Story of Stuff Notes

• extraction, production, distribution, consumption, disposal
• linear system on a finite planet
• missing factors like people (govt.,corp.)
• govt. is more concerned about corps than the people
• we r running out of resources
• if u dont own/ buy stuff u dont have value
• use chemicals to help with resources  emitting toxins into our lives
• human breast milk has the highest dose of toxins!
• people work with this stuff because they have no other choice
• many toxins pollute as byproducts
• even if we move the pollutants to other countries, it comes back! as wind pollution etc
• externalized costs  real cost of making things aren’t captured into price
• we have become a nation of consumers
• 1% of things americans buy are still used after 6 months
• our “ultimate purpose” is to produce more consumer goods
• planned obsolescence: made for the dumps
• perceived obsolescence: throw away things that are perfectly fine! (trends do this)
• Ads make us feel unhappy of what we already have
• Though we have more stuff, our national happiness is decreasing
• we have no leisure time or we just shop in that time!
• incineration: BAD because it mixes and releases toxins
• recycling is good! but not enough
• there are points of intervention!