The Story of Stuff

The iPhone and Consumer Guilt

Annie Leonard | Posted 05.30.2012

Read More: Consumerism, Apple, The Story of Stuff, Foxconn, Annie Leonard, Iphone, China, Fair Trade, Electronics, Green News
Annie Leonard

Next time someone says they feel guilty for owning an iPhone, ask if they were the one who decided to maintain a 73% profit margin while underpaying workers on 18-hour-shifts. To roll out new models at breakneck speed? To use conflict minerals and toxic chemicals?

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Don't Be Stupid, Cupid -- Show Your Love Responsibly

Annie Leonard | Posted 04.11.2012

Read More: Flowers, Diamonds, Gold, Valentine's Day 2012, Chocolate, The Story of Stuff, Annie Leonard, Green News
Annie Leonard

Most roses and other flowers sold in the United States are imported from Colombia, where the cut flower industry is also known to use child workers and forced labor.

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We're Not Broke!

Annie Leonard | Posted 01.08.2012

Read More: Subsidies, Story of Broke, Movies, The Story of Stuff, Annie Leonard, Video, Green News
Annie Leonard

We're not really broke -- our public money has just been hijacked. Our new film, The Story of Broke, shines a light on the dumb choices our elected so-called leaders are making with our money.

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A Prayer for the Planet: Chatting With DJ Logic Plus Nikka Costa

Mike Ragogna | Posted 10.04.2011

Read More: Michael Jackson, Eric Clapton, The Story of Stuff, Prince, Ronald Reagan, Justin Stanley, Dave Matthews, Jason Miles, Miles Davis, Blues Traveler, Vernon Reid, DJ Logic, Ben Taylor, John Mayer, Jeff Coffin, Carly Simon, Nikka Costa, Falguni Shah, Romero Lubambo, Johnny Depp, Living Colour, B.B. King, Nancy Reagan, Doyle Bramhall, Neil Diamond, Stax, Robert Randolph, The Roots, Ben Harper, Lee Oskar, Don Costa, Wall-E, Concord, Michael Caine, John Popper, Courting Alex, Malika Zarra, Inxs, Annie Leonard, Mickey Mouse, Sly Stone, Tommy Hilfiger, Phoenix House, Buddy Guy, Frank Sinatra, Kenny Rankin, Karl Denson, Rupert Holmes, Medeski Martin and Wood, Falu, Entertainment News
Mike Ragogna

A Prayer For The Planet, DJ Logic's latest album, is a collaboration with Jason Miles, his partner, and also Falguni Shah.

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Why Democracy Only Works When People Are in Charge

Annie Leonard | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Democracy, Constitutional Amendment, Citizens United, The Story of Stuff, Annie Leonard, Politics News
Annie Leonard

2011-03-01-corporationscopy.jpgA recent poll by Hart Research found that 85 percent of Americans say corporations have too much influence on our democracy.

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Surfers Spread the Message of Responsible Shopping this Holiday Season

Heather Box | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Photography, Holiday Shopping, The Story of Stuff, Surfing, Kyle Thiermann, Patagonia, Annie Leonard, Sri Lanka, Sector 9, Travel, Young People, Christmas Shopping, Sweatshops, Daniel Russo, Impact News
Heather Box

Kyle Thiermann, a 20-year-old professional surfer from Santa Cruz California, stood in a clothing factory in Sri Lanka amongst the commotion of the sewing machines.

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Choose Family Over Frenzy

Annie Leonard | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Electronics, Thanksgiving 2010, The Story of Stuff, Black Friday, Jdimytai Damour, Thanksgiving, Green News
Annie Leonard

Our out-of-control consumption has taken a toll on the planet, our family budgets and the quality of our lives at home. What is the use of a new Pottery Barn table if we don't have a gang of friends to gather around it?

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The Story of Electronics: Make 'Em Safe, Make 'Em Last, Take 'Em Back

Annie Leonard | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Sustainability, Electronics, Planned Obsolescence, The Story of Stuff, Sustainable Electronics, Electronics Manufacturers, Green News
Annie Leonard

Why should taxpayers pay to safely recycle every toxic, poorly designed, short-lived piece of electronic gadgetry that comes through the system? It's time we hold manufacturers responsible for their product design decisions.

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Why We Made the Story of Cosmetics

Stacy Malkan | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Carcinogens, Toxic Chemicals, The Story of Cosmetics, Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, Cancer Prevention, Safe Cosmetics Act, Small Businesses, The Story of Stuff, Green News
Stacy Malkan

We are living in a time when one in two American men and one in three women will get some type of cancer in their lifetimes. This is not acceptable. This is not the way it was when our grandparents were born. Why is it this way now?

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The Story of Cosmetics: What's Really in Your Personal Care Products?

Annie Leonard | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Carcinogens, Cosmetics Carcinogens, Toxic Cosmetics, Lipstick Lead, The Story of Cosmetics, The Story of Stuff, Green News
Annie Leonard

Turns out the average American bathroom is a minefield of toxic chemicals. Sunscreens, lipstick, moisturizer, shaving cream -- many cosmetics contain chemicals linked to cancer or other health problems like learning disabilities.

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World Water Day Webcast With Annie Leonard And Elizabeth Royte

Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: World Water Day, The Story of Bottled Water, World Water Week, Water, The Story of Stuff, Bottled Water, Green News

In honor of World Water Day, this Wednesday, March 24th at 8pm EST, HuffPost Blogger Kerry Trueman will be holding a live Vokle chat with Story Of Stu...

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The Story of Bottled Water: Fear, Manufactured Demand and a $10,000 Sandwich

Annie Leonard | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: The Story of Bottled Water, Video, World Water Day, Water, The Story of Stuff, Annie Leonard, Green News
Annie Leonard

In the last few decades, Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Nestle and other big beverage companies have spent untold millions making us afraid of tap water.

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Annie Leonard On Colbert (VIDEO): The Life-Cycle Of Our Stuff

Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Annie Leonard the Story of Stuff, The Story of Stuff, Consumerism, The Colbert Report, Material Goods, Annie Leonard Colbert, Annie Leonard, Green News

Environmental activist/consumerist critic Annie Leonard appeared on The Colbert Report Tuesday to discuss her new book, "The Story of Stuff," which wa...

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The Story of Stuff: Externalized Costs and the $4.99 Radio

Annie Leonard | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: External-Costs, Manufacturing, Climate Change, Pollution, Global Warming, The Story of Stuff, Green News
Annie Leonard

A UN study has found that the cost of environmental damage by the 3,000 largest publicly held corporations in the world is $2.2 trillion, more than one-third of their profits if they were held financially accountable.

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Eco Etiquette: How To Stop People From Buying You Useless 'Green' Tchotchkes

Jennifer Grayson | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Consumerism, Green Holidays, Green Gift Giving, Overpopulation, Consumer Economy, The Story of Stuff, Green Living, Green Holiday, Green News
Jennifer Grayson

My aunt, who has a heart of gold, has recently become impassioned about environmental issues. Seems great, right? Well unfortunately she thinks being ...

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Haiti: The Aid Masquerade

Kerry Trueman | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Haiti Earthquake, Rush Limbaugh, The Story of Stuff, Pat Robertson, Annie Leonard, Impact News
Kerry Trueman

How many thousands of Haitians could have survived the earthquake if the country weren't crippled by chronic poverty, shoddy infrastructure, and environmental degradation?

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Capitalism: Never Enough?

Jim Selman | Posted 11.17.2011

Read More: Skid Row, Shopping, The Story of Stuff, Michael Moore Capitalism: A Love Story, Addiction, Consumption, Capitalism, Chanel, Victor Lebow, Mont Blanc, Recession, New York, Rolex, Designer, Annie Leonard, Economists, Capitalism: A Love Story, Economic Growth, Healthy Living News
Jim Selman

The epidemic of designer stores is symptomatic of the buying binge we've been on for the last half-century.

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Thank You, Glenn Beck: The Sequel

Melissa Bradley | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Glenn Beck, Van Jones, Glenn Beck Van Jones, Tides Foundation, The Story of Stuff, Media News
Melissa Bradley

Tides would like to extend our thanks to Glenn Beck for helping to generate attention for "The Story of Stuff", one of the projects we proudly support -- though his assertions were totally bizarre.

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Humana Mailer Targets Elderly, Claims Medicare Benefits To Be Cut

Dawn Teo | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Chief Medical Officer, Humana Health Insurance, Philip Painter, Humana Chief Medical Officer, Health Insurance, Humana Partner Program, Health Care, Obama Health Care, Healthcare, Medicare, Las Vegas, Humana Mailer, Humana Letter, Ace and Tj, The Story of Stuff, Tides Foundation, Evergreen Freedom Foundation, Lynn Harsh, Politics News
Dawn Teo

The letter enclosed in the mailer tries to convince Medicare recipients that their benefits could be cut if the current health insurance reform plans are enacted.

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Speaking Power to "Truth"

Melissa Bradley | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Nonprofits, Right Wing Media, Health Care Reform, Birthers, Right Wing Attacks Nonprofits, Stimulus Package, Afghanistan War, The Story of Stuff, Glenn Beck, Apollo Alliance, Politics News
Melissa Bradley

The Right is intensifying their attacks on the nonprofit organizations. These attacks are no longer just the sphere of the right wing blogosphere; now they're going mainstream.

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"The Story Of Stuff" Video About Consumption Sweeps Nation's Classrooms (VIDEO)

nytimes.com | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Video, The Story of Stuff, Consumerism, Environment, Green Education, Pollution, Green News

Who would have thought that a video about how a linear process can't exist on a real, limited planet would be popular with the kids? According to the ...

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