Waste and Want

My friend Jamie asked me last night if I had read John De Graaf's book Affluenza the All-Consuming Epidemic. I haven't but I have seen the PBS show that takes after the book. I find it interesting these days that more and more literature is being transformed into television series. Doesn't anyone read anymore?

Another interesting book, which I have read, is Susan Strasser's Waste and Want: A Social History of Trash. This is an amazing book about where and what we do with our millions of pounds of trash. I highly recommend it!

Our worldwide garbage epidemic is starting to enter more conversations these days with the addition of websites like Freecycle where you can list goods you no longer want or search for items you may need. There are also growing communities of "Freegans", " people who employ alternative strategies for living based on limited participation in the conventional economy and minimal consumption of resources" (http://freegan.info).

So when thinking about my own lifestyle with regards to yesterday I asked myself "did I overconsume?" Yes, I bought sushi I didn't need and a Coldstone cone BUT I rented audiobooks instead of buying them full price and we purchased used books. I will admit that I consume too many books but hey! I suffer from the vice of literature!

For an interesting news story on Freegans go here!