Sunday, January 28, 2007

Live well & tread lightly

Living well entails much more than simply indulging in epicurean pleasures. It also implies living intelligently, ethically and wholesomely with respect for all living things and for yourself.

In trying to put together a brief guide to living well ethically I have discovered that it is inexcusably difficult to find out the whole story about most of the goods we consume daily.

The most basic action we can take to affect a change in this situation is to be diligent consumers, persistent in our demand for information and for the right to buy goods of ethical, sustainable and traceable origin.

Other good tips:

Buy clothes, furniture and art that is produced locally, ethically and sustainably. Shop at your local independant farmer's markets, fishmongers, cheese shops, butchers and bakeries.

Buy only local, in season, organic, sustainable, minimally packed, minimally processed and fair trade food. It is better for you, for the planet and for your fellow humans. Demand these products in your local stores.

Support the Slow Food movement, the International Fair Trade Organization, the Forest Stewardship Council, the Clean Clothes Campaign and Amnesty International. Visit their sites and inform yourself. The Ethical Consumer Magazine and the New Consumer Magazine are also great resources.