The Story of Stuff Project
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The conversation continues with Annie Leonard, director of The Story of Stuff Project, creator of the internet video sensation, and author of The Story of Stuff: The Book. Today's topic: Why we still think going green is going to be hard and joyless — and why that's so completely not the case. (This is where Annie is sort of like a green Oprah. It's pretty great.)
If you missed Parts 1-5 of this series, check them out here. And if you aren't one of the nearly 10 million people who have already seen The Story of Stuff videos, click here. Then read on!
Photo Credit: Christy McDonald
PG: Even now that being green has become so trendy, there is often the perception that the really hardcore environmentalists are living this austere, morality-heavy, colorless, crunchy existence. You connect the idea of sustainability with happiness and fun, painting that lovely picture for the future at the end of your book. Why do you think that the "being green is about giving things up" stereotype still exists and why is it so wrong?
ANNIE SAYS: It's funny. An increasing body of research shows that once our basic needs are met, the things that actually make people happier are not more consumer goods, but are the strength of our social relations, having a sense of purpose beyond oneself, joining with others towards a shared goal, leisure, and recreation.
Yet we’re giving up all those things in our pursuit for ever more stuff! I call it the Work-Watch-Spend Treadmill. We work longer hours and take fewer vacations than people in other industrialized countries. We spend more time watching TV and have fewer friends than our parent’s generation. We have more and cooler stuff than previous generations could even imagine but we are increasingly socially isolated, we don’t know our neighbors. Bottom line: We have more stuff and fewer friends. How fun is that??
It would be much more fun to be less obsessed with accumulating stuff and devote more energy into family, friends, recreation, and civic activities. Those are the things that make life truly rich. While living more sustainably will require that many of us learn to live with less stuff, in exchange, we will get lots of more of things that really matter – leisure, social relationships, even reclaiming our weekends from cleaning and sorting all the stuff in our stuff-saturated houses!
One reason environmentalists are often considered a dreary lot is that we are! We focus so much on the problem; understandably so. The data about the state of the planet is dire. It is scary and can be overwhelming. But like most things, it is easier to handle if we’re not alone. So join with others who care, celebrate our victories, play with our kids, and take time to cherish the natural environments that inspire so many of us. Remember to focus on what we want to save, what we want to build together – not just the many problems we want to stop.
Tell us what you think: Do you feel like you get a bad rep for being green? What are your favorite ways to find the fun (without buying more stuff)?
More from this series:
Questions for Annie Leonard, Part 1: The Problem With Greensumption
Questions for Annie Leonard, Part 2: What Can We Do About PVC?
Questions for Annie Leonard, Part 3: The Price of Our Stuff
Questions for Annie Leonard, Part 4: How Do You Deal with Planned Obsolescence?
Questions for Annie Leonard, Part 5: Where Do Our Stuff Cravings Come From?
