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"Freegans" go to great lengths to find what they
need to live, rather than buying it.
The people you see here call
themselves "freegans" -- a made-up word that comes
from combining "free" with "vegan," a type
of vegetarian. These people are very against something called
consumerism, which they say controls our society. Consumerism
means being too caught up in buying things. Do you think our
culture is too consumerist? Freegans say they totally boycott
-- refuse to buy from -- our economic system. This is not easy
to do and it leads them to some practices that some of us might
find unpleasant. For instance, because they will not buy groceries,
they find food in garbage containers, like the girl on the left.
Can you imagine doing this? They say they have no trouble
finding food that's in perfect or near-perfect condition because
of the huge amount of food that is thrown away daily, mostly
from restaurants and grocery stores. They also find nearly every
other product they need, like household items or clothing, in
trash containers. They say that because they reuse items that
were thrown out, it helps cut down on the vast amount that ends
up in landfills. They also find and harvest food and medicinal
plants that grow right in their community, like at right. Freegans
are strong believers in community, and they try to share items
whenever possible. Freegans also try not to use cars, in an effort
to cut down on pollution. Can you imagine living this way?
Do you agree with what they do, or do you think it is too extreme?
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THOUGHT
QUESTIONS:
Do you admire
"freegans" and their values? Do you think they will
really help the world?
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FOR
MORE INFORMATION:
Visit the freegans' own Web site
to learn all about their lifestyle and their beliefs.
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