At the end of this blog entry, I refer to a life changing movie. That movie is An Inconvenient Truth. This week seems like a good time to follow up on this topic, because the film comes out on DVD November 21. If you have not seen the film or read the book, quite simply, please rent this DVD.
The entrepreneur and company that tops my own personal Most Admired list is Yvon Chouinard and Patagonia. I buy the company's technical gear, street clothing and even surfboards ... even when the company's products are not necessarily the absolute best in terms of quality, style or value. As a consumer, I make this decision because the products are certainly good enough, but more importantly, because Patagonia is committed to protecting the planet in a way that no other company can match. From recycling plastic bottles into fleece to its leadership efforts within the 1% For the Planet ("1%FTP") alliance, Patagonia almost eases my guilt about purchasing more stuff.
With the emphasis on almost. I mean, any environmentalist knows that one significant way each of us could help save the planet is to just consume less stuff. Does anyone really need forty pairs of shoes? Twenty surfboards? A 5,000 square foot home? But are most of us strong enough to resist the pressures of marketing and materialism and truly "Live Simply"? I admit that I'm not.
So if I am going to go ahead and consume more stuff, I have decided that whenever possible, I will consume stuff that at least has a cause behind it. For example, my sunglasses are by JEN (1%FTP) and my flip flops by Ocean Minded (which contributes to causes related to protecting our oceans). Neither my shades nor my sandals are particularly fashionable, but it's all good.
I write about all of this today, because this morning I had to replace my iPod Shuffle. It had decided to snap in two out of its armband case just before I was going running with it. So I headed to the mall and purchased a PRODUCT (RED) iPod nano (pictured left).
While I was at it - even though I don't need yet another T-shirt - I decided to purchase one that is also part of the (RED) project (pictured right).
For those who do not know about the (RED) project, here is a link.
There is something bigger going on here. Consumers are becoming causumers, and the effects are being felt everywhere, even with grocery staples. Not everyone who purchases organic milk knows what rBGH is. Or even cares. But there is a greater force that a purchaser feels an emotional connection to, when he or she pulls that carton off the shelf.
I am also convinced that the rise of the causumer is tied to every person's desire to feel special, to indulge in small luxuries, to feel they are part of an elite group in some way. Buying organic chocolate with one's American Express (RED) card not only says, "I have extra money to spend," but also says, "And I choose to spend it on a cause." Admitting the consumer aspects of this phenomenon does not, in my opinion, tarnish the idealism behind it. Materialism seems inevitable, so it is encouraging to at least see that force being harnessed for social and environmental good.
Technorati Tags: (RED), materialism, organic food, Patagonia, environment, An Inconvenient Truth
