Annie Leonard’s new short film, “The Story of Change,” shows why we have to do more than just vote with our dollars.
July 24, 2012 |
Do you buy organic? Purchase fair-trade products? Shop only from businesses whose ethics you support?
That’s great! You are being the change you want to see in the world.
News flash: it’s not enough.
In Annie Leonard’s new short film, The Story of Change (which you can view at the end of this article), she explains that we have to do more than just vote with our dollars. Leonard is the creator of The Story of Stuff, a popular short film about our consumption and production patterns that has 15 million views. As Leonard continued to make new films and provide her audience with information about environmental problems, she realized something was missing.
“We kept getting letters from viewers who said they agreed with the information, shared our concern but didn’t know how to get started to make change,” she said. “So, this summer we made The Story of Change, to remind people that change comes from people working together as engaged citizens and to inspire them to get involved.”
Leonard says she researched past social movements that brought about change and found that three things are needed: a big idea for how things can be better, commitment to work together, and participation in action. Leonard says we’re missing the last factor.
More.