CONSUMERISM v. Frugal Living

Comment from John C. Jones

FURTHER TO GRANT’S LATEST POSTING 25^th May (in Water (Chile) Category)

Hello Everybody.

The significance of Grant’s posting on 25^th May (in Water (Chile) Category) cannot be overemphasised.

He has taken the trouble to provide a detailed explanation of the hazards that we all face in the modern world of CONSUMERISM, and I am sure that he would get nothing else done if he devoted his time to publicising detailed accounts of ALL the places in the world where such abuses of the planet are being enacted.

Consequently, I feel that it might be useful to TRY to summarise the situation as follows.

Once upon a time, people were satisfied with the FREE GIFTS that were provided to them in abundance by NATURE. However, with the passing of time, they have been persuaded that they are ENTITLED to much more than nature can provide and that they CANNOT be happy unless they take from the world far more than they actually need. This persuasion has been carried out by people who know how easy it is to exercise POWER over those who crave anything at all (as in the obvious case of drug-addiction).

The RESULT OF CONSUMERISM is a world which is literally “falling apart at the seams”, and the SOLUTION to this problem will not be found until we ALL realise that we CAN, in fact, enjoy life without upsetting the NATURAL BALANCE of this planet. When the NATURAL WEALTH of the world is no longer plundered by those who have the power to do so, happiness will automatically result from our ability to simply behold the NATURAL BEAUTY that surrounds us.

However, such plundering will cease only when we ALL decide that we no longer require the products that it produces. In other words, there needs to be a wholesale SIMPLIFICATION OF LIFESTYLE.

A movement that celebrates “BUY NOTHING DAY” every year promotes this transition concept. Details can be found on the following web pages that contain useful information, relevant links and opportunities to discuss the matter in question with people from all over the world.

http://www.buynothingday.co.uk/

http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/content/news_syndication/article_051126buynowt.shtml (BUY NOTHING)

http://www.licc.org.uk/culture/buy-nothing-day

http://frugalliving.about.com/cs/consumeraddiction/a/112100.htm (FRUGAL LIVING)

http://www.adbusters.org/metas/eco/bnd/bnd_xmas/ (BUY-NOTHING CHRISTMAS)

http://www.buynothingchristmas.org/ (BUY-NOTHING CHRISTMAS)

http://www3.sympatico.ca/dalia/buy0/acrostic.htm (POEM BY A NINE-YEAR-OLD CHILD)

http://www.ecoplan.org/ibnd/ (INTERNATIONAL BUY-NOTHING DAY)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buy_Nothing_Day (LIST OF LINKS)

http://observer.guardian.co.uk/cash/story/0,6903,1091013,00.html (THE GUARDIAN, BUY NOTHING)

http://houseofstrauss.co.uk/modules/news/article.php?storyid=26 (SIMPLE, GREEN LIVING)

http://www.foe.co.uk/living/tips/buy_nothing_day.html (FRIENDS OF THE EARTH)