Annie Leonard: The Story of Stuff

Annie Leonard: The Story of Stuff

Annie Leonard really delves into a deeper insight of how humans are the main source of initiating all these problems associated around the world. Over time it is in our nature as human to feel the need to continually buy more stuff. There are many continual domino effects starting off with Material Economy which is created by the Government and Cooperation. This then leads to extraction, natural exportation and trashing of the earth. Leonard explains and provides a greater picture on how our earth is rapidly running out of resources, and we are undermining the ability to live here on this earth.

Our modern day society socially accepts that when something breaks too easily it is much better off to by a new one rather than repair it. Our over consumption of products has reduced to a ridiculous amount of waste that is stored or incinerated. When developed countries have used all their room for storing and ‘removing’ waste we ship it off to third world countries. In the long term this does not do any benefits to the earth at all. Either way, the energy used to remove our waste produces heavy amounts of toxic chemicals with synthetic toxics creating toxins out. 80% of the earth’s original forestry has gone, and toxic chemicals are building up through our food chain. The constant loss of local areas, people living in these areas from third world countries are forced to move into society’s large cities and to find jobs working with harsh chemicals.  These chemicals can cause significant damage to the body externally and internally and effect our environment.

Our planet produces way too much pollution, consisting of over four billion pounds of toxic chemicals/year, with this continual outcome, and continual growth of the world’s population are planet may soon longer have not enough resources.

We are a nation of consumers. In the 1950’s, it was designed to ramp up the economy with consumer goods that were ‘planned obsolescence’ ---> designed for the dump. Stuff was cheap so that it would break easily, making us instead of repairing it (because it would be more expensive) we would buy what seemed to be a newer and better improved product. It has become part of our human nature to shop continually, wanting more, getting the latest trends so that we will be valued and accepted into present society. Through studies and research it seems that the more stuff we have the less happy we are. Although we do try to maintain and improve our environment through recycling, not even that is enough. The waste coming out is only the beginning of our problems, the tip of the ice berg. Our system is in crisis, it’s changing our climate and the earth we once had is rapidly disappearing.  Leonard explains it’s time for us to change are initiative, we need labour rights, reclaim, transfer, renew, provide sustainability, equity and green chemistry.

So being an industrial designer, isn’t just about creating something that is aesthetically appealing but we must look at the greater picture as well and remember how what we design and create can be beneficial and sustainable as well.

As Leonard said, “ Old ways don’t happen, people create it. So let’s change it.”