The Story of Stuff

I know that I've posted about this before but I like this so much that I want to post about it again. Plus, our library bought the DVD so now anyone who was having trouble viewing it on their computer can order it from the library. We watched it again last week and I really feel as though keeping this information top of mind is very important for my boys. In our society it is all too easy to get caught up in the consumer society mentality and I want to make sure my kids are very aware of the consequences of our actions. I think this is really important information for all of us to hear and see but more importantly, to really get.

The Story of Stuff is just so well done that I can't help but want to tell everyone about it. It covers such an important topic but in a fun and interesting way. It is done in a way that makes it easy for even very young children to watch and understand but it is not dumbed down. In fact, I think there is enough interesting information on it that even people who consider themselves quite "green" will still learn some new things. For example, did you know that out of the total material flow through the production system that only 1 % is "still in product or use 6 months after their sale in North America"? One percent. That surprised me. That means 99% is where? Trashed! How scary is that?

I like for my kids to see shows like this because it doesn't necessarily have to be a hugely depressing thing. It can be an empowering thing. We can talk about our part in all of this and what we can do to make things better. I always think that awareness is the key to change, this show is very straight-forward and the host is very matter-of-fact. It is well worth watching.