Beware of my rant.

Everywhere I look, I see something that is starting to eat away at me. I see large companies controlling and running the world. I see power hungry people putting more money in their pockets at the expense of nearly everything surrounding them. We have an obesity crisis, along with an all time high disease rate. The cost of healthy and natural foods are high, and the availability is scarce. Processed foods are pushed like drugs and they are perpetuating health failure because of the sugar content. Our livers just can't process these foods, and so we are experiencing health problems we never anticipated. Who markets these foods? Who insures that they are more affordable than healthy foods? Who reaps the profit when we are forced to consume them? Large bulldozing companies that buy up the patents on all the seeds and force farmers to grow corn and soy. This brings me to my next topic. Agriculture. The meat industry is ruining the worlds natural habitats and using up our worlds water source. There are outrageous statistics that tell us we might not have anything left in 20 years if we continue this way. Imagine a world of desert, with no rainforest. Imagine polluted oceans that can't sustain any life. This is a hard reality. We like to think that someone at the top is being responsible and making sure there are limits on the amount of abuse this planet can take, but there is nobody doing this. My next topic is clothing and products. We go to the store and we buy things. Everybody looks for a good deal. But in order to keep costs down, labor costs are ridiculously low. These large corporations don't have things made in the U.S. where nobody would accept 70.00 a month for a full-time job. Someone thinks that its okay to pay people a wage this low because they are living in an impoverished country. Its not okay. They still can't sustain a family, nor do they have tolerable work facilities. Many of them put their babies on the ground next to them while they sew fabric thats been contaminated with toxic chemicals. Yes. Sweat shops are running rampant still. Every time we buy a cheap shirt from a cheap retailer, we are voting to keep these companies operating this way. In fact, every dollar we spend on an unethical item, we are contributing to a large global problem. This might seem like too much information, and a little extreme. There is a lot for us to learn if we are willing. ts just the reality of what is taking place. We aren't shown the full truth, because if we were, our conscience and inner compassion wouldn't allow things to continue this way.

What can we do?

1) Shop at the farmers market (Its healthier for you). Buy clothes from ethical sources  (handmade) and shop second hand. (It seems expensive to live this way, but you will promote a higher quality of life for yourself and others.)

2) Write to the large companies telling them that as a customer you demand that they pay their employees as if their factories were in America. Also demand that their work environment be safe and free of toxic chemicals. (They will probably send you a letter that says they meet all the regional standards of the factory location, and that they care a great deal for their employees. Just write the letter. Hopefully enough people will speak up, and  these companies will be forced to change eventually.)

3) Stop buying meat products. Yes. This is a really hard one. I don't want to tell anyone to be vegan... But this agricultural nightmare is destroying the earth we live on. The methane and waste from these cow pastures are causing more damage than the oil industry. Also, we are having a water crisis and the worlds water supply is quite literally being consumed by cows. (It takes over 1,800 gallons of water to raise one pound of beef.)

4) Nobody is perfect. In the society we live in, it is virtually impossible to have an invisible footprint so don't dwell on the mistakes. Just do your best to promote a better world, and spread the word.

5) Its hard for some people to change. Don't point fingers at those living a different life than you. You can't guilt anyone into changing. People need to understand the problem in order to relate to a solution.

Thanks for taking the time to read!

Love Aja

If you want to learn more, here are some amazingly informative documentaries:

(I find that documentaries are a good source of information, but its always good to understand the opposing argument as well. Always keep an open mind.)

"Cowspiracy"
"The true cost"
"Food, Inc."
"Fed up"
"A place at the table"