By Tao Oliveto, Carrboro, NC

By theory, shopping is considered addictive and some people use it like they use alcohol or drugs. But, like many things, a little can be good while a lot is lethal. Our culture has made it possible for most of us to get our “fix” often by providing a lot of stuff for very little. We get used to “low low prices”, and think of it as normal. It’s not - but places like Wal-mart and other chain stores want us to think otherwise. I know people who pursue lower prices like predators pursue prey, driving an extra 10 miles or more to save a few dollars or even cents on something they probably don’t need. “It’s on sale!!” is their war-cry. Most often they forego quality for quantity and, in the process, “feed the monster” of unsustainable consumerism while keeping the earth toxic and the practice of slave labor alive..

If something is really cheap - then someone along the way is getting screwed and it’s usually impoverished people doing really hard labor in horrible conditions. Of course, cheap, easily obtained supplies are needed to complete the equation and this means suffering for the environment as well. I’m continually amazed at the number of middle-class people who won’t buy organic food, not because they are unconvinced it is better for them, but because it “costs” too much. Yet, those daily $4.00 latte, video rental or the monthly manicure fit right into the budget.

Nothing that costs little actually costs little. Knowing this makes it easy for me to shop locally and logically and yes, to pay more in some cases. It’s helps to know I’m accruing a long-term benefit for people and the planet but the immediate reward is simply that it feels good - like I’m participating in something truthful rather than constantly trying to beat an already crooked system. I don’t notice a change in my expenses since I automatically buy less stuff.

Only when we begin to measure our lives in values, health and justice rather than in dollars, will we really be rich.

Tags: business, community, culture

This entry was posted on Tuesday, October 9th, 2007 at 12:41 pm and is filed under Green Misc.. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.