Living in Sustainable Symbiosis

This thought process runs on from my previous post. I raised the point that we should not remove ourselves from society no matter how dire the future looks because removing ourselves from society effectively results in us reducing our power to change things.

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I hinted briefly at the consumer power of our shopping habits. So what did I mean? Consider your transnational corporation supermarket, whether it be Tesco, Sainsburys, Waitrose or even M&S if you like a certain quality. Now what determines what they bring into stock? Us. They stock the products that the consumers buy most and will make therefore attract the most customers and bring in more profit. I personally shop at Sainsburys and I know my nectar card monitors my shopping habits and preferences because it gives me vouchers for items which I regularly purchase and gives me a deal which entices me to buy slightly more than I usually do. (And that is no lie, watch your vouchers carefully and see for yourself!) So the idea behind our purchasing power is that when we buy more of a product, it will be in higher demand and in reaction, supermarket stock will be catered to these buying habits. We can complain and campaign all we like about Fairtrade and detoxing from bad chemicals in clothing, reducing the amount of food thrown away from supermarkets, food miles and imports, you name it and there’s a campaign group, but if no one wants to buy the more ‘sustainable’ products then the supermarkets won’t invest in buying them. Now be honest, hand high in the air all of you who don’t then change your personal behaviour. Yes, my hand went up as well. I have only started changing my habits in the last year in some aspects of food but by no means in other areas yet. However we desperately NEED to realise just how strong our consumer power is and how IMPORTANT it is and start acting. Money changes everything and can be the driver of change, inch by inch, for large transnational companies.

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If you’ve read my homepage you will remember my depiction of the response of most people to these huge issues. If I solicit some more they would sound a little like this:
"The problem is too big to be solved"
"One person can’t change anything"
"It’s too expensive to live sustainably"
"It’s too much effort to change my habits"

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Well if you’re thinking that then here are some VERY SIMPLE things to get you and I started on improving our consumer behaviour and working towards a less hypocritical lifestyle which require only a little effort on your behalf.

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Greenpeace Detox – watch out for this label in your clothes, it indicates less harmful chemicals being used to make and dye your clothes

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Box schemes – reduce your carbon emissions from food imported fruit and vegetables. I am currently on a 2 month fast from any fruit and vegetables outside Europe and it actually makes cooking a lot more experimental and fun. Don’t go for big brand boxes like Abel & Cole, as good as they are, try and find a local box scheme (I use Sunnyfields, based in the NewForest just outside Southampton). Even on a student budget it actually turns out no more expensive than normal.
 www.theecologist.org/green_green_living/food_and_drink/1203512/five_of_the_bestorganic_veg_box_schemes.html 

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Buy the ugly ones – I found this campaign the other day and I think it’s absolutely wonderful! This could be a much easier option than the box scheme if you aren’t into making such a big change to a box scheme
 www.culinarymisfits.de/ 

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Local Co-operatives – Again, I’m only on a student budget but one less night out and on £10 out my bank account a year and I can invest in renewable energy and help support this industry and make it more accessible and viable (and of course, you get part ownership in all profits they make!)

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Charity shops, clothes swaps, buying Fairtrade, knowing your fish labels, apps made easy … there’s just so many more suggestions. There’s too much to go through! So keep reading and I will expand on more of these in the posts to come.