PART 1: Knowledge is Power

Let me start off by saying that I recently watched the trailer for
The Story of Stuff with Annie Leonard. If you haven't seen it yet, please click and watch before reading on. Now I can't help but look around my house and see the blood, sweat and tears of the overworked, underpaid (if paid at all) workers who slaved to make these poorly crafted items for pennies, the chemicals put out by the machines that made them and the greedy corporations sitting back and getting rich off of it all.

Of course, this information isn't coming out of the clear blue sky or anything. In this country we are getting completely use to seeing "Made In China" on everything we buy. But when did we learn to accept it without question? How can the most powerful country on earth thrive when the vast majority of the things in the typical American home are made in the third world. How are we allowing this to happen? We keep consuming more and more and more and WHY???

I wish I could say I was above it but alas, I am not. I'll admit it, I like to shop. No, I wouldn't consider it one of my favorite activities and I wouldn't refer to myself as a "shop-a-holic" or anything along those lines but do I spend money that I don't need to? Yes. Do I buy things that are made in other countries, probably under horrible work conditions? Sadly, I must say yes to that as well. How then do I remove myself from this vicious cycle without doing something TOO drastic? Don't get me wrong, I admire those who can just give up civilization and live a completely natural lifestyle with no ecological footprint but I don't think I'm ready to give up on society just yet. What to do, what to do?