The Story of Stuff

[farnaby]

Recommend taking 20mins to watch this simple but not simplistic critique of consumerism, the Story of Stuff.

While some of the details seem exaggerated, the overall thrust of the argument is compelling - (first world) humanity is defined by its consumption; this is actively encouraged by government and corporate marketing to maintain economic growth above all else; externalities are ignored; environmental devastation is a question of when, not if.

I liked the comparisons of political speeches to what they could have said: after 9/11 the government implored people to shop - not grieve, pray or hope; the purpose of American policy is to create consumer goods - not health, education or justice.

[Akrasia]

one of the biggest industries in this planet (in terms of money spent and profits earned) is the advertising and Marketing industry, and all they manufacture is demand. It's like the Anti-Buddah. Instead of freeing ourselves from desires, we are being chained to them.

[farnaby]

one of the biggest industries in this planet (in terms of money spent and profits earned) is the advertising and Marketing industry, and all they manufacture is demand. It's like the Anti-Buddah. Instead of freeing ourselves from desires, we are being chained to them.

You'd appreciate the cartoon in the latest edition of Adbusters describing a Buddhist computer game in which your character starts with a load a consumer knick-knacks and proceeds by losing them all. "But you're not doing anything"; "I know, it took me 30 levels to achieve that".

[Auditor #9]

Recommend taking 20mins to watch this simple but not simplistic critique of consumerism, the Story of Stuff.

Since they consume 30% of the world and number 5% of the people in it, educating Americans on sustainability has to be the answer. If, that is, they maintain their concentration to get to the end of that video. (Another worry is that if the light ever dawns on them about this kind of thing that they'll turn into fascists about it)

one of the biggest industries in this planet (in terms of money spent and profits earned) is the advertising and Marketing industry, and all they manufacture is demand. It's like the Anti-Buddah. Instead of freeing ourselves from desires, we are being chained to them.

Is there such thing as sustainable demand?

[Auditor #9]

A lot of stuff now is getting more durable unlike the assertions in the video that stuff is engineered to be disposable. USB sticks for instance are a lot more robust than floppy disks or even CDs. Soon there will be a new solid state hard-drive too and that kind of memory will become the norm and many different items will be inter-pluggable as many are already.

Also the likes of Apple and Radiohead shoving digital products online without any manufacturing or even currency exchange involved must be something groundbreakingly dangerous for the old world of linear production.

[Auditor #9]

Is planned the planned obsolescence she refers to just conspiracy theorizing or a reality? Must I change my whole computer just because I want a new chip? Or my car? KIA now have some 7 year warranty deal and I met someone recently (a 30something) who has a 40year old Morris Minor.

There must be some laws which pronounce on planned obsolescence if it exists with regard to objects over a certain value (fair enough perhaps for coffee cups)

[farnaby]

Is planned the planned obsolescence she refers to just conspiracy theorizing or a reality? Must I change my whole computer just because I want a new chip? Or my car? KIA now have some 7 year warranty deal and I met someone recently (a 30something) who has a 40year old Morris Minor.

There must be some laws which pronounce on planned obsolescence if it exists with regard to objects over a certain value (fair enough perhaps for coffee cups)

I would say it's real but not as blatent as she makes out. Yes, there is competition to have the most durable product or the best warranty. If you know enough about computers or cars you can keep them going for years without having to replace them. However if you're not or not sure the message is 'you'd be better off getting a new one', and that results in a lot of waste. Who uses a tailor to make clothing repairs, or gets the 'tv repairman' around to fix the box these days?

[MarD]

Planned obsolescene IS real and keeps most of us private industry PAYE suckers in jobs.

Have you ever tried to get parts for a ten year old boiler or a ten year old electric shower. They are prohibitively expensive, its always 'cheaper' to buy a new one. I tried to get a microwave oven fixed but was told the repair fee would be more that the cost of a new one? If this planet was serious about the environment we would ensure that manufacturers could not market new models of standard goods unless there was a genuine technological innovative reason to do so.
Old PCS are notoriously fickle anyway because solder joints and cables loosen and drives burn out. But people throw out perfectly good electrical goods for minor cosmetic damage. Washing machines a case in point, The brushes and the switches which both wear out are easily replaceable but are rarely done.
But if global consumption was based on wear and tear replacement and first time purchasers the economies would collapse.
The balance has to be at a personal level where people consider the necessity and consequences of their purchases.

[Auditor #9]

If you know enough about computers or cars you can keep them going for years without having to replace them. However if you're not or not sure the message is 'you'd be better off getting a new one', and that results in a lot of waste. Who uses a tailor to make clothing repairs, or gets the 'tv repairman' around to fix the box these days?

Education must be part of the answer so, and workshops in running linux on pentiums. Alongside the swell of consumerism is there a bit of a conservationist culture emerging in terms of cars and computers? I know several children who have collections of game consoles which the have preserved all along thus avoiding the choice of binning stuff. Also there is some second-hand interest emerging too with websites advertising free stuff etc. Some Germans i know love those sites. (maybe the german ambassador was right about us)

Maybe if we political correctness-style changed the term "second-hand" to something cooler..? "Products already in the carbon-cycle" or something..

[Auditor #9]

Also putting less tax on the items MarD is talking about so trainspotters can warehouse all sorts of stuff for free..