(no subject)

I've been thinking really hard about taking my bike to school today, despite the rain. but I've decided not to. My body will get too wet without fenders, and my feet will get too wet in the shoes available to me. Instead, I'm going to go shoe-shopping again over lunch. Shoe store one didn't have any shoes that really grabbed me, so I'm going to look at shoe store two.

I've been doing a lot of reading online about shoes and boots; which are good and which aren't. Reviews aren't terribly helpful. It seems like no matter what it is, half the people loved it and the other half said that they feel apart within a month.

It may be overly generalizing, but I think I'm going to go with a brand whose name I associate with quality. I'm also attracted by their B ranking in sustainable practices at rankabrand.org. I have no idea how trustworthy the site is, but I have to start somewhere, and Timberland is one of the highest-ranked shoe makers. (There don't seem to be any with As.)

I hate the idea of spending more than 10 bucks on shoes. I've been buying them from thrift stores for years. I bought one pair of brand new shoes last year, an exception to the rule. They fell apart more quickly than most used ones I've bought. But they also some of the cheapest shoes available.

I need durable, quality boots that will keep my feet warm and dry while bicycling through the winter and spring here in the Midwest, and that will last a significant amount of time. I'm hoping if I'm willing to lay out some extra money up front, I can find them. But I realize that I really don't know much about how to pick good shoes. Maybe in the end it's an experiential thing.

(no subject)

This is interesting. Patagonia has become California's first "benefit corporation." These "benefit corporations" must:

1) Have a corporate purpose to create a material positive impact on society and the environment.
2) Redefine fiduciary duty to require consideration of the interests of workers, community and the environment.
3) Publicly report annually on its overall social and environmental performance using a comprehensive, credible, independent, and transparent third party standard.

I particularly like number 2. Do you realize that CEOs of publicly owned companies are subject to legal action if they consider things like interests of workers, communities, and the environment over profits? It's because they are legally beholden to the interests of their stakeholders.

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Also, I just sent Timberland an email telling them that a significant portion of my motivation for choosing to buy Timberland boots are their attempts to move toward responsible corporate citizenship. We should encourage these things where we can. If I buy wool socks as I've been thinking about doing, I may buy them from Patagonia even though my budget is limited and they are more expensive. If I do, I'll send them a letter to tell them why.

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I'm thinking more about sustainability with the class I'm taking on environmental anthropology and the presentation I'm getting ready for on environmental sustainability and farmers markets.

Sustainability, as defined by both the UN and the EPA has three primary components; pillars if you will. They are environmental, social, and financial sustainability. In each of those three categories, sustainability requires providing for the needs of the present without compromising the ability to provide for the needs of the future. Keeping in mind social and financial aspects, charts like this one that show the billions of dollars in government assistance to families of the working poor are frustrating. It's really not easy to shop in accordance with my conception of ethics.