Socially Responsible Shopping
Books
Grist.org interviews author of Branded!: How the "Certification Revolution" is Transforming Global Corporations, by Michael Conroy. Economist Conroy explains history and meanings of labels such as Fair Trade that certify environmental and social practices of corporations.
Truth, Torture, and the American Way, by Jennifer K. Harbury. The widow of a man who was tortured and murdered researches American human rights abuses in Latin America, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East.
Animal Passions and Beastly Virtues: Reflections on Redecorating Nature, by Marc Bekoff, co-founder with Jane Goodall of Ethologists for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. Foreword by Jane Goodall. Interview of Marc Bekoff by Vegan Magazine.
Food, Clothes, Cosmetics, Body Care, Gifts, etc.
ASPCA Store. Pet and other items benefit this charitable organization for animals.
Co-Op America's National Green Pages screens for human rights and environment; has a search category for animal welfare
Fair Trade Federation, based in the U.S., lets you choose from a long list of categories to look for products that are Fair Trade certified. The Federation focuses on products that provide provide fair compensation to low-income artisans and farmers, and good working conditions. Consumers benefit from education about the cultures of the people who made the products as well as ownership of products that are often hand made. The British Association for Fair Trade Shops focuses instead on alleviating poverty by improving access to international markets for producers cut off from mainstream markets.
Gaiam has Co-op America's Business Seal of Approval for companies that are environmentally friendly and worker friendly. Large variety of clothing, home products, solar products, etc.
Global Exchange
Coffee, chocolate, gifts, books, crafts, clothing, accessories, jewelry, bath & beauty, college shop.
Greenmarketplace screens for human rights, animal welfare, environmental concerns.
No Sweat Apparrel sneakers. Union made, cruelty free.
Pangea Vegan Products. According to the website, "Pangea sells only goods made in countries where labor laws or unions are in place to protect the workers! We don't sell any products made in China or other countries known for sweatshops."
PETA screens for animal welfare
Ten Thousand Villages sells beautiful handicrafts from around the world.
The Body Shop; given highest rating for both social and environmental screening tests by Responsible Shopper, this company does not test its products or ingredients on animals. In answer to an inquiry regarding animal ingredients in its products, The Body Shop promptly furnished this information:
"The Body Shop(r) is not a vegetarian or vegan company. However the vast majority of our products contain no animal derived ingredients.
"We aim to avoid the use of animal-derived ingredients wherever possible and specify non-animal ingredients whenever there is a choice. All our soaps, for example, use a vegetable base rather than the commonly used animal-fat base.
"Gelatin, beeswax, honey, milk, shellac and lanolin are the only product ingredients knowingly used by The Body Shop(r) which do not comply with the most current definition of Vegan. Where synthetic forms or derivatives of these materials are available, such as lactic acid, these are always specified for our formulations.
"Please know that all product ingredients are posted online at www.thebodyshop.com. Once you have clicked on the product you are interested in, select the "All Ingredients" tab found below the product."
UNICEF unique and charming cards and gifts from around the world let your greetings and gifts for holidays, birthdays, etc. give twice: once to the recipient and once to the world's needy children.
Resources to Help you Decide
What's in the Organic Label?
The organic label is quite useful for determining how environmentally friendly a product is. It is less useful for determining how humanely raised an animal has been, and says nothing about treatment of farm workers. Critics of the label point out what it does not cover. Advocates point out its considerable benefit for the environment, which is its core reason for being.
The National Organic Program (NOP), implements the the Organic Foods Production Act. In a PDF file, NOP gives percentages of organic ingredients required for the various organic labels. For detailed information on the regulations, see Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, Title 7, Part 205. The Act does not cover treatment of workers. Treatment of animals is described under Livestock living conditions. Although the conditions described sound much better than those of factory farm animals, some of the terms, such as "access to the outdoors" and "temporary confinement", are not defined and could be almost meaningless. Several sections relate to sustainable use of land, such as soil fertility and crop nutrient management.
The industry has been criticized for lack of protection for humans and animals. Sarah Newman, writing for Alternet in The Ugly Truth Behind Organic Food, reports that although certified organic food is "healthier and safer", the "labeling standards do nothing to denote how farms treat their workers". Large organic growers are responding to increasing demand for organic food, expanding their operations and cutting costs to keep prices down. Newman maintains that ideals of the original organic movement embracing humane treatment of workers and animals often get lost in the process of large-scale corporate organic farming. Many workers receive less than minimum wage, no overtime pay, and no health benefits.
Defenders of the Act maintain that making it too broad would dilute the impressive beneficial effect it has had on the environment. They say that basing standards on the original movement would be a mistake, because today's organic movement has been transformed through modern science into one that is very different from the original. They say that originally there was no coherent ideal of what organic farming should be, because farmers were of diverse political stripes ranging all the way from the extreme left to the extreme right. Some did not like unions, but emphasized that farmers should be self-reliant. Some thought only plants, not animals, fit into organic systems. To this day there is little agreement on what makes an animal "organiclly raised", which explains why some terms in the Act have not been defined.
Alternative Energy and Energy Conservation
Light bulbs
TCP, Inc. is a large producer of compact fluorescent light bulbs that carry the Energy Star label. Their site gives a lot of information about lighting but does not provide a way to buy their products online or the location of stores where they are available.
Compact fluorescent bulbs now come in a variety of shapes and sizes to fit most lamps. In recent years the increased use of electronic ballasts built into the base have reduced flicker, buzz, starting time, and long-term expense. Compact fluorescents benefit the environment by using far less energy than incandescent bulbs. According to an article in Wikipedia, however, compact fluorescent bulbs contain mercury, and care should be taken in their disposal. For tips on disposing of the bulbs, see Environmental Protection Agency guidelines.
Some compact fluorescent bulbs are marketed as "full spectrum". According to the National Lighting Product Information Program (NLPIP), "full spectrum" is a marketing rather than scientific term, and its precise meaning varies from one manufacturer to another. Manufacturers claim these bulbs produce light that is similar to natural daylight. Some claim the bulbs are useful in light therapy, which is often prescribed for the relief of seasonal affective disorder. To evaluate these and other claims, see Lighting Answers from NLPIP. To very briefly summarize, NLPIP's findings regarding manufacturers' claims for full spectrum lights include the following: color perception and brightness are enhanced; there is no benefit and some drawback to UV radiation; there is no benefit to visual performance (for example, reading); any white light, full spectrum or not, at the right level is effective for treatment of seasonal affective disorder; and in some cases the use of the term "full spectrum" added significantly to the price of the product without adding significantly to its quality.
According to James Dulley, full spectrum lights have a color rendition index (CRI) of over 93 for scotopic to photopic light. Dulley says that scotopic light causes the pupil to shrink in size, resulting in better focus and less glare.
For more resources, see Compact fluorescent light bulbs
Energy Star Program
U.S. government-backed program for energy efficiency. Products that carry the Energy Star label must meet efficiency guidelines of the Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Energy. Homes and business buildings can also earn the Energy Star. One easy way most viewers of this site can help the environment through energy savings is by using Computer Power Management.
Solar power
Find a solar contractor in your area. "Solar Estimator" helps you to estimate costs.
Consumer Resources
American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy Consumer Resources provides a wealth of information.
Database of state incentives for renewable energy. Also links to federal incentives.
Eco-friendly Cars
Spurred on by consumer demand and government standards in the U.S. and abroad, 2008 Detroit Auto Show features greener cars. A variety of approaches and high investments with uncertain returns are required to move the auto industry toward its goal of independence from foreign oil.
American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy rates cars and trucks on their impacts on the environment. Lists best and worst by class and for the year.
California list of cars rated PZEV (Partial Zero Emissions Vehicles)Homepower magazine has resources for alternative sources of energy plus designing and building your own systems.
Eco-friendly Home Products
James Dulley is a nationally syndicated columnist who writes about ways to cut utility bills in an environmentally-friendly manner.Dulley's home page gives access to his syndicated newspaper columns, which are searchable by keyword and by general topic and give detailed information on many products; a tour of his own energy-efficient home; do-it-yourslelf guides; and a message board where readers can exchange questions and advice.
Rugs Made by Adults
Rugmark Foundation screens for child labor in carpet industry in Asia