Conscious Decision Making

1
Conscious Decision Making

• Taking the 3 Rs to the Next Level

2
Genetically Modified

• Genetically modified (GM) foods are food items
  that have had their DNA changed through genetic
  engineering. GM foods were first put on the
  market in the early 1990s. The most common
  modified foods are derived from plants
• soybean, corn, canola, and cotton seed oil.
• Many major controversies surround genetically
  engineered crops and foods. These commonly focus
  on the long-term health effects for anyone eating
  them, environmental safety, labeling and consumer
  choice, ethics, food security, environmental
  conservation, and potential disruption or even
  possible destruction of the food chain

3
Bio-degradable

• A breakdown caused by biological activity,
  especially by enzymatic action, leading to a
  significant change in the chemical structure of
  the material. The European Union deems a material
  biodegradable if it will break down into mostly
  water, carbon dioxide and organic matter within
  six months.
• Despite such precise sounding definitions, the
  term biodegradable has been applied to a wide
  range of productseven those that might take
  centuries to decompose, or those that break down
  into harmful environmental toxins.

4
Local

• 100 mile diet
• Farmers markets
• Local business with 51 ownership local, have the
  ability to make decisions regarding procurement,
  staff, charitable donations, advertising

5
Recycled vs Recyclable
Most consumers dont know the difference between
a product that is recyclable and a product made
of recycled content.

• Recyclable means the product or container can be
  recycled where facilities exist
• Recycled means a product contains recycled
  material but how much?

6
Reading Labels-UPC Codes

• Made in
• China - 690.691.692 695
• Taiwan - 471
• USA  CANADA - 00 - 13 
• FRANCE - 30 37 
• GERMANY - 40 44 
• Philippines - 480  
• JAPAN - 49
• UK - 50  
• Denmark - 57  
• Finland - 64  
• Switzerland  Lienchtenstein - 76  
• Saudi-Arabia - 628
• United Arab Emirates - 629
• Central America - 740 745

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Reading Labels - Produce Stickers

• Fruit is divided into 3 classes conventional,
  organic, and genetically modified.
• All 4-digit coded fruit is conventionally raised.
  
• 5 digit codes are simply the four digits with a
• single number added to the front 8 or 9.
• If the first of five numbers is 9, then it has
  been grown to the standards defined by the
  National Organic Standards Board.
• If the first of five numbers is 8, the fruit is
• genetically modified.

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Reading Labels - Packaging

• Certification inspections are carried out by
  independent, international certification company.
  
• You can be sure that farmers received a fair
  price for their product and that its production
  meets specific economic, social and environmental
  criteria

Fair Trade Coffee, tea, chocolate, vanilla,
sugar, flowers, tropical fruit
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Reading Labels - Packaging

• New rules announced in May 2008 state that in
  order to display this label, all contents will
  have to be Canadian, and all imported ingredients
  will have to be identified.

• Made in Canada

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Reading Labels - packaging

• In December 2008, products must be certified
  before crossing provincial borders.
• They must use natural fertilizers, and raised in
  conditions that mimic nature as much as possible

• Canada Organic

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Reading Labels - packaging

• Organic Foods
• are produced according to certain
  production standards meaning they are grown
  without the use of conventional pesticides,
  artificial fertilizers, human waste, or sewage
  sludge, and that they were processed
  without ionizing radiation or food additives. 
• Livestock are reared without the routine use of
  antibiotics and without the use of growth
  hormones.
• In most countries, organic produce must not be
  genetically modified.

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Reading Labels - packaging

• Canadian Free-range animals must be given
  unlimited access to the outdoors with a
  population density equivalent to the natural
  world. It must include an email address or phone
  so consumers can contact the farmer

• Free Range

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Greenwashing

• The term is generally used when significantly
  more money or time has been spent advertising
  being green (that is, operating with
  consideration for the environment), rather than
  spending resources on environmentally sound
  practices. This is often portrayed by changing
  the name or label of a product, to give the
  feeling of nature, for example putting an image
  of a forest on a bottle containing harmful
  chemicals.
• "Six Sins of Greenwashing"
• In December 2007, environmental marketing company
  TerraChoice gained national press coverage for
  releasing a study called "The Six Sins of
  Greenwashing," which found that 99 of 1,018
  common consumer products randomly surveyed for
  the study were guilty of greenwashing. According
  to the study, the six sins of greenwashing are
• Sin of the Hidden Trade-Off e.g.
  Energy-efficient electronics that contain
  hazardous materials. 998 products and 57 of all
  environmental claims committed this Sin.
• Sin of No Proof e.g. Shampoos claiming to be
  certified organic, but with no verifiable
  certification. 454 products and 26 of
  environmental claims committed this Sin.
• Sin of Vagueness e.g. Products claiming to be
  100 natural when many naturally-occurring
  substances are hazardous, like arsenic and
  formaldehyde (see appeal to nature). Seen in 196
  products or 11 of environmental claims.
• Sin of Irrelevance e.g. Products claiming to be
  CFC-free, even though CFCs were banned 20 years
  ago. This Sin was seen in 78 products and 4 of
  environmental claims.
• Sin of Fibbing e.g. Products falsely claiming to
  be certified by an internationally recognized
  environmental standard like EcoLogo, Energy Star
  or Green Seal. Found in 10 products or less than
  1 of environmental claims.
• Sin of Lesser of Two Evils e.g. Organic
  cigarettes or environmentally friendly
  pesticides, This occurred in 17 products or 1 of
  environmental claims.
• http//blog.pickuppal.com/2008/06/19/greenwashing/

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Consumerism

• Where in the past faith gave meaning and peace
  to our lives, today consumerism has stepped in.
  In the past we accepted the trials and sufferings
  of the day and the unpredictability of the future
  as given. Now everything is designed to prevent
  or postpone discomfort, and we are encouraged to
  add more things to our lives to give us
  happiness. So we work to get the second car and
  the second holiday, the en-suite bathrooms, the
  extra televisions and videos and gadgets, the
  designer labels and brand names all of which
  are portrayed as essential to our lives and well
  being. We are led to believe that there is no
  problem that cannot be relived, temporarily at
  least. Everything in our world tells us that the
  solution we are waiting for can be found in
  things.
•  
• From Now is the Time Spiritual Reflections
• by Sister Stan
• pg 165

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Food - Reduce

• Grow a garden reduce what you need to buy
• Shop at local markets support local farmers
• Buy local reduce the distance food travels
  (read labels upc codes)
• Buy organic reduce the amount of herbicides,
  pesticides, fertilizer used (define organic
  increased antioxidants)
• Eat more fruits veggies reduce the amount of
  packaging (how to read labels on fruit)
• Eat fresh or frozen vs canned or processed (baby
  carrots, cans BPA)
• Cook at home reduce amount of processed food,
  fast food

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Food - Reuse

• Grow a garden know what youre eating (GMO vs
  heritage food)
• Shop local money spent at a local store is
  re-circulated in the community 3x more than at
  global stores
• Cook at home you can have leftovers for other
  meals and save time

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Food - Recycle

• Grow a garden compost your peelings and veggie
  waste as fertilizer
• Shop carefully read labels and watch out for
  greenwashing (define greenwashing, fair trade,
  recycled vs recyclable, bio-degradable, made in
  Canada, cholesterol-free)

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Lifestyle - Reduce

• Energy efficient shelter high R-value
  insulation, compact fluorescent lights, task
  lighting, energy star appliances, low-flush
  toilets, low-flow shower heads, front-load
  washers, hang clothes to dry, stop phantom loads,
  seal up air leaks, solar power, solar heat
• Consumerism why do we shop so much? Sister Stan
  quote
• Shop local reduce transportation, increase
  economic benefit
• Walk/bike vs drive as much as possible
• Drive a smaller vehicle, carpool
• Plan trips to same area in a route
• Keep tires filled to reduce gas used
• Bio-degradable cleaning supplies
• Buy in bulk reduce packaging

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Lifestyle - Reuse

• Shelter passive solar heat from sun and hot
  water use
• Grey water systems
• Fair trade saves other communities and
  eco-systems around the world
• House plants turn CO2 to oxygen
• Reusable cleaning tools like mops, rags
  greenwashing sin ?
• Cloth shopping bags reduce plastic bags
• Is there a reuse center or eco-station?

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Lifestyle - Recycle

• Local products buy building materials from
  architectural clearing house
• Thrift stores for clothes or household items
• Hand me downs within family

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More Resources

• Organic Consumers Association www.organicconsumers
  .org
• The Land Institute www.landinstitute.org
• More Info From PLU Numbers http//plucodes.com/sea
  rch_wizard.aspx?s1