Assignment #2 (Story of Stuff )
Introduction
People nowadays, most of them are
envious of each other. The material economy of people is just buying and
throwing away stuff. The life has changed with technology and in short time we
see new stuff in the market. The material economy has five elements, from
extraction to production to distribution to consumption to disposal. The system
of this world is the same and most of the crises are the same. The government
is the most controller of whole this story. They control companies who control
the system that changes the world to be better or worse for the people and
their life.
Extraction
Natural resources exploitation has
wasted the plant by people who think about money more than preserving natural
resources. In the short animation film “The Story of Stuff” Annie Leonard said,
“One-third of the plant natural resources base has been consumed” (Story of
Stuff, 2007). Many people are cutting, mining, hauling and trashing the natural
resources. Even the water, 40 % of it has become undrinkable. Also, the air
that we breathe is polluted air and the Amazon alone has affected by losing
2000 trees a minute. The people who used to live in forest or desert have no choice
accept moving to cities because their places were taken and been wastefulness.
Production
Toxic chemical have been used in 90%
of the production and that affects the natural resources by mixing them
together. Corporations are using over 100,000 synthetic
chemicals to increase the production and none of these have even tested for
unhealthy impacts. Production creates waste and unhealthy chemicals and this
must be stopped to protect our world.
Distribution
People
never think what Annie Leonard thinks of. The majority of corporations are
selling all the toxic contaminated stuff as fast as possible. They just care
about getting as much money as they can by keeping the people buying the cheap
stuff which can be used for several times. Also, they pay the workers very low
and doesn’t care to them of deprive workers of the health insurance. If we think
about it, we are affecting our health and the natural resources against money
while they get the benefit of doing that. They own the company and externalize
the true costs of their production, while we still consume and shop even if we
don’t need to but we are all used to shopping. As Annie Leonard says in the
Story of Stuff, “Our primary identity has become that of being consumers – not
mothers, teachers, or farmers, but of consumers. We shop and shop and shop.”( Story
of Stuff, 2007)
Consumption
Consumption by people has been
extended between our communities and has been the top priority. Most of the
communities are demonstrating between each other. Shopping is the first
consumption element that we do. The reason that the traders are making very bad
quality, for several times using and drop it in trash to ramp up the economy.
Annie Leonard divided the effective strategies in to planned obsolescence and
perceived obsolescence, (Story of Stuff, 2007). Planned obsolescence means
designed for the dump and making useless stuff. For example, plastic bags,
coffee cups and sometimes big stuff like computers and barbeques. Perceived
obsolescence is making a new stuff with new shape and let people buy while they
still use stuff that works perfectly.
Disposal
Garbage has been a big problem to
discuss because it affects on our natural resources. People are throwing
garbage in a landfill by digging a big hole in the ground. Also, it could be
burned in an incinerator while that affects and pollutes the natural resources
like air, land water, and it could change the climate. On the other hand, an
incinerator has the highest affect because of dioxin.
Consumerism
in UAE.
UAE population is around 7 million
while each house is using more than 3 cars and that causes effects and damages the
environment. UAE has the highest energy consumption per capita in the world. Also,
the 2nd highest carbon emission per capita in the world and it’s the 3rd
highest water consumption per capita in world. On the other hand, Masdar is one
Mubadalla Company; they are arranging to reduce the CO2 uses in UAE by using
natural energy. Masdar has started their project to work hard and save the
environment by their amazing projects. For example, they has built solar energy
farm and made ideas to use the carbon as power and get benefit of it, instead
of leave it to pollute the environment. Also, Wind Energy Power is one of their
projects and that will help a lot to reduce consumerism by making people get
interested to use new thing in their life. Dr.
Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber said “The launch of
the International Water Summit in Abu Dhabi is a bold and clear signal that an
economy based on oil is placing water at the topmost of its agenda.” (International
Water Summit Launched in Abu, 2012)
Conclusion
Natural resources are the most
important elements in our life to keep our lives safe and clear of obstacles.
The government has the authority to make the life simple and safe for people
and they can make it hard and unclear for them. Toxin and garbage are put
people live in risk.
References
Abella, T.
(2012, March 28). Sustainability in the UAE. DIFC. Retrieved May 17,
2012, from
www.difc.ae/difc/sites/default/files/DIFC%20Sustainability%20in%20the%20UAE%20-%20GOUMBOOK.pdf
Gates, H. (2012,
March 5). Hauling 70 garbage cans to the street? . THI The
Herald-Independent. Retrieved May 15, 2012, from herald-independent.com/m/Articles.aspx?ArticleID=3514
International
Water Summit Launched in Abu Dhabi | Use Celsias.com - reduce global Celsius.
(2012, January 19). Use Celsias.com - reduce global Celsius. Retrieved May 17, 2012, from
http://www.celsias.com/article/international-water-summit-launched-abu-dhabi/
Vorano, N.
(2012, January 20). Road Test: Natural gas Volkswagen Passat not all hot air -
The National. Latest and breaking news | thenational.ae - The National.
Retrieved May 15, 2012, from
http://www.thenational.ae/lifestyle/motoring/road-test-natural-gas-volkswagen-passat-not-all-hot-air
Name: Yousif Alhammadi
ID: H00237273
Section: CIQ
Word Counts: 880
