ethical shops...

It's funny how we now have to give some things special names these days. Like fair trade, organic, sweatshop-free etc. An organic carrot is really just a carrot, 40 years ago it was called just that. Now it's got a special name "ORGANIC carrot".

Maybe organic carrots should just be called carrots and the non-organic carrots can be called chemically-produced factory-farmed carrots. Salads and tomatoes aren't even grown in soil anymore, they get grown in this mulchy stuff,like a wet version of the insulation you have in your loft, pumped full of rubbish so that the plants grow as quickly as possible. Yummy.

An unfairly traded t-shirt could be called an exploitatively-produced t-shirt, a sweatshop t-shirt. They could have labels on them detailing the conditions in the factory they were made in. "This t-shirt was made where the workers get fined for talking". "14 hour shifts, 7 days a week, just so you can kick a football". "Forced abortions for pregnant workers, I hope you enjoy these jeans". "$0.20 an hour, sleep well".

Think before you buy

places with morals

• Howies - clothes, just nice people selling clothes.
• People Tree - more clothes, organic ones like howies.
• Equop - seek balance! Immediately!
• Gossypium - the ethical eco-cotton store. Good for les filles.
• No Sweat - ask yourself: where were my clothes made?By whom? In what conditions?
• Get Ethical - fair trade things, easy.
• Natural Collection - inspiring products for a better world, it seems.
• Traidcraft - same thing la la laa la.
• Green Stationery - think before you print, if you have to, then use recycled paper...
• Tonic T-shirts - fairly traded, organic a sweatshop free.
• Treehugger - the future is green. Find it (t)here.
• Fair Deal Trading - finally, somewhere I can buy a 'good' football.
• Ethical One Stop Shop - easy.
• Riverford Farm - start eatingquality organic fruit & vegetables, delivered to your door!

• Triodos - an ethical bank! Crazy talk I know.