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Forget
pretty packaging, forget brand names, forget those catchy
jingles. Consumerism may be the dominant religion of our
times, but look at where it is coming from: the growth and
expansion of industrial society on the bodies of human and
animal suffering, the exploitation of all life forms and
the earth itself, the sustainer of life.
"The
ideology shows human life not as toil, labour and want,
but as endless fun, entertainment, escape, money, sex;
and perpetual distraction from the pain and pleasure
of
being fully human"
Jeremy
Seabrook, "A curious mysticism", New Internationalist, October
1997
While
enormous multinational companies are exploiting us at every
level; people go hungry in the millions every day; governments
spend more money on arms than on health and education; beef
cattle are fed grain that would support ten times the number
of people on the same diet; animals are held captive, tortured
and killed for our spurious pleasure; profligate use of natural
resources and pollution continues before during and after
the process of production. In the face of this there is no
better reason in the world to decide what to buy than the
ethical one. It is by the application of those ethical values
at this grass roots level that we can become a major force
for political change.
The
task seems overwhelmingly complicated at first, but I found
that by the application of some simple guidelines and a little
research into what the labels mean, decision making and thus
life becomes simpler. That is the primary goal of this document.
Practically,
we need to know what is in our food, clothing and commonly
used household items. Eating is no longer the simplest of
pleasures. Even fresh food has been tampered with in ways
we can hardly imagine, from its genetic inception, through
pest control, transport and storage. While it is almost impossible
to be sure of what we are purchasing, in terms of where it
has come from, how it was made and even what it contains (to
attempt to do so can drive a person to distraction!), one
should be able to make an educated choice with a little knowledge
of what labels really say. Labels are notoriously difficult
to interpret. In this booklet I try to make sense of the numbers
and obscure chemical names that describe common grocery items,
as well as explain some often used health and nutrition terms.
I have attempted to list the derivation, usage and health
implications of each item and its suitability for people pursuing
an ethical lifestyle.
If
we "consume consciously and consume less" we can save
money and improve our health, but best of all we are doing
something for the entire world by using resources sparingly.
Yes, Less is More.
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