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.
Three different Fairtrade International logos are shown on the left (explained in the caption) while three other program logos are shown on the right. They are, Fair For Life, the World Fair Trade Organization, and Fair Trade USA.
Ethical shopping guide, Social and environmental issues

Should you support fair trade?

Third-party certifications provide one of the more accessible ways to practice ethical consumption. They provide a means of communicating to the consumer that a corporate supply chain maintains certain social or environmental standards. This topic is highly relevant right now because of the systematic undermining of regulations, environmental protections, human rights, and corporate oversight that is taking place in America. Continue reading Should you support fair trade?

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Dave's Killer Bread logo is pictured. This comprises a drawing of a man with long hair and mustache in a red T-shirt playing an electric guitar. Over this are the words Dave's Killer Bread. Dave's Killer Bread second chances program.
Ethical shopping guide, Social and environmental issues

Second Chances – Dave’s Killer Bread

I was not aware of the story behind Dave’s Killer Bread until I researched the brand, last week. All I knew was that Dave was a long-haired dude who played guitar and was now making a range of healthy, organic breads. Before joining his family’s bakery to form the brand Dave’s Killer Bread, Dave spent 15 years of his life in prison. Continue reading Second Chances – Dave’s Killer Bread

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Ethical shopping guide, How to measure social and environmental impact

Paul McCartney protests plant-based milk charges at Peet’s

Paul McCartney is asking Peet’s Coffee & Tea to drop its charges for plant-based milks. This made my happy for a couple of reasons. For one thing, it’s good to see someone, especially someone as famous as (Sir) Paul McCartney, focusing on the details. Continue reading Paul McCartney protests plant-based milk charges at Peet’s

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A world map published by the AWARE model (2018) ranks water scarcity on a scale of 0.1 to 100. Regions are colored various shades of blue, cream, and red depending on the level of water scarcity.
Ethical shopping guide, Social and environmental issues

The best way to reduce your water footprint

When it comes to water usage, there are several different angles to consider: blue water, green water, and water scarcity, for example. There are also significant differences in the reported water footprints of various consumer goods. There is, however, fairly universal agreement on the best way to reduce our water footprint. Continue reading The best way to reduce your water footprint

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Various diets combined with organic agriculture - feasibility without deforestation. The image shows three scenarios. In the first, the rich diet (5.5. lbs. of meat per week) and organic food is not feasible without deforestation in any scenario. In the second, a global average diet (1.8 lbs. of meat per week) is feasible but only with cropland expansion. In the third, vegetarian and vegan diets and organic food are feasible without deforestation.
Ethical shopping guide, Social and environmental issues

How to feed the world without further deforestation

A key research paper investigated whether we will be able to feed the human population in 2050 without further deforestation. The researchers examined 500 scenarios of food production (high-yield intensive agriculture versus lower-yielding organic) and consumption (various diets) to find out which scenarios do not require additional encroachment on forests. The details of which scenarios work and which don’t provide crucial guidance on our food shopping habits. Continue reading How to feed the world without further deforestation

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