ARTICLE SUMMARY:America (and to be fair, many highly developed countries) has this nasty habit towards reckless consumption. Single use, single serve, tossing something simply because it's old or not in style anymore or throwing things away rather than fixing it has became hallmarks of a world of rampant consumption, with little regard for our effect on the planet. However, now, with widespread concern about CO2, phosphates, green products and organics (and our impact on the world in general), we're seeing a change. One move is in the form of repair shops, where people can bring in those broken toasters, bikes, lamps and what ever else rather than toss them. They have been popping up all over the country, providing guidance and tools on how to fix whats broken. And with virtual versions like the site iFixIt, which provides manuals and instructions to fix just about anything (including tool rentals and parts), perhaps the fourth R--Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Repair--will be the way of the future.
SITE: http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Making-a-difference/Change-Agent/2013/0712/Reduce-reuse-recycle-and-repair-New-York-s-Pop-Up-Repair-shop
EDIT 10/2 : Another fabulous article related to the topic of a Sharing Economy, specifically, how people make a living through things like TaskRabbit, Airbnb, Lyft, etc.
http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/upgrade-your-life/new-ways-to-avoid-getting-a-real-job-155115466.html?vp=1
