0:00:27.005,0:00:30.003 This is Marcos from Barcelona, 0:00:30.003,0:00:33.784 but he could be anyone... anywhere. 0:00:35.001,0:00:36.311 What is about to happen to him, 0:00:36.311,0:00:41.270 occures daily in offices and homes[br]all over the world. 0:01:00.000,0:01:02.203 A part inside the printer has failed. 0:01:02.204,0:01:05.490 And the fanufactures sends Marcos[br]to technical support. 0:01:07.000,0:01:10.000 A technician can make a diagnosis 0:01:10.002,0:01:12.491 but it costs 15 euros plus VAT. 0:01:13.004,0:01:16.098 It has become difficult[br]to find parts for this. 0:01:16.098,0:01:19.000 It's not worth repairing. 0:01:19.001,0:01:22.000 Repair will cost 110-120 euros. 0:01:22.001,0:01:24.382 Printers cost as low as 39 euros. 0:01:24.382,0:01:27.005 I would advise you buy a new printer. 0:01:27.005,0:01:29.885 It's best to buy a new one. 0:01:30.003,0:01:35.004 It's no coincidence that all three[br]shop keepers suggest buying a new printer. 0:01:36.000,0:01:39.592 If he agrees, Marcos will become[br]yet another victim 0:01:39.593,0:01:41.517 of the planned obsolescence, 0:01:41.552,0:01:45.001 the secret mechanism at the heart[br]of our consumer's society. 0:01:48.007,0:01:50.001 ... 0:01:50.001,0:01:54.005 .... 0:01:55.004,0:01:59.504 We live in a society[br]ruled by economic growth. 0:01:59.504,0:02:03.611 We not only grow to meet demand, 0:02:03.611,0:02:06.286 but grow for the sake of growth. 0:02:07.007,0:02:12.003 ... 0:02:14.003,0:02:16.000 ... 0:02:16.000,0:02:19.000 ... 0:02:19.000,0:02:25.000 ... 0:02:27.000,0:02:31.190 This film will reveal[br]how planned obsolescence 0:02:31.190,0:02:34.000 has defined our lifes ever[br]since the 1920s, 0:02:34.000,0:02:37.803 when fanufacturers started[br]shortening lifes of products 0:02:37.803,0:02:39.841 to increase the consumer's demand. 0:02:39.876,0:02:44.006 They decided to shorten[br]the lifespan to 1000 hours. 0:02:47.003,0:02:49.541 We will find out[br]how designers and engineers 0:02:49.541,0:02:53.383 were made to adopt[br]new values and objectives. 0:02:53.418,0:02:58.006 ... 0:02:58.006,0:03:01.004 ... 0:03:01.004,0:03:03.007 ... 0:03:03.007,0:03:05.009 ... 0:03:07.000,0:03:09.009 A new generation of consumers 0:03:09.009,0:03:13.003 has started challenging[br]the manufacturers. 0:03:14.553,0:03:15.639 Is it possible to imagine 0:03:15.640,0:03:18.265 a viable economy[br]without planned obsolescence? 0:03:18.300,0:03:20.960 Without its impact on the environment? 0:03:21.805,0:03:24.172 The posteriority will never forget us. 0:03:24.207,0:03:28.006 .... 0:03:28.006,0:03:30.000 .... 0:03:37.009,0:03:41.007 ... 0:03:43.005,0:03:46.001 Wellcome to Livermore, Colifornia, 0:03:46.001,0:03:48.005 home of the longest burning light bulb. 0:03:50.000,0:03:51.005 I am Lynn Owens, 0:03:51.005,0:03:54.008 and I am chairman[br]of the lightbulb committee. 0:03:56.005,0:04:00.001 In 1972, we discovered 0:04:00.001,0:04:04.008 that the lightbulb[br]that was hanging in the fire station 0:04:04.008,0:04:07.005 was a significant light bulb. 0:04:14.006,0:04:15.637 The light bulb[br]over the Livermore fire station 0:04:15.638,0:04:19.491 has been burning continously[br]since 1901. 0:04:19.526,0:04:20.005 Ironically, 0:04:20.005,0:04:24.005 the bulb is already outlasted[br]two webcams. 0:04:32.004,0:04:35.344 In 2001,[br]when the bulb was 100 years old, 0:04:35.344,0:04:38.733 the people of Livermore[br]threw up a big birthday party. 0:04:38.734,0:04:40.403 American style. 0:04:41.810,0:04:45.004 We were hoping to get 200 people 0:04:45.004,0:04:49.000 but finally, we ended up[br]with 800 or 900 people showing up.. 0:04:53.008,0:04:58.000 You can imagine to sing[br]a birthday song to a light bulb? 0:04:58.000,0:05:00.008 We didn't think they would.[br]But they did. 0:05:14.006,0:05:16.004 The origin of the bulb, 0:05:16.004,0:05:19.004 it was produced[br]in a town called Shelby, Ohio, 0:05:19.004,0:05:22.004 back around 1895. 0:05:22.004,0:05:25.008 They were put together[br]by some very interesting ladies 0:05:25.008,0:05:28.623 and some gentlemen of the company. 0:05:30.152,0:05:32.952 The filament was invented[br]by Adolphe Chaillet. 0:05:32.952,0:05:35.791 He invented his filament to last. 0:05:42.005,0:05:44.870 Why does this filament last?[br]I don't know. 0:05:44.905,0:05:48.001 It's a secret that died with him. 0:05:48.151,0:05:51.006 Chaillet's formula for a long lasting filament 0:05:51.006,0:05:54.420 is not the only mistery in the history of light bulbs. 0:05:54.455,0:05:56.005 A much bigger secret is 0:05:56.005,0:05:58.794 how the light bulb became 0:05:58.794,0:06:02.951 the first victim[br]of planned obsolescence. 0:06:04.003,0:06:07.008 Christmas Eve 1924 was a special day. 0:06:08.000,0:06:10.838 In a backroom at Geneve 0:06:10.838,0:06:14.806 suit wearing men[br]met to create a secret plan. 0:06:14.951,0:06:18.808 They established[br]the first worldwide cartel. 0:06:20.000,0:06:23.052 Their goal was to control[br]the production of lightbulbs 0:06:24.006,0:06:28.033 and to divide the world market[br]between them. 0:06:29.146,0:06:31.836 The cartel was called Phoebus. 0:06:33.003,0:06:38.052 Phoebos included the main lightbulb[br]manufacturers in Europe and USA, 0:06:38.052,0:06:41.675 and even far away colonies[br]like in Asia and Africa. 0:06:43.000,0:06:48.000 They would change the patents,[br]control the production - 0:06:48.000,0:06:51.004 - and above all[br]control consumption. 0:06:51.004,0:06:58.183 It is better for the companies that[br]bulbs must be changed more often. 0:06:58.183,0:07:01.774 Lasting lights are an[br]economic disadvantage. 0:07:02.003,0:07:08.030 Initially, manufacturers striked[br]for a long life span of their bulbs. 0:07:08.065,0:07:11.005 On October twenty-first 1871, 0:07:11.005,0:07:16.002 numerous experiments resulted 0:07:16.002,0:07:19.009 in the production of a small unit lamp[br]of comparatively enormous resistance. 0:07:19.009,0:07:24.000 The filament being under conditions[br]of great stability after this result... 0:07:25.000,0:07:29.006 Tomas Edison's first commercial bulb[br]on sell by 1881... 0:07:29.009,0:07:32.001 lasted 1500 hours. 0:07:33.009,0:07:37.006 By 1924,[br]when the Phoebus cartel was founded, 0:07:37.006,0:07:41.002 manufacturers proudly advertised[br]life spans up to 2500 hours 0:07:41.006,0:07:44.960 and stressed the longevity of their bulbs. 0:07:45.002,0:07:48.037 The members of Phoebus thought: 0:07:48.037,0:07:54.019 "Let's limit the lifespan of[br]a light bulb to 1000 hours." 0:07:57.749,0:08:01.350 In 1925 they appointed a group called 0:08:01.351,0:08:03.596 "The 1000 Hour Life Committee", 0:08:03.713,0:08:11.515 - that would technically reduce the time[br]an incandescent lamp could burn. 0:08:13.916,0:08:15.901 80 years later, 0:08:15.936,0:08:18.001 Helmut Höge, an historiant from Berlin, 0:08:18.004,0:08:20.509 uncoveres proves[br]of the committee's activities 0:08:20.509,0:08:24.002 hidden in the internal documents[br]of the founding members of the cartel: 0:08:25.002,0:08:26.919 such as Phillips in Holland, 0:08:26.919,0:08:28.366 Osram in Germany, 0:08:28.366,0:08:30.569 and Compagnie des Lampes in France. 0:08:31.003,0:08:34.001 Here we have a cartel document: 0:08:34.001,0:08:39.000 "The average life of lamps for[br]General Lighting Service", - 0:08:39.000,0:08:42.064 "must not be guatanteed,[br]published or offered", - 0:08:42.064,0:08:44.003 "for another value than 1000 hours." 0:08:49.002,0:08:50.727 Under pressure from the cartel, 0:08:50.727,0:08:55.000 the member companies conducted experiments[br]to create a more fragil lightbulb, 0:08:55.005,0:08:58.058 that would conform[br]with the new 1000 hours norm. 0:09:09.007,0:09:12.185 All production was managered rigorously 0:09:12.185,0:09:14.813 to make sure cartel members cumplied. 0:09:16.929,0:09:20.479 One measure was to set up 0:09:20.479,0:09:24.716 a stand with many shelves - 0:09:24.716,0:09:30.000 - to which different types[br]of lightbulbs were connected to - 0:09:30.005,0:09:33.006 So the Company Osram[br]was abled to register 0:09:33.006,0:09:36.003 how long they lasted. 0:09:39.006,0:09:43.414 Phoebus enforced its rules[br]through an elaborated burocracy: 0:09:43.414,0:09:48.808 Members were fined heavily if their[br]monthly life reports were off the mark. 0:09:54.977,0:09:59.675 Here we have a list of fines from 1929. 0:09:59.710,0:10:06.165 It shows how many Swiss francs[br]companies had to pay - 0:10:06.165,0:10:14.026 - for example, here when the life[br]of a bulb was about 1500 hours. 0:10:19.545,0:10:22.916 As planned obsolescence took effect, 0:10:23.122,0:10:25.336 lifespans fell steadily. 0:10:25.371,0:10:28.447 in just 2 years,[br]they dropped from 2500 hours... 0:10:28.447,0:10:30.001 to less than 1500 hours. 0:10:33.954,0:10:37.763 By the 1940s,[br]the cartel had reached its goal. 0:10:38.444,0:10:41.529 1000 hours had become the standard lifespan for bulbs. 0:10:43.004,0:10:46.606 I can see how this was[br]very atempting in 1932. 0:10:46.606,0:10:50.802 .... 0:10:50.837,0:10:53.001 ... 0:10:53.001,0:10:56.001 ... 0:10:56.001,0:10:59.006 ... 0:11:02.000,0:11:05.000 ... 0:11:05.000,0:11:07.000 ... 0:11:07.000,0:11:12.006 ... 0:11:16.003,0:11:17.008 ... 0:11:17.008,0:11:20.004 ... 0:11:20.006,0:11:22.009 ... 0:11:24.007,0:11:27.002 ... 0:11:28.654,0:11:30.913 Officially, Phoebus never existed, 0:11:31.003,0:11:34.002 although it's tracks[br]have always been there. 0:11:35.088,0:11:39.935 The strategy has been[br]to constantly change names. 0:11:39.935,0:11:45.442 They used the name "The International[br]Energy Cartel" and others. 0:11:45.442,0:11:50.763 The point is that this idea[br]as an institution still exists. 0:11:56.671,0:11:57.895 In Barcelona, 0:11:57.895,0:12:02.518 Marcos hasn't followed the advise[br]of the shopkeepers to replace his printer. 0:12:02.518,0:12:04.351 He is determined to repair it, 0:12:04.351,0:12:06.486 and he has found somebody[br]on the internet 0:12:06.486,0:12:09.644 who discovered[br]what actually happened to his printer. 0:12:12.779,0:12:15.434 The dirty little secret[br]of the inkjet printers. 0:12:15.434,0:12:20.129 I tried to print a document and it said[br]"parts of the printer requiere replacement". 0:12:20.129,0:12:22.878 So I decided to do[br]a little servicing of my own. 0:12:24.715,0:12:26.958 Hello, Marcos, I received your message. 0:12:26.958,0:12:29.354 Marcos has contacted[br]the author of the video. 0:12:30.003,0:12:36.109 I looked into the printer and there was a sponge 0:12:36.009,0:12:40.009 ::: 0:12:40.009,0:12:42.005 ::: 0:12:42.005,0:12:44.009 ::: 0:12:44.009,0:12:49.003 .... 0:12:49.003,0:12:53.631 and it won't function anymore. 0:12:53.631,0:12:57.070 Their justification is they don't[br]wanna dirty your desk with ink. 0:12:57.105,0:12:58.671 But I think the problem goes[br]deeper than that. 0:12:58.671,0:13:02.102 It's the way technology works:[br]it is just designed to fail. 0:13:12.366,0:13:16.102 Planned obsolescence merged[br]at the same time 0:13:16.102,0:13:19.002 as the mass production[br]and the consumers society. 0:13:20.095,0:13:24.948 The whole issue with products[br]being made to last less long 0:13:24.983,0:13:28.839 is part of a whole pattern[br]that began in the Industrial Revolution 0:13:28.839,0:13:33.310 when the new machines were producing[br]goods so much more cheaply 0:13:33.310,0:13:35.625 which was a great thing for consumers. 0:13:35.625,0:13:38.703 But consumers couldn't keep up[br]with the machines. 0:13:38.738,0:13:40.555 There was so much production. 0:13:42.102,0:13:47.236 As early as 1928,[br]an influential advertising magazine warned: 0:13:47.271,0:13:51.882 " an article that refuses to wear out[br]is a tragedy of business." 0:13:53.998,0:13:56.000 In fact, mass production made many goods 0:13:56.000,0:13:59.007 widely available, the prices dropped 0:13:59.007,0:14:01.203 and many people started shopping for fun 0:14:01.203,0:14:03.138 rather than for need. 0:14:03.138,0:14:05.043 The economy was booming. 0:14:25.535,0:14:31.665 In 1929, the emergent consumer society[br]came to a full stop, 0:14:31.700,0:14:35.758 when the Wall Street crashes the USA[br]into a deep economic ressetion. 0:14:36.005,0:14:39.003 ... 0:14:39.654,0:14:44.037 In 1933, the 25% was unemployed. 0:14:44.471,0:14:47.031 People no longer queued for goods, 0:14:47.032,0:14:49.608 but for work and for food. 0:14:52.887,0:14:58.094 From New York came a radical proposal[br]on how to kick start the economy again. 0:15:00.441,0:15:03.509 Bernard London, a prominent broker, 0:15:03.509,0:15:05.194 suggested ending the depression 0:15:05.194,0:15:08.513 by making planned obsolescence[br]composery by law. 0:15:08.791,0:15:12.605 It was the first time[br]the concept was put into writing. 0:15:14.027,0:15:17.987 Under Bernard London's proposal,[br]all products was given a leace of life 0:15:17.987,0:15:19.785 set with a expiry date, 0:15:19.820,0:15:23.306 after which they[br]would considered legally dead. 0:15:23.341,0:15:26.690 Consumers would turn them over[br]to a government agency 0:15:26.690,0:15:28.129 where they would be destroyed. 0:15:30.155,0:15:33.608 He was trying to achieve a balance[br]between capital and labor 0:15:33.608,0:15:35.738 where there would be always[br]a market for new goods. 0:15:36.240,0:15:38.430 So there would be always need for labor, 0:15:38.430,0:15:40.696 and there would always be[br]a reward for capital. 0:15:43.755,0:15:47.732 Bernard London believed that[br]with compostery planned obsolescence 0:15:47.732,0:15:49.739 the wheels of industry would keep turning, 0:15:49.739,0:15:51.806 people would keep consuming 0:15:51.806,0:15:54.063 and everyone would have a job. 0:15:59.562,0:16:04.674 Giles Slade has come to New York[br]to investigate the person behind the idea. 0:16:05.002,0:16:07.202 He wants to find out[br]if for Bernard London 0:16:07.202,0:16:10.497 the planned obsolescence[br]was purely about profits 0:16:10.497,0:16:12.807 or about helping the unemployed. 0:16:16.041,0:16:20.216 Dorothea Weitzner remembers[br]meeting Bernard London in the 30s 0:16:20.216,0:16:22.378 during a family outing. 0:16:22.413,0:16:24.233 Don't tell me which one he is.. 0:16:26.244,0:16:28.143 Isn't that interesting! 0:16:29.498,0:16:32.420 Definitely intellectual looking... 0:16:32.455,0:16:35.269 -You met Bernard London in 1933... 0:16:35.269,0:16:38.483 -When I was 16 or 17 years old... 0:16:38.518,0:16:41.077 my Dad had a big Cadillac car, 0:16:41.112,0:16:42.876 which was the size of a Zepellin. 0:16:43.001,0:16:47.965 Mother was driving, and Dad in the front, 0:16:48.000,0:16:50.004 and the Londons[br]were sitting in the back. 0:16:50.004,0:16:55.903 Dad said that Mr. London[br]should explain his philosophy to me. 0:16:55.938,0:16:59.472 He was an interesting man[br]and he just told me in a few words 0:16:59.472,0:17:02.648 that this was his idea[br]to reduce the depression. 0:17:02.683,0:17:07.503 We were an economic mess,[br]worth than today even. 0:17:07.538,0:17:09.408 He was obsessed with this idea, 0:17:09.408,0:17:13.528 like an artist is obsessed[br]with his paintings. 0:17:13.563,0:17:15.600 He actually whispered to me, 0:17:15.600,0:17:22.019 that he was afraid that his theory[br]was maybe to radical. 0:17:22.813,0:17:26.916 In fact, Bernard London's proposal[br]was ignored 0:17:26.951,0:17:30.840 and obsolescence by legal obligation[br]was never put into practice. 0:17:35.784,0:17:38.854 20 years later, in the 1950s, 0:17:38.854,0:17:41.440 the idea resurfaced, 0:17:41.440,0:17:43.021 but with a crucial twist: 0:17:43.056,0:17:45.802 instead of forcing planned obsolescence[br]on the consumers 0:17:45.802,0:17:47.677 they would be seduced by it. 0:17:47.712,0:17:49.686 Planned Obsolescence: 0:17:49.686,0:17:52.981 the desire on the part of the consumer 0:17:53.016,0:17:54.948 to own something 0:17:54.948,0:17:57.094 a little newer, a little better, 0:17:57.094,0:17:59.590 a little sooner than is necessary. 0:18:02.001,0:18:03.963 This is the voice of Brook Stevens, 0:18:03.963,0:18:08.268 the apostol of planned obsolescence[br]in postwar America. 0:18:08.303,0:18:10.678 This industrial designer 0:18:10.678,0:18:13.820 created everything from household[br]appliances to cars and trains 0:18:13.855,0:18:16.901 always with planned obsolescence in mind. 0:18:20.098,0:18:21.733 In spirit with the times, 0:18:21.733,0:18:25.792 Brook Stevens' designs[br]convades speed and modernity. 0:18:25.792,0:18:28.125 Even the house, he lived in, was inusual. 0:18:28.551,0:18:31.640 This is the house[br]my father designed and I grew up in. 0:18:31.859,0:18:34.309 When it was being build, 0:18:34.309,0:18:37.151 everyone thought[br]it would be the new bus station 0:18:37.151,0:18:40.219 because it was not looking[br]like a traditional home. 0:18:43.219,0:18:47.438 The most important for my father was 0:18:47.438,0:18:48.005 when designing a product was 0:18:48.778,0:18:51.606 He detested bland productos, 0:18:51.772,0:18:55.376 that didn't create any desire[br]within the consumer 0:18:55.376,0:18:59.069 to inspire the purchase. 0:19:00.625,0:19:03.292 Unlike the European approach in the past, 0:19:03.292,0:19:07.332 where they tryed to make the very[br]best product and make it last forever 0:19:07.367,0:19:12.612 .... 0:19:12.647,0:19:14.004 .... 0:19:14.895,0:19:16.571 The approach in America is one 0:19:16.606,0:19:19.685 of making the American consumer unhappy 0:19:19.685,0:19:22.654 with the product that he has enjoyed, 0:19:22.654,0:19:26.302 having passed it on[br]to the second hand market 0:19:26.302,0:19:29.823 and obtain the newest product[br]with the newest possible look. 0:19:31.330,0:19:34.681 Brook Stevens travelled all over the US 0:19:34.681,0:19:38.275 to promote planned obsolescence[br]in speech after speech. 0:19:38.275,0:19:41.743 His approach[br]became the gospel of the time. 0:19:47.162,0:19:52.227 ... 0:19:52.661,0:19:54.002 .... 0:19:54.002,0:19:57.006 ... 0:20:01.837,0:20:03.747 Design and marketing 0:20:03.747,0:20:07.847 seduced consumers into always[br]desiring the latest model. 0:20:08.000,0:20:10.001 My father never designed a product 0:20:10.001,0:20:12.002 to intentionally fail 0:20:12.002,0:20:16.562 or become obsolete for some functional[br]reason in a short periode of time. 0:20:16.562,0:20:21.286 Planned obsolescence is absolutely[br]on the consumer's discretion. 0:20:22.456,0:20:27.625 Nobody is forcing the consumer to go[br]into the store and purchase a product. 0:20:27.711,0:20:30.467 They go in under their own free will, 0:20:30.467,0:20:32.028 It's their choice. 0:20:36.730,0:20:40.658 Freedom and happiness[br]through unlimited consumption: 0:20:40.693,0:20:43.363 the American way of life in the 1950s 0:20:43.363,0:20:46.769 became the foundation of the[br]consumers society as we know it today. 0:21:02.115,0:21:04.623 Without planned obsolescence 0:21:04.623,0:21:06.794 these places wouldn't exist. 0:21:09.165,0:21:12.728 There wouldn't be any products,[br]there wouln't be any industry, 0:21:12.728,0:21:15.782 there wouldn't be any designers,[br]any architects, 0:21:15.782,0:21:18.727 there wouldn't be any servants, cleaners 0:21:18.727,0:21:20.715 there wouldn't be any security guards, 0:21:20.715,0:21:23.495 all the jobs would go. 0:21:23.495,0:21:25.466 So, how often you change your mobiles? 0:21:25.552,0:21:27.961 -Every 18 month.[br]- Once a year. 0:21:28.893,0:21:31.772 These days, planned obsolescence 0:21:31.772,0:21:34.955 is an integral part of the curricula[br]of design and engineering schools. 0:21:34.955,0:21:39.023 Boris Knuv lections on the concept[br]of product's life circle: 0:21:39.023,0:21:42.001 a modern eufemism for[br]"planned obsolescence". 0:21:43.227,0:21:45.648 I went shopping for you. 0:21:45.648,0:21:47.741 I bought a couple of things: 0:21:47.741,0:21:49.003 a pan, 0:21:49.958,0:21:53.133 salt, a shirt, another shirt... 0:21:53.857,0:21:55.812 Students are taught 0:21:55.812,0:21:58.059 how to design for a business world 0:21:58.059,0:21:59.531 dominated by one single goal: 0:21:59.531,0:22:02.395 frequent repeated purchase. 0:22:02.430,0:22:06.007 I pass this around and you tell me 0:22:06.007,0:22:08.006 how long it takes untill they fail. 0:22:11.419,0:22:15.275 Designers have to understand[br]what company they work for. 0:22:15.275,0:22:18.067 The company decides on a business model 0:22:18.067,0:22:22.131 how often they want[br]to renew their products. 0:22:22.131,0:22:25.568 This information is given to designers 0:22:25.568,0:22:31.375 ... 0:22:31.375,0:22:34.292 ... 0:22:36.904,0:22:38.523 Planned obsolescence 0:22:38.523,0:22:41.792 is at the root of the substantial[br]economic growth 0:22:41.792,0:22:45.239 that the Western world[br]is experienced since the 1950s. 0:22:48.002,0:22:49.381 Ever since, 0:22:49.381,0:22:52.978 growth is the holy grale of our economy. 0:22:56.085,0:22:59.158 Growth Society's logic is not[br]only 0:22:59.158,0:23:02.446 to grow to meet demand - 0:23:02.446,0:23:05.000 - but to grow for the sake of growth;[br]unbounded growth in production - 0:23:05.000,0:23:08.001 - that is justified through[br]the boundless growth in consumption. 0:23:08.001,0:23:13.002 The three crucial factors are advertising,[br]planned obsolescence and credit. 0:23:14.774,0:23:18.706 Serge Latouche is a noted critic[br]of the growth society 0:23:18.706,0:23:21.590 and has written extensively about its mechanisms. 0:23:23.204,0:23:26.688 The three crucial factors are: 0:23:26.688,0:23:31.526 advertising, planned obsolescence and credit. 0:23:37.959,0:23:40.286 Since the last generation, 0:23:40.286,0:23:43.190 our role in life seems to be just[br]to consume things with credits 0:23:43.190,0:23:45.203 to borrow money[br]to buy things we don't need. 0:23:45.203,0:23:47.176 That makes no real sense to me at all. 0:23:49.764,0:23:52.433 Critics of the growth society 0:23:52.433,0:23:55.163 point out that it's unsustainable[br]on a long run 0:23:55.163,0:23:58.176 because it's based[br]on a flagrant contadiction. 0:23:59.208,0:24:04.423 Anyone who thinks that infinite growth[br]is consistent with a finite planet - 0:24:04.423,0:24:07.486 - is either crazy, or an economist. 0:24:07.003,0:24:11.228 The problem is that now[br]we've all become economists. 0:24:12.821,0:24:16.850 Why a product is produced[br]every 3 minutes? 0:24:16.850,0:24:19.328 Is this necessary? 0:24:20.192,0:24:24.123 Many people has realized[br]that there was a need to change 0:24:24.123,0:24:26.666 when they were told by politicians[br]to go shopping 0:24:26.701,0:24:30.264 as the best way to restart the economy. 0:24:30.264,0:24:34.003 With this Growth Society 0:24:34.003,0:24:37.322 we are sitting in a racing car 0:24:37.322,0:24:41.007 -- that no longer has a driver,[br]running at full speed -- 0:24:41.007,0:24:46.370 and that will end up 0:24:46.370,0:24:51.062 crashing into[br]a wall or run off a cliff. 0:25:07.567,0:25:09.924 Looking at the service manuals[br]of different printers, 0:25:09.924,0:25:12.962 Marcos realizes[br]that the lifespan of many printers 0:25:12.962,0:25:17.203 is set up by the engineers[br]right from the start. 0:25:25.342,0:25:29.656 They achieve this by placing a chip[br]deep inside the printer. 0:25:41.760,0:25:45.610 I have found the chip called EEPROM, 0:25:45.645,0:25:48.021 which stores the number of prints. 0:25:48.021,0:25:50.363 And when the user reaches[br]a preset number of prints, 0:25:50.398,0:25:53.006 the printer locks up. 0:26:02.002,0:26:04.112 How do engineers feel 0:26:04.112,0:26:06.375 about designing products to fail? 0:26:06.375,0:26:10.796 The dilema is captiured[br]in a British film from 1951, 0:26:10.796,0:26:15.391 where a young chemist invents[br]an everlasting thread. 0:26:15.343,0:26:18.623 He believes that great progress[br]had been made. 0:26:26.954,0:26:29.649 But not everyone is happy[br]with his discovery. 0:26:30.200,0:26:33.756 And soon he finds himself on the run-[br]not only from the factory owners, 0:26:33.756,0:26:37.296 but also from the workers,[br]all fearing for their jobs. 0:26:38.484,0:26:41.000 Well, that's really interesting,[br]it reminds me of something 0:26:41.000,0:26:44.016 that actually really happened[br]in the textil industry. 0:26:46.495,0:26:50.054 In 1940, the chemical giant DuPont 0:26:50.054,0:26:53.034 anounced the arrival[br]of a revolutionary synthetic fiber: 0:26:53.034,0:26:54.495 nylon! 0:26:58.346,0:27:02.847 Girls celebrated the new longlasting stockings. 0:27:02.847,0:27:05.349 But the joy was short lived. 0:27:05.442,0:27:08.176 My father worked for Dupont 0:27:08.211,0:27:11.451 before and after the war,[br]in the nylon division 0:27:11.451,0:27:16.113 and he told me a story[br]when nylon first came out 0:27:16.113,0:27:19.004 and they were trying it out[br]for stockings 0:27:19.004,0:27:23.593 the men of his division were asked[br]to take these stockings home 0:27:23.593,0:27:26.808 for their wifes and girlfriends[br]to try out. 0:27:27.042,0:27:28.984 My father brought them home[br]to my mother, 0:27:28.984,0:27:34.073 and she was delited with the first products[br]because they were so sturdy. 0:27:38.208,0:27:41.715 The Dupont chemists had every reason[br]to be proud of their achievement, 0:27:41.715,0:27:46.068 as even the men towded[br]the strength of the nylon stockings. 0:27:46.770,0:27:49.475 The problem was, they lasted too long, 0:27:49.475,0:27:53.161 the women were very happy with the fact[br]that they didn't get runners in them, 0:27:53.161,0:27:57.280 unfortunately this meant that[br]the companies producing the stockings 0:27:57.280,0:27:58.869 were not going to sell very many. 0:28:01.839,0:28:05.841 Dupont gave new instructions[br]to Nicole Fox's father and his colegues. 0:28:08.627,0:28:12.000 The men in his division had to go back[br]to the drawing board 0:28:12.000,0:28:14.097 to try to make the fibers weaker, 0:28:14.132,0:28:19.359 and come out with something[br]that was more fragil and would run, 0:28:19.359,0:28:22.087 and so that the stockings[br]wouldn't last as long. 0:28:25.108,0:28:29.458 The same chemists who applied[br]their skills to make durable nylons, 0:28:29.458,0:28:33.646 went with the spirit of the times[br]and made them more fragile. 0:28:33.681,0:28:37.096 This everylasting thread[br]disappeared from the factories, 0:28:37.097,0:28:39.005 just like in the cinema. 0:28:39.040,0:28:42.466 We need control of this discovery. 0:28:42.466,0:28:44.953 If you want the twice the ammount[br]of the contract, we will pay it. 0:28:45.000,0:28:46.009 a cuarter of a million... 0:28:47.620,0:28:49.634 ... 0:28:50.077,0:28:51.944 What did the Dupont chemists feel 0:28:51.944,0:28:55.546 about reducing the life of the products? 0:28:56.451,0:28:58.813 Must have been[br]frustating for the engineers 0:28:58.813,0:29:02.792 to have to use their skills[br]to make an inferior product, 0:29:02.827,0:29:05.801 after they tried so hard[br]to make a good product. 0:29:06.509,0:29:11.935 But I suppose[br]that is the outsider's view. 0:29:12.096,0:29:14.240 Probably they just had a job to do. 0:29:14.240,0:29:17.593 Make it strong, make it weak-[br]that was their job. 0:29:20.096,0:29:23.255 For engineers,[br]it was a complicated ethical time. 0:29:23.595,0:29:25.811 This confrontation[br]with planned obsolescence 0:29:25.811,0:29:29.879 provoked them to examine[br]their most basic ethical concepts. 0:29:31.859,0:29:35.359 There was an old school of engineers[br]that believed 0:29:35.359,0:29:38.264 that they should make prominent usable[br]products that will never break. 0:29:38.264,0:29:41.158 And there was a new school of engineers[br]that were driven by the market, 0:29:41.158,0:29:43.558 they were clearly interested in 0:29:43.558,0:29:45.420 making the most disposable[br]products that they could. 0:29:45.420,0:29:48.003 This debate resolved itself 0:29:48.003,0:29:52.000 by the new school of engineers[br]taking over. 0:29:56.010,0:29:59.547 Planned obsolescence[br]did not only afect engineers, 0:29:59.547,0:30:02.005 the frustation of ordinary consumers 0:30:02.005,0:30:04.775 is reflected[br]in Arthur Miller's classic play 0:30:04.775,0:30:06.243 "Death of a Salesman". 0:30:06.278,0:30:07.005 Just like Willie Lomax, 0:30:07.005,0:30:10.431 all what consumers could do[br]was complain powerlessly. 0:30:10.431,0:30:13.007 ... 0:30:13.007,0:30:16.000 .... 0:30:16.000,0:30:19.007 ... 0:30:19.007,0:30:23.003 ... 0:30:23.003,0:30:25.003 ... 0:30:25.003,0:30:28.005 ... 0:30:30.998,0:30:35.454 Little consumers know that[br]on the other side of the Iron Curtine- 0:30:35.454,0:30:37.615 in the countries of the Eastern block- 0:30:37.615,0:30:41.733 there was a whole economy[br]without planned obsolescence. 0:30:47.603,0:30:51.282 The communist economy[br]wasn't ruled by the free market, 0:30:51.282,0:30:53.929 but centrally planned by the state. 0:30:53.929,0:30:58.448 It was inefficient and plagued[br]by a chronic shortage of resources. 0:30:58.448,0:30:59.672 In such a system, 0:30:59.673,0:31:03.849 planned obsolescence[br]did not make any sense. 0:31:07.156,0:31:09.656 In former east Germany, 0:31:09.656,0:31:12.715 the most efficient communist economy, 0:31:12.715,0:31:15.844 official regulations estipulated[br]that fridges and washing machines 0:31:15.844,0:31:19.616 should work for 25 years. 0:31:22.004,0:31:27.008 I bought this DDR-fridge in 1985. 0:31:27.008,0:31:31.751 It is 24 years old. 0:31:31.751,0:31:35.660 The light bulb is the same age,[br]I have never changed it. 0:31:35.660,0:31:38.002 It is 25 years old. 0:31:41.914,0:31:45.509 In 1981, [br]a lighting factory in East Germany 0:31:45.509,0:31:48.111 launched a long life bulb. 0:31:48.111,0:31:51.234 They took it to an [br]international ligthting fair 0:31:51.234,0:31:53.593 looking for buyers from the West. 0:31:54.265,0:31:58.304 When the East Germans in 1981 0:31:58.304,0:32:00.002 presented the bulb 0:32:00.002,0:32:02.524 at a fair in Hanover, - 0:32:02.524,0:32:06.584 - colleagues in the West said:[br]"You will make yourselves unemployed." 0:32:06.584,0:32:10.001 East Germans engineers replied: 0:32:10.001,0:32:12.282 "On the contrary." - 0:32:12.282,0:32:16.384 - "By saving resources[br]and not wasting tungsten" - 0:32:16.384,0:32:19.425 - "we will keep our jobs." 0:32:22.401,0:32:26.062 The Western buyers rejected the bulb. 0:32:26.530,0:32:30.167 In 1989, the Berlin Wall came down. 0:32:30.375,0:32:32.012 The factory was closed 0:32:32.013,0:32:36.038 and the Eastern German longlife bulb[br]went to out of production. 0:32:37.701,0:32:41.419 Now, it only can be found [br]in exhibitions and museums. 0:32:51.271,0:32:54.312 20 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, 0:32:54.312,0:32:59.637 consumerism is as rampened [br]in the West as in the East. 0:33:06.132,0:33:09.025 But there is one difference:[br]in the age of the internet, 0:33:09.025,0:33:14.004 the consumers are ready to fight [br]against planned obsolescence. 0:33:14.287,0:33:16.863 The first me made[br]that really broke through 0:33:16.863,0:33:19.811 was a movie about the iPod. 0:33:19.811,0:33:23.081 I was completely broke [br]when I bought this iPod 0:33:23.081,0:33:25.485 which costs about 400 or 500 dollars. 0:33:25.485,0:33:30.556 About 8 months later- or 12-[br]the battery died. 0:33:31.089,0:33:35.546 I called Apple to replace the battery 0:33:35.546,0:33:37.624 and their policy at the time 0:33:37.624,0:33:40.951 was to tell their consumers [br]to buy a new iPod. 0:33:40.986,0:33:42.007 - Better buy a new one. 0:33:42.007,0:33:44.007 - Aplle doesn't offer...[br]-No. 0:33:44.007,0:33:48.919 - Apple doesn't offer a new battery?[br]-No. 0:33:49.002,0:33:51.460 I wasn't that the battery died [br]that was annoying.. 0:33:51.460,0:33:53.790 in my Nokia cell phone, 0:33:53.790,0:33:55.823 the battery dies and I buy a new one. 0:33:55.823,0:33:58.258 Even in my Apple laptop[br]when the battery would die 0:33:58.258,0:34:00.157 you would replace the battery. 0:34:00.723,0:34:03.360 But in the iPod, [br]this expensive piece of hardware, 0:34:03.360,0:34:07.303 when the battery died, [br]you had to replace the entiry unit. 0:34:09.660,0:34:13.717 My brother had the idea [br]to make a movie just about that. 0:34:13.717,0:34:17.283 We went around with a stencil 0:34:17.283,0:34:19.514 spray painting over advertising of iPod. 0:34:20.184,0:34:23.888 "iPod's unreplaceable battery [br]lasts only 18 months." 0:34:27.112,0:34:31.237 We put the video in our own site,[br]www. ipodsdirtysecret. com. 0:34:31.237,0:34:33.000 In the first month, 0:34:33.000,0:34:35.453 there were 6 million views 0:34:35.453,0:34:38.199 and the site went absolutely bananas. 0:34:40.649,0:34:44.095 A lawyer in San Francisco,[br]Elizabeth Pritzkar, 0:34:44.095,0:34:45.784 heard about the video, 0:34:45.784,0:34:49.338 and together with her associated decided[br]to sew Apple over the lifespan of the iPod. 0:34:49.996,0:34:52.418 Half century after the lightbulb case, 0:34:52.418,0:34:56.459 planned obsolescence was in court again. 0:34:57.503,0:34:59.712 When we brought this litigation, 0:34:59.712,0:35:02.719 about 2 years after the iPod [br]was introduced, 0:35:02.719,0:35:07.695 Apple had sold about 3 million iPods,[br]nationwide in the US. 0:35:09.213,0:35:12.889 Many of the 3 million iPod owners[br]had having battery problems, 0:35:12.889,0:35:16.095 and were willing to sew. 0:35:16.930,0:35:19.667 One of them was Andrew Westley. 0:35:21.197,0:35:25.133 We selected from among [br]the consumers who had called us 0:35:25.133,0:35:29.145 individuals who would serve [br]as representants in a class action. 0:35:33.180,0:35:34.790 A class action 0:35:34.790,0:35:38.255 is a particular mechanism of the USA. 0:35:38.255,0:35:43.708 where a small group of persons [br]stand for a large group 0:35:43.708,0:35:45.788 to bring a claim before a court. 0:35:47.987,0:35:53.335 My role in that case [br]was to represent 1000 of people, 0:35:53.335,0:35:55.401 maybe tens of thousands of people. 0:35:55.401,0:35:58.978 The case became to be known [br]as "Westley vs. Apple". 0:36:02.032,0:36:06.699 When my friends learned[br]that this was a major case 0:36:06.699,0:36:09.855 they thought I was becoming a radical. 0:36:09.855,0:36:13.000 .... 0:36:16.061,0:36:18.153 In December 2003, 0:36:18.153,0:36:22.426 Elizabeth Pritzker filed the case [br]at the San Mateo County Court, 0:36:22.005,0:36:25.626 just a few blocks [br]from the Apple headquarters. 0:36:28.690,0:36:32.989 We asked Apple [br]for a number of technical documents 0:36:32.989,0:36:35.415 regarding the battery life in the iPod, 0:36:35.415,0:36:38.990 and we received a lot a technical data 0:36:38.990,0:36:41.804 about the battery design, [br]about the testing of the battery. 0:36:42.005,0:36:43.801 We discovered that 0:36:43.801,0:36:48.000 the battery in the iPod 0:36:48.000,0:36:53.461 was designed from the beginning[br]to have a really short life. 0:36:57.542,0:37:00.639 I do think [br]that the development of the iPod 0:37:00.639,0:37:04.161 was intended to be [br]one of planned obsolescence. 0:37:05.645,0:37:07.769 After a tense few months, 0:37:07.770,0:37:10.445 both parts hammered out a settlement: 0:37:10.480,0:37:13.000 Apple put a replacement service [br]for the batteries, 0:37:13.000,0:37:15.489 and extended the guaranty for 2 ańos. 0:37:15.889,0:37:19.464 The claiments were offered compensation. 0:37:21.207,0:37:23.431 One thing that really bothers [br]me personally, is that 0:37:23.431,0:37:26.882 Apple promotes itself 0:37:26.882,0:37:30.649 as a young, hip, [br]forward thinking company. 0:37:30.684,0:37:35.325 And for a company like that,[br]not to have a good environment policy 0:37:36.059,0:37:38.992 that allows consumers to return products 0:37:38.992,0:37:41.343 for proper recycling 0:37:41.343,0:37:45.923 is in contra to their message. 0:37:53.276,0:37:57.628 Planned obsolescence produces [br]a constant stream of waste 0:37:57.628,0:38:01.806 which is shipped to 3rd world countries,[br]such as Ghana in Africa. 0:38:03.050,0:38:05.758 It's between 8 or 9 years now, 0:38:05.758,0:38:09.752 when I noticed[br]that a lot of containers came to Ghana 0:38:09.752,0:38:11.472 with electronic waste. 0:38:12.407,0:38:15.664 We are talking [br]about end-of-life computers 0:38:15.664,0:38:17.150 about end-of-life televisions 0:38:17.150,0:38:20.279 which nobody wants [br]in the developed countries. 0:38:21.978,0:38:23.418 Shipping electronic waste [br]to 3rd world countries 0:38:23.453,0:38:26.748 is forbidden by international law. 0:38:27.041,0:38:30.028 But the merciants use a simple trick: 0:38:30.028,0:38:33.207 they declare the waste[br]as second-hand goods. 0:38:38.888,0:38:42.878 More than 80% of the electronic waste [br]that arrives in Ghana 0:38:42.878,0:38:44.874 is totally be unrepair 0:38:44.874,0:38:48.336 and whole container are abandoned[br]in the dumbsides all around the country. 0:38:49.012,0:38:51.891 We are here [br]at the dumbside of Agbogbloshie. 0:38:51.891,0:38:55.768 In the past, we had this beautiful river [br]called Odaw river, 0:38:55.768,0:38:59.656 ... 0:38:59.656,0:39:02.863 It had so much fish. 0:39:03.540,0:39:06.615 After the school, [br]actually not very far from here, 0:39:06.615,0:39:10.001 we came to play football [br]and hang around the river. 0:39:10.001,0:39:13.457 The fishermen would organize boat rides. 0:39:13.457,0:39:16.206 But now it's all finished, [br]it's all gone. 0:39:16.368,0:39:19.842 And that makes me really really sad[br]and it makes me angry. 0:39:24.907,0:39:29.001 These days, there are no school kids [br]playing here after class. 0:39:29.001,0:39:34.176 Instead, youngsters from poor families[br]come here looking for scrapmetal. 0:39:34.176,0:39:39.007 They burn the plastic covered cables [br]to salvage the metal inside. 0:39:47.001,0:39:48.678 What is left, 0:39:48.678,0:39:53.000 is picked up from the younger children[br]looking for any tiny pieces of metal 0:39:53.003,0:39:54.895 which the older boys may have missed. 0:40:12.136,0:40:14.119 Those behind the shipments say: 0:40:14.119,0:40:17.373 "well, we try to break the digital divide... 0:40:17.373,0:40:21.069 between Europe, America and [br]then the rest as Africa, like Ghana. 0:40:21.121,0:40:24.237 But the reality is that [br]the computers that arrive here 0:40:24.237,0:40:25.942 does not work. 0:40:28.831,0:40:31.981 It makes no sense to receive 0:40:31.981,0:40:34.000 if you cannot deal with it 0:40:34.000,0:40:38.000 and the country is used[br]as the world's trash bin. 0:40:46.062,0:40:50.826 The trash that has been [br]so long hidden from view 0:40:50.826,0:40:52.559 is now coming in our life 0:40:52.559,0:40:54.835 and we have no longer reason [br]to avoid it. 0:40:54.870,0:40:58.257 The waste economy[br]is reaching its last legs 0:40:58.257,0:41:00.997 because fisically there is no space [br]to put the waste. 0:41:00.997,0:41:05.001 In the course of time, [br]we've come to realize 0:41:05.001,0:41:09.007 that the planet we're living on [br]cannot sustain that forever. 0:41:09.007,0:41:12.002 There is a limit of natural resources 0:41:12.002,0:41:14.003 and there is a limit to energy resources. 0:41:15.254,0:41:17.679 Posterity will never forgive us. 0:41:17.714,0:41:22.003 ...the throw-away attitudes 0:41:22.003,0:41:25.835 the throw-away life styles of people[br]in the advanced countries. 0:41:27.806,0:41:29.547 People all over the world 0:41:29.547,0:41:33.238 have started acting [br]against planned obsolescence. 0:41:34.825,0:41:38.509 Mike Anane is fighting against it [br]from receiving it. 0:41:38.509,0:41:41.572 He has started [br]by collecting information. 0:41:42.318,0:41:47.293 This is where I keep the waste[br]which have property targets. 0:41:47.293,0:41:52.257 This says "AMU Centre, North-West Sjaelland",[br]it's from Denmark. 0:41:52.257,0:41:56.003 This is from Germany, [br]send here just to be damned. 0:41:56.829,0:41:58.135 Westminster college, 0:41:58.135,0:42:02.104 Apple should know better: [br]Apple is a company that says to be ecologic 0:42:01.009,0:42:05.008 There are a lot of Apple products [br]that are being damned here. 0:42:07.046,0:42:12.516 We have a data base with the asset targets[br]and contacts 0:42:12.516,0:42:15.283 and telephone numbers of the companies [br]that owned 0:42:15.283,0:42:18.070 the electronic waste damned in Ghana. 0:42:19.774,0:42:22.490 Mike Anane plannes [br]to turn this information 0:42:22.490,0:42:25.680 into evidence in a Court case. 0:42:29.935,0:42:33.481 We need to take some action, [br]some punitive measure. 0:42:33.481,0:42:35.002 We need to process people, 0:42:35.002,0:42:38.001 so they stop dumping e-waste in Ghana. 0:42:49.231,0:42:51.715 Marcos is on the internet again 0:42:51.715,0:42:54.453 looking for a way [br]to extend the life of his printer. 0:42:57.002,0:43:01.301 He has discovered a Russian website[br]who offers a free software 0:43:01.301,0:43:03.714 for printers with a counter chip. 0:43:04.899,0:43:07.719 The programmer has even [br]gone to the trouble 0:43:07.720,0:43:10.320 of explaining his personal motivation: 0:43:10.320,0:43:12.793 This happens due of a bad construction, 0:43:12.793,0:43:14.891 this is their business model, 0:43:14.891,0:43:18.101 not a good one for users [br]and the environment. 0:43:18.101,0:43:22.469 So I found the way to create [br]a userfriendly software 0:43:22.469,0:43:27.571 to allow the reset of the counter. 0:43:27.753,0:43:30.134 Marcos doesn't know what to expect, 0:43:30.134,0:43:33.378 but downloads the software anyway. 0:43:35.864,0:43:38.135 From a small village in France, 0:43:38.135,0:43:40.934 John Thackara fights planned obsolescence 0:43:40.934,0:43:42.989 by helping share [br]business and design ideas, 0:43:42.989,0:43:45.476 ideas which come from all over the globe. 0:43:46.240,0:43:50.003 In the poorer countries,[br]the things are repaired automatically. 0:43:50.003,0:43:52.884 The idea to throw away a product[br]because it breaks 0:43:52.884,0:43:57.564 is unthinkable for somebody[br]in the South. 0:43:59.251,0:44:01.533 In India, there is actually a word, [br]"jugaad", 0:44:01.533,0:44:05.159 that describes the tradition [br]of being able to fix things, 0:44:05.159,0:44:08.585 pretty much regardless [br]of the complexity of it. 0:44:11.625,0:44:15.298 We try to find people [br]who are actively doing projects 0:44:15.298,0:44:20.466 rather than making abstract statements 0:44:20.466,0:44:22.972 about how awful things are [br]or that it has to be changed. 0:44:27.589,0:44:30.102 One of these people is Warner Phillips, 0:44:30.102,0:44:33.511 descendent of the dynasty [br]of lightbulb manufacturers. 0:44:38.021,0:44:40.405 I remember my grandfather taking me to 0:44:40.405,0:44:41.971 the Phillips' factories 0:44:42.001,0:44:46.002 to show me [br]how lightbulbs were mass manufactured 0:44:46.002,0:44:48.004 which is very cool. 0:44:53.196,0:44:56.023 Nearly a 100 years after the creation [br]of the lightbulb cartel, 0:44:56.023,0:44:58.970 Warner Philips follows the family tradition, 0:44:58.970,0:45:01.301 but with a different approach: 0:45:01.301,0:45:05.347 he produces a LED-bulb [br]which lasts 25 years. 0:45:09.464,0:45:13.524 It's not like there is a green world[br]and there is a business world. 0:45:16.147,0:45:18.963 Business and sustaintibility[br]is going hand in hand. 0:45:18.963,0:45:21.109 Actually, it's the best basis [br]to build the business on. 0:45:21.620,0:45:24.261 The only way to do this 0:45:24.261,0:45:26.946 is to consider the true cost 0:45:26.946,0:45:30.012 of the resources that have been used. 0:45:30.012,0:45:31.380 Also look at the energy consumption, 0:45:31.380,0:45:35.043 also the indirect consumption [br]of transportation. 0:45:35.296,0:45:40.089 The transport sector would pay[br]the actual costs of shipping, - 0:45:40.089,0:45:46.407 - not to mention the fact[br]that oil is unrenewable, - 0:45:46.407,0:45:50.847 - if the current price was[br]multiplied by 20 or 30. 0:45:51.727,0:45:54.708 ... 0:45:54.708,0:45:58.791 ... 0:45:58.791,0:46:03.463 ... 0:46:05.483,0:46:08.976 Fighting against planned obsolescence 0:46:08.976,0:46:13.016 can also be achieved by rethinking the [br]engineering and the production of the goods. 0:46:13.016,0:46:17.014 A new concept called "cradle to cradle", 0:46:17.014,0:46:20.111 claims that if the factories [br]works as nature 0:46:20.111,0:46:23.731 planned obsolescence itself [br]would become obsolete. 0:46:28.003,0:46:32.002 saving, reduction, zero waste, etc. 0:46:33.000,0:46:36.004 But nature doesn't save anything,[br]eg. when a cherry blossoms... 0:46:36.004,0:46:39.003 ... 0:46:43.002,0:46:46.003 Nature produces abundanly, 0:46:46.003,0:46:50.767 but fallen blossoms, dead leafs [br]and other discarded materials are not waste. 0:46:50.767,0:46:54.091 They become nutrients for other organisms. 0:46:55.615,0:46:59.500 Nature produces no waste,[br]only nutrients. 0:47:02.175,0:47:07.337 Braungart believes that industry can[br]imitate this virtuous circle of nature. 0:47:08.031,0:47:11.665 He proved that this is possible [br]when he redesigned the production process 0:47:11.666,0:47:14.378 of a Swiss textile company. 0:47:16.003,0:47:22.737 Imagine a sofa or a chair[br]with a fabric like this; - 0:47:22.737,0:47:26.314 - it's decorations are so toxic that 0:47:26.349,0:47:28.827 it must be handled as hazardous waste. 0:47:31.517,0:47:35.381 Braungart found that hundreds [br]of highly toxic chemicals 0:47:35.381,0:47:39.414 were used at the factory. 0:47:40.002,0:47:42.438 For the production of the new fabrics, 0:47:42.438,0:47:44.993 Braungart and his team reduced the list 0:47:44.993,0:47:49.532 at 36 sustances,[br]all of them biodegradable. 0:47:50.810,0:47:54.256 Now we select edible materials. 0:47:54.256,0:47:57.715 You should be able[br]to have this with your muesli. 0:47:58.508,0:48:00.219 In a waste-based society, 0:48:00.219,0:48:03.087 short-life products [br]will cause problems of waste. 0:48:03.087,0:48:05.778 But if manufactureres use nutrients, 0:48:05.778,0:48:09.679 the products can become something new. 0:48:10.396,0:48:14.119 For the more radical critics[br]of planned obsolescence, 0:48:14.119,0:48:17.201 reforming production is not enough: 0:48:17.201,0:48:21.220 they want to rethink our[br]entiry economic system and our values. 0:48:21.711,0:48:25.555 A true revolution[br]requires a cultural change, - 0:48:25.555,0:48:29.002 - a paradigm shift and[br]a change in mentality. 0:48:29.608,0:48:33.066 This revolution is called "De-growth". 0:48:33.066,0:48:35.859 Serge Latouche travels [br]from conference to conference 0:48:35.859,0:48:40.906 explaining how to get out [br]of the growth society alltogether. 0:48:41.599,0:48:45.277 Anti-Growth is a provocative[br]slogan that will break - 0:48:45.277,0:48:49.794 the way of thought 0:48:49.794,0:48:55.539 that considers infine growth [br]to be possible and sustainable. 0:48:55.539,0:49:00.594 It marks the necessity[br]to change our logic. 0:49:02.877,0:49:06.066 The main message of anti-growth is 0:49:06.066,0:49:10.411 to reduce our environmental footprint, - 0:49:10.411,0:49:15.175 - our waste, overproduction[br]and overconsumption. 0:49:16.001,0:49:21.711 By reducing production and consumption[br]we get more free time - 0:49:21.711,0:49:24.818 - to develop other forms of wealth 0:49:24.818,0:49:29.676 that can't be exhausted, - 0:49:29.676,0:49:31.913 - for example[br]friendship and learning. 0:49:35.437,0:49:37.342 ... 0:49:37.342,0:49:40.005 ... 0:49:40.005,0:49:43.212 ... 0:49:43.212,0:49:45.177 .... 0:49:45.177,0:49:47.649 ... 0:49:47.684,0:49:50.903 ... 0:49:50.903,0:49:53.332 ... 0:49:57.569,0:50:02.130 If happiness was dependent[br]on our consumption level, - 0:50:02.130,0:50:05.915 we should be 100% content. 0:50:05.915,0:50:10.689 We consume 26 times more[br]than in Marx's time. 0:50:10.689,0:50:12.731 But all studies show 0:50:12.731,0:50:15.353 that people are not 20 times happier. 0:50:15.353,0:50:18.283 Because happiness is always subjective. 0:50:22.009,0:50:27.002 Critics of degrowth say that[br]it will destroy our modern economy 0:50:27.002,0:50:30.000 and would take us straight [br]back to the Stone Age. 0:50:32.004,0:50:34.007 To return to a society[br]of sustainable development - 0:50:34.007,0:50:39.004 To return to a society[br]of sustainable development - 0:50:39.004,0:50:43.000 - is not to go back to the[br]Stone Age, but to the 1960s. 0:50:43.000,0:50:46.001 - is not to go back to the[br]Stone Age, but to the 1960s. 0:50:46.001,0:50:49.002 It is far from the Stone Age. 0:50:52.000,0:50:56.834 Anti-Growth Society meets[br]Ghandi's vision: 0:50:56.834,0:50:59.780 "The world is big enough 0:50:59.780,0:51:02.012 to satisfy everyone's needs," - 0:51:02.012,0:51:03.967 - "but will always be too small 0:51:03.967,0:51:06.401 to satisfy individual greed." 0:51:33.034,0:51:37.786 Marcos is installing [br]the russian freeware on his computer. 0:51:41.761,0:51:43.132 The new software allowes him 0:51:43.133,0:51:46.555 to reset the counter chip [br]inside his printer back to zero. 0:51:49.395,0:51:53.602 The printer inmediately unlocks.