Good Info: Have you ever considered your food? Where does it come from? Who grows it? Is it good for your body? For your economy? For your planet? If you get the chance, please watch ‘The World According to Monsanto’ (can be seen for free on www.YouTube.com), ‘King Corn’, and ‘Food Inc.’
Life tip: Have you ever felt regret for a purchase due to its effects on the lives of the people who produced the goods? People who live in developing nations and how your purchases & lifestyles affect their lands & quality of life? If you are in this boat (I know I am), then it’s time to learn about ‘Fair trade’ vs. ‘Free trade’. Fair trade is an economic system that helps the people & lands in developing countries by giving them a fair wage for their goods & services, allowing them & their communities to escape the cycle of poverty. F
ree trade on the other hand, is simply where trade barriers are removed, thereby allowing the market to transact as it sees fit. While free trade sounds good in theory, more often than not, it is instead used as a means of exploitation of poor nations by those nations with greater means. Additionally, free trade is often coupled with government subsidies which allow wealthy nations to dump cheap products in other nations, thereby destroying the economies of poorer nations (e.g. the US dumping cheap subsidized corn in Mexico due to NAFTA has decimated the Mexican corn producers NAFTA Corn). For a better way to treat the people who produce our goods & info on fair trade, check out Fair Trade“Anyone can slay a dragon, he told me, but try waking up every morning & loving the world all over again. That’s what takes a real hero.” – Traveling Light
Green tip: Is your land & lawn healthy for you and the environment or just nice looking? Can’t it be both? Does your water use for your lawn make your wallet thinner? Consider whether you have trees buffering the sun & wind from your house, thereby lowering your energy bills. For some simple tips, check out Low Impact Landscaping.
“Today is a glorious day, to be.” – Ross Kelman
Book recommendation: For an alternative, more truthful view of history & a critical look at our government and society, please read A People's History of the United States: 1492 to Present by Howard Zinn. Definitely a must read.
Reduce, reuse, rejoice!
RK
