[SustainableTompkins] economy based on frivolities?

[Marian Brown]

Marlo et al -

If you haven't yet seen the short film "The Story of Stuff", it's 
enlightening in terms of exploring this exact question.
I highly recommend it - it's available for viewing on-line.
http://www.storyofstuff.com/
For many of us, Annie Leonard offered that sane kind of epiphanous "aha" 
moment about our personal consumption.

Betsy Taylor from the Center for a New American Dream has been speaking 
about this for some time.
http://www.newdream.org/live/audio/index.php

As has Vicki Robin:
http://www.yourmoneyoryourlife.org/

Marian





marlo capoccia wrote:
> i just read (skimmed, really) this article in the NYT and had a  
> strange realization.  perhaps others have more substantial thoughts  
> about this, but is it possible that our economy is based on buying  
> crap?  by this i mean items with a short shelf life that will be  
> replaced within a year.  food and fuel are items that will never go  
> away (though they need to be addressed more thoughtfully), but the  
> rest of our economy seems as if it's about getting "stuff."  (my  
> husband would say "light dawns in marble head."  affectionately, of  
> course.)
>
> what happens to our economy when "stuff" is no longer constantly  
> available?  what other models have been considered?  more local?   
> alternative national economy? no wonder it's hard to wean ourselves  
> from mindless buying.  i don't think the government is ready for us  
> to do that yet.   i'm really curious about this.
>
> -marlo
> Marlo Capoccia
> Garden Gate
> www.gardengatedelivery.com
>
>
>
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