Have you ever considered the origin of any of the products that you buy? When you buy batteries, or gloves, or grapes… do you ever look to see where they were made, grown or distributed? The Local Philosophy is the new “ism” of environmentally conscious consumers that promotes a general awareness of the products we buy. American consumers are accustomed to having access to any product or food item at any time of the year, even if that means oranges from Australia in the middle of winter or craft supplies shipped from China to your front door. Take a moment to realize the amount of energy it takes to ship goods across continents and redistribute them to the stores where you shop. On average, for every calorie you consume in food, 36 calories of energy were spent to transport it to you. It’s like ordering take-out from around the world, every single night.
America is a huge country. We have ten growing zones to support almost any type of agriculture, nineteen major natural resources and a population exceeding 275 million. So why do we need to buy apples from Australia when we can grow them here? How is it possible that an apple grown on the other side of the planet, sprayed with chemicals to preserve it, and then shipped thousands of miles overseas can cost less to buy than an apple grown just eighty miles outside of your town?
Here’s the idea: Let’s get local. Global commerce is not evil, just excessive in some respects. There are plenty of good reasons to support trading of international foods, products and services, but there are plenty of even better reasons to trade these locally. Let’s support our local economy and engage in sustainable living.
Food. Buy produce at the farmer’s market or your local co-op. Subscribe to your local dairy delivery service. Buy in to a cut of a cow from a local ranch. Plant a vegetable garden. Not only do these simple actions greatly reduce your carbon footprint, they also allow you to be certain of the quality of food you are consuming. Locally owned and operated farms, ranches and groceries usually offer preservative-free, antibiotic-free foods that are far fresher than that head of lettuce that had to cross the Pacific ocean to get here.
Services. Re-circulating money back into your local economy promotes growth. When you seek out local services, you are also strengthening your community. Wouldn’t you rather support Bob’s Hardware down on the corner rather than Wal-Mart? Small businesses can usually offer more personalized services for what you need, and you don’t have to go far to find them – they’re in your ‘hood.
Products. Any parent knows all about the importance of safe toys for their kids, and the recent recalls of plastic toys from China should be a wake-up call to consider our priorities as consumers. Are we really willing to sacrifice quality (or safety) for price? For many products, local manufacturing just isn’t available, but often the same types of products that are made overseas are also made here. Next time you need something specific, begin your shopping with the intention of seeking out something made in the USA. As consumer interest grows, more companies are putting American-made products on their shelves, and even Wal-Mart carries plastic toys that are made right here. Finding domestic-made products can be hard work. Thousands of products from floss to high performance outdoor gear predominantly come from outside the U.S. But as demand grows, so will supply, and with a little effort you are likely to find an American brand for many of the things you use everyday.
Life is essentially “homegrown” and always has been. Maybe its time to focus on local living as a global solution.
