Some noteworthy sites February 11, 2009

Seventh Generation has been one of the most successful companies promoting green products. As a brand, I have been happy with the quality of their products as well as their business ethics. I sometimes wonder if their success in marketing their products to major chains means that their prices are selling a “brand” more than a price based on the product offered.Their products ARE more expensive, but I think they have kept them affordable for the average consumer and their prices seem to be well supported in terms of their production expenses and consideration of ingredients – as far as I can tell from reading abut their company and the labels on their products. In some ways I don’t mind a bit of an increase in price accordng to “paying for the brand” in this case because there is a sense of trust or consistency in their overall business theories and proctice. It is hard sometimes to figure out which companies are truly committed to an envirnomentally and ethically healthy product and those that are just trying to use the popularity (and scare tactics) of the envirnomental discourse to make a profit. I think that sometimes “green” products get marked up because their seen as a “priviledged” product, i.e. access to healthier ingredients and production automatically means an “exclusive” product that MUST cost more. It’s easy to prey on the idea that a consumer should pay more for product because it is safer for them, and more often abused: for their children. I have seen an increase in companies that are used to cutting corners in their products or using cheaper ingredients who then choose to have an exclusive “green” line. I sense that they often price gouge in order to continue their exorbitant profit that they’re used to with their “compromised” products/production. I waiver back and forth between my happiness that Walmart is starting to carry “green” products (some of their cotton products, the felt I bought the other day, cleaning and beauty products…not much in the way of food though- except maybe milk) and concern that they will abuse the definitions established by smaller companies, or that it will only promote organic/ green products or practices that also benefit them in terms of profit (which is not what’s at the heart/core of the intended “revolution”). Anyway, I appreciate the transparency of Seventh Generation, so I am willing to accept that I’m paying a little extra for the trust/ethics of the brand name even beyond the increased price for better products and production.
Anyway- they also have great coupons on their site (I use their coupons for their diapers, and sometimes cleaning products). You  have to create a user name in order to access the coupons, but you can print each coupon twice- which I think is a good deal. They post new coupons every month or so. I signed up for the newsletter as well which I think is worth an extra email in my inbox. They don’t bury you with emails if you do sign up for newsletters or special offers (that’s optional anyway).Here’s a link to the current newletter, and home site.  (If you want CHEAP, environmentally friendly and ethically produced cleaning products though- just buy Dr. Bronner’s soaps- They work better than most cleaners I’ve ever used,  and they’re multi-functional, use it on your skin, hair- or bathtub or floor!).

A cool new site that Dan has found is called SwapTree. It’s a site that allows you to swap books, CDs, DVDs, and video games for free (well, you have to pay for postage).  It’s a network site in which you list the stuff you are willing to trade and make a wish list of items you would like to have. the site then searches it’s databases and matches people up. So, if you’re done with the the most current  Twilight book (please note- here is my vampire reference for this post!) and need another vampire fix you can put an Anne Rice book on your wish list, and list Twilight as the book you’re willing to trade. The computer will find someone looking for Twilight that has an Anne Rice to swap. It doesn’t just do direct trades either, they work through 4 other people to match up trades etc. And you don’t have to have ike media, a cd can be traded for a book, etc. It’s suprising that it works, but apprently it does. Dan just posted some of our stuff a few days ago and we’ve already got 3 potential swaps. Pretty cool, check it out. Also, here’s a link to Yahoo Green which lists a bunch of other swap sites, I’ll let you know if we try any of these and what we think.

Last but not least, a note on personal care products. This is something that I should write about more fully in another post, but I have been particularly intrigued (read: horrified) at the lack of regulation in personal care products. And of course, not just the minimal regulation/standards- but the fact of how companies take advantage of this and knowingly produce products which are highly questionable in terms of health and toxicity. Admittedly, there are many contradictory arguments out there about the impact of the various toxins in our shampoos, lotions, makeup, shaving cream, tampons etc. What’s agreed upon is that many proven carcinogens (and other toxins) are  in the majority of products we use everyday. Some argue that the amounts are minimal, so there is minimal risk. Others argue that the repetition of usage is not taken into account. Since most of these products are not just used one time but multiple times throughout a day or over the years, these toxins build up in our systems , causing problems over time.  To be honest, it’s overwhelming trying to figure out what ingredients are potentially hazordous to health (body and larger environment) and which can be used without concern. There is a site that has an extensive database which you can search to see where the various products you currently use land on the hazard scale. It’s called Skin Deep, it has been put togtehr by the Environmental Working Group. It’s also a good site for more detailled information on this topic.  I do have some reservations about how to interpret some of the site’s ranking and evaluations. Overall, i’ve found it’s most helpful when choosing personal products to just go with the ones with the most recognizeable ingredients- just like food. If it has less than 10 ingredients, and most of them have recognizeable names or seem like something I could potentially make myself (with time and skill), then it’s probably safer. Or, start with the ones labelled “organic” then investigate from there whether the ingredients seem to match up with the claim. FYI: products that use the word “natural” rarely are. The company Burt’s Bees have developed a seal that indicates a particular set of standards that must be met for products using the seal to be considered ‘natural”. They hope it will function like the USDA organic seals or fairtrade seals. I have yet to see the seal appear on any products other than Burt’s Bee’s, but I hope it becomes as widely respected used as the USDA seals.

Bookmark January 15, 2009

I bought a book online yesterday (USED…I haven’t fallen already- ye of little faith). I often use a great site called findbookprices.com that is a search engine that looks for the lowest price for a book on multiple popular book sites (amazon, B&N, abebooks etc), this time it led me to a new site called biblio.com. So, I put the book in my cart and at checkout I was given the option to send the book “carbon neutral”. I am torn on the trend of buying carbon credits to relieve guilt and doubtful of its help in relieving the popular phrase “eco-footprint”. My impulse when I read about it being used at some Hollywood gala event is to roll my eyes. It often seems like a way of erasing consciousness and promotes a sense that you can just throw money at someone else to take care of your mess. But then again, the large percentage of wood and paper products we buy are made from illegally pirated forests- so I read on. I wanted to find out how they define “carbon neutral”- especially since they were also giving me free shipping…on a $5 book. Often the claim is just tossed around with little detail about how or where the company is buying their credit from and what it is exactly buying. However, I was impressed by their transparency about how they were claiming “carbon neutral” options. This is a snippet from a news release when they started the program in 2007:

 

The new program is called ” ecosend “. It is being launched in partnership with NativeEnergy, a privately held Native American renewable energy company, and will provide funding for wind turbines and farm methane energy projects in Native American communities and on family farms throughout the U.S. These projects not only provide clean, renewable energy but also play an important role in sustainable economic development for tribal communities and farm families.  http://www.biblio.com/pages/Used_Books_Go_Greener.html

 

The article is worth a read and links are interesting. This is the first time I’ve seen carbon credits being connected to U.S. resources and energy. Usually carbon credits mean paying for new trees to be planted in a third world country (often by children and their families with little info on what they’re being paid for their labor). Since many of our resources come from these countries it makes sense to try to revive the landscape that is being decimated, but at the same time the whole concept still seems suspect to me. This site seemed legitimate in their desire to use the concept of carbon credits responsibly and practically. Once the carbon credit was added to my subtotal it only added a few cents to my purchase. Since buying my book I have looked more at the site and this North Carolina company is commendable in their efforts to be a responsible community-based business while still becoming part of the global market online. Here’s a snippet from their link to their business ethics and personal story:

 

Since 2005, we have built six more community libraries in Bolivia. We have formed close partnerships with local organizations such as Asheville-Buncombe Education Coalition. We’ve held annual book drives. We offset every aspect of our business operations (including the shipment of every book sold!) by purchasing carbon offsets that are invested in renewable energy on small farms across the country. We’ve created great jobs for people, both locally, and in impoverished Bolivia. We’ve distributed thousands and thousands of books to underprivileged children, inmates at local prisons, guests at local homeless shelters – and pretty much anyone who we could put a good book in the hands of. http://www.biblio.com/pages/Our_Story.html

 

So, this site will become my first stop when looking for used books online, hopefully others will give it a spin as well.

 

BTW-  The book I bought is one I have taken out at the library multiple times and have decided I need a copy for myself at home. It’s called Unplugged Play: No batteries. No Plugs. Pure Fun; it has tons of great ideas for creative play for kids – as the title suggests:without TV/video games. And on those days when Cooper is bored and throwing things, sometimes it’s easier to refer to a book as he pounds the rocking chair against the wall than come up with something on my own.

 

And now, at the behest of K&K enterprises- some important* vampire rules (according to the eminent scholar and vampire grammarian: Shadow K at yahooanswers.com):

 

1= its an unwriten rule that all vampires drink blood.
2={ unwriten rule} all vampires can not travel during daylight { you know it kills them }.
3=no mater who you stab in the hart with a wooden stake thay will die.
4=vampires dont alwasy have to drink human blood.. thay can drink animals blood. {Hello “humans” are classified as animals}
5=no mater what thay say vampires cant fly { thay dont turn into bats }” thats foklar”
6=vampires cant go into some one home or church unless thay are invited in… and thay only have to be invited once.
7=garlic dosent ward off vampires.thay just dont like the smell of it.. vampires can smell things verry strong,, and garlic is verry strong..

 

* It has been suggested that vampires are not as “important” as the environment- however, as a onetime Anne Rice enthusiast I deny this vapid claim and say that vampires are VERRY important. and so I will continue to occasionally include important  vampire facts for your enlightenment.