Use Less Stuff Campaign
The Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) annually sets Use Less Stuff (ULS) Week to coordinate with Earth Day. Since Using Less Stuff is something everyone can easily do to celebrate Earth Day April 22, we thought combining these events would be helpful to Oklahoma citizens.
The DEQ's ULS campaign was undertaken in an effort to soften the impact of today's consumption-oriented society and move to more sustainable practices. In the United States, nearly everyone is caught up in the consumer culture. The attitude of the majority is to just throw it away -- we can always get more. Most of our citizens have lost the connection of their shopping choices to the many ecosystem services that are required for production and transportation before they make a purchase.
EPA estimates that Americans throw out over four pounds of garbage each in their daily trash. This doesn't seem like much in the grand scheme of things, but when one considers the resources it took to make the materials that were disposed, this amounts to a significant waste of resources - raw materials used in the manufacturing process, energy use for manufacture and transportation, etc.
How much stuff is enough? That's a personal decision each of us has to make, but our ultimate decision impacts our friends, neighbors - basically everyone on our planet. As you gradually incorporate new habits into your life they will soon become second nature. Join others in support of a new way of life--sustainable technologies, more balanced lifestyles and greener infrastructure are no longer just around the corner... They are available now!
Join other Oklahomans on a quest for a sustainable life.