At every turn, people feel compelled to buy stuff. We examine how consumerism took hold of us, the sorts of policies governments enact that encourage or discourage consumption, and what reasonable changes people can make to be kinder to the planet.
Key Topics

The growing list of Rs-Reduce, Reuse, Repair, Repurpose, Reinvent, Reimagine, Recycle

Living in a single-use, disposable consumer society that's encouraged to buy more stuff

The dual ecological nightmare of credit cards

Why people in developed countries need to cut back when most people in developing countries need to consume more

How the capitalist economic system sets us up to buy more stuff

That planned obsolescence (along with the functional and psychological versions) is not a 21st-century invention

How we can consume less and not feel horrifically unhappy


Recommended Resources


A Brief History of Consumer Culture outlines how we became consumers

Though a bit dated, Plastic: A Toxic Love Story remains a relevant and worthwhile read


Mr. Money Mustache and the FIRE movement

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