The Story of Stuff

Greetings blog readers.  Many of you reading this entry will likely just have finished celebrating Christmas in some way.  Even many friends and colleagues of mine who did not grow up in a Christian tradition have told me that they give each other gifts at this time of year - especially if they are living in a "western" country where Christmas is widely celebrated. 

When we look beyond the religious or cultural significance many of us associate with Christmas, the predominant feature or "tradition" that stands out is one of gift-giving.  In fact, this has become so big that it often puts many people in a difficult financial position once the bills start rolling in during the month of January.  Setting aside the obvious problems this causes, there is another side to this consumerist way of living that we rarely explore: the impact of our "consumption" on the world we live in.

There is a lot of attention being paid these days to the environment, and specifically, global warming and the human contribution to it.  While there continues to be a debate about how much of the warming is reflective of a sun spot and how much of it is the result of human impact, no matter what your view is about this, it still makes sense to be a responsible steward of the planet we share and depend upon for survival. 

One of the ways to be a responsible steward is to evaluate how our everyday lifestyle impacts our world.  Recently a friend forwarded a link to an excellent website containing a simple and well-presented description of the impact our consumption has on our world.  And, it's not just another one of those doomsday scenarios.  It offers specific and practical ways to be a better steward of our shared home.  You don't have to agree with all of the assertions presented by the creator of the site to find something valuable in it.  The full video is just over 20 mins long, or you can watch short chapters or download info, PDFs, and so on.  Although it is an US site, citing US-based statistics, the principles are universal. 

So, as we sit with our new "stuff" from Christmas, or throughout the year as we consider our next purchase in our "throw away" society, let's think about what knock-on effects we're creating.  Check out the site, and let me know what you think. http://www.storyofstuff.com/