|
|
|
|||||
|
hello george, rachel williamson here. alex davis asked me to send something to you about Buy Nothing Day - to put up on your website or something. well, here it is only two days away from November 24th, but it occurs to me that BND reaches far beyond Nov. 24... it's everyday before and after. it's a mind set. it's a groove. it's a way of life. OK i admit it, it's an addiction! ...but i digress. whatever. yours... rahcle (Rachel Williamson, electronic mail, November 22, 2000). "... and thanks again for all our friends and family; for all our loved ones near and far. May we truly be grateful for all of our blessing, and may we also think of those who are not so fortunate as we... Amen." Now what? It seems appropriate that perhaps we should spend some time with those whom we have just professed so much gratefulness for, or perhaps we should do something for those who admittedly are not so "fortunate" as we. And yet, sadly enough, the day after Thanksgiving in the U.S. is the biggest consumer-frenzy shopping day of the year. READY, SET, GO! Grab your credit card and buy as much stuff as you can. ...wait a minute... 20% of the world’s population consumes 86% of the world’s resources. This means YOU. And meanwhile, 1/3 of the world’s people are hungry at this very moment. Time to curb your diet? Welcome to BUY NOTHING DAY 2000; a world-wide celebration of MODERATION. A day to bring awareness to our society about the direct consequences of excess consumerism. I. What’s Wrong With This Picture? American viewers watch 3.5 million years of TV commercials per year. (Earth Island Journal) TV commercials: UK 9 mins/hour, US 19 mins/ hour (Adbusters Summer 1993) At the height of the Ethiopian famine in 1984 to 1985, Britain Imported #15 million worth of linseed cake, cotton seed-cake and rape seed meal. Although none of this was fit for humans to eat, it still meant that good quality farm land was being used to grow animal feed for rich countries when it could have been used to grow food for Ethiopians. (Vegetarian Society) An area of land the size of five football pitches (10 hectares) will grow enough: meat to feed 2 people OR maize to feed 10 people OR grain to feed 24 people OR soya to feed 61 people. (Vegetarian Society) Dare to question what your T.V. tells you. II. The Pat Down Granted, I’m not saying that you should never buy anything again in your life. That’s not the point. BND is simply a challenge to every person across America, and across the world, (but especially YOU!), to consciously think about your consumer habits. The following are some things to consider while purchasing stuff... - Do I really need this??? - Where did this product come from, and what kind of company policies am I supporting??? Will my purchase finance animal testing, sweatshop labor, or environmental damage??? - Will my money go to some fat cat corporate monster, or will it support local small business??? - How much use am I going to get out of this thing? (i.e. - avoid use-once-take-it-to-the-landfill products) - Is there a lot of excess packaging trash that I’m going to end up throwing in the landfill??? III. Now What? Yes, I know, you want to show those you love just how much you love them. How about some alternatives to the gift of excessive amounts of Stuff. Need a boost?... - gift certificate to your local used bookstore... - donate to a cause in the name of your loved one - write a song, a poem, or a letter to show just how much you love ‘em - care package of home cooking/basic necessities for a college student... - frame a photograph, paint a picture, make a collage... - cooking, cleaning, or babysitting coupons to be cashed in when your friend or family member needs a break - just some time shared together... To take a walk, take some kids backpacking, share some good home cooking, volunteer at the soup kitchen, jam some funky music, go out dancing... whatever it is that you like to do. Share the joy! While talking to people at the mall last year on BND, I noticed a common defense was "I just don’t have the time for this. Get out of my way." So the answer I’d like to raise is this; If living conscientiously gets in the way of your lifestyle, perhaps it’s time for change. After all, it’s your life! Would you like to help circulate awareness? Join the Party this Friday the 24th at Barracks Road Old Navy, 10:00am. I have faith in you, people! ... on the November 24th, 2000, and on every day that follows. Bring on the leftovers! Sincerely... rachel (electronic mail, November 22, 2000). some excellent sites: www.enviroweb.org/issues/enough
|
