Students for Responsible Consumerism

March Against Monsanto

Fri, 24 May 2013 09:14:19 -0400

Official website for the March Against Monsanto. On May 25, activists around the world will unite to take back our food.

New App Lets You Boycott Koch Brothers, Monsanto And More By Scanning Your Shopping Cart

Thu, 16 May 2013 23:17:03 -0400

New App Lets You Boycott Koch Brothers, Monsanto And More By Scanning Your Shopping Cart:

A new app allows you to scan a product in the supermarket aisle and learn who exactly is behind that box of cereal. More impressively, you can join user-created campaigns to boycott groups of companies who may have lobbied against a cause you believe in.

Voting with your wallet just got easier. Welcome to Buycott.

Coffee For A Cause: What Do Those Feel-Good Labels Deliver? : NPR

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 15:36:13 -0400

Coffee For A Cause: What Do Those Feel-Good Labels Deliver? : NPR:

It doesn’t take much effort to find bags of coffee with labels that promise social and environmental improvements. But each one of these certification programs promises something different for the farmer and the land â and every promise involves some compromises.

Ever wonder which label to look for? You may find this article helpful.

European Union Report Details Growth Of Human Trafficking : NPR

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 11:42:16 -0400

European Union Report Details Growth Of Human Trafficking : NPR:

In Europe, more than 23,600 people were victims of human trafficking during a recent three-year period, according to a new European Union report. The comprehensive study, which gathered data from more than 30 nations, found that trafficking increased by 18 percent between 2008 and 2010.

Human trafficking is a very real issue that is often overlooked or misunderstood. This not only occurs in the other side of the world; it could be happening around you right now.

Apocalypse....Later?

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 18:55:15 -0400

Apocalypse....Later?:

Warming data is lagging behind predictions from the mainstream climate models. This might buy the world some time—but only if the international community pushes climate change onto the “A-list” policy agenda.

Using Livestock to Revitalize the Land

Mon, 25 Mar 2013 19:38:00 -0400

Using Livestock to Revitalize the Land:

Do grazing livestock harm the land? Or could they be the key to reversing desertification? Allan Savory examines this question.

Batteries: The Answer to a Greener Future?

Mon, 11 Mar 2013 22:45:00 -0400

Batteries: The Answer to a Greener Future?:

Batteries are something most people take for granted, yet they power much of our electronic and mechanistic world. Could a new battery make wind and solar more attractive? Maybe…and perhaps in the next 5 years.

Obama: State of the Environment

Wed, 20 Feb 2013 22:26:00 -0500

Obama: State of the Environment:

In Barack Obama’s 2013 State of the Union address, he became the first United States president to take a serious and full-fledged political stance against climate change. Check out the president’s speech by clicking the link above. He begins discussing energy and the environment at 18:10 (disclaimer—he starts with oil…don’t worry, it gets better). Enjoy!

Keep your poop to yourself!

Sat, 16 Feb 2013 23:16:32 -0500

Keep your poop to yourself!:

Watching Bill Nye, I came across the composting toilet, a self-contained system that turns your waste into fertilizer that can subsequently be reused in the garden. And some systems reduce water use to almost nothing! Check out a FAQ here. Many models cost upwards of $1000, but cheaper toilets fall into the range of $200-400.

Holy Quinoa!

Thu, 31 Jan 2013 15:22:00 -0500

Holy Quinoa!:

Everyone loves the miracle crop—healthy, vegan, full of protein. But this article is testament that our everyday choices are never as simple as they seem

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jan/14/quinoa-andes-bolivia-peru-crop

Criticism has recently emerged that quinoa harms its Peruvian producers by raising the market price of the staple crop due to increased demand. But it also brings plenty of benefits to the region. Take a look at the complexity of the issue and the pros and cons of eating quinoa.

Beijing on Top...Breaking the Scale

Mon, 21 Jan 2013 14:44:39 -0500

Beijing on Top...Breaking the Scale:

We all know China is competitive, but they’ve outdone themselves. The EPA’s Air Index is a scale from 1-500 measuring particle pollution in the air. On Saturday, Beijing broke the scale, weighing it at a reading of 755. Unfortunately for China, that’s not the sort of record you want to break. Listen for more at then NPR program linked above.

The World Didn't End....So What Now?

Mon, 24 Dec 2012 20:52:00 -0500

The World Didn't End....So What Now?:

The last post was sort of pessimistic. Here’s a little bit of sustainable Christmas cheer.

Alternative Worlds: Possibilities for a Green Tomorrow

Sat, 22 Dec 2012 00:21:21 -0500

Alternative Worlds: Possibilities for a Green Tomorrow:

The National Intelligence Council has just released its new report: Global Trends 2030: Alternative Worlds. Inside are some frightening statistics and predictions. Threat #1? Scarce resources. According to the report, the world’s middle class will triple by 2030. Sounds great, right? Less poverty, better health and nutrition, higher life expectancy. The problem? Resources and climate change.

A large middle class means more demand for basic resources—food, water, electricity, oil and gas. But global climate change puts us in a tough position. According to the report, “Climate change will worsen the outlook for the availability of these critical resources. Climate change analysis suggests that the severity of existing weather patterns will intensify, with wet areas getting wetter and dry and arid areas becoming more so.”

So problem #1: at the rate we’re going, we may not have enough to go around. Problem #2 is that problem #1 will keep getting worse. We don’t have our energy consumption under control. And a larger middle class means more cars, more meat, and more manufactured goods. The greenhouse gases created by these items will continue to put more and more stress on an environment already at the breaking point.

We have little hope without a united effort—by governments, corporations, and consumers—to curb our emissions and prevent the crisis that may be facing us in the coming years. The report is titled Alternative Worlds. Let’s pick the sustainable one.

The UN talks climate...but not much to show

Wed, 05 Dec 2012 20:25:00 -0500

The UN talks climate...but not much to show:

http://www.economist.com/news/21567342-after-three-failures-years-un-climate-summit-has-only-modest-aims-theatre-absurd

“Climate policy is going nowhere fast.” People are losing hope that governments will solve the climate change problem. As we approach yet another UN summit on climate change, what can we expect? More importantly, what should we demand?

Climate Denial Crock of the Week

Sat, 10 Nov 2012 20:14:10 -0500

Climate Denial Crock of the Week :

An interesting blog that intelligently debunks myths about climate change

It’s time we be frank about the problems we are facing.

Sat, 10 Nov 2012 19:51:27 -0500

It’s time we be frank about the problems we are facing.

Climate Change Neglected in Presidential Debates

Wed, 31 Oct 2012 15:16:13 -0400

Climate Change Neglected in Presidential Debates:

This NPR article discusses several issues that were never mentioned in the presidential debates, including climate change. This is a disturbing trend in politics; politicians are no longer willing to discuss global warming because they do not want to face the controversy and backlash.

The Prius as a Status Symbol?

Thu, 25 Oct 2012 19:10:00 -0400

The Prius as a Status Symbol?:

http://www.freakonomics.com/2011/07/07/hey-baby-is-that-a-prius-you%E2%80%99re-driving/

Prius owners, solar energy, and motorized wind turbines. Freakonomics authors Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner discuss the new trend of “conspicuous conservation” on their podcast. How social pressure is influencing the environmental movement for the better—and when it goes terribly wrong.

What is a B Corp? Certified B Corporations are a new type of...

Mon, 17 Sep 2012 21:02:03 -0400

What is a B Corp?

Certified B Corporations are a new type of corporation which uses the power of business to solve social and environmental problems.

B Lab, a nonprofit organization, certifies B Corporations, the same way TransFair certifies Fair Trade coffee or USGBC certifies LEED buildings.

B Corps, unlike traditional businesses:

Meet comprehensive and transparent social and environmental performance standards;

Meet higher legal accountability standards;

Build business constituency for public policies that support sustainable business.

There are over 500 Certified B Corporations across 60 different industries. From food and apparel for you and your family to attorneys and office supplies for your business, B Corporations are a diverse community with one unifying goal: to redefine success in business.

Through a company’s public B Impact Report, anyone can access performance data about the social and environmental practices that stand behind their products.

Check it out!

Welcome back, BSU!

Tue, 21 Aug 2012 11:50:55 -0400

With classes started and the fall semester just underway, it’s a busy time for Ball State students. We, too, have a lot of things going on, and it looks like it’s going to be an exciting year!

SRC will be meeting every Thursday at 7:00pm in SC308—contact us with any questions at src@bsu.edu!