Conscious Consumerism
Have you looked around your home lately? Televisions in every room, and in some cases, DVD players to boot along with those televisions; multiple appliances in the kitchen that you don't even know where to store them, the garage, storage closet or basement filled with junk that you probably haven't used or even seen in the last six months? Your closet bulging with clothing that you haven't worn in years. Sounds like you? Well, it sounds like a lot of us.
Now, I'm not one to preach about the coming doom of our planets dimise because of our current actions, even though I believe that a lot of that could actually happen, but we should all do our part to really take a look at how we live our lives. Okay, so we can afford an extra television in Johnny's room, but is it truly necessary? Should Johnny even have his own television set in his room already? Is he even ready for it? And, yes, Suzie is becoming "of age" where she wants her own life, but does she really need a car at 16? Can't she simply use the city bus and her bicycle a few more years? Okay, so that $200 pair of jeans is going to look sexy on you, but do you need yet another pair of jeans...again?
The point I'm trying to make is that many of us, and sometimes I'm a victim of this, are too quick to purchase yet more stuff. Some people use the argument: "Well, past generations wasted too, why should we have to be the "conscious" ones when they got to live a life of waste and pollution?" First, that is not exactly true, in that, we can easily be deemed as the most wasteful generation, what with our SUV's and large homes. Some statistics place current homes being built at 7 - 9 times larger than the typical suburban home built in the 1970's. Also, because goods are a lot "cheaper", we are able to consume a lot more, harming, to some extent, the environment. I'm also inclined to believe that when we pay for a "cheaper" good or service, someone else is footing the bill, and usually it is a person who is miles away working for pay that is pennies on the dollar per hour. Finally, our predecessors did not have the knowledge that we now have, and, if I may say so, take for granted. We cannot hold them responsible for actions that they did not know were causing damage to themselves and the environment. Today, we have the knowledge and the information and they can empower us to do better. Sadly, though, most of us don't want to. We want to live like, if not outdo, the Joneses, leaving a path of environmental degradation and even personal debt in the wake of mass-consumption.
What's the solution? Well, there is no ONE solution, but this year, I've made a vow to be more conscious about my spending habits. When I purchase even a book, I think about perhaps purchasing an "online" version, rather than a hard copy (that uses up so much shelf space) where I can read it on the screen or print a chapter or two (on both sides of the sheet, lol) when necessary. Also, I'm planning on having more candle-light dinners. It's a nice and cozy way to get to know your significant other or your closest friends while saving some energy; I want to drive less, save more money, buy less but more quality clothing and eat less but more quality, nutritious foods. Of course, this is just the beginning, and as I get better at it, I'm going to devise a plan that I'll put together in an "idea-blog" for other readers to take part in. These are just a few ways that I'm going to do my part. So far, so good. Yes!
Now, I'm not one to preach about the coming doom of our planets dimise because of our current actions, even though I believe that a lot of that could actually happen, but we should all do our part to really take a look at how we live our lives. Okay, so we can afford an extra television in Johnny's room, but is it truly necessary? Should Johnny even have his own television set in his room already? Is he even ready for it? And, yes, Suzie is becoming "of age" where she wants her own life, but does she really need a car at 16? Can't she simply use the city bus and her bicycle a few more years? Okay, so that $200 pair of jeans is going to look sexy on you, but do you need yet another pair of jeans...again?
The point I'm trying to make is that many of us, and sometimes I'm a victim of this, are too quick to purchase yet more stuff. Some people use the argument: "Well, past generations wasted too, why should we have to be the "conscious" ones when they got to live a life of waste and pollution?" First, that is not exactly true, in that, we can easily be deemed as the most wasteful generation, what with our SUV's and large homes. Some statistics place current homes being built at 7 - 9 times larger than the typical suburban home built in the 1970's. Also, because goods are a lot "cheaper", we are able to consume a lot more, harming, to some extent, the environment. I'm also inclined to believe that when we pay for a "cheaper" good or service, someone else is footing the bill, and usually it is a person who is miles away working for pay that is pennies on the dollar per hour. Finally, our predecessors did not have the knowledge that we now have, and, if I may say so, take for granted. We cannot hold them responsible for actions that they did not know were causing damage to themselves and the environment. Today, we have the knowledge and the information and they can empower us to do better. Sadly, though, most of us don't want to. We want to live like, if not outdo, the Joneses, leaving a path of environmental degradation and even personal debt in the wake of mass-consumption.
What's the solution? Well, there is no ONE solution, but this year, I've made a vow to be more conscious about my spending habits. When I purchase even a book, I think about perhaps purchasing an "online" version, rather than a hard copy (that uses up so much shelf space) where I can read it on the screen or print a chapter or two (on both sides of the sheet, lol) when necessary. Also, I'm planning on having more candle-light dinners. It's a nice and cozy way to get to know your significant other or your closest friends while saving some energy; I want to drive less, save more money, buy less but more quality clothing and eat less but more quality, nutritious foods. Of course, this is just the beginning, and as I get better at it, I'm going to devise a plan that I'll put together in an "idea-blog" for other readers to take part in. These are just a few ways that I'm going to do my part. So far, so good. Yes!
posted by Rog at 4:13 PM
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