"Local or Organic? It's a false choice"

Even though there is still snow on the ground in New England, it's time to start thinking about your summer menu. If you plan to eat locally grown foods this summer for optimal health and taste (benefiting the planet as well by reducing carbon emissions and fuel use), check out Local Harvest to find farmer's markets, community supported agriculture programs, and farms that sell direct in your area.

If you live in the Boston area, we will be hosting a potluck on March 11th in Jamaica Plain titled "Local or Organic? It's a false choice" to talk about the benefits of both. According to Samuel Fromitz, author of Organic, Inc: Natural Foods and How they Grew, the local and organic markets account for only 2% of total food sales. Instead of worrying so much about whether buying local trumps buying organic (from California), the larger job is to convince the majority of Americans to try either. For more on this topic, see Samuel Fromitz's Grist article. Come on March 11th to hear about the options, opportunities, and obstacles (there is still snow afterall) to eating sustainably in the Boston metro area. An Evite to our event will follow later in the week.

Judging by the growth of farmer's markets around the country (the number of farmer's markets has more than doubled in the past 10 years according to data from the USDA, and has increased more than 18% in the past 2 years), the American public is catching on. As Michael Pollan notes in his best-selling book The Omnivore's Dilemma:

"...a successful local food economy implies not only a new kind of food producer, but a new kind of eater as well, one who regards finding, preparing, and preserving of food as one of the pleasures of life rather than a chore. One whose sense of taste has ruined him for a Big Mac, and whose sense of place has ruined him for shopping for groceries at Wal-Mart."

Won't you join us in becoming a new kind of eater?

We've got a new website!

We are very excited to announce our new web site, www.consciousconsuming.org and wish to give the students at Boston University's School of Design a big thanks for helping us design the site. Please check it out, and share our web address with friends and family. If you have your own blog or website, we would very much appreciate it if you add us to your links on the sidebar. Thanks!

Personal Savings Lowest Since Great Depression

Americans' personal savings rates have fallen to a 74-yr. low into negative savings, according to an article by the Associated Press. In fact, it's the lowest it's been since the Great Depression.

There's a lot of speculations as to why Americans are spending more than they're making. Perhaps it has to do with very economic matters, such as high housing prices causing people to feel like they have more wealth than before.

But maybe it has to do with our consumer culture and this need to always be spending.

Whatever is the case, it can't last for very much longer until people have to change their ways.

Affluenza: Rampant consumerism erodes us - Yahoo! News

There's a new book out by British psychologist Oliver James called Affluenza. That's the same name of a PBS movie produced by John DeGraf in 1994. Based on what I read in this short article Affluenza: Rampant consumerism erodes us - Yahoo! News, it looks like things haven't gotten much better since then:

"Bigger houses, more cars, larger televisions, younger faces
-- these goals are frenetically pursued by middle-class
workaholics afflicted by 'Affluenza.'

'Studies in lots of different nations show that if you
place high value on those things, you are more likely to suffer
depression, anxiety, addictions and personality disorders,' he
said."

Gift it Up! 2006 comes to You Tube

Gift it Up! 2006 raised over $8,000 for 14 Boston area non-profits. Please check out our You Tube video to see our successful event for yourself!

Where does your food come from?

In Costa Rica, I took tours of coffee, banana, and pineapple farms.

While I've read a lot about these industries in the past, I've never seen them up close or met many people who work there. On this trip, my eyes were open to where my food comes from.

Coffee, bananas, and pineapples are back-breaking crops. Coffee berries don't ripen all at once, so each berry has to be picked by hand when it's ready. Since bananas and pineapples are so easily bruised, each fruit has to be carefully grown, picked, and packaged by hand. This labor-intensive work means lots of jobs, but jobs where the worker is bent over, in the sun, for twelve hours each day.

Thanks to organizations such as the Rainforest Alliance, working conditions have improved a lot since the 80's, with higher wages, protective gear from harmful chemicals, and independent inspections of the farms and factories. But in a place where $15/day is a good wage, it's hard to justify supporting these industries by consuming exotic fruits way up North.

But these harsh conditions aren't going to go away just because I stop eating bananas, and I'm not sure I want these jobs to be taken away from Costa Ricans, either. I can understand the argument that although these are awful jobs, they are jobs that allow people to subsist in a poor country.

Right now, I'll continue to do what I know how to do.

First, buy locally at all times. Wonderful fruits and vegetables are grown right here in New England, even throughout the winter, and these farmers deserve my support as well. Plus, locally grown foods mean less transportation costs, which means less impact on our environment as a whole.

Secondly, when I do buy coffee, bananas, or pineapples, I look for fairly traded, organic products. Fair Trade means higher wages and better working conditions for the workers. Organic means less chemicals used, which means that much less exposure to the workers every day. Also, organic earns a higher price, often translating to a higher price for the farmers. (Here's a great piece by Oxfam America on organic rice farmers in Cambodia.)

You can also learn more:
Rainforest Alliance's Sustainable Agriculture program
TransFair: Fair Trade Certified

Being a Conscious Consumer Abroad

It's the time of the year where many of us are going abroad for vacation, and I'm no exception.

I'm heading off to Costa Rica for 10 days on a class trip. We'll be looking at how the country has managed to make conservation into a profitable industry through ecotourism, sustainable agriculture and forestry, and partnerships with for-profit companies from North America and Europe. Doing so makes Costa Ricans -- from politicians to farmers -- realize how important it is to conserve the unique and diverse natural resources the country holds, hopefully allowing these resources to be around for hundreds of years to come. (If only we could do this here!)

As a tourist from the U.S., I'm very aware of my role in a country that's struggling with immense poverty. I'll uphold my pledge of responsible tourism with the awareness that my individual behavior reflects on my school and my country.

Being a Conscious Consumer doesn't stop at the border!

Hey Economist: get the facts right on Fair Trade

An article in the Economist (I found it in the New York Times) seeks to explain why buying organic and fair trade doesn't protect the environment in the long run.

Ah, but if it only had its facts straight.

For instance, the article talks about how Fair Trade coffee has forced the production of coffee to increase, thereby making the "real" price of coffee go down. But, it doesn't talk about why coffee production is so high in the first place: because of subsidies from the World Bank to places where coffee hadn't been produced before, such as Vietnam.

Learn more about the facts on this U.S. Food Policy blog.

Another world is possible and you won't find it at the shopping mall

The online version of Gift It Up! is still going strong so we have extended our hours.

Make donations online at www.giftitup.org by 9 a.m. on Saturday 12/16 and your gift cards will be placed in the mail on Monday 12/18.

This is one alternative gift that benefits everybody while restoring meaning to the holidays and keeping your shopping dollars out of big box stores and malls.

1) You are supporting the work of one(or more) of the great non-profits participating in Gift It Up!

2) Your honoree receives a gift card outlining what the donation made in their name is doing.

3) You receive a tax deduction.

For a win-win-win situation, make your donation now at www.giftitup.org

Brought to you by Conscious Consuming - your alternative to stress, media bombardment and shopping malls!

Gift It Up! Alternative Gift Fair: Support your Favorite Charities with your Holiday Gifting

Excited about the upcoming voting season?
I don't mean November '08. I'm talking about the Christmas season, when people make votes arguably much more powerful than they make on the first Tuesday in November. How? By their choices of what markets they support through their Christmas shopping.

Christmas gift-giving accounts for an enormous percentage of all spending. A third of adults nationwide (34%) think they will spend $1,000 or more on gifts, according to a November 9-12, 2006 Gallup Poll, Holiday shopping is one of the year's biggest generators of revenue-- money that goes on to support the organizations you buy from.

So then, what do you want to support this Christmas?
Sweatshop labor in China? Overpriced and unnecessary luxury items?

Naw, instead of supporting waste and unnecessary products, how about supporting non-profit organizations you believe in?
There's a great way to do it: Boston's Conscious Consuming Alternative Gift Fair: Gift It Up! occurring Saturday December 2nd between 11am and 4pm at Arlington Street Church in Boston’s Back Bay.

Gift it Up is a holiday donation showcase at which you can choose items to 'get' for your loved ones for Christmas: except the items will be delivered to people or non-profit groups who need them, and your friend or relative will get a beautiful card that explains your donation.

Gift it Up is organized by Conscious Consuming, a local Boston non-profit group that "believes that holidays - and every day - should revolve around loved ones and the issues we care about, not around the material goods we receive. This begins with contributing to energies which benefit our local and global communities."

Perks of the event include talking with representatives from the participating non-profit organizations about how they will use your donations; discovering non-profits you might not have known about, finding that perfect 'gift' for everyone on your list, and enjoying homemade snacks and hot beverages.

If you can't make it to the event, though, you can purchase selected 'gifts' on-line at www.giftitup.org. Donate by December 15 and you'll get a lovely gift card and envelope to send to your gift recipients, which explains what the donation will purchase. But come to the event if you can- a wider selection of gifts will be available.

Think about it:
$25 buys a) one fruitcake, OR b) two meals per day for an orphan for a month.
$25 buys a) a book your friend will never read, OR b) a G.E.D. prep book for a person in prison.
$55 buys a) one more tie, OR b) a pig for a family in Haiti.

Other gift options include: mosquito nets, beds for orphans, tree seedlings, honeybees, vaccinations for stray animals, and rooftop garden supplies for households in Gaza. Participating organizations include Grassroots International, All Paws Rescue (a no-kill humane society), Spare Change News, Summerbridge Cambridge, and the Federation of Massachussetts Farmers' Markets.

These gifts can be even more meaningful than standard gifts, because they go on helping for months to years, and they show that you took the time to pick the perfect gift for your loved one (I told my boyfriend I'm getting him a cow for a family in Africa). And it'll always make a great story. (Remember when Aunt Cathy got us a live Creole pig?) The possibilities for great gifting are endless.

So, think about how you want to 'vote' this holiday season, and I hope you'll choose to vote for a better world through donations at Gift it Up!

Andrea Runyan recently moved to Boston and is a welcome addition to Conscious Consuming.

Buy Nothing Day

Happy Buy Nothing Day!

Today is the busiest shopping day of the year, and day of most stress for me. That's why I've pledge to buy nothing today.

You can do the same by learning more at Adbusters.org.

Not mincing words

This quote by the President of China really gets to the heart of it:

I strongly support your vision, Mr. President, of encouraging your country to become a nation of consumers and not savers, which will inure to the benefit of our manufacturers, both large and small, and our farmers, as well.

(Thanks, Tim!)

massnonprofit.org ::

Our upcoming alternative gift fair "Gift It Up!" has been included in a story about how non-profits are trying new angles for holiday fundraising at Massnonprofit.org. For the full (short) article, click here: massnonprofit.org ::

Green Festival

The Green Festival came to DC on October 14th and 15th and is on its way to San Francisco and Chicago in upcoming months. If you live or will be visiting one of these cities, check it out and be inspired. There are hundreds of speakers, exhibitors, and film screenings about everything from smart growth to green hotels to socially responsible investing, as well as amazing vegetarian food, activities for kids, and an organic beer and wine garden. PLUS all of the food containers and water bottles available at the festival are compostable, the exhibitors' booths are constructed with recycled materials, and admission discounts are given to those who ride bikes to the festival or come with a lightbulb to exchange. Check out greenfestivals.org for more info!

Is Pink What You Think?

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a time when many medical organizations, hospitals, and advocacy groups work hard to get awareness out about breast cancer so that someday, soon, we'll find a cure.

The month is also a time for many corporations to target our heartstrings and, they're hoping, your purse strings too.

How many products do you see out there with a pink ribbon on it? How many will commit a "portion of proceeds" of a certain product to breast cancer?

The answer is, a lot. Although these products are seen as a company doing good for the community, what's really happening is that many of these companies are taking advantage of a popular issue to make an extra buck. They're giving only pennies away to breast cancer research and pocketing the rest.

I'm not saying that all companies are using this month as a scheme, or that you shouldn't buy these products. I'm hoping that you will think first before automatically buying a product because you think it'll do good for the world. Educate yourself!

For more information, go to www.thinkbeforeyoupink.org

Selling Out or Buying In?

This article by Dara O'Rourke, Selling Out or Buying In?, is an important start for those who are concerned about the new "partnerships" between what we think are socially and environmentally-responsible small businesses and the corporations that are eating them up. Dr. O'Rourke makes the links for you (Odwalla with Coca-Cola, Converse and Hurley with Nike, Tom's of Maine with Colgate) and makes an argument for watching these businesses closely.

(P.S. If you can get your hands on the most recent copy of the Stanford Social Innovation Review, he expands the article to include Wal-Mart and their new organic push.)

A refined sense of irony?

A few weeks ago, I called on my governor to endorse Junk Mail Awareness Week, a campaign by the Center for a New American Dream. She did it, for which I am proud and grateful. However, the way in which she decided to inform me boggles my mind: she sent me junk mail.

Today I received a 8 1/2" x 14" manila envelope with two pieces of cardboard set inside. Between the cardboard was a piece of paper with the official seal proclaiming Junk Mail Awareness Week. It even gives reasons on it as to why junk mail is bad for the environment.

One piece of paper, surrounded by three pieces of paper. Does that not give off the whiff of junk mail to you?

I'm impressed that the campaign worked and that my governor has signed on. However, I'm not impressed by her actions. I've searched her website to find any information that she has posted about this endorsement. There is none (perhaps someone more resourceful can find some). This shows me that she does not take this seriously and signed off on it without much thought.

My faith in government today? Well, you can guess.

An Alternative Form of Currency

Here's an old-but-new concept: instead of exchanging money for goods and services, how about exchanging hours of your time?

In Ithaca and many other parts of the country, this "new" form of currency is emerging as a unique way of keeping a community together. By using Ithaca Hours, you show that you support your local community, and that people's skills and services are as important to you as the money might be.

Ithaca is proving that alternative economies like this do work! For more information, check out their website or the Wikipedia article.



(thanks, BP.)

The wedding blues

Now that the summer is nearly over, I feel that I can safely bring to light my gripe about time-, money-, and "stuff"-consuming weddings.

Being in my mid-20's means that the streak of friends getting married is just starting. Don't get me wrong, I love the idea of weddings: friends and family getting together to witness and celebrate the love of two people. But the weight that the average wedding carries with it -- through engagement parties, wedding showers, bachelorette parties, rehearsal dinners, receptions and even post-wedding get-togethers -- is more than I can bear.

The wedding industry is a multi-billion dollar business, with magazines, stores, websites, and consultants dedicated to the special day.

This recent New York Times article sums it up, with an astonishing figure: "A survey this year found that the average wedding costs $27,852, compared with $15,208 in 1990." I know many families and couples who have taken out loans, made payment plans for wedding dresses, and scraped by in their normal lives to throw an incredibly lavish party. It all adds up -- from the rental hall to the specially-dyed bridesmaid shoes to those candy-covered almonds that everyone leaves behind.

Not wanting to end the summer on such a sour note, there are plenty of ways to celebrate your love while saving money, being creative, and making your ceremony memorable for all! You can find these tips on the same websites that advertise destination weddings to Hawaii or Europe. Here's a great article in the most recent newsletter of the Center for a New American Dream.

Or, as another guest said to me at the last wedding I attended: "Eloping is very underrated!"

On Vacation... for real!

This New York Times article really brings home that Americans really aren't taking vacations anymore. More and more people are worried that if they do take their allotted vacation time, they are risking the security of their jobs. Those who do go on vacation aren't really out of the office -- they're hooked up by their cellphones, laptops, and Blackberrys... even at the beach!

I was very fortunate at my last job to have a boss who understood the importance of time off for his staff. (I'm now going back to school, which is another discussion altogether: how can I take time for myself without feeling guilty about not studying?) When I went on vacation, I was on vacation: I would turn off the computer and phone, and even sometimes would turn around the clocks where I was, so I wasn't constantly being dictated by time to tell me when I should eat or go to sleep!

I'm curious to hear what other people do to really be on vacation. Give us your ideas in the comments section!