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Go Ahead and Splurge on the Roses, Jerk
By Marc | February 11, 2008
Valentine’s Day is coming in a few days. Ah, Valentine’s Day. When people make a conscious effort to express their love for each other (because any other day of the year isn’t special or commercial). It’s also a day that schoolchildren all over are forced to make stupid Valentine “mailboxes”. And then they sort through their packages of licensed character Valentine cards, making sure that nobody “gets the wrong idea”. It’s also a day for you to be an insensitive, planet killing, exploiting, and hedonistic jerk.
Yes, you.
A little side note: I love the color green. It is probably my favorite color, of all shades and variations, but I have come to dread the word “green” when it is soiled by the connotation of being an agenda. I try to be environmentally conscious when possible. As we have posted earlier, we recycle and we have started eating more organic. Part of it is a desire to be effective stewards of the earth, partially to be healthier. But I will fight you tooth and nail if you even try to call me in any way “green” (or I might just grumble a little).
Okay, back to my point. On Valentine’s Day, the common gifts de la saison are: roses and chocolate. Pretty innocent, yes? Not when you consider the environmental and labor-related horrors that most people don’t consider.
In 2007, 214 million roses were produced just for Valentine’s Day, most of which come from Colombia and Ecuador. Roses are usually laden with all sorts of pesticides and other harmful chemicals. In this article on marketwire.com:
According to the Organic Consumers Association, “Florists who handle non-organic flowers have been known to develop dermatitis on their hands. Pesticides and other toxic chemicals used on flowers affect the health of farm workers and florists. The toxic chemicals spread onto the clothes and into the bodies of farm workers and their children.” The Organic Trade Association (OTA) links various pesticides to fetal death, diabetes, autism, Parkinson’s disease and cancer.
Also, the cost in shipping these pretty little chemical bombs to your precious honey on VD Day comes at a cost in the terms of nine thousand metric tons of carbon emissions, from the farm to your front door.
Most commercial roses are also bred to have no scent, putting all of their energy into a bigger, longer-lasting bloom. If you smell your big roses, chances are, you are smelling a scent sprayed on by the florist or the wholesaler.
Also, in most cases, since most of the roses come from South American countries, the workers aren’t under the same labor laws we have in the United States. Children are working the fields, getting exposed to the same health risks listed above and the same unsafe work environments as the adults. And they aren’t always paid very well for their work.
Chocolate isn’t innocent, either. According to this article in the Niagara Falls Review:
Commercial cocoa production often involves unsustainable agricultural practices and the exploitation of local producers.
And more than likely the plants are also laden with all sorts of nasty pesticides and herbicides.
What can you do? How can you give your sweetheart flowers and chocolate and still give a darn about the earth and its inhabitants?
Two buzz-terms: Organic and Fair Trade.
Certified organic products are grown without harmful chemicals. Unfortunately, flowers aren’t under the same federal guidelines for chemical residue because they aren’t food, so buy organic if you can (or really rinse off your flowers) to be on the safe side.
Organic chocolate also often has a really high cocoa content, so it’s really rich and darn good.
Buying Fair Trade makes sure that the people who produce the items you buy get a cut of the cash. It also makes sure that the environment is protected, communities are developed, and working conditions are safe and fair.
If you can, make sure you purchase with one or both of these labels. Also, you could consider buying flowers that are in-season. Roses aren’t winter flowers in the U.S., but mums, lilies, and carnations are in bloom all the time.
Let your special someone know how much they mean to you just by showing you care, in any way that the moment takes you. But if that showing of affection simply must come in the form of material goods, try to show a heart for the world around you at the same time.
Topics: Holidays, Life and Living | No Comments »
