The Cost of Ethical Living

Ethical and sustainable living are important issues to me, and I won't pretend that I can do the subject justice in one blog entry. However, I do feel a need to address the biggest objection that people raise when discussing these topics: money.

First of all, money is just a means to an end, and that end is the betterment of one's life and one's own pursuit of happiness. Many people are able to accomplish this by spending their own time and effort, thus it is important to recognize that money is not a prerequisite for happiness. After all, when you come right down to it, what is money but a representation of the time and effort that it took you to get that money? When people say they don't want to spend the money for ethical and sustainable living, they're really saying the extra effort that they had to go through is not worth the benefit.

This is where I disagree with people. When people buy stuff, the transaction isn't just their money being exchanged for a physical good. By purchasing one thing over another, they are sending their money, and thus their time and effort, to support the way the product was made. This would include such things as the way plants are grown, the way animals are raised, and the practices of the manufacturing company. If money keeps going towards companies that don't work to reduce gas emissions or continue to abuse cheap labor, they're not going to see a reason to stop. In my opinion, that is a price that I'm willing to pay.


[EDIT: 3/9/07] This week, a referendum for the institution of a sustainability fee was passed during student elections. This will be a $5 student fee that will go towards establishing a sustainable campus environment. The resolution passed 6997 to 1854.