Thursday 9 August 2012

Is it just me?

Apparently today is five years since the first day of the global economic crisis.   So, this morning the UK radio, newspapers and internet are all full of stories about the need to increase household consumption in order to spend, spend, spend our way out of the ongoing lack of growth in our economy.  We simply aren't taking out enough loans, borrowing enough on credit cards or whittling through our savings quickly enough to buy all that junk that we just don't need.  Come on people, get the plastic out; your country needs you!

Well, how very unpatriotic of me, what with my de-spending drive.  Here's the thing that bugs me about all of this, we live in a planet with finite resources and we are already using way to much of them, threatening our very existence in the process.  The short-sightedness of asking people to go out and consume more is just plain dum.  It is just the same as saying "hey guys, we need to create more landfill, waste and pollution in order to consume our way out of this economic mess".  If we keep going like this, in a hundred years from now, the economy will be in an even worse state, as we try and deal with the mess and pollution that is left behind. 

In my more extreme moments I do feel like yelling out, "Stop buying all that crap!" to shoppers as I pass Primark, Tourist Tat shops or the 'Seasonal Goods' aisle of the supermarket.  "You don't need it and it won't make you happy". 

Personally I feel so much better now that I am not spending all our income on nick-knacks for the house, new clothes or make-up.  In fact I couldn't imagine a more boring day out, than traipsing around the shops getting undressed, dressed, then undressed and dressed again, in various small compartments with torturous mirrors, while trying to find new clothes.  Oh my god, how frigging dull!!!

By all means, if you have the money to splash about, then do so.  Have a nice coffee and cake at the local cafe, buy a book, spend a few quid in your area's charity shops and what have you.  But just don't buy a load of unnecessary rubbish with your cash.  Because most of it will end up here:
 
 
 
 
Or here, dumped in the environment:


Maybe the news coverage of the economic crisis should link back to the ongoing environmental crisis a bit more and suggest people spend any extra money they have on things which are useful, like, I don't know a bicycle, or if you're feeling really flush, maybe invest in green energy or something...

Meanwhile, I will continue to telepathically scream at idiots buying fridge magnets and tartan teddy bears...





2 comments:

  1. I agree entirely, consumerism is a disease that is helping to destroy the environment

    ReplyDelete