Good point but I've lately been buying things smarter and more environmentally friendly products before I even need them. This way when my current products run out, I don't have to look very far to start off again on a better foot. I think the hardest part of purchasing smarter products is that most of this stuff isn't widely available and that buying it when you have the chance and not waiting until later on when you forget, makes the most sense to me. This way I make it easy and as smooth as possible when trying to change my habits.

Though obviously, this isn't always the case. Think fashion.

Actually George’s point wasn’t that ethical consumerism is encouraging people to buy more, some of its proponents are saying you don’t have to radically change your life style just your choices in products.

He argues that we in the west need to look at reducing the quantity of goods we consume, not just change the origin. Similarly he argues that it is at heart a political as well as a consumer issue.

The core argument Monbiot pushes in the article is that there is developing a middle class fasionista ‘green is the new black’ culture developing that is missing the environmental key points about carbon rationing, reducing our over all carbon food print substancially- and yes making major changes in the way we live, as well as the way we conduct international trade, and the way we travel.

He concludes that the rich and shallow will rapidly move onto a new ‘latest’ thing once the real implications of environmentalism is realised.

It’s a good rant against middle class flightiness. However I would also argue that as well as the page so fashion magazines, ethically motivated consumerism is actually a movement that started way back in the UK with the Rochdale Pioneers and has deeper and more profound roots than George gives it credit for- yep certain people may have jumped on the band wagon and shot off in the wrong direction- however the underlying trend is still very positive. For very one Tesco’s adverts trying convincing us that they really, really care about other things than their shareholders, there is three or four small businesses setting up to grow, produce and sell truly sustainable products and services.

It is to these smaller, local enterprises and the networks they contribute to and are part of that the real foundation of ethical consumption lies.

Not of course to forget that political activity and pressure to change the policy environment in which we work can be ignored.

On the one hand, it is true that it is more *personally* green to not buy a product that you don't need, regardless of its pedigree.

On the other hand, we've got this wacky thing called free-market capitalism which requires businesses and companies and the like to sell products (whether people need them or not) so they can make money to pay for food and shelter and the like. Thus, if the rich people who can afford to effectively bankroll pre-efficient green productions by purchasing products that they don't really need (thus sending money to the corporation and proving its market viability), don't consume like that then we're not going to be able to evolve the market for a sustainable future.

Really, the argument is effectively agricultural: "It's so wasteful to go out and plant organic seeds and tend them as they grow and such when you can just walk through a field near harvest time and glean the remnants..." Well, somebody's got to plant the seeds to get the cycle started and help to push enough money into the hands of the planters and innovators and the like such that they can pursue a more efficient process which is cheap enough for ordinary people to use and thus displace less-responsible products from the marketplace.

Besides, what did you want those rich people to do with their money -- invest in Halliburton?

Whilst pregnant I decided that I would buy products that were as ethical as possible, even if this meant less items due to expense. There are times when we do need to consume such as when we have babies and although I think one effect of 'ethical consumerism' is to indulge in a guilt-free spree, it is not an overwhelmingly negative thing.

The point is that we need to be well-informed consumers so we can decide whether the unbleached nappies flown in from far away are indeed better than the locally mass-produced variety or the reusable kind that still require precious resources for cleaning. Tough choices and a lot of learning but through this sort of consumerism I believe more people have a link in 'shopping' to environmental and social issues. It may be just the beginning of a greater awakening.