OUR STUFF: March 2022 podcast playlist

If you look around your space right now, you are likely to be surrounded by SO. MUCH. STUFF. What is it about capitalism, materialism, and consumerism that compels us to keep acquiring more things, most of which—let’s be honest—we don’t really need? These episodes explore that question and propose a few ways forward, including minimalism and the repair economy.

This playlist was curated by Jenna Spinelle, leader of PBC’s global virtual chapter, founder of The Democracy Group, and host & producer of the Democracy Works podcast.

Podcast Playlist on OUR STUFF

Get the full playlist on your podcast player of choice using these platforms:

The Daily: “The Great Supply Chain Disruption” (October 2021, 33 min)
Peter Goodman talks about his reporting trip to one of the largest ports in the United States to witness the global supply chain crisis up close. He explains why this economic havoc might not be temporary — and could require a substantial refashioning of the world’s shipping infrastructure.

Be Uncluttered: “Exploring the urge to acquire” (September 2021, 43 min)
What is behind our inexplicable urge to acquire more things?

Green Dreamer: “284) Sandra Goldmark: Redefining materialism and reviving the repair economy” (December 2020, 36 min)
In 2013, Sandra founded Fixup (formerly Pop Up Repair) and began operating short term repair shops and educational repair and reuse events around New York City. Fixup employs local theatre artists, stagehands, and technicians to repair broken household items, and has diverted over 10,000 pounds of goods from landfills. Sandra asserts that our massive, global system of consumption—our use-and-discard culture—is broken. She wants to make it easy for people to take care of what they have, reduce waste from new manufacturing, and create local jobs.

Tapestry from CBC Radio: “Beyond consumerism” (September 2021, 54 min)
J.B. MacKinnon has travelled the world to try and discover what might be inconceivable to many – what if, one day, the world stops shopping? Thad Russell’s parents built an off grid home, but their plan to live a more modest life wasn’t as nearly simple as they hoped.

Bonus podcast episodes:

• It’s Been a Minute with Sam Sanders: “The hidden costs of holiday consumerism” (November 2021, 31 min)
  A lot of consumers are worried about supply chain delays this holiday season — but there are also other issues to watch out for when shopping. Listen to a discussion about the potential downfalls of buy now, pay later services and where online shopping returns really go.
• The Minimalists: “318 | Eleven Simple Years” (December 2021, 41 min)
  Hosts, Joshua and Ryan, talk about what they’ve learned, how they’ve grown, and in what ways they’ve subtracted since they started The Minimalists eleven years ago.
• Future Tense: “Counterculture, consumerism and the far right” (January 2020, 29 min)
  Countercultural movements, like Occupy Wall Street, are meant to be future-focussed — revolutionary even. So why do they often fade into commercialism? Are they simply a function of consumer capitalism? If so, what future do they have? And must they always be progressive.
• Hidden Brain: “Why We Hold On To Things” (May 2021, 46 min)
  What do the things you own say about who you are? Psychologist Bruce Hood studies our relationship with our possessions – from beloved childhood objects to the everyday items we leave behind.

Recommended Books/Resources:

We’ve started compiling recommended books from the podcast playlists and from our chapter meetings on our Amazon Idea List. Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links. If you use these links to buy something PBC may earn a commission.

• Book: “Fixation: How to Have Stuff Without Breaking the Planet” by Sandra Goldmark
• Resource: “Sustainable Production Toolkit”
• Book: “The Day the World Stops Shopping: How Ending Consumerism Saves the Environment and Ourselves” by J.B. MacKinnon
• Book: “Love People, Use Things: Because the Opposite Never Works” by Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus
• Book: “Minimalism: Live a Meaningful Life, Second Edition” by Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus

Conversation Starter Questions:

1. How would you characterize your relationship with your stuff? Do you have too much? What could you stand to get rid of?
2. Have you ever repaired something instead of buying a replacement? How did it go?
3. Could you surivie a period of time living off the grid? How would your life change as a result?
4. Have you ever tried minimalism? Do you feel inspired to try it after listening to this playlist?
5. Has your life been impacted by recent supply chain issues? How, if at all, did you adapt?