The film on story of stuff project by Annie Winnie Leonard is informative, educative, and relevant as it addresses a critical challenge facing the contemporary society. In the film, Annie articulates that global warming and climate change are major challenges facing the world, but they can be resolved by changing consumer behavior, implementing environmental conservation policies and use of renewable energies. It is obvious that the material economy system that is widely used in the world, has played a crucial role in changing consumer behavior, and escalates environmental challenges accruing from increased consumption, extraction, production, distribution, and disposal of effluents. Annie affirms that the system is in crisis because it encourages consumption and extraction of natural resources, but fails to advocate for effective consumption behavior.
In other words, companies do not mind about environmental problems associated with increased consumption rate and exploitation of natural resources because they aim at increasing their profits. This is evident in the society because companies use toxic materials, which have great impact on the environment and human healthy in the production process so that they lower their production cost at the expense of consumers healthy.
In the film, Annie affirm that material economy system has four main stages namely; extraction/trashing, production, distribution and externalizing. Each of these stages influence consumption and contribute in environmental degradation. Approximately, seventy-five percent of natural resources have been depleted through extraction and production process thus destabilizing balance in the ecosystem. Many animals and plant have become extinct because the environment has been polluted. Today, about two thirds of trees in the Amazon region are lost daily thus increasing greenhouse effect in the region, and impacts associated with deforestation and global warming are evident in the world. This is a reality that we cannot run away from it, but rather confront the problem.
As a result of high consumption rate coupled with climate change, about 40% of water in America in unhealthy for human and animal consumption because of pollution thus creating water shortage. Based on these assertions, I agree with Annie that the world has developed the culture of consumption, without focusing on responsible –consumption strategies. Again, it is the responsibility of the people to change their consumption behavior and conserve the environment.
Advertisement has played a pivotal role in changing consumer behavior.
Following the advancement in science and technology, producers across the globe have used advertisement as one of the effective marketing strategies, which aim at increasing sales volume and profit. Statistics affirm that more than three thousands advertisements are aired on media such as televisions, radios, and social networking sites daily in America. The advertisements are designed in such a way that they attract and lure consumers to purchase fashionable products available in the market. In order to achieve this goal, marketers use two advertisement strategies namely; product obscene lessons and human satisfaction construct. Product obscene lessons focus on changing the shape, form, texture, quality, and color of the existing product(s). This infers that the variance between the original and newly advertised product is based on physical aspects and not the function.
Products and services are supposed to satisfy human needs and enhance utility. However, human satisfaction has decreased in the recent past thus fuelling consumption. Nowadays, advertisements articulate that consumers should purchase new products so that to solve their healthy and social products; a move that increase consumption among the people. Based on this aspect, consumers will purchase the new product because they believe that it will resolve their problems and enhance satisfaction.
The government and the people should advocate for the use of environmental responsible-consumption approaches, so that to resolve environmental challenges. In order to achieve this goal, manufacturers and producers should recycle waste materials and use them in making other usable products. This move will conserve the environment and promote sustainable economic development. Producers should manufacturer and design quality and durable products so that we can reduce depletion of natural materials. Today, producers and manufacturers are making substandard goods so that consumer can continue purchasing more. For instance, one may purchase a pair of shoe today, but the shoe will not stay more than three months. This will compel the consumer to purchase another pair thus fuelling consumption culture.
The term “shopping” has evolved and formed part of human culture. More often, men and women go shopping almost daily so that to satisfy their human needs. Although this is the case, people have different preferences and purchasing behavior, and I can stay one week without buying a new product, but not a month. Nowadays, one cannot stay for a long period without purchasing a new product because technology and fashion is changing faster and one need to cope with this dynamism. Failure to cope with shopping culture will render one unfashionable and out of the context.
Most people do not like purchasing and using secondhand items, as they are considered substandard and unfashionable. However, using secondhand items is one of the environmental responsible-consumption approaches because it conserves natural resources, curb global warming and climate change and promote sustainable economic development. Therefore, people should embrace the use of secondhand items as a way of addressing environmental challenges facing the world.
Work cited
Story of stuff project. Dir. Annie Winnie leonard. Perf. Annie Winnie Leonard. org.movies, 2013. DVD. <http://www.storyofstuff.org/movies-all/story-of-stuff/>.
