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Here is Reverend Billy's (the church of life after shopping) post on the oil spill.
I like his view how common areas were eliminated in favor of shopping malls which served to separate people. That's why I've never liked the artificiality of suburbs and can proudly say I've lived my adult life not in them.
And now, so many groups are working to bring common areas back to underserved areas so people have safe places to go outside, exercise, garden and then walk to the store to buy fresh food.
It did me good to read this tonight. Obama's speech disappointed me deeply. Pray? Sure, but he needs to take over this cleanup using BP's resources, he needs to make sure protective gear is issued to each worker, he needs to get volunteers mobilized and pumped up, he needs to blast through BP's spin of pretty pictures and clean beaches, and hiding dead animals from reporters and monitoring facebook-i(t did happen to me, I tested.)
It was the worst speech I've ever heard him make. It sounded corporate. Like a corporate commercial. Smooth, content-less, patronizing. And I don't appreciate the sermon. Wrong!
It seems government and corporations, especially oil, are in it together? Each does a little to make it look like something is happening? One is the villian and one is the protector, chuckle, chuckle?
Obama used to be a community organizer. What happened?
no subject
You like fashion. There's always a debate about who and where these fashion items are manufactured. I doubt you can find many clothing manufacturing shops in the bay area, so how do buy local when you need clothing?
I look hard for the 'Made in the USA' label but I often have a hard time. Food is one area we can buy local but then you're limited to regional produce.
Most manufacturers and food producers have bases of operation and everything is distributed from there. There will always be trucking, rail and cargo ships.
Reverend Billy has a great idea and I think he's got a good heart, but even he distributes books and DVDs. It all sounds great, but I don't believe it's realistic.
..... like the teabaggers screaming for low taxes and small government. It sounds like a good idea but it's not going to happen.
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I love this subject. Of course we want stuff and it's so hard to find 'made in the USA' label. Did you ever read my 'Fibershed' article about the woman making her own clothes from materials nearby?
I don't think the advocates are saying buy nothing. The US became a consumer society after the WWII when manufacturing became a big business. Then it went overseas so the corporations could earn more money.
I believe they're saying 'buy less,' 'buy smarter.' I think they're saying life shouldn't be experienced through 'things' but through experiences and community.
With clothes, buying at second hand, consignment and thrift stores are a way to recycle clothes. You can get great stuff and save so much money.
A friend of mine bought a good size loft here about a year ago and she and her partner gutted and redid it with mostly recycled materials from places that are filled with stuff gutted from other homes or buildings. Their kitchen table is a piece of bowling alley lane, one of their art pieces is a big heavy door from a bank, it all looks awesome.
There's a whole culture around reusing materials.
I wish I had caught on years and years ago. When I see how frugal people live-quite abundantly- I'm amazed and envious. I'm doing it now, but my hand was forced when I realized I was losing my job.
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We occasionally find ourselves in a position to re-evaluate what's really important in life. When I do that I realize most things I own I could live without, I just like having them.
Life can be simpler if we allow it.
AGREED>