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Shopping With Your Values: Making a Diffference with Your Dollars
Cliff Feigenbaum
I have been looking forward to writing this green consumer issue for the last year. Helping people
become more conscious and socially responsible consumers is one of GreenMoney's chief goals.
Whether shopping for food, clothing, or stuff for your house, you can be a positive force in the
marketplace. We will share some observations about our consuming lifestyles, as well as how to take
it down a notch or two.
In this issue we will discuss the different ways to become a socially
responsible shopper. We'll look at the grocery store, holiday gifts, Gaiam, Inc. and green shopping
on the web. Online at- www.greenmoney.com you will find an extensive list of green shopping web
sites and books as well as additional articles.
The grocery store is a strategic place
for you to cast your better world ballot because you'll find there everything from large food
companies (e.g., Kraft and Nabisco) owned by tobacco companies to genetically modified organisms
(GMOs) in the food supply. Be safe and be smart. If you screen out tobacco from your portfolio then
also screen it from your shopping. You'll find lists of products to avoid on our web site. Consider
buying organic food and products. Almost every community has a natural food store. And take the
time to read the labels, which will include the new organic standards in late 2002.
Yes,
at times organic foods and products do cost a bit more, but better food safety and health for you
and your family as well as the many the environmental benefits make buying them well worth it.
What is important to you? Is it organic cotton, animal testing, energy efficiency, fair
trade around the world or support for local growers? The options in our lives are many and they
come with consequences and responsibilities. Consider a product's total environmental impact, from
production to packaging to its ultimate disposal versus recycling. Being a responsible shopper is
worth your time.
Green Shopping needn't be difficult. Wild Oats (my favorite local
natural food store) offers tips for earth friendly shopping: Re-use your bags; Choose certified
organic fruits, veggies and groceries; Buy in Bulk! Re-use your containers; Clean greenly with
earth-friendly cleaners; Buy, wear and tell your friends about certified organic cotton t-shirts
and products; Save dolphins: buy only net-free tuna; Use ecological gardening products; Support
humane ranchers by buying free-range, chemical-free meats; Choose cruelty-free body care products;
Buy recycled-paper greeting card printed with soy ink; Save the small dairy farmer: buy organic
milk, yogurt, and cheese; Choose sustainably grown and harvested herbs.
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