Economy of Things
Though we often think the modern culture of consumerism is an export from United States and a product of capitalism, people long before today’s era were enjoying the benefit of soft shoes, beautiful cloth and exceptional goods.
Consumerism
Movie Un-Review: Wendell Berry, the Not-Quite Rock Star Seer
To me, that’s the big question when it comes to film. Is such a thing possible, or does making a film – even one about Berry – not have a net effect of legitimizing film even more, spurring the making and watching of even more films (eco-type films in this case), rather than inspiring viewers and filmmakers themselves to “turn the television [and camera] off and go outside”?
Whole Systems, Humility, and Empathy—Thoughts about a Sustainable and Resilient Politics
If we were to consider the recent election and its aftermath as a dry run or a sort of stress-test for the way the more liberal half of America will respond to the emerging climate crisis, the outlook is mixed, at best.
In Conversation: Consumerism After Fossil Fuels
What will consumerism be like in a post fossil fuels future?
Globalization and the American Dream
Implicit in the rhetoric promoting globalization is the premise that the rest of the world should be brought up to the standard of living of the West, and America in particular.
Consumerism, Collective Psychopathology, Waste
In 1899 the maverick economist Thorsten Veblen portrayed the power elite of his day in The Theory of the Leisure Class.
The end of introspection (and why it matters)
A friend of mine who teaches undergraduates provided insight into something I see regularly … namely, young people (and some not so young) who appear to be entirely an appendage of their cellphones. One study concluded that "[t]he average college student uses a smartphone for about nine hours each day."
Newspapers, running on empty
There isn’t much news in most community newspapers these days.
Why We Consume: Neural Design and Sustainability
Exponential economic growth is rapidly destabilizing the biosphere.
The Shadows of the Cave
Some of us prefer sun and wind and depth and color to the play of shadows on the walls of the cave.
Bread, Circuses and Inequality – a Dishonest Bargain
Consumerist ideology treats society as a collection of individuals, each seeking to maximise their private consumption.
It’s the Second Dirtiest Thing in the World—And You’re Wearing It
“The clothing industry is the second largest polluter in the world…second only to oil,” the recipient of an environmental award told a stunned Manhattan audience earlier this year. “It’s a really nasty business…it’s a mess.”