What is it? Ethical living means considering the impact of everything we do, on our families, other people and the environment. It also means thinking about the whole life cycle of a product / clothing / computer / appliance / car / house etc - from the energy used in making, packaging and maintaining it - to the final disposal or recycling. Ethical living encourages us to be well-informed and to find out more about the way retail stores, companies, banks and investment groups operate behind the glitzy "shop front" - how well do they treat their suppliers and employees in developing countries? In a nutshell, ethical living means acting responsibly - putting people and the environment first and cherishing our planet. THINK GLOBAL & FAIR TRADE, BUY LOCAL & ORGANIC! What are the issues? These are just a few of the many moral and ecological conundrums:
How eco-friendly are the products we buy? Is the food on my plate organic or has it been intensively farmed using pesticides and flown half way round the world - clocking up "food miles" and adding to CO2 emissions? (Take A look at your supermarket shelves: asparagus, strawberries and celery may be imported from Spain; roses, mange tout and French beans from Kenya; apples, Kiwi fruit, wine and lamb from New Zealand; pineapples from the Ivory Coast.) Can I work out how many "food miles" my meal has travelled? Did I buy my food from a supermarket which squeezes farmers - leaving them with barely any profit? Is my coffee / tea / chocolate / fruit juice - Fairtrade?
What is the most eco-friendly way to travel into town or travel to work? How many pesticides / chemicals were used to make the clothes I'm wearing today and what were the textile workers paid - is this a "fair" wage? Which household cleaners should I use? Is the wood I use for my DIY from a sustainable source and how environmentally-friendly is the wood preservative or paint? Which is the most energy efficient fridge / washing machine / cooker? Were my toiletries tested on animals? What's the most efficient way of heating / insulating my home?
What can we do about it? Start by thinking of the last thing you bought - do you know where it was made, how the raw materials were extracted and what processes were involved? What impact did this have on the local community and environment? If you don't know - find out, ask questions and search the internet. Buy local organic food in season where possible, preferably from your farmers' market. Or make friends with an allotment keeper! Recognise that as consumers we can vote with our wallet or credit card. Buying Fairtrade or from a socially responsible/ environmentally-friendly company, sends positive ripples around the globe …! Ethical Living is not just about ethical consuming, it could become a whole new lifestyle! |
