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I don't plan on buying a darn thing on those two days... welcome to the Post, Kenley!

Kenley,

A well intentioned thought, but an absolutely meaningless gesture. Are you less of a consumer if you buy on the following Monday instead of Friday? I think not.

If your goal is to reduce consumption, then begin by reducing your own total consumption in all spheres of your life.

Fad events such as those you advocate may feel good and wipe away a little personal guilt but accomplish little. In the end you have nothing but smug, happy consumers who feel morally superior.

There must be a better way.

hjs

ps: This reminds me of people who want to fight Breast cancer by eating pink M&M's... Yes, lets trade cancer for obesity...

Dear friend,

Your point is well taken, and I suspect that you are correct for some people. Ultimately, I see the goal is to draw awareness to the issue of over-consumption and possibly reduce your spending power beyond this 24-hour period. It is the opportunity for thoughtfulness, dialogue, and potentially a change in habits that is important. The fact is per capita consumption in the U.S. has risen 45 per cent in the last 20 years, and that is an appalling fact.

I know you don’t know me (as I don’t know you), but your statement that I may not be "reducing [my] own total consumption in all spheres of [my] life" is a bit presumptuous, but perhaps you were speaking to the entire community and not just me? Nonetheless, I would enjoy sitting down and talking with you about my consumption patterns. One of my religious vows states "..we are committed to living simply and sharing our time, energy, and material resources with those in need. We will practice mindful consuming, not using alcohol, drugs, or any other products that bring toxins into our own and the collective body and consciousness." Of course, I continue to consume but at a significantly smaller rate than before.

Perhaps we need some alternatives to buying? Making gifts. Giving gifts of time. Regiving. Or, giving to a charity in someone else’s name. Some of the charities I am using this year include:

Nonviolent Peaceforce
Love and Understanding Project (Plum Village)
Ojai Valley Family Shelter
American Friends Service Committee
Seva Foundation
Mennonite Central Committee

Thank you for responding to the post.

I'm concerned about the local shopkeepers, who rely on those days for their livelihoods.

It seems to me that like a complete boycott of meat products in protest of factory farming, a complete boycott of all retail products likewise leaves the industry with no perceived alternatives. That is to say the fourth-generation turkey farmer isn't likely to start growing soybeans instead. But give her the message that there is good money in more humane treatment of animals, and you present a positive alternative rather than a referendum on her livelihood.

Likewise promoting sustainability-oriented products and gifts (such as sponsoring programs like heifer.org) on an ongoing basis (rather than once per year) can have a more profound impact, by voting with your dollar, than withholding your energy altogether as a symbolic act. People need positive alternatives and positive encouragement. Not slaps on the hand.

That said, I don't plan on going anywhere near a mall after Thanksgiving. But that's more about my dislike of crowds than goods. I hear Meiner's Oaks is sponsoring a kind of holiday walk on Saturday, with places like Coffee Connection and Farmer and The Cook opening their doors with a holiday theme to encourage local shopping. That sounds like the kind of thing I can get behind. Plus, I like what they do.

OK, I felt a need to tack on a p.s. to say welcome to the Post, Kenley. Glad you're here and hope to see more of this kind of thing from you. Hopefully you regard lively debate as a sign people are thinking and caring about these issues. Raising this point about consumerism gives me and others pause to think about how materialistic the holidays can easily become, and serves a great reminder that the best things in life aren't things.

Dear Robert (and others),

I welcome the comments that have been made thus far and enjoy a good debate. The points made are solid, though I may not agree. Thank you for the welcome!

In a recent email from Blackspot Sneakers, "Recycling, protecting our waterways, driving hybrid cars -- all the old environmental imperatives -- are great, but it's becoming obvious that they don't address the core problem: we have to change our lifestyles, we have to change our culture, and we have to consume smarter and consume less.

Cheers.

i'll gladly jump on the "Welcome, Kenley!" bandwagon!

for me personally, Kenley is a beautiful power for peace in our world, and i'm excited to share in his presence here on the Post. our community is rich indeed with amazing characters.

i dont know who "nice shoes" is for, but i'll take it, since i think i have some pretty nice ones.

the following is from Beyond War and Adbusters, and even though the sentiments have already been shared, i think this explains the point particularly well, as well as bringing in global warming:

THE ULTIMATE REFUND: On November 24th and 25th – the busiest days in the American retail calendar and the unofficial start of the international Christmas-shopping season – thousands of activists and concerned citizens in 65 countries will take a 24-hour consumer detox as part of the 14th annual Buy Nothing Day, a global phenomenon that originated in Vancouver, Canada.

From joining zombie marches through malls to organizing credit card cut-ups and shopoholic clinics, Buy Nothing Day activists aim to challenge themselves, their families and their friends to switch off from shopping and tune back into life for one day. Featured in recent years by the likes of CNN, Wired, the BBC, and the CBC, the global event is celebrated as a relaxed family holiday, as a non-commercial street party, or even as a politically charged public protest. Anyone can take part provided they spend a day without spending.

Reasons for participating in Buy Nothing Day are as varied as the people who choose to participate. Some see it as an escape from the marketing mind games and frantic consumer binge that has come to characterize the holiday season, and our culture in general. Others use it to expose the environmental and ethical consequences of overconsumption.

Two recent, high-profile disaster warnings outline the sudden urgency of our dilemma. First, in October, a global warming report by economist Sir Nicholas Stern predicted that climate change will lead to the most massive and widest-ranging market failure the world has ever seen. Soon after, a major study published in the journal Science forecast the near-total collapse of global fisheries within 40 years.

Kalle Lasn, co-founder of the Adbusters Media Foundation, which was responsible for turning Buy Nothing Day into an international annual event, said, “Our headlong plunge into ecological collapse requires a profound shift in the way we see things. Driving hybrid cars and limiting industrial emissions is great, but they are band-aid solutions if we don’t address the core problem: we have to consume less. This is the message of Buy Nothing Day.”

As Lasn suggests, Buy Nothing Day isn't just about changing your habits for one day. It’s about starting a lasting lifestyle commitment to consuming less and producing less waste. With six billion people on the planet, the onus if on the most affluent – the upper 20% that consumes 80% of the world’s resources – to begin setting the example.

respecting ourselves, Mother Earth, and all our relations ...

not an ego stroll ...

'tis the spirit of love of self.

in 1990 I withdrew from the corporate state, and reduced my (modest) material consumption by 90 percent, a factor of ten.

and am ten times the person as a result, with ten times the world friends and family.

bless thyself, and the world shall be blessed ....

Millennium

I think "Buy Small" would work better than "Buy Nothing." I try to practice this year round by walking, or riding a bicyle, eating whole and natural foods, wearing simple clothing, living in a small space, on a small income.

Politically, "small" is the cutting edge. One third of Ojaians recently voted, I believe, for the "small is beautiful" idea. The point of a knife is small but powerful. Small is an idea whose time has come. Ojai is in a good position since she is naturally small, with a tradition of "small town character."

There is a big difference between "small" and "nothing." Here in Ojai, I think we could have a "small" party on the Friday and Saturday after Thanksgiving, and support small businesses, in our small town, with small purchases, using small cars, and returning to small houses, recalling the maxim, "small houses make great love."

I want to make sure you all know that ojai's merchants are having a 'reason for the season' series of events this year to remind people that our seasonal celebrations were originally motivated by Love and a respect for Life and Nature. Each Saturday afternoon at the Poppy fountain in the Arcade we are hosting events, Starting Dec. 2 with multi-cultural storytelling and lighting the trees. Most Religious celebrations coincide with ancient pagan holidays and the histories are fascinating!
Remember that shopping locally for all your needs is the healthiest way to honor your planet. The less shipping and trucking involved the better we all are, and most Ojai merchants feature some local artists, growers etc. Please come to the back of the Arcade and join in bringing our community together in a spirit of sharing! See you there!