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Some time ago, I became more aware of how my choices as a consumer have a real impact on the world around me, so Chris and I have set out to make some changes. We’ve been making relatively small, painless changes in our daily shopping habits, but yesterday we made a big change. We dumped our current mobile phone service–Verizon Wireless–in favor of a socially responsible company called Credo Mobile (a Working Assets company). We had learned that Verizon has earned an “F” for overall social responsibility by the Council on Economic Priorities (CEP) and that they have given over $84 million to Washington lobbyists. This coupled with the likes of monopolistic angling, unsavory and discriminatory treatment of pregnant employees, and the denial of service to pro-choice groups, places Verizon in the ranks of “corporate villain.”

So, we’ve moved to Credo. The parent company–Working Assets–was started in 1985. Here’s how they describe their beginnings:

A small band of idealists comes together to further the causes of human rights, women’s rights, peace, environmentalism and an entire progressive agenda. They have an idea about helping people spend in a socially responsible way, turning everyday purchases into automatic acts of generosity.

Credo donates a portion of every dollar (at no extra cost to the customer) to progressive groups working for a better world in the areas of civil rights, economic and social justice, environment, peace and international freedom, voting rights and civic participation. Each year, Credo’s customers have the opportunity to nominate worthwhile organizations to support. Fifty are selected and then Credo’s customers vote on how the money will be distributed to these various causes. To date, Credo members/customers have donated over $65 million to progressive organizations for a better world. I have a feeling it’s going to feel pretty good doing business with this company.

    CredoMobile Web Site

If you want to feel good about your mobile phone bill, try Credo. They offer a $200 contract buy-out for up to three lines to allow you to get out of your existing contracts with your current provider. In other words, they will float you up to $600 to help you break the chains of your current contract in order to spend your money more responsibly. You can keep your current number, and the phones that they offer are made “green” by Credo’s purchase of carbon credits to offset the fuel it takes to ship them and the electricity they’ll use over their life span, and they will make it easy to ship your old phone back to them for refurbishing or recycling–to keep it out of a landfill. Did I mention that Credo’s bills are printed with soy-based inks on all recycled paper? And that for every ton of paper Credo uses, they plant 100 trees (enough for another ton of paper). I’m getting excited now. I almost can’t wait to rack up a big cell phone bill. Some money you don’t mind spending.

Tags:   consumerism · social responsibility · sustainability · technology2 Comments

Ok, I apologize for the argumentum ad hominem–what may seem like a logical misstep or at least an ethical lapse in the second part of the post title above, but come on! This came across the wire today. I’ve pasted it below, but you can find it’s original context at Think Progress. I couldn’t believe the insanity of this. This truly marks a giant step backward–for South Dakota anyway. Devolution at its finest.

South Dakota legislators tell schools to teach ‘astrological’ explanation for global warming.

Last week, the South Dakota House of Representatives passed a resolution to “urge” public schools to teach astrology. By a 36-30 vote, the legislators passed House Concurrent Resolution 1009, “Calling for balanced teaching of global warming in the public schools of South Dakota.” After repeating long-debunked denier myths and calling carbon dioxide “the gas of life,” the resolution concludes that public schools should teach that “global warming is a scientific theory rather than a proven fact”:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the House of Representatives of the Eighty-fifth Legislature of the State of South Dakota, the Senate concurring therein, that the South Dakota Legislature urges that instruction in the public schools relating to global warming include the following:

(1) That global warming is a scientific theory rather than a proven fact;
(2) That there are a variety of climatological, meteorological, astrological, thermological, cosmological, and ecological dynamics that can effect [sic] world weather phenomena and that the significance and interrelativity of these factors is largely speculative; and
(3) That the debate on global warming has subsumed political and philosophical viewpoints which have complicated and prejudiced the scientific investigation of global warming phenomena; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Legislature urges that all instruction on the theory of global warming be appropriate to the age and academic development of the student and to the prevailing classroom circumstances.

Yesterday, the South Dakota Senate passed by a vote of 18-17 an amended version of the resolution which eliminates most of the anti-science conspiracy theories, but still asserts that the “global warming debate” has “prejudiced the scientific investigation of global climatic change phenomena.” The amended version now “returns to the House for approval.”

And they say we homeschoolers are nuts. I think public school in South Dakota just got a little nuttier. Now they can devote science class to two subjects: the “theory” of global warming and the “theory” of evolution. I’d like to see a little evolution in the SD legislature. Maybe God can save us?

Tags:   politics · schooling · sustainabilityNo Comments.

Yesterday we ventured into our great city to pay a visit to the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. This was Aidan’s second visit to Orchestra Hall. We came for a school program on the work of Mozart, an outing organized by CAHFT (Chicago Area Homeschool Field Trips). It was good fun.  The Chicago Symphony OrchestraThe conductor did a wonderful job of talking with the kids, and the whole show was made very kid friendly–complete with mimes, humor, and a fun dose of theatrical interest–without in anyway diluting the power of the music. Members of the CSO entertained us with their world-class musicianship but showed us that classical music need not be stuffy, pretentious, or high-brow. Everyone got in on the fun. The conductor explained how Mozart himself was fun-loving man, even though he took his music very seriously. He loved to dance and joke and entertain. He was also a bit of a rebel and made a few enemies along the way. Wolgang Amadeus Mozart began playing music at three years of age, was composing music at five, and was touring Europe at six. Among other pieces during the show, we heard the light and cheerful melody of Serenade in G Major (A Little Night Music), the dark and mysterious sounds of Don Giovanni, and the final movement of Mozart’s “Jupiter” Symphony 41.

After the concert, we decided to take advantage of being in the city and hopped over to Chinatown. Aidan’s been studying about China lately. We’ve be using a “learning box” approach–or, as Aidan likes to call it, a “fun box.” He decided he wanted to learn more about China, so each day he finds inside a little box we designated as his “fun box” a range of activities, projects, learning challenges, and other tidbits on China. One of the cards in his box read “Take a field trip to Chinatown,” and so, while in the neighborhood, this is what we did. We had lunch, popped into a few of the shops, and just explored the area. I think Aidan was having a good time, but it was getting to be a long day. I’m sure we’ll return again soon. In the meantime, we did snap a few pictures. Take a look.

[View with PicLens]

 

Tags:   chinatown · family fun · music · photos · world cultureNo Comments.