“The Story of Stuff” is eye-opening!!!
Posted in Efficiency, Global warming, Recycling, Renewable on 19 June 2008

Annie Leonard’s The Story of Stuff is a short documentary about the material economy, explaining how stuff that we use in our daily lives is being processed. This 20 min, 2008 award wining production is actually a tour which attempts at explaining the evils of a market-driven economy, that has reached the Golden era of consumption (enthusiastic readers can read the “ Take Off Theory” by W.W.Rostow, which explains the emergence of the high mass consumption stage in any country that earlier had primitive sources of production.)

Well coming back to the topic…..

The tour guide (Leonard herself) who’s an activist has spent 10 yrs researching on “Where does all the stuff we buy come from, and where does it go when we throw it out?” Using animation and a racy narrative, she explains to the common man the linear process that drives a material economy. This process includes: extraction, production, distribution, consumption and disposal. She elucidates the myths behind these processes and clears our incomplete notions about ‘recycling’. Some startling facts are being exposed, like the emission of dioxin-toxic pollutant, by burning wastes.

I never knew that the pillow I so fondly cuddle in my sleep could actually be dipped in a solution of neurotoxin BFR ( Brominated Flame Retardant) during its production!!!!! The documentary tells us at least this is happening in USA. Other important issue raised in this story is, the large-scale destruction of natural resources of the third world countries by ambitious corporate of America. Some of you may find the film as an exaggeration of certain facts by Ms. Leonard. But the reality is bitter and Uncle Sam must start accepting the responsibilities of its plundering endeavors which have distressed the local economies of the third world. In an untechnical but easy-to-understand manner, Annie has voiced some very serious socio-economic concerns facing human society at large. Much of what she says about the destruction of ecology and societies in TWC and the emission of harmful toxins and carbon dioxide by USA can also be correlated with the 2008 UNDP’s Human Development Report (see carbon emission by green house gases and compare USA with TWC and developing economies like India!).

Besides all this, the most likeable aspect of the film is that it ends on a promising note…telling them what can be done and urging them to create something new!

Check out the video:

\”The Story of Stuff\” is eye-opening!!!

Via GreenBeingNancy / FreeRangeStudios