Ethical shopping

By Katy Holbird

We Holbirds have a garage full of rice. Well, that’s not quite true, but nestling amongst the random bits and pieces - broken paddling pool, bits of cot and one of Noah Wilson’s drums (it’s here when you want it!) - we have rice, pasta and various other bits that constitute the basis of food for the next few months.

Let me clear something up. We are not preparing, as has been suggested, for the end of the world. Jesus will not return on the strength of a chick pea curry. We are, however, trying to do what we can to look after the world in the interim. Of course, filling our garage with brown rice (did I mention it was brown?) isn’t going to save the planet. But I’ll tell you why we do it.

Let’s start by asking yourself how much of your weekly outgoings are spent on food? However much it is, that’s your money and you have a choice about how you spend it. Your choice gives you more power than you might think: markets will move for consumers.

What if the money that we spend on food goes towards food and practices that support the environment rather than deplete it?
I’m not advocating that you all turn vegetarian (though if you need advice on buying meat then I’m not the person to come to) but there are small things that we can all do.

Tom and I still shop at Tesco. Boo, hiss. Yes, but like it or not, Tesco is here to stay. So let’s change it. For us this means buying fairtrade goods; fruit and veg with as little packaging as possible; fish that is MSC (Marine Standards Council) certified, so that it’s taken from safe stocks and gathered in sustainable ways. If what you want isn’t there, ask for it. If enough people ask then markets start to change. One of our Vicar-type friends (they tend to spring up when you’re in this job) has made friends with the manager at his local Tesco and now works with him to make sure that he stocks goods that are grown and sourced ethically. That’s consumer power.

Aside from Tesco, we get most of our dried goods, cleaning products etc from an online cooperative called Suma. Apart from the amusement of an enormous van pulling up outside our house three times a year, it’s a way of sourcing fairtrade, organic goods from a place that we know supports it workers and really cares about the products it sells. It’s also cheaper because you have to buy in bulk. Get your Life Group together, find a calculator and work it out. Shopping whilst creating community!!

So that’s food. Clothing is another area we can look at. You may or may not be aware that most of my clothes come from charity shops (and how lucky we are in Gerrards Cross....). But whether you do this or not, there is so much information out there about the impact that the clothing industry has on the world (cotton production, dyeing processes etc) as well as on the workers. It’s not as easy to say that cheap = suffering workers, but let’s face it, we all know, if we’re honest, that Primark is not an ethical place to buy our clothes. I’ve written to them to ask more about their policies - it’s not good news, Primani lovers. Sorry. Other than that, there’s lots of info on the web, The Good Shopping Guide and Ethical Consumer are good places to start.

You may be reading this thinking, fine for you Holbird but what about the.... cost, time, thought I have to put into this? It’s true. There are all of those things. But the question is how much do you care?

Finally - Streetbank. Saint James Church, let’s all get on Streetbank. It’s a website that links you with the people up to 10 miles around you and allows you to share and receive items, skills, talents that you have stored away. Today I met a lady who lives up the road and came to get Noah’s old highchair. We had a good chat and she might come back next week for a cuppa. It’s not rocket science. And it doesn’t cost anything.

For more information have a look at these sites:
www.streetbank.co.uk
www.suma.coop
www.ethicalconsumer.org
www.thegoodshopingguide.com

How smart is your phone?

Did you know that one in every five people now owns a smartphone? That's an impressive statistic, when you think that a smartphone has more computing power than was used to send a man to the moon in 1969.

It's clear these much-loved gadgets have changed our lives in many positive ways. But the hidden stories behind their production often tell a different tale.

Just how sustainable is your smartphone?

From the cobalt mined in appalling working conditions in the Democratic Republic of Congo to the copper mine that's torn a community in Chile apart, what goes into making a smartphone often doesn't get the attention it should.

See www.foe.co.uk/makeitbetter/phone?

Many of the top mobile phone companies have already committed to finding some solutions. Smartphones can clearly be a massive force for good. But it's clear that the way we make them is putting unbearable pressure on people all around the world.

We need to continue challenging smartphone makers to rethink design and production so our phones are good for the planet as well as good for us.

see www.foe.co.uk/news/phone_design_solutions_mib_39150



And we need to think about whether we really need to change our phones every 18 months!!

Making your holiday more environmentally friendly

Have you booked your summer holiday?
If not, consider holidaying closer to home than you usually do and try to avoid flying at all. If you do fly (and even if you don’t!) you can offset your carbon emissions. This can be done through Climate Stewards, set up by A Rocha to help you minimise the effect of your CO₂ emissions through offsetting. Visit www.climatestewards.net . We would strongly urge you to watch the video clip and hear what Nicky Gumbel has to say about the scheme.

What is carbon offsetting?
Carbon offsetting is “a compensatory measure made by an individual or company for the carbon emissions (green house gases) that they use, usually through sponsoring activities or projects which increase carbon dioxide absorption, such as tree planting” We cause carbon emissions when we drive, fly, cook, heat and light our homes . How does ‘Climate Stewards’ offset emissions? A Rocha’s charity, Climate Stewards, offsets emissions by planting trees in Ghana. Trees absorb CO2 as they grow. Working with schools and communities to plant indigenous trees means that their work also improves livelihoods and restores biodiversity. You can read more about ‘Why Ghana?’ on their website. www.climatestewards.net

What are Greenhouse gases?
Greenhouse gases act like a greenhouse to trap heat within the atmosphere. The primary greenhouse gases are water vapour (H2O), carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrous oxide (N2O), methane (CH4) and ozone (O3). Without these gases, the earth would be too cold to be inhabitable.

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is the main greenhouse gas, accounting for 83% of UK emissions. It is a by-product of burning fossil fuels, burning biomass and other industrial processes. The concentration of carbon-dioxide in the atmosphere has increased by 40% (from 280 parts per million (ppm) to 400 ppm) since the beginning of the industrial revolution in the 1750s.

How you can help

Make a donation

£15 will allow Climate Stewards to plant enough trees to remove one tonne of CO2 from the atmosphere.

Offset your carbon use:

£25 will offset driving 5,000 miles in a medium sized car.
(1.7 tonnes of CO2)

£50 will offset 1 year of electricity and gas usage for an average UK household
(3.2 tonnes of CO2)

£75 will offset a flight from London to New York
(5.0 tonnes of CO2)

You can use Climate Stewards online calculator to calculate your own carbon footprint. And read about how they arrived at their figures. You can also see how they spend their money here.

“Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could only do a little.” Edmund Burke (1729-1797), English parliamentarian, philosopher and ethicist.

Do let us know what you think about these blog entries, and how you feel about St James aiming to become an 'eco-congregation', what would you like to change? Please enter your comments in the section below.