Annie Leonard of “The Story of Stuff”
Last night I had the pleasure of coming face to face with one of my true heroes: Annie Leonard (of “The Story of Stuff” fame) at the University of California at Santa Barbara. Annie commanded the riveted attention of a packed audience, before taking audience questions and then entertaining one-on-one conversations with people like me. What a fabulous human being! So alive, so dedicated, with an intellect and a sense of humor that are literally breath taking.
Like so many of the world’s top environmentalists, Annie never dreamed of the level of penetration her ideas would have. When she made the 20-minute animated film “The Story of Stuff” in 2007, she prayed for 50,000 views. She recalls telling a friend, “If 50,000 people see this, we may have a chance to make a real difference.” Five years later over 20 million people have watched the film and its many offspring, and CNN, Time Magazine, and Steven Colbert have all added to the frenzy.
Did I just use the word “frenzy?” Isn’t that something of an exaggeration? I’m not sure. More and more people every day are wondering about all the stuff in their lives: Where does it come from? How was it made? Where will it go when I’m finished with it? Some are even asking larger questions: Is consumerism and exponential growth in resource consumption really the best mode for mankind? Can it be sustained? Even if it can, does it really make us happier?
I’m so glad I didn’t miss this opportunity to connect with one of the most vibrant and inspiring people on our troubled little planet.
I just watched “The Story of Stuff” on youtube and I am very happy to say that I have never actually participated in this system. I hate shopping with a passion and I do not go to a store and buy something new unless I can no longer fix what I am looking to replace and I can’t get a used or broken one that I can fix one from someone I know. Almost everything I own is someone else’s old broken junk. When something finally does break down to the point where I can no longer fix it I strip it for useful parts for my stock and then further disassemble it to recycle as much of it as I can so the least amount of material possible hits the landfill. Yes, I have been ridiculed for not having the “cool new” stuff pretty much all my life. I don’t care.
I have to say that I feel the same way. At Christmas, I often remind my kids, “There is not a single thing in any store that I want. If you’re going to give me a present, please either make it or write it for me.”
My car has 246K miles on it.