Be The ChangeEvery time you buy something, you are voting with your dollars for a more sustainable world or its continued destruction. The choices are rarely pure, but you can have a huge impact on what products make it to the market if you take the time to consider the effects of your purchases.
Unfortunately, there are no perfect choices. You will not be a hypocrite if you buy things that are not perfectly sustainable, but the more you make purchases in that direction, the more manufacturers will be forced to meet the demand for planet-friendly and people-friendly products. Just think how much easier it is to buy recycled paper goods or organic produce today than it was 10 years ago. How we buy and what we buy can and does have an effect on manufacturing trends.
There are five principles for using your money to create a sustainable world:
There is an easy short cut to buying energy efficient appliances, heating and cooling equipment, electronics, office equipment, and lighting. Just look for the Energy Star logo. The government has extensively researched and rated these items for energy efficiency.On the Energy Star website , you’ll find lots of great information on how and where to buy energy efficient products, plus listings of product rebates and energy tax credits for your state.
To make recycling work, we need to “close the loop” by purchasing products made from recycled materials. Some recycled products are less expensive than their counterparts made from virgin materials, and all recycled products save on the pollution and energy used by extractive industries. Buying products from recycled materials, incentivizes businesses to expand development of eco-products. You can find products made from recycled materials at Green Home, the Recycled Products Cooperative and the California Waste Management Board website.
How much poison do you want in your life?
Seems like an odd question, but we answer it every time we buy something. Have you ever wondered why there is so much more asthma, cancer, and autism than there used to be? Drugs must be tested for safety before they are released; but industrial chemicals don’t. The burden of proof is on the public, not on the manufacturer. Many people, especially in Europe, are trying to change laws to have new chemicals screened by the precautionary principle: “When an activity raises threats of harm to the environment or human health, precautionary measures should be taken even if some cause and effect relationships are not fully established scientifically.” Our chemical and biological technology has become so powerful that we should start to move the balance back from a pure "Nothing ventured, nothing gained" towards "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."
Chemicals that are safe for one person are not safe for another. Chemicals that are safe alone are not safe in combination with other chemicals. We don’t yet have tests to know which chemicals will harm you and your family. We do know that chemical concentrations that are safe for adults are not safe for kids. Because children are smaller and their cells are growing more rapidly toxins cause developmental problems. Since there is no clear answer as to which risks we need avoid, we are left with the precautionary principle.
You’d be surprised to know how many effective non-toxic equivalents there are to the common— but highly toxic—chemicals we use around our house. There are non-toxic cleaners, pesticides, drain cleaners, waxes, paints, toilet bowl cleaners, stain removers, etc. Greenhome has made it their mission to find, test, and catalog the best in non-toxic alternatives to common home products.
[Insert sidebar with link to Axil giving the make your home a non-toxic sanctuary speech and list of the five most common toxics in the home and the alternatives. Plus an invite to do a non-toxic replacement Tupperware party]
The most important toxins we need to monitor are the ones that we actually put in our bodies. We just don’t know how long and how much it takes before the chemical build-up in our bodies will cause us harm. Before 1940 all most all agriculture was what we would call organic. They just didn’t use much pesticide before the 1940s. Now, it is an unreasonable assumption to assume that all the food in the grocery store is safe to eat.
Even if you can afford to buy only organic food, it still isn’t that widely available. The more we buy it, however, the more producers will make it. In the mean time:
How you invest your money also sends signals to companies that will steer them towards more sustainable policies and products. You can Google Socially Responsible Investing to find brokers, mutual funds and discussion groups that focus on making a good return while screening out companies that do harm and screening in companies that do good. There are over two trillion dollars invested in this fast growing sector of the financial world. Common wisdom used to hold ethically based investments don’t make a good return but things are considerably different these days. Several socially responsible mutual funds have out-performed the S&P 500 over the past five years. We’ve also learned that companies that perform to higher environmental standards are less likely to blow up under other ethical violations like Enron. There’s something wonderful about being able to rest assured that your investment money is making the world a better place while making you money. Giving to non-profits that are working to create a sustainable world. Non-profits aren’t just about giving charity to less fortunate people any more. Non-profits have become a countervailing force against the environmental destruction and social injustices created by the for-profit sector. We give to non-profits in order to invest in people and projects that are working to create a better world. As you go through these 12 steps, consider what organizations are helping you the most. We recommend supporting them so that they can keep helping other people create sustainable communities the same way they’ve helped you. Conversation questions In groups of 3-4 consider the following questions with your neighbors: Where can you buy locally grown produce? Where can you buy organic produce? Which is better for you? Fresh local produce with some pesticides, or organic produce that has lost nutritional value because it has been in storage and transit for a long time. What locally owned stores do you patronize? Why? Is everything cheaper at the national brand stores? Name all the poisonous chemicals in your house. Are there substitutes? What things do you own that are sending poisons into the environment without your seeing it?
If this looks like just one more list of to do's—then STOP! How you go about being sustainable is MORE important than you might imagine. We can't create a sustainable world from overextended lives.
Don't proceed until you read
"Guiding Principles for Lasting Change"
and
"Why Be Sustainable?"
The 12 steps are organized so that the things that take the least amount of time and money come first. Most items on the list will actually save you money. Many will also save you time.
In all the steps, we ask you to spend more time connecting with neighbors. Connecting with your neighbors is the only way to avoid getting overwhelmed.
A sustainable world is only possible within a deeply connected community — It's that fundamental.
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