<p>The topic is about the implication and opinion of an annual "Buy Nothing Day." Thank you. </p>
<p>Environmentalism is becoming a hotter and hotter topic today. First introduced by Carlson in her Silent Spring, environmental movements have achieved much more than people are expecting as the Congress has passed lots of acts and regulations concerning pollution and ecological damage. Among floods of activities propagated by environmentalists are a series of Days ---- Buy Nothing Day, No Driving Day, and No Hunting Day. Though some of these movements are spectacular and even worldwide, I doubt that they, especially the Buy Nothing Day, can really benefit the environment. </p>
<p>To what extent can the Buy Nothing Day reduce peoples consumption effectively? I believe that the answer is minimal. There are 365 days a year so it is nonsense to say that this movement can reduce peoples buying by 10%, or even 1%. Even worse, many people may celebrate their success in refraining from buying for one day by eating and drinking with friends at the exact midnight next day at a bar. Having luxurious foods, drinking exorbitantly, and singing or shouting loudly, are they really doing good to the environment? Actually, they are emitting much more waste than that produced in the manufacturing of the products they otherwise would buy in the daytime. Therefore, this kind of one moment environmental protection usually will cause the opposite to our fragile ecosystem. </p>
<p>Even if this Buy Nothing Day has a worldwide influence in stopping people consuming for a day, the impact to other fields, especially economics, may be disastrous. Can you imagine a day without any transaction? Or your mom, a grocery owner, selling nothing at all when she comes home? Or large shopping malls cut the price far lower than production cost but nevertheless facing empty aisles? In the history, only during the Great Depression, if any, did people experience this kind of severe recession. Thousands of companies will go bankruptcy during the day. millions of workers will be fired by firms which prepare for the zero selling day. All of these costs far outweigh the limited, if any, benefits that people will bring to the environment. </p>
<p>But what should we do if the Buy Nothing Day is not viable and feasible? Instead of forcing people to stop purchasing for one day, environmentalists should advocate a Consume Less Year which encourages people to consume less (use cars less, buy less luxurious products, and save electricity). By getting used to an overall lower level of buying, people can protect the environment more effectively without hurting other industries. </p>
<p>When people realize the importance of protecting the Earth rationally and take proper actions instead of becoming radical and stopping all behaviors that will cause little impacts to the environment after they are aroused by passionate speeches about the tragic future delivered by some people (may be intentionally), there is a greater hope for people to reverse what the Industrial Revolution has negatively brought to us and live with nature in a more harmonious way.</p>