Daily News Rush

What Happens to All that Stuff you Buy? The Story of Stuff!

While good people may debate whether we need to clean up pollution for the sake of our health and the health of the environment, or for the sake of preventing climate change - we can all agree that things do need to be cleaned up. 

Watch this fast-paced, fact-based, 20 minute video entitled "The Story of Stuff" with Annie Leonard:
 

What is the Story of Stuff?

From its extraction through sale, use and disposal, all the stuff in our lives affects communities at home and abroad, yet most of this is hidden from view. The Story of Stuff is a 20-minute, fast-paced, fact-filled look at the underside of our production and consumption patterns. The Story of Stuff exposes the connections between a huge number of environmental and social issues, and calls us together to create a more sustainable and just world. It'll teach you something, it'll make you laugh, and it just may change the way you look at all the stuff in your life forever. 

One of the most amazing things you will learn about in this video has to do with planned and perceived obsolescence.  Planned, or built-in, and perceived obsolescence is the deliberate intention on the part of a manufacturer to make products that become obsolete and/or non-functional after a certain period of time or amount of use so that the consumer will be under pressure to buy new products.  Ever wonder why you have to buy a new computer every few years?  Why don't they make computers that have replaceable parts?  Or what about fashion?  Ever wonder why it changes so often?  So you'll change more often!

After view this environmental video, you may wonder 'what can I do?' - well, here's a list of 10 things you can do starting today.  See the details for each point here:

The Story of Stuff - Another Way 

   1. Power down!
   2. Waste less.
   3. Talk to everyone about these issues.
   4. Make Your Voice Heard.
   5. DeTox your body, DeTox your home, and DeTox the Economy.
   6. Unplug (the TV and internet) and Plug In (the community).
   7. Park your car and walk…and when necessary MARCH!
   8. Change your lightbulbs…and then, change your paradigm.
   9. Recycle your trash…and, recycle your elected officials. *             
  10. Buy Green, Buy Fair, Buy Local, Buy Used, and most importantly, Buy Less.

  * Especially those whose party starts with the letter D! 

Male Testosterone Causes Economic Shrink

Interesting tidbit of information from the NY Times:

A fascinating British study supports that conclusion with evidence from the drool of financiers. The researchers, using the saliva of male traders, tracked natural variations of testosterone in the morning and the amount of profits they earned for the firm that day.

“We found that a trader’s morning testosterone level predicts his day’s profitability,” reported the study, published last year in The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Higher testosterone meant more risk-taking and, usually, more money.  read more....

Bill Gates: How I'm trying to change the world now

Coincidental? Economic Collapse coincides with Obama Presidency

Is it just a coincidence or did the realization back in July and August of 2008 that Barack Obama would become the next President trigger the economic collapse?

All of a sudden like, the economy is in dire straits.  One day it's fine, the next day it's not.  It seems to me that this could have been forestalled to January or February of 2009, but perhaps those in power realized the only way to save the economy was to announce its imminent decline ahead of time so they could actually do something about it before they became outnumbered. 

One of several things is going to happen:

1. In a few months the economy will be fine and new millionaires/billionaires will have been created through a strategic shift in wealth - from banking and oil to green and labor. 
2. New Government spending is going to bankrupt the country when people realize they can get everything they need from this new government without working for it.
3. It's going to get a lot worse before it gets better, provided the collapse is real. 
4. People have gotten used to spending and getting what they want, they will not be able to manifest the discipline necessary to live within their means, credit card debt will soar and personal bankruptcies will follow.  This holds true for the US and other parts of the world.

There is nothing wrong with the economic forecast.  Think population economics.  You probably think there are 6 billion people on the planet, right?  The number is fast approaching 7 billion, we're close to 6.8 billion right now.  The US economy alone grew by 1.3 percent last year.  We can't even keep up with the demands placed on us by 6 billion people, imagine another 1 billion on top of that.  A billion is a very big number.  Do you know how many hamburgers or how much Mac 'n Cheese it takes to feed an additional 1 billion people?  Do you know how many workers and businesses it takes to keep people housed, clothed, fed, educated, and so forth?  Or how many of that extra billion will want to buy an iPod? 

It only appears that the world is suffering through an economic collapse at the moment because people are scared, they're not buying anything because of fear.  The fear is causing their present reality, which is in turn causing real problems in the economy.  Take away the fear, and the economy will rebound.  I thought an Obama administration promised not to lead by fear? 

Does fighting a war in Iraq and Afghanistan cause fear?  No.  Does the idea of an Obama Presidency and investors losing money on Wall Street cause fear?  Apparently.  But for different reasons.