Raising Personal Awareness

Sounds like a real new age-y title there, huh? The concept is actually pretty old. Sometimes I think I was born in the wrong century.  In the 18th and 19th centuries, Americans and people in general had a much better idea where their food, cloth, water, shelter, etc. came from because they found most of it themselves. People weren’t affluent and were forced to live within their means. The sheer amount of waste was less of an issue because products and the means to procure them were scarce. People wore two or three sets of clothes in a given week before washday. They drove horses and buggies not cars, they walked, they used mass transportation, and when cars did come along they got nearly 50 miles per gallon.

This blog is a challenge to think.

Think about all the things we have and use today.

• big houses
• cars
• computers
• gaming systems
• televisions
• radios
• soaps and shampoos
• cosmetics
• cleaning products
• convenience food
• candy
• fruits and vegetables
• clothing
• washers and dryers
• electric lights
• air conditioners
• heaters
• furniture
• books and magazines
• newspapers
• single-purpose gadgets
• cell phones and telephones
• the internet
• cigarettes and alcohol
• medicine
• electricity
• gasoline
• natural gas
• junk

Think about how often we replace what we have.

• daily
• biweekly
• weekly
• monthly
• quarterly
• annually

Think about who if affected by our consumption.

• Us
• The people who make our stuff
  • The sweatshop workers
  • The farmers
  • The factory workers
• The people who live near where our stuff is manufactured
• The people who transport our stuff
• The people in third world countries who allow us to buy cheap stuff
• The people who have to deal with our waste as a result of having too much stuff

Think about how our consumption affects us.

• Our health
  • Allergies
  • Cancer
  • Obesity
  • Pollution related diseases
• Our debt
• Our quality of living
• Our availability for what matters most (family, friends, quiet time)

Think about how our consumption affects others (not only our neighbors in America, but people all over the world).

• Health problems (i.e. cancer from pesticide use)
• The safety of their homes
• The pollution levels of their homes
• Their income
• Their quality of life

Think about how our consumption affects our planet.

• The hole in the ozone layer
• Deforestation
• Acid rain
• Water pollution
• Smog
• Global warming

Think about how our stuff shapes our attitudes towards the word.

• Greediness
• Selfishness
• Franticness
• Limited perspectives

Now its time to ask some questions of ourselves.

• Do I need everything I have?
• If having some product means that somewhere there is a person with cancer, is it worth having?
• Do I need to replace my stuff so often?
• Can I find ways to get the stuff I need in a way that has less impact on others and on the world?
• Do I like the way my stuff is affecting my life?
• How can I change things?

Unfortunately, the information we need to make informed decisions in our daily choices is hard to come by. My goal for this blog is to find the details we need regarding the impact of our choices on our lives, our neighbors, and our world.