Comments on: Shopping Your Way to Safety – A Book Review

By: Earth Friendly Shopping - Show #34 | Moms Love Shopping

Earth Friendly Shopping - Show #34 | Moms Love Shopping — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 06:02:44 +0000

[...] also discussed Tiffany’s Article about the book Shopping Yourself to Safety and why the book’s author thinks we’re [...]

By: julie

julie — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 14:33:27 +0000

Wow. What a way to look at it from another view, I guess. I guess I can say I agree, to a point. I do believe a lot of companies are just cashing in on the whole green thing. I, personally have always believed in natural living. It’s just been an instinct of mine. I did get a little happy in the last couple of years when I discovered all these mainstream companies going “green”, I actually thought that the world is finally getting it. But yes, there needs to be more activism about our rights to live in a cleaner, healthier planet. Not just buying organic.

By: Shrijnana

Shrijnana — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 10:08:53 +0000

I just discovered your blog; this post has made me think about a few things differently. I can see how – for example- purchasing only pesticide free produce isn’t going to protect anyone from all the pesticides sprayed into the air on the conventionally grown food. But I think often individuals feel so helpless in the face of large, powerful conglomerates who get so much government support, that they are not sure what to do except refuse to purchase their products. Does the book offer any specific suggestions for what we can do, in this extremely unresponsive political climate, to affect widespread change? Without those recommendations I am afraid telling people they are making things worse by doing the one thing they thought they could do to help will engender more helplessness, which in turn will prevent the very kind of activism we need.

Shrijnana’s last blog post..It?s all about me

By: RickRussellTX

RickRussellTX — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 03:49:12 +0000

With respect to the issue of poor families suffering, what I simply mean is that anything that puts up a barrier to production — whether we can agree that it’s a good barrier or it’s a bad barrier — is going to hit poor families the hardest. I shop farmer’s markets, I’ve been to three different ones in the last month. You can buy good products at reasonable prices there.

Could a poor family in Los Angeles put farmer’s market food on the table? No. No freaking way. Apples are selling for $2.50/lbs at the farmer’s market and $0.99/lbs at the discount grocery. Of course, the discount apples are waxed, in poor condition, and don’t taste nearly as good because they were picked as soon as they could travel. But they’re apples, and if you’ve got the choice between some and none, you’re going to the discount grocer.

My only point is that we (and I mean society in general and environmentalists in particular) need to make sure that our solutions are equitable for *everybody*, and that we don’t leave poor folks behind.

By: evolvedmom

evolvedmom — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 02:51:59 +0000

I loved reading your review, Tiffany. I’ve been known to say some things to my friends that are similar to what the author of that book seems to believe. It does often seem that more people are buying green to protect only themselves. We are consumers. And we are raised on marketing messages more than we are raised with community-focused imperatives that teach us to respect the Earth, to respect our environment, to clean up after ourselves, and to try to protect others –and others’ children– like we would ourselves and our own. While I do agree that many people consider buying “green” labeled products the beginning & the end of their activism, I think that’s better than doing nothing at all. We have to keep making the world better, making better consumer choices, and each doing our part. And for those of us who can speak up, write & lobby lawmakers, and protest…we need that, too.

By: Kerry

Kerry — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 02:02:07 +0000

Thanks for the review. I am glad to get your blogs.

I will agree with Carrie on this one, I am just going to take care of my own family the way I see fit. I’m going to keep buying organic as long as I can, and use safer products in our house. I want my son to grow up this way, and hopefully he will keep it going.

I am looked at as the crazy one in my family. my dad, mom, brother, sister just do not GET IT. I have to listen to my own dad say to me “what the heck does hydrogenated mean anyway?”. LOL. he does not care, and never will.
I’m criticized quite a bit. but like I said….. I’m going to take care of my family….the way I see fit. no matter what anyone says.

By: Maxine

Maxine — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 22:00:10 +0000

excuse me, that should be ‘made it this far…’

By: Maxine

Maxine — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 21:58:49 +0000

Hi there,
I was beginning to wonder where you were with no posts for so long. I guess reading this book…Anyway, I’m not sure I agree with the premise that buying ‘green’ and organic is a bad idea in the end – after all organic farming means less pesticides in the land which is good for everyone. As far as ‘poor people can’t afford this lifestyle’…going to farmers markets and buying local can actually be cheaper than at the regular grocery store. More over, since I started cleaning with vinegar, baking soda, and lemons I’ve cut down on petroleum and toxic products, AND saved a ton on cleaning my house. I think the real issue isn’t that we shouldn’t buy green – actual green products, not green-washed – but that we should spend time informing others and helping with the programs that already exist to assist those who don’t have time to research this way of living. I truely believe that without folks ‘shopping their beliefs’ that we wouldn’t have made it this and even be able to have this discussion.

By: Carrie

Carrie — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 20:15:09 +0000

I kindasorta understand what the author is getting at – at the same time, we have a biological imperative to protect our own families – to heck with how it impacts the world as a whole. Vaccine proponents want to force everyone to vaccinate (not caring whether MY child becomes autistic or disabled or brain damaged or dead) because it benefits the group as a whole (theoretically anyway).
I see nothing wrong with protecting my own with organic food and safer products.

Personally, I know man isn’t going to solve this problem he’s created on his own personally anyway.

Great review and thought provoking stuff though.

Carrie’s last blog post..My 5 Year Old on Baking

By: RickRussellTX

RickRussellTX — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 19:16:10 +0000

If you accept that capitalism is the least evil functioning economy, what other method does the consumer have to make their feelings known to the producer?

It’s not an easy problem. Any solution that makes the producer less efficient (that is, raises the cost of supply per unit) is going to make them less competitive.

Or you petition for government action to force all producers to adhere to stricter standards, which reduces efficiency for the entire industry and essentially serves as a regressive tax on the poor.

I’ve made a distinct effort to reduce my “footprint” over the last year or so — less gas, less travel, less consumption, better and more responsible products when I do consume, etc.

It works for my family, but I don’t labor under the misapprehension that this would work for a poor family. Any way you slice it, the little guy has to live with less when prices go up.

By: Casey

Casey — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 18:55:39 +0000

Thanks for posting this review. I don’t think I would read the book, but I love reading about this interesting take on the “natural/organic” trend. I am not sure I totally agree, but I do think it is a thought provoking argument.

By: J

Tue, 18 Mar 2008 17:58:06 +0000

The book sounds great, I love thinking backwards. I’ll be sure to refer it to some of my friends. However, from your review, I feel that the comparison between bomb shelters and organic farming a little alien. I do feel that the people choosing green for simply health are morally lacking- I also feel that way about non-meat-eaters who eat this way for ‘health’ and not for morality and respect for our meat bearing friends. I’d like to hope we are doing this for our Planet, and for our children and everyone else’s children. I’m glad to say that I am.

But I do not agree that Green is a useless consumerist gesture in response to the fear of Global Warming- already we have politicians working for a better planet and even several national governments. I think this is why Mr. Gore got a Nobel Prize, for making it matter to politicians in one of the leading countries of this world. The US needs to raise its standards of quality and accept that we need to pay more to get more. By doing this we’ll move our market to places that don’t exploit their workers or materials. I think consumerism in this country is a vote, not a useless uninformed gesture.

The point I see him making is that if Green is a TREND then all our actions are useless and selfish.

But I also think that Green forces us to question our conventional way of life- to realize that just because its on the shelf or sold at a restaruant or marketed as healthy, does not mean that it’s a good choice. We’re being forced to look our choices in the mouth.

That’s what I garnered from your review anyway, I’m going to look for this book. It sounds fun.

By: jj

jj — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 17:17:13 +0000

I have been reading your blog for a month now and I appreciate the variety of different topics. I am now reading “Organic Housekeeping” and learning to clean without industrial chemicals or “green” cleaning products. I am pretty new to this Nature Mom thing. My friends mostly think I am crazy for having a compost bin, but I try to present the social awareness, political statement, and health issues that make being a granola cruncher worth it, in a non-judgmental and persuasive way. Thank you for sharing your ideas with this midwestern girl.

By: Green Me

Green Me — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 15:39:35 +0000

Thank you Tiffany for this book review. I'd not previously heard of this book. Right now I am working on Supercapitialism, which sounds like it covers a few similar concepts when it comes to how and why the public does what it does. Anyway, I appreciate this review because I think you really hit on some major points. We definitely can't shop our way to a new planet; however, I wonder if Szasz offers any solutions? To me it seems like our world is run by shareholders and their profits, while the general public seems content to buy green washed products and leave it at that...How can we get beyond preaching to the green choir and convince the public that the "time" saved by buying all the convenience food, super powered cleaning products, fancy gadgets and so on is in fact costing us the health of the planet and ourselves? Green Me's last blog post..Happy St. Patrick’s Day from Green Me