A Film: The Story of Stuff

My New Year’s Resolution: Watch this film when I have the urge to buy something I don’t really need.

By: KuhaneGuy | Jan 3, 2008 |  2

Categories: Economics & Trade, Environment, Artevist

Another Christmas has come and gone, and I couldn't help but wonder how many tonnes of wrapping paper, Styrofoam, non-recyclable plastics and just general crap we don't really need will end up in landfills after Santa has fled back to his beachfront property at the North Pole.

That's assuming of course you live in a country where things actually end up in landfills. In most countries (that don't even celebrate Christmas, but still make most of the stuff for it), 'landfill' means next to the railway tracks or the closest ditch.

The published research varies, but did you know that an astounding 75-99% of the stuff we buy in North America ends up as garbage within 6 months! Hard to believe, but think about it for a minute and it's not so implausible.

So being in an especially anti-shopping-mall-elves-and-Santa mood, I hit the web looking for stats and info to write my little diatribe. Sadly, I didn't find anything in time for the 25th, but I finally stumbled upon a real gem of creative work, that puts everything I wanted to say into a 20 minute, animated film. It does so brilliantly!

It's called the Story of Stuff, and it's just that - a very well produced, tongue-in-cheek story of the true costs of our rampant consumption. The film was researched and written and by Annie Leonard, produced by Free Range Studios, and partly funded by the Tides Foundation.

Though a few YouTube links exist, the best place to see the movie is on their website. If you want, you can download it or order a DVD version.

Now if only we could force every Walmart and big-box electronics store to play it on every screen in their stores for Christmas 2008.

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I think consumption is at the root of everything bad that is happening now. If we can learn (or re-learn) to do with less, we could be able to save the planet.

By: TanyaXIX
posted: January 03, 2008 at 05:23 PM

Very good video. Thanks for pointing it out.

By: KingsCastle
posted: January 14, 2008 at 06:00 PM