Consumerism

We intend to create a national debate over the coming months: what are the most effective actions that we can all take in this Action Area? Together with our Ambassadors, we will then synthesize and distil the most credible and popular ideas into the core 999 Manisfesto, mobilizing as many people as possible to get involved. To start the ball rolling, 999 It's Time founder Rory Spowers has presented some of his own ideas below.

"'Consumerism' has become such a 'dirty word' in modern times but we tend to forget that it is not so much consumerism per se that is the problem, but what we consume and the rate at which we consume it. All biological organisms depend on consuming something, be it an amoeba or an elephant, and however ascetic our existence, we are always having an impact somewhere, through what we eat, drink and wear. Sadly, most of what we consume these days, we consume at a totally unsustainable rate, from non-renewable sources, usually creating toxic by-products in the process and generating waste products that cannot be safely 'sequestered', or digested, by natural processes. Hence we have global warming, toxic landfills and depleted fish stocks.

However, if all the packaging at the supermarket were made from biodegradeable materials that could help make compost and rebuild topsoil, we would have created cyclical processes that mimic the natural world, rather than linear processes that have 'changed the rules' and 'stepped outside the system'. Collectively acting as 'conscious consumers' we can have a huge impact on how the world works, such as avoiding products with unnecessary packaging, supporting local businesses, sourcing food from local growers and visiting farmers markets.

One of the great successes in this area is the Slow Food movement, which has done wonders in promoting bioregional pride in local produce and shrinking the gap between producer and consumer."
 

Suggested Actions
 

1. Join and support an NGO:
   NSALG and/or Garden Organic and/or Chicken Out and/or Landshare.
    
2. Perform an easy 'one-click' action:
   Sign the edible playgrounds petition. Enter your postcode and start finding your local producers at Freerangereview.
    
3. Take a 'real time' practical personal action:
   Eat seasonally... grow something (even one thing) that you eat... buy all your fruit and veg without packaging... shop at your local farmers market (find the nearest one to you on FARMA).
    
4. Engage in a 'group action' as a family, a community, a business, etc:
   Join (or start) your local Transition Towns network.
    

Have Your Say

Respond now by adding your views to this page (see the comment link below - you need to login first), by visiting our discussion board on Facebook, or by send an email to actions@999itstime.com with Consumerism in the subject line.