At every turn, people feel compelled to buy stuff. We examine how consumerism took hold of us, the sorts of policies governments enact that encourage or discourage consumption, and what reasonable changes people can make to be kinder to the planet.
Key Topics
The growing list of Rs-Reduce, Reuse, Repair, Repurpose, Reinvent, Reimagine, Recycle
Living in a single-use, disposable consumer society that's encouraged to buy more stuff
The dual ecological nightmare of credit cards
Why people in developed countries need to cut back when most people in developing countries need to consume more
How the capitalist economic system sets us up to buy more stuff
That planned obsolescence (along with the functional and psychological versions) is not a 21st-century invention
How we can consume less and not feel horrifically unhappy
Recommended Resources
A Brief History of Consumer Culture outlines how we became consumers
Though a bit dated, Plastic: A Toxic Love Story remains a relevant and worthwhile read
Mr. Money Mustache and the FIRE movement
