“work-watch-spend.” We work to make money, then come home and relax as we watch television. On TV, we see ads that let us know that we could do and be a lot better—if only we had the right product. So, we begin to feel less wor- thy, go shopping and buy that product that we hope will make us do/become/ feel better, and the cycle repeats. Today, shopping has become firmly


entrenched in the American lifestyle. It is used as an antidote to boredom, a substitute for socializing and a quick fix for a disguised emotional need. We continue doing it even when we’re aware that we are buying things we don’t need and can’t afford. The more aware among us also understand that all the stuff we buy and store, and cause to be manufactured and dis- tributed, creates a negative impact on people’s lives and the environment— which leads to even more stress.


Stuff versus the Right Stuff Among the reasons that it’s possible to make shopping different today is the dawning of conscious awareness about the impact a product has through its entire life-cycle, from raw resources through ending up in a landfill or recycled. Daniel Gole- man, whose books explore emotional and social intel- ligence, has tackled this topic in Ecological Intel- ligence: How Knowing the Hidden Impacts of What We Buy Can Change Everything.


“Ecological intelli-


gence,” he explains, “lets us apply what we learn about how human activ- ity impinges on ecosys- tems so as to do less


“Look for the best value, not always the best price.”


~ Leah Ingram


harm and once again to live sustainably in our niche—these days, the entire planet.” Goleman advocates that we take


our role as consumers seriously in three ways: 1) Get the information and know the ecological impacts of the things we buy; 2) Favor the eco-friendly improve- ments that companies make to their products; and 3) Share that informa- tion. Widespread individual support for sustainable alternatives, says Goleman, “That’s what’s going to give it the magni- tude that can actually shift market share.” On websites like GoodGuide.com


and StoryOfStuff.com, we can check on the product life-cycle of everything from cosmetics and bottled water to the electronic gadgets we might be consid- ering as holiday gifts. It’s bound to be a balancing act, unless we elect to forego shopping altogether. For example, for an e-reader, Gole- man counsels, “You’d need to drive to a store 300 miles away to create the equivalent in toxic impacts on health of making one e-reader—but you might do that and more if you drive to the mall every time you buy a new book.” Goleman hopes that such informa- tion will lead us to make informed decisions by using our buying power to show companies the direc- tion they need to take to meet a growing, enlightened demand. As we enthuse to our friends about how well the naturally scented soy candles on our holiday buffet table performed, they might also seek them out, and then tell others. Friends might want a fair trade table- cloth of their own when we gather around one at a dinner party and explain how pay- ing fair wages helps improve labor conditions and sup- ports the local economy of the artisans’ village in India. Concludes Goleman,


“As market share shifts, all of a sudden within com- panies, the grounds of the debate shifts, because now, doing the right thing is synonymous with captur- ing market. Doing good is the same as doing well.”


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natural awakenings November 2010 27


Enjoy life without anxiety


Work in the garden without sneezing


Play more golf without pain


Wake up refreshed without fogginess


Feel energetic throughout the day without coffee


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