Nancy Macy, Chair, Environmental Committee

VWC members will be excited about the work of environmental organization The Center for a New American Dream , and especially about its online brochure “Tips for Parenting in a Commercial Culture.” Here is what New Dream says about its work:  

The Center for a New American Dream helps Americans reduce and shift their consumption to improve quality of life, protect the environment, and promote social justice.

Since 1997, New Dream has raised awareness of the negative impact of a hyper-consumer culture. Our focus on the connections between consumption, quality of life, and the environment has made New Dream unique among environmental and progressive groups.

New Dream seeks to change social norms around consumption and consumerism and to support individuals and communities pursuing lifestyle and community action.

We want to cultivate a new American dream—one that emphasizes community, ecological sustainability, and a celebration of non-material values, while upholding the spirit of the traditional American dream of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

So, New Dream envisions a society that pursues not just “more,” but more of what matters—and less of what doesn’t. The “Parenting” brochure will be of real help to parents working to reduce the impacts of consumerism on their children.