Do you shop differently because of ‘green’ or ‘environmental’ or other ethical issues in the last few years? Is it for altruistic reasons or are some things cheaper / better?

I’ve just been thinking about the whole way the global warming / sustainable living message is made and how some of it (insulation of your home, drive your car less) are more about straight financial savings rather than because it is better for the planet. I guess I’m asking whether you pay a little extra to buy the right stuff or just do the environmental thing when it is cheaper?

A mixture, but neither extensively. I drive to save fuel, certainly. Reducing dependency on fossil fuel is clearly a priority for humanity in general.

Most things are somewhat trickier. If you avoid food miles by not buying stuff grown in South America, but buy the same thing from the UK, do you cause more environmental damage because the same thing has to be grown in an artificially heated environment? If you avoid buying Kenyan flowers, is it right to deny Kenyans an important part of their economy to avoid burning some kerosene? If we only buy locally are we happy with the idea of intensive farming to cope with high demand from a constrained supply of land?

Perhaps clearer is the ethics of suppliers – our town has Witrose and Tesco, and I pay extra to shop at the former because I see the two at opposing ends of the supermarket ethical spectrum, but I’d buy equivalent stuff from each.

I genuinely just try to buy less of everything.

I literally can not see how a ‘friendlier’ product will make much of a difference, as it is still part of the same culture of consumption.

Of course, there will be no avoiding buying things I need; I just try to ‘need’ as little as possible.

I think there are bigger issus to deal with before we start asking ourselves “is the world going to end in a fireball because of where I buy my coffee from”

Yes, I think about it for almost everything these days, and often make changes where it’s possible. Costs more. – Best thing usually is not to buy it at all.

I wont buy fruit or veg from outside the UK or not in season.
I wont buy cheap meat – I get mine from a farmer butcher or local butcher who I know he knows where his meat comes from.
I travel more miles by train than by car a year.
I repair as much as possible rather than replace.
I’ll pay more for something with a reputation for being long lasting (esp white goods – we have AEG washing machine and dryer that cost a mint but still look and work good as new 14 years later)

And as above I now more often than not chose not to buy something. Slowly reducing our consumption.

Actually Dogbert, no.

It’s collective effect of 6 Billion people all thinking like you that sadly is getting us where we are.
Wars nowadays are about oil. Wars in the future will also be about water, soil, food.

We are mining and degrading our soil and fossil water on a phenomenal scale and I don’t feel at all ashamed to be one person at least trying to do something about it.

I think there are bigger issus to deal with before we start asking ourselves “is the world going to end in a fireball because of where I buy my coffee from”

Like what, and have you changed your behaviour as a consumer to do anything about them?

I’m never sure whether to trust the environmental claims of manufacturers, but I do try and shop ethically. As Stoner says above, I’m trying to consume a little less, while hypocritically buying gadgets 🙄 (i.e. me). It’s bloody difficult sometimes though – eventually you’re just completely trusting a manufacturer and hoping that he’s being honest on his packaging.

If I can, I’ll try and keep my pound local – I often pay a few quid more for something at the LBS in the hope that some of that pound will get spent in the Bristol economy and might even make it back into my pocket at some stage (but never in cash oh no!).

I’m with James Lovelock when he says that there’s little our nation can do in terms of behaviour to stop what’s happening to our climate but that it’s still a good thing as it changes our mindset and thereby that of the younger generation. They’re the ones who’ll be left with the mess. It concerns me how much large corporations target young consumers though – under the very noses of those who think they’re shelding their children from it – let alone the parents who admire their children turning into the next generation of thoughtless consumption.

This weekend, I’m going to try and buy something second hand from the BBJ (TooTall – watch out!)

I buy free-range meat wherever possible for animal welfare reasons and possible eco benefits too. I buy organic milk because I think it’s better for you – I suspect it’s more eco friendly to produce with cows eating grass and whatnot but I am not sure, haven’t looked into it enough 😳

I also try and minimize food miles – I used to love Anchor mature cheddar but no way I am having my cheese shipped in from New Zealand when I can get just as delicious cheddar from 20 miles up the road – in Asda and Tesco. Actually, much as I hate Asda in general they are (or ours is) pretty good at sourcing local food. They even have free range eggs from a small farm about 5 miles down the road when they can get them.

I also try to shop in-season too.

I think there are bigger issus to deal with before we start asking ourselves “is the world going to end in a fireball because of where I buy my coffee from”

That’s not really the point. There are basically millions of small ‘issues’, some are easy to fix and some are not. Don’t eat strawberries in January – that’s not hard. Grow a pot plant instead of buying cut flowers all year – also not hard. It’s not going to save the world if you just do those things, but if everyone did what they could, it’d go quite a long way (no pun intended).

Or to put it another way – every little helps 🙂

I try and buy local when and where I can for couple of reasons firstly as its fresher even eggs in supermarkets are a week old usually and don’t get me started on fruit and veg, I try and eat seasonal for fruit and veg so its from this country but obviously we don’t grow everything, then also locally to keep local trade going my butchers has nothing that’s come from more that 10 miles radius I’d rather eat less meat but better quality. Being honest its not a cruelty thing more quality and locality but then if they have been looked after better that’s good too 😀