SB+Lab+4

__Task:__ Write three paragraphs on how Annie Leonard defines the system of the 'materials economy' and describe its interactions.

//"The materials economy is a linear system of extraction-production-distribution-consumption -disposal upon a finite planet."//

Whats wrong with this statement? What is wrong is that a linear system can //not// run on a finite planet. This materials economy, constructed by Victor Lebeau after World War two, is a system in crises. What Lebeau had in mind was to push people to shop in order generate profit and boost the economy. In this way, people become a valuable resource in increasing the economic flow. This became the ultimate purpose for the American government to keep right rather then health care or education. Two systems that were set up to keep the linear system afloat were: planned obsolescence and perceived obsolescence. //Planned obsolescence// is where companies make stuff seem useless after a few months, this forces people to buy new items (of the same thing) redundantly. Leonard furthers this by saying how after six months we only keep 1% of stuff that we bought recently. //Perceived obsolescence// is where the media and corporations make people feel they are wrong if they don't buy the 'new' item of the day. This is done by corporations changing the way stuff looks in order to highlight on emotional desires so they may create consumer spending (for example Apple constantly changing the look and feel of the ipod). Through these overwhelming pressures to be "right" creates a burdon on our resources and production value.

Extraction is where resources are extracted in order to make products. This is where we run up against our first limit, one third of the planets resources have been used up and 80% of the planets orginal forests are gone. America alone has less then four percent of its original forest with 40% of its water being undrinkable. Worst of all, American uses 30% of the world's resources and creates 30% of world's waste even though they have 3% of the world's population. This pushes them (America) to extract materials off of other countries, namely the third world.The third world becomes exploited and the inhabitants get pushed to serve the corporations due to their homes being ‘burned up’. The inhabitants move to urban areas so they may generate profit and create value for the linear economic model. For in this system, if you do not shop then you are not valuable (as stated above). This leads to production, where natural resources move into factories and become toxic contaminated products. There are over 100,000 synthetic chemicals in use and man-made toxics in the air (like dioxin) due to these factories. The workers of such establishments get exposed to harsh health conditions but have no choice but to work there, especially since their homes are destroyed by extraction. This system not only wastes resources, but also people. Leonard states how now even the smallest being becomes exposed to toxics due to breast milk. Mothers not only wear or breathe toxics, but eat them as well. This mixes in with the milk that a mother produces and a child drinks. People become wasted, once again.

Distribution is the third process of the linear model. It is where products are marked low so they may be bought faster. However, these products do not carry the costs that are incurred to it being made. Leonard exemplifies this when she talks about a radio that was for $4.99 at Radio Shack. That radio’s materials were extracted from various areas of the world and may have been put together by a child- who can not afford his education ‘cause he must work in order to survive. In essence, companies externalize costs. This means that companies do not put in the real cost of having the product made. We as consumers do not pay for what we buy, but others pay for it through lose of their natural resources, clean air, health benefits, and education. The media and companies simply hide all these factors so all we see is the product, price and the need to consume it (the golden arrow).

Consumption is where we as humans over consume more then our share which leads to higher disposals. We dispose of stuff that we believe to be useless due to perceived and planned obsolescence. In short this linear system of where we extract, produce, distribute, consume and dispose of the stuff needlessly becomes a system of crisis due to its overload of stuff.

media type="youtube" key="8YioR2ULrrQ" height="344" width="425"