Please read the text below to learn "Things You Can Do TODAY to Consume More Ethically."   The following section lists important resources to ReclaimDemocracy.org.

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Things You Can Do TODAY to Consume More Ethically

EASY:

ü  Use canvas shopping bags – You can get these virtually everywhere these days and you can use them not only for groceries but also for any other products.

ü  Reuse plastic produce bags – Some are better than others. Mothers Market offers nice sturdy plastic bags that survive well through many reuses.

ü  Use a metal beverage cup – Also available virtually everywhere; can be filled with water, coffee, etc., taken with you, etc.

ü  Walk or bike to all businesses within several miles of your house – It’s not so hard, really. You just need a reasonable backpack to use for the things you buy. Put your canvas bags inside the backpack and go! You can easily bike two miles in less than 20 minutes.

ü  Combine trips – With a little planning, it’s easy to almost completely avoid getting in your car to buy one thing. Instead, plan a shopping day for one day of the week and try to get everything you need during that one trip.

ü  Switch to a local independent market like Mother’s – Mothers has four locations in Orange County. They offer a large variety of organic, healthy, locally sourced food.

ü  Buy used clothing – Most people would be shocked to discover how many thrift stores and other used clothing stores exist within several miles of their homes. And that’s not to mention garage sales, home of some of the all-time best bargains!

ü  Visit a Farmer’s Market at least once a week – For a list of local Farmer’s Markets, go to http://orange.cfbf.com/cfm.htm. You’ll get fresh produce, in season, without significant transportation costs. You’ll get to know the vendors, who can tell you how the crops were cared for. You’ll keep the money in the community. The food will be healthier and will taste better. What a deal!

ü  Switch to a gas company that more closely supports your values – ExxonMobil is the worst, as far as I’m concerned. They show blatant disdain for the climate crisis and do very little compared to, say, Shell and BP when it comes to researching alternative fuel technologies. Costco also sells gas and they are relatively less expensive and, although they’re a big-box retailer, they tend to treat their employees better than many other big box stores.

ü  Make a list of independent, locally owned restaurants that you’ll use when you eat out – If you keep such a list on your refrigerator, you make it easier for everyone in your household to eat more ethically when they do eat out.

ü  Switch to low-flow water fixtures – See http://www.toolbase.org/Technology-Inventory/Plumbing/low-flow-plumbing-fixtures for details. These can save you lots of money and save water at the same time.

ü  Switch to compact fluorescent light bulbs – If every American home replaced just one light bulb with an ENERGY STAR qualified bulb, we would save enough energy to light more than 3 million homes for a year. See http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=cfls.pr_cfls for more information.

ü  Swear off bottled water – Think it’s healthier than tap water? A landmark study by the National Resources Defense Council (http://www.nrdc.org/water/drinking/bw/bwinx.asp) proved otherwise. Think it’s not a big deal for the environment? See http://www.allaboutwater.org/environment.html to be set straight. Want to take action on plastics in general? Go to http://www.earthresource.org/campaigns/capp/capp-goals.html.

ü  Replace your anti-bacterial soap – You’ve probably heard that widespread use of such soaps has minimal benefits and can help create antibiotic-resistant bacteria. It’s true. See http://www.life.ca/nl/107/soap.html for more information.

ü  Replace your petrochemical-based cleaning  products with products based on plant-based oils – The average American household has many, many products that have not been well-tested for toxicity and have been anecdotally linked to cancers and reproductive diseases. Switching to plant-based products rids your home of many of these potentially harmful chemicals. Companies such as Seventh Generation, Mountain Green, Ecover, Earth-Friendly Products, Bi-O-Kleen, and Citra-Solv offer such products.

ü  Use less perfume – Ninety-five percent of all perfume ingredients are derived from petroleum, which the National Academy of Sciences has identified as capable of causing cancer, birth defects, central nervous system disorders, and allergic reactions. When the EPA tested fragrance products, they found that more than half the products contained ingredients listed under the EPA’s Toxic Substances Control Act. If you must alter your smell, look for products that contain only pure, preferably organic, essential oils.

ü  Recycle electronic products – These products, which make up an increasingly large part of our lives and seem to be built for almost immediate obsolescence, are a complex miasma of chemicals and toxic materials. One local electronics recycler is ReComp Recycling in Santa Ana (http://recomp.tv/).

ü  Recycle everything – Many recycle newspapers, but what about other paper products, boxes, plastics, bottles and cans, aluminum foil, etc. Make it a game to see how little non-recycled waste you can generate each week. Your garbage company will love you!

ü  Set your thermostat higher in the summer and lower in the winter – Too cold? Put on a sweater! Too hot? Plant some shade trees around your house, open windows at night and close them in the morning, install awnings, insulate, install energy-efficient windows, etc.

ü  Flush the toilet less often – Do you really need to flush each time?

ü  Use cold water in the washer whenever possible – Often, this doesn’t significantly affect the clothes cleaning process.

ü  Turn off all lights and other electrical devices when not in use – The DOE says that 75% of all the electricity consumed in the home is standby power used to keep electronics running when they’re “off.” Use your electricity bill as an indicator of how you’re doing.

ü  Use both sides of the paper when printing and copying – Most of today’s printers have dual-sided functionality. If your printer doesn’t have this capability, just reuse the paper and print on the other side.

ü  Keep your car tires properly inflated – You’ll increase your miles per gallon and make your car safer in emergencies.

ü  Buy less – We’ve saved the best easy thing to do for last. Think HARD about every purchase you’re about to make. Do you really need it? If so, can you borrow or rent it? Can you buy it used?

MORE INVOLVED:

ü  Move all your financial accounts (checking, savings, IRA, CD, etc.) to a credit union – Several with minimal joining requirements are available, including Orange County Credit Union (www.orangecountyscu.org), which is open to those living or working in Orange County, Pacific Community Credit Union (www.yourcreditunion.com), which is open to those who live, work, worship, volunteer, or attend school in Orange County, and Western Federal Credit Union (www.western.org), which is open to those who are members of the Surfrider Foundation ($25/yr) or employees of literally hundreds of Orange County businesses.

ü  Move your mortgage to a credit union – Not advisable, of course, unless rates are favorable, but this is one of the best things you can do to consume ethically because it is, for most American families, the largest single expenditure.

ü  Junk your current credit card and get a credit card from your credit union – The rates are comparable and the credit is coming from a not-for-profit organization rather than a large for-profit multinational corporation.

ü  For your next car, choose a used hybrid or a used car capable of using biodiesel fuel  – Used is much better than new, not just for cars, but for everything, because it helps preserve our natural resources and our environment. If you’re concerned about the “health” of the car you’re considering, take it to a local mechanic. Many will, for a fee, take a detailed look at the car and let you know what kind of shape it’s in. There are also automotive businesses that specialize in this diagnostic function.

ü  Pay your bills online – This is pretty darn secure, reduces transportation costs, and saves you money.

ü  Become a vegetarian or vegan – This involves research and some experimentation to see how new food groups agree with you or not, but such a conversion is more ethical in a number of ways. The site www.veggie123.com offers a free ebook called “How to Successfully Become a Vegetarian”.

ü  Plant a garden – Most people who garden call it a very rewarding, almost meditative experience. And of course, there’s no better way to ensure that what you’re eating is fresh, tasty, and free of pesticides and other chemicals.

ü  Convert your home to solar – This is quite expensive and will take years to pay you back, but it helps the nascent solar energy industry and tells your neighbors you’re serious about alternative energy. Solar technology is partially subsidized in California through a program that will cover roughly 1/3 of the cost. See http://www.cpuc.ca.gov/PUC/energy/Solar/index.htm for more information.

ü  Install a tankless water heater – These provide hot water only when its needed instead of maintaining a large amount of hot water available all the time. They therefore save energy by avoiding standby energy losses. For more information, see http://www.tanklesswaterheaterguide.com/.

ü  Buy only ENERGY STAR qualified appliances – Energy Star is a joint program of the U.S. EPA and DOE helping us all save money and protect the environment through energy efficient products and practices. In ’06 alone, ENERGY STAR avoided greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those from 25 million cars while saving $14 billion on utility bills. See http://www.energystar.gov/ for more information.

ü  Analyze your entertainment habits and see where you might be able to consume more ethically – Do you go to the movies? Perhaps you can get there by walking or biking. Perhaps a picnic in the local park or a local hike would be a nice family activity. If you play golf, perhaps you can focus on courses closer to home so as to minimize transportation costs.

ü  Invest ethically – Do you have investments? If so, consider moving them to more ethical vehicles. Certain businesses are “greener” than others. For information about such businesses, a good source is www.coopamerica.org. Research companies in industries you like and invest in the ones that seem most ethical. Co-op America publishes a guide to researching corporations; it’s available online at http://www.coopamerica.org/PDF/GuideResearchingCorps.pdf. Companies such as Domini, Parnassus, New Alternatives, Calvert, Pax, and Green Century offer screened mutual funds. Check their web sites for screening criteria to compare to your particular preferences.

 List of ways to consumer more ethically (Word copy)

General Education:

ReclaimDemocracy.org (www.reclaimdemocracy.org) has information on everything we discussed in this class in the form of literally thousands of articles, primers, research studies, and web site links.

World Newspapers (www.world-newspapers.com) provides easy linking to a variety of different online information sources, including alternative, world news, politics, science, etc.

BBC World News (www.bbc.co.uk) is constitutionally established by a royal charter of the British government. An accompanying agreement recognizes its editorial independence and sets out its public obligations in detail. It is a respected source of world news.

World Press Review (www.worldpress.org) is a digest of international media.

The Globalist (www.theglobalist.com) is a daily online magazine on the global economy, politics, and culture.

CorpWatch (www.corpwatch.org) investigates and exposes corporate violations of human rights, environmental crimes, fraud and corruption around the world.

The Economist (www.economist.com) is a great source of in-depth coverage of political and economic events throughout the world.

MEDIA REFORM:

The Center for Media and Public Affairs (www.cmpa.com) is a research and educational organization which conducts studies of the news and entertainment media.

Columbia Journalism Review (www.cjr.org) is a well-respected magazine offering a mix of reporting, analysis, criticism, and commentary aimed at the improvement of journalism.

Project Censored (www.projectcensored.org) is a media research group out of Sonoma State University which tracks the news published in independent journals and newsletters. From these, the organization compiles an annual list of 25 news stories of social significance that have been overlooked, under-reported or self-censored by the country’s major national news media.

Media Education Foundation (www.mediaed.org) produces and distributes documentary films and other educational resources to inspire critical reflection on the social, political and cultural impact of American mass media.

FreePress (www.freepress.net) is a national nonpartisan organization working to increase informed public participation in crucial media policy debates and to generate policies that will produce a more competitive and public interest-oriented media system with a strong nonprofit and noncommercial sector.

Save the Internet.com (www.savetheinternet.com) is a coalition of many organizations dedicated to preserving the Internet as a crucial engine for economic growth and free speech. Member organizations include FreePress, Gun Owners of America, Consumers Union, Common Cause, the Christian Coalition of America, and hundreds of others.

Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting (www.fair.org) is a national media watch group that has been offering well-documented criticism of media bias and censorship since 1986.

CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM:

California Clean Money Campaign (www.caclean.org) works to achieve an open and accountable government that is responsive to the needs of all Californians by building statewide support for public funding of election campaigns.

Public Campaign (www.publiccampaign.org) is dedicated to sweeping reform that aims to dramatically reduce the role of big special interest money in American politics.

Common Cause (www.commoncause.org) acts as a vehicle for citizens to make their voices heard in the political process and to hold their elected leaders accountable to the public interest.

ELIMINATING CORPORATE PERSONHOOD:

The Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund (www.celdf.org) provides free and affordable legal services to community-based groups and local governments working to protect their quality of life and the natural environment through building sustainable communities. Increasingly, that means teaming up with people and their municipal representatives to mount campaigns that challenge the legal clout of corporations to overrule decisions made by citizens for their communities.

The Program on Corporations, Law and Democracy (www.poclad.org) instigates democratic conversations and actions that contest the authority of corporations to govern.

Democracy United of Humboldt County (www.duhc.org) educates citizens about the illegitimate seizure of our authority to govern ourselves.

Liberty Tree (www.libertytreefdr.org) builds on the accomplishments of earlier American movements by launching a new stage in the struggle for democracy.

The New Rules Project (www.newrules.org) serves as a clearinghouse for democracy-enhancing local and state legislation, much of it challenging corporate power.

The Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (www.wilpf.org) has a “Challenging Corporate Power, Asserting the People’s Rights” committee that has developed a course on this subject.

ETHICAL CONSUMPTION:

The American Independent Business Alliance (www.amiba.net) helps organizers start and sustain independent business alliances.

Organic Consumers Association (www.organicconsumers.org) is a grassroots organization campaigning for health, justice, and sustainability.

Public Citizen Trade Watch (www.citizen.org/trade) promotes democracy by challenging corporate globalization, arguing that the current globalization model is neither a random inevitability nor “free trade.”

Global Exchange (www.globalexchange.org) envisions a people-centered globalization that values the rights of workers and the health of the planet.

Coop America (www.coopamerica.org) works to harness the economic power to create a socially just and environmentally sustainable society.

Sustainable Business (www.sustainablebusiness.com) provides businesspeople with direct access to the information and tools they need to find meaningful employment and resources for sustainable business development.

 List of web information resources (Word copy)