Occupy Wall Street Signs, Part 2
Here are more cool signs we’ve been finding from Occupy Wall Street (some of these are a little lighthearted, too): “Democracy, Not Corporatocracy”: It’s all about the people with the Occupy Wall Street movement, and the people don’t feel like their vote matters anymore when corporations have the money to lobby politicians. The frustration is that corporate personhood has given the big boys more of a vote than the average American. [...]
Adbusters, Originators of Occupy Wall Street
A lot of people have wondered how Occupy Wall Street started. To most of us it seems like it’s just a spontaneous movement – when in fact it’s been in the works since early summer. But who planned this whole thing? An anti-consumerism Canadian magazine called Adbusters has been the driving force behind the movement, but who are they and how did they get this whole thing going? A Brief Occupy Wall Street [...]
Saying A Lot With A Little: Occupy Wall Street Signs, Part 1
The Occupy Wall Street movement is still going strong all over the country, and people are showing their solidarity and distilling the complex ideas about why they’re protesting with pithy and creative signs. Some of them have been jokey (“I didn’t realize I’d be holding this sign all day”) to more serious (and some would say disturbing) signs that I won’t cover here. But here are some solid signs that the Occupy Wall [...]
Occupy Consumerism vs. Greed
“Greed is good for producing powerful economic results!” So they used to proclaim, and indeed greed has succeeded spectacularly. In fact it has: launched the most energetic financial collapse since the Great Depression. greased America’s most massive ever transfer of wealth from the middle class to the top 1%. debased our culture of innovative self-sufficiency to one of addictive consumerism. No wonder this breed of greed has attracted the lion’s share of Occupy [...]
The Postconsumers Thanksgiving Resource Center
November is upon us! While the weather is getting colder, we’re planning on spending more time with friends and family for the Thanksgiving holiday, so it’s essential not to lose focus. If you’re starting to consume less to live more, this time of year can be stressful. But it doesn’t have to be! Here at Postconsumers, we’re all about helping you reduce stress, practice mindful consumption, and live more joyfully. Here are some [...]
How Early Is Too Early to Market Holidays?
This past weekend, a friend of mine was telling me about how she’s already started buying Christmas presents for her family, and I looked at her like, “Seriously?” She explained that she has a lot of family to shop for and I just thought, “Man, Christmas just seems to creep up earlier and earlier every single year.” I’m already reading online tidbits about Christmas decorations going up at Target – in the middle [...]
How Long Does It Take a Plastic Bottle to Biodegrade?
Plastic bottles are everywhere: from water bottles, to soda bottles, and even to reusable bottles, every year there are more and more of them filling up the landfills. We know that they’re not immediately biodegradable, but how long does it take for a plastic bottle to really biodegrade? Different kinds of plastic can degrade at different times, but the average time for a plastic bottle to completely degrade is at least 450 years. [...]
Three Tips for Whittling Down Your Monthly Spend
A monthly budget is sometimes a roller coaster: one month you’re cruising along and you hit your goal, and another month, despite your best efforts, you drop off into the red, not knowing what exactly happened. So what can you do that’s consistent that will help keep your monthly spend down? Here are some tips. Reduce Utility Bills If you live in a climate with distinct seasonal changes, trying to save on [...]
Three Tips for Eco Friendly Halloween Costumes
Halloween is right around the corner (!), which means it’s time to start thinking about costume options for yourself or your kids. Not only can buying new costumes be expensive, they’re also made of plastics chock full of dangerous chemicals. Face paint isn’t always great for the environment, either. So what can you do to keep this Halloween’s costumes more eco-friendly? Need Inspiration? Check the Thrift Store If you’re finding yourself at [...]
Next Step: Occupy Consumerism
As a postconsumer I see the Occupy Wall Street movement in a broader context than just huge sit-ins at strongholds of obscene wealth. These sites certainly merit being targeted, yet they are merely symptoms of the greater malaise that Postconsumers was launched to address: the 24/7 consumerist culture that utterly dominates our society and its values. The real citadels that need occupying are not just physical ones but mental: the whole edifice of [...]
