Book

I bought something this week: a book - woo-hoo! (Unfortunately, nothing fun - web/tech stuff...)

My first thought was to buy at a store instead of online (reducing packaging and shipping emissions) but the B&N on Ventura didnt have it.

My second thought was, what else can a consumer do? "Hi. I'd like to buy this book from a publisher that only uses soy-based ink and recycled paper, and also uses only bio-degradable packaging material and shippers that purchase carbon emissions offsets. Can you help?""

hahaha. right?

Well, that is silly, but hey... maybe someone is doing this. So here is the email I sent to Amazon.

Hello,

I am interesting in purchasing books only from vendors who meet the highest environmental standards. Specifically, can Amazon help me shop from publishers that only use soy based ink and recycled paper?

I'd also prefer only bio-degradable packaging material and shippers that purchase carbon emissions offsets.

Can you assist? Thank you.

It will be interesting to see if I get a real reply...

I Am Lightweight

Forgoing bags and disposing of computer parts properly is really low hanging fruit (at least for me). When it comes to protecting the environment, I'm not really breaking a sweat. Here is a taste of the future of consumerism, people. This will become the norm eventually:
Read about it in the NYTimes.

I've been debating making more substantial sacrifice for both "the cause" as well as elevated blogging. Telling hopefully entertaining stories about the stuff I buy is getting harder.

Just an aside, here's your handy reminder of the day: Subway = Lame. Please dont eat there.

Cat Food

Lets say you want to make sure your kitties arent exposed to any Chinese manufactured contaminated ingredients... There is a choice - "Wellness brand Feline Dietary Solutions". American made chow that also cuts down on transportation emissions. Sounds pricey? You know it is! About 2.5 times more than regular cat food.

But come on, these kitties are worth it! Here they are enjoying the rug described in "trash pick 1".

Shaver Heads

Today I bought a new set of shaver heads for my old Norelco electric razor.
Um.... uh... Well, I cant think of a possible difference being a contientious consumer would make on this purchase.

I do have one word of advice for anyone considering buying an electric razor. Dont get a cordless model that only recharges by sitting in its charger stand. Eventually the battery will die, and replacing it costs as much as the razor. Better to get one with a regular AC cord. Besides, unless you go rustic style camping, when will you ever be in a bathroom without an outlet to plug it in? And in that case, let it grow, man... let it grow.

T Shirt

I bought Beatles T-shirt as a gift to for my brother from a local shop (LemonRags on Ventura) today. Doesn't say where it was made. Refused the bag.

Its a really nice shirt. Trunk LTD. Sorry I didnt take, nor can i find, a photo.

Food

Until I need to buy something manufactured, here's some filler (NPI). When it comes to food, it goes like this:

Fast Food = Bad

I base this opinion largely on the popular book "Fast Food Nation". The issues with fast food go well beyond nutritional. It would be an injustice to try to summarize all the economic and agricultural problems caused by the fast food industry as articulated in that book.

I'll just say this: I used to really like Big Macs and eat them often, but since I read Fast Food Nation about 4 years ago I havent stepped in McDonalds once. I urge you: Spare your kids -- the food is scientifically designed to taste real yummy and hook them in!

Practice what you Preach

The previous tenant here at [local address repressed] had extended the porch railing upwards by affixing strips of heavy-duty, white plastic lattice. (Some type of animal containment device, I'm sure - certainly not for aesthetic reasons.) The 4 lattice strips - each 4' x 1' - served no useful purpose to me. So.... toss in the garbage? No Way!

A quick add under "free stuff" at Craigslist produced a phone a call within 5 minutes! (And this was at midnight on a Sunday. Had to remove the phone number in a hurry.) And the by the next day I had dozens of email replies! Had to pull the add... A few days after that, a woman from nearby Sherman Oaks stopped by and was thrilled to obtain some key material for her upcoming landscaping project.

Despite the hassle of managing this transaction, I felt pretty good about it. A load of plastic saved from the landfill, while making a stranger happy.
And to think, I probably even could have gotten a few bucks for it. What was I thinking? Just kidding... Although the value to replace this stuff is about $40.

Month in Review

A look back at January's purchases:


Slippers (made in China)
Camera Batteries (made in China)
Oil and Filter
Bags for above: 0

Wow - as American consumers go, I dont cut it. I dont buy squat. Well, except food..... Truth be told I consume it on a regular basis. Multple times, day in and day out.... Just like everyone else whoever lived..... But food is a complicated subject....