shop local first, but then, if you must shop
online...(Amazon a blind spot for many permaculturists/environmentalists
it seems)
Alternatives to Amazon – Environmentally and
Socially Responsible Holiday
Retailers!
The holidays are approaching, and like many Americans, you
will probably purchase a gift for a friend or family member online. As a
proud Green American, however, you may be wondering how the company
synonymous with online shopping, Amazon, ranks in terms of sustainability
and social responsibility. We did some research on the issue, and found
that by most corporate standards, Amazon does poorly in these
fields.
For the past year, Green America and its allies have been pressing Amazon
to take action on climate change. In response, Amazon has taken two
significant steps: it hired Kara Hurst, the former CEO of the
Sustainability Consortium, as its first-ever sustainability director, and
it revealed that the company has a goal of
100%
renewable energy for its servers. However, unlike competitors that
have announced a transition to renewable energy Amazon does not provide a
timeline for the transition and has made no real commitments to clean
energy. Amazon’s data centers burn an ever-growing amount of energy
generated by dirty fossil sources, and
Greenpeace ranks them among the worst in transparency,
infrastructure siting, energy efficiency, greenhouse gas mitigation, and
renewable energy investment and advocacy.
Amazon currently has no published sustainability report, at a time
when almost every other Fortune 500 company publishes such a report. The
company also once again declined to respond to the
Carbon Disclosure
Project, which provides a system for companies to measure, disclose,
and manage environmental information, which would serve as a first step
in understanding and reducing Amazon’s carbon emissions.
In addition to their dismal environmental record, Amazon demonstrates a
lack of commitment to social responsibility. The company
actively fought against state efforts to collect sales taxes in 2012
(Amazon’s brick and mortar competitors all have to pay sales taxes, which
put them at a disadvantage).
Amazon also has a poor record on workers’ pay and rights. Amazon
actually
pays its warehouse workers less than WalMart pays. And, workers
allege they aren’t even paid for all of their time on the job. A
class action lawsuit has been filed against an Amazon warehouse for
failure to pay workers for time it takes at the end of each shift (about
25 minutes) to make sure these workers are not stealing products. The 25
minutes it takes to go through security should be compensated. And,
warehouse conditions are poor as well.
Company warehouses were not equipped with electricity for air
conditioning until 2011, leaving workers to toil in 90-degree weather
during the summer months.
Fortunately, there are plenty of online holiday
shopping options that bear a proud declaration of their commitment to
people and the planet. Products ranging from books to toys to apparel
made with environmentally friendly production methods, fair-trade
partners, and clean energy can be shipped to your door, guilt-free. Have
a look at our Amazon Alternatives Holiday Shopping
Guide below to find a gift that your loved
ones will cherish, and the planet will thank you for. Many of the
businesses listed are certified members of our Green Business Network, so
you know they are responsible companies.
Amazon Alternatives Holiday Shopping
Guide:
Powell’s
powells.com Books, Audio Books,
DVDs Operates a fleet of biodiesel-powered trucks, purchases wind power,
and generates electricity from solar panels on their roof.
Better World Books
betterworldbooks.com
Books, e-books, DVDs By circulating previously owned merchandise,has
recycled over 216 million pounds of books and offset 44,000 tons of
carbon emissions.
Viva Terra
vivaterra.com Eco home décor,
accessories,artisan goods Offers a wide range of organic, all-natural,
fair-trade, artisan-made, recycled, chemical-free products, all made in
the USA.
Etsy etsy.com Artisan-made
crafts, jewelry, art Connects shoppers directly with sellers of
artisan-made crafts, jewelry, and art. Robust environmental reporting
program ensures the company minimizes their resource use and carbon
footprint.
Ten Thousand
Villages
tenthousandvillages.com Fair Trade arts and crafts, jewelry, music,
food Handmade art, jewelry, and textiles are focused on providing
equitable returns to artisans in developing countries in Asia, Africa,
Latin America, and the Middle East.
Ebay ebay.com Used goods galore
hundreds ofcategories Largest online engine for reuse on the planet;
allows people to sell items they own and aren’t using, reducing demand
for new manufactured goods and landfill space.
Terra Experience
terraexperience.com Fair
Trade Mayan arts and crafts Supports environmental education in supplier
countries, uses energy efficient technologies, post-consumer recycled
paper, hybrid vehicles, and website hosted by 100% wind power.
Worldfinds
worldfinds.com Fair Trade
gifts All products are handmade, often locally, and are shipped using
recycled paper, packaging material, and boxes.
Indigenous
indigenous.com Fair Trade/Eco
Clothing Makes high-quality clothing honoring both the people and the
planet from natural and organic fibers such as cotton, silk, wool,
alpaca, and Tencel; committed to using environmentally-friendly dyes.
Maggie’s Organics
maggiesorganics.com Fair
Trade, organic clothing All clothes are made with certified organic
fibers, fair labor practices, using low-carbon production methods.
Equal Exchange
equalexchange.coop Fair Trade
coffee, tea, chocolate Imports organic coffee, tea, chocolates, candy
bars, cocoa, sugar, nuts, cereal bars, bananas, and olive oil. Helps
sustain 75 farmer co-ops in 30 countries.
Indie shops online:
http://www.nearbyregistry.com
.
Green Pages Online
greenpages.org Everything
greenhome décor, clothing, jewelry and beyond. Thousands of great gift
ideas! The over 3,000 businesses listed on GreenPages.org have undergone
a rigorous certification for social and environmental
sustainability.
(805) 962-2571
P.O. Box 92156, Santa Barbara, CA 93190
margie@sbpermaculture.org
http://www.sbpermaculture.org
P
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