Subscribe |

Discussion Boards | Videos | Newsletter

"Turned On to Organic Cotton" ... "Exhausted by Overconsumption" ... Stories of Change

It often starts with just a small choice made more consciously. These consumers wrote to us with their inspiring stories about living more healthfully and lightly on the planet.

How has conscious consumerism made a positive difference in your home, family and life? What inspired you to make a change? What does it feel like to make a difference? What do you have to say to others about your experience and their opportunity to think differently? Share your story in our Healthy Home Forum.

"We really are turned on to organic cotton! A couple of years ago a friend bought me a set of organic cotton towels. I had never considered purchasing organic linens as they seemed impractical and overpriced. But I was delighted with the towels ...

"Some time later I became aware of the harmful effects of the cotton industry on the land and people, not to mention the chemical residues in cotton textiles. I was appalled. Slowly and surely we have been converting our linens.

"I like the fact that when I buy organic, I'm helping people. We notice a difference not only in how the cotton feels, but also in knowing we are doing the right thing. And, this step is consistent with our efforts to eat and garden organically. It's a process, but each step I take is important to my health, my family's and friends' health, and ultimately the planet's."

– Ana Sierra-Jonsson, Tacoma, Wash.
Child/family psychologist, yogi, beachcomber; grows an organic vegetable garden.

"I give gifts that entice the recipient to learn more about responsible consumerism. It's part of my four R's: reduce, reuse, recycle and refer."

– Taryn Coats, Lansing, Mich.
Student and compulsive tree planter; dreams of building a solar-powered "green" home.

"Our friends used to chuckle when we bought toilet paper by the case, but when we showed them the cost savings and then backed it up with the facts concerning virgin paper waste, we made some converts. Now they're buying too. Thanks for making it so easy to help save the planet."

– Gaylin Walli, Royal Oak, Mich.

"The overconsumption in our culture just exhausts me. It's easy to feel helpless before the inequities of global trade and energy policies; I'm glad for the chance to take some control. I've started with a vermiculture system and some organic cotton towels. I've got solar energy thumbed for the point in my life when I'll start greywater recycling and lightening my energy load."

– Adrien-Alice Hansel, Louisville, Kty.
Dramaturg, cook and cyclist; eats low on the food chain and works on inching her CO2 emissions ever lower.

PRINT THIS ARTICLE EMAIL THIS PAGE COMMENT ON THIS ARTICLE

Community Voice

There are no comments yet on this article. Click above and spark some dialog!

Join a Discussion Forum in this category

top of page

‘Sacred travel’ lets you re-create yourself at spiritual hotspots

Love to travel but no longer content with South Beach or Vail? There is another option available. A number of years ago, I wanted a trip that was based on personal growth and discovery. Today this is called “sacred travel.” (Back then it was about taking my savings and heading out with a backpack.) I first [...]

One flight = HOW much CO2?! Slashing my holiday footprint …

I did the math in my head. We have one car that barely gets driven, a TV and DVD player that get unplugged when not in use, plus a diet free of meat — and I have to admit that I was feeling a bit overconfident when I plugged my numbers into the carbon calculator [...]

How to make fabric gift bags

A website I visited recently recommended knitting holiday stockings. What a lovely idea, I thought. But I’d have to remember how to knit … I think I’ll just buy some “homespun” stockings instead. Yet there is a simple project I did one year for the holidays that was very rewarding in the same way [...]

Detox yoga how-to sequence

Detoxing after the holiday “re-tox” — no matter how much carnage was left on that Thanksgiving dinner table, or how much stress crept into your weekend — is as easy as unrolling your mat. No matter when or on what level you could use a little realigning, this sequence is for you. Follow the how-to and [...]

Stairs till you drop! Mall shoppers are stepping up

I recently read an article about a mall in England that posted colorful, stand-out signs by the escalator/stairs in the mall last Christmas to encourage and inspire shoppers to take the stairs instead of the escalators. The article noted that “normally, about 4 percent of people at the mall take the stairs but after adding [...]

Stressed? Don’t work out longer; just shake things up

Many people think that tons of rigorous workouts help relieve stress. But research shows that it can actually have the opposite effect. Changing up your routine can ease stress more effectively than doing MORE of the same. You can change your workout routine in many ways including … When doing fat-burning workouts, change the settings, machine or [...]

Eco-Impact of Must-Have Gifts

Learn the environmental impact of this season's must-have gifts, the importance of remembering to express our feelings and give from the heart, and more in this week's Living Roundup.

How to shift from depression to expression

The holidays have a way of bringing on the heartache. Try this tool to help you see the circumstances of your life as gifts.

Be first on your block to get a farmer

We all need a farmer. Someone who who looks us in the eye when she tells us how she feeds her animals, or how can’t offer eggs this week because the free-range hens have laid the eggs somewhere she can’t find them ...

How gratitude can transform your body

Thinking about Thanksgiving prompted me to write this blog. I saved it to my computer planning to enter it online as soon as I got a chance. Then coincidently I heard a radio interview with psychologist Robert Emmons, author of a book called Thanks. Emmons has spent years studying positive psychology, and in the interview [...]

Shop Gaiam.com My Profile Contact Us Privacy Policy Terms & Conditions About Gaiam Life FAQ's Register Site Map