As we enter the Christmas season, you may want to consider the
questions contained in the following Letter to the Editor when when
 buying presents for those you love.

BUYING RESPONSIBLY

Everybody take a moment and think about buying presents and
gifts this holiday season. It is in our common interest to realize the
costs and benefits of the things we purchase.

During the frenzy that is commonly associated with this time of year,
the choices we make on the products we choose to buy can have
immense influences on the world and on the environment. Please
consider and reflect on the true cost when purchasing by asking
yourself the following questions:

* How far did this product travel to get to this store (i.e., what is its
carbon footprint)?

* Was it manufactured in a country that has a poor human rights record?

* Is it likely that the workers who produced it are being paid well,
have access to health benefits and are protected from health hazards?

* Does the country in which this product was made have any
environmental regulations or standards, or is the manufacturer there
purely because of a lack of all of the above?

* How am I helping my local community and economy by spending
money in this store?

* Do I or the person I am buying this product for really need this
product, or am I just fulfilling a duty of purchase?

* Is this the type of product that was manufactured, shipped here
and sold only to make someone smile for five minutes, and if so, is it
worth the true cost?

* Is my spending so frivolous that I am negatively impacting the work
of conservationists, scientists and others who work so hard to employ
sustainable approaches to living in the 21st Century?

* Am I doing justice to my very own self and my beliefs by voting with
my dollars this way?

It is important to ask yourself these types of questions to gain an
understanding of the connectedness of our complex world. It is only
through our actions that we will fulfill the solutions that are available to
us. Understanding the problems and the ways to overcome them are key.
Please refrain from making poor decisions. Please take this moment to
restore connectedness to your life by purchasing responsibly this holiday
 season and always.

Ryan E. Campbell
Batavia

originally published in the Chicago Tribune's Voice of the People section on December 1, 2007
www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-1201letters1_briefsdec01,0,7771502.story