Now I don’t mean to be insulting. I know you think all the time. But, life is so busy these days (how often do you hear that), we are often thinking about things like work… getting to where we need to be…money….all kinds of stuff. But how often do we think about things outside of our lives?
As an eco-retailer, it is my goal to inspire people to think about what they are buying. What materials went into making the items you buy? How much energy (and pollution) went into the manufacture? Who made it? Where will it go when you are done with it?
I was in a thrift store yesterday and there was tons of brand new, in-the-package- Halloween decorations, costumes, and toys. They all had a Target sticker on them. Apparently it was overstock from the big box store and it got me thinking: How much stuff gets produced to just end up eventually in a landfill? Because one way or another, this is where all this paraphenelia is going – to the dump.
And I also thought, these items are so inexpensive, how could the people who made it have possibly been paid a fair wage? From what I’m learning about the cost of cheap items, the people working in the factories to make such things were not paid fairly at all. And the land that gets exploited for the raw materials gets jipped as well. (This short film ‘The Story of Stuff” is a must see.) And I’m not just talking about Halloween decorations, of course. There is so much “stuff” on shelves in all kinds of stores. How much of it do we really need? And is it really making us happy? Is it worth the cost to our planet and people’s lives? If we do need something, or if it does really make us happy, are there better alternatives that I can choose?
Now, it gets confusing to think about all these things. At first it might seem like a burden to ponder factory conditions and raw materials. But once you do think about these things it becomes habit- and instead of being burdened, you become empowered – empowered to make the world a better place to live. I read a quote from an inner-city school principal, what he said to students the morning a child got shot in front of the school: “This is abnormal. And If you think it is normal, then you are oppressed.” And that’s how I see destructive consumerism. We have become conditioned to think we need so much, and not give a thought to where it comes from. We are so disconnected from the source of the everyday things we rely so heavily upon. And to me that is oppressive. Once we think about the consequences our choices make, we then take back control: control of the world we live.
Choosing things that are fairly traded, or well-made with safe materials is saying you want more of that. And if these things cost a little more so someone can be paid a fair wage you may have to buy less, and that is saying, you care more about others than you do yourself. And if you keep doing that, other people will catch on. Then the world can be filled with good things, such as healthy eco-systems and equality for all. As Mahatma Gandhi said “Be the change you want to see in the world.” Because I know you care, and no amount of caring is too small, even when it is deciding if you should buy that .99 cent rubber snake.
So instead of just unconsciously consuming, shop consciously. And while you are at it, smile at a stranger. That’s catching too!
Great column. Empowering!
Hey, I’ve got some beer books for your book section.
Caroline’s got a soccer game in Clifton today (10/02). I could stop in after that.
Cheers
Tony
551-587-7933