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Americans
who found themselves awash in yet another holiday season of mall
hopping might want to remember a new Web site that offers an alternative
to standard fare—an option that’s badly needed, according
to a November 2003 poll commissioned by the Center for a New American
Dream and conducted by Widmeyer Research & Polling, Washington,
DC. The survey, conducted by the non-profit organization that promotes
socially responsible consumption, shows that 62 percent of American
consumers said they would like access to socially and environmentally
responsible products, while a whopping 71 percent said they would
purchase such products if they were easy to find.
Shoppers who want to find environmentally friendly, socially responsible
products can check out the Conscious Consumer Web site at www. newdream.org/consumer.
It is an ideal destination for the growing number of Americans who
want to align their values with their shopping choices. Items such
as organic chocolate, fair trade coffee and organic cotton clothing
are just clicks away.
“Most of us want products that are a good value, safe for the
environment and promote the well-being of the people at the other
end of the production line,” said Betsy Taylor, president of
the Center for a New American Dream. “But sometimes it seems
impossible to find the right thing and often it isn’t even
obvious what the right thing is.”
The Conscious Consumer Web site, created by the Center for a New
American Dream, offers information containing links to on-line and
local sources for goods and services that are better for the planet
and the people who live on it. The site is dedicated to helping
consumers make a difference in the world through the choices they
make in their everyday lives. The center does not sell any products
or receive any compensation.
“We know there are plenty of products out there that are produced
in an environmentally and socially responsible way,” explained
Diane Wood, the center’s executive director. “And there
are some green product lists, but nowhere is there a complete package
with lists of products explaining the relevant environmental and
social factors, the impact you can make by buying them and the in-depth
look we give at how some of the everyday products we take for granted
impact developing communities.”
This Web site also examines the products we buy, where they come
from and the people who make them. Short films from around the world
by award-winning
documentary filmmakers produced especially for the site introduce
the people and communities that manufacture the products we buy.
In addition, consumers can find out how and where to recycle just
about anything, get info on eco-friendly labeling, and get the scoop
on how companies stack up on the environmental and social responsibility
scale.
Selected as a Pick of the Week by the Natural Resources Defense
Council, the Conscious Consumer site was lauded as an alternative
to the holiday shopping frenzy. And while this is a newly emerging
market, Taylor says that, “Millions of Americans want to shop
for a better world. This is a wonderful opportunity to select products
that really can bring some joy to the world.”
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