Category Archive

ethics

Awesome, ethical fine jewelry pieces to invest in

I would like to buy a few pieces fine jewelry — and I’m willing to save up for them — but I also have strong ethical concerns about the industry. Where can I find semi-fancy to fancy ethical (non-wedding) jewelry?

When you gotta shop big: 4 corporations for ethical consumers

Where is the ethical consumer supposed to shop when they don’t have the time (or funds) to hire a local artisan? Offbeat sponsors are a great starting point, but here are some additional companies worth checking out…

Work clothes that aren’t made by little hungry children putting in 18 hour days

Good news, Homies! I just acquired my first white collar job in a while. My wardrobe is almost completely unprepared for this, and I really feel strongly about not buying sweatshop-made clothing.

I am normally a big thrift or vintage shopper, but as everyone who does this knows, it’s kind of luck-of-the-draw on whether you’ll find anything. I’m a mediocre seamstress, but not good enough to produce my own clothing en mass. Combing the internet for non-sweatshop goods, I find a lot of men’s bike clothes, a legion of organic hemp t-shirts, and a variety of beautiful things which are way too hippie to be my regular style, and not a lot I can wear to work.

If non-sweat shop clothing is also a priority for you, how do you make it work?

Would you buy a replica of your favorite designer?

Let’s face it: not everyone has the wallet to afford designer furniture. Every time I daydream (i.e. surf the internet) about the perfect egg chair, my heart ends up broken by the price tag. Every. Time. Well, not exactly every time. Not since I discovered the very interesting world of copies. Shhh, don’t say it too loud. It’s not allowed. It’s bad, very bad. But is it, really?

What we eat and why it matters

Last summer I read The Ethics of What We Eat: Why Our Food Choices Matter by Peter Singer and Jim Mason. I was given the book for my birthday, together with some cookbooks. You get the point, I love food. But I care about how it found its way into my kitchen, too. Let me tell you about what we decided works for us, after much book-reading and value-weighing.

How to consume ethically: reducing and recycling electronics and home goods

Recently we discussed Lolly’s question about how to consume ethically. Here’s what we came up with.

Moral dilemma of a first worlder: Let’s talk about the ethics of the goods we buy

What with recent events in the news about Foxconn, the Chinese company that produces gadgets for Apple, Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft, and others, I’ve started to sit down and wonder if I really want to be purchasing products that were made by people living and working in poor conditions. But I need tech. What do I do?

Can someone love food and still love the earth?

I just recently became interested in where my food comes from. I am willing to be more responsible about what I buy, but from what I’ve read, grass-fed beef does not always mean humane, Dole bananas are picked by slaves, tomatoes are killing the earth with pesticides, and milk is made by abusing dairy cows.

So what I’m asking is: what’s fact and what’s fiction, and what can I do!? I feel like I can’t eat anything without feeling guilty about it! Can someone love food and love the earth?