forward is to break with traditions which no longer serve us and find new ways to bring joy into our lives through community and connection and much less ‘stuff’. The planet is in crises and what better love is there then to look after your home.

From the Daily News Record  BRIDGEWATER, Va. — Environmental and social activist Annie Leonard’s 20-minute online film, “The Story of Stuff,” will be presented at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 18, in Cole Hall at Bridgewater College.  The film, which questions existing production processes and looks at the life-cycle of goods and services, has generated over 6.5 million views in 200 countries and territories since its launch in December 2007.
Leonard has spent over two decades investigating and organizing environmental health and justice issues. Travelling to 40 countries, she has visited hundreds of factories and dumps where goods are made and disposed of.  Leonard is currently director of The Story of Stuff Project. Prior to this, she coordinated the Funders Workgroup for Sustainable Production and Consumption. She has also worked with Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA), Health Care Without Harm, Essential Action and Greenpeace International. She serves on the boards of International Forum for Globalization and GAIA. She did undergraduate studies at Barnard College, Columbia University and graduate work in city and regional planning at Cornell University.
The convocation is sponsored by the W. Harold Row Endowed Lecture Series and is open to the public at no charge.

Feeling good, yet melancholy? Here is the song for you. That is where I am. And here is why…

I went to a class run by my friend about being environmentally friendly, living with less stuff, sustainability, etc. etc. (…more on the content another time…) It was fun, good and invigorating, but yet there is that tinge of hopelessness I could not help but feel once I returned home and realized the issues are huge. Monumental in fact. And they are getting worse, not better, even despite increased awareness. Yes there are things that can be done by individuals such as myself, but it is probably easier to move mountains than it is to change the masses. One rock at a time I guess. One rock at a time.

The one thing I will tell you all is you need to watch “The Story of Stuff” if you haven’t already.

Song Recommendations

If you like this song, I also suggest:

• David Bowie
• Brian Eno
• Geneva

I also suggest the music genre:

• Art Rock

Click here for more info on Lou Reed – Transformer – “Perfect Day”.

The MP3 may be purchased here:

Lou Reed - Transformer

Want to know more about ALL the stuff that you’re buying, using, consuming and throwing later in the trash? you can do so here: Annie Leonard The Story of Stuff

Live ECO!

The ECO STEPS Team

This past weekend, Bioneers Cleveland showed the national plenary speakers of the 2009 Bioneers Conference, in addition to hosting workshops and tours focused around sustainability and Northeast Ohio’s local food system.

Here are some of the national speakers from the conference…

Michael Pollan, author of Omnivore’s Dilemma and In Defense of Food:

(Watch Part 2 and Part 3 of this lecture)

Annie Leonard, creator of “The Story of Stuff”:

(Watch Part 2 and Part 3 of this lecture)

Jerome Ringo of the Apollo Alliance:

(Watch Part 2 and Part 3 of this lecture)

Want more?  Visit the Bioneers Facebook page to see the other national plenary addresses.

Vía @paprika

Paprika en identi.ca

Las atrocidades occidentales “para dummies”, bien dibujadito para que se entienda:

(Sobre esta línea hay un video, si está viendo este post en facebook o en un feed RSS es posible que no lo pueda ver, por favor entre al blog en el link de más abajo para poder verlo).

This is my mantra for NO-vember, when Little Miss Sunshine is abstaining from any sort of consumerism.  No shopping for this little retail princess.  Aside from supermarket shopping, I am not supporting the retail economy in the UK.  ASOS’s like for like retail figures will slump, Boots will go bankrupt and SpaceNK will never be the same.

Defeating the purpose of my virtuous crusade just a wee bit, I made sure I did loads of shopping last month, getting my ASOS fix in before the credit cards were put on ice.  I also made a slight error in judgement today, when I downloaded an iPhone app – but that’s hardly stuff now is it?  It’s not going to take up any space in my tightly packed wardrobe or my overflowing drawers.

I watched this video called ‘The Story of Stuff’ some time back and it made me think about the life cycle of stuff, about all those things I’ve bought and not used, about the cheap little things you buy – just because you can.  I don’t agree with everything in the video, but it does make you pause and think.  There are repercussions for all of our consumer habits, some of them are positive, like keeping the economy flowing and people in jobs.  Some of them are not so positive however, as our creaking planet can attest to.

So I’ll keep you updated as to my one woman crusade to save the planet this month.  Who knows, some frugal habits might just extend past this little experiment, god knows my credit cards and bank balance would benefit greatly… but then there are all of those people who depend on me shopping to keep the economy ticking over.  What a shopping dilemma I face, but not until next month so I’ll mull it over until then, feeling all virtuous and frugal.

This is the plenary address of Annie Leonard, creator of “The Story of Stuff”, at the 2009 National Bioneers Conference.

Will we change by design or default?

Cada 31 de octubre decenas de jóvenes y niños son sacrificados en todo México por grupos satánicos

Ex satanista advierte a mexicanos sobre peligros de Noche de Brujas

MÉXICO DF, 30 Oct. 02 (ACI).- Un diario nacional publicó el testimonio de una mujer que confiesa haber integrado una secta satánica y advierte a los mexicanos sobre los peligros de celebrar Halloween o Noche de Brujas.

El diario El Norte, reprodujo las declaraciones de Cristina Kneer de Vidal, ex esoterista, ex satanista y espiritista de origen estadounidense que radica en Hermosillo, Sonora, que dice estar muy preocupada porque cada 31 de octubre decenas de jóvenes y niños son sacrificados en todo México por grupos satánicos.

Kneer pidió a las familias que cuiden a sus hijos pues en el país habría unos 1,500 ‘adoradores de Satán’ que se distribuyen principalmente en ciudades como Guadalajara, Monterrey y México.

‘No quiero asustar a nadie, todo el mundo es libre de creer lo que quiera, pero mis palabras deben ser tomadas en cuenta, por lo menos pido que me escuchen, razonen y decidan’, pidió la mujer.

Según Kneer, ‘miles de personas han adoptado sin saberlo una costumbre satánica y con ello están propiciando el crecimiento del satanismo en México, sobre todo en las grandes urbes como Guadalajara y Monterrey’.

Su experiencia

El diario El Norte asegura que la mujer pasó mucho tiempo cerca del satanismo, conoció la maldad y la perversión de muchos satanistas con los que convivió. ‘Son temas poco conocidos, practiqué la meditación y aunque ahora me arrepiento, llegué a abominar a Dios’, indica.

Según Kneer, el satanismo existe en todo el mundo y su práctica es tan antigua como la adoración a Jehová. Los ambiciosos, señala, firman un pacto con el diablo y a cambio de riqueza y poder ofrecen su alma.

‘Pagan un precio terrible, nunca más llegan a tener paz y son brutalmente castigados aún después de su muerte’, afirma y advierte que reconocer a un satanista, agrega, es muy difícil, porque son políticos, artistas, funcionarios o comerciantes que gozan de mucho prestigio. ‘Eso no quiere decir que todos los políticos sean satánicos’, aclara Kneer.

Misas negras

La mujer también sostiene que en fechas como Halloween, los satanistas ofrecen ‘misas negras’. ‘Las misas se ofician en el campo o en edificios cerrados fuertemente vigilados y se inician con la invocación de Satán que muchas veces no se presenta porque, a diferencia de Dios, no puede estar en todas partes’, explica.

A mitad de la misa, asegura, son sacrificados animales como gatos, perros y cuando la misa es muy importante, como la de Halloween, se realizan sacrificios humanos. ‘Se eligen preferentemente niños porque son los que aún no han pecado y son los preferidos de Dios y antes de ser sacrificados son violados para despojarlos de su pureza’, asegura la mujer.

Según Kneer, ultrajar o dañar a un niño da poder a los satanistas y es una forma de burlarse de Dios.

Las fiestas satánicas, siempre según la mujer, se celebran en ocho distintas fechas, aunque la más importante es la fiesta de Samhain o Halloween del 31 de octubre en que se celebra el año nuevo satánico. ‘Es como si se celebrara el cumpleaños del Diablo’, explica.

A las víctimas, asegura, se les sacrifica extrayéndoles el corazón que es comido entre los presentes, luego el cuerpo es cremado y echado al mar. ‘Para los satanistas es muy fácil deshacerse de los cadáveres porque (los celebrantes) son personas muy importantes’, asegura.

Asimismo, advierte que en la noche de Halloween muchos satanistas esconden en los dulces y frutas que regalan a los niños, navajas, droga, veneno o clavos.

Actualmente, Kneer y otras mujeres que han participado en cultos satánicos tienen un grupo denominado SAL que pretende enviar a los satanistas un mensaje de esperanza y la petición de que no hagan más daño. ‘Cualquier satanista que lea esta información y que quiera rechazar o abandonar el satanismo puede hacerlo con ayuda de Dios, como ya lo hemos logrado nosotras’, señala.