The environmental side to it is also a big push for me. I get the impression that more folks are recycling now, which is great, but we’re also neglecting the other two R’s: Reduce (our consumption) and Re-use (what we own). Pop culture encourages the consumption of hybrid cars and environmentally friendly product X, Y and Z (all very good, I’m not knocking the above) but it puzzles me that the overall message about “doing our part” for the environment is limited to recycling, buying hybrid vehicles and eating organic food. No, we can do more than that, but reducing and re-using don’t get much lipservice because they don’t benefit the retailers’ wallets. I only hope that common sense will prevail and these ideas become more popular.

I think this says it all: when I told an environmentally-conscious friend (who once yelled at me for using the wrong recyling bin about my de-cluttering/simplification projects, she fell silent for a moment before asking, “Any reason why?”

Seriously, I didn’t agree with a lot of it (which is no surprise to you, I’m sure). But when she got to the Golden Arrow of Consumption, I was 100% on board!

I also think something needs to be done about how much we consume and waste, though I think there’s more to it than the solutions she offered.

However, anything is better than what’s going on now. We spend to much, we waste too much, and we depend on stuff for too much…happiness, status, sense of purpose. There’s no way that can work forever.