Story of Stuff

Annie Leonard, spokesperson for the Tides Foundation & the Funders Workgroup for Sustainable Production and Consumption, has a story to tell us. It’s not a new story exactly, but rather a synthesis of several stories that you may have heard before. Here’s a hint: There are high costs associated with the “$4.99 radio” that you just bought Cousin Eddie for Christmas. The Story of Stuff “exposes the connections between a huge number of environmental and social issues, and calls us together to create a more sustainable and just world.” It’s a gripping tale of the possibility of good triumphing over evil. It has all the elements that traditional Christmas stories have: a sympathetic protagonist (you!), a gripping storyline (the possible extinction of the human race through planned obsolescence and mass global consumerism), a perky narrator (Leonard) and a bad guy (You? Wait. No. The government? Or is it … the corporations?). So, what’s so cool about a Web site that explains why shopping is the root of all evil? We like to shop. A LOT. And, we really don’t want anyone to tell us not to. Plus the site’s video has a happy ending. And a cartoon. And explosions.