Consumed: The need for collective change; colonialism, climate change & consumerism

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i wouldn’t say it was like WOAH mind-blowing if you’ve explored the topic before, but i do think it covers enough ground that there’s something new to take away for even the most seasoned of sunrise movement warriors! You can change your choices at any time by visiting Cookie preferences, as described in the Cookie notice. However, it became apparent to me that she never intended the book to be a scholarly or journalistic piece, as some reviewers seem to expect. When it was published I waited a few weeks (as Aja would suggest) to make sure that I really wanted it and sure enough it did not leave my mind, so I got myself a copy. I was also shocked that Aja cited Wikipedia multiple times in her book, providing definitions of “gender binary” on page 128-129, and “greenwashing” on page 160.

I ask you to confront the sense of lack you have, the feeling that you are never quite enough and the reasons why you fill the aching void with consumption rather than compassion. While I wish the content was a bit more organized and backed up with more sources and statistics, I think the format is perfect for someone who is learning about climate change and consumption for the first time. She will also reveal how we spend our money and whose pockets it goes into and whose it doesn’t (clue: the people who do the actual work) and will tell her story of how she came to learn the truth. I will also reveal how we spend our money and whose pockets it goes into and whose it doesn't (clue: the people who do the actual work) and will tell my story of how I came to learn the truth. I've been follow Aja on instagram for a while now and when I saw she was coming out with a book, it immediately went on my list!The pattern followed in this genre is now recognizable to many readers: approximately half of the book is dedicated to presenting the problems plaguing the fashion industry.

Both important, but not clearly defined as separate issues in this book, which from the title kind of sounds like its only about the latter. Additionally, they explore what happens to garments at the end of their life cycle, often finding their way to places like the Kantamanto market. I think that Attenborough's 'A Life On Our Planet' is a great way to format books like these: start off with your witness statement (how the issue has personally impacted you), then delve into the reality of the issues (here is where the facts come in handy) and then a 'how we fix it' to tie it all up at the end. g. the mispronunciation of ethnic names) but were put into sections about different issues entirely, which only detached you from what you had been reading previously. This book is full of common sense, compassion and humanity, gives you plenty to reflect on, and will surely lead to welcome change.

I appreciated that Aja doesn’t berate the reader (like I find a lot of how-to/self-help/social-commentary books tend to do) but instead guides you towards reframing your consumption in a way that makes you actually want to do the work. In the second ‘unlearning’ half of the book, she will help you to understand the uncomfortable truth behind why you consume the way you do. Barber's book has faced considerable criticism from reviewers, and I, too, stumbled upon those reviews later on. This book really helped me to see how I AM part of the problem, but I can also be part of the solution.

I found that their enthusiasm about the topic was apparent in their writing, but I think for me I got stuck on some of the elements which I think could honestly have been saved with a touch more editing. She asks you to confront the sense of lack you have, the feeling that you are never quite enough and the reasons why you fill the aching void with consumption rather than compassion.Despite my criticisms, Aja’s work as a plus-sized, Black, sustainable fashion advocate cannot be underestimated, and I hope that her future work continues to positively influence her readers. Essentially these big companies want to come to Kantamanto, take the waste which is polluting neighbourhoods for next to nothing, put it into a blender to melt the materials down into new materials (this is a very simplified definition. And if, like me, you were disappointed by this and you're looking for a book around consumption and environmentalism, go read the much more refined No Logo by Naomi Klein.

Even though I found that her writing felt a bit too discursive for me in certain sections, I think Consumed is a smart and honest attempt at addressing consumerism and its environmental and psychological impacts. I thought Aja Barber did a great job of writing about how consumerism intersects with oppressive forces such as racism and fatphobia. The discussion on colonialism was also very disorganized and chaotic purely because it didn't use case studies in a very productive way in my opinion. The fashion industry exposé has become a well-established literary genre, featuring works by renowned authors such as Siegle, Cline, Press, Bedat, and Thomas. Barber articulate her thoughts past the anger and build a narrative aimed at understanding behavior and advocating for change.These corporations spend more on advertising and marketing than they do on the wages of the people that make their exorbitant amount of clothing. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. as someone who’s been plant-based for nearly 6 years for sustainability reasons, i am a strong believer in the combination of individual choices + collective action! It didn't really teach me anything new, except for Chapter 2 on modern day colonialism which was an interesting take and the landfills Ghana full of our clothes. Aja talks in depth of most topics that surround sustainable fashion and links history into it to explain and back up what she says.