Charge your iPod with the sun: from Silicon Solar, available at Sun People
I have a history of making eyes roll in my family by over-touting, “every time you buy something, you are voting with your dollars for the kind of community and world you want to live in!”
And, while I truly believe that, as the most accomplished consumers in the world, we Americans have no idea of our enormous collective power to make change (positive or negative), I see the solutions to our societal challenges as much more complicated than switching our shopping from the big box store to the farmers market.
True, passing up the conventionally-grown, shipped from SoCal, carrots for the booth at the local farmers market does make an impact. Those dollars tend to stick around our communities. Organically-grown carrots are healthier for consumers, farmers, workers, and the environment. And supporting fair-trade goods from around the world spreads the wealth to growers and artisans, and improves social, economic and environmental conditions.
But can we find our way out of the economic, environmental and social problems we face by changing commerce?
Kevin Danagher thinks so. Co-founder and Executive Director of Global Exchange, a pioneer in the world of fair-trade, was the keynote speaker for the second annual Sustainable September Spokane kick-off luncheon on September 1. In his engaging, funny and frank talk, Danagher stressed the momentum of the “green” economy, how operating with a TBL (triple bottom line of people, planet, profit) or full cost accounting at the forefront is the only way to create sustainable economies, and that growing the green economy may be the fastest and most effective way to create lasting positive change.
Let’s face it; folks tend to make change happen pretty quickly when it directly affects their wallets. As corporations embrace the TBL, they are seeing profits rise. As individual consumers find ways to save money on rising energy costs by transitioning to more efficient homes, appliances, and transportation, they can cost-justify a shift that will lower operating costs and benefit the planet.
We are all consumers. And, the power is ours to decide WHAT and HOW to consume. Who do you support with your dollars?
When Sun People Dry Goods Company opens later this fall, we will be a place for you to vote with your dollars. Do you want to vote for small manufacturers that use fair labor and environmentally-sound methods? Do you want local craftspeople to thrive? Do you want to lower your monthly energy and food bills? Do you want to create less waste and harness the energy of the sun?
We have the power, people. Together, we can force change, and create the world we want. A bunch of carrots at a time.
Sun People is now a distributor of the Pesticide Free Zone Signs! This is a great program in association with the Washington Toxics Coalition who happens to be doing a presentation in Spokane Saturday, August 28th! Information follows – please RSVP to the contact below if you plan to attend.
“Learn how to avoid toxic chemicals.
Doesn’t It Make You Sick? Harmful chemicals are in our homes, communities, and waterways. This isn’t just an environment or a health issue… it’s both! That’s why we are teaming up with our partners in the environment and health fields to try to limit the use of chemicals that have been linked to health problems like infertility and breast cancer. Here’s how you can get educated and get active: We’re hosting an informative and interactive event in Spokane on Saturday, August 28th. Let us know if you can attend by replying by email. • Hear a presentation by Nurse Julie Stranquist. • Visit information tables about green cleaning, safe baby bottles, how you can help make change, and more. • Bring in a toy or another item from your home made of wood, plastic or metal and have it checked for harmful chemicals by the amazing XRF testing machine! • Learn about which products to watch out for as you shop. • We’ll also have activities for children. When: Saturday, August 28th, 2010 from 1:00pm- 2:30pm Where: Spokane Public Library, South Hill Branch 3324 South Perry Spokane, WA 99203 RSVP so we know your coming! We’re working together with our coalition partners to promote healthy communities and a healthy environment. Event co-sponsors include: Washington Toxics Coalition, Washington State Nurses Association and Washington Environmental Council Voter Education Fund.”
“Feminine hygiene,” tampons, maxi, mini, sanitary napkins (sounds like a product of the food industry), light days, heavy days, Always, Tampax, Kotex, O.B., Aunt Irma’s visit, and That Time of The Month.
Do I have your attention yet? The topic of menstruation may make you a bit uncomfortable (not to mention cranky now and then), but my mission here is an important one.
I am old enough to vividly remember the Rely recall of 1980. The flood of information about Toxic Shock Syndrome that followed the deaths of 38 women due to tampon-related TSS, along with the recall, should have been enough to scare any woman of menstruating age into never using a synthetic tampon again.
The history of tampons is a long and corporate one, and for more information, I recommend an excellent story written some time ago for The Village Voice. But what I do want you to come away with right now is awareness of a few things critical to the health of women, and the environment:
Synthetic/rayon tampons (most commercial brands) are an ideal environment for staphylococcus aureus bacteria (already present in many women) to flourish, which causes Toxic Shock Syndrome. Independent testing has shown that 100% cotton tampons do not cause the increase in growth that occurs with rayon.
Conventionally-grown cotton is exposed to very high levels of chemical pesticides and fertilizers.
Some tampons (synthetic and cotton) are still bleached using chlorine, which leaves dioxin residue (this practice was phased out in the EU and many other nations years ago).
Millions of plastic tampon applicators down the toilets of the nation. Where do they go? Think about it.
There are great, safe, easy-to-use alternatives to the major store brands!
More and more women are happily using non-disposables – pads, cups, sea sponges, etc.
Several local retailers (Main Market, Huckleberry’s, Fred Meyer, Pilgrim’s) carry 100% organic cotton disposable tampons. And if tampons are not your thing and you want to go zero waste, I have used Pandora’s Pads for years – washable, re-usable, made from organic cotton. Unfortunately, Pandora’s is no longer sewing. But Sun People has found Glad Rags out of Portland, OR, and we are really excited about their products. Not only do they have washable organic cotton pads, but also Moon Cups and other alternatives to disposables. Plus, they sell accessories that make washing very simple.
Think of the money you will save over the life of your period, and the waste that you will not be creating.
And think of your reproductive health and that of all of the girls and women you love. Aunt Irma is goin’ organic and she is visiting Sun People!
When I lived in Europe, we had a small refrigerator. In Ireland, it was an undercounter refrigerator intended to serve a family of at least four—at least the house was that big. In Italy, we had an upright but it was tiny. In both locations, it was easy to have a small refrigerator. The stores and farmers market were all within walking distance and we could easily pop in every other day for fresh produce. The behemoths, we call fridges here in the U.S., are largely unheard of over there.
Recently the NYT has published a few pieces on sustainability that might raise a few eyebrows. The first takes us to task for not understanding truly energy efficient behaviors, (“Delusions Abound about Energy Savings”), while the second takes on the locavore movement (“Math Lessons for Locavores”). Interestingly, both mention our refrigerator use;
“Just running your refrigerator for a week consumes 9,000 calories of energy. That assumes it’s one of the latest high-efficiency models; otherwise, you can double that figure. Cooking and running dishwashers, freezers and second or third refrigerators (more than 25 percent of American households have more than one) all add major hits. Indeed,
