As we aim for net zero, our love of buying is the stuff of nightmares | Letters

Adrian Chiles rightly highlights the difficulty with things habit and the advertising field staying complicit in this (We want to end getting things – and I know just the men and women to persuade us, 20 Oct). His short article is definitely a further version of the concept of “de-growth”. This signifies relinquishing the fixation on GDP growth and concentrating on making superior-good quality, affordable things created to past a life time, though repurposing, restoring and recycling every thing else. This requires a radical restructuring of our overall economy alternatively than “greening up” the economic system we currently operate.
Dr David Dixon
Catford, London

As Adrian Chiles recognises, “Stop purchasing stuff” will never ever catch on as an advert campaign. All lifeforms prosper by consuming readily available sources, but in human consciousness this all way too usually interprets as “happiness equals more stuff”. We will be waiting around permanently for the behavioural changes wanted to obtain net zero technological innovation and economic resources are our only hope.
John Rieuwerts
Yelverton, Devon

Bravo, Adrian. I have cleared out all the stuff that I know I will never ever use once again. It is gone to the charity store, where at the very least it will advantage someone less fortunate than me.
Linda Karlsen
Whitstable, Kent

Reading Adrian Chiles’ article, my intellect jumped to clearing out my grandmother’s household in 1970. She was 85 when she died and her stuff consisted of a several clothing, saved in a upper body of drawers that was a wedding ceremony reward in 1912, a teapot and the continues to be of a 50-12 months-outdated evening meal assistance. At 15, the realisation that you could dwell a completely excellent lifestyle without things was good planning for the upcoming 50 decades. The challenge for me has been dwelling with other people’s things!
Lorraine Croxford
Dunstable, Bedfordshire

Adrian Chiles refers to repeated updating of kitchens, a pattern quite a few individuals appear to be to have obtained into these times owing to “must have” advertising. My kitchen was put in when we moved into our house 43 years ago and I’m however delighted with it. Even the perform surfaces are practically as excellent as new they don’t make worktops like that any much more.
Diane Woodley
Westgate-on-Sea, Kent

Adrian Chiles could possibly like George Carlin’s pretty funny diatribe on “stuff”, which is on YouTube. It’s possible it is time we took it significantly?
Anne Knowles
Nebo, Ceredigion