Girl (Buying) Power

I heard on the radio several weeks back that while men think about you-know-what every 52 seconds, the average woman thinks about shopping every 60 seconds. Now, I don’t know if buying things cross my mind that frequently during my day but I am the one in my household that makes the majority of our consumer choices. If the above stat holds true, women and their spending habits can affect our world.

Now, I know that part of being green is consuming and buying less;  however we still need and want things, so why not make more green-savvy choices when it comes to shopping.

I came across a book called, “Big Green Purse: Use Your Spending Power to Create a Cleaner, Greener World” (author: Diane MacEachern) and its premise is exactly that:

women + green purse = better earth

The book is filled with a wealth of information and resources.  For myself, instead of reading the book entirely through, I have thumbed through it and focused on sections that interest me. The first chapter focuses on general environmental concerns, the second chapter goes into detail about the Big Green Purse shopping principles (like shop local, buy less, etc), and the remaining chapters 3 to 12 delve into different consumer areas (for example, cosmetics, food, clothing, gardening, children products) that we can make the most meaningful difference on the environment if we changed our buying habits. Here, you will find lots of practical information: simple ways to becoming a bit greener; companies that we should support, companies that we shouldn’t; tips on how to save money while being green; and the author’s personal experiences, what works or doesn’t work for her. At the very back of the book is all the author’s notes of websites, reports, books, and organizations that were used to gather the information for her book.

The book’s content is laid out mostly in list form with some paragraphs scattered throughout, making it an easy and practical guide that you don’t need to read from cover to cover. The only drawback with this book is that it is US-based, so it’s a bit biased there.

There is no need to head out and buy the book immediately. For a more reduce-paper-usage option, you can borrow it from the local library (that’s where mine is from) and/or go to biggreenpurse.com for updates. You can also sign up for Green Purse Alerts and join the “Be One In a Million” pledge.

≡mar

Eco-Centric Magazine

If you are looking for some inspiration and ideas on greener and sustainable living, the Granville: Sustainable City Living magazine may be an interesting read for you. Granville is a fairly new magazine, its premier issue debuted last summer.

The magazine is full of resources and information for those wanting to live a shade greener. Some hot topics have included: sustainable seafood, chemicals in cleaning products, and local green clothing designers. Along with feature stories on everything from eco-travel to green renos; there are columns written by various authors and journalists; inside scoop on events, fashion, food with a green twist; and practical tips for a greener lifestyle.

But what I enjoy best is that Granville is local, making it very relevant and practical for us Vancouverites. The added bonus? The subscription, which comes out quarterly, is free so far for those living in Canada. If you rather not have more paper products to clutter your home, you can opt to subscribe to their monthly eNewsletter. Though the content is not exactly the same as what is found in the magazine, it will still make for an interesting and informative read.

≡mar