As I began reading “World Changing” it soon became apparent that this wasn’t really a book for casual reading, but rather a guide to being green. It tells us everything we need to know about our environment/society’s current conditions and the issues we have caused. It gives us not only the what, but the why, as well as possible solutions. Rather than simply call us out on our follies, this book is encouraging us to take action, inspiring a better future, and teaching us how to get there; essentially helping us to change a world that is already changing. The first issue addressed is stuff; how the things we own ultimately consume us and define who we are. What we must first and foremost acknowledge is the consequences of our purchases. It is absurd to think that a Styrofoam cup that lasts me twenty minutes to drink from will remain in a landfill for a hundred years. This really puts my contribution to our vastly increasing size of landfills and swiftly dwindling resources into perspective. To think I purchase a cup of coffee almost everyday. I am appalled at my own carelessness. But it is this awareness that makes all the difference. I’ve stopped buying coffee so frequently and instead make my own cup. I’m really attempting to become a more responsible consumer and I believe we all must do this, question our own consumption, in order to make a difference; to lower, if even just a miniscule amount, the rate at which we use up our resources and fatigue our planet. This brings us to our ecological footprints. This planet is severely unevenly rationed to its inhabitants. Our huge industrialized nations are taking way more nature than we deserve, leaving little left over for developing countries. Although I do not own much compared to other middle-class, white American teenagers, the proportion of earth that I use is still unreasonable considering how many people populate this earth, how fast the population is increasing, and how many of those people are denied resources. Of course much of this consumption can be blamed on the society I grew up in (obviously). We are offered so much, or rather have so much forced upon us, that it is almost impossible (or really super hard) not to consume! I honestly believe overconsumption is caused by the ridiculous amount of options we are given. I know I have had my fair share of choice-fatigue. Too many choices equal poor decisions, spending too much money, and/or purchasing too much. As consumers, we need to learn to consume responsibly; save our money, save the environment by making green choices, and save ourselves a whole load of stress while were at it.
Stuff and Questioning Consumption (p. 29): I found the first section of this book very relevant to both ADP III and my life in a more general sense. I have so much stuff, clothing, books, papers, pencil sharpeners, useless plastic toys that don’t actually have a purpose but I still choose to keep. How did I acquire so many things? The introduction to World Changing really brought to light the story of stuff that I often over look. “…What we actually purchase from the store is just the tip of a vast material iceberg, a gigantic pyramid of waste and sweatshop labor.” (p. 29) That really struck me because I am completely un aware of the life my stuff has before and after it is in my possession. The succeeding section discussed the corporate competition to create products that can do it all and the emphasis on quantity rather than quality. The way of thinking creates choice fatigue a sensation I am all too familiar with but didn’t realize had a name. Until now. In essence, the overabundance of choices creates anxiety and doubt, which leads to poor decision-making because we either think too much or too little when weighing the trade-offs. This happens to me daily and isn’t limited to consumption. An extreme example of this kind of decision-making arises twice a year when I am called to decide which, of the hundreds of fascinating classes, I should take the following semester. When I finally choose, I question whether this class was the “right” one and if its not, then I must be missing out on some valuable knowledge and feel guilt and regret. Learning to be assertive and clear in what it is we need and eliminated the extraneous details can lead us to take full advantage of the opportunities presented to us and appreciate our belongings.
Brijit Spencer
ReplyDeleteADP III
James Rotz
World Changing Response 1
As I began reading “World Changing” it soon became apparent that this wasn’t really a book for casual reading, but rather a guide to being green. It tells us everything we need to know about our environment/society’s current conditions and the issues we have caused. It gives us not only the what, but the why, as well as possible solutions. Rather than simply call us out on our follies, this book is encouraging us to take action, inspiring a better future, and teaching us how to get there; essentially helping us to change a world that is already changing. The first issue addressed is stuff; how the things we own ultimately consume us and define who we are. What we must first and foremost acknowledge is the consequences of our purchases. It is absurd to think that a Styrofoam cup that lasts me twenty minutes to drink from will remain in a landfill for a hundred years. This really puts my contribution to our vastly increasing size of landfills and swiftly dwindling resources into perspective. To think I purchase a cup of coffee almost everyday. I am appalled at my own carelessness. But it is this awareness that makes all the difference. I’ve stopped buying coffee so frequently and instead make my own cup. I’m really attempting to become a more responsible consumer and I believe we all must do this, question our own consumption, in order to make a difference; to lower, if even just a miniscule amount, the rate at which we use up our resources and fatigue our planet. This brings us to our ecological footprints. This planet is severely unevenly rationed to its inhabitants. Our huge industrialized nations are taking way more nature than we deserve, leaving little left over for developing countries. Although I do not own much compared to other middle-class, white American teenagers, the proportion of earth that I use is still unreasonable considering how many people populate this earth, how fast the population is increasing, and how many of those people are denied resources. Of course much of this consumption can be blamed on the society I grew up in (obviously). We are offered so much, or rather have so much forced upon us, that it is almost impossible (or really super hard) not to consume! I honestly believe overconsumption is caused by the ridiculous amount of options we are given. I know I have had my fair share of choice-fatigue. Too many choices equal poor decisions, spending too much money, and/or purchasing too much. As consumers, we need to learn to consume responsibly; save our money, save the environment by making green choices, and save ourselves a whole load of stress while were at it.
Stuff and Questioning Consumption (p. 29):
ReplyDeleteI found the first section of this book very relevant to both ADP III and my life in a more general sense. I have so much stuff, clothing, books, papers, pencil sharpeners, useless plastic toys that don’t actually have a purpose but I still choose to keep. How did I acquire so many things? The introduction to World Changing really brought to light the story of stuff that I often over look. “…What we actually purchase from the store is just the tip of a vast material iceberg, a gigantic pyramid of waste and sweatshop labor.” (p. 29) That really struck me because I am completely un aware of the life my stuff has before and after it is in my possession. The succeeding section discussed the corporate competition to create products that can do it all and the emphasis on quantity rather than quality. The way of thinking creates choice fatigue a sensation I am all too familiar with but didn’t realize had a name. Until now. In essence, the overabundance of choices creates anxiety and doubt, which leads to poor decision-making because we either think too much or too little when weighing the trade-offs. This happens to me daily and isn’t limited to consumption. An extreme example of this kind of decision-making arises twice a year when I am called to decide which, of the hundreds of fascinating classes, I should take the following semester. When I finally choose, I question whether this class was the “right” one and if its not, then I must be missing out on some valuable knowledge and feel guilt and regret. Learning to be assertive and clear in what it is we need and eliminated the extraneous details can lead us to take full advantage of the opportunities presented to us and appreciate our belongings.