Here's a link to the site:
Stopping buying stuff is hard for most people, and I think the key is to stop _wanting_ stuff. Sadly I think consumption-driven society is incredibly deeply ingrained. I mean, most people seem to devote large proportions of their life pursuing unnecessary luxury goods. This is the mindset that needs to change - and particularly be reversed as we bring up the next generation. A fundamental shift is needed in what people are 'pursuing'.
[0] https://robinlinacre.com/energy-usage [1] https://observablehq.com/@robinl/energy-usage-and-goods-impo...
I do try to argue that we should reduce our consumption and buy much fewer, but much higher quality items, which we repair and maintain for a long time, instead of throwing them out and buying a completely new thing.
But I am constantly met with arguments that "no consumption means no growth, and no growth means no life and no progress" and similar arguments. These people have really entrenched themselves in consuming more and more all the time.
You mean to say you used to "consume" 10x what you do now? I'm skeptical that's even possible for someone living in the first world. Just food, clothing, and housing is too much consumption to make that figure reasonable.
My TEDx talks cover some of the major changes http://joshuaspodek.com/my-tedx-talk-is-online-find-your-del.... The important part was shedding the myths erroneously justifying flying or packaged food. Then practicing and finding the joy, community, and connection that life is about when you avoid polluting behavior.
This sounds great, how do I do it?
My podcast shares me walking through many people to start their challenge http://joshuaspodek.com/podcast.
Do they give you enough to start with?
A couple podcast guests are prominent in zero waste and minimalism, so you might enjoy their episodes and books: Bea Johnson http://joshuaspodek.com/guests/bea-johnson and Joshua Becker http://joshuaspodek.com/guests/joshua-becker.
The biggest resource in my experience is to start however you can. People get hung up on toothbrushes while still ordering take-out while their fridges are full, which uses far more plastic than a toothbrush.
The more you do it, the easier it gets and the more horrible the old ways become.
People's scarcity mindset makes them think burning less fossil fuels and consuming less stuff will lower their quality of life. On the contrary, most Americans could reduce their consumption by 80% off pure life improvements.
People convolve reducing consumption with returning to the stone age, which is a false dichotomy. It's more like exiting a mindset that stuff means happy to where it means people trying to create craving.
I speak from experience of reducing my consumption by about 90%, leading many others to start reducing through my leadership executive training and podcast. Before they act, they're full of facts and figures arguing why not to act. After they act, they wish they had earlier. The key is to activate their intrinsic motivation, not to tell them what to do. Then what they do feels meaningful.
People don't want to do small things, they want to do meaningful things.