“It’s time to put down the credit cards and pick up a picket sign.”
We can’t shop our way into saving the planet, no matter how green the products are that we buy. That’s because we Americans buy too much stuff. In fact, a new book calls our excessive consumption a national addiction that threatens the entire planet.
Five million people die every year from infectious diseases. The majority of them are children under age five. Amazingly, the simple act of proper hand washing helps prevent the spread of infectious disease. Unfortunately, millions of people don’t even have access to the essential items for hand washing.
March 15 is World Consumer Rights Day. “Consumer Rights” can simply mean legal protections for shoppers against abusive business practices. But it can be much more than that too. Like “People Power”, it’s what we make of it.
The recent recession changed many people’s buying habits, and made “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” fashionable. Consumers are more interested than ever in purchasing previously used items at Goodwill and other thrift stores—not only to save money but also to reduce their environmental impact.