Danielle Hickey Emerald
Student Adam Hinkley, left, purchases some items from the University Bookstore on Sunday from cashier Luke Langstraat.
Teach-in to show students
effects of overconsumption
In the week of Buy Nothing
Day, teach-in will question
buying habits to reduce
student overconsumption
Jody Burruss
Environment/Science/Technology Reporter
The average American generates
about 4.6 pounds of waste every day.
In 2001, the United States alone gen
erated 409 million tons of waste.
Raising students’ awareness
about the waste they generate —
where it came from and where it
will go when they are done with it,
is one of the goals of ASUO’s Buy
Nothing Day teach-in, which will
be held from 7 p.m. until 9 p.m. to
day in the EMU Fir Room.
The teach-in is an attempt to
show, rather than tell, students why
they should participate in Buy Noth
ing Day, ASUO Environmental Coor
dinator Vivian Vassall said. Organiz
ers will use graphics, pictures,
"Overconsumption is
the root of many
environmental
problems"
Vivian Vassall
ASUO environmental
coordinator
statistics and other visual aids. In ad
dition to a variety of speakers, the
event will have a slide show, live mu
sic and refreshments.
Buy Nothing Day is symbolic of
the lifestyle changes that need to be
made in order to protect natural re
sources and curb overconsumption,
Vassall said.
“Overconsumption is the root of
many environmental problems,” she
said. “This event is a good opportu
nity to find out how we can work to
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ward solving this problem.”
Vassall said young adults and
teens usually shop more than other
age groups, and the hope is that be
fore students go shopping, they will
ask themselves if they really need
what they are going to buy. Also, stu
dents should think about how items
are produced and packaged, where
that packaging will go and the effects
the item is going to have on society
and the environment.
“We should be dramatically reduc
ing our consumerism,” community
activist Robert Bolman said.
Bolman, who will speak at the
teach-in, said it is also important to
look at how wealth and overcon
sumption is causing disparity
around the globe. According to the
United Nations Development Pro
gramme, 86 percent of personal con
sumption is made by 20 percent of
the world’s population.
“If we continue living (this)
lifestyle, I feel we’re doing ourselves
a disservice,” Bolman said.
Vassall said other discussion will
focus on ways to consume less dur
ing the holidays by making gifts, and
how to repair old items rather than
purchase new ones.
University alumnus Justin Lind
said he thinks Buy Nothing Day could
hurt the economy if enough people
don’t shop on what is usually the
busiest shopping day of the year. Lind
said he understands the idea behind
the day, but he thinks people buying
less is going to hurt local businesses.
“For the people that live here, it
seems backward to boycott the econ
omy locally when it’s capitalism they
have a problem with,” Lind said.
Treefrog, who uses only one name
and works for Morning Glory Cafe
and Out of the Fog, said both busi
nesses will remain open for Buy
Nothing Day from noon until 6 p.m.,
but they will not sell anything. In
stead, students and community
members are welcome to come lis
ten to live music and hear speakers
addressing topics ranging from or
ganic growing to alternative building.
“We want to see a different fu
ture,” Treefrog said, “and call into
question this consumer culture.”
Contact the reporter
atjodyburruss@dailyemerald.com.
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