Annie Leonard

One thing I tend to dislike about environmental books is that they only look at the issue of environmentalism without looking at capitalism, imperialism, social justice, racism, feminism, animal rights, or even consumerism. What I like about this book is that it ties pretty much everything together. Furthermore, this book has a wonderful, well thought out critique of capitalism and our relationship with Stuff without getting depressing or cynical.

If you think this is going to be a cutesy show more book like the Story of Stuff you-tube clip, think again. This is one powerful book, and I would recommend it for both the novice and seasoned environmentalist. show less

show more 如果你對環境問題的認識只停留在《正負2度C》，那麼你一定要看這本書！本書提供一個全局式的概覽，是認識環境議題的最佳起點！

光鮮亮麗的商品包裝，訴說美好生活的商品廣告。隱藏在這些事物的背後，並不只是商人精密的算計，更是各種對於地球資源的濫用與摧殘。《東西的故事》從原料、生產、銷售、消費、丟棄各方面探討今日資本主義經濟產品對環境以及人類健康的傷害。在欠缺監督以及成本外部化的情況下，各種危害環境、人類健康的商業活動層出不窮：如將垃圾丟棄到第三世界國家、使用有毒物質製造產品、刺激消費而造成生產浪費、壓低勞工薪資、浪費能源的長途運輸、資源回收的騙局、有毒的礦業與工業生產過程等等。

不負責任的企業採用危害環境的方式生產產品，再大力促銷造成浪費性消費，最後還倚賴國家出面收拾環境問題。這樣的現象說明了目前資本主義經濟對地球的深刻危害。這些問題規模龐大，急需改善。而作者在書中也舉出許多正在推動改革的公民運動以及替代方案，說明改變並非遙不可及，只欠決心與毅力。書裡所揭示的內容充滿黑暗，也充滿光明。這使《東西的故事》成為一本警世之書，要求、督促著我們認識問題，採取行動！

然而美中不足的是，書中所提之公民行動多為美國組織。臺灣版翻譯者與編者並未提供更多的在地資源。對環境議題有興趣的朋友，可以上臺灣綠黨、環境資訊中心、地球公民協會、主婦聯盟等等網站，尋找本地的行動方案。

按：書中有一些校對疏失，如293頁註121誤植為141，300頁最後一段譯文重複。 show less

Americans live in a consumer society. We are constantly bombarded by advertising and encouraged to buy more and more. Purchasing something new is supposed to make us happy. We are even told it’s patriotic to shop, spend money, get the economy moving. But how many of us ever think about what it takes to produce all this stuff and ship it to stores or our homes and then haul it off to the dump to dispose of it when we are done with it. After reading The Story of Stuff, it’s difficult to show more look at ‘stuff’ the same way again.

I consider myself a green person. I reduce, reuse, recycle, conserve energy, grow my own veggies, compost everything I can and generally try to be a good citizen of the planet. After reading this book I have learned there is much more to the life cycle of a product than most of us ever realize. The author takes us through the five stages with a chapter on each: Extraction, Production, Distribution, Consumption and Disposal. Each stage consumes resources and creates pollution, and not just here in the US but around the world.

An eye-opener for me was learning that while recycling is good it’s not the solution. We are consuming resources faster than the planet can replenish them. The problem is excessive consumption. The author found that when she asked, “Are we consuming too much?”, it was not a very popular question. Our economy now depends on consumption at an ever accelerating rate.

As consumers we’ve become resigned to the fact that our stuff is disposable. It wasn’t always this way. Things used to last years and years. Now they are designed with planned obsolescence and fall apart quickly and cannot be repaired. That particularly resonated with me. A few months ago my printer stopped working. This was a perfectly good printer that I really liked and I wanted to get it repaired. Seems simple enough, right? Wrong. The cost to fix it was almost as much as buying a new one. I did some research and in the end I opted to fix it anyway because the ink cartridges it uses are half the cost of the newer models plus this kept my printer out of the landfill. All too often it doesn’t work out this way and the item ends up in the dump.

The Story of Stuff is a wealth of information and knowledge on the hidden costs of consumerism and what we can do to make it better. The author presents the facts without being preachy and writes in a humorous and engaging style. Ultimately we have to ask ourselves, does buying more and more stuff make us happier? show less

"When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the universe."

--John Muir, wilderness advocate

This book may garner intense reactions. You may find yourself vowing to make drastic changes to your life. You may throw the book aside in disgust and chalk it up to environmentalists’ hysteria. You might become paralyzed by the staggering scope of problems our industrial complex has created, and simply do nothing and hope a miracle gets us out of this show more quagmire.

I live in Baytown, Texas. The population here is roughly 70,000. It is the home to one of the biggest oil refinery-complexes in the world: ExxonMobil. It is also home to several other refineries like Chevron Phillips and Bayer. When you drive about 15 miles southwest on Highway 146 then take the Highway to 225 to Pasadena, you run smack dab into a wall of stench that seems to be a solution of rotten eggs, steamed cauliflower and rubber.
They don’t call it Stink-adena for nothing.
And while the industry is the bread and butter for many residents, we are very aware of the environmental implications. The Baytown Nature Center is what was formerly known as the Brownwood Subdivision, an affluent neighborhood in the 1970’s. That is, until the ground dropped between 10-15 feet due to a depleted water table. What depleted resources started, Hurricane Alicia finished. The houses were then condemned, the area was vacated for about 20 years, and then ExxonMobil and the community worked together to turn it into a nature preserve.
We know about consumption. We know about waste. We know about depleted natural resources.
But when I read Annie Leonard's book, I could feel a chill go up my spine. And the more I read, the worse I felt.

Annie herself discusses this:

One friend told me me that reading this kind of information actually makes her want to go shopping because it is such a relief to be in a situation where your biggest concern is if your shoes match your purse. People everywhere are experiencing crisis fatigue. Heck, there are flu pandemics, freak storms, unemployment, and foreclosures to worry about. The thing is, we don't have a choice.
No, we don't. We live on this planet, and if it goes, we go. We haven't yet discovered a habitable place for human beings.

And still:

We use 98 tons of various other resources to make 1 ton of paper. Yes, you read that correctly.
The Fresh Kill landfill on Staten Island is said to have a volume comparable to that of The Great Wall of China and is taller than the Statue of Libery.
In trying to reduce our reliance on petrochemicals for fuel, we have destroyed the environment in other ways. Now, tropical rainforest are being cut down in order to creat farmland to grow those very biofuels. You're kidding me right? Sadly, no.
In the US, we spend more than 20 billion dollars on our lawns. Get this: with power motors "so inefficient they 800 millions of gasoline a year."
This is just a small sampling of the facts you will find in here. There are many, many others. You will never look at your cheeseburger in the same way. You will wonder at the true cost of that pair of shoes, or that watch, or this leather purse.

Because it's paid for all right. And not just with your money.

But Leonard isn't just doom and gloom. She actually gives you a list of ways you can help contribute to a better environment.

Reuse. Noting the effects of mineral extraction, the author has her fiancee buy her an antique ring instead of a new one. I really like that idea.
Don't buy teflon nonstick pans. (Did you know their fumes can kill your household birds? What are they doing to your kids?)
Reduce your waste. Buy reusable water bottles.
Compost. Your trash won't stink and your garden might look a little nicer.
Get a clothesline. I have such fond memories of helping my grandmother take down the laundry off the line. I'd love to do that with my girls.
Avoid PVC. period.
And for those of you that would like to take it a bit futher, write a letter. To companies, congressmen, your local politicians. Remember they work for you. Leonard even provides a sample letter to PVC retailers, manufacturers, and lobbyists.

We're all together on this rock hurtling through space. Let's take care of our home.

Start with a little. Make a resolution to change one thing. Then add another.

If we all do this, we can start a chain reaction. It's better than sticking our heads in the sand hoping a miracle will save us.

Oh yeah, and stop by The Story of Stuff Project to learn more about ways you can help, check out the author's book tour, and scour through other available resources.

Don't forget to watch the video, either!

*I received this book free of charge from the publisher in exchange for my review. This no way affects my opinion. show less