Shopping Sustainably: Small Steps Toward Big Strides.
2020 sure has been a doozy. But one thing this year has taught us is that
we’re all in this together. Whatever your stripes—we all share this
beautiful, blue, ball of a planet and sometimes it’s hard to know how best
to show we care for ourselves, our community and our environment.
Not every move in the process of change will be monumental. But
momentous change can and will happen over time. Believe it!
Our higher selves may have high goals, but it’s okay to be imperfect. We
are only human after all. Money isn’t everything, but the dollar is
mighty. Purchasing power is a real tool that influences market practices
and evolves norms. The consumer landscape is one that changes over
time. We can use our power as consumers to manifest a more fair,
equitable and eco-friendly world. Like the river flows…We’re about to take you on a quick tangent, stay with us!
How Wolves Changed the Landscape of Yellowstone.
Wolves were reintroduced into Yellowstone National Park in 1995 after
being absent for 70 years. Wolves are an apex predator and their
renewed presence in the park triggered what’s known as a “trophic
cascade—” an ecological process that starts at the top of the food chain
and whose effects are felt all the way down.
We can create a sustainable cascade in the commercial world by
supporting companies with ethical practices.
What this meant for the ecosystem in Yellowstone was that while deer
populations had exploded with the absence of wolves, decimating
vegetation and negatively impacting countless species, once there, even
in small numbers, wolves influenced the behavior of the deer in ways so
significant, it even changed the course of the rivers that run through the
vast landscape.
With the deer now sticking to more protected areas in the hills,
vegetation in valleys and along the rivers increased. This vegetation
stabilized the riverbanks, attracting beavers who created habitats for
ducks and otters. Trees doubled and tripled in height, bringing back
populations of migratory birds who fed on the berries now brimming in
the new growth. Ravens, rabbits, bald eagles and bears returned en
masse.
All this mighty change because of the influence of singular creatures at
the apex. Wolves changed the very behavior of the rivers themselves.
They changed the entire trajectory of a complex ecosystem, bringing
back an abundance of life to places that had become barren.
Be like the wolf! As consumers, we are at the apex and we have immense
power.
The river flows in the direction of our dollars. And we can make a
positive impact by using our buying power to support companies with
ethical practices. At Gypsy & Lolo, we use upcycled, Earth-friendly
fabrics and manufacture 80 percent of our products at a small, family-
run fabric shop near San Francisco. We also donate three percent of
sales to organizations doing diligent work to help ensure a brighter
future for generations to come. When you shop with us, you share in this
venture!
Every step on the path to positive change gets us closer to our
destination. Take one today!
“All great things are done by a series of small things brought
together.”—Vincent Van Gogh.
With Love,
Gypsy & Lolo Crew
*Link to Sustainable Human’s YouTube Video “How Wolves Change Rivers”
https://youtu.be/oSBL7Gk_9QU