International Buy Nothing Day, December 2002
Back at the beginning of this millennium I was working as a photojournalist at a national newspaper in London. One day in early December I was sent down to Oxford Street, London's busiest shopping street to cover a protest against consumerism organised and promoted by Adbusters.
As you can see, in 2002 the Buy Nothing movement had yet to attract a following, if indeed it has at all to date... in fact, a quick look at their social media channels would suggest the latter.
. . .
My 2 cents: The origins of consumerism lie in deep-seated ancestral desires which have evolved over hundreds of thousands of years as a response to a recurring set of ancient human challenges.
It is going to be very difficult to change that fact without an extremely enticing incentive, the likes of which I am currently at a loss for.
