TopLinks: Consumerism

Adbusters.Org
http://www.adbusters.org/
Adbusters is an organization that works to promote an anti-consumerist vision, by pointing out (mainly through spoof ads) the marketing techniques and slippery tactics of corporate images, advertisements, and promotional opportunities, a movement called culture jamming. They are also heavily involved in National Buy Nothing Day. If nothing else, the ads themselves are quite amusing to see.

All My Life For Sale
http://www.allmylifeforsale.com/
John Freyer catalogued everything he owned and sold it all on eBay, creating a virtual community of people connected by his former possessions. His online project All My Life For Sale examines “our relationship to the objects around us, their role in the concept of identity, as well as the emerging commercial systems of the Internet.” View what sold, what is selling, and people's feedback.

Center for Consumer Freedom
http://www.consumerfreedom.com
The nonprofit Center for Consumer Freedom promotes personal responsibility and the protection of consumer choices. This well-organized site offers news updates and an archive of articles, ad campaigns, and opinion pieces related to food choices, the obesity debate, and animal rights issues.

Freegan.info
http://freegan.info/
The Freegan.info Web site explains the freegan lifestyle of "limited participation in the conventional economy and minimal consumption of resources." The site offers recommended dumpster diving locations and upcoming freegan events.

Never Enough: AntiConsumerism Campaign
http://www.enough.org.uk/
The Enough Web site examines consumerism, poverty, and the effects of mass production and waste on the planet. The site offers some information about the anticonsumerism campaign in England, statistics on inequality and standards of living around the world, and a list of resources for further information.

North American Sustainable Consumption Alliance
http://nasca.icspac.net
From their mission statement: "The North American Sustainable Consumption Alliance (NASCA) is a strategic partnership of people and organizations who are working to promote more sustainable consumption patterns in Mexico, Canada and the United States. We share the common goal of encouraging individuals, businesses, institutions and governments to reduce their impact on the environment and society by changing how they consume materials and resources."

PBS: The Rise of American Consumerism
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/tupperware/peopleevents/e_consumer.html
PBS’s American Experience chronicles the history and emergence of consumerism in American culture.

The Story of Stuff
http://www.storyofstuff.com/index.html
In this twenty minute presentation, environmentalist Annie Leonard explains our production and consumption patterns, and why our planet is in jeopardy. The site also provides links for further reading and proposals for alternative methods of consumption and disposal.