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 close-up of Bill Ackman, Founder of the SPAC, Pershing Square Tontine Holdings
Social and environmental issues

Pershing Square Tontine Holdings – An Ethical Investment?

Bill Ackman, activist investor and founder and CEO of Pershing Square Capital Management has today launched a new enterprise. Pershing Square Tontine Holdings (PSTH) had its IPO today but doesn’t yet have a business – it’s a Special Purpose Acquisition Company (SPAC) that first raises money through an IPO and then later invests that cash in an existing business. So we’ve no idea yet what … Continue reading Pershing Square Tontine Holdings – An Ethical Investment?

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The interior of the 1951 Coffee Co. in Oakland, featuring a sofa, bar counter and large mural.
GSP contests – win prizes!

Ethical review competition to benefit 1951 Coffee Co.

It’s competition time again on the Green Stars Project! Your mission: Write a review of a business or product that includes a rating for social and environmental impact (on a scale of 1-5 Green Stars). For this round, I want to include a theme: Equality, whether racial, economic, gender or a mix of all three. I’ll give you an example of a Green Stars review … Continue reading Ethical review competition to benefit 1951 Coffee Co.

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Racial equality and ethical consumerism. A mural of the words 'Black Lives Matter" painted in yellow on a road in Washington DC, 2 blocks from the White House, pointing to the Washington Monument.
Social and environmental issues

Racial equality and ethical consumerism

Hey Folks. I think we all have different ways of dealing with the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery. The first thing for me was to start looking back – to Rodney King in LA, 1991, Oscar Grant in Fruitvale station in Oakland, 2009, Eric Garner in New York, 2014, and Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, less than a month later. The … Continue reading Racial equality and ethical consumerism

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Ethical Review of the Grocery Outlet. Items purchased recently, including plant-based milk from Oatley, Ripple, and Hope & Sesame; marcona almonds and spouted pumpkin seeds, vegan mozzarella and cheese spread from Miyoko's, and chocolate from Tony's Chocolonely and OCHO.
Ethical shopping guide

Ethical review of the Grocery Outlet

The Grocery Outlet is a supermarket based mainly on the west coast of the US that specializes in food and wine bargains. It started off in San Francisco when, back in 1946, James Read sold food at a discount that he had purchased from government surplus supplies. The idea is still the same – the Grocery Outlet is able to sell food at a discount … Continue reading Ethical review of the Grocery Outlet

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The social impact of the meat industry. The image depicts a soldier with the words Meat is Murder written on his helmet. The image was used on the cover of The Smiths' 1985 album, Meat is Murder.
Social and environmental issues

The social impact of the meat industry

One of the aspects of the meat industry that we don’t think about so much is the impact on humans – in particular, the social impact of slaughterhouses. We talk about the impact on the planet (climate change, land use, deforestation, pollution) and on the animals themselves, of course, but there’s also a very real and tragic impact on the human race. I’ve been meaning … Continue reading The social impact of the meat industry

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A civet (the animal that transmitted the SARS virus to humans) looking out from a tree on the left. On the right is a pangolin (the animal originally thought to have transmitted the virus that causes COVID-19 to humans) being released from a cage into the wild.
Social and environmental issues

Coronavirus may be our best chance to save the planet.

If you’re anything like me, you’re probably approaching burn out on Coronavirus articles by now. Well, prepare yourself for more, from COVID-19’s impact on the economy to fluffy social media posts about how we are changing the way we work and live (Look how my hair has changed after two months of isolation! ). But there are two essential things that we should really be … Continue reading Coronavirus may be our best chance to save the planet.

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Chemical structures of the drug hydroxychloroquine and the natural product quercetin
Health and ethical consumerism

Quercetin – a treatment for coronavirus?

Hey readers. Hope you are well, physically and mentally. Here are some tentative ideas about the link between coronavirus, zinc, and a natural product called quercetin, which is a flavonoid found in food. You’ve probably heard by now of the drug hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) that has been under investigation for treatment of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). Recommendations from Chinese doctors to employ it (the initial recommendation, … Continue reading Quercetin – a treatment for coronavirus?

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Etiko high tops canvas shoes, shown from two angles. They resemble Converse high tops but are more ethcial in that they are made in a fair trade factory from organic, fair trade cotton and FSC-certified natural rubber
Ethical shopping guide

Ethical vegan shoes from Etiko

In this post I’m going to do an ethical review of shoes from an Australian brand, Etiko, and decide on an ethical (Green Stars) rating. Since turning vegetarian at 15, I’d relied quite a bit on Converse High Tops as my go-to leather-free shoes. Converse used to make shoes in the US but eventually went bankrupt and was bought by Nike, who moved production to … Continue reading Ethical vegan shoes from Etiko

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Shadowlands cafe in Oakland, which does not stock disposable cups; zero-waste cafe
Social and environmental issues

Cafes saying no to disposable coffee cups

Hi folks! You know, there are many global issues that we could solve through simple changes in our lifestyle. Getting rid of disposable coffee cups is a good example. There has been a big push to find technological solutions to coffee cup waste, focusing on that plastic liner that makes cups hard to recycle. Designing more sustainable materials is a good thing  but, as Elaine … Continue reading Cafes saying no to disposable coffee cups

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Why are legumes banned by the Paleo Diet? The image shows six types of legumes in wooden spoons, against a black background.
Health and ethical consumerism

Why are legumes banned by the Paleo Diet?

Hey Folks! You would think that I’m finished critiquing the Paleo diet after the last post, but I want to focus on one major issue in this post: why are legumes banned by the Paleo Diet? Legumes (peas, beans, lentils, chickpeas, peanuts, etc.) are widely considered to be sustainable and healthy sources of protein, fiber, minerals, B-vitamins, folic acid, and other nutrients. They are unique … Continue reading Why are legumes banned by the Paleo Diet?

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