consumerism

Author

Tara Wesely

 

There is no denying that we are a consumer society. But is it possible to harness consumption as a vehicle for positive social change? A growing group of investors believe that Socially Responsible Investing (SRI) can pave the way for social change by funding environmentally and socially responsible companies. By making the shareholder's voice an activist voice, screening for progressing-thinking companies and investing in communities, money can provide capital and momentum for a healthier world.

Resources

Web Resources

Social Funds: www.socialfunds.com

Good Money: www.goodmoney.com  

 

Print Resources

Socially Responsible Investing: Making Money While Making a Difference, Amy Domini, 2001

Investing With Your Values: Making Money & Making a Difference, Hal Brill, Jack A. Brill and Cliff Feigenbaum

Author

Wendy Jedlicka

Jedlicka Design, Ltd.

Every few minutes, advertising reminds us we live in a market economy. Our buying choices have a direct impact on how industry shapes our world, and in the end, decides our collective fate. "Hold on, I'm just buying a soda, not running an oil tanker into a wildlife refuge!" If your soda's in a plastic bottle, you're why the tanker was there.

What Can I Do?

Author

Lark Weller

Institute for Social, Economic, and Ecological Sustainability

Gandhi believed that "the greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated." Sadly, everywhere we turn we see consumer products that have been tested on helpless animals. As many people struggle to create meaning in our increasingly mass marketed world, we as consumers are able, now more than ever, to take consciously compassionate actions every time we go to the store by purchasing cruelty-free products.