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A review by shrutialavala
The Story of Stuff: How Our Obsession with Stuff is Trashing the Planet, Our Communities, and Our Health-and a Vision for Change by Annie Leonard
4.0
A mix of info I already knew about climate change as well as a whole lot of new information. Was especially taken and impressed with Leonard articulating how late stage capitalism and corporate greed is the main culprit right from the get go. Wish I had read this in ebook format rather than audiobook so I could've highlighted.
The chapter where she discusses the amount of energy, labor, time, materials, processes, etc to make something as simple as a cotton t-shirt really put things into perspective for me. The actual cost of even that household item should be much higher if things like environmental impact and fair wages were taken into consideration. The deep dive into the aluminum used in things like soda cans also surprised me, had not idea how energy inefficient and toxic the production process was.
Overall, Leonard balances placing the blame on corporations but also providing avenues for individuals to put pressure on these companies. She also encourages us all to opt out of overconsumption and critically think about the "stuff" we use/need in our lives.
P.S. I have to be honest, I haven't read the last 45 min of the book because it automatically returned to the library BUT it was only the epilogue left so I'm counting the book.
The chapter where she discusses the amount of energy, labor, time, materials, processes, etc to make something as simple as a cotton t-shirt really put things into perspective for me. The actual cost of even that household item should be much higher if things like environmental impact and fair wages were taken into consideration. The deep dive into the aluminum used in things like soda cans also surprised me, had not idea how energy inefficient and toxic the production process was.
Overall, Leonard balances placing the blame on corporations but also providing avenues for individuals to put pressure on these companies. She also encourages us all to opt out of overconsumption and critically think about the "stuff" we use/need in our lives.
P.S. I have to be honest, I haven't read the last 45 min of the book because it automatically returned to the library BUT it was only the epilogue left so I'm counting the book.