Green Options

Terri Bly, president of The Nature of Beauty, announces Bonus Time at Natureofbeauty.com. With any purchase of $75 of more, customers receive a free hand-crafted, free trade makeup bag from India, stuffed with free full size and travel size products from top brands including Jane Iredale, Erbaorganics, Keys, Rare El’ements, Dr. Alkaitis and more.

For over a decade Shea Terra Organics has been developing high quality healing products from indigenous African ingredients. “Our most important goal from the start has always been to support Africa through self-empowerment and environmental programs, and bring awareness about the continent’s diversity and beauty.” ~Shea Terra Organics’ founder, Tammie Umbel

Shea Terra has culminated a formula for sustainability and fair trade by recognizing the value of uncontaminated raw materials. This helps it make a difference in alleviating the increasing threats to Africa’s native inhabitants and indigenous wildlife.

Of nearly 2,000 Americans responding to a survey by The Regional Economist magazine of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis zero percent say they favor lifting import tariffs on ethanol. That opinion bodes badly for lifting the $0.54 a gallon tariff on Brazilian ethanol made from sugar cane. This view reflects America’s new dream of energy independence. But is it wise or even ethical for America to shut its doors to Brazil’s hottest new fuel?

Without Brazil, Can America Reduce Gas Consumption 20% Over Ten Years?

This ambitious “twenty-in-ten” gasoline reduction is the Bush administration’s goal. But without Brazil’s ethanol it may be an uphill battle. With US corn setting record prices this year, it’s no surprise ethanol made from US corn is $2.90 a gallon while ethanol from Brazilian sugar cane is less than half the price at $1.40 a gallon. Even after the tariff, Brazil’s ethanol would be almost a dollar a gallon cheaper than ethanol produced domestically from corn.

At first glance, the elimination of tariffs for goods and services that protect the environment and fight climate change sounds like a good idea to spur a green economy, but what about the social and environmental consequences of free trade?

Cannibalism has never been a widely accepted art form but when, in 2003, Zhu Yu, a Chinese man, ate a still born baby and filmed himself at it, he called it an art and found nothing wrong with his act. The British Channel 4 TV actually broadcast the Beijing Swings footage and earned a censure from the Independent Television Commission for showing a “lack of respect for human dignity” and having “exceeded the boundaries of acceptability.”

“The broadcast of such images raises serious questions, not only about the morality of the artists in using dead babies in pursuit of their artistic expression, but of the broadcasters’ responsibility not to infringe their dignity,” ITC said.

Cannibalism can be more than art as has been documented among the Yanomami, Coaque and Anasazi Indians. Beth Conklin, an American anthropologist concluded in 2001 that cannibalism had a human face after spending time with the Wari’ Indians in the Amazon.

In Seoul, South Korea, this past Friday 10,000 people took to the streets in a candle light vigil to oppose US beef imports that many fear may be tainted with mad cow disease. Overnight, the number of peaceful protesters doubled and by Saturday night, 20,000 - 25,000 South Koreans held candles and raised their voices against American beef imports.

I joined the protests on Saturday to learn more.

George Bush and Hugo Chavez, former political enemies, announced plans this morning to dismantle the North American Free Trade Agreement, or NAFTA, replacing it instead with the North American Fair Trade Agreement, also NAFTA.

“The new agreement marks a turning point in US-Venezuela relations,” said Juan Johnston of the North American Monitor of Bribery in Latin America (NAMBLA). “It also underscores the magnitude of recent growth in demand for ethically produced goods.”

Presidential election campaign 2008 is well underway. And already the grade school politics are brought to the election playground.
In recent news, both Democratic front runners, in an attempt to woo voters, called for renegotiations of NAFTA. They also threatened to pull out of the trade agreement if U.S. demands aren’t met. Clearly a case of, “do what I want because our economic and military might can beat up your economic and military might.”

The North American Free Trade Agreement, has been under scrutiny since its inception.

Thankfully we have Republican Candidate John McCain to defend this groundbreaking trade agreement.

NAFTA isn’t perfect. It was the first time a free trade agreement existed among such economically disparate countries. It was definitely a great experiment, and a lot has been learned from the results. There is no denying that there have been significant advances in a globally sustainable market that was enabled by NAFTA.

Alicia's Friday post discussed elements of our current trade policy that have contributed to the growth of a consumer driven movement to help refocus trade on its inherent human issues. Judging by some of the comments made on her post it is apparent that there is some confusion about what the Fair Trade movement really is.

The confusion is perfectly understandable as the Fair Trade movement is not

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