 |
| Most consumer products are crap we don’t need. |
You could call this blog a net zero blog, but not the net zero that most people are thinking about these days.
Our net zero is about reducing dependence on the system’s capitalist consumer crap complex to zero.
Why is this important? Because ninety percent of everything is crap. At least, that’s what science fiction writer, Theodore Sturgeon, opined in 1957.
His revelation has been dubbed “Sturgeon’s Law” ever since, even though this reality has probably been known since forever.
The way I see it, Sturgeon wasn’t being ambitious enough. Many would put the amount of crap at around 99%. On a good day.
Living a not buying anything life helps achieve a balance between the amount of this crap that flows into our lives and the amount removed, resulting in no net increase in crap levels.
Our net zero way of living typically involves eliminating purchases, and therefore potential crapification, as much as possible through measures like reducing, refusing, replacing, repairing, and rethinking.
It also means learning to do things yourself, while offsetting any remaining crap intrusions through actions like decluttering, downsizing, and other marvelous minimalist methods.
And it also means living according to the ''one thing in, one thing out’’ rule, which leaves the crap level neutral overall.
Consumer crap is harmful to children and other living things, and is more harmful to life as we know it than CO2. Actually, the consumption of consumer crap creates CO2 in large quantities, so when you reduce the crap you also reduce the CO2.
Considering this, you would think that governments would be promoting simplicity and minimalism, but I don’t see this happening.
How curious this callous crap conundrum.
I still think the best solution is to go net zero on the crap continuum, and simply not buy anything you don’t need.
What do you think? Are you part of our net zero crap community, or do you think you might like to join us?
We are a gentle, compassionate and kind group, and our goal is to make life great again for all the world's children, and all other living things. Not through the banks and elite controlled systems, but by individual personal changes, and community efforts from the ground up.
Let us know where you stand in a comment below.
I definitely do much better at not buying crap than the average American. I don't like a lot of stuff and I have no use for items that do not have a purpose. It it doesn't have a purpose or it something that I truly love, it goes.
ReplyDeleteThe less stuff/crap I have, the more comfortable I feel because I have an increased level of sweet, sweet time for other priorities.
Delete- Gregg
So many can't tell the difference between needs and wants.
ReplyDeleteThe trillion dollar advertising industry tells us that we need everything we want. And they train us what to want. One needs discipline and fortitude to resist.
Delete- Gregg
It seems to me that the real crisis facing the planet is not CO2, but overproduction and overconsumption. Very odd that the same people lecturing us about climate change are flying to expensive conferences in private jets. And don't even get me started on the amount of wasteful, unneccessary and unfit for purpose 'PPE' that the 'pandemic' generated. That made a ton of money for politicians over here in the UK and was subsequently dumped in areas of natural beauty. I'll believe that politicians and governments care about human and planet health when I see clear evidence of it in their behaviour.
ReplyDeleteClare, we completely agree with you as it is the same in N. America, as it is over the entire what we used to know as ''western civilization’’. The COVID Panic was added to the CO2 panic and both are diverting trillions of dollars from the bottom to the top… as if they need any more. Scam after scam after scam. I wonder what we will do about it all, and how that will all work out. We certainly live in interesting times. Take care out there - it is getting crazier all the time. They seem desperate.
Delete- Gregg
I love Carlin’s take on “stuff” — people buy more stuff to store their stuff….so much stuff!
ReplyDeleteCrap abounds, for sure. I love not buying it. I’ve always been drawn to spaces with less. While I do enjoy visiting friends’ homes who have neat book, ceramics, or plant collections, I like coming back to my more pared down home. It’s neat and calm, which makes me feel calm.
Just visiting a thrift store should put people off to buying crap. It’s kind of overwhelming!
Peace, Erin
We also prefer open, uncluttered spaces that foster calmness. The less stuff we have, the better we like it.
DeleteI wonder if thrift stores are still packed to the rafters and being extremely selective about what kind of crap they are willing to take. At one time they would take whatever you had to donate, but for a while there they where overwhelmed with a tidal wave of unwanted stuff, and were refusing to take a lot of it anymore.
Can’t even give it away these days.
- Gregg