Why U.S. Citizens should spend more locally. As United States citizens, we are spending large sums of money on either national brand goods or foreign made products more so than ever. Now, we may not think of any consequences, good or bad, when making those purchases, but in truth we are destroying our own economy by sending our money elsewhere. We as citizens of the United States of America should spend less on national brand goods and more on locally produced products. First off, spending more locally helps keep our money in the cash flow of the surrounding area. This allows us to build our community while thriving and striving for greatness at the same time. In fact, according to the exceptional men and women at IndependentWeStand.org, for every One-Hundred Dollars spent on local made products, Sixty-Eight Dollars stays with our community and helps our local economy thrive longer. But, for every One-Hundred Dollars Spent on national brand products, only an approximate Forty-Three of that sum stays with our community. Now, we see that the environmental costs can be affected greatly when we contradict this fact. As an …show more content…
This is all according to the business people of the American Independent Business Alliance at Amiba.Net and this argument is because when we spend currency locally, efficiency in terms of correct land usage and a higher percentage of central locations begin to increase. Local spending habits also have proven to show less demand for construction, or repair, on roads, sewers, and safety precautions. This all contributes to the lowering of taxes paid. But, if we were to contradict this, some may say that the problems we have given ourselves in terms of different prices out-weigh the given argument. With this, we see that prices may be lower at large brands, but we must that larger brands are less trustworthy in many
When people in America see foreign goods for outrageous prices and then they see American goods for normal prices, they are going to buy American products. Unfortunately, this is not the only effect of a protectionist policy. Foreign nations often get upset at the increase in American tariffs and respond by increasing their own tariffs on American goods. This weakens the sales of American goods to foreign nations. In order for the United States to have a favorable balance of trade, then they must have strong exports.
With forward movement in society, it is important to consider not just what will propel most toward success, but also what will help to sustain the environment along the way. What may have been considered appropriate decades ago, may no longer be socially acceptable due to the changes observed in both the business world and the environment (Fiske, 2010). Therefore, it is important for organizations thriving in today?s economy to consider how they may capitalize most effectively from their product or service of choice while minimizing or eliminating any damages along the way (Knoke, 2012).
Have you ever thought about those little words in fine print that tell you where a product was made? How about the last time you put tires on your car? Before you made a decision on the purchase did you stop and ask where the tires are made? Probably not! You heard the only words you wanted to hear....good and cheap! When did we stop caring about where a product is made or did we ever? Why would this matter anyway and what importance is of it? Some may argue that free trade and imports give us purchasing power. They believe cheaper goods results in more money in our pocket to buy other goods. That theory is a farce with little to no data to support it. Buying American made supports job growth, the environment and human rights. The impact on us, our children and the future of America is greatly impacted on our purchasing decisions.
It is a good practice to buy American made goods if possible. Because the American public no longer thinks before they buy an item, we are losing out manufacturing base every day that passes on the calendar. Every day you watch the news there are stories about how bad the economy is and getting worse with each tick of the clock. In the recent history, United States of America was the leading exporter of goods but now we run a trade deficit each year. John Carpenter in the article “Why You Should Buy American Made Products,” at the website http://ezinearticles.com has made the point that the American public has to take a share of the blame because they have lost their patriotism and pride.
There are two different views on the connection that is found between consumption and environmental policy. The first major connection is the ignorance of buying something that at first seems like it will help out people in so many ways, but ends up hurting the environment in the long run after changes and a changing culture, cars for example (Book Review: The Shadow of Consumption, 1). The other connection that could be made is the connection between researching products and how they are produced and what the companies do with the byproduct after the product has been made. This connection can seem like a strong connection than the ignorant connect because there is a whole other level of research and understanding that goes into understanding the environment and the policies that are changed by the production process.
Often times, writers can get caught up in a certain writing style that makes all of their following work begin to blend in with the previous one. If they fail to give attention to including both similar, and familiar, characteristics, along with differing, and diversifying, details, the distinction between each piece and the interest of their readers will be lost. Richard Selzer's “The Masked Marvel’s Last Toehold” and “The Discus Thrower” have clear similarities and differences, such as the point of view used in both pieces or differing timelines, but also contain characteristics that are both shared and distinct with themselves, which includes the condition the patient is in. Possibly the most obvious characteristic both narratives share is the first person point of view experienced through the doctor.
...ss with other countries. Instead of importing oil, the U.S should invest in clean-energy technology innovation, which would boost growth and create jobs. Investing in a clean-energy economy is the clear path toward re-establishing our economic stability and strengthening our national security. (Content, T. 2011).
In the end I would say it's an important problem not for the immediate dollars, but for the future dollars that could be lost with a "tarnished" image as well as losing market share.
As environmental concerns become more of an issue for consumers, they will be more aware of the impact that a company has on themselves and the environment and therefore be more conscious of who they support with their dollar.
To help further explain these misleading claims, a well recognized company by the media is called Terrachoice. “The Terrachoice Environment Marketing Consulting practice converts knowledge of markets, science and marketing into winning, client-centered solutions to help sustainability leaders deliver results” (“The "six sins," 2007). Terrachoice has conducted a study of the “Environmental Claims in North American Consumer Markets” and found shocking results that made them want to give warning to potential consumers about the ‘six sins of greenwashing. The Terrachoice Company was designed to improve the communication between the purchasers and consumers, helping to enhance, strengthen, and prove market relationship.
A nation that possesses strong industry, a favorable trade balance, and a lack of dependency upon foreign states is optimum. This ideology is one that has been strongly advocated throughout America’s existence, by politicians from Alexander Hamilton to Pat Buchanan. When a nation faces a trade deficit, it means that competing states are producing more efficiently, and ultimately making profiting. Also, a deficit means that industry and jobs, which could exist domestically, are being “stolen” by foreign nations. According to mercantile policy, this is a zero-sum game; when a competitor is winning, we are losing. The United States faces this situation, having evolved from the world’s largest creditor nation during and following World War II to its current position as the world’s largest debtor. Because America imports much more than it exports, an additional 600 billion dollars is needed every year to balance the equation. This money is “borrowed” through the sale of government assets, sometimes to domestic investors, but increasingly to foreign ones. Many circumstances can be blamed for this situation: cheap foreign labor, foreign government subsidy, and closed foreign markets, among others. The question therefore arises: how to negate obstacle...
The single most important environmental issue today is over-consumerism, which leads to excess waste. We buy too much. We think we always need new and better stuff. Will we ever be satisfied? There will always be something better or cooler on the market. Because we live in a capitalistic consumer culture, we have absorbed things like: “Get it while the getting’s good,” “Offer ends soon, buy while it lasts,” “For great deals, come on down…Sunday Sunday Sunday!” We, kids from 1 to 92, have become saturated with commercials like: Obey your thirst. How much of our consumption is compulsive buying, merely obeying our momentary thirst? Do we actually need all that we buy? Could we survive efficiently, even happily, without making so many shopping center runs? Once after I made a Target run with mom, I noticed that most of the bulkiness within my plastic bags with red targets symbols on them was made up of the products’ packaging. I then thought about all the bags that were piled on the floor near us…all of the bags piled on the floors of many homes throughout America daily.
Annie Leonard, in her book The Story of Stuff, says that companies can significantly reduce their toll on the environment by changing their design. The design determines “the amount of energy used in making and using the product,” “the length of the product’s life span” and “its ability to be recycled” (Leonard). All these things determine the amount of resources a company must use, so simply changing a product’s design is one way a company can have a large impact on the sustainability of the environment in which it operates. One example of this is that “Wal-Mart attributed more than $100 million of its 2009 revenue to a decision to switch to a recyclable variety of cardboard in shipments” which it sells to a recycler instead of paying to send it to a landfill (Bhanoo).
Many Americans are used to getting the products they desire, at no cost. Trade with other countries is a necessity for the US because of the needs of the American people. Some examples of consumption could be wine, diamonds and gems, and vehicles. Another driving force in the global economy is the cost of labor. Imagine the amount of money some companies would have to pay American workers to do the same work as some third world countries.
The more experience you have putting these tips into practice, the more they will become instinct. And by making informed decisions and ensuring that the product’s claims are accurate, you can feel good about the choices you make and their positive impact on the environment. If more greenwashing means that marketers are increasingly responding to the demand for sustainable products, this could be a positive trend. If left unchecked, greenwashing creates significant risks. Consumers will give up on marketers and manufacturers, and give up on the hope that their spending might be put to good use. Recent developments suggest companies should be prepared for the new wave of measures. Greenwashing has become a buzz word for consumers and the media. Unfortunately, the rules are not always clear when it comes to responsible environmental marketing.