Who is Supplying Your Gasoline?
09-24-2009, 08:16 AM
#11
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Oh, Snopes has been outed. It's a website started by a married couple for fun. It's only those two that keep up the site. They don't verify much, just go with what they think or want you to think. I wouldn't trust Snopes as the last word on anything.
09-24-2009, 09:35 AM
#12
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Location: East Coast
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2wheelwoman, butterflywing: Yup, exactly, agreed. Labor costs less in third-world countries, even with the extra shipping costs. I'm not against offering imported produce out of season. IMO, that's a valid reason to import. I almost never buy it out of season because it used to be expensive and not very good, but both of those things are improving. And when imports are better, such as Belgian chocolate and Indian cotton shirts (well, I like their cotton), that's another valid reason to import.
Yes, B'wing, I know cross-country shipping isn't good for the environment, but it's better than overseas shipping. Wegman's btw, imports some of their produce. I've seen Mexican lettuce and grapes there, though it was Giant I was complaining about for advertising Cali grapes and offering Mexican ones.
Moonpi & reneebobby, I'm shaking my head in disgust at these new facts you've posted.
BellaBoo, I was horrified to read that Snopes.com had been outed, so I went off to see for myself. Apparently an email full of misinformation and false accusations was sent about Snopes.com. When factcheck.org, part of the Annenberg Public Policy Center, which in turn is part of the Universoty of Pennsylvania, looked into it, they found the email to be wrong, and they verified Snopes.com's work. For anyone interested: http://www.factcheck.org/2009/04/snopescom/
Yes, B'wing, I know cross-country shipping isn't good for the environment, but it's better than overseas shipping. Wegman's btw, imports some of their produce. I've seen Mexican lettuce and grapes there, though it was Giant I was complaining about for advertising Cali grapes and offering Mexican ones.
Moonpi & reneebobby, I'm shaking my head in disgust at these new facts you've posted.
BellaBoo, I was horrified to read that Snopes.com had been outed, so I went off to see for myself. Apparently an email full of misinformation and false accusations was sent about Snopes.com. When factcheck.org, part of the Annenberg Public Policy Center, which in turn is part of the Universoty of Pennsylvania, looked into it, they found the email to be wrong, and they verified Snopes.com's work. For anyone interested: http://www.factcheck.org/2009/04/snopescom/
09-24-2009, 09:59 AM
#13
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there are somecountries i will not buy from regardless of the savings. i would rather do without.
i will not buy from china, . EVER.
i will not buy from arab countries for a variety of reasons - take your pick.
i will not buy from dictator-ruled ruled countries, even if our own country
needs to keep up relations with them. i don't.
i will not buy from countries that do not respect this country.
i will not by from a country who seeks our aid and turns around and
harms us.
i will not buy from countries who practice genocide.
i will not buy from countries who allow drugs to come into this country.
if we wanted them, we would make our own and create jobs.
AND i will not buy from stores who are known to MANUFACTURER their
own goods in 3rd world countries for the savings of $$. they should be
highly taxed by our own government to offset the cost of
unemployment that it creates here. among those are nike,and,
sorry, wal-mart, two of the worst.
i can't not shop in stores that sell imports, because there are none, but i can make my loud voice heard a teeny bit.
:evil:
i will not buy from china, . EVER.
i will not buy from arab countries for a variety of reasons - take your pick.
i will not buy from dictator-ruled ruled countries, even if our own country
needs to keep up relations with them. i don't.
i will not buy from countries that do not respect this country.
i will not by from a country who seeks our aid and turns around and
harms us.
i will not buy from countries who practice genocide.
i will not buy from countries who allow drugs to come into this country.
if we wanted them, we would make our own and create jobs.
AND i will not buy from stores who are known to MANUFACTURER their
own goods in 3rd world countries for the savings of $$. they should be
highly taxed by our own government to offset the cost of
unemployment that it creates here. among those are nike,and,
sorry, wal-mart, two of the worst.
i can't not shop in stores that sell imports, because there are none, but i can make my loud voice heard a teeny bit.
:evil:
09-24-2009, 03:37 PM
#14
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Whyever wouldn't you buy from China? I'm distressed by not having other options, but almost every non-food item I get seems to be from China these days. How doyou avoid that? Oh, do they count as a dictator-ruled country? How do you ever find clothes?
Arab countries - ah, so that's why you're up on gasoline. Do you have a special supplier?
Guess you do without Colombian coffee and all that Mexican meat and produce, since both countries are known as drug-origin countries.
Yup, Wal-mart I knew about, but as much as I abhor the practice, I can't afford to pay higher prices for my principles just now. I can say that I buy New Balance, not Nike (thus supporting the workers up in Bahstahn, supposedly).
You're admirable, and if we all could shop that way, it would force manufacturing to return to the US.
Arab countries - ah, so that's why you're up on gasoline. Do you have a special supplier?
Guess you do without Colombian coffee and all that Mexican meat and produce, since both countries are known as drug-origin countries.
Yup, Wal-mart I knew about, but as much as I abhor the practice, I can't afford to pay higher prices for my principles just now. I can say that I buy New Balance, not Nike (thus supporting the workers up in Bahstahn, supposedly).
You're admirable, and if we all could shop that way, it would force manufacturing to return to the US.
09-24-2009, 04:56 PM
#15
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the reason i'm down on china is that the living conditions, especially on those living off the sales of technological appliance pieces is abhorrent to me. that anyone is allowed to burn terrible chemicals to retrieve saleable bits is mind-shattering. those cancer-ridden people and deformed children are the direct result of poor people who do what they have to to live. this is a country that will not not accept their complicity in world-wide pollution and actually leaves people no choice but to create pollution. anything that they manufacture can be had elsewhere. the quality of their goods is, in many cases, questionable if not downright bad. hardware, in particular, is carelessly made to measurement and frequently is not accurate. clothing is of poor quality unless you can pay high prices for designer labels. for that same price, you can buy that here, made by immigrants in our own sweatshops. toys are often not safe, meds are not reliable. the rich get richer, the poor get poorer. they do not promote import-export balances. they ship but do not import. so what if their own people cant afford to live decent lives? it is a secretive, closed society that does not allow media into itself. let's see....have i forgotten abything?
09-24-2009, 05:03 PM
#16
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Originally Posted by Lisanne
Whyever wouldn't you buy from China? I'm distressed by not having other options, but almost every non-food item I get seems to be from China these days. How doyou avoid that? Oh, do they count as a dictator-ruled country? How do you ever find clothes?
Arab countries - ah, so that's why you're up on gasoline. Do you have a special supplier? OIL IS PUMPED RIGHT HERE. YOU CAN BUY FROM COMPANIES THAT DO NOT DO BUSINESS WITH MIDEAST COMPANIES.
Guess you do without Colombian coffee and all that Mexican meat and produce, since both countries are known as drug-origin countries. I'M NOT SURE THAT PRODUCE FROM MEXICO IS THAT SAFE CONSIDERING THE BACTERIAL PROBLEMS EMINATING FROM THERE. AS FOR OFF SEASON STUFF, I CAN DO WITHOUT IT. YOU CAN BUY PERUVIAN COFFEE.
Yup, Wal-mart I knew about, but as much as I abhor the practice, I can't afford to pay higher prices for my principles just now. I can say that I buy New Balance, not Nike (thus supporting the workers up in Bahstahn, supposedly). ALL I CAN SAY IS, DO YOUR HOMEWORK AND SHOP WISELY. DO THE BEST YOU CAN. OF COURSE YOU CAN'T DO IT ALL. DO WHAT YOU CAN. THE EFFORT MAKES A DIFFERENCE IN THE LARGE PICTURE, I BELIEVE.
You're admirable, and if we all could shop that way, it would force manufacturing to return to the US. I'M HARDLY ADMIRABLE. I MAKE CHOICES AND THEY AREN'T EVERYONE'S. THERE'S VERY LITTLE I ABSOLUTELY NEED AND I CAN GET ALONG WITHOUT THE UNNECESSARIES.
Arab countries - ah, so that's why you're up on gasoline. Do you have a special supplier? OIL IS PUMPED RIGHT HERE. YOU CAN BUY FROM COMPANIES THAT DO NOT DO BUSINESS WITH MIDEAST COMPANIES.
Guess you do without Colombian coffee and all that Mexican meat and produce, since both countries are known as drug-origin countries. I'M NOT SURE THAT PRODUCE FROM MEXICO IS THAT SAFE CONSIDERING THE BACTERIAL PROBLEMS EMINATING FROM THERE. AS FOR OFF SEASON STUFF, I CAN DO WITHOUT IT. YOU CAN BUY PERUVIAN COFFEE.
Yup, Wal-mart I knew about, but as much as I abhor the practice, I can't afford to pay higher prices for my principles just now. I can say that I buy New Balance, not Nike (thus supporting the workers up in Bahstahn, supposedly). ALL I CAN SAY IS, DO YOUR HOMEWORK AND SHOP WISELY. DO THE BEST YOU CAN. OF COURSE YOU CAN'T DO IT ALL. DO WHAT YOU CAN. THE EFFORT MAKES A DIFFERENCE IN THE LARGE PICTURE, I BELIEVE.
You're admirable, and if we all could shop that way, it would force manufacturing to return to the US. I'M HARDLY ADMIRABLE. I MAKE CHOICES AND THEY AREN'T EVERYONE'S. THERE'S VERY LITTLE I ABSOLUTELY NEED AND I CAN GET ALONG WITHOUT THE UNNECESSARIES.
09-24-2009, 06:17 PM
#17
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I'M NOT SURE THAT PRODUCE FROM MEXICO IS THAT SAFE CONSIDERING THE BACTERIAL PROBLEMS EMINATING FROM THERE. AS FOR OFF SEASON STUFF, I CAN DO WITHOUT IT. YOU CAN BUY PERUVIAN COFFEE.
I've seen the news reports of Mexican produce and bacterial problems, too. I prefer not to buy it for the most part, but more because I dislike passing over our workers and farmers. But again, an import of superior quality I will buy. The bacteria problems are exceptions, and imports do get inspected. It's not foolproof, but it's some protection.
09-24-2009, 11:02 PM
#18
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Since living in France, I've been impressed by the French's sense of national pride. Fresh produce in the supermarkets is all local - veg, meat, dairy etc, in many cases the actual farm is named on the packaging. And nearly everyone has a French car (Peugeot, Citroen, Renault). The irony is that while in England, I'd go out of my way to AVOID French products (except wine!) now that's nearly all I buy!
I completely support the idea of buying local for nationalistic reasons AND to avoid indirectly supporting sick regimes (in England a while back the big one was South Africa - no one would buy stuff from there while aparteid was at it's worst!) If we all did our bit then coutries such as China and the middle Eastern countries would be forced to change. Re China - I don't want to be too graphic here but I once worked with a guy who'd visited Chinese orphanages when he was an aid worker - the stories he told of what he saw were enough to make me avoid Chinese products where possible.
There are also environmental issues - the more locally you can buy, the less impact you have on the planet in terms of carbon emmissions. The ideal is to home produce and I do as much as I can but I'm lucky that I have the land, the time and the knowledge. Not everyone has that option I know. But supprting local producers is the next best thing. :D
This is a great topic, BW, thanks for starting it!
I completely support the idea of buying local for nationalistic reasons AND to avoid indirectly supporting sick regimes (in England a while back the big one was South Africa - no one would buy stuff from there while aparteid was at it's worst!) If we all did our bit then coutries such as China and the middle Eastern countries would be forced to change. Re China - I don't want to be too graphic here but I once worked with a guy who'd visited Chinese orphanages when he was an aid worker - the stories he told of what he saw were enough to make me avoid Chinese products where possible.
There are also environmental issues - the more locally you can buy, the less impact you have on the planet in terms of carbon emmissions. The ideal is to home produce and I do as much as I can but I'm lucky that I have the land, the time and the knowledge. Not everyone has that option I know. But supprting local producers is the next best thing. :D
This is a great topic, BW, thanks for starting it!
09-24-2009, 11:07 PM
#19
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PS - The big supermarkets are greatly to blame for food being imported from far away - they want specific products, packaged a certain way and the small local guys can't always meet the specs. A farmer my Mum knew in the UK produced a large amount of raspberries once for a big supermarket chain and at the last minute they changed the packaging spec - he'd already packaged his crop but they wouldn't take it anymore so he ended up having to sell off as much as he could locally but a large amount was dumped.
Recently I heard a story on French radio that 2 lorries had crashed on the motorway. They were both carrying tomatoes - one from Holland headed for Spain and yup, you guessed it, the other from Spain headed to Holland. It's crazy! :shock:
Recently I heard a story on French radio that 2 lorries had crashed on the motorway. They were both carrying tomatoes - one from Holland headed for Spain and yup, you guessed it, the other from Spain headed to Holland. It's crazy! :shock:
09-25-2009, 10:06 AM
#20
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Originally Posted by Lisanne
I'M NOT SURE THAT PRODUCE FROM MEXICO IS THAT SAFE CONSIDERING THE BACTERIAL PROBLEMS EMINATING FROM THERE. AS FOR OFF SEASON STUFF, I CAN DO WITHOUT IT. YOU CAN BUY PERUVIAN COFFEE.
I've seen the news reports of Mexican produce and bacterial problems, too. I prefer not to buy it for the most part, but more because I dislike passing over our workers and farmers. But again, an import of superior quality I will buy. The bacteria problems are exceptions, and imports do get inspected. It's not foolproof, but it's some protection. IF IMPORTS WERE WELL-INSPECTED, THERE WOULDN'T BE IMMIGRANTS TRYING TO COME TO AMERICA VIA SHIP CONTAINERS. BTW, WHEN LOCAL PRODUCE IS OUT OF SEASON, I FIND NOTHING WRONG WITH FROZEN VEGGIES, GROWN AND PACKAGED HERE. SAME WITH PEAS AND OTHER, NOT ALL, VEGGIES AND FRUIT.
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