Stories

I recently bought a 2.5 pound bag of Fair Trade Colombian Supremo at Sam’s Club for $14.98.  I did so for two reasons.  First, because I love the taste of the coffee: Arabica beans handpicked in the northern Andes Mountains and roasted according to a centuries-old tradition. Second, I was hoping to contribute to the greater good of all the farmers involved in producing this coffee. My bag of coffee advertises “better business for better living" and claims that “fair trade raises incomes and living standards by guaranteeing fair prices, direct trade, environmental sustainability, community development and fair, safe labor conditions.”  I set out to find out how the system works and get a realistic assessment of its success.

Read more: Conscientious Consumers: Making a Statement with Your Shopping Cart

A revised and updated copy of the owner’s manual for the world in the 21^st century, WORLDCHANGING, is on my nightstand. Daily I read some new, thought-provoking wisdom, encapsulated by innovative thinkers into quick-read tidbits. Solutions, tools and ideas rise from the pages, eliciting hope for those of us who realize that we have been part the world's environmental problems, but have the will, and ability, to change. In it, you will find an updated “world horoscope” as it relates to people, places and things. You will journey through the latest ideas of independent journalists, designers and thinkers as they describe some of the best visionary ideas for our future on this planet and get a sampling of successes.

Read more: Is the World Really Changing? A Horoscope for World Sustainability

At an Earth Day festival in Madison, Wisconsin, I was privileged to hear Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. speak profoundly on the impact of environmental problems on current and future societies.  One message I walked away with was related to the amount of virgin forests, including Canada’s boreal forest, being destroyed by paper companies in order to produce triple-ply toilet paper. Unfortunately, although this northern forest comprises about one third of the world’s forested area and 23% of the world’s stored carbon, only 8% of boreal forest is protected, according to ForestEthics' reports.

Read more: Wiping Out the Forests of the World

Picture this:  13,000 feet of lumber, 14 tons of concrete, 2,300 sq. ft. of siding, 3,000 sq. ft. of roofing material, 3,000 sq. ft. of insulation, and 6,000 sq. ft. of interior wall materials – all this to build a 2,000 square foot home.  According to the National Association of Home Builders Research Center, the total amount of waste from this project would be about 8,000 pounds, which would take up 50 cubic yards of space in a landfill.  If we deconstructed 25% of the buildings demolished every year, we could prevent about 20 million tons of debris from ending up in the landfill and instead put it to good use.

Read more: Deconstruction: Opportunities Rise from the Dust