(no subject)

[broken_guitar]

Hmm not bad stuff….

How do I avoid supporting so many bad things when I buy stuff??
A mini-guide to a more sustainable lifestyle
In general, here's what you can do to avoid consumerism and withdraw support from the worst of corporate behaviors:
* don't watch TV
* buy only what you NEED; don't buy things on impulse / don't "shop" - just buy what you went for
* take your own bag; refuse to take paper or plastic disposable bags (a receipt is all you need)
* never buy anything in plastic number 3 or 6 (3 is PVC, a chlorinated plastic; 6 is polystyrene, which is also not safe) visit www.ejnet.org/plastics/ for background.
* avoid plastic in general; buy things in glass, paper or metal containers when possible; if you must buy plastic, only buy types #1 and #2, for which recycling options are usually available
* avoid overpackaged goods
* buy from the most local place possible; avoid stuff from other countries, especially from those with really bad human rights records (basically anyplace but Canada, Japan or Europe).
* buy from the smallest companies possible (if you've heard of them in advertising, they're probably too big; look on labels to see if they tell you who they're owned by... sometimes they do)
* observe every boycott you can (visit www.corporations.org/corplist.html to get started)
* buy recycled/reused goods; buy from dollar stores, flea markets and thrift shops for reused stuff
* make use of things people throw away (I've obtained some decent furniture, lamps, desks and such by taking home stuff that suburbanites and college students throw out)
* make major lifestyle choices that minimize the need to consume; don't have kids; live communally
* look at ingredients in foods and materials in products and avoid anything that you find out is unhealthy or produced in bad ways
* avoid toxics in products you consume: examples include anti-bacterial (triclosan) soaps, fluoridated water, mercury thermometers, vinyl toys
* go vegan! (it goes a long way towards saving the environment, your health and the lives of many animals!) If you don't know where to start, try www.veganoutreach.org and www.pcrm.org
* Try to find ways to institutionalize these things (get vegetarian options in your schools, get your local stores to stop carrying mercury thermometers or to start carrying non-fluoridated toothpastes, etc.)
* sign onto some of the anti-corporate email lists out there, so you can learn what's up and stay on top of corporate activities. You can find lots of good lists at the Student Environmental Action Coalition (SEAC) website: www.seac.org/seacnet/ and also at the website of the student anti-corporate movement - "180: The Movement for Democracy and Education" - www.corporations.org/democracy/lists.html
for the link to this page go to

Comments

[cobain-x-mortis.livejournal.com]

You forgot one:

*buy cobain_x_mortis a velociraptor, she will love you and when the world is hers she will give you a million dollers.

:-P I couldn't resist!