Can Wal-Mart Trade Fair?
By Anne O'Loughlin
Filed Under Conscious Commerce | 2 Comments
Wal-Mart is a word that typically conjures up images of bulldozed forests making way for big box retail, swarming shoppers, low cost & low quality products, CEO’s with fat paychecks, and sweatshops in China. Its bad reputation has inspired mass protests, websites devoted to outlining its wrongdoings (such as WIPE, short for Wal-Mart Is Pure Evil), and popular documentary films like Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Prices. Though with increasing consumer demand for products that make positive environmental and social impacts, even Wal-Mart is making an effort to conserve waste, promote sustainability, and support Fair Trade.
On April 1st, as part of its “Earth Month” initiatives, Wal-Mart released a detailed press release about their plan to launch six new coffees under their Sam’s Choice brand that would include organic, Fair Trade certified, and Rainforest Alliance certified blends. A Fair Trade certification requires certain environmental, social and economical requirements to be met and, most importantly, the producer group to receive a fair price with a set minimum. The Rainforest Alliance certification program also carries heavy requirements that target longterm sustainability and environmental health. The coffees will be roasted by Cafe Bom Dia, a Brazilian Fair Trade cooperative that is one of the first roasters to become Carbon Neutral. Continue reading Can Wal-Mart Trade Fair?…
Posted on July 3, 2008 |
Meet The Greenhorns
By Jenn Breckenridge
Filed Under Arts & Culture, eCo TV | Leave a Comment
green·horn 
[green-hawrn]
–noun
| 1. | an untrained or inexperienced person. |
| 2. | a naive or gullible person; someone who is easily tricked or swindled. |
| 3. | Slang. a newly arrived immigrant; newcomer. |
These wild youngsters have spun completely out of control. They’ve left behind everything they’ve previously known to go off on their own and…farm. Yes, there is a new youth movement underfoot here in America, and its about growing vegetables, raising chickens, and moving dirt from one place to another. Believe it.
Strip mall designers, take heed-you could be out of work in the next 5-10 years if this farming trend takes over. Check out this trailer for The Greenhorns, a documentary film about the young farmers movement. See if it makes you want to ditch your office job and join WWOOF…
Posted on July 2, 2008 |
Greenify Your Fourth Of July
By Jillian Polaski
Filed Under Conscious Commerce, Green Living | 1 Comment
Fourth of July is upon us once again. Who doesn’t like getting together with friends and family, firing up the old grill, enjoying some BBQ, and watching the fireworks after the sun goes down? Picnics, parties, beer to drink, games to be played…good times.
Maybe you’d even like the Fourth Of July reverie, along with that three-day weekend, to last forever. Well, sadly much of the plastic dishware and decorations from the July 4th will do just that…in a landfill. Bummer. Since foregoing your annual patriotic grillfest is simply not an option, here are some easy things that you can do this Fourth of July to lessen your impact on America The Beautiful. Continue reading Greenify Your Fourth Of July…
Posted on July 1, 2008 |
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