armchair activist

sm_armchair A touch of slacktivism:
take a stand while sitting
comfortably in couch and conscience

What’s this then?

A tongue-in-cheek approach to the serious job of taking some responsibility for the way we live. Just a few saintly moves will go a long way to getting our asses off picket fences and into virtual picket lines.

1 – Delegate what you hate

b-delegate-what-you-hateFor a while now, you’ve wanted to be more diligent about recycling, if only to justify your compulsive consumerist tendencies. But at the end of a long day, the last thing you want to do is wash out bottles, rinse cans etc. Well, just delegate!

2 – Curtail therapy

b-curtail-therapyOn Buy Nothing Day you can do just that! Recline in front of a good movie, with bottle of wine and delicious snacks close to hand. Just think, it’s the one day of the year you can (almost) justifiably be a lay-about.

3 – Turn off for a turn-on

b-turn-off-for-turn-on1Hurrican Ike had an unexpected consequence: a mini baby boom — no electricity meant no TV, which meant, well folks came up with their own forms of entertainment. And if you don’t plan to grow your family, just keep some of the myriad available contraceptives to hand, then turn off the telly and see what happens next.

4 – Here’s the dope

b-here-the-dopeYou’ve heard rumours about how first world countries are being kept doped up, and third world populations are being given over-priced and/or expired drugs. Is it the conspiracy theory you think it is?

5 – Tickets for the gas guzzlers

its-tickets-for-gas-guzzlersFrom tiny Smart Cars to humungous humvees, hybrid electric cars are all the rage. You can kick your conservation into high gear and get a snazzy hybrid of your own. They even come in sports models.

6 – Lightsabers and energy savers

b-lightsabers-energy-saversAt Lesson 6, you’re well past the half-way mark and on your way to becoming a fully fledged Armchair Activist. Just as well, because this module is going to challenge your way of life — and save you heaps of lolly. Have you got what it takes?

7 – Beat those sweatshop blues

b-beat-those-sweatshop-bluesEverybody’s heard of sweatshops, even you. Are you cut from the same cloth as The Evil Man? Now b gives you the connections to clean up your act and make a different kind of fashion statement.

8 – Put your money where your mouse is

b-your-money-where-your-mouse-isWhat’s the deal with click-to-donate sites — a scam or a service? Find out how to check and what you can do to make a difference, all from the comfort of your couch.