The movie is just the beginning of the story. Watch it, learn more and get involved here: www.StoryofStuff.com

Der ganze Film ist hier zu finden:
thestoryofstuff.com

Der Artikel im TIME Magazin über Annie Leonard hier:
Annie Leonard

Today we were directed towards a piece of Propaganda. We mean PROPAGANDA! This is the strangest video we have ever seen. In 20 minutes it explains to everyone how we "Suck" for not buying less products. It pretty much just shoots down anyone who lives in the world. Not only that, but it is obviously made by the liberal side of the media. Check it out, see how bias one woman can be.

Versão em Português:

 http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7568664880564855303&hl=en

O original em inglês: www.storyofstuff.com

Qualche mese fa ho trovato in rete questo video di Annie Leonard, di sicuro non è più una novità , ma resta indiscussa la sua efficacia. (sito ufficiale)
Tratta del nostro attuale sistema di sviluppo, imperniato sulla crescita economica (PIL-prodotto interno lordo) e la logica del profitto, della  sua mancanza di rispetto per l'ambiente e per le popolazioni, dello spreco e dell'infelicità delle società sviluppate, dei sistemi lineari di produzione che richiedono in ingresso grosse quantità di risorse ,sia naturali che umane, e che producono rifiuti, inquinamento e sottomissione al sistema consumistico.
Il video è stato tradotto dagli autori di dePILiamoci, promotori dell'abbandono del PIL come indice di  misura della crescita economica e della sua sostituzione con il BIL (Benessere interno lordo).
Utile per la tematica del cambiamento è anche il sito del Movimento della decrescita felice creato da Maurizio Pallante.

Dopo il video potrete leggere il decalogo del movimento della decrescita felice o scaricarvelo.
Per chi desidera approfondire ulteriormente l'argomento vi rimando ai video di Maurizio Pallante.
Buon BIL a tutti!!!

[googlevideo=http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2138416794381091301&hl=it]

Decalogo del movimento della decrescita felice

L’obiettivo del presente decalogo consiste nell’individuare azioni e comportamenti da porre in  essere per circoscrivere e delimitare la quantità di merci e servizi da cui si dipende, favorendo la condivisione delle buone prassi e, sopratutto la realizzazione di beni (non merci) atti a migliorare il  benessere e ridurre la quantità di rifiuti immessi nell’ambiente in cui viviamo.
1.Accorciare le distanze tra produzione e consumo, sia in termini fisici che umani.
Ricollocare il più possibile l’economia nel territorio in cui si vive. Chiederesi sempre quanta strada ha fatto ciò che si sta consumando e chi lo ha prodotto. Fare acquisti direttamente dal produttore oppure creare o entrare a far parte di un Gruppo d’Acquisto Solidale (GAS) per: minimizzare i chilometri percorsi dai beni nel loro viaggio tra luogo di produzione e luogo di consumo; stabilire rapporti umani di amicizia e fiducia con chi produce.
2.Riscoprire il ciclo delle stagioni ed il rapporto con la terra.
Trovare il tempo per interrogarsi sulle qualità, ecologiche ma non solo, di ciò che si sta consumando e quale potrebbe essere l’alternativa più ecologica, salutare, piacevole e conviviale per soddisfare gli stessi bisogni.
Fermarsi a contemplare la Natura, comprendere i suoi cicli e confrontarli con i cicli industriali che sono alla base del proprio modello di produzione e consumo. Confrontare i propri ritmi con quelli della Natura. Rallentare, invece di accelerare.
Riscoprire il gusto di aspettare la stagione giusta per assaporare i frutti della terra nel momento in cui sono più saporiti e nutrienti.
Conoscere il territorio in cui si vive e le risorse naturali e umane che offre, anche in termini di saper fare derivante da conoscenze tradizionali (artigianato, cultura popolare, metodi colturali).
3.Ridefinire il proprio rapporto con i beni e con le merci.
Sostituire il più possibile le merci (prodotte per essere vendute) con beni autoprodotti o scambiati all’interno di relazioni non mercatili, riportando il mercato alle sue dimensioni fisiologiche (acquisire e diffondere la consapevolezza che il mercato non può essere eliminato, ma, allo stesso tempo, non è l’unico luogo dove poter soddisfare i propri bisogni).
Autoprodurre il più possibile:
beni alimentari (ad es. yogurt, pane, dolci, liquori, conserve alimentari…);
altri beni (ad es. capi di vestiario, mobili… )
Analizzare, valutare e promuovere i vantaggi dell’autoproduzione rispetto all’acquisto di merci in termini di maggiore qualità dei beni utilizzati (assenza di additivi chimici e processi finalizzati all’incremento della produzione e alla riduzione dei costi a scapito della qualità), minore impatto ambientale (meno energia e trasporti, meno imballaggi e rifiuti, più recupero e riciclaggio), conservazione e trasmissione del saper fare, creazione di momenti di nuova socialità.
4.Ricostruire le interazioni sociali attraverso la logica del dono.
Creare momenti comunitari di scambio di beni autoprodotti utilizzando la logica del dono, facendo attenzione a non cadere nella logica del baratto: il baratto è il precursore della moneta e, quindi, degli scambi mercantili!
Donare la propria esperienza, il proprio sapere e il proprio tempo agli altri. Condividere le proprie esperienze come presupposto per ulteriori scambi non mercantili di beni e competenze.
Donare beni, tempo, sapere e saper fare essendo sempre consapevoli che in una comunità c’è l’obbligo di donare, l’obbligo di ricevere e l’obbligo di restituire più di quanto si è ricevuto.
5.Fare comunità
Consolidare nel tempo le relazioni umane non mediate dal denaro all’interno della propria cerchia familiare, anche allargata, e all’interno della propria cerchia di amici e conoscenze. Creare periodicamente le occasioni per fare in modo che le relazioni umane generate dall’economia del dono diventino il più possibile stabili nel tempo.
6.Allungare la vita alle cose, rifiutando la logica dell’ “ultimo modello”.
Adottare uno stile di vita che poggi sulle quattro R (riduzione, riuso, recupero, riciclaggio) e impegnarsi a diffonderlo il più possibile e con tutta la creatività di cui si è capaci in ambito familiare, tra gli amici, sul posto di lavoro.
Trattare le le merci per quello che sono: un mezzo e non un fine.
Usare tutta la propria creatività per aumentare la durata di qualsiasi bene (ad es. rigenerazione motori automobilistici, superamento del concetto di moda e adozione del concetto di utilità, abitudine alla autoriparazione dei beni, ecc.).
7.Ripensare l’innovazione tecnologica.
Adottare tecnologie che riducono il consumo di risorse naturali preferendo l’innovazione volta al risparmio invece che quella rivolta all’incremento dei consumi. Interagire con le imprese che aderiscono al MDF e propongono prodotti o servizi capaci di ridurre, anche drasticamente, i nostri consumi.
8.Esserci pesando il meno possibile sull’ambiente, come forma di massimo rispetto per noi stessi e le generazioni future.
Ridurre il più possibile la propria impronta ecologica, facendo le stesse cose con meno oppure evitando di fare cose non strettamente necessarie per il proprio benessere e quello degli altri. Ridure l’impiego di mezzi di locomozione propri, laddove possono essere sostituiti da mezzi pubblici o mezzi meno inquinanti. Adottare e diffondere forme di trasporto condivise come il car sharing o il car pooling.
Attuare prassi di risparmio energetico (incremento dell’efficienza energetica della propria casa e nell’utilizzo di apparecchiature domestiche, proposizione di impianti condominiali più efficienti nell’uso delle fonti energetiche - realizzazione di apparati di autoproduzione dell’energia).
Proporre, e attuare per quanto possibile, un modello altrenativo alle grandi centrali e al trasporto dell’energia su lunghe distanze, basato sulla produzione energetica su piccola scala per l’autoproduzione e la vendita alla rete delle eccedenze.
9.Ridefinire il proprio rapporto con il lavoro.
Ridefinire il lavoro salariato come mezzo per soddisfare parte dei propri bisogni e non come fine della propria esistenza. Concepire il lavoro in generale come strumento per l’affermazione della dignità umana, ma non come l’unica modalità di espressione della medesima. Sperimentare stili di vita capaci di ridurre i consumi inutili e dannosi come presupposto per ridurre il tempo dedicato al lavoro salariato necessario per pagarli.
10.Diffondere i principi del Movimento per la Decrescita Felice in ambito politico.
Anche senza partecipare direttamente a competizioni elettorali e o alla vita di partiti poitici, trovare le strade per far giungere le idee e le proposte del MDF a chi ha il compito di governare il territorio in cui si vive. Essere il “lievito” della vita politica partendo dal basso, dagli ambiti più vicini alla vita e ai problemi delle persone. Organizzare incontri pubblici, coinvolgere i propri concittadini in battaglie specifiche evitando ogni tentativo di strumentalizzazione delle idee e delle proposte del MDF.

On Wednesday (but during the day, so you have time to go to the Story of Stuff event) you have the opportunity to attend a full day about designing with color. The House Beautiful Color Institute is open to public and professionals alike. In the morning you'll hear panel discussions and a presentation by Stephen Drucker, Editor in Chief at House Beautiful. The afternoon will be full of informational seminars and showroom events hosted by top experts and designers. Sounds like a good day!

So if you love color and don't have anything on your calendar Wednesday (9/10) (like, ahem, WORK) call 212-830-2997 or email HBPromotions@hearst.com to register for this FREE event at the SF Design Center Galleria, 101 Henry Adams Street.

Pero en fin, mientras consigo tiempo para eso, los dejo con una de las posibilidades.

[googlevideo=http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-9153550196656656736&ei=Uqq1SJ2wDILgqAK2muTdDA&q=the+story+of+stuff]

También hay traducción en español de España, por si alguien está interesado.

[googlevideo=http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5645724531418649230&ei=Uqq1SJ2wDILgqAK2muTdDA&q=the+story+of+stuff]

Sometimes parenting hits you smack between the eyes...

Take for instance the (ongoing) conversation we are having in our house about being thankful for and satisfied with what we have....

HBI, at 8 years old, is always asking for 'next' thing.  PlayStation wasn't good enough so he got an XBox, now that's not good enough and he wants a Wii, etc, etc.  This goes on and on and it's now starting with clothes.  So we are talking about practicing satisfaction.

While I think we have somewhat of a balance in most of these areas, I think God used this parenting moment to say a little something to me.

Whenever I start feeling again like it might be nice to work full time, he gently reminds me " what, being a mom who gets to work from home, be there to put HBI on the bus and take him off, isn't good enough for you anymore, you want MORE?"

me:  well yes...sometimes I get tired of living on a (tighter) budget, and not having the freedom to spend like I used to.

"so the fact that you are well supplied for isn't enough?

me:  it's not that, it's just that I don't feel like I'm being productive enough with my time....I could DO so much more.

"so do you think you are practicing satisfaction with the blessings you have?"

me:  uh no.

"why not?"

me:  I'm not seeing that as a blessing.  As much as I want to 'be home', there is just so much more that I want - not just to have, but to do.

"at what cost?"

me:  huh?

"what are you willing to give up to have it?

me:  huh?

"will you trade a relaxed and balanced home environment with your husband and son for some more trinkets or stuff?"

me:  uh no.

"will you trade HBI's sense of belonging and security for your own pursuits?"

me:  uh no.

"every choice has a trade off.  You are free to make your choice...just know that there is a trade-off in it somewhere.  When you are blessed by my hand, there is no trade.  It's a GIFT from me to you.  It's yours.  Just enjoy it - no strings attached."

me:  duh.  I may never learn..

"I've bought my last Ford car. It makes me damn mad that they're closing a plant in the U.S. and opening one in Mexico that will do the same work. Of course the product made at the Mexican plant will be shipped here to the U.S.

Why doesn't Ford sell all of it product made at that plant to the Mexicans and leave the U.S. alone! My next car will one from a manufacturer that is MAKING jobs for Americans and not for Mexicans and other foreigners. I wonder how many illegal immigrants work for Ford in the United States?"

Reminds me of a post on Social Venture Labs:

The reason I make this point is that I wonder if the small business here in The States is gaining some traction because Americans are taking a moment to pause after the industrial boom of the 50s and ask: “How can that item I’m looking to buy really cost $4.95?”

...

So, it makes you think - $4.95 doesn’t really even cover the cost of the shelf space, indicating volume on this unit is pretty high. Throw in concepts of quality into the mix: Americans’ need for the “new” and acceptance for planned obsolesce, or the German desire for lifelong quality and you begin to see the complexity of the marketplace, not to mention the wrench that cultural impact has on production.

If I’m not paying for this item, than who is?

1 - It needs to be carried out by a government with huge world impact (as the US government for example)
2 - It will cost a lot of that government's money
3 - The rich population in the country of that specific government will oppose and threat to vote for the opponents at the next elections. They will oppose the plan as consumers and as tax payers.

Still, if it weren't for those disadvantages, it just might work. Here we go:

Phase 1: Create a government owned cigarette company. Buy all existing cigarette companies. Reduce the number of cigarettes sold on the market significantly. Raise the price accordingly.

Phase 2: Make it clear to all tobacco farmers in the third world that are going bankrupt because of this that they should rather grow crops than tobacco. Convince them to sell it locally instead of exporting it and offer them to compensate them for the loss + extra bonus compensation.

Phase 3: In the beginning the local demand for food will be great, and prices will be high. The more farmers that join this plan, the faster the supply of food will grow, and the lower the price will be. In order to increase the process, offer additional subvention if they sell below a specific (index regulated) price.

When I presented the plan for my wife, she said it might just work. "But", she said "since this will affect the tobacco consumers you will remain unaffected. What would you say about the same plan, but instead of tobacco - coffee?"

And I said. Noooooooo....!
But then I found this page, and thought. Why not?

Bottom line is - we can't help the third world from our spare resources. If we really want to help, we need to cut back. We often hear the slogan "Make poverty history". That is not going to happen unless we make wealth history. The world can't afford our life style anymore. It's time to stop this crazy exagerrated consuming. Look back a few posts and see "The Story Of Stuff" again.

The harm we do humanity is supporting this crazy world order by adhering to the commercials by consuming things we don't need. If you have a good working mixer from the 70:s, you don't need a new. As long as your old big computer screen works, you don't need a flat one. As long as you have Windows XP, you don't need Vista. The more unnecessary things we consume, the more harm we do humanity. (I don't say "the world" or "the planet" on purpose - the world has always and will always survive. We're hurting ourselves).

"Enlightment" is the word for a period of time when people raise up against Someone who thinks they're stupid, and say "Hey! We can think for ourselves!" The first enlightment and best known was around the 18th century. People wouldn't accept the churches' ideas anymore without checking it. People started thinking for themselves. The Someone this time were the churches. The other time it was the totalitarian regimes. History proved that totalitarian regimes such as the Nazi or Communist wouldn't last, because people wouldn't buy it. Eventually, no matter how much they lied, the truth came out. People wouldn't believe things without thinkinh for themselves anymore.

Today the Someone is the greedy corporations and their commercials. Will we give in to them? Will we let them manipulate us to think that all we need to gain to get happiness is to buy their latest product? Will we? Or will we say no. Will we say that we can think for ourselves?

Together we can start the Third Enlightment. Credit for this enlightment idea goes mainly to brilliant author Peter Englund (his blog is on the right), as the inspiration came from his essay "The History Of The Shop Window" from the essay collection "History of Silence".

I will end this post by quoting Baloo. "Look for the Bare Necessities..."

I've also updated my blogroll. Basically anyone on my RSS goes there now. Pay special attention to the text that appears in the yellow box when you hover above it. Also I made 2 categories - English and Swedish. Please note that there is a DARFUR blog! There's a genocide going on there. See what you can do to get involved to prevent it.

This is very important and very funny. Please watch. It's only a 20 minute movie. I urge you to!
http://www.storyofstuff.com/
Everyone should see this! It's about where our stuff comes from when we buy it and where it goes when you throw it away.

I read very similar articles by the great author Peter Englund. Link to his blog on the right (by the way, he's a member of the Swedish Academy - which means he's one of the people who get to decide who gets the Nobel Price), so I just had to write a comment to his latest blog entry and link to this thing.

Apparently, in Saudia, it's permittable to marry a one year old girl. What? Pedophiles? Nonono. Of course not. You're not allowed to have sex with her if she's younger than... nine!
http://www.memritv.org/clip/en/1798.htm

And back to the Lion King. I did some investigation, and it's indeed Zulu. Very cool. Here are the lyrics:

Nants ingonyama bagithi Baba  [Here comes a lion, Father]
Sithi uhm ingonyama           [Oh yes, it's a lion]

Nants ingonyama bagithi baba
Sithi uhhmm ingonyama
Ingonyama

Siyo Nqoba                    [We're going to conquer]
Ingonyama
Ingonyama nengw' enamabala    [A lion and a leopard come to this open place]

The man singing is Lebo M. Here he is on youtube. Cool and powerful. I realise Lion King is an American corporation product that is using people's admiration for the African culture in order to attract more consumers that will consume more in order to ruin Africa even further. It's sad. But at least this singer is authentically African, and this language is authentic.

Where did that little squirrel go?

I chanced upon the video at KarmaTube, which periodically posts inspiring or educational videos for the betterment of society. The video is also available on YouTube.

Desde nuestro lugar ya tomamos la iniciativa y nos estamos formando en áreas como Ciencias Ambientales y Geología, pero es necesario el trabajo de la sociedad en conjunto.

Saludos,

El Mosquito

Price: Admission is Free, but you are on your own for food and beverages
Registration: Click Here (Please register so we know how many are coming)
Date: August 14th , 2008
Time: 6:30 to 9:30 (movie starts at ~7:00)
Location: Noble Tree: Coffee and Tea @  2444 N Clark Street Chicago, IL 60614

Movies:
The Story of Stuff with Annie Leonard (~20 minutes)
The Story of Stuff is a fast-paced, fact-filled, humorous look at the underside of production and consumption. It explores the connections between a vast array of environmental and social issues, and points the way toward a more sustainable and just world. You'll learn something, you'll laugh, and you just may never look at stuff the same way again.

and

Escape from Affluenza (~56 minutes)
Declare your independence from stuff! This humorous and highly innovative film follows courageous life-style pioneers from Seattle to the Netherlands as they simplify their lives, connect to their communities, and help the environment. In the process they discover a true joy in living and recover from our culture's epidemic of over-consumption, debt, stress, time famine and the other painful symptons so 'affluenza'.

Hope to see you there. By the way, if you have any batteries to recycle, please bring them along. We will have a bucket to put them into.

The Story of Stuff with Annie Leonard.

Take some time and read this also.

found via

Until then, have a watch of this: "The Story of Stuff". It's supremely interesting.

I learned about The Story of Stuff from the summer newsletter for the School of Sanskrit Studies in New York. I took a workshop with the school’s director, Manorama, when she visited Portland for the first time a few months ago. It was amazing. If I lived in New York I’d be studying with her regularly. By the way, her cd Sarva-Bhuteshu 'In All Beings' is addictive.

You have got to see this! It's good. It's true. We are a society that is obsessed with stuff. The average Amercian consumes twice as much as we did 50 years ago. We have less than 5% of the world's poplulation yet we use 30% of the world's resources. If everyone in the world consumed at US rates we would need five planets to house our goods and trash. How did this happen? Well it wasn't by accident. Check out the 20-minute video at www.storyofstuff.com.

let's create something new =}

Annie Leonard: http://storyofstuff.com/

.

"our enormously productive economy...  demands that we make consumption out way of life, that we convert the buying and use goods into rituals, that we seek out spiritual satisfaction, our ego satisfaction, in consumption... we need things consumed, burned up, replaced and discarded at an ever-accelerating rate."

.

.

- sustainability
- equality
- green chemistry
- zero waste
- close loop production
- renewable energy
- local living economies

"Ein kleines Lehrstück in Sachen strategischer Konsum: Woher kommen die Dinge, die wir konsumieren und wohin verschwinden sie, wenn wir sie nicht mehr brauchen? Öko-Aktivistin Annie Leonard zeigt uns die ökologischen und sozialen Konsequenzen das Produzieren unserer Produkte."

Gefunden bei iguana.roadkill