CONSUMPTION , noun
Means : the act or process of using up or consuming or the act of eating or drinking something….
The word CONSUMPTION features in Pixie’s stories quite a lot on PURPOSE! Have you read the books? Can you spot the word ‘consumption‘ in the books?
In Pixie Van Dimple and the Wrong Kind of Artificial Intelligence we are describing how we are all glued to our devices endlessly and gives the impression that we are over consuming, or over-using our phones to the point of limits being reached! Not good Pixie can tell you! Sorry Pixie, I know you are not quite over that yet!
‘The possibilities of WiFi and multimedia messaging are gathering pace To propel us to become the most socially connected race. But our CONSUMPTION of the device now rising to glutinous degrees Is causing the most terrifying, zombie-fying brain freeze!’
Pixie Van Dimple and the Wrong Kind of Artificial Intelligence
In Pixie Van Dimple and the Wrong Kind of Wind, we are talking about actually eating too much sugar and how it is causing medical issues such as diabetes and it rots your teeth too! Not good either!
‘It was serious stuff this sugar CONSUMPTION Causing all manners of issues endemic to the society of today’
Pixie Van Dimple and the Wrong Kind of Wind
And in the latest story, Pixie Van Dimple and the Wrong Kind of Plastic, we are talking about Pixie and her sister, Trixie, eating too many sweets and fizzy drinks, and they were trying to hide the evidence! Not a good look Girls! “OMG!”
The girls exclaimed, realising that they had CONSUMED a lot of stuff that was indeed taboo. There was no bin in sight, nowhere to deposit the TOXIC waste Now all that ghastly tuck had left a bitter taste They looked around them sheepishly, the BAG dangling from Pixie’s hand They thought they should GET RID OF IT! Bury it in the sand?
Pixie Van Dimple and the Wrong Kind of Plastic
The word CONSUMPTION was chosen, to make us all feel just a little full! Like we had eaten too much… filled ourselves up. Overdone it! Pixie certainly had in all the stories which set off a whole sequence of events. And as for plastic waste – the tap is NEVER off :(((((
In Pixie Van Dimple and the Wrong Kind of Wind, this resulted in a very loud, smelly purple FART!!! (Horrified emoji!)
We can also describe our using up of things, such as the plastic and our continual using up of Earth’s resources as over-consuming. We can say that our shopping habits are out of control as we over consume – I mean, how many pairs of trainers do we ACTUALLY need?? How many pairs of jeans can we wear at once? Do you or your family end up buying the same things over and over when you can’t find things in your house because there is too much stuff everywhere?? Have you seen Sort Your Life Out on the tv?
As for food – our over-consumption of food is unhealthy, particularly, fast foods. Let’s consider the fact that supermarkets want us to buy as much as possible so they have ‘offers’ like ‘buy one get one free’ to make us think we are getting a bargain – but can we eat all that food, or does it get thrown away at home? Are you tempted to buy food you don’t need because it is on the shelf placed near the till or looks irresistible with it’s colourful and inviting packaging? Do you go to restaurants or cafes and order too much and end up leaving it on the plate?
Let’s now think about the result of all this consumption… Well, you got it, it means there is loads of WASTE. UURRGGGG! What are we going to do with it all? Throw it in a (very large) BIN? Bury it in the ground?? Burn it?? Dump it in our oceans?? Noooooooooooo!
What we need to do is reduce our CONSUMPTION, stop buying more and more random stuff, buy wisely and mindfully, re-using stuff so that we are not producing vast and unmanageable amounts of WASTE. We must STOP throwing stuff away like single use plastics and things we don’t want or like anymore and recycle it, give it to charity or sell it online – see value in used items.
We must stop our linear way of thinking, and think Circularity, like in Pixie Van Dimple’s Circularity Song – we made it into a music track using Suno AI
Think no more straight lines of taking, making, using up and chucking out, and moving towards a circular economy…where things are made from planet friendly materials, made to last and nothing is wasted! There – simples!
More of that next time…
In the meantime peeps, consider this… how much stuff do you CONSUME? and how much do you throw out? Do you OVERCONSUME?
And a little challenge…
- Find out all you can about ‘Circularity’ and the ‘Circular Economy’ – it’s the future kids! Tell your parents! Look it up or ask your teachers!
2. Find a household item, something in your garden or the garage (like a bicycle!) Look at what it is made of.. What are the components (parts) ? What are the parts made out of? What else could you make out of the parts? Could you design something that is planet friendly?
Best responses get a free signed copy of one of the books or even both ! YAY!!!!!!
Lots of love XOXOXOXOXOXO
Lynn McAllister 