When you buy a product, do you ever think about how many people may have been mistreated or disadvantaged in the production line?  

I can remember stories on 60 minutes about ‘big brands’ exploiting workers of the third world to make huge profits. If you like quality products and believe in a “fair go” then go to this website, www.tribesandnations.com.au they say, “Products have meaning above their tangible attributes i.e. knowing where each product was made and that it is supporting the poor or marginalised in that area.” Also, “Fair trade seeks firstly and fore mostly to give a fair go to workers and farmers around the world. It stands against lower price pressures from the West that get passed directly onto the bottom of the production chain, the labourers and small scale farmers. Cultural exchanges between people in the ‘majority world’ (developing countries) and people in the West (developed countries) are encouraged.”

So if you enjoy, like I do, the odd coffee or block of chocolate or even good quality clothes, do yourself and the planet a favour and have a look at these sites.

The Australian Government has, in recent times engaged us in various programs to facilitate reduction in energy use and GHG emissions etc.

These include the Copenhagen round of climate change talks, Green Loans program, Home insulation program and the solar hot water and alternate energy initiative and they are to be congratulated and praised for their intent. Unfortunately, the execution of these programs was clumsy and incompetent and led to their being at best not as effective and at worst discontinued altogether i.e. the Green loans and Home Insulation programs.

The Australian government could be forgiven for the failure of these programs due to the haste with which they were instigated. Also the fact that it was not the traditional role of a federal agency meant that they were completely overwhelmed with the size and scale of these initiatives.

What is disappointing, however, is the government’s dismal and reprehensible about-face on the ETS. This reversal of policy, in my opinion, smacks of a deplorably political motive. To be fair though, the opposition have NO policy on climate change at all and as such aren’t about to get my hopes up. Well I guess it’s back to the individual, that is, you and me to the tell them how it is. Oh well, voting time again, happy days!

On a happier note, there are a few important happenings this month that I would like to bring to your attention to: World Environment Day is coming around again and will be celebrated at the GREENFEST at the Brisbane City Botanical Gardens from midday on the 5th and winding up at 7pm on the 7 June check it out on the web www.greenfest.com.au .

Then there’s the World Environment Day festival at Sunshine Coast University, University drive Sippy Downs on Sunday 6th of June.  There will be all sorts of entertainment and activities, for more info www.scec.org.au  

The following weekend on the gold coast the celebration continues with Green Day Out at the Kurrawa Park, Old Burleigh Road, Broadbeach on Sunday 13th June.
www.greendayout.gecko.org.au.

So South East Queensland is really going all out for W.E.D and the best of it is that its spread out over five days and 2 weekends, so that you can go and be at all of the celebrations, see you there. Don’t forget to take a hat!