Monday, May 12, 2008
What's in YOUR Basement?
Say what you will about capitalism, it has its place! If there's a demand, a supplier will appear. And the latest business I've run across is so perfectly American that I can't help but admire it, although it makes me cringe a little at the same time. Pehaps you've heard of it: 1-800-Got-Junk.
This is a business that exists because we've got too much stuff and no time (or desire) to deal with it. Some nice, uniformed employees will come to your house and haul away a whole truckload of stuff you don't want for a little over $500 (here in Chicago; pricing varies by location). Plus they recycle or donate some 60% of what they take away, and they'll sweep up the place after they've emptied it out.
I so enjoy the irony. We work long hours to earn money to buy stuff, and then we pay people to come take it away, all the while complaining that we don't have enough time or money! And it's not just one or two of us; the company expects to earn around $150 million in revenue this year.
In the time that I've worked for ELCA World Hunger I've become much more aware of what I buy and what I waste. Here's to hoping that once the truck leaves my house and I have a cleanly-swept floor, I won't set to work filling it again.
This is a business that exists because we've got too much stuff and no time (or desire) to deal with it. Some nice, uniformed employees will come to your house and haul away a whole truckload of stuff you don't want for a little over $500 (here in Chicago; pricing varies by location). Plus they recycle or donate some 60% of what they take away, and they'll sweep up the place after they've emptied it out.
I so enjoy the irony. We work long hours to earn money to buy stuff, and then we pay people to come take it away, all the while complaining that we don't have enough time or money! And it's not just one or two of us; the company expects to earn around $150 million in revenue this year.
In the time that I've worked for ELCA World Hunger I've become much more aware of what I buy and what I waste. Here's to hoping that once the truck leaves my house and I have a cleanly-swept floor, I won't set to work filling it again.
-- Nancy Michaelis
Labels: affluence, consumption, discretionary spending, lifestyle stewardship
Monday, April 7, 2008
Story of Stuff
This may be another one that falls into the category of, "yeah, already seen it." It isn't cutting edge new. But it's very worthwhile! In case you haven't seen it, or if you'd like a refresher course on how our consumption affects our planet and the people on it, please watch Story of Stuff. It's 20 minutes and 40 seconds of your life well spent - and entertaining, besides! It's the simplest, clearest explanation I've encountered about where all of our "stuff" comes from, where it ends up, and why it matters.
It's also a partial answer to my posting on the Nature of Power, my question about what it means for an individual American to wield American power. (Though it applies to other countries, too.) At the time I wrote that post, I was thinking more about government. But Story of Stuff makes crystal clear how each of us affects the world - and ultimately world hunger - with our purchase decisions every day. Instant empowerment!
It's also a partial answer to my posting on the Nature of Power, my question about what it means for an individual American to wield American power. (Though it applies to other countries, too.) At the time I wrote that post, I was thinking more about government. But Story of Stuff makes crystal clear how each of us affects the world - and ultimately world hunger - with our purchase decisions every day. Instant empowerment!
Labels: consumption, education, lifestyle stewardship, Story of Stuff, world hunger
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