Gone are the days when only the granola fringe thought and bought organic. Now, we've all become dramatically aware of how our consumption of everyday goods and services, from toilet paper to transportation, affects the planet and every person on it. The green imperative has taken root in the popular consciousness, and the message is clear: everyone can help to save the planet just by making mindful choices--and The Ethical Consumer is a great place to start. It's a manual on making earth-centered decisions about what to purchase, where to vacation, and how to live. How does buying local while on vacation help your destination's economy? What is fair trade and what are its benefits? Why is processed food worse for the planet's (and our own) health? Do we have a responsibility to offset the environmental costs of our lifestyle, and where do we start? The answers to these questions are simpler than you might imagine, for example, planting trees to make up for those harmed when we take a long plane trip, and they prove it's easy to be green without giving up day-to-day pleasures. Readers will find ideas for exploring ethical options in food shopping, clothes buying, home renovating, investing, travel, and more. And they'll be reassured by their new awareness of where their money is going, what it might be funding, and how even their small choices can make a big difference.