On my desk there are piles of cut-out newspaper articles about which I want to blog, but this entry fits the Live Earth day that has just taken place. First of all, there is the article from the New York Times, which was printed as a supplement in the Süddeutsche Zeitung on June 25, 2007, “Living in the Grip of Technology”. In it, Laurie J. Flynn reports on buyers of a second camera, a second iPod, a two-computer and so on. For example, an iPod is bought solely for jogging because you are afraid of damaging the large model while running. Or a second digital camera is bought that can do more than the mid-range model, which was initially intended to be content with. Or you can buy a smaller camera for on the go. The increasing popularity of laptops has also led to households owning more than one computer. The typical American household reportedly has 25 electronic devices and spends an average of $1,200 annually on new devices. One could understand this as a counter-movement to The Compact. Don’t consume less, but more and more (Herwig Mitteregger’s “Immer mehr” comes to mind, but he meant something completely different; it’s a pity that he doesn’t seem to make music anymore btw).
About my The Compact activities: Almost 4 months have now passed, and my consumption has actually been reduced. The exception here are books, but even here I bought less than usual and try to read the ones I already have. But there were also purchases of new goods:
- A pair of running shoes: You can’t buy them second-hand, not with the best will in the world, but that’s not what The Compact philosophy demands.
- A new toaster. Ok, you can argue about that. Somehow I find used toasters unhygienic, and it was a tempting offer after the old toaster had been around more and more.
And now it comes: a piano. I bought a new piano, not a classical, but a digital piano, and of course you can see that as an absolute sin. On the other hand, I had wanted a piano for a very, very long time (I otherwise only own old synthesizers, which always have to be wired up and connected in my mini-studio, spontaneous strumming is impossible), and I have been looking for a used model for many months. In addition, our daughter’s music teacher had given me first-class advice, and his offer included delivery and a small discount. I hadn’t found a used model cheaper (new goods were always more expensive on eBay!), not to mention that I would have had the trouble with transport on eBay. But as it was, the piano was delivered, assembled and subjected to a function test; the packaging was also taken back. I also try to calm my conscience a little by saying that The Compact allows the consumption of culture, albeit immaterial. The piano is extremely material, but it allows the creation of the immaterial. Anyway, I don’t have a guilty conscience about the piano. The first piece I played was from the Well-Tempered Clavier
Another variant of anti-consumption are the freegans (comes from vegans), which was also reported in the New York Times supplement of the Süddeutsche (issue of July 2). In contrast to The Compact, Freeganism has been around since the mid-90s, which is explained in detail on the accompanying website Freegan.info. The article describes how the freegans rummage through the garbage containers for recyclables the evening after the last lecture at NYU. Many rich students leave the campus and throw goods in the garbage, which cause the freegans to rub their eyes: In addition to unused stamps, there is a fully functional Sharp TV and beautiful pictures. But freegans go even further and eat food that has just expired or negotiate with supermarkets about surpluses that are not sold. In addition, they organize freemeets, flea markets where no money is exchanged. They do all this to protest against out-of-control consumption and to deprive companies of support.
In Hamburg, I see more and more people rummaging through the garbage cans, not because they are against consumption, but because they can’t afford anything else. Of course, you can see that in America as well, and I wonder how those who can’t help it think about those who don’t want to do otherwise. Or about those who are just buying their second iPod.