Living Car Free - Companies/Products/Individuals we can support

One of the hardest things in being environmentally "sound" is in the many essential (and non-essential) purchases we make every day. So i was thinking we could all list the "good" choices available to all of us. (I'm keeping this as environment-positive only. no "morally good" choices in this list because that can get so contentious, particularly with religion, etc) However, you can include bike-friendly companies too! I'll get us started...

UPDATE: Adding in people's suggestions to make it easier to see :)
NOTE: These are not all my suggestions, they're simply the ones from this entire thread.

MUSIC
------------

Jack Johnson - his newest CD was recorded 100% with solar energy, the cd case is 100% recycled paper and he's a member of 1% for the planet (meaning 1% of the sales are donated to environental organizations). (Oh, and it's also a great CD)


CYCLING
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Tour of California - they not only partnered with a number of environmentally conscious companies but also purchased enough carbon-offsets to make the race "carbon-neutral"

Chris King Precision Components: http://chrisking.com/

Planet Bike: http://www.planetbike.com

Earth Wind and Rider: http://www.ewnr.com/

Surly Bikes: http://www.surlybikes.com/

Landry's Bicycles, Boston, MA: http://www.landrys.com/ Great company all around and does a lot for the biking community.



BEER
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Sierra Nevada Brewing Company. They seem to really be making an effort to do things in an environmentally friendly way: http://www.sierranevada.com/environment.html


INDIVIDUALS
--------------------------

James E. Hansen: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Hansen


GROCERIES
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Clark Park Farmer's Market and any similar organization. Open year-round, food grown locally and in-season. Much of the food is certified-organic. http://www.ucityphila.org/ucd_programs/marketing/clark_park_farmers_market


GENERAL RETAIL
-----------------------------

Goodwill: http://www.goodwill.org/page/guest/about

Salvation Army: http://www.salvationarmyusa.org/usn/www_usn_2.nsf


FOOD
-----------

Clif Bar & Company, Berkeley, Calif.: http://www.clifbar.com/ (They're bike friendly)

BEER

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Sierra Nevada Brewing Company. They seem to really be making an effort to do things in an environmentally friendly way: http://www.sierranevada.com/environment.html

I don't know that he needs much support, but it is good that we have individuals like James Hansen (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Hansen) who is able to speak the truth even when it risks his job. His kind of forthrightness is worth our admiration.

"Hansen is best known for his research in the field of climatology and his testimony on climate change to congressional committees in the 1980s that helped raise broad awareness of the global warming issue. He is also noted for publishing "an alternative scenario" for global warming which states that in the past few decades the warming effect produced by increased CO2 has been largely offset by the cooling effect of aerosols also produced in burning fossil fuels, and that most of the net warming so far is due to trace greenhouse gases other than CO2. He has been a critic of both the Clinton and current Bush Administration's stances on climate change."

GROCERIES
---------------
Clark Park Farmer's Market (http://www.ucityphila.org/ucd_programs/marketing/clark_park_farmers_market) and any similar organization. Open year-round, food grown locally and in-season. Much of the food is certified-organic.

You can be even more supportive of the environment by not buying anything.

You can be even more supportive of the environment by not buying anything.

In that case, using public libraries and video rental outlets makes a lot of sense. Buying at second hand shops, pawn shops and thrift stores also makes sense because those places are about reusing items rather than introducing new products into the market.

Start with not buying anything fro China. It is tough, especially if you are in the market for cheap things. HIgh quality things it is not much of a problem to avoid Chinese goods.

Because, the Chinese are terrible to the enviroment, and their human rights abuses, on a massive scale, can not be ignored.

Start with not buying anything fro China. It is tough, especially if you are in the market for cheap things. HIgh quality things it is not much of a problem to avoid Chinese goods.

Because, the Chinese are terrible to the enviroment, and their human rights abuses, on a massive scale, can not be ignored.

Should we avoid buying American products for the same reasons?

Start with not buying anything fro China. It is tough, especially if you are in the market for cheap things. HIgh quality things it is not much of a problem to avoid Chinese goods.

Because, the Chinese are terrible to the enviroment, and their human rights abuses, on a massive scale, can not be ignored.

Good luck...even the higher/high quality stuff is being made in China now...China can and does produce some world class products, but the average Walmart shopping American wants the low price and quality be damned, so they get what they want and as a result we have a consumption based society and landfills overflowing with plastic crap made from oil that will be there for many generations to come.

Aaron:)

Should we avoid buying American products for the same reasons?

Yes and I do. I attempt to research a company's treatment of the environment, and it's workforce. This is one of the main reasons I don't shop at WM.

Aaron:)

You can be even more supportive of the environment by not buying anything.

Starving to death is all natural, doesn't use up any natural resources and is good for the environment, too! :rolleyes: Less greedy mouths to feed and bodies to clothe! Ashes to ashes and dust to dust, eh?

Obviously this doesn't apply to all products, but buying things second-hand is often a good idea for a variety of reasons. Goodwill, Salvation Army, St. Vincent de Paul, bicycle cooperatives, etc.

China can and does produce some world class products, but the average Walmart shopping American wants the low price and quality be damned, so they get what they want and as a result we have a consumption based society and landfills overflowing with plastic crap made from oil that will be there for many generations to come.

Most of the time, the price difference between low quality junk and better quality items isn't all that great. The better items last much longer and therefore have a lower environmental impact and provide better price value in the long term.

MUSIC
-----------
Jack Johnson - his newest CD was recorded 100% with solar energy, the cd case is 100% recycled paper and he's a member of 1% for the planet (meaning 1% of the sales are donated to environental organizations). (Oh, and it's also a great CD)



Cool, and you could download it from Itunes and not have to buy any "thing" at all.

For environmental bicycle related products look at Chris King's manufacturing processes. About as green as you can get for making metal componentry, plus it lasts forever

Most of the time, the price difference between low quality junk and better quality items isn't all that great. The better items last much longer and therefore have a lower environmental impact and provide better price value in the long term.

I agree, but...when someone's only requirement is price...

There is scarcely anything in the world that some man cannot make a little worse, and sell a little more cheaply. The person who buys on price alone is this man's lawful prey.
John Ruskin
English critic, essayist, & reformer (1819 - 1900)

Aaron:)

carbon credits!

ha ha ha

If I wanted to waste my money on a scam I would fall for that old nigerian email trick.

Yes and I do. I attempt to research a company's treatment of the environment, and it's workforce. This is one of the main reasons I don't shop at WM.

Aaron:)

I agree about WM, and I'm glad they don't have any of their stores in this part of the world.

Most of the time, the price difference between low quality junk and better quality items isn't all that great. The better items last much longer and therefore have a lower environmental impact and provide better price value in the long term.


Very true. You can get a cheap department store bike that will fall apart in six months, or you can get a high-end machine that will, with reasonable maintainance, be ridden by your grandchildren.

Should we avoid buying American products for the same reasons?

You haven't been to China lately have you? Don't talk about what you don't know. The place is a filthy, disgusting mess. Sewage in the streets. Heavy metals in all the water. Black skies.

There are more people living there in near slavery right now, than have ever been born here in the U.S.in it's entire history. A few Muslim terrorist in Cuba who are unhappy, do not hold a candle to millions of forced sterilizations, no freedom to choose your own government, no right to speech, resticted travel, more than 10,000 ( that's what they admit, the real number may number in the millions) of undesireables executed a year.

You haven't been to China lately have you? Don't talk about what you don't know. The place is a filthy, disgusting mess. Sewage in the streets. Heavy metals in all the water. Black skies.

There are more people living there in near slavery right now, than have ever been born here in the U.S.in it's entire history. A few Muslim terrorist in Cuba who are unhappy, do not hold a candle to millions of forced sterilizations, no freedom to choose your own government, no right to speech, resticted travel, more than 10,000 ( that's what they admit, the real number may number in the millions) of undesireables executed a year.

The US hardly has a sterling record on the environment or human rights itself. What's good for the goose is good for the gander. Don't you agree?

There are more people living there in near slavery right now, than have ever been born here in the U.S.in it's entire history. A few Muslim terrorist in Cuba who are unhappy, do not hold a candle to millions of forced sterilizations, no freedom to choose your own government, no right to speech, resticted travel, more than 10,000 ( that's what they admit, the real number may number in the millions) of undesireables executed a year.

The thing is, though, that China is not, has never been, and has never even pretended to be a representative democracy or a country based on individual rights and liberties. China has always been an oligarchical tyranny; when the Ching dynasty was overthrown, it was simply a matter of changing one type of tyrannous oligarchy for another.

The United States is supposed to be better than that. We were founded on the proposition that the Creator has endowed all human beings with the inalianable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, and that governments exist to protect these rights, and that they derive their authority from the consent of the governed; we are supposed to be the government of the people, by the people, and for the people. We have not been living up to our principles.

Starving to death is all natural, doesn't use up any natural resources and is good for the environment, too! :rolleyes: Less greedy mouths to feed and bodies to clothe! Ashes to ashes and dust to dust, eh?

You're even more absurd than the person you're responding to. I'm sure there are products that you like to buy to support certain businesses. My own two rules of thumb would be:

buy local when it makes sense
and buy quality over cheapness.
Sometimes I break my own rules. Like, I buy wicking T-shirts made in China that cost $5 at Target (or walmart :eek:), instead of wicking jerseys at the LBS that cost $80.

The thing is, though, that China is not, has never been, and has never even pretended to be a representative democracy or a country based on individual rights and liberties. China has always been an oligarchical tyranny; when the Ching dynasty was overthrown, it was simply a matter of changing one type of tyrannous oligarchy for another.

The United States is supposed to be better than that. We were founded on the proposition that the Creator has endowed all human beings with the inalianable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, and that governments exist to protect these rights, and that they derive their authority from the consent of the governed; we are supposed to be the government of the people, by the people, and for the people. We have not been living up to our principles.

Basically we're just exporting our own pollution to China, then getting holier-than-thou about their pollution problem.

A few Muslim terrorist in Cuba who are unhappy, do not hold a candle to ... more than 10,000 ( that's what they admit, the real number may number in the millions) of undesireables executed a year.
...who we get to see preserved in plastic and on display at BODIES exhibits around the country!

So... don't buy tickets to see BODIES?

I'm probably not the only one here who likes to support Planet Bike, which donates 25% of its profits to cycling advocacy.

http://www.planetbike.com

I'm also a big supporter of local businesses, restaurants, my local farmer's market, etc. And although it's a chain, you could do a lot worse than Subway. Try getting a tuna sandwich covered in veggies on whole grain bread at McDonald's.

~snip~
I'm probably not the only one here who likes to support Planet Bike, which donates 25% of its profits to cycling advocacy.

http://www.planetbike.com

I'm also a big supporter of local businesses, restaurants, my local farmer's market, etc. And although it's a chain, you could do a lot worse than Subway. Try getting a tuna sandwich covered in veggies on whole grain bread at McDonald's.

Basically my take on it...

I own at least 4 PB lights and 3 sets of fenders...does that count as support?;)

I avoid any big chain restaurant or store in favor of the mom and pop operations. It pays off in the long run. My local IGA grocer has his own packing plant and cannery, right in the county where we live. He buys stuff from the local farmers. That is the kind of living I support. He also gives back to the community, and the profits stay local, they are not distributed to some worldwide stock holding conglomerate.

Aaron:)

My favorite Chinese made cycling product are the two wool jerseys I got from Earth Wind and Rider. They donate to 1% for the planet so it all cancels out. ;)

Al

Surly is pretty good about being environmentally conscious. They buy their bikes from Taiwan with manufacturers who have pledged to greener manufacturing practices than those of the cheaper alternatives in China.

In regards to boycotting Chinese products for the sake of US products being a case of the "pot calling the kettle black", I will agree that there are many polluters in both countries, but from my friends that have visited some of the central industrial areas in China, the industrial standards in China are on average, far worse than those in the USA. There's no nationalism or zenophobia involved. I will support best practices where ever they are found.

Surly is pretty good about being environmentally conscious. They buy their bikes from Taiwan with manufacturers who have pledged to greener manufacturing practices than those of the cheaper alternatives in China.

In regards to boycotting Chinese products for the sake of US products being a case of the "pot calling the kettle black", I will agree that there are many polluters in both countries, but from my friends that have visited some of the central industrial areas in China, the industrial standards in China are on average, far worse than those in the USA. There's no nationalism or zenophobia involved. I will support best practices where ever they are found.

However, I believe that most serious bicycle marketers have their products manufactured in Taiwan... I believe at the Giant Bicycle facility.

One thing to remember about Chinese industrial standards is that they are part of a pattern where a richer country opts to purchase services or goods from another, poorer country and thereby manages to rid itself of pollution and other ill effects. That's why China has the market on "recycling" computer equipment cornered. In a sense you could say that the US is exporting pollution to China. The US doesn't want the downside of such manufacture and China is willing to put up with it for a while.

However, I believe that most serious bicycle marketers have their products manufactured in Taiwan... I believe at the Giant Bicycle facility.

One thing to remember about Chinese industrial standards is that they are part of a pattern where a richer country opts to purchase services or goods from another, poorer country and thereby manages to rid itself of pollution and other ill effects. That's why China has the market on "recycling" computer equipment cornered. In a sense you could say that the US is exporting pollution to China. The US doesn't want the downside of such manufacture and China is willing to put up with it for a while.

Giant was once the preeminent frame manufacturer but they have been losing market share in the past 10 years. A majority of carbon fiber bikes are now made in China as are nearly all department store bikes. Its ironic that the Pinarellos and De Wiliers are made in the same region as Huffy and Pacific.

I agree with you about the deferment of pollution to China. This hidden pollution one more reason why it is so vital that people support local industry where the costs and benefits of commerce are most likely to be visible.

I updated the list to include everyone's suggestions, so they're in a somewhat organized list. :)

I agree with you about the deferment of pollution to China. This hidden pollution one more reason why it is so vital that people support local industry where the costs and benefits of commerce are most likely to be visible.

... and also the down-side of commerce provides immediate feedback. Where I originally come from in Canada, there is more and more money being spent on items like gasoline refineries. The reason is that the US doesn't want a smelly refinery in its backyard... though it craves the gasoline that comes out of it. The solution is to export the pollution elsewhere, then (at something like a climate conference...) make claims about other countries being major polluters.

If you think China is a major polluter, stop exporting the pollution!!

... and also the down-side of commerce provides immediate feedback. Where I originally come from in Canada, there is more and more money being spent on items like gasoline refineries. The reason is that the US doesn't want a smelly refinery in its backyard... though it craves the gasoline that comes out of it. The solution is to export the pollution elsewhere, then (at something like a climate conference...) make claims about other countries being major polluters.

If you think China is a major polluter, stop exporting the pollution!!

Did the US intimidate or force Canada to build those refineries? Or did Canada want the revenues from them?

Did the US intimidate or force Canada to build those refineries? Or did Canada want the revenues from them?
I believe the way it works is like this.

1. The US (or other country) needs petroleum ( or other products like aluminum...) which is usually generates environmental damage in its manufacture.

2. A business opportunity arises because almost no one in the US (except, I believe, some southern states...) really wants to have an oil refinery or an aluminum smelter in its backyard. This opportunity presents itself somehow to business people and politicians in areas of high unemployment and/or weak environmental standards.

3. Businesses in these areas seize on the opportunity and everything is a go... for a while... until ordinary citizens in the area start wondering about high cancer rates or fish with high mercury content or other such disasters.

You could argue that certain US interests maliciously seek out locations outside the country where public scrutiny is diminished.

You could also argue that the citizens and business interests in these locations should have their sh*t together...and stop being the chemical dumping ground for other countries.

I believe the way it works is like this.

1. The US (or other country) needs petroleum ( or other products like aluminum...) which is usually generates environmental damage in its manufacture.

2. A business opportunity arises because almost no one in the US (except, I believe, some southern states...) really wants to have an oil refinery or an aluminum smelter in its backyard. This opportunity presents itself somehow to business people and politicians in areas of high unemployment and/or weak environmental standards.

3. Businesses in these areas seize on the opportunity and everything is a go... for a while... until ordinary citizens in the area start wondering about high cancer rates or fish with high mercury content or other such disasters.

You could argue that certain US interests maliciously seek out locations outside the country where public scrutiny is diminished.

You could also argue that the citizens and business interests in these locations should have their sh*t together...and stop being the chemical dumping ground for other countries.

Let's not get off topic here. :) This is a discussion best left for another thread. Here you can simply suggest a person or product or organization that you think is environment or bike firendly.