Do You Realize?

I'm dreaming of a green Christmas...

What? You mean you're not ready for Christmas? There's (an)other American holiday(s) to celebrate after Independence besides Christmas? Oh, yeah... little, (consumer) insignificant ones... Labor Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving. But let's get to the real moneymaker: Christmas!

Every year since my husband & I were married, we've participated in the most ridiculous ritual with his brothers and their wives, and once or twice with my family as well. We draw names for gift-giving purposes, then proceed to ask the spouse of the person's name we drew what to buy for them for Christmas. (I told you it was a little ridiculous.)

This year, at the risk of being: (a) ridiculed, (b) persecuted, and/or (c) excommunicated for being an environmental, left-wing wacko, I'm going to make a radical, environmental, left-wing wacko suggestion. I'm going to suggest that, instead of gifts that we told our spouses to tell our name recipients to buy for us, we donate money to a charity that we tell our spouses to tell our name recipients that we support. Crazy, huh?

The two I will suggest for my name recipient are:

Kiva. This is a fantastic organization who lend money to specific entrepreneurs in the developing world to help them overcome poverty and in turn contribute to the economy. On the website, you can see see photos of the entrepreneur, often at their business they started, and it provides detailed descriptions of who they are, where they live, why they want to start this business, how much money they need, how much they’ve raised so far, and you can even see who else has donated. You donate in increments of $25.00, and as the debt is paid off, eventually you get your money returned to you, hopefully to re-invest in another entrepreneur.

Heifer International. The first two years we received their catalog in the mail, my husband and I scoffed. This could not be legit. You mean you can buy a goat or three rabbits or a llama for a family to help them produce milk to sell, weave yarn, fertilize small crops, increase their family's protein intake, or carry water? Since then, though, I've discovered that not only are they legit, they are supported by many notable figures, including Jimmy Carter, Ed Harris, and Susan Sarandon, among many others. If you are vegan or vegetarian, you can also choose to purchase a honeybee hive for families or to plant trees.

If anyone insists on purchasing an actual gift, I will be asking for sustainable gifts, like a bag from Alchemy Goods (hubby, are you reading?), a pair of Simple Shoes or a pair from MooShoes, more reusable tote bags, or gift certificates to Blue Canoe. These are all gifts that I can really get excited about receiving!

Whether you're giving or receiving this holiday season, I highly encourage you to steal all my gift ideas. I stole a couple of them myself.

Good Old Fashioned Boycotts

My fellow blogger, Shawn, over at Kowai, whom I find very inspirational, has a page on his site that details his personal boycotts. I was happy to see that someone else is involved in their own personal boycotts, and it made me feel less alone in my consumer activism. I think that we are fairly helpless in this capitalistic chess game, but the power that we do have comes from our wallets. We can write letters to these companies all day, but the most effective voice we have is in not buying their products (although a combination of the two is probably the best option of all). I've been meaning to share my personal boycotts with my readers for a while, but I keep forgetting. So, before I forget again, here is a list, in no particular order, of the companies that I despise; a short description of their transgressions; and links to more details.

Kentucky Fried Chicken (and Tyson and Pilgrim's Pride). This is tough for me, because I love their chicken, but I cannot, in good conscience, eat here. The horrors their suppliers inflict on the chickens that we eat is unspeakable, and I cannot address it without tears. Watching the workers throw birds against walls and purposely step on them, watching birds crippled by the sheer weight of their own hormone-ridden bodies try to walk, these things sicken me beyond any craving I might have. It infuriates me that other fast food corporations are willing to make the changes that address the most basic living conditions of the chickens, and yet KFC is resistant, while spinning a web of deceit for its customers to make them think they are concerned with animal welfare. I started this about 3 years ago, and I have slipped once that I can recall.

Wal-Mart. They are the epitome of everything that is wrong in America, in my opinion. As long as they are paragons of corporate greed, taking advantage of government subsidies while raking in billions, encouraging their workers to go on welfare rather than pay them decent wages, and importing a majority of their goods from countries where the workers are abused and underpaid except on inspection days, they remain at the top of my list. Yes, they are making some progress in presenting a "greener" image, and yes, they deserve some credit for that. But it will take a lot more than changing some light bulbs and printing their bazillion-page reports on recycled paper to counteract the years of abuses.

Exxon. Evil beyond comprehension. They continue to pay "scientists" to deny global warming. They are the only one of the Big Oil companies that remains in Arctic Power (a single-issue lobbying group), happy to drain ANWR of its precious resources, after BP, ConocoPhillips, and ChevronTexaco have dropped out. Exxon has also refused to pay any of the $4.5 billion in punitive damages it owes to fishermen, natives, and others affected by the 1989 Exxon-Valdez oil spill, despite posting record profits in recent years.

Shell Oil. This article really opened my eyes to the atrocities that Shell Oil has been part of. They have essentially bribed corrupt Nigerian government with loads of cash, taken the Nigerians' land and oil, importing American workers instead of willing & able natives, and are raping the land daily in the pursuit of the Almighty Dollar. 1n 1995, nine anti-Shell activists were sentenced to death by their government, and Shell later admitted to having given money to that same government.

Proctor & Gamble. As long as they are still mercilessly testing their products on animals and treating them like disposable litter, they will not get my money. The more I ponder animal testing, the more offended I am as a consumer. Ostensibly, they are testing for the safety of the consumer; however, if you think about it, that's totally false. They are not testing for long-lasting, truly dangerous and detrimental conditions that may be caused by their products, which are what we should be most concerned with; they are testing for short-term reactions (the shampoo burns when you put it in your eyes... use common sense, smart ones!) that are most likely to bring lawsuits against them. So, these tests are not done for our benefit, but to cover their asses.

Feel free to join me in boycotting these bastards and in signing petitions and writing letters to let them know why we are boycotting them.

I'm a'thinkin'...

...that I've been given a Thinking Blogger Award! A big thank you to Alina, my friend in the Netherlands, who is still In the Closet about her environmentalism (I wonder if they have environmentalist rehab, like gay rehab? Since I think both groups should be purged of their evil thoughts and ways and all...). Apparently, I inspire her a little (as she does me)... I am bursting with excitement at the thought!

The five blogs I'm going to nominate are very diverse, not all environmental in nature, and since that is what inspired Alina about my blog, I thought it only appropriate. Besides, you can find a ton of environmental inspiration on my Great Green Sites sidebar. As my friend from another blog so eloquently put it, "I consider every blog I list in my blogroll to be thought-provoking (otherwise, it wouldn’t be there!)." I am also trying to share the love by nominating people who have not yet been nominated. So without further ado, here are the Five Blogs That Make Me Think (and why):

1.  Shawn, over at Kowai. He's needing a little inspiration to keep posting, and I'm hoping this will do it. He is my environmental tag of the bunch; he has a lot to say, and I I think it's all worth hearing. He's witty, intelligent, and he has a cute panda on his banner; need I say more?!?

2.  Tony (and Philip), at Homeless Man Speaks. They are making me think a lot about the homeless situation and re-affirming my belief that we are all just one disaster (be it financial, familial, or environmental) away from homelessness. Tony puts a face on "the man on the corner." And it's a lovely, thoughtful, intelligent face.

3.  Molly, at the RedMolly Picayune-Democrat. She will laugh when she finds out that her blog makes me think, since she has stated before that she has nothing of any real value to post, a statement with which I wholly disagree. She is quirky, smart, strong, and we have so much in common that she makes me think whether I want to or not! (She doesn't know it, but she's the one that made me think I wanted a blog!)

4.  "AC," over at Confessions of an Anonymous Coward. A very recent, but tantalizing, find (on RedMolly's site, go figure). This guy spent 20-odd years faithfully following his LDS doctrine, and then one day realized he didn't believe a damn thing that religion had to offer and never really had. He, however, remained "in the church" so as not to bring hurt to his loved ones there. He is very eloquent and deep, and totally not a raving athiest lunatic (funny how athiests get the same general stereotype as environmentalists).

5.  Christy, from Farm Dreams. A big surprise for me, since I only stumbled upon this blog by accident. The author is the first person ever to make me even consider remotely that unschooling can be a viable educational choice. She is articulate, thoughtful, and her perspectives will make you think.

A special mention: Blue Like the Sky. This lady is a writer from the inside out, and I love reading her stuff, plus she has a commanding vocabulary. Blogging is new for her, so there's only a few posts thus far, but I'm hoping this will give her the kickstart she needs. She makes me think on a regular basis. I did not give you a nomination only because I did not want to put unnecessary pressure on you and your posts.

Now, if you were tagged, follow the link up top & you'll find the easy-to-follow rules.

Making the World a Better Place--Part II

Do you remember my post about The Better World Shopping Guide? Well, it has a companion book, The Better World Handbook, which tells us, "You don't have to be an activist to make a difference in the world!" This is good news for me, since I don't have the courage, patience, or wherewithal to be a true activist. But I can take more responsibility for my living, and my family's living, and bring it more in line with our values, which is what this book guides us in doing.

It covers Seven Foundations for building a better world: Economic Fairness, Comprehensive Peace, Ecological Sustainability, Deep Democracy, Social Justice, Simple Living, and Revitalized Community. It then equips us to "live out your values by providing a wide range of simple but effective actions that you can take every day." Hey, I'm all about simple but effective.

I cannot say enough about this book, and I've only gotten through the first chapter and have started skipping  around other chapters in joyful glee. I think I will include a quote from it every day or two on my blog; it's just that inspiring.

The Trading Game

I've been thinking the past few days about choices. I'm thinking about how everything in life is a trade-off of some flavor or another. I could spout an endless supply of examples, but I'll spare you the inner workings of my mind for now; I'll just touch on a few.

To start with, my art suddenly presents me with an interesting dilemma. Most everyone who knows me knows how I've been trying to add some environmental friendliness and social justice to my family's lifestyle. I've been very careful of what is made of petroleum & reducing our consumption of it. Then, suddenly, I found my muse (whose been on a yearlong furlough) out in my garden. As I followed her back inside to my studio (I always feel somewhat an imposter saying that), I took a good look around, and an idea struck me like lead. An artist's arsenal of tools & potions contains quite a lot of petroleum and/or chemical solvents. I have brushes with artificial (read: petroleum-based) bristles, foam brushes with plastic handles, acrylic paints, oil pastels, watercolors (with plasticizers), acrylic mediums, plastic palettes... and the list marches on. Does this mean I must sacrifice my art at the altar of petroleum reduction?

I've also been following the blog of No Impact Man, a guy (in NYC) who is trying to live for one year reducing his (and his wife & toddler's) consumption to zero net impact on the earth. He has lots of support and admiration (including mine), but he's taking a heaping helping of criticism to go along with it (including mine). He wants no impact that is directly linked to him, so why can his maid still use a car and a vacuum but he feels it necessary to shun the subway? There are a million questions just like those that can (and have or will) be asked of this project. It's interesting to me to see his justifications for certain choices.

It's all a trade-off, you see. Paper or plastic? Local or organic? Personal health or environmental good? Environmentally friendly or socially just? Do I give my business to a company that unnecessarily tests on animals but that harbors an environment of racial or sexual discrimination? Do I get my gas from an oil company that has paid money to people who have killed local dissenters in a startling and exceptionally suspicious chain of events, or do I go to one that has created more environmental disasters (and refused to answer for them) than I can count on both hands?

At the end of the day, every decision we make is a choice between it and at least one alternative, whether it's a conscious decision or not. I'm just hoping that by the time I reach the end of days, my scales will be tipped a little more toward the side of, "I made the world a better place even if I used petroleum products in my artwork."

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways...

Some women hear their biological clock tick-tick-ticking away when they reach my age. Me? I hear the drip-drip-dripping of the polar ice caps. And so, this is The Year of Living Greener for me (and my family by default). I have reached the point at which I think it's time to grow up & live a more environmentally responsible and socially just existence. I'm not taking enormous leaps & bounds in this direction; they're really more like baby steps. But steps they are, and anyone can do most of these, or at least some of them.

Here are as many ways as I can think of right now that I have changed my habits to show my love to Mother Earth & my neighbors around the world:

• Switched our electric provider to 100% renewable energy
• Exchanged 34 of our energy-wasting incandescents for efficient & money-saving CFLs
• Returned to my Aveda cruelty-free, plant-based haircare (why did I ever stray?)
• Begun using my own reusable shopping bags instead of evil plastic bags
• Traded chemical-ridden shower gels & lotions for their yummy (and effective) organic counterparts
• Switched my petroleum-based "loofah" for a natural cellulose sponge
• Adopted a new deodorant... baking soda!
• Pumping my gas from a more environmentally and socially acceptable gas company
• Begun a switch from our current TP to recycled (Kill trees to wipe our butts? Hello, Selfish, party of 5?)
• Switched to all-natural, non-toxic cleaning products
• Substituted Swheat new kitty litter for the strip-mined clay variety
• Eschewed mainstream, child-slave-labor chocolate in favor of delicious Fair Trade & organic brands
• Severed all ties with the evil that is Wal-Mart
• Begun buying local when possible, organic when not, "other" as last resort

There are more that I'm sure I haven't remembered, and more on the way, but I think it's pretty good start. C'mon, hop on my bandwagon; I've got plenty of room!

Learning Curve

Just to be clear, I've realized this point before, but I thought it worth revisiting here.

Every new thing we undertake, whether it be changing our environmental habits, homeschooling, or learning to play cribbage, requires a learning curve. I think everyone's curve will be different, as we all have our own strengths and weaknesses in the learning process, not to mention our willingness or reluctance to change.

I've been trying to tackle my family's negative contributions to the environment. It definitely has been a learning experience. It then gets convoluted by my desire to also be as socially responsible as we can be. For example, baking soda is a fantastic natural cleaner/toothpaste/deodorant. However, I just realized that Arm &  Hammer is owned by Colgate-Palmolive, a company that still tests extensively on animals. So it's back to the drawing board to find a different brand of baking soda somewhere.

We learned that Kraft Foods has been a subsidiary of Altria (formerly Phillip Morris, Big Tobacco), and so we've been going through the process of substituting new brands for our Kraft products as we empty them: Hellman's Mayo for Kraft, Whole Foods mac & cheese, etc. Now we know that Altria is spinning off Kraft shares to its shareholders. Does that mean we can, in good conscience, purchase Kraft products again? 

Wal-Mart is on our "never gets our money" list for lots of reasons. The kids, however, prefer the taste of their nutrition drinks to the name brand Ensure. So, we've tweaked the Ensure by adding Ovaltine to it, and voila, we have a winner!

It's all about taking the time and the effort to try to learn. Open yourselves to new possibilities, and feel good that your learning curve ends in a very, very good place.

Making the world a better place...

...is so easy when you have this book!

The Better World Shopping Guide has turned me into a more empowered shopper. It has also had the added benefit of eliciting groans of protest from the teenagers when I remind them that Coca-Cola is far and away a more evil (and therefore unacceptable) choice than Pepsi. (Not that they don't like Pepsi, mind you. They just like to groan in protest about everything dictated to them from authoritative sources.)

The book's author, a professor of Ethics at UC, Davis, has taken all possible available data from the past 20 years on hundreds of companies; plugged them into a complicated database; and has come up with a simple, yet comprehensive, format for you & I to determine which of those companies deserve our dollars. These suggestions are based on each companies' records on 5 key issues: Human Rights, The Environment, Animal Protection, Community Involvement, and Social Justice.

For example, before I got my handy dandy Shopping Guide, I never thought to question why my chocolate bars are so cheap (except at the theater concession stands). The reason? Because up to 40% of the world's chocolate is currently produced using child slave labor! Yes, children are being lured or sold from Mali & then traded or sold to cacao plantations along the Ivory Coast, where they are denied school, forced to work for little or no compensation, and brutalized if they try to leave. (Try as they might, my kids didn't succeed in trying to convince me that this sounds like our house; I encourage them to go to school!)

In the name of research, I quickly ran out & bought chocolate bars of every kind from several fair-trade and organic companies (Endangered Species, Newman's Own, Dagoba, and Equal Exchange). I encourage you to do the same research yourselves. I won't post the results of our research, though I can proudly say that new jeans were NOT involved!

No, seriously...

Yesterday was a silly, fun Ten List. Today:  Ten Things You Should Read Up On. These are things I've personally been reading up on in an effort to become an intelligent, informed, responsible citizen.

1.  Global warming. In case you've been living in a cave, the planet is in danger, folks. And, lest you think it's just us "bleeding heart alarmist Lefties" that realize it, this article should clear that up. Seeing Al Gore's film is a must for everyone!

2.  Reusable bags. My friend Risa gave 2 of these to everyone in our coffee klatch for Valentine's Day. I added mine to my already huge arsenal of canvas tote bags that I tote to the grocery store, Target, the pet store. So, not only are my bags totally cuter than everyone else's in the store, I'm doing my part to help out the planet. (See #1.) Come on, how many of you out there don't have a lot of pretty bags going unused except for maybe a vacation now & again?

3.  Where our Shell oil really is coming from. My money is now going to a much more responsible gas company, like BP, Citgo, Valero, or Diamond-Shamrock. This brings me to:

4.  Green vehicles. This one is my favorite and a serious contender for my next vehicle (I'd like the lithium battery-powered one, currently only available in Italy, where George Clooney is promoting them). Mark likes this one (George has one of these, too). The specifications on that one are what he likes... vroom, vroom! The Acadamy Awards show this year was a showcase for great green vehicles!

5.  Whether you should shop at Wal-Mart at night or even at all. Just to be "fair and balanced", the Christian Monitor had this to say. I have close relatives that work for Wal-Mart, and I'm sure they will consider banishing me from the family for this, but this is a matter of conscience for me, and it should be for everyone and their money.

6.  Compact flourescent light bulbs. This is one of the easiest things we can do to make a difference. Yes, they are expensive, but they will last 5-7 years, making them less expensive
over time. And don't even feel like you have to buy 20 at one time. Buy and replace your current bulbs one by one if you have to.

7.  What is happening in our little corner of Texas? One of these spanking new coal plants is scheduled to be built in a nearby county; Sherman is in the line of wind, so we will receive all of the lovely emissions. I don't know if "our" coal plant is one of the ones that will get scrapped... here's hoping!

8.  Using your dollars powerfully.  Did you know that Nestle is involved in a child slave labor lawsuit or that L'Oreal still employs animal testing and uses at least 2 known carcinogens in their haircare products?

9.  Solar energy for the home. Mark & I are seriously considering installing a solar hot water heater. While it would take over $150,000 to convert our whole house to solar (and take 22 years to pay for itself), it would only take $2400 for a solar hot water heater (which would raise our property value by about $4000 and would pay for itself in less than a year in utility savings!). Use this calculator to see how much you could save (in dollars AND greenhouse gases) with a solar hot water heater.

10.  I was dumbfounded to learn that child slave labor is being used blatantly by all our favorite chocolate companies. Nestle is the biggest offender by far. My favorite, Godiva, although they use beans from the Ivory Coast (where child slavery is rampant), is supplied by Barry Callebaut, who is listed as a Fair Trade cocoa manufacturer. Fortunately, it is possible to purchase slave labor-free chocolate. It just takes a shift in thought and your dollars.

I know that no one wants to make changes that are not convenient. No one wants to be "put out." No one wants to drive to a different gas station, or retail store, or look harder or longer than 30 seconds to buy chocolate. I contend, however, that it is our moral imperative to think about these things, and to be reminded of them constantly.

No, seriously...