hey kettle! I’m pot… you’re black!

The Environmental News Network posted a very important article today. You can find it HERE.

The article is about China and it’s impact on climate change. I know we all sit around in our air conditioned homes saying… “I am doing stuff to eliminate global destabilization. You should talk to China!”

Here’s the problem. This article shows that 85% of China’s emission issues are due to their rather large export industry. And to whom do you think they export to? I will give you a hint: the word “us” is in the name…. yes, that’s right it’s US. The U.S. of A!

So, if we want to demand of China to cut back on it’s pollution, then we must also take the mirror to ourselves and cut back on our consumption.

I have posted a lot about this in the past and you can refer to those articles HERE and HERE.

discover… the truth

So I started seeing this ad months ago, and each time I saw it I got more and more perturbed by it.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKFZjg4eGMk]

“We are a nation of consumers, and there is nothing wrong with that.”

I know that most people see this advertisement and think to themselves… a credit card company that gets me and my concerns. But remember, they are still doing this to get your business and make more money. That is their ultimate goal. Do not be duped into thinking anything else. For their sake and the sake of their shareholders, they still need to increase their revenue, so they have figured out a way to market to you. The truth, however, is that they are still a credit card company. They still charge you an 19% interest rate, and if you are late, it defaults up to 31%.

And what an interesting opening line. I believe that there is “something wrong with that”. I know that some of you think I rant about the world as I see it should be. But, when you look around at all of the stuff that you have in your homes, and then realize that you only use 20% of what you own, I think the logical conclusion is that we OVER-consume.

I am reading a fascinating book right now called The Age of Missing Information by Bill McKibben. I think when you read it, as well as when you take the time to really evaluate what commercials are saying to you… you will start to understand that the media is manipulating you. The companies have allowed you to be viewed as a malleable, uninformed, uneducated being and they can say whatever they want, over and over, until you are convinced you “have to have it”.

Think before you buy.

Keep it simple, stupid?

It seems silly to me for a word like “simple”, there are 29 definitions in the dictionary. Here are a few:
1.) easy to understand
2.) not elaborate or ornate
3.) unaffected, unassuming, modest
4.) free of deceit or guile, sincere, unconditional
5.) inconsequential or rudimentary
6.) lacking mental acuteness, or sense
7.) a person of humble origins

We all inherently know the definition of this word. We rely on life’s simplicity to function everyday. If life were too complicated, we would have a much harder time simply surviving; getting food, getting to work, breathing. We gravitate towards simplicity in many ways, whether it is finding the easiest route to a destination, or buying fast food instead of cooking at home. I know there are many things about life that seem effortless because we choose simplicity.

It is interesting that on one day I received two bits of information about being simple. The first, an article posted to www.planetsave.com about living simply, found here. The second, an issue of a magazine called “Real Simple”. A periodical about “life made easier”.

So, with all things, I decided to take a look at both and juxtapose the various advice made by each. Is there a clear communication about what each value, and what it is teaching us to value? If so, what habits does it encourage?

Let’s start with “Real Simple”. This is a description of the magazine in their words:

“Real Simple gives busy women the information, inspiration and tools they need to make life easier. Filled with practical solutions to everyday challenges, Real Simple helps its readers do the things they have to do, so they can spend more time doing what they want to do. These solutions are as soulful as they are real — the collective voice of wise wisdom and the advice you’d get from a trusted friend.

Real Simple is currently expanding its brand premise, “life made easier,” to other platforms, including books, special issues, international editions, a weekly television show on PBS, a syndicated newspaper column and two innovative product lines available at Target.”

The issue I received is 299 pages on ideas for wardrobe upgrades, easy skillet dinners, adding value to your home, etiquette and plus, the best exfoliators on the market! Of course all the pages are not dedicated to these topics. In fact, 149 pages, or just under 50%, of the magazine is dedicated to advertisements; telling you to buy “ALL this stuff” in order to be simple? Some of the advice given is to know how to interpret an expiration date. Are they kidding? Or, how to get your shoes to stop squeaking, which requires a cobbler, by the way, not a do-it-yourself trick. It also “tackles, head on” a very important quandry… how to get the most from your shade of hair color.

I do want to give them credit for some important articles, like picking the best compact fluorescent bulb. They have an article on how to recycle anything and everything, and include things from beach balls to mirrors… with the rest of the alphabet (n-z) appearing next month. And, my favorite article, etiquette in a cell phone age, because if I have to hear one more person talking about their last gynecology appointment, I am going to scream. And, yes, I know you just cringed. That is the point. You don’t even want to read it, why would you want to hear about it?

However, all of this being said, I think there is something of the greatest importance to talk about with these types of magazines; the impact on your mind about what is necessary. If you total up everything that this magazine recommends, it will cost you $50, 762!!!! And, that is just for THIS MONTH. I’m sorry, but I just have to ask, does that seem simple to you? And this number doesn’t include the cost of the two page shopping list of recommended food to purchase, which I estimate at $350. No wonder eating fast food seems easier, when you are looking at a bill like that. Which, in reality, eating from home is not that hard or expensive, as I proved here.
And the costs keep rising. When you go to the website, the first flash page instructs you on how to buy children’s gifts for “$50 or less”. I think you already know my beliefs about this and if you don’t, go here. Or, my other favorite recommendation from the website: How to create the ideal bed.

Here’s how, according to them:
1.) Buy a good mattress, the average cost of their listed recommendations: $1877
2.) Sheets, avg. cost: $206
3.) Bed covers, avg. cost: $182
4.) Pillows, avg. cost: $100

For a grand total of $2365.

Want to know my recipe for an ideal bed? Buy some sheets from Target, at most $49.99, throw on a blanket, and cuddle with someone you love.

Now, let’s go over to the article of www.planetsave.com. In this article, the author, Megan Prusynski, makes her argument for living a simple life. She says, and I agree with her, look at what you consume and cut it down. Because when you look at the true cost of what you purchase, it is not necessary and more importantly, it is not guilt free. She lists seven simple questions to ask yourself before you purchase anything.

1.) Do I need it?
2.) Is it something I will use often?
3.) Would a used item suffice?
4.) What is the most sustainable option?
5.) Am I falling prey to consumerism?
6.) Will it last?
7.) Could I make it myself?

She handled that article on one web page, which had three advertisements. That seems pretty simple, in my opinion.

So, why did I take the time to show the difference between these two examples of simple consumerism? Because I feel that currently there is an epidemic of consumption. I think we buy too much for no reason.

I look at the magazine and I wonder to myself, what habits does this create? What happens when you see the words “must have” next to a $500 price tag, over and over and over, again? What alteration does our perception go through when we are blocked from seeing the true information of our world as expressed through a connection to others and our surroundings? Now, I do not believe the magazine is to blame. It is a product that chronicles an already present mind shift that started years and years ago. And, at the same time, perpetuates the same state of mind. I know that I have mentioned it before but I feel life would be simpler if we really and truly were keeping up with the Joneses and not some fictitious family that can afford the $50,000 cost of the September 2008 issue of Real Simple.

I go back to the example of definitions, as listed above, and I wonder to myself which lifestyle honors the word: simple. All of the definitions, with the exception of the sixth, represent a lifestyle I want to have and the power I give to my purchases. I do not want to leave a footprint on this planet, as in “unaffected” or “inconsequential”. I want to honor nature by allowing it to nurture me and provide me with real, whole food, as in “easy to understand” and “not ornate”. I want to have humility and be free of guilt and love my friends and family unconditionally, and have my purchasing power reflect those words. This is how I choose to live.

Please take a moment to look at definition number six and think of what the magazine teaches us.

Now, decide how you want to live.

hit me baby one more time

As I look around and see the ever growing accumulation of stuff and the ever lessening role of integrity and values, I wonder what example we are setting for a children. Does our future hold hope, or are we doomed to have history repeat itself?

About a week ago, I was flying to Seattle and had the pleasure of sitting next to a woman and her four year old, very well behaved, child. After a while, the conversation turned to our shared beliefs about the environment. She shared with me that she had just read an article in which it outlined, that when she and I were growing up, it cost approximately $100K to raise a child from infancy through college. In contrast, today’s estimates are that it will cost anywhere from $300K to $500K to raise a child. Yes, I will agree that part of this increase is due to the cost of living increase. But, I wonder what percentage is due to the marketing campaign targeted at children.

When I was growing up things were so much different; I was not allowed to watch television unless it was educational, I had to go OUTSIDE to play, I had a clothing allowance, I had chores, my mom made lunch everyday and dinner every night (or tried to make dinner, if you know my mom)… and, I will note she was a single mom who at one time had two jobs while taking post graduate classes. I was blessed with a mother who was able to put me through private high school, and paid for my entire college education without me having to take out a student loan. We lived in one house; the one in which she still lives and is fully paid off. She’s had three nice cars. She wears Marc Jacobs and Cynthia Vincent. She’s up on all the latest Apple computers, iPods, and iPhones. And, she did this all on a Los Angeles high school teachers salary.

The only reason I bring this up is because I keep observing how children are raised, today. I do not have a child, and I can only imagine the joys and difficulties of having one. I feel as though parents and children are being marketed to so heavily to continue our consumerism without regard for the impact on the psychology of the individual or the detriment of our environment.

I intend to do a post about the fashion industry at a later date, but, as one example, just consider the clothing that is available to children now. There are a plethora of stores that didn’t exist before that specifically caters to the fashion of a child. When I was growing up we bought clothes twice a year. One time before school started and one time in the spring. We bought clothes that lasted and had a purpose; play clothes versus dress clothes. It was not the thing to go “hang out” at the mall. We wore clothes until they wore out and then we patched them up and gave them to someone to wear out even more. An $80 shirt… if such a thing existed….paid for itself based on the amount of times we wore it, dirtied it up, washed it and wore it again. Today, and $80 shirt for a TODDLER is the norm… thank you Gwen Stefani and James Pearse. I can only imagine that it is worn one time, before the child spits up on it and ruins it or it is out of style a month later. And the fact that we so easily purchase such items without thought is… shaming.

I used to have a clothing allowance. In order to have money go towards that allowance, I had to do chores. Serious chores. I was in charge of cleaning the house and doing the cooking. Once I EARNED the money, I could decide to spend the $25 on one item of that price, or I could save it over time to buy an item that was more expensive. This allowance did not include school clothes, which was a uniform, and it did not include important event clothes like weddings, prom, or graduation. Needless to say, it taught me the value of a dollar. Today I look at children who have closets and closets full of clothes that are trendy or cool and have no longevity.

Another example of the industry of children is toys. Have you ever looked around and seen all the toys that children have? There are trucks, Barbie’s, buckets and shovels, action figures, yo-yo’s, dolls, and I don’t know what else. They have created furniture to house and store all of the toys children accumulate. First, we can discuss the psychology behind the supposed need for these toys. Is it really too dangerous to play outside or is that just the propagation of fear? What is the need for a child to have a toy for the beach? This toy will more than likely be used, maybe, twice, before the child grows out of it. Not to mention that it is interesting to me that you buy a toy when the beach, itself, is a toy. With creativity, tenacity, teamwork and good old labor, a sand castle can be built without a plastic bucket. And aren’t those same skills important to learn if you want to be a functioning member of society?

I can list many other examples of useless toys, or clothes, and site many examples where I could counter, that without either of the above, the child may be better off. So, I ask again, what are we teaching our children? First, disposability. When we buy things and allow our children to use them a very limited amount of time, we are saying it is okay to throw away useful goods. And, more importantly, we are telling manufacturers that they can keep making and marketing new ideas to us because we don’t support the concept of longevity anymore. There was a time when if you bought a television, you expected that television to last a very long time. And, guess what? It did! We demanded, industry supplied. Now, we are told to want cool, fast, hot, and cheap. We are letting the manufacturers tell us what to do, instead of the other way around. Why is it that we don’t let anyone else control what we do, unless it comes to consumer goods? An interesting point was offered in “Deep Economy” by Bill Mckibben. We have stopped trying to keep up the Jones’. Now, we try to keep up with the Hilton’s, the Lohan’s, the Simpson’s and the Richie’s. But, if you actually sat down and spent time with your neighbors, you would find out we are all pretty much in the same place.

Which brings me to my second point of what we are teaching our children; credit. Why did I bring up, earlier, all that information about my mom and her spending habits? I want to illustrate a point that my mother taught me. She does not buy anything that she doesn’t have the means to buy. She is not in debt. She actually has a nearly perfect… yep, PERFECT… credit score. She spends time evaluating what she needs versus what she wants. If she wants something, she determines where she has to sacrifice. She doesn’t pay the minimum on her credit card bill, she pays the whole thing. Unfortunately, I didn’t listen to her. I am a child of a generation that was marketed to, heavily. I thought why not buy something that I can afford in “three easy payments” cause I want it “NOW!”. I have learned my lesson and I am trying to remedy it by being a more active and aware consumer. I have written about it before, but I think a huge disservice to our country is that concept of credit and buying what we can’t afford. It has put us in a place where, because of our purchasing “power”, we are dependent on fossil fuels, we are supporting mass manufacturing in countries other than our own, and we have to work forever in order to pay off our debt.

My third, and last, point with the issue of the industry of children is that we are hurting the environment. You knew I was going to get here, eventually. But, seriously, think of all the toys that all the children on this planet own. Some of those toys have never been touched, some are trash because they broke upon opening the package, while some did an effective job of entertaining and educating the child for a long time. Most toys, I would venture to guess, upwards of 90% are made of plastic. Plastic is made using fossil fuels. But, more importantly, it never, ever decomposes. Never, ever. It never goes back to the soil and replenishes what we have taken. It sits in a landfill, while everything else around it is going back to the earth, plastic sits and waits. Oh, and let’s not forget to mention, it’s TOXIC!! So we are teaching our children to be in debt for the rest of their lives, to throw away whatever they don’t want anymore, to not care about the environment, and oh yeah, we are poisoning them!

So if you have or want a child, I urge you to look at what even the smallest of actions is teaching them. You may think it is harmless, but your child is learning from you. Your child looks up to you and looks to you for direction. Don’t you want to be the best person you can, so your child can be the best person they can?

p.s. I love you, Mom.