In an effort to encourage environmental and social responsibililty in commerce, I did a bit of research today and consciously chose a gas station to support with my business instead of simply filling up at the gas station closest to my apartment. (Disclaimer: I wish it was possible for me to not drive at all, but we all know that it's impossible to live without a car in most american towns/cities) To that end, I found this website, which ranks and grades the major gas companies based on environmental and social factors! alas, none of the companies earned an 'A' by the standards of the Better World Handbook! Still, my honda accord was desperately seeking a fuel up, so I sought out a Sunoco (B+). Not only did I find a Sunoco (with the help of the ever-handsome Josh), I found a sunoco at a co-op, which is even better! Co-op definition and directory
Consciously choosing where and what we spend our money on is good for the world because businesses need consumer money to survive. In a way, every dollar that you spend is like a vote for that business. (This isn't my original analogy. It's from the Better World Handbook.) If we vote for companies that use sweatshops and child labor or take from the environment without any care for what the negative impacts might be, then we are endorsing these irresponsible practices. Capitalism is supposed to naturally safeguard against these abuses because capitalism assumes that people won't buy from companies they don't support. Unfortunately, most people don't think to care what their money might be supporting, which is like voting for president with a dartboard. Today, I used $30 to vote for Sunoco instead of my usual Marathon.
I also saved an earthworm today. He was drowning in a puddle, so I put him on higher ground. If you doubt the planetary benefits of earthworms, then I present you with Exhibit A- a website dedicated to educating the masses about worms! I know saving one worm might not make much of a difference in the long run, but it did make a difference to that one worm. :)
I've read most of your posts and they are pretty entertaining, when not disturbing. :P In the 2nd paragraph your criticism of capitalism was pretty contradictory and by what you said, you're either saying that many people actually don't care about the questionable policies of companies that produce a great product for cheap or you're saying that capitalism works because you are doing exactly what you said its supposed to do to "safegaurd" against wrongs(as you see them). So please stop trying so hard to write capitalism as the bad guy when capitalism is also the cure.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you saved the worm! I too saved a turtle today, it was in a puddle on the side of the road opposite the lake. I was late meeting everyone for Prom, but I picked it up and carried it to the water. One man slowed down in a car and said "God bless you!" for helping the turtle! :)
For the record, this blog is not intended to be political. In fact, it's meant to be as nonpartisan as possible. The purpose of this blog is simply to demonstrate that the world in which we live can be improved by doing small, easy things. I think that people generally feel powerless to enact any kind of change and so don't try. I want to show that people do have the ability to make changes, and that it isn't difficult to do. I believe that Goodness is not so much in whether or not one succeeds in making a difference but in whether or not one tries. That's all.
ReplyDeleteThat said, the point I intended to make about capitalism was simply that most people are unaware of what their money is supporting when they make a purchase. I did not mean to say that people don't care. I merely wanted to point out that buying power is power should consumers choose to use it.