What is the Price of OUR Stuff?

Ever wonder about the complete picture of consumption in our uber-consumer society and how it ties in with our global environment? Well I was recently turned onto the website for The Story of Stuff, which features a fantastic and informative story (with animation!) about our stuff-driven economy.The presentation is long, but if you’ve patience with it and ride it out, even the most informed of us can learn something new or at least feel inspired to pass the word along. There are also chapters to skip around if you’ve one particular section of the “stuff” driven storyline.The site offers solutions as well as the story of stuff, so it doesn’t leave you feeling helpless and hopeless against the system. Key message here? Social responsibility: consume less, consume more responsibly, spread the word, and take action against the exploitation of the earth and its people!

consumption, exploitation, solutions

Jennifer Veilleux is a former Boren Fellow and visiting scholar at Central European University and the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. She was assistant editor International Politics and has contributed to E/The Environmental Magazine and The Tamarak. She currently lives in Washington, DC where she is associate editor of a university press.