La Historia de las Cosas

On the video is true that people are obsessed with consumerism and, indeed, when it comes to new technologies. The things we buy and then throw go through different phases: extraction, production, distribution, consumption and disposal. This is called economy of materials. However, this economic system is in crisis because it is a linear system and because we live on a finite planet.


In real life this system interacts with society, cultural, economic, and is critical to the environment.
Throughout the system is significant to consider the people who work in the system, which are otherwise of great importance, as the government and corporations.
We also have to take into account each stage of the materials economy, there are significant drawbacks:



1-As for the extraction -> trees are cut down, all the water is used, eliminating animal and plant species ... in other words, resources are consumed (one third of the planet's resources have already been consumed ).


2-In terms of production -> energy is used to combine chemicals with natural resources to make toxic products such as brominated flame retardants (BFR), which hold the fire and put in computers, appliances ...


Unfortunately, the toxins are stored in our food chain and our bodies together, an example is breast milk, which has one of the highest levels of many pollutants. Certainly, people who have more risk to these toxins are the factory workers.



3-In terms of distribution -> at this stage is trying to sell all the junk toxic pollutant as soon as possible. The way to do this is that prices remain low, thus people buy and inventory moves. Prices are still low because workers have low wages, even more, playing with their own health insurance (through reducing production costs).


4-As consumerism -> consumption is the key to this system. 99% of the things we collect, extract, we produce, transport, waste are within 6 months.


Some countries like USA confirmed that improving the economy is vital in consumer spend, rather than education, health, safe transport, justice ... and for this, suggest two methods:
a) Obsolescence planned, ie designed to be disposable things as quickly as possible.
b) Perceived Obsolescence, ie induce people to throw away things that are still useful, and enhance the appearance of making things more modern

In all the above, advertising has a very important role. Nevertheless, the happiness of the people is declining because, even if you have more, you have less time for what really makes a person happy: family, friends ... and the little leisure time, is used to watch TV and go shopping.

As for the 5-discard -> create 2 kg of waste per day. What is done with the trash is burned (releasing toxins into the air) and throw it to a landfill, polluting the water, soil, air ...


Recycling helps, but not enough because, firstly, they throw garbage into rivers, mountains ... and on the other, all waste can not be recycled, by bringing many pollutants or because they simply can not be recycled.


Fortunately, we have many people that protect the environment, we defend really conservation and equality, clean chemistry, zero waste, closed production, renewable energy ...