Behind The Label: Fair Trade At The Olympics
By Anne O'Loughlin
Filed Under The Big Picture | Leave a Comment
Unlike past Olympics, this year’s games saw a worldwide protest that swept in to challenge the frequent abuse of human rights, aggression against Tibet, and environmental hazards that China is notorious for. There’s nothing like a billion-dollar, media-happy, corporate-sponsored international event like the Olympics to shed some light on matters of social justice and environmental responsibility and to inspire opportunities for the export behemoth to make positive changes.
That’s where the Play Fair 2008 Campaign comes in. Organized by the Clean Clothes Campaign, the International Trade Union Confederation, and the International Textile, Garment, and Leather Workers Federation, Play Fair 2008 is an international campaign pushing for respect for worker’s rights in the global sporting goods industry.
Even as the fair trade and green movements grow larger and stronger, we still cannot seem to resist the temptation to inexpensively produce goods in China and place them on our shelves in Europe and North America. There are responsible, local businesses in most countries who make it their policy to fairly compensate the manufacturers of their products such as Washington state-based Fair Trade Sports, but this remains a rarity.
As the Olympic torch, traditionally known as a symbol of peace and international unity, made it’s way around the globe last spring, thousands of protesters hit the streets in cities such as Paris, London and San Francisco aiming to raise awareness amongst the mainstream media about these pressing issues, especially magnifying China’s take-over and occupation of Tibet and their role in the Darfur conflict.
Following the protests, the Play Fair campaign issued a press release announcing the findings of a new investigative report shaming Olympic sponsors and suppliers Nike and Adidas. Based on over 300 interviews with garment workers in China, India, Thailand and Indonesia, the report (titled Clearing the Hurdles) exposes numerous violations of workers
rights, excessive overtime hours, and poverty wages, claiming they are still the norm of the sportswear industry. “While the profits of major brands like Nike and Adidas are soaring through the roof, the workers sewing their garments continue to make poverty wages and work under indecent conditions,” says Liana Foxvog, the national organizer of SweatFree Communities, one of the organizations that is supporting the Play Fair 2008 campaign. “Behind the rhetoric of corporate responsibility, very little has changed.”
According to the International Olympic Committee, the Beijing Olympic Games are set to be the most profitable in the games’ history, with almost $100 million dollars alone coming from the garment sponsors-sponsors whose manufacturing facilities employ workers who are blatantly and unfairly treated. At the New Balance factory in Dongguan, China, a worker explained to the report interviewers, “I am exhausted to death now…none of us have time to go to toilet or drink water…we are working without rest and are always afraid of not working fast enough to supply soles to the next production line.”
The Play Fair Campaign has put together a campaign statement which outlines steps that sportswear companies, the International Olympic Committee, and national governments should and can take to follow up on their responsibilities to improve conditions for the working people of China. The campaign statement calls for the International Olympic Committee and its national organizing committees to commit resources to investigation of working conditions and to establish mechanisms to end abusive and exploitative labor practices. It calls on sports brands to undertake steps to address the living wage issue and to inform the public about the working conditions under which their goods were produced. It calls upon governments in general to implement policies that promote socially responsible behavior in international business relations, and upon the Chinese government in particular to live up to their promise to improve human rights. After all, what’s more in the spirit of the Olympics than encouraging and engaging its hosts to clean up their act and truly play a fair game?
Inspired to make a difference? Take Action!
- Begin by sending a protest letter to the IOC and industry leaders
- Refuse to buy products made by irresponsible companies
- Support companies who differentiate themselves by inviting people to check their sources of manufacture and pride themselves on supporting the people who work for them
Posted on August 20, 2008 |
Permaculture 101: Designing A Life Beyond Sustainability
By Erin Gallagher
Filed Under The Big Picture | 3 Comments
According to the Hirsch Report issued by the US Department of Energy, global oil production peaked in 2005 with the last major discoveries of light crude oil occurring in the 1960s. Regardless, global consumption rates continue to climb 1.5% each year and the UN estimates the world population will hit 9.1 Billion in the next 40 years. It should be glaringly apparent that our world is off balance; what remains unclear is where we should start to stabilize ourselves.
A revolutionary concept developed in the 1970s, dubbed “permaculture,” is rapidly gaining attention as a transformative vehicle for creating holistic, healthy systems from the microcosm of our immediate surroundings to the macrocosm of the planet.
per. ma. cul. ture \ˈpər-mə-ˌkəl-chər\ Etymology: permanent + agriculture
A method for designing human habitats so that all elements integrate to form a simple, non-wasteful, harmless, self sustaining, productive, highly functional system.
The idea of permaculture was developed at the University of Tasmania by environmental psychology professor Bill Mollison and his environmental design student, David Holmgren. In response to the extreme drought conditions of Australia and global dependence on fossil fuels, the two men developed a model that created much needed balance. Inputs equaled outputs and the only “waste” the model created, easily broke down into simple elements that added to the health of their environment. Though the basis of their design has existed in many aboriginal and native cultures for centuries, Mollison and Holmgren devised a way to communicate it to a much broader audience.
They proposed that through thoughtful observation of natural cycles in a specific environment, a human habitat could be designed to function in the most healthy, ecologically responsible and highly efficient manner possible. For example, water naturally flows in a meandering side-to-side pattern. Where a river bends, the banks tend to be more fertile and lush in vegetation than where it flows straight because the water is forced to slow down, allowing a greater amount to absorb into the soil. In the urban environment, rainwater is often directed off rooftops, down drain pipes, out in the street, and into the sewer system as waste. If that same water falling on a rooftop was instead directed into the landscape and encountered a series of well-designed obstacles that forced it to meander and seep into the soil, the landscape would potentially not require much (if any) watering by the inhabitants. The soil would also retain the essential nutrients required to create an environment for micro-organisms and eventually foster organic food production. Designing a water system such as this requires very little money and only a few hours of time. It is done simply with “earthworks,” which are arrangements of soil, mulch, stones and sticks that accurately redirect the existing water flow.
It was from this common sense model that the two Australians envisioned their closed-loop, whole system design. Permaculture, true to definition, works to integrate economic, political, medical, spiritual and educational systems by focusing on water management, food production, the design of a built environment (such as a house), technological advancement and community involvement.
When permacultural practices yield designs that cohesively integrate all elements of a system, an example of true sustainablility is achieved. To fully understand what permaculture means, the term “sustainability” must also be defined. A sustainable environment must be able to efficiently function on the energy that it generates without using finite resources or contributing non-recyclable waste. In the context of permaculture, energy is anything that can generate further forms of energy in a renewable manner. This includes soil nutrients, garden food and photovoltaic systems.
The 11 Basic Principles Of Permaculture Design
- Observe And Interact
By taking the time to interact with nature we can design solutions that suit our particular environment. - Catch And Store Energy
By developing systems that collect resources when they are abundant, we can use them in times of need. - Stack Functions
Elements should all have multiple functions that contribute to the overall purpose and efficiency of the system. - Accept Feedback
Understand why an element does or does not work and learn from that experience. - Value Renewable Resources
Make the best use of natures abundance to reduce our consumptive behavior and dependence on non-renewable resources. - View Waste As Fuel And Food
We can learn to re-purpose what we deem as ‘waste’ to function as fuel and food for a system. For example: food scraps can be composted and eventually create nutritious soil to generate more healthy food. - Design From Patterns To Details
By stepping back, we can observe patterns in nature and society. These can form the backbone of our designs, with the details filled in as we go. - Integrate Rather Than Segregate
By putting the right things in the right place, relationships develop between those things and they work together to support each other. - Begin Small And Slow
Small and slow systems are easier to maintain than big ones, make better use of local resources and produce more sustainable outcomes. - Value Diversity
Diversity reduces vulnerability to a variety of threats and takes advantage of the unique nature of the environment in which it resides. - Expect Change
Our systems will function much better if we design them so that they can be flexible and adjust to inevitable yet unpredictable shifts
Designing and developing habitats that meet human needs within healthy ecological limits requires a revolution greater than any we have experienced in the last century. Permaculture has the potential to catalyze this action because it is simple to practice and we can start by ourselves at home. If our society is looking for a place to begin, we now have one.
Start integrating permaculture principles into your life. Here are some great resources to get you started…
- Check back each Thursday for the next few weeks at eCo Times, as the Permaculture 101 series delves deeper into permacultural design techniques and how to integrate them into your daily life
- Begin a self-guided education with Bill Mollison’s pivotal book: Permaculture: A Designer’s Manual and David Holmgren’s: Principles and Pathways Beyond Sustainability
- Get involved in the permaculture movement through classes, community events and workshops through The Urban Permaculture Guild
- Immerse yourself in a whole system design and sustainable architecture education through the ECOSA Institute for Radical Sustainability
- Learn what the co-founder of the permaculture movement is up to by visiting David Holmgren’s Permaculture Design
Posted on August 14, 2008 |
Vegetarians Do It Better
By Jenna Kirkman
Filed Under The Big Picture | 7 Comments
By now you have probably figured out the general idea of living a “sustainable” lifestyle: biking to work in your 100% organic fair trade clothing, eating local organic food and recycling absolutely everything. One thing you may not be considering is that free-range organic steak from the farmer’s market that you’ve tossed that into your reusable grocery bag. What is the true impact of our carnivorous indulgences? It may be time for us to seriously reconsider our dietary habits.
A recent study by the National Institute of Livestock and Grassland Science concluded that just one kilogram of beef creates more greenhouse gas pollution than a three hour car ride. Also, switching from a meat-based diet to a vegetarian diet can be more beneficial to the environment than trading in your SUV for a hybrid. Wow. How is this possible? Let’s look at some of the major environmental impacts caused by the meat industry…
Continue reading Vegetarians Do It Better…
Posted on August 1, 2008 |
How To Green Your City
By Anne O'Loughlin
Filed Under Green Living, The Big Picture | 1 Comment
A few weeks ago, Pippa Sorley of eCo Times, intrigued, inspired and even disgruntled readers with her announcement of the Top 5 Eco Cities In The US. Though I was indeed excited that my hometown of Boston made the list, it is undeniable that even the “Top 5’s” of the world still have a long way to go. Perhaps it’s time to consider what each of us can personally do to green our own city or town. This article explores direct actions that focus on local, manageable projects we can all do. May the force be with you!
Start At Home
If you truly believe in something, the best way to implement it is to practice what you preach. Making small changes in your daily routine will have a much larger impact than you can ever imagine. Put the car keys down and walk or bike to work. Buy a reusable bag to take to the grocery store, or reuse the ones piled up in your kitchen cupboard. Change your home appliances and light bulbs to energy efficient models. Check out the incredibly fun web game Consumer Consequences from American Public Media and Redefining Progress to find out how resource intense your personal lifestyle is. Then go to LowImpactLiving.com for great green projects you can do to lessen your impact on the planet. The list of small changes that make a big difference is massive, just choose one thing at a time and get started!
Continue reading How To Green Your City…
Posted on July 31, 2008 |
Number 350: Your Life Depends On It
By Scott Badenoch, Jr.
Filed Under The Big Picture | 3 Comments
Bill McKibben’s got your number. He’s got every one of our numbers. At this absolutely crucial time in history, that number is 350. McKibben is one of the leading environmentalists of our time and has created 350.org to make sure that each and every one of us truly grasps why this sum matters and exactly what we can do about it.
McKibben’s position is based on the research of leading climatologist Jim Hansen of NASA, who states that the only way life on this planet can remain similar to what we know now is if there are no more than 350 parts per million of CO2 in our atmosphere. News flash: The Earth’s atmosphere currently has 385 parts per million of CO2.
Ok, the news is stark. We’re past the point of safety and we’re going to need to do an about-face, pronto. As McKibben puts it, “…it’s a tough diagnosis. It’s like the doctor telling you that your cholesterol is way too high and, if you don’t bring it down right away, you’re going to have a stroke.” The “stroke” would be worldwide catastrophes: huge rises in ocean levels, hurricanes that make Katrina look tame, rampant droughts, starvation, and worst of all, the potential creation of a modern day Ice Age.
This is not a science fiction novel or a Hollywood blockbuster. This is not a test.
Now, what does this mean for all of us laypeople? Do we give up our day jobs, sell the house and kids and run screaming for the hills? Well, not just yet. McKibben describes the white knight, “We do have one thing going for us- the Web- which at least allows you to imagine something like a grassroots global effort. If the Internet was built for anything, it was built for sharing this number, for making people understand that “350″ stands for a kind of safety, a kind of possibility, a kind of future.”
Can the human race turn things around? Is it possible to correct the damage we’ve created? McKibben makes it clear: “It’s possible. The United States launched a Marshall Plan once, and could do it again, this time in relation to carbon.” Now, it’s your turn. Begin today. Begin with talking to the people around you. Begin by living a more environmentally friendly life. Begin by making some hard decisions that go beyond changing a lightbulb and start changing the world. Whatever you do, don’t wait any longer, because “climate refugee” and “modern Ice Age” are two phrases best left to Hollywood blockbusters.
Ready to reduce our CO2 level to 350 parts per million immediately? Take action!
- Sign up to receive Action Alerts and news from 350.org
- Share your ideas on how we can reduce our CO2 levels using the wiki platform on CreativeCitizen.com
- Organize a 350 action in your hometown
- Email Bill McKibben’s article to your entire community
- Click on the green icon at the bottom of this post that says “Share This” to spread the word
- Pass on the video below to all your friends and family
Scott Badenoch is the Co-Founder and CEO of CreativeCitizen.com, the wiki for green living, where you can find over 500 Creative Solutions for living more environmentally friendly lives. Scott is a member of the steering committee for Green Business Networking as well as the LA chapter of the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies (BALLE).
Posted on July 24, 2008 |
Food Not Lawns
By Christy Rice
Filed Under Green Living, The Big Picture | 6 Comments
After months of purchasing the same bag of frozen organic strawberries, I recently read the label for the first time: Product of Turkey. Humbled as my presumably small carbon footprint doubled its size, I couldn’t escape this haunting realization, “I’ve never been to Turkey-why should my berries be so fortunate?”
In a nation where a mere 0.3% of land is cultivated for organic farming, petroleum-powered planes and trucks are a requirement in the delivery of my organic goods. After all, I live on a city plot just north of Seattle where most farmland is now cemented. When I heard about the concept of the “urban homestead” though, I realized that those berries could have grown much closer to home.
Take the Dervaes family of Pasadena. Modern society would say they are the exception to self-sustainability; my heart says they’re the rule. Practically having dubbed the term urban homestead, they produce three tons of produce a year from their one-tenth of an acre garden, handcraft their own honey and wine, and bicycle-power their blender. They have a biodiesel truck, solar oven, goats, chickens, and a driveway lined with strawberries. The Dervaes’ slowly began cultivating this property in the mid-80’s, and now own their home and live off of the $25,000 a year they make selling their goods. Certain variables, such as renting a home or apartment-dwelling, could dampen dreams of self-sustainability, but the Dervaes’ emphasize that there are degrees to this lifestyle. Each small step is a significant part of the journey toward urban self-sufficiency.
Continue reading Food Not Lawns…
Posted on July 17, 2008 |
6 Ways Mushrooms Can Save The Planet
By Jenn Breckenridge
Filed Under The Big Picture, eCo TV | 1 Comment
Are you ready to find out the 6 ways mushrooms can save our struggling planet? Paul Stamets, famed mycologist and founder of Fungi Perfecti, will blow your mind with how to use mycelia to create mushroom-based solutions to habitat restoration, biological warfare, petroleum spills, pest invasions, and peak oil.
Posted on July 16, 2008 |
Top 5 Eco Cities In The US
By Pippa Sorley
Filed Under The Big Picture | 22 Comments
The United States was recently rated as the 39th greenest country in the world according to a recent Yale study titled the Environmental Performance Index, an embarrassing score that paled in comparison to other countries including Costa Rica (5th), Columbia (9th) and Slovenia (15th). The U.S. has a long way to go in achieving environmental and social sustainability and it is important to recognize the importance of the role cities play in that equation. As more and more people migrate from rural to metro areas, it is essential that cities develop innovative plans to accommodate the influx, while also diminishing the damaging effects of population overload. With the federal government of the US refusing to participate in the Kyoto Protocol and surrendering leadership on so many environmental issues, American municipal governments are taking climate change into their own hands. Since 2006, more than 230 Mayors have signed the US Mayors Climate Protection Agreement, which fosters the goals of the Kyoto Protocol.
Continue reading Top 5 Eco Cities In The US…
Posted on July 10, 2008 |
The Dark Side Of The Internet
By Greg Berry
Filed Under The Big Picture | 6 Comments
There was a day, back in the good ‘ol dot com era (and before, when computers were still new and offered unlimited promise) when we used to talk about the paperless office, and ultimately, a paperless life. One of the big promises of this paperless life was how many trees would be spared. And we felt good. Later we realized computers and the Internet enabled us to print many more pages than we ever could before, when it was just us creating our own documents. Good thing the Canadian Boreal Forests are so close. (Joking.)
Fast forward 15 years, now more things run on the Internet than ever. Facebook, Salesforce, iTunes, YouTube, Maps, xBox, Skype. And on and on and on. Since most of us don’t immediately equate the bits and bytes with moving electrons, and moving electrons with burning coal, it’s easy to feel that this web-based lifestyle is pretty green. It turns out it’s actually not. Each and every move we make, the windows we keep open, the programs we run simultaneously-they add up…to a whole lot of electricity and hence, CO2 emissions. Continue reading The Dark Side Of The Internet…
Posted on June 26, 2008 |
(Don’t) Go Fish
By Scott Badenoch, Jr.
Filed Under The Big Picture | 4 Comments
As the environmental movement grows by leaps and bounds, conscious people are figuring out that a predominantly vegetarian diet is best for the environment and global food stocks. Why has fish not entered this equation? We’re still digging into our wild alaskan salmon and our yellowtail sashimi like they’re going out of style. Well, they’ve been going out of style-in a major way. Sushi lovers, marine life enthusiasts, fishermen, and any human with a pulsing heart-we have some very harsh news for you. The oceans are literally in a state of collapse.
Continue reading (Don’t) Go Fish…
Posted on June 19, 2008 |
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