Juliepatchouli

Living with Lovingkindness and the power of Consumership

I watched a documentary last night about the bead manufacture in China for the Mardis Gra celebration in New Orleans. I have to admit, I had never thought anything about this.
How little do we think about how our actions, small though they may seem, effect those around us, or even around the globe? These ladies work 12-16 hours a day for $62 and two days off a month . They are very harsh punishers and fine them for things such as a month's pay for talking to a person of the opposite sex. The owner also said he likes to hire women b/c 'they are so easy to control, so I like to have at least 90% women'.
(Don't give me the argument that this is better than having no job, they should have jobs and get paid fairly and have good working conditions as well).

We have such power as consumers. We should use this power very wisely and with consideration of others. When we purchase items that have been made at a place with abhorrent conditions, such at the ones at the Chinese sweat shop, we continue to make a demand for that type of work and are supporting it. How often do you look at the tags on the things you buy to see where they are made?
Over the span of your lifetime, your choices can really make a difference in the life of others, and in your environment. Do you recycle? Do you try to cut down on waste to begin with? Do you mulch? Just because trash leaves your house does not mean it disappears.
Because things are out of sight and out of our minds, does not mean that people are not suffering, that the environment does not continue to degrade.
Big Corporations like Exxon continue to make record amounts of money while wanting to drill and kill off the artic region and still not pay off the mess and right the wrongs of the Valdez spill.
We are so far removed from the process of our products that we no longer care how they are made or where they come from if anyone suffers. I venture to say that if most people had to see animals living in the conditions of industrialized farming and be slaughtered in order to bring home their food, they would become vegetarians.

When you do work hard at becoming more attached to living sustainably you have more investment in your process and production, you do care more, you do want others to suffer less, you do pay attention to where your money goes.
I have been to walmart maybe once in 8 months. In the town of Maryville Tennessee, Walmart is building a brand new supercenter only 7 miles from another supercenter that will remain open. When is enough, enough?
I have refused, as my Mother has as well, to go to Exxon since the Valdez spill.
I try to buy my fruits/veggies/milk at local produce markets that supports local growers as much as possible and buy from a local Co-op, and from a Union grocery story other times.
In the summer I try to grow some of my own vegetables. I make my own bread. I usually buy my clothes at thrift stores, so I don't worry about giving money to any sweat shops productions.
It's been in the news that the state of North Carolina is suing TVA for the pollution that they have caused. My neighbor has written books about the pollution in the smokies and attributes much of it to the coal power plants.
We can all help with reducing pollution by reducing what our own pull off the energy grid.
Line dry your clothes when possible. Keep your a/c set high, your heat set low (I keep mine at 62),
turn off lights and tv when not in use, etc. My neighbor cuts his yard w/ a cythe and I have used a non powered mower - well it's Julie powered, but not as often as I should, as the two cycle engine is horrible.
Each bit really does make a difference. No one said it was convenient or easy, or as cheap (though sometimes it is cheaper), but I've found I can do the little I do just fine, once you get into a routine and it does feel good and it's important to care for everyone, locally and globally and for our planet. We, whether you know someone or not, and this place, are all we have. And there is much more I can do, this is written about me as much as to anyone else, this is my thinking aloud, if you will.
Then take the next step,,,
What about activism? Have you written to the Chinese and other gov'ts demanding better working conditions in exchange for buying their products, and to your representatives in asking that they do the same in order for us to trade w/ their govt's? Here, do something about Exxon today...
I guess that is enough for now. Imagine if you will, if we all did live just a bit more concientiously...
Imagine...

posted by Julie @ 5:44 PM Comments: 10