One part of the video really stuck with me: 99% of everything we buy is no longer used after 6 months.  While this probably includes consumables (toilet paper, food) it is still astounding.

I think the biggest potential for change lies in the government. The video made this point quite well also. I hope people don't overlook it.

Even if many more consumers acted sustainably, the corporations would still be generating tons of waste and chewing up the environment for their own purposes.

Corporations are scary entities because they are beholden only to shareholders. Yet, many shareholders have only a tiny piece of any company in a huge basket of mutual funds.  For example, I don't know what stocks are being held in my retirement fund. So, who holds corporations responsible when they are strangling our planet and our democracy?

While I think there are great things that can only be accomplished by corporate entities, if some checks and balances are not instituted...  Well, I don't want to be gloomy this close to the New Year. :)

I watched this a few weeks ago.  

But did it stop me from wrapping up a cart full of pollution for Christmas?  

I intended to find thoughtful, hand-made, non-toxic, non-plastic, open-ended toys, but I totally ran out of time.  

So I ran up to Kmart on the 23rd and filled up a cart full of pollution, I mean toys, to at least have a few things for my kids to open on Christmas.

Relative to other families, I probably bought very little. It sure didn't look like much when I brought it home and I did end up buying open-ended toys as opposed to crap with batteries that talk to you.  But still.

On the bright side, they are still keeping the kids busy and we had a blast on Christmas.

We are first time parents.

Foster parents to three under the age of five.

We trashed up the place.  It was really more about me & my husband than the kids.  We bought some good stuff (Lincoln Logs, Legos) and we bought a bunch of Dora and Diego CRAP.  We just wanted them to have "one true Christmas" - with all of their expectations.  But it turned out they were our expectations - not theirs.

We had a blast.  They had a blast.  I will try & do better.  I had my husband laminate a picture of a landfill and have put it over my trash can.  

Peace.

I viewed this video at work, because the organization behind it is closely affiliated with the one I work for. I really respect the people involved in its making, and I found it to be a pretty powerful little cartoon, and yet...

I wondered who they thought the audience was. I don't know if this could get traction outside of liberal/progressive circles who are already hip to the message. There were sentences here and there that would totally alienate conservatives, people who work for corporations, and people who work in extractive industries. That's a lot of folks.

There is a line near the beginning about spending on war. I may agree with it, but it was a throwaway line that would alienate conservatives right off the bat and make them close their ears to the rest.

There's another line describing extractive industries (mining, logging, etc.) that says, "in other words, exploitation." I kinda wanted to call foul because I think that's hypocritical. All of us are watching that video on computers that contain many components that were derived through mining. We are deeply dependent on those industries, so I think it's flip to paint the whole thing with the broad description of "exploitation."

Other than that, I really liked it! But sometimes I despair that the message won't get as far as it might because of cultural blind spots.

That said, I learned a lot during 2007 about our stuff.  Through a series of circumstances we found ourselves with 4 different addresses over the course of the year, and while that was very hard on all of us the silver lining is that it has truly taught us how little stuff we actually need.  With each move we tossed or gave away more stuff, and took less and less with us.  Presently we're in a temporary apartment, and have unpacked about 1/3 of our remaining stuff.  Hopefully we will soon make the next move into a home, and we're debating if we should even bother looking at the other 2/3 of our stuff.  

I'm sure we will go through all the boxes and find lots of things that we can't live without.  Pictures on the walls would be nice, as would all the baby clothes and toys packed up for #2 (not to mention my maternity clothes, which I can't find for love or money and have finally, reluctantly, started to replace.  But why must they be so expensive!  And am I the only one that hates shopping for them?).  

But part of me would be very happy chucking it all.  And I aspire to maintain our current purchasing habits, which have been low given that we know that whatever we buy, we have to move!

--R

but thank you for sending.  a dear friend sent to me as well and i have passed along.  perfect as i was tossing out all the xmas lights i bought that failed due to the no cal storm.  so much stuff...