This documentary could have been twenty minutes shorter without losing much of its message. But it’s worth watching as an introduction to thinking about adopting a more minimalist lifestyle.
It discusses how consumerism developed and took hold after the second world war by appealing to our psychological impulses. None of this is new, but it helps remind us that material possessions do not bring happiness.
I disagree with the gloomy assessment that we are populating the planet to infinity, peak oil etc. Yes, we are continuing to destroy nature, but as we become more prosperous, population growth declines and we take more interest in ‘green’ issues. I am hopeful that scientific advances will allow us to have less impact on our world. However, our individual contributions to conservation, recycling, minimalism, localism etc. are not insignificant.