Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST) opens its 18th annual Wallace Stegner Lectures on February 15 with Annie Leonard’s The Story of Stuff. Her talk and animated film short about America’s obsession with things examines the damaging effects of consumerism and outlines her vision for a better approach.
Other speakers on this year’s roster are best-selling author Richard Preston on April 4, talking about life in the high canopy of California’s ancient redwood trees and National Geographic explorer Jonathan Waterman on May 2, talking about demands on the Colorado River and the need to conserve water.
(SEE OUR SEPARATE CALENDAR ENTRIES FOR OTHER SPEAKERS).
For select subscribers there is also a bonus lecture on March 23 by organic farmer Kristin Kimball. Lectures take place at 8:00 p.m. at the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts.
Named one of Time Magazine’s Environmental Heroes in 2008, Leonard spent 20 years investigating factories and dumps around the world to better understand the full cycle of production and disposal, including health risks at each stage. In The Story of Stuff she asks hard questions about where all the raw materials for things come from and what happens to goods and gadgets when people throw them away. Other documentary films by Leonard include The Story of Cap and Trade on emissions trading; The Story of Bottled Water; The Story of Cosmetics and The Story of Electronics.
