The Adventures of Engaged Consumer on APEsphere

I haven’t been documenting my Adventures of an Engaged Consumer well. Between the baby and book, it’s been crazy. I know that I shouldn’t use these things as an excuse. I tried them on my dentist as to why I haven’t flossed in awhile. It didn’t work, but when you’ve been cavity free for 30 years who needs floss? Wow, I’m way off topic here.

Anyhow, the good folks at APEsphere contacted me and wanted to know if I’d be interested in blogging for them. This is just the kick in the pants I need to revitalize my Adventures of an EC. I’ll be cross-posting many of the adventures. Here’s a passage from it…

I usually don’t get hung up on semantics, but I have a problem with the term “conscious consumer”. I’ve met plenty of folks who are aware of the social and environmental impacts that their shopping has on the world and its people. In fact, before I left to research my book pretty much everyone I met was conscious of the issues surrounding the garment industry.

The thing is, no one applied this knowledge to how they shopped. There is a disconnect between knowledge and habit. So few of us are engaged.

To read the rest of the post visit my new blog on APEsphere: Adventures of an Engaged Consumer

What is APEsphere, you ask. In their own words…

APEsphere is a news and networking organization devoted to bringing about change - change in the place of business in society. Capitalism is evolving; profits can no longer come before people or planet. Our capitalism culture also is evolving; people are searching for lives, no longer satisfied with consuming lifestyles.

What’s with the name, you think as you scratch your head and your armpit. This is what’s with it…

The original coining of the name “APEsphere” came from a phrase, “Agents of Progressive Enterprise”, and an idea - that you should be able to be the same person in the work sphere as you are in your home sphere.

Since APEsphere was conceived, of course, the name has come to signify more.

The idea of a “sphere” resonates strongly with the idea of the public sphere in which ideas are exchanged and our understanding advanced.

Now “APE” hints at the idea of evolution, and because an ape is a living being it is a symbol of evolution with which we can identify: APEsphere is about who you are, not simply about something you do.

How appropriate that this site’s symbol should encourage us to identify with something broader even than our own species, an incremental step towards identifying with the whole of our living planet.

A message from the 3%

Three-percent of the clothes we wear are still manufactured in the USA. I got a great note from the owner of the Belted Cow which designs and manufacturers belts and flip-flops. Besides Jim saying some really nice and interesting things in his note — posted below — I was really excited to learn that it’s possible to buy foam and webbing flip-flops made in America. Ever since my run-in with my buddy Pat at Deckers I’ve been searching for a new flip-flop provider. I really hope they are more comfortable than my Tevas.

Hi Kelsey,

I just finished your book. Great read and I liked your writing style. My wife and I started a small business in 2004 that works with gallery artists (not apparel designers) to create unique artwork for casual belts and accessories. We make all our products in Maine. We have to compete with a lot of companies that outsource their manufacturing to the regions you write about. It is very difficult to compete on price with these companies because their costs are much lower than ours (including freight in). For instance, my flip flops cost me 4 times what my competitor pays for his from a Chinese company. Also, as you may have found out, you can get very good quality apparel from foreign factories made by individuals who take a lot of pride in their work. You did not touch on the challenges for companies like mine who manufacture domestically when competing with companies who have their products made overseas. That is not a criticism of your book. Just another variable that needs to be considered when discussing how a consumer should view this issue. I think people know why many products made overseas cost less to buy and why companies like Wal-Mart are doing so well. In my experience, customers do like to buy apparel made in the US and our customers like the fact that Belted Cow products are Made in Maine. However they are not willing to pay too much of a premium for that.

It is a complicated issue and that is what I took from your book. Sure, if we all stopped buying goods made overseas, the companies that source their manufacturing over there would be forced to change how they did business. But as you pointed out, that won’t help the workers in the factories. Sourcing domestically has its own challenges. For apparel, it is typically more expensive (relative to overseas) and it is getting harder to find high quality factories to do your work. The domestic apparel industry just does not attract people like it used to. In my experience you are lucky to find a factory with workers like you found in Perry who have many years of experience and our committed to what they do. But who will take their place? There aren’t a lot of young applicants for sewing jobs in US factories. I have been in many domestic apparel plants and they sound similar to the ones you visited in terms of the physical plant. They do seem very different when you look at the average age of the workers and how they are treated in terms of compensation and opportunity. That is the premium you pay for when you buy a US made garment. I think it is worth it.

Thanks for writing WAIW and providing the factory worker’s perspective. We do need to keep the dialogue going. I’d also like to send you a belt if you find one you like on our site.

Jim Taylor

The Belted Cow Company
“where pants are just an accessory”
www.beltedcow.com

More Girl Power!

I saw this on FashinoAct17.6, a blog by Nathalia from Brazil who bought WAIW? while in Paris for Fashion Week.

Do Nari, Ai, and their roommates still have jobs?

The downturn in our spending is hitting the Cambodian garment industry and I wonder what it means for the lives of the workers I met in Cambodia (From the Phnom Penh Post):

Garment exports - the country’s chief source of foreign exchange - contracted in January to less than a third of their value compared with the same period last year, the Ministry of Commerce announced Tuesday…

The Free Trade Union of Cambodia said Monday that more than 20,000 garment workers have already lost their jobs this year, with another 10,000 at risk of becoming unemployed as more garment factories face closure.

Kiva is awesome!

I just got back from my talk mentioned in the previous post. I can’t believe that the second group of women have already had their loan fulfilled as well. Wow! If you’re from the “Women in Networking” talk, how about we support Nguyen Thi Minh from Vietnam?

Here’s a little about her:

Mrs. Nguy?n Th? Minh is 58 years old. She has five grown children who all have steady employment. In 2002, she became a member of the TYM Fund and used a loan to invest in raising animals and selling groceries. Currently, Mrs. Minh’s income comes mainly from raising animals and selling groceries, and she also receives support from her children. In total her income is about 6,000,000 VND (345 USD). In the next round of lending, she hopes to borrow 20,000,000 VND (1150 USD). She will use part of the loan to buy more pigs to raise, and the remainder she will invest in her grocery shop.

She’s a farmer and a businesswoman.

Women networking around the world

Today I’m speaking at a “Women in Networking Lunch” hosted by the local Chamber of Commerce. I intend to talk about the mothers, daughters, entrepreneurs, the supermodel, and the budding beautician who I met and write about in WAIW? I’m going to wrap up by inviting those in attendance to join me in supporting women in Cambodia with a microloan through Kiva.org.

Last night I lent $25 to Mao Yan. She is the widowed mother of 7 children a few of which are garment workers in Phnom Penh. I was hoping to ask others to lend to her as well, but this morning I was happy to see that her $1,000 loan has been met.

So, instead, I say we support this group of women described below. You can loan as little as $25 at a time.

A group of five people have requested this small loan and they all reside in Prek Pras Sdach Commune in Battambang Province.

Mrs. Chantha has been selected as leader by the group members. She currently makes a daily living by selling Khmer cakes. She generally transports her wares on her hand cart for sale. Most of her clients are students. She is a widow with children: one lives away from home and the others reside in the family home.

To help provide for the family’s expenses, Mrs. Chantha’s daughter runs a small beauty salon that serves the whole commune. Chantha has requested a loan to help increase her daughter’s capital.

About the other four borrowers:

Mrs. Dalin is requesting a loan to run a small soft drink store. Mrs. Sokha sells used clothes and is asking for a loan to expand her business. Mrs. Sokphal is a fruit seller and she needs a loan to buy fruits for sale. Mrs. Sokun washes clothes for a laundry shop, and she too requests a loan to purchase fruits to sell.

The Girl Effect

The real world is imposing on my virtual responsibilities. However, this video is probably a better use of your time than something I’d write anyhow. It’s from girleffect.org.

Know any Boilermakers?

I’ll be speaking at Purdue tomorrow. If you know anyone there, tell ‘em to come. There’s free pizza and cookies and me.

Follow the link above. Melissa, of the WAIW? commenter Hall of Fame who arranged the talk pointed out the title to me: “Kelsey Timmerman is coming to Purdue!” As if the reader should know who I am.

Good stuff. It should be fun. I’ve driven farther for free pizza.

Sign of the times: Barbie turns 50, celebrates in Shanghai dreamhouse

From the LA TIMES:

Mattel this weekend will unveil the House of Barbie in Shanghai.

The six-story retail emporium is the brand’s first stand-alone store in China. It’s a multimillion-dollar bet that its 11 1/2 -inch plastic toy will appeal to Shanghai’s material girls, even in this horrible economy.

“There’s no reason why in five to 10 years, China shouldn’t be the biggest market in the world for us,” said Richard Dickson, Barbie’s general manager, sitting on a lattice boudoir bench on the store’s fourth floor, where girls can design their own dolls.

The store also contains a salon where moms and daughters can get facials and manicures. There’s a restaurant and bar. Naturally it offers thousands of Barbie products, from branded chocolate bars that cost a buck or two to an adult-sized Vera Wang-designed wedding dress for $10,000.

I had several experiences with Barbie when I was in China researching WAIW?:

1) All of the adopted Chinese girls are sent back to the U.S. – or wherever their new home is – with a “Going Home” Barbie. It’s a Caucasian Barbie carrying a tiny little Chinese bundle of joy. The White Swan hotel distributes the Barbies and the manager told me “Most of the children are adopted are girls and Mattel sees this as an opportunity to attract potential clients. We are on our 3rd series of Barbies. Some families who have adopted multiple times have collected all three.”

2) In the toy aisle at the Chinese Wal-Mart I visited in Foshan, there were Barbies, but not Asian ones.

Harper and I on WorldHum

Harper makes her “Daddy’s Writing” debut.