tackling the big issues....Ethical consumption - do you give a damn?

[nickthecheese]

Seeing as I'd keep with the other "big issues" posts. lets get down to one that warms me to the cockles of my heart.

Ethical consumption.

We live in a consumer society. Infact, I believe peter costello called us "the consumers of australia" [personally, i'd much rather be a Citizen than a consumer, but whatever floats your boat].

Do you take into account the ethical consideration of your consumption patterns and behaviour?

Eg. Nike - Nike still uses children to make it's products in 2nd or 3rd world countries for a very very minimal wage, then charges us mabe a markup of at least 1000% at bare minimum.

Do you agree with this? Not care about it at all?

I personally do not support companies that I think run in opposition of my ethics. I'll never by nike or nestle or any of those. And to all those people who say "oh well, everyone's exploiting everyone else. someone is always going to be exploited" that does not make it right, and hence, using that for justification is just as bad if not worse.

Finally, if a company you bought products from was found to be unethical in it's business practices, would you stop supporting them?

Your thoughts please?

 

[friskk]

I will not buy a product if it has been tested on animals.

For some reason though, I will buy clothes and shoes even if they are made in sweatshops. As long as the shoe is comfy, the top is warm.... then i'll wear it.

F

 

[smileyfish]

friskk, what about medicines? All medicines are tested on animals prior to testing on humans.

I try to be pretty good about where my money goes. I will not buy the products of companies who's eithics I do not approve of. This relies on my bieng informed, however, so I'm sure I'm still buying some things I shouldn't.

I do try to support sustainable industry and agricultrue (note: organic does not equal sustainable!) and will pay a higher price to support my beliefs, but I'm not as thourough as I could be, mostly because it takes far too much time and energy to investigate every consumer choice I make, and occasioanally convenience will win out over ethics. Most of all, I try to support local enterprise and cultural diversity.

Smiley

 

[justsayknow]

I am always worried about this sort of thing but haven't really looked into where you can get clothes/shoes etc. that are produced under fair conditions. I remember seeing a website dedicated to the ethical practices of various global corporations I might see if I can find it again. If anyone else has any info on locally available fair trade products I would be interested to see it.

Another aspect of being an ethical consumer is about consuming in a more sustainable way. Like recycling stuff and buying stuff that will last longer. I always consider these things but am guilty of being a lazy bastard and not following through with it.

 

[friskk]

oops ok.. cosmetics i do not buy if tested on animals.

Medicine... go for it. If it could eventually save my life... go for it!

F

 

[Taliana]

I think living in today's society, unfortunately is is going to be virtually impossible to live by the standards & morals you want.

But that said, yes, i do give a damn, and yes i do think about things that I am buying. I pretty much try and avoid all big corporations where possible and buy local. If there are 2 cafes on the street, i will never think twice about supporting the local store.

Understanding that consumerism is a global issue, is the first step, people need to be aware of their choices, and people need to be aware where the $ they are spending is going. Is it going into the australian economy, helping out your neighbours, or is it going to big multi billionaire corporations, cheating us of our rightful $, and exploiting workers internationally.


Like the hilltop hoods said, 'think global, act local'.

 

[justsayknow]

For anyone who does give a damn
http://www.corporatewatch.org.uk/profiles/company_profiles.htm
has some interesting reading

 

[quiet roar]

buy less, share more

 

[zag0r]

i have a very nihilistic view on these sort of topics.
whilst i do 'care' as it were, a great deal - im realistic enough to realise that *nothing* i (or anyone) could ever do will make any difference. thus, i see token gestures (such as not buyng from X company) as being completely pointless.

 

[lost_boi]

^^^my thoughts and feelings exactly on the matter.
As much as I would like to think I'm making a difference i'm not. But then I'll give money to charity for certain causes because very little bit helps - it all adds up.
I think justifying not buying a product based on where and how it was made as opposed to supporting charity are one in the same.
Is it about how your decision makes you feel personally rather than socio-political pressures?

 

[Strawberry_lovemuffin]

I'm mildly ashamed to say I really don't care.

I guess I'm one of those people who makes the world worse by not particularly giving a hoot about these things.... water consumption, buying free range eggs, what brands to buy... I buy on price, mostly, it matters to me if I'm spending too much on water/electricity but I don't give much of a thought to it otherwise. (note: I don't *deliberately* waste these resources, just not proactively saving them)

If a company is ethical and makes cheaper and just-as-good quality goods, I'll buy them. It's a bit the same as Australian-owned really; it's a bonus if it's the same price and quality as other stuff, apart from that.... well.

I do care deeply about some things though. Animals, as someone mentioned. I'd fight for them, I donate to those charities, and I would choose no animal-testing products despite price.

I think things would change if I had kids, perhaps: a more humanitarian world view? Maybe.

I sound terrible. Well, I can only tell the truth....

 

[Taliana]

i have a very nihilistic view on these sort of topics.
whilst i do 'care' as it were, a great deal - im realistic enough to realise that *nothing* i (or anyone) could ever do will make any difference. thus, i see token gestures (such as not buyng from X company) as being completely pointless.

its comments like these that really get me mad. seriously. THATS FUCKEN WHY NOTHING EVER CHANGES, BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE SO GOD DAMN stupid. 'oh, my vote doesnt count, oh, if only i do it whats the point'. you're not being 'realistic' to think that, you're being ignorant and uncaring, because thats bullshit. if Lots of people start doing something, it DOES make a difference, its just a matter of making the majority realise how fucking important it is.

nothing will change if people like you continue to think this way. EVERYTHING COUNTS.

DUH.

8( 8) 8(

sorry this seems directly aimed at you, its not just you, its everyone who thingks this way.

 

[silvia saint]

i'm with nickthecheese. i have not bought anything made by nike in over 5+ years because their exploitations are well known. it annoyed me extremely when Cathy Freeman wore their gear, accepted their sponsorship, seeing how they exploit indigenous peoples of many nations.

i also avoid other well known sweatshop using companies like gap. i realise that i probably do still buy items produced in similar conditions, unknowingly of course, and it's virtually impossible to avoid every corporation that exploits, but i don't see what is so hard about avoiding the well known ones?

terrorism has a lot more to do with cheap shoe makers wages than just religious beliefs and dictators.

 

[zag0r]

everyone is billions of people worldwide. attempting to change the way that many people think & live their lives is utterly futile.

all imo.

 

[Schizo]

Sweatshops can't be that bad. Look how happy these chaps look!

Besides, wouldn't you rather be working in a sweatshop than have no job at all?

 

[muzby]

anyone here support the body shop?

well, their community trade isnt really helping the communities... its also a form of sweat shop labour (although not as bad as nike..)

unfortunately their save the earth policy isnt worth the paper its written on...

 

[Pseudo G]

Sweatshops can't be that bad. Look how happy these chaps look!

HAHAHAHA

Honestly? Couldn't give a flying fuck. If it's not that company, it'd be another company.

I question whether these companies are 'unethical' at all. They set up factories or sweat shops in areas with very little infrastructure. So that itself is not a walk in the park and provide the citizens with a means to earn a wage. Often a wage far better than anything they could earn elsewhere in that locality. This allows the people to feed, clothe and shoe (there's a joke there) their families.

Sure what they earn there isn't any where near what a worker doing the exact same job here in Australia would get. But hey what a teacher earns on average in American is 50% more than what a teacher earns on average here. You can't compare the same job over countries, it just doesn't work. For a far better indication, lets compare what the nike (for example) workers earn there to what a worker doing a different job in the same country earns and see what that says. If we did the same in Australia, I reckon the nike worker in the sweat shop would be laughing compared to other workers in the same country.

 

[keystroke]

haha it looks like all them kids are high on crack! look at their red eyes

 

[up all night]

I never used to care. I was not brought up in a family that looked at 'the big picture'.

I'm now dating someone whose mother is the complete opposite. His mother is a huge greenie, she has articles posted in her bathroom about globalisation and 'knowing where your bank banks etc'. She is so careful with everything she buys and with the way she lives.

These influences have definitely made me change the way I view things. I'm not going to say I've suddenly become a tree hugger who will protest against McDonalds or Nike etc etc however I now think carefully about the things I buy, about how long my showers are, about what fruit and vegetables I choose.

It's just so easy to make small changes and in the eng it all helps. Unfortunately not everyone will get to know someone like my boyfriends mother and will never start to think that they could make a difference.

 

[katmeow]

I suggest that anyone who thinks working in a sweat shop is a piece of cake should read a book called No Logo by Naomi Klein. To mention just some of the situations that exist in these sweat shops:

*Working 18 hour days in cramped, unsafe conditions.

*Bans on unionism.

*The threat of losing your job if you speak out against the working conditions.

*Workers dying in fires due to buildings being locked down.

*Workers being forced to sleep under their machines for the few hours break they get to meet a deadline.

*No sick leave, holiday pay, or benefits of any kind.

*Women being fired after the age of 25 because their fingers are no longer considered nimble enough to complete the sewing tasks as fast as their younger counterparts.

*The threat of companies packing up and moving on if there is the fight for higher pay/better working conditions is won - there's always another country with a government willing to sacrifice the rights of their workers just for a bigger piece of the pie.

Shall I go on?