Ben and Jerry made me think of more than ice cream- a lesson in responsible consumerism
The other day I stumbled across a controversy I’d somehow missed in my regular news reading. Could be I overlooked the stories; could be it’s hiding down below all the election/war/economy coverage. Could be most people don’t care. Regardless, I found it interesting and it made me think of a much larger question: why don’t more people, myself included, practice responsible consumerism?So, let’s back up to what initiated this question. I was eating Ben and Jerry’s with the Slightly Crunchy Parent (who had heard of this controversy, incidentally), and we were talking about how long their ice cream had been rGBH free (rGBH is Recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone- it’s basically used to make cows bigger faster and help them produce more milk, etc. Studies show some possible human downsides to consumption of it, and many people- myself included- are opposed to the usage on ethical grounds). So I went to their website where I found a snippet about how several states are trying to ban rBH free labeling; I was dubious. I mean, why would such a label be banned? I can certainly understand if they tried to regulate the labeling to prevent false claims, but banning it? A quick google search revealed that Ben and Jerry were right (and can I just say how much I love their ice cream? Are you out there, Ben and Jerry? Will you send me some free ice cream for loving you so much!?); there is legislation out there that would prevent or restrict the usage of rGBH free labeling on milk and dairy packaging. I immediately did my part and sent my internet letters and signed up for email updates, but it left me thinking about packaging and good purchase decisions.
Growth hormones and pesticide free foods are not the only controversial consumer decisions we face. Everyday every decision we make in spending our money sends a message to someone, and it seems to me that these messages get louder and louder the longer we pretend to ignore them. When you opt for Wal-mart because their prices are cheaper, you tell Wal-mart that you support their business practices. When you buy a Nestle product, you tell Nestle that you support their irresponsibility as global citizens (that was a nice way to put it, don’t you think?). There are so many products and companies that stand for something besides candy or cheap goods; they stand for anti-unionization, low pay and low benefits, the destruction of small, privately owned businesses, the starvation of babies, removal of reproductive rights, and so much more. It seems to me that we all, myself included, need to become better global citizens, better consumers, better activists by looking at the repercussions of all of our little choices. It’s these little choices, after all, that add up to be a big resounding yell to the corporate giants and the media and the politicians. It’s these little choices, compounded one on top of another, that make us active participants in our world instead of passive bystanders.
So, go do some product and company research. Buy milk that comes from happy cows. Stop buying candy from Nestle. Pay a little more and avoid Wal-mart. Make conscious decisions, whatever they are (even if they are different than mine) and be an active citizen. And by all means, if you know of a product or company that needs a good boycott or deserves to be on my do not buy list, tell me!
Posted by mtucker on 04/11 at 12:58 PM