Author: jkaybay

I have two sites, both focused on ethical consumerism. The Green Stars Project (greenstarsproject.org) aims to start a movement based on crowd-sourced ethical ratings. Ethical Bargains (ethicalbargains.org) is focused on evaluating new products that I’ve bought at the Grocery Outlet. Products are scored from 0 to 5 Green Stars for social and environmental impact.
A graph published by researchers at the University of Washington shows various population growth predictions. The graph shows global human population growth from 1990 to 2100, predicted according to how fast we meet UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Meeting SDG targets for education and contraceptives by 2030 could lead to a lower global population of 6.3 billion in 2100. See main text for more detail.
Social and environmental issues

How big is the human population likely to get?

Human population growth drives a lot of fears and misguided decisions. This largely comes down to a scarcity mentality: we have a growing population and limited resources to sustain them. There is a clear win-win scenario but far-right regimes can’t bring themselves to recognize it. The following is an excerpt from my almost-complete book, Climactic: A Consumer’s Guide to Saving the Planet, for which I’m currently seeking a publisher. Continue reading How big is the human population likely to get?

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A screenshot of a book title and subtitle. In large font is the word Climactic. This word is in blue except for the letters "act" which are colored green. Underneath is the subtitle, A Consumer's Guide to Saving the Planet. Currently seeking agent and publisher for this book.
How to measure social and environmental impact, Social and environmental issues

Climactic: seeking publisher/agent for ethical consumption guide

I’m seeking a publisher or agent for my book, Climactic: A Consumer’s Guide to Saving the Planet. I’ll share a brief description and chapter list here, followed by an excerpt, next week. If you are interested in publishing or representing this book please contact me to receive a book proposal. Continue reading Climactic: seeking publisher/agent for ethical consumption guide

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A graphic of 5 Green Stars is shown, with various protein-rich foods marked in at various points, representing an ethical rating for them. In order from lowest to highest, they are: Beef & Lamb, Chicken & Pork, Cheese, Fish, Eggs, Nuts, Whole Grains, and Lentils.
Anatomy of a green stars review, Ethical shopping guide, How to measure social and environmental impact

Sustainable Food: Ethical ratings for different protein sources

What’s the most ethical protein, brah? Last week I published a graphic showing different kinds of butter, dairy and non-dairy, ranked from 0 to 5 Green Stars. Following up on that, here’s a graphic showing ethical scores for various sources of protein in our diets. Continue reading Sustainable Food: Ethical ratings for different protein sources

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A graphic shows a range pf ethical ratings for various kinds of butter, ranging from 0 to 5 Green Stars. Butter from dairy cows score between 0 and 2 Green Stars. Butter from intensive dairies scores 0 Green Stars while butter from pasture-raised cows may score up to 2 Green Stars. Good plant-based butters (palm oil free) such as Naturli' and Miyoko's receive high scores of 4.5 and 5 Green Stars, respectively.
Anatomy of a green stars review, Ethical shopping guide

Butter: I can’t believe it’s not ethical!

I’m sharing a post from Ethical Bargains that evaluated Ivy’s Reserve carbon-neutral butter. UK-based Wyke Farms launched this butter in 2023, a year after releasing “the world’s first carbon neutral cheddar.” In the end, I scored Ivy’s Reserve butter 2/5 Green Stars for social and environmental impact and at the same time realized that this is close to the maximum score that I’d give a dairy-based butter product. Is this fair? Continue reading Butter: I can’t believe it’s not ethical!

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Text in the center reads: Which third-party certifications are effective? Surrounding the text are 11 ethical certification logos. B-Corp, compostable, Palm Done Right, Friend of the Sea, MSC, organic, Fair trade, FSC, RSPO, Rainforest Alliance, and vegan.
Ethical shopping guide, Social and environmental issues

The GSP guide to third-party certifications

Which third-party certifications are effective and worth supporting? Third-party certifications can be a cornerstone of ethical consumption so it’s important to know which ones are effective – especially when governments don’t value the environment and allow corporations to run amok. Here’s a summary of eleven certifications that have been evaluated here on the Green Stars Project. Continue reading The GSP guide to third-party certifications

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Three certified compostable products are pictured - a box of straws from Repurpose, a box of food waste bags from If You Care, and a compostable paper cup from World Centric.
Ethical shopping guide, Social and environmental issues

The environmental impact of compostable plastics

Compostable plastics vary in their environmental footprints but some of them are significantly better than petroleum-derived plastics in key respects. Of course we need to use reusable items as much as possible, but the inherent benefits of compostable plastics suggest that they are worth backing. Continue reading The environmental impact of compostable plastics

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Certified compostable logos to look out for from TÜV, BPI and ABA. In each case there's a different certification and logo for home composting and industrial composting.
Social and environmental issues

Certifications for compostable waste: which to trust?

In this post I take a look at certifications for compostable plastics (biodegradable bags, packaging, cups, utensils, etc.) and address their most common criticisms. We’ll also take a look at terms such as oxo-biodegradable and bio-based, so that by the end you’ll know what’s what! Continue reading Certifications for compostable waste: which to trust?

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On the left is a close up photo of the bright yellow Rapeseed plant (Brassica napus) and on the right is a field of yellow rapeseed. Rapeseed oil has a good balance of omega-3, 6, and 9 fats.
Ethical shopping guide, Health and ethical consumerism

Cooking oil drama! Is this seed oil blend actually ideal?

There has been a lot of scare mongering about seed oils from social media influencers, but they are not all equal. Some cooking oils have a very high ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fats, which may be problematic, but there’s one notable exception: canola or rapeseed oil. A mix of canola oil and olive oil actually looks like a great choice from the three perspectives of value, health, and sustainability. Continue reading Cooking oil drama! Is this seed oil blend actually ideal?

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A chart shows revised carbon footprints for beef. Beef from a beef herd now has an estimated carbon footprint of 227 kg CO2eq / kg (up from 100). Beef from a dairy herd has a revised carbon footprint of 50 kg CO2eq / kg (up from 24). The chart also shows that "almost everything else" has a carbon footprint in the single digits or low double digits.
Ethical shopping guide, Social and environmental issues

A mammoth adjustment to beef’s carbon footprint

This post examines a correction to a seminal paper by Oxford University scientists Poore and Nemecek on the environmental footprints of food. It shows that, of all the products we make, including the massive amounts of cement and steel used for construction, beef is categorically responsible for the most GHGs, by a very wide margin. Continue reading A mammoth adjustment to beef’s carbon footprint

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