Comments on: Bamboo Buyer Beware: Green Decisions Aren't Always Clear-Cut

By: Organic Baby Slings for Green Babywearing

Organic Baby Slings for Green Babywearing — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 21:56:33 +0000

[...] Pretty Momma ring slings are available in organic cotton, organic hemp, and bamboo – which is not certified organic, but bamboo is arguably a green fabric option. [...]

By: Sharon

Sharon — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 13:10:59 +0000

I recently watched a panel talk from the Slow Food group on Fora.tv at http://fora.tv/2008/08/30/Slow_Food_Nation_Closing_1_of_2 and a man named Wendell Berry talks about this a bit. He says that we have shown remarkable ingenuity and amazing intellegence in the creation of technologies, such as nuclear power and other major developments, but that we do not know how to follow through or “clean up the mess” these all seem to leave behind. I liken it to the “having just enough knowledge to be dangerous” and refusing to educate yourself further.

Eric Schlosser also makes a point of talking about how the Slow Food movement (and this can be said for ANY movement) has the potential to become extremely narcissistic if things like this are not taken into consideration. We have a severe lack of “transparency” in this country when it comes to where our products come from and how they are made.

By: VannyBean

VannyBean — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 03:37:20 +0000

Of course, sustainability must be approached at all levels–thanks for highlighting the issues around bamboo production.

By: Coccinelle

Coccinelle — Sun, 31 May 2009 22:57:40 +0000

I am wondering about which Mac you talked about, if it’s the Macbook Air, the battery can easily be changed :

http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/08/01/18/sources_macbook_air_battery_replacements_take_only_minutes.html

And all Mac laptop batteries can be changed and thank heaven! Those cannot simply live as long as the laptop useful life.

But I agree with you for buying things that last. I recently buy utensil sets made of bamboo in the hope of decreasing my use of disposable plastic utensil set, and I am sure it is a lesser evil!

By: Pure Mothers

Pure Mothers — Sun, 31 May 2009 17:12:32 +0000

I didn’t know that was happening with bamboo. Ugh! It’s always something. But buying wood or metal is still better than plastic. We need to buy things once! Buy things that are built to last and stop living disposable lives – constantly upgrading to a new style each year! We need to think like our grandparents and great grandparents. If everyone only needed one sturdy, quality set of something and didn’t need to replace – but repair, we wouldn’t have to worry about using up all our natural resources.

I mean, Apple just came out with a laptop that you can’t replace the battery. That means a new laptop when it runs out! How irresponsible to the environment. And I LOVE my Mac. But, c’mon!

About your toy store: We have a good number of wonderful online toys stores selling natural, non-toxic toys and Waldorf toys here in the US. http://WWW.sarahstoybox.com lists a ton of them. My favorite though is http://www.novanatural.com So, don’t feel bad for us here.

By: Coccinelle

Coccinelle — Sun, 31 May 2009 02:32:28 +0000

If I understand, the clothes, diapers and sheets that one buy in bamboo in the hope of avoiding chemicals touching one child, can be more harmful than non-organic cotton?

I really am speechless!

By: Jeff Berlin

Jeff Berlin — Sat, 30 May 2009 16:50:47 +0000

really good post. I have never heard our difficult choices described so elegantly.

As for the sourcing, much of that, as you alluded to regarding your toy store, is the responsibility of the buyer (at all levels). This means that supply chains have to become more transparent and resources gathered in a way which consumers like. I think you are on the cutting edge here and that more consumers will follow your lead into the search for properly resourced, properly sourced, properly assembled goods–full life cycle analysis etc. Of course, that requires a cognizance about the need versus want issue in our buying consciousness.