be a more conscious consumer

I found out about Coop America at the Green Festival, then was reminded of it when Lisa (http://barkforpeace.com) told me of some of the requirements she had to meet to be a member. My immediate goal is to internalize the “10 things you should never buy again” and the “five more things” (although cling wrap is going to be hard—I use it to wrap my dough when I’m retarding it): http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/shopunshop/unshopping/neverbuy.cfm.

Easy to write about and tough to actually do without going crazy.

1. Walmart
2. Suez-Lyonnaise Des Eaux (SLDE)
3. Pfizer
4. Philip Morris USA and Philip Morris International (a.k.a. The Altria Group Inc.)
5. Nestle USA
6. Monsanto
7. Lockheed Martin
8. KBR (Kellogg, Brown and Root): A Subsidiary of Halliburton Corporation
9. Ford Motor Company
10. DynCorp
11. Dow Chemical
12. Coca-Cola
13. Chevron
14. Caterpillar

http://karim.gnn.tv/blogs/11333/Report_The_14_Most_Evil_Corporations

http://www.globalexchange.org/getInvolved/corporateHRviolators.html

and i don’t think the goal gives a good description of where i want to be going. so away with it. away.

I was so fed up with my bank that I’ve applied for an account (and for my boyfriend as well, who was surpisingly excited about it!) at a ‘concious bank’! They only invest in environmental-friendly companies, and other sorts of concious companies (not in companies who make fire-arms, of are involved in childs labour, that sort of stuff). So that’s great, and as I also have a concious mobile phone provider (10% of my phonebill goes to a good cause so now I never have to feel guilty about phoning too much!) and green gas and electricity, I guess I’m doing very well on this one!

I bought natural wheat kitty litter. I hope it clumps.

I’ve started being more mindful of my purchases, so I’m marking this as done. Of course, this is an ongoing process, so it’s never really done, but because this is something I do without having to remind myself, I’m marking it as completed.

bought fairtrade chocolate-stuff to eat on bread, organic peanutbutter and organic tea. didn’t even look at the price (ouch, I know it’s more expensive than regular food!), because I thought: I can afford it, so I don’t have an excuse to not buy it!

http://www.newdream.org/living_green/

In my opinion, this is relatively easy since you are currently using a computer and the internet. Just do your research online. Find out what concerns you about products, from where they are made to what materials they are made out of to who else is buying them. Ensure that you buy quality products that (1) fit you well and (2) are a good buy for what you personally get out of it.