Please Participate in a Survey on Plastic Bag/Reusable Bag Use

This isn't my research but I felt it is important so I am passing it along. It doesn't take very long to fill out, so I hope you can participate. Thanks ~Kirsten
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This is a research project being conducted by Monique Turner and Jennifer Kane at the University of Maryland, College Park. We are inviting you to participate because we want to understand why people do or do not use reusable shopping bags at grocery stores.

The procedures involve filling out a questionnaire (link below) about using reusable bags instead of plastic bags. Your total time investment in this study will be approximately 10 minutes.

Thank you in advance for your participation:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=F2q6tPSCNFg8oHz3T8Y2kg_3d_3d

Jennifer Kane
Master of Science/Master of Public Policy Candidate 2009
University of Maryland - College Park
United States
jkane@umd.edu

Voluntary Simplicity Circle Thursday - Feb. 12, 2009 – Choiceful Simplicity

When: Feb. 12th, 2009 - 7 pm to 9 pm
Where: 28 East 35th Street (between Park and Madison Ave. - red door, ring the bell for the gallery) in Manhattan
Cost: Free
Who: open to all interested persons.

What is a voluntary simplicity circle? In our voluntary simplicity circle, we help each other work toward personal transformation and make better connections to community resources through this interactive dialog. The objective is to provide a supportive environment for individuals who are actively making changes in their lives, within the framework of voluntary simplicity.

This year, we are going to be going through Duane Elgin’s list of different types of simplicity.

On Feb. 12th, we are going to start from the top with Choiceful Simplicity:

Choiceful Simplicity: Simplicity means choosing our unique path through life consciously, deliberately, and of our own accord. It means to live whole—to not live divided against ourselves. This path emphasizes the challenges of freedom over the comfort of consumerism. A choiceful simplicity means staying focused, diving deep, and not being distracted by consumer culture. It means consciously organizing our lives so that we give our “true gifts” to the world—which is to give the essence of ourselves. As Emerson said, “The only true gift is a portion of yourself.”

How do each of us interpret “choiceful simplicity” and Elgin’s definition? What are some examples of it that we see in the world? How does choiceful simplicity fit into how each of us practice voluntary simplicity in our lives? How do we currently enact choiceful simplicity? How do we wish to engage in choiceful simplicity moving forward?

See here for more about the format of our Voluntary Simplicity Circle.

And join us on Facebook!

Hope to see you there!
Kirsten

My post on OneCity - You are not your khakis

Every Wednesday morning, I post on the Interdependence Project's One City - Population: Everone blog. My post this week is also relevant to what we do in our Voluntary Simplicity Circle, so I thought I would invite you to join in the discussion. Here is a segment of the post:

While we may rail against consumerism, sometimes we are just pulled to certain material things. They bring us joy and excitement. Aaron C. Ahuvia argues in his article, Beyond the Extended Self: Loved Objects and Consumers’ Identity Narratives, that some “loved” objects that we own help us create a coherent story of ourselves. Loved objects and activities help to structure our social relationships and support our well-being.

Objects can tell stories. They can hold family histories. They can represent friendships and symbolize marriages. They recreate our culture. We pass them down from generation to generation.

I can find beauty and love embedded in objects – from amazing works of art to my father’s neckties. However I have a hard time putting my finger on the point when this craving for objects goes from meaningful storytelling, family heirlooms, or culture regeneration to excessive disposable waste. When do objects become disposable? When do they go from loved items to just the latest fashion trend?

Read the rest here: http://onecity.wordpress.com/2009/02/04/you-are-not-your-khakis/