Lesson’s learned from 2006
Still here in Eujungbu province, South Korea. The year 2006 is over and 2007 has begun, So what’s my resolution? Resolution defined as "a decision to do something or to behave in a certain manner", meaning to change either for the better or for the worst.
Starting last year I have decided to only buy things that are essential and to buy it local. Why?, because we are used to the global market as it operates today. We take for granted commodities that are available for sale at the lowest price, not even giving a second thought to weather the process that made that "stuff" come to be, may not have been in the best ethical conditions. I am saying that a lot of the things that we buy, we do not need, and most of the things that we buy cheap are there because someone has suffered needlessly for it to exist.
Why buy local? In the first place it helps the local economy grow and creates jobs, second it does not have to travel 12,000 miles to get to you and this costs fuel, and lastly you are sure if its origin and most of the products you buy locally are of better quality than most. Not convinced? Consider eating a mango… Is there a difference in taste and quality between a mango eaten seconds after being picked ripe off the mango tree in the Philippines and another that has been picked "green" and has been gassed to preserve and delivered 12000 miles to your nearest grocery and will probably sit there for another month? Of course! We are used to paying so little for things that we started to take them for granted, we forget the effort that made it into being, likewise the steps taken to make things as they are are being taken for granted also. People are taking shortcuts and this is causing problems with our health and the world economy and ultimately the planet’s happiness as a whole.
Only buying local or from within a 100 miles radius for food is hard enough, imagine when you have to do this for everything. I tried last year and one thing I’ve learned is that I bought less, but the products I’ve bought are of superior quality. We definitely have to eat local and in season, because it affects our "mother’s" eco-system. Eating strawberries in season saves the planet refrigeration, fuel and energy costs.
There is nothing with making profits.. but within reason. We must prevent unnecessary suffering from happening. Some companies will manufacture anything and dump it anywhere without a single thought about its impact in the target buyer’s economy, What is wrong with Walmart? Nothing! But just because you have developed an efficient way to move merchandise doesn’t give you the right to abuse it’s potential by dumping sweatshop products and dirt-cheap items on any gullible consumer on any country. Walmart is changing for the better I hope. They promised.
Well this post is getting longer that It should.. I’ll have to cut it here…
The main point in all this is "Buy local", cheap means exactly how it sounds like …"cheap"… Anything manufactured takes energy, we should not take anything for granted. It’s preposterous that something such as an Italian shoe ‘made in China’ exist. But there are exceptions to this rule. I’ve bought Texas port wine when I was in Texas and they are up to par with their Portuegese conterparts. Support the local economy.
