Ramblings on consumerism in a post-industrialist society...

I'd like to share an interesting post about the recent ad Patagonia put out on "Black Friday" pictured below.  Are they authentic?  Is this just marketing hype?  A case of being "less bad" but not really "good"?  Who knows... but either way, I think it's a step in hopeful direction.

Read the post here

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On another note... the recent news reports of people being stabbed and pepper sprayed on Black Friday has got me thinking a bunch about shopping, scarcity, and time.  If anything, it definitely gets me thinking that a life of voluntary simplicity is much much more appealing and not so crazy.

For more info on that see Black Friday 2011: How did the bargain day become so violent?

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Are you like me and get bogged down and really emotional over all the negative things that go in the world?  would you like some inspiration a midst all the news reports of how horrible humans are?  If so, I'd like to share a book I read a few years back that really blew my mind.

Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things

"In Cradle to Cradle, McDonough and Braungart argue that the conflict between industry and the environment is not an indictment of commerce but an outgrowth of purely opportunistic design. The design of products and manufacturing systems growing out of the Industrial Revolution reflected the spirit of the day-and yielded a host of unintended yet tragic consequences.

Today, with our growing knowledge of the living earth, design can reflect a new spirit. In fact, the authors write, when designers employ the intelligence of natural systems—the effectiveness of nutrient cycling, the abundance of the sun's energy—they can create products, industrial systems, buildings, even regional plans that allow nature and commerce to fruitfully co-exist"

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Clearly living with the consequences of the Industrial Revolution is not really working for us or our planet.  I think one of our best attributes as a species is our ingenuity and creativity.  McDonough and Braungart are definitely ahead of the curve with their innovative design process.   I'm always super excited to hear about folks who look beyond that with practical solutions towards what's next..

Cradle To Cradle Design Framework