The more I try to figure out how I ought to behave, the more confusing and complex I find this topic. It almost seems that for every "good" action, there is another side that isn't quite so ethical or "green", with the reverse also being true.
While logically it feels right to buy locally, even if the cost and effort is greater, I've heard others make a compelling argument that sourcing my food from small, local, organic farms is a game that can be played only by a relatively few individuals who are lucky enough to live in a wealthy nation. The same goes for boycotting companies whose products are made under abysmal conditions in countries like Bangladesh. Stephanie Nolan is a journalist whose reporting I admire very much, especially after I read her book
28: Stories of AIDS in Africa; I found her take on the horrible incident in Dhaka and the revulsion directed toward companies like Loblaw/Joe Fresh thought provoking.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com.....-in-banglaSo my dilemma: Do I boycott companies who sell products made in these deplorable factories? Or do I support an economic revolution and enhance women's rights in countries like Bangladesh by purchasing an $8 Joe Fresh T-shirt? I wish I knew the answer.
But, in answer to your question, I do try to be careful about buying so, as much as possible, I don't throw out perfectly wearable clothing or food that has languished too long in my fridge or cupboard. I do buy from local farmers, most of whom I know personally, because I know first-hand how hard they work to keep their operations going. I use my own shopping bags and ask retailers to remove excess packaging at the store in the hope that, even if it doesn't get re-cycled, it makes a point about excessive waste (Almost funny, if I'm at a cosmetic counter where they want to wrap everything in tissue and tie it with a ribbon!). I buy from companies like MEC (the Canadian REI) because I know, as a member, they take recycling and ethical sourcing very seriously. Their gear jackets may not be quite as fashionable as a Michael Kor's version, but that's fine with me. My husband and I live in a small house which we built with a contractor who tries very hard to build energy-efficient, "green" homes. Because my husband is European, his background and inclination is to "live small", so we walk and bike often, drive a small vehicle infrequently, and try very hard not to accumulate too many "things".
Am I an ethical/green consumer? The more I try to be, the more discouraged I get. I think, as a citizen of a highly developed nation blessed with a good income, in spite of my best efforts, I have a very large, very unethical, footprint on this planet.
