I'm excited to share this next song with you. Um, I wrote this one a year and a half ago after I saw a news story about immigrants and how we need to be concerned with immigrants taking resources. And I was so struck by how stuck Americans are in the scarcity mindset.We're so worried about getting what's mine and taking what's mine and protecting what's mine instead of sharing what is ours with each other. Um, so I wrote this song, Strawberries, about the proverbial garden where we care for each other. Ever ...

Environmental Impact of Consumerism - Annually, Americans discard over 12 million tons of furniture, equivalent to filling 1,600 Olympic swimming pools [1] - An estimated three-fifths (60%) of all clothing ends up in landfills or incinerators within a year of production, translating to a truckload of used clothing dumped or burned every second [2] - Global waste generation is projected to increase by 70% over the next 30 years, equating to 34 billion tons of waste each year [25] Critique of Capitalism - Capitalism is criticized for leading to the destruction of traditional values, environmental degradation, worker and consumer exploitation, and negative mental health effects [2] - Over the last 55 years, the global population has doubled, while global resource extraction has tripled [12] - From 2016 to 2021, global consumption exceeded 75% of the entire 20th-century consumption [13] - Capitalism prioritizes products that generate quick profits, such as fossil fuel vehicles, fast fashion, and cheap gadgets, leading to endless production and waste [14][15] Alternative Consumption Model - The report advocates for slow and empathetic consumerism, emphasizing choices that honor relationships between consumers and items, the people who made them, and the land the materials come from [8] - Slow consumerism challenges the fast-paced disposable culture, promoting fewer, higher quality items crafted with care and designed to last [8][9] - Empathetic consumerism invites compassion into purchasing decisions, considering the lives, traditions, and stories of the people behind the products [10] Call to Action - The report suggests five simple actions: question the value and impact of purchases, engage in creation, build relationships (not just transactions), prioritize giving over getting, and reconnect with nature [26][27][28][29][30][31]