I want to see this in person *SO BAD*

[agentxpndble]

Check out this seriously awesome art exhibit:

Running the Numbers
An American Self-Portrait

This new series looks at contemporary American culture through the austere lens of statistics. Each image portrays a specific quantity of something: fifteen million sheets of office paper (five minutes of paper use); 106,000 aluminum cans (thirty

Comments

[elicia8]

I am extremely wary of statistics. I even have a couple books on the subject--How to Lie With Statistics and so on. I'm even more wary of the sort of OMG-we-are-gluttonous-consumers statistics that seem to be piling up lately as a kind of horrific pop culture trend.

However, this is COMPLETELY FASCINATING.

So I'm putting aside all my usual eyebrow furrowing and tight-lipping and thanking you for leaving me marveled. At least for today. :D

[agentxpndble]

Statistics are a completely dodgy, evil *business* and shouldn't be used in arguments or politics - but they do have a use. And the process of *seeing* what numbers really represent is extremely moving.

I'm bristling a bit at the OMG thing... Maybe I misunderstand you? Are you saying you're suspicious of those who wave around consumer statistics as scare tactics - or - that you doubt that there is really a problem

[elicia8]

*laughs*

I love that you are so passionate. And yes, of course I was referring to the former, not the latter. Those kinds of statistics should be used carefully and as global lessons, not haute couture to fit neatly into whatever compartment of thought you've established for yourself. Just as everyone owns the sky, everyone owns the garbage.

For the record, I'm not an environmentalist in the sense that I plan to drastically alter my lifestyle to prevent climatological change; the world is adapting to what we're doing to it, and we shouldn't be surprised by that. If we don't want it to adapt, then we ought to stop poking it. I guess... be responsible, be accountable, don't act so surprised when things begin to change? Mother Nature is in charge, in the end. That's sort of how I think about it.

[agentxpndble]

*laughs*...you are so passionate.

<3's you. ;-)

[gfrancie]

I have both of Peter Menzel's books. They are fabulous. interview with authors.

[agentxpndble]

Thank you for the link!

These books are so, so interesting - It's so powerful to *see* how other people live... It really puts one's own values/privilege in perspective.

[gfrancie]

Also you can sometimes see some interesting subtext of the people's lives. Like the Japanese housewife seemed really unhappy/repressed about her position in life. It was kind of heart-breaking.
Some of the tiniest homes seemed so cozy and welcoming.

[theladyrose]

Something along the same topic, but not quite as cool -

I'd recommend Lester Brown's Plan 2.0 about how we keep going through our natural resources at a disturbing rate and what we can do about it. It's available online for free here - http://www.earth-policy.org/Books/PB2/index.htm

[agentxpndble]

Thank you for the link/lead - That looks really interesting... If a bit overwhelming and scary. Sometimes I just *freak out* at the rate at which the world is populating and polluting... It's not the fear of my own life/future that freaks me out - It's the *mentality* of those who consume and destroy with no sense of responsibility or citizenship. It just makes me furious and depressed.