better world shopper

thanks to all of you who have been so loving and supportive through our family's loss. i have now returned to chicago and am continuing to process everything. prayers for my family back home are requested.

. . .

on an entirely different note, i strongly, strongly, strongly encourage you to visit this website (below) and purchase the "better world shopper." the research and information is featured on the website, so you can find more there, but in short, the book compiles information about the social and environmental responsibility of many companies we utilize daily and helps us use our money to support the companies who are ethical.

i am more convinced that human and environmental exploitation will not end unless consumers start to demand fair trade instead of cheaper-prices-at-all-costs. it's consumer demand for cheap vegetables that leads individuals to hire and (sometimes) enslave undocumented persons. what is more powerful than any legislation or judicial ruling is our consumer demand (amongst many other human rights violations worldwide). yes, it costs more, undoubtedly. but our products are only cheap because someone else pays the price down the line.*

as we start a new year, may one of our resolutions be related to helping create a more ethical, compassionate, jesus-infused world.

anyway, i'd love to learn and converse more about this subject. here is the link to the book, please check it out!:

http://www.betterworldshopper.org/

*as money matters are often tight nowadays, i realize that the demand for cheap food/proucts is not just one of greed, but of necessity. as a pooooor grad student, i know that making more ethical shopping choices is a more difficult and complex choice than it seems. i plan on proceeding with grace, thoughtfulness and "good enough" choices (thank you, d.w. winnicott).