Over Abundance and Waste

Over Abundance Imagine saving everything; from pieces of string, tin foil, and old clothing. Fifty years ago not much was being thrown away. In addition, almost everything had a considerably longer life span. According to Joshua Becker he states from his blog “from the moment we are born, we are told to pursue more”. Today, our lives are inundated with advertisements on television, radio, newspaper, magazine, billboard, and websites that encourage us that more is better. As a result, we toil for long hours so that we can buy the biggest homes and fanciest cars, wear the trendiest fashions, and use the coolest technologies. What led us to this place of having and wanting so much stuff; stuff that we literally do not know what to do with or where to put when we are done with it? What we buy, what we use, what we keep and throw away make up the fabric of our daily lives. A sea of stuff flows in and out with such speed we hardly realize the global impact attached to each and every item we buy. “The process of becoming obsolete; falling into disuse or becoming out of date is also called obsolescence.” (Rogers) Compared to fifty years ago our society is better known as a throwaway society; in essence we are never satisfied with what we have and always want more. Craving the latest trends and newest gadgets coming out every season, many people tend to just toss out the old items and purchase new. Common examples of this reckless and selfish behavior include: electronic devices (cell phones, I Pods and computers), clothing (newest fashion trends) and small appliances. In our collective society many people want more of what is new rather than repairing the item. The current generation of people (Generation Y) is described by the www.freedictionary.com as “members of the generation of people born since the early 1980s that are seen as being discerning consumers with a high disposable income has more time and money than any other.” A combination of new technology and