From Marketplace, GOOD Issue 008. Information on our consumable culture.
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I Don’t Want To Blow You UpethicsFrom Ricardo Cortés and F. Bowman Hastie III, the authors who brought you the marijuana-acceptance text It’s Just a Plant, comes this children’s coloring book about men and women with Arab-sounding names, but who are productive members of society instead of dastardly terrorists (there have been threats of lawsuits from involuntary nonterrorist examples like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar). Buy it now and teach your kids not to judge.$9blowyouup.com |
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Tianlang TrainerskicksWhy wear expensive, ergonomically designed American sneakers when you can wear the shoes that Chinese workers sport as they devote their labor to the Communist cause? That’s the question the people behind the Tianlang trainers want you to ask as you buy their new shoes (a percentage of the proceeds from the sale will be invested in Chinese education). And, just in case you were worried, the new versions are of a much higher quality than the originals, because we wouldn’t want to get too authentic.from $78ospop.com |
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Changing the PresentgiftsLike microfinance for the gift-giving set, Changing the Present offers you a chance to eschew the consumerist culture of the holidays and give a gift that matters-from five sets of fishing equipment for people in Sudan ($100) to demining a sports field ($50). With so many options, you can tailor your charitable gift to the interests of the person to whom you’re giving. Fair warning: Sometimes people just want a toy, no matter how many tigers you adopt in their name.from $2changingthepresent.org |
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Piegato Shelfassembly requiredThe three-shelf Piegato is shipped as one large metal sheet-just fold out the shelf portions and attach it to the wall with two simple screws. It’s perfect for the IKEA-challenged among us.$270piegato.com |
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Merakiwi-fiYour internet company may claim that this practice is illegal, but if you’re a good digital-age Samaritan, you can leave your Wi-Fi network open for all to use. By using Meraki as your wireless base station and extending the range with its self configuring signal-boosters, you can cast an even wider net. Register your free internet zone on Meraki’s website and invite desperate internet seekers to freeload off your signal, knowing you’ll always be able to hop on a connection from a friendly Meraki-ite when you’re away from home.$98meraki.com |
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Nudo Olive OiloilLocated in Le Marche, Italy, Nudo farms is a scenic spread of 10 olive groves. Like small farms the world over, Nudo is having trouble keeping up with the larger growers that mass produce olive oil without caring for their trees and their products. Thus, it wants you to help out. By adopting a Nudo tree, you’re signing up for two shipments of extra virgin olive oil and other olive products sent to you from Nudo (they won’t be just from your tree, but your tree certainly helped out). Should you develop a serious attachment, you’re invited to visit your tree anytime.$130/yearnudo-italia.com |
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Entermodalcow skinEntermodal’s leather goods (wallets, purses, etc) are beautiful and, as you might expect, sustainable-crafted using age-old leatherworking techniques and often using just one piece of leather per item.from $140entermodal.com |
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African Star Board Gamegame nightThis engaging, old-timey board game takes you on a trek across Africa in search of the 530-carat diamond known as the Star of Africa, which you will plunder and take back to Europe. African Star is apparently incredibly popular in Finland, where it is easy to play a colonialist-themed board game with historical racist art because your country has no colonial guilt and because everyone is white.$36kioskkiosk.com |
