Posted on 01/05/2007 11:31:40 PM PST by woofie
It began, as grand ideas often do, over a dinner — risotto, artisan cheese and wine. What would it be like, 10 environmentally conscious friends wondered as they discussed the state of the planet, to go a year without buying anything new?
Twelve months later, the results from their experiment in anti-consumption for 2006 are in: Staying 100 percent true to the goal proved both harder and easier than those who signed on expected.
And while broken vacuum cleaners and malfunctioning cell phones posed challenges, some of the group's original members say the self-imposed shopping sabbatical was so liberating that they've resolved to do it for another year.
"It started in a lighthearted way, but it is very serious," said John Perry, 42, a father of two who works for a Silicon Valley technology company. "It is about being aware of the excesses of consumer culture and the fact we are drawing down our resources and making people miserable around the world."
The pledge they half-jokingly named The Compact, after the Mayflower pilgrims, spread to other cities through the Internet and an appearance on the "Today" show.
As it turned out, The Compact was modest as far as economic boycotts go. Several cities in the United States and Europe have communities of "freegans," people whose contempt for consumerism is so complete they eat food foraged from Dumpsters whenever possible, train hop and sleep in abandoned buildings on principle.
The San Francisco group, by contrast, exempted food, essential toiletries like toothpaste and shampoo, underwear and other purchases that fell under the categories of health and safety from their pledge.
But perhaps because its members included middle-class professionals who could afford to shop recreationally, their cause caught on.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
I think Im broke.... maybe I will join
A new fillip on tramps, hoboes, and bums?
I was going to point out that dropping out is easy for an experiment when you live in a rich, materially saturated country, because everbody is generous, giving, and frankly trying to get rid of stuff.
I had mistakenly thought that they vowed not to buy anything, but they are so rich that the big experiment was to not buy brand new things, (I think they don't say things like "look Bill this chain saw is "brand new")
>"Besides thrift stores and garage sales, participants found a wealth of free or previously owned merchandise in online classifieds and sites where people post stuff they want to get rid of, such as
After going through an initial period of retail withdrawal, discovering just how easy it was to score pretty much anything with a little time and effort was an eye-opener, according to participants.
Rachel Kesel, 26, who works as a dog walker, said she was astonished by how often the items she needed simply materialized — the friend who offered a bicycle seat when hers was stolen"<
How did these idiots ever manage to chew through the leather straps?
Wow. That's a freaking sacrifice right there. I think my heart grew 3 times bigger from the deprivation they put themselves through.
I think we can assume that these elitist boutique shoppers have never set foot in the red America's favorite store, Wal-Mart.
Great. Now I have to buy extra plastic to make up for these evirohippies.
freegan = hobo or bum
"My son is not a bum - he's a freegan."
There is the most amazing blather coming out of San Francisco -- continually.
What a hardship to actually have a choice about what you will or not go to the store and buy.
I nearly left this thread upon reading it involved people who ate "artisan cheese" whatever that is. However, the simplistic, act stupid, feel good, quote above riveted me back in.
Don't these morons even remotely realize that it is our consumption of things produced by "workers" that has lifted people OUT OF MISERY over the last two centuries ?
Good Lord save us from those unable to distinguish between good and evil in this world.
I'm amazed what passes for intelligent behaviour nowadays.
These group of 10 deserve a Nobel prize for their brilliance.
Wow, you can save money and decrease resource use by
not buying anything new. Who'd a thunk it?
bump
Don't these morons even remotely realize that it is our consumption of things produced by "workers" that has lifted people OUT OF MISERY over the last two centuries ?
Good Lord save us from those unable to distinguish between good and evil in this world.
To add to your part about our consumption lifting people out of misery. These people obviously can afford new clothes, and pretty much whatever they want, or at least need. There are those, that all they can afford are thrift store and garage sale items. By buying from thrift stores, didn't that deprive someone who can only afford that?
Heck to continue with that line of thought, it takes perfectly good water to flush their sh!t down the toilet. If they were so concerned about others, why pee in what could be someone else's drinking water.
Did they think about the energy they were using when they went on the Today show, or whatever show they went on? It took gas to get them there. Electricity to operate the cameras, lights and sound. Electricty to transmit the signal. And more electricty for people to watch their tvs. All to feed these peoples egos.
When these people breathe, they consume precious oxygen that people more deserving could breathe. And then they have the audacity to expel poisonous gases.
And yet they think they were doing the world a favor?
Maybe they should have thought more about the well being of others in the world, an had an acute injection of lead to the brain.
My kitchen timer is 41 years old; use it every day.
My spaghetti is still within its "use by" date.
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