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| see greenwash below |
“Sustainable consumerism” is
consuming while being aware of the impact that your consumption has
on the sustainability of the environment around you. Globalization
and capitalism are positive drivers in this phenomenon.Osgood Sustainability Consulting says:
- Fundamentally, sustainable consumerism needs to be about creating opportunities:
- to create and enjoy wealth for more people in more places
- to enable more people to meet their needs
- to foster more satisfaction, connection and wellness for more people
- to relieve and restore our stressed ecosystems.
Globalization helps bring together people from across the globe and enable more people. Capitalism drives competition and lowers costs, but can also drive farmer's markets and smaller "mom-and-pops" out of business. In this respect, capitalism can be a negative driver in sustainable consumption. I personally do not go out of my way to buy at farmer's markets, because they are further away from my house than Target or Publix. I don't generally pay a premium for anything that is labeled as "organic" or "local", unless it looks better to me. I have however purchased a number of gifts from fair-trade stores that were considerably less expensive than similar items in chain stores. I buy fair-trade coffee (sometimes), but it's still packaged by Green Mountain and they make a profit through selling it. Capitalism creates the connection between the fair-trade farmers and myself, and Green Mountain acts as an intermediary.
"Do you prefer to frequent mom and pop stores in downtown Ft. Myers or patronize chain stores at the Gulf Coast Town Center? "
I had never really even been to any "mom and pop" stores in downtown Ft. Myers until the last field trip to the Southwest Florida Museum of History and Downtown Fort Myers.* I generally frequent the stores in Bell Tower or across the street at Target. I think people tend to use the stores that are most convenient to them. The effects of my behavior are both positive (I save money & gas, which are more sustainable than the alternative) and negative (I'm not supporting local agriculture). If I were to shop locally more often, it could have a slightly positive effect on the income of a local farmer.
"What is greenwashing?"Greenwashing is a marketing and public relations tactic that is generally deceptive (ie... makes false claims about being green and environmentally friendly). Sometimes companies may make improvements to one area of production while neglecting another, and only advertise the positive changes made to the company. This may be considered greenwashing. More information may be found here.
*See Here For Pictures
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