Erstellt am: 29. 11. 2013 - 18:30 Uhr

Shop 'Til You Drop

A Reality Check Saturday Special: Buy Nothing Day highlights the perils of over-consumption and ideas on how to purchase only what you need but still get everything you want.

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Buy Nothing Day

You know that TV (and actually also online) commercial for an online shoe shop where ladies in an office receive their shoe orders and they run screaming with their arms raised above their heads towards the postguy who is delivering the boxes of shoes?
To me, that commercial is indicative of a lot of what's wrong in our society. Females going nuts over new shoes? Sexist and stupid.
It is okay to go nuts about the consumption of a product that is most likely not really necessary to own? Seemingly trivial but ultimately self-destructive on many levels.

APA

Today is what is called called "Black Friday" in the United States (although Black Friday is happening in Canada, Ireland, Holland too). It happens the day after American Thanksgiving and it's when there are big sales in big shops and masses of people trample each other for cheap goods mere hours after being thankful for what they already have.
It is also "Buy Nothing Day".

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Hardcore Christmas shopping on Vienna's Mariahilferstrasse.

Recognized in over 65 countries, including Austria, it was founded by Vancouver artist Ted Dave. It was meant to make people have a good long think about how over-consumption is affecting society and the environment.
Online, offline, people are filling their shopping carts to such an extent that 20% of the world’s population is consuming over 80% of the earth's natural resources, causing a disproportionate level of environmental damage, and an unfair distribution of wealth.

“Buy Nothing Day” challenges First World shoppers to give it a rest. Philipp Glöckler and Bea Johnson are not just super-committed to stop over-consumption, they, along with "Buy Nothing Day" pioneer Kalle Lasn, are my guests on this Saturday Reality Check Special: