I was just reading this great blog post by Kellie over at Passive Architect. She brings an important topic to the forefront.......'stuff'. That's right, I said it, stuff. We all know that we have it, but it sure is hard to stand back and take an honest, objective look at ourselves and our stuff. Reviewing the destruction that took place following the recent natural disasters here in Chile (earthquakes of 8.8 and 6.9 richter scale and a tsunami), you quickly review what would you put in your emergency back pack - for me it would be my passport, health files, wedding ring, and a list of phone numbers. What would you put in your pack?
The Story of Stuff with Annie Leonard is a free, online video, and only 20-minutes! The video "takes viewers on a provocative and eye-opening tour of the real costs of our consumer driven culture-from resource extraction to iPod incineration." Funny guy Stephen Colbert recently interviewed Annie on the Colbert Report. The interview is both funny and informative and a quick watch for all of you busy people out there, 5-minutes. Now don't right off Annie as someone who isn't realistic. Annie told Stephen Colbert that she is actually For Stuff! "I want us to have greater reverence and appreciation for our stuff, instead of this mindless buying and chucking all the time."
Passive Architect also offers a great tip to help you check out what is going into both your recycling and trash cans: "Keep your trash and recycles in grouped piles for two weeks to know what you use. Plastics with plastics, paper with paper, etc. While my recycling bin fills up in a few days, I maybe take one waste can full of trash a week. You may find inspiration in this exercise to control your purchasing habits (meaning less money spent) and condense your trash at the same time."
Thanks PA for this great advice! I'm going to put this piece of advise in action and will report back in two weeks. I encourage you to do the same!
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