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Next Green Thing: The Story of Stuff
By Virginia Prescott on Tuesday, April 22, 2008.
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This Tuesday, the University of New Hampshire is screening The Story of Stuff as part of its Earth Day festivities.
The short animated film by environmental activist Annie Leonard shines a light on the production chain behind most of our everyday consumer products. It's an eye-opening exploration of our often wasteful, disposable culture. Word of Mouth host Virginia Prescott talks with Annie about the film and the mostly unseen effects of our daily purchases.
You can see The Story of Stuff Tuesday, April 22, at UNH's Memorial Union Building. Screenings are at 1pm and 6pm. Click here for more details.
You can also watch the entire film online. Click here to visit The Story of Stuff website.
Here's a teaser: (If teaser won't play, click here)
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'Stuff' is now made in China. We just sell Chinese 'stuff'. It costs 1/50th of other 'stuff' and the middle-men pocket the profit. How can you possible make a 7" DVD player for $39? You can't, and if you did it wouldn't be made very well. When 'stuff' breaks, you just buy more stuff. The fact that you're buying Chinese stuff with money your USAn government has borrowed from China is not obvious to you. The fact that a service only society doesn't work because there's no 'value added' here doesn't occur to you. The fact that presidents rant about creating jobs here that are mostly in sales selling Chinese goods doesn't bother you. The fact that there are few entry level manufacturing jobs for an ever increasing number of immigrants doesn't bother you. So long as you don't think of your children’s' lives, and their children’s' lives your OK with all of this. When did we become so selfish and immature?
I don't have an immediate solution. I don't think highly of un-bridled capitalism. I think that we need import tariffs and if the USAn federal government can't handle the job, then we should begin to elect those that will. No one will ever agree that 'Fair Trade' with tariffs is 'Fair'. That's how its supposed to be, there will be those who want the tariff higher and those that want it lower. But when 'stuff' starts to cost what it really does cost, then maybe we won't be in such a hurry to throw it all away. The tariffs will take care of themselves when the average person in China has a 5 day work 40 hour week, health care, and some of the other perks. For now, our 'stuff' is being made under conditions we would find deplorable. When conditions are comparable across borders, areas will be free to do what their environment favors them to do, a concept known as a 'comparative advantage'.