Read the Label and do your HOMEWORK

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I searched in vain for the old commerical where the wife says "read the label Leonard, read the label". I can't remember what it was for, probably a late 60's to 70's commercial. Any input is much appreciated as that was a lot of brain cells ago.

After my MOGO workshop with Zoe Weil, I am more aware of what I spend my money on. Do I want it or need it? If I buy it, how does it benefit the world. If I buy it, what negative impacts does it have on the world- environmentally, on people, animals, on human rights?

We often don't have time to do this research while shopping, though we do know that products made in China for instance, are not wise choices, as is shopping at stores such as Walmart.

I had to buy more makeup as my mascara is almost done for, which I had received as a birthday gift from my friend Karen. It was from the BODY SHOP. I went online and did a bit of research, and discovered as far as being "green" these were in the top 50, actually, in the top 10 companies on being green:
  • Clif Bar
  • Seventh Generation
  • Stonyfield Farm
  • Eden Foods
Then I went online to find the top 100 sustainable companies in the world. Wait, NIKE is on there, but aren't they a company that violates human rights by using prison labor and woman/children from countries that way underpay them? Coca Cola was on there also, but they also use water in foreign counties in their plants, and that water consumption is causing water shortages for the farmers in such countries!

What do you believe, how do you research all of this? It takes a smart consumer and a good amount of research to dig through the propaganda, and though a country may be good in some ways, they may be miserably failing in others.

I also found of list of 30 companies for fair trade shopping, The Body Shop amongst them.

So I think I can sleep tonight knowing I made the best choice I possibly can. I probably should have just gone to the car to get Zoe's book that had a list of websites for such research, but then again, I just proved to myself how much one has to dig and research on the net to get accurate information.

Off to bed, the cramps are bad. At least the hormones will settle down in the next few days. It just really sucks to have had such a horrible week.

Patti O Researcher

Comments

Unknown said…
i hope your hormones stay settled for quite a while :)....
3:01 AM
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