“We feel a malaise and a guilt that at another time in history might have motivated action, but that this time seems instead to be coupled with a terrible sense of helplessness.” -Colin Beavan, No Impact Man, pg. 11
No Impact Man, written by Colin Beavan in 2009, brings up the concern of multiple issues affecting the earth negatively. These issues include the destruction of forests for paper, water pollution, over-consumption, and global warming amongst others. All of these issues are things we are accustomed to hearing about, but have either not educated ourselves on or feel to helpless to act on since the rest of society is nonchalant about our culture. Especially in the United States, people live such fast-paced lives that everything …show more content…
Plastic is extremely useful in our culture. Some items that are commonly made of plastic are cups, containers, and bags: all of which are meant to be disposed of immediately after its use. The main problem with plastic being discarded in this manner is that plastic was made to be durable and last a lifetime. All of the plastic that has been made up since its creation is still present in some shape or form on this planet, and plastic that has not been properly discarded or recycled hurts aspects of our …show more content…
Beavan brings up “designed obsolescence” in his novel multiple times, and the theory of it answers the previous question. “Designed obsolescence” is practiced by manufacturers when they design their products to become obsolete after a time so the consumer would have to buy the product again and again and again. The durability of our products contribute to our consumer culture because the products we indulge in are not meant to last. When our products finally die on us—which always occurs way too quickly—we are forced to buy the newest model and dispose of the product. Most of the time, we do not get rid of the product properly, and it ends up in our landfills or in the ocean. Since we have to replace countless products throughout the years, designed obsolescence adds a great deal to our trash
No Impact Man, written by Colin Beavan in 2009, brings up the concern of multiple issues affecting the earth negatively. These issues include the destruction of forests for paper, water pollution, over-consumption, and global warming amongst others. All of these issues are things we are accustomed to hearing about, but have either not educated ourselves on or feel to helpless to act on since the rest of society is nonchalant about our culture. Especially in the United States, people live such fast-paced lives that everything …show more content…
Plastic is extremely useful in our culture. Some items that are commonly made of plastic are cups, containers, and bags: all of which are meant to be disposed of immediately after its use. The main problem with plastic being discarded in this manner is that plastic was made to be durable and last a lifetime. All of the plastic that has been made up since its creation is still present in some shape or form on this planet, and plastic that has not been properly discarded or recycled hurts aspects of our …show more content…
Beavan brings up “designed obsolescence” in his novel multiple times, and the theory of it answers the previous question. “Designed obsolescence” is practiced by manufacturers when they design their products to become obsolete after a time so the consumer would have to buy the product again and again and again. The durability of our products contribute to our consumer culture because the products we indulge in are not meant to last. When our products finally die on us—which always occurs way too quickly—we are forced to buy the newest model and dispose of the product. Most of the time, we do not get rid of the product properly, and it ends up in our landfills or in the ocean. Since we have to replace countless products throughout the years, designed obsolescence adds a great deal to our trash