The Poverty Jet Set

NOTE: I clicked through to this NYTimes article because of it’s title, but then I realized it was written by one my best friends from college, Steve Kurutz, so now I HAVE to blog it!

I love freeganism. Though lately, I haven’t done much dumpster diving (mostly for lack of time, but lord knows I ain’t stopped ‘cuz of money). Nothing really beats getting stuff for free that’s in perfect condition. People love to say they’re saving the planet by buying organic food and driving a hybrid car, but I’ve said it before… it’s all a just a sham. Recycling cans won’t save the planet. Not buying them in the first place is a start.

Freegans are scavengers of the developed world, living off consumer waste in an effort to minimize their support of corporations and their impact on the planet, and to distance themselves from what they see as out-of-control consumerism. They forage through supermarket trash and eat the slightly bruised produce or just-expired canned goods that are routinely thrown out, and negotiate gifts of surplus food from sympathetic stores and restaurants.

I love that the topic gets its time in the New York Times. (Thanks, Steve!) Weird that it seems to be happening more often. Since when did the NYTimes get so fringe? Here’s another great quote from the article:

As people began to load plates of food, he leaned in and offered a few words of wisdom: “Opening that first bag of trash,” he said, “is the biggest step.”

Technorati Tags: free, NYTimes, freeganism, concept, recycling, povertyjetset, environment, stevekurutz, freedom

This entry was posted on Thursday, June 21st, 2007 at 1:05 pm and is filed under city life, ideas, love!. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.