by Katherine Isbell
What can I do? I’m only one person. My actions won’t make a difference. Comments like these express the sense of powerlessness that many of us feel when faced with the extensive degradation of the Earth’s environment. However, people around the world are discovering that, as consumers, they do in fact have the power to affect the way that large companies develop and produce their products. Ethical consumer movements have forced pharmaceutical companies to abandon animal testing and have compelled home improvement stores to stop buying and selling old-growth wood. A recent ad campaign by Americans for Fuel Efficient Cars, The Detroit Project, has even taken on the gas-guzzling products of the American automobile industry.
The ethical consumer movement derives its power from the simple fact that the ultimate success of any business depends solely on whether consumers purchase its products. Ethical consumers believe that in order to protect the environment we must first and foremost consume less; we must consider the environmental impact of producing, using and disposing of the products that we do buy; and we must consider a company’s adherence to ethical standards and fair trade practices before purchasing its products. In short, consumers wishing to modify their buying habits should ask themselves the following questions: Do I really need this item? Does the production of this item harm humans or any other living creatures? Does the production of this item harm the environment? While proponents of ethical consumerism concede that it may be impossible to find products that meet all these criteria, all agree that posing such questions can help us to make better choices.
As educators, it is vital that we offer our students an alternative view of consumerism, especially since they are bombarded daily with messages exhorting them to “buy, buy, buy.” School-aged consumers constitute a substantial economic force in today’s society. Not only do students have their own financial resources, but they also can influence the purchasing decisions of their families. Consequently, they are an increasingly important focus group for advertisers.
One of the best consumer education resources I have found is the PBS video Affluenza (Bullfrog Films) which is supported by a companion website. The hour-long video illustrates the effect of excess consumption on our lives and communities, while the website offers an “affluenza diagnosis” questionnaire and a thoughtful, well-organized teaching guide that suggests classroom activities and community actions for grades 5 to 12. Teachers can find more lesson plans for teaching consumer awareness at various grade levels on the “Ask Cedric” site of the Consumer Education Resource and Education Center in the UK. Each curriculum point is linked to a detailed teaching plan, which in turn is linked to teachers’ notes and suggested teaching activities. Be aware, however, that not all of the links are highlighted, thus forcing the user to move the mouse over the text in order to find links to more information.
The Media Awareness Network is a non-profit organization dedicated to equipping adults with the information and tools needed to help young people develop media literacy, including a critical understanding of how television and the Internet encourage consumerism. Of special interest to educators is their extensive on-line searchable Lesson Library containing over 300 lesson plans. Adbusters Media Foundation promotes a more active resistance to commercialism through its magazine and website. Best known as the sponsor of Buy Nothing Day (the day after US Thanksgiving) and TV Turnoff Week, Adbusters advocates a balance between the environment and the economy. Their “culture-jamming” approach may be a bit strong for elementary students, but high schools students should appreciate Adbusters’ ad parodies. The website has a good collection of these “subvertisements” and offers guidelines for creating them.
The Responsible Shopper site developed by Co-op America allows users to compare the environmental records and workplace practices of 350 primarily large, publicly traded companies, as rated by the Council on Economic Priorities. Users can search by industry, brand name, company name or product category, and can obtain detailed reports on individual companies. I learned, for example, that Levi Strauss has been criticized for moving its production overseas but praised for avoiding the use of products made from old-growth forests. Students might find it interesting to collect company names on items around their homes and check how those companies rank on this site. For students who want to become more actively involved, the Black Rhinoceros: A Green Activist’s Resource site details citizen actions around the world, including actions on corporate abuse of the environment. Each action is described and linked to appropriate materials and websites so that users know exactly what commitment is required of them. The site also offers advice on communicating effectively with government agencies and officials.
Finally, the New Road Map Foundation has a web page that provides lots of statistics, mainly from the US, related to the consumption and waste of resources. The statistics are a bit overwhelming and depressing, but could be used judiciously to introduce the topic or help make an argument.
Sites for Ethical Consumers
The Detroit Project: www.detroitproject.com
Affluenza: www.pbs.org/kcts/affluenza
Ask Cedric:www.askcedric.org.uk/resources/resources-index.php
Media Awareness Network: www.media-awareness.ca
Adbusters Media Foundation: http://adbusters.org
Responsible Shopper: www.responsibleshopper.org
Black Rhinoceros: www.blackrhinoceros.org
New Road Map Foundation: www.ecofuture.org/pk/pkar9506.html
Katherine Isbell teaches writing in the Intensive English Language Institute at the University of North Texas in Denton, Texas.