ALTERNATIVE PRESS P UTTING THE POWER IN THE C ONSUMER ’ S H ANDS - S USTAINABLE P RODUCTS & S ERVICES NOW …..
T HAT ’ S N ATURAL ! N OVEMBER /D ECEMBER 2007
B UY Y OUR G IFTS L OCALLY ! P UT T HAT D OLLAR INTO Y OUR C OMMUNITY ! It has been nearly a year since I stepped foot into that box store some of us refer to as Wally World. No Marts for me as I have went on a quest to source everything as locally as I possibly can. The occasional light bulb will require a trip to one of those massive boxes with fluorescent lights and large amounts of wandering souls. But for me and my significant other, we remain afar. Holiday shopping is the hardest. In our country we are very giving, and thus, feel compelled to give many things to many people. This is not bad, it’s just that the “Everyday Low Price” will become somewhat enticing when shopping on this shoestring budget that many of us have. And we all have fallen victim to bargains that will eventually lead to a smiling face. But when we go to those box stores and buy these gifts that are so cheaply priced, there is a hidden cost. Most likely that gift you have saved so much money on has been shipped hundreds or thousands of miles. And that gift probably came from an assembly line where workers were underpaid, where they may lack many of the affinities that we enjoy, like abundant food, water, and shelter. More likely that gift has been made with components that are also very inexpensive, and all of those components have had the same type of supply chain. When we put that bargain gift on the teller’s checkout stand and when we pull out our preferred currency to purchase such, that money is going somewhere far away. Most likely a large chunk of that change is not going to the people whose labor furnished the gift. That money is probably going to Wall Street. Which, is fine, if you are an investor or like to support investors with a worthy cause. I may be going out on a limb, but I would much rather purchase as many gifts as I can from little shops around my community and around Southern Colorado. We are so blessed with thousands of
small businesses offering fantastic products and services that do good for people, our environment, and the whole of our community. Of course it is more difficult, it takes more time, it is probably going to be more expensive, but hey! Why not? Those hidden costs with inexpensive gifts from those box stores will someday be very visible to our society – the cheap meal, the cheap petroleum products, the cheap plastics, etc. Someday other costs will come into play (like sickness, environmental degradation, etc.), and then we will end up paying for those UNSUSTAINABLE CHOICES. These unsustainable choices that we make will eventually show their costs, to us, our children, and our future. Why not be a part of that change starting this Holiday season?
V OLUME 4, I SSUE 8
S PECIAL H OLIDAY E DITION N EW E NVIRONMENTALLY F RIENDLY B USINESS
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AWR G IFT B ASKETS
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R ECYCLING G REAT E VENTS
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Build a Lifestyle
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Dear Carrie
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B ODIES B Y T
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Why not make a stand and support your community by purchasing their products and giving Sun & Sleep them to your loved ones as gifts? You will have Seek Stillness a story to tell and you can sleep easy at night, knowing that you have made a difference and Directory that you have stood up for your rights, voted with your dollar, and supported your Happy Holidays! community. In this edition you will find from great local businesses with wonderful, Contributing Author: SUSTAINABLE, Holiday gifts. Enjoy! Tisha T. Casida
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