3.9 ethical and environmental concerns Flashcards
localism
(a key response to social and environmental ethical issues)
food and goods grown locally support local jobs and reduce transportation, increasing sustainability
what groups promote sustainability?
NGOs- non-governmental organisations
Local Groups
-promote local jobs and build local movements around sustainability issues
sustainable development
meeting the needs of the present, without jeopardising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs
consumer society
a society in which the buying and selling of goods and services is the most important social and economic activity
what can the environmental footprint consist of?
food (ecological)
water
energy
climate (carbon)
why has consumerism rose?
individual incomes have increased and more people have become ‘global consumers’ (disposable)
-people want more of whatever they want
why are environmentalists concerned with consumerism?
they are concerned that as more countries engage with global processes and capitalist attitudes prevail, environmental implications of consumerism leads to irreversible damage to the planet.
how many times larger is the avg US citizens environmental footprint vs sub-saharan african resident
20x
how can local producers benefit from localism?
-they benefit economically
communities become self-supporting, relieving social pressures and anxieties
-the ecological footprint of consumption is reduced
give an example of a transition town and brief summary about it
Totnes, Devon
Local groups and projects are helping communities to be more resilient, from increasing low impact affordable housing, sharing skills, creating livelihoods, reducing energy costs and carbon emissions, growing our local food economy.
example of a shop local campaign UK
Visit Knowle
-independent businesses thiriving
what is global trade and flows of commodity driven by?
inequality
-natural resources, cost of living and spending power
what have consumer societies led to?
-it creates a market driven global economy whereby consumers want products cheaply and quickly
-TNCs have to minimise costs of production by grossly underpaying primary workers and facing unachievable targets at secondary levels of production
-conditions of production are compromised
-reduces power and status of producers as TNCs dominate
what is an ethical purchase?
one where the consumer has considered the social and environmental costs of production for food, goods or services purchased
what does an ethical purchase prevent?
the exploitation of those involved in the product’s supply chain
NGOs use strategies such as Fair Trade or supply chain monitoring to prevent this too
Fair Trade
aim is to secure a value for products that is representative of the value it generates in global markets
-makes income sustainable for families and supports communities, on social and environmental standards as well as economic
ATO example
alternative trade organisations
such as Cocoa Life- Mondelez’s fair trade organisation
-sources raw materials sustainably, pays producers fairly and supports producers in growth and development
-however, they make all decisions and monitor themselves
what is “The Accord”
an organisation created to meet agreed standards on worker health and safety
their mission is to create a safer textile and garment industry
Over 1,100 people – mostly garment workers – lost their lives when the Rana Plaza factory collapsed in the outskirts of Dhaka, Bangladesh, on 24 April 2013
