The Story of Stuff
Introduction
The movie of ‘The Story of Stuff’ (Leonard, A. 2007) is talking
about a system called materials of economy and how it works. It passes through
five steps such as extraction, production, distribution, consumption and
disposal. It’s organized to control the products without affecting the
environment. It turns at the end this system is not working in proper way.
Extraction
Basically, extraction is the first part of materials process by taking
natural resources from the planet like woods, minerals, coal, fossil fuel and
others. The problem is the world is consuming much of valuable resources
without sharing it equally which damaging the environment and making the system
unbalanced. The system is actually running by a powerful people who have wealth
enough to control other lands and take out all their resources. Unfortunately,
poor countries that are rich with natural resources are destroyed by these
people.
Production
The next step of materials economy’s process is taking raw
materials to manufacture several types of products. It can be food, clothes,
plastics, cars and other items. However, manufacturing products definitely
needs much energy which makes the products contaminated with toxic chemicals.
BFR’s is added also with the products which is a super toxic for human body.
Considering how much products are manufactured to release a lot of toxic
chemicals and pollutants to the environment.
Distribution
The third step of this process is distribution. It’s one of the
main elements of marketing items inside the country and abroad. In addition of
that it will keep the service available for consumption. The author explains
that “The distribution marketing's primarily role is to provide a link between
production and consumption of a given good or service…” (Peterson, M. E. 2009). The price of
radio 4.99$ is not the exact cost to purchase it, but it has already been paid
by people who extract the natural resource and the companies who manufacture
products.
Consumption
Step number four is the heart of the materials process which is
called consumption. It will keep the system none stopping of production by
making people to consume. The issue that Annie Leonard mentioned in her project
is people are consuming many things and waste it in a short period. That’s
because after 9/11 tragedy the president Of United States give an announcement
to the people to shop instead of pray. By this speech the people wildly spent
their money on shopping. In addition of that, media can play an important thing
to help the system to flow by showing 3000 advertisements about products per a
day. It will control the mind of the costumer to purchase more products while
he still owns the old one in good condition.
Disposal
By having much unusable items inside the
house most of them will go to the garbage. So the final step of this process is
disposal. The function of the last step is to get rid of used products by using
incinerators, burry it underground or dropping it in sea water. While disposing
this stuff causing a negative impact to the environment leaving polluted air,
unfertilized soil and contaminated water. The author said in his article “Improper garbage
disposal isn't just an eyesore; it poses a serious threat to nature…” (Boehlke, J. 2010).
Consumerism in UAE
There is high rate of consumerism
in UAE caused unbalance system to individuals and societies. Because of economic prosperity and high level in capita
income, people spending much money on new products without any control (Vadayar, M. 2012). Advertisements always dominate the
consuming behavior of a costumer. Government is trying to control the advertisements
to keep the level of consuming and wasting products as low as much possible.
Commercials about awareness can help also the viewers to decrease their
consuming.
Conclusion
In the end, The Story of Stuff
explains to us how the process working improperly which it has negative effects
on the environment. It’s because the people are inattention of this system and
what the consequences could be if the consumerism reaches over limit.
Government should put a control on extracting natural resources to avoid
damaging the environment. Recycling can be a good solution to reuse the wasted
products.
Word count: 693
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Retrieved May 23, 2013, from
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