Not buying Chinese products for one month. Who's with me?

::::BASSIST:::: · #1 10-27-2011, 08:33 PM

I have decided to do my best to not buy anything made in China for one month. This is mainly motivated by the horrific environmental damage they are doing to their country and to our earth in general. The amount of suffering their people have to endure from such pollution is so sad. There's also the aspect of economics which would benefit my country's economy. But that is not the primary reason. I will still buy products made in US, Europe etc.

If I can do it for a month, hopefully I can make it a permanent thing. Hopefully.

Check out these pics to see where I am coming from:

Amazing Pictures, Pollution in China | ChinaHush

Kwesi · #2 10-27-2011, 08:35 PM

Good luck?

seanm · #3 10-27-2011, 09:10 PM

Good luck! I am not sure it is really possible, short of not buying anything, or putting off your purchases. But I would live to be proven wrong!

I try very hard to buy "Made in Canada", but it is getting harder and harder. Less and less is produced here.

The Onion did an article on China bragging they have the worst air pollution in the world. The gov't saw this as a good thing. Note: If you didn't know, the Onion is a satire magazine.

Simo98 · #4 10-27-2011, 09:26 PM

Yup, no matter what you do, chances are you are using components or raw materials that have been produced and processed in China. I mean, chances are the packaging material you puchase something in is made in China, even if the product itself is produced in your own country, or at least the raw plastic would have been refined there. I applaud your efforts, I try and buy Aussie made where I can, but these days it is nigh impossible.

We mine Iron ore here, send the raw materials to china where they process it into steel, send it back to us, and then we get produce that is "Made in Australia". Same thing happens with furniture, you can buy Australian made furniture still (if you look hard enough), but half the time the timber is Aussie or NZ wood, which is processed in china as we no longer have the industry to machine it ourselves, and it is cheaper.

I find it somewhat entertaining the way we manage to ship our pollution offshore. Energy saving lightbulbs are my favourite. By law we now have to have a certain percentage of them in new houses being built, however the pollution they cause during the production generally far outweighs the energy saving (not to mention the troubles regarding recycling them). Sure, houses here use less electricity and our carbon footprint goes down, then we have a go at the chinese because they are making all this pollution. The best part is, the lights are totally useless anyway and you need to have a lamp on in the corner to see anything.

/rant

pedroims · #5 10-27-2011, 09:27 PM

well the only things that I am planning to buy within the next month is food and utilities so I am with you

MakiSupaStar · #6 10-27-2011, 09:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pedroims

well the only things that I am planning to buy within the next month is food and utilities so I am with you

You'd be surprised how much of our food comes from china.

Jay Ralston · #7 10-27-2011, 10:13 PM

Good luck because even though you may buy things made in other countries, most likely they will have components made in China. Now does this also mean you are going to be boycotting Chinese food too? I don't think I could go a month and do that.

Lonesomedave · #8 10-27-2011, 10:18 PM

don't buy cabs with Neo speakers then.

::::BASSIST:::: · #9 10-27-2011, 10:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jay Ralston

Good luck because even though you may buy things made in other countries, most likely they will have components made in China. Now does this also mean you are going to be boycotting Chinese food too? I don't think I could go a month and do that.

I'm vegan so no Chinese food for me... yes I am one of "those" people.

giacomini · #10 10-27-2011, 10:23 PM

So no Fender Modern Player for you...

**pacojas** · #11 10-28-2011, 01:06 AM

those pictures say a thousand words!

i think the words are telling a lot about the world market place. i am glad i live in a place where the land is healthy and the air has more O2 than most places. our roads are made of dirt and we make our own electricity. it's nice to be surrounded by fresh water springs & wells.

but of course, it's still hazardous in them thar hills. i'll proably end up as dinner for the many wild life that we share resources with. it's most dangerous went the water levels are low and every living creature end up at the remaining water holes. even though we humans pipe our gravity-fed water to large holding tanks, critters chisel away tirelessly until a tiny leak gives them moisture.

is there really any refuge from the cancer that the industrial revolution has cursed us with? i doubt it...

good luck trying to boycott a population of worker bees who only wish to survive in a kingdom of over-zealous queen bees.

/

::::BASSIST:::: · #12 10-28-2011, 02:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pacojas

those pictures say a thousand words!

i think the words are telling a lot about the world market place. i am glad i live in a place where the land is healthy and the air has more O2 than most places. our roads are made of dirt and we make our own electricity. it's nice to be surrounded by fresh water springs & wells.

but of course, it's still hazardous in them thar hills. i'll proably end up as dinner for the many wild life that we share resources with. it's most dangerous went the water levels are low and every living creature end up at the remaining water holes. even though we humans pipe our gravity-fed water to large holding tanks, critters chisel away tirelessly until a tiny leak gives them moisture.

is there really any refuge from the cancer that the industrial revolution has cursed us with? i doubt it...

good luck trying to boycott a population of worker bees who only wish to survive in a kingdom of over-zealous queen bees.

/

The point is to *try* to set aside our materialistic impulses and appeal to a sense of consciousness that we have a choice to *not* be 'over-zelous Queen Bees' as you aptly put it.

T-Bird · #13 10-28-2011, 02:57 AM

Hi.

Good luck.

Regards
Sam

Bongolation · #14 10-28-2011, 03:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by seanm

Good luck! I am not sure it is really possible, short of not buying anything, or putting off your purchases. But I would live to be proven wrong!

Yeah, without cheating and stocking up beforehand, I don't see how he can do it.

Nor what good it will do.

fenderhutz · #15 10-28-2011, 03:49 AM

Technically speaking. You don't buy things from China anyway. You buy things from stores that import and distribute from China. Now, try and find a store that doesn't sell imported goods from China and boycott the rest. Let me know how that works for you.

That business/distributor/importer that bought the goods is supporting China, you are keeping your business from (probably) an already struggling business in this economy.

sandmangeck · #16 10-28-2011, 05:18 AM

China owns us.

vbsurfer3001 · #17 10-28-2011, 05:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pedroims

well the only things that I am planning to buy within the next month is food and utilities so I am with you

+1 and a car payment that started in Germany

**nutdog** · #18 10-28-2011, 05:32 AM

Let's see....I can't produce a product in my country without following certain imposed requirements that will drive up the cost. But my country allows me to buy the product at a lower cost from another country that doesn't have to follow the requirements. So I should punish the other country?

Strohsx · #19 10-28-2011, 05:39 AM

We have places that polluted in the US, don't make me laugh

iamlowsound · #20 10-28-2011, 05:54 AM

I did it once, but it basically came down to me not buying anything beyond food.

lowsound