Comments on: Ethics

By: Living Well: 10 Easy Secrets to Greening Your House. | MandyE

Living Well: 10 Easy Secrets to Greening Your House. | MandyE — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 19:16:36 +0000

[...] somehow doing it wrong or not doing enough. (Remember the fascinating comments and discussion on this post?) But I’m here to reassure you. I’m not perfectly green by any definition, but I do know there [...]

By: Sarah York

Sarah York — Sat, 16 Feb 2013 23:01:29 +0000

Wow, this is something that I have really been thinking about and struggling with lately. I have made the decision to not shop at stores that have questionably made clothing, such as Forever 21, Target, etc. But then, I find myself shopping at Anthropologie, where most labels also read “made in China”. I don’t know how those things are made, but it definitely makes me nervous. This is a very important discussion to have and issue to think about, and I think that is how change is started. I’m not perfect and find that sometimes because of convenience and/or price I still make bad decisions, but it is a start. Great post, and great discussion. So many things to think about…

By: Linda White

Linda White — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 22:24:47 +0000

I know no one ever thinks about this product because it is so incredibly popular and traditional, but diamonds are something I will not purchase. I’ve felt this way for years. Yes, I received a diamond as an engagement ring, but when I had it stolen, I was perfectly happy not having one. On our 10th anniversary my hubby insisted on purchasing another one, I tried to talk him into a different type of stone, but he insisted. But- we didn’t purchase it from a jewelry store, but from a friend who is a lapidrist (stone cutter), so I wasn’t supporting the South African diamond cartel, or any other kind of diamond cartel. The diamond market is totally artificial and historically a horrible product to produce, to the environment and local peoples. Too many people have died in mining diamonds, but the only bright spot is the fact that in the last 30 years the market was opened to Russian and other diamonds. But still, I recently lost my 2nd diamond and I’ve made it very clear to my hubby, DO NOT buy me another! It won’t make me happy or complete. The mark-up on diamonds is over 1000%+ from start to finish, with local jewelry stores taking a 400-500% mark-up themselves. It’s a racket as far as I’m concerned. Call me strange but I don’t buy the DeBeers hype at all.

By: Moitreyee Chowdhury

Moitreyee Chowdhury — Sat, 09 Feb 2013 03:09:57 +0000

Coming from a third world country, I wonder about one thing. I understand that sweat shops in bad conditions are evil, and we should not buy from them. I understand that these companies take advantage of the worker’s plight. But, I also know for sure, that some of these workers would rather work for pittance, under awful conditions rather than have no work at all, and die of hunger.
Because these companies sell their stuff for cheap, there is more demand. Because there is more demand, there is more production. Because there is more production, more workers are needed. Because these workers work for cheap, the products are cheap.
So, the question is how can we keep the demand going, even when materials are expensive? A family in USA, who lives on $1000 per month, and has several mouths to feed, would rather buy cheap than ethical. And, there the cycle continues. This to me is the dilemma.

By: fashion loves people » Blog Archive » Friday Favorites

fashion loves people » Blog Archive » Friday Favorites — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 15:02:07 +0000

[...] this week, there was a great conversation on Design Mom about ethics. So many good and honest thoughts there. I’ve written this blog about ethical fashion since [...]

By: Erin

Erin — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 22:01:23 +0000

I’m guessing that this contributes to the romantic way everyone talks about their time spent living in Europe! I could get fresh-baked bread (not from frozen dough)…if I made it.

By: Erin

Erin — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 22:00:01 +0000

That’s incredible. I don’t think such a sight could even be seen in the U.S., but I that would make a big difference to me. A real-life application to the term “fresh meat”! :) I don’t know the last time I purchased supermarket beef, and I’ve been searching for local sources for other meat (chicken, eggs, etc.) for the reasons (and other reasons) you discuss in your original post.

By: Erin

Erin — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 21:57:29 +0000

Another Minnesotan agreeing with you, Pamela. I like that Target gives–I don’t know where all their wares are gotten, however. Probably the same places Wal Mart’s are–but the employees seem a lot happier at Target than at Wal Mart, and that makes me feel good as a consumer.

By: Sara

Sara — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 21:05:32 +0000

I’ve been trying to live more simply (has anyone heard of the 100 Things Challenge?) and the quality over quantity aspect is so encouraging! It’s easier to get rid of ten water bottles that I don’t need if I treat myself to just one that I truly love. Same with clothes. Rather than purchasing 4-6 pairs of “okay” jeans, I will splurge for one PERFECT pair. It seems to be working.

By: Sara

Sara — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 21:00:36 +0000

This is going to be my goal, Heidi. I think I can handle that.

By: Sara

Sara — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 20:59:18 +0000

SO TRUE! :)
Our busy lifestyles make convenient shopping at a big store practically a necessity!

By: Sara

Sara — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 20:53:09 +0000

Thanks for the link, Penelope! Super helpful. :)

By: Sara

Sara — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 20:50:44 +0000

It does! I read an article once about being vegan. It said that a lot of people who are interested in being vegan don’t commit to the diet because there is one non-vegan food they can’t live without. Mozzarella, for example. The article pointed out that a vegan who occasionally indulges in mozzarella is still making a huge impact, versus someone who tosses the whole idea because they’re stuck in the “all or nothing” mentality.

I’m not vegan. (haha) But that article made me think about other areas of my life. I think it applies here. I used to think I just didn’t have time to think about shopping locally/ethically, because it is so overwhelming and “mind-bendingly complicated.” It does help to realize that every small change helps. So even if you can’t commit to never stepping into another big-box store, you can make a big impact by spending 10% or 50% or whatever of your money at local stores or farmers markets. :)

As an added bonus, more people will be encouraged to try local and ethical shopping if their friends who do it can say that it’s fun and easy, than if it appears to be a huge headache that’s full of sacrifices.

By: Michelle

Michelle — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 16:17:15 +0000

It’s a complicated issue. And while I agree that working in a sweatshop may be preferable to some other form of subsistance living, it doesn’t make it right for manufacturers to essentially take advantage of their workers. It wouldn’t cost so much more to provide health insurance or ensure that the workers get at least a day off a week, or to offer them a wage that wouldn’t cause them to want to work 16-20 hours days doing a repetitive task that may cripple their hands. Not saying that I have any solutions, just arguing that we shouldn’t just make ourselves feel better saying that these workers have a better life now that they are getting paid to make this stuff for us.

By: Shazia

Shazia — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 15:53:57 +0000

I am in tears, kristoff said correctly that for people in impoverished areas those sweatshops are life changing because they provide steady income. I have seen that first hand to be true.
My personal decision has been to buy quality which makes it a lot easier to buy. I avoid Walmart, and forever 21 for instance, I think every little bit counts.
Overall the pendulum seems to be shifting back to local and natural and maybe in 10 years this will be the mindset for 90% of the American populace. And not just the early adopters right now :)

By: Pamela Balabuszko-Reay

Pamela Balabuszko-Reay — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 15:27:09 +0000

Being from Minnesota where Target began usually makes it the go-to choice for us. They give a ton back to our community. BUT they have as many questionable or downright bad (see stone-washed jeans) sourcing as the other big boxes. Their leadership has also recently made some social political choices (gay rights) that led to many people that I know and love discontinuing their patronage. I have actually switched to Costco for a lot of the things I used to get at Target like paper towels etc. They have a good record on worker’s rights and I choose to go there for that reason. Tracing everything back to the sourcing is tough. I try to be aware of it. But anytime I choose to buy a cheap T-shirt from Target I am feeding into something bad that I am choosing to ignore at that moment. Ugh. I am a representative for Silpada Jewelry. Before I signed on I inquired about where the jewelry is being made etc. It is made all over the world. Silpada pays a working wage and makes a point to provide fair and good working conditions (that lead to a better life) for the artisans working on the jewelry. I would not have been able to sign on without that assurance. I can feel good about that.

By: Ester

Ester — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 14:32:13 +0000

Buying only ethically sourced products is hard, isn’t it?
For a couple years, I’ve been trying not to buy anything made in developing countries unless I can be sure it’s been sourced ethically, especially not from countries like China as, apart from the question of working conditions, the profits from such products directly support a regime I disagree with strongly. Which limits your choices significantly – and saves a lot of money :)

By: Sheri

Sheri — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 11:52:55 +0000

Chik-fil-A might not be as bad as you think. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/shane-l-windmeyer/dan-cathy-chick-fil-a_b_2564379.html

…which just underscores the point, there’s so much research to do to know what business/causes you’re REALLY supporting. It’s tough to do.

By: marie

marie — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 09:17:48 +0000

In New York I loved PASS NO. D1. But she moved to the LA area a while ago and I lost contact. In Zurich I really like the label BOBYPERU. The dresses are so chic but with summer slippers I wear them even to the beach. Gives me a Godard feeling…

By: Heidi

Heidi — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 07:05:25 +0000

I have a (aprox) 90 – 10 rule. 90 percent of the time, I am extremely careful, check things out, and make decision based on ethics. 10 percent of the time, I’ll buy something at Walmart, or regular chocolate, etc. Living this way means that price is not the most important thing (well, for the 90%) but it gives me peace.