Toke Bag?

I was tired last night and couldn't work up a proper rant so I posted the picture and left the commenting for today.





When I first saw this Marc Jacobs tote I thought there must be more to the story. Perhaps the proceeds were going to a charity? Maybe it was produced with reclaimed hemp and screen printed by displaced penguins? But I can't find any evidence that the bag is anything more than an expensive billboard for a vague cause. I was not impressed but apparently I'm missing the big picture.

Shannon at The Purse Blog writes "At first glance I just thought about the practical implications of the bag, but as I began to think about it a bit more, I couldn’t help but find myself reminded about the environment and how each small action a person takes can actually help."

Yes indeed! Each small action we take will help the environment. So, in that spirit, here is my list of ten other ways that Shannon's $158 can actually help...

1. If you must be a walking billboard try the "Stop Global Warming" bracelet from Roots. It comes in eleven colors, is made from scrap leather, and all proceeds go to The Global Warming Fund.

2. If what you really want is a cool tote bag try one of these from Tote le Monde.

It's cute, it's made of recyclable plastic, and you can get three of them for less than $158.

3. Or you can get ten of these innuendo laden totes..

4. Or you can think up your own cool logo and paint 20 of these!

5. Join the Sierra Club Foundation and get this totally awesome rucksack.

it's just like the one that some old dude named John Muir used to use way back before global conservation was important... You can use the money you have left over to sign up five of your friends and they'll get rucksacks too!

6. If it's the hemp you care about there are cute bags and a bunch of other stuff at Hemp Sisters as well as links to all things hemp. By the way.. don't smoke your bag.

7. If the penguins are your concern then Adopt 3 King Penguins. Adoption is in! Imagine how impressed your friends will be when you show them photos of your adorable penguin children. As an added bonus the penguins will stay in the Falkland Islands so you don't have to worry about raw fish or finding a good daycare provider.

8. If you really just want to spend your money why not spend it on something made in the place you want to save. Buy products from people who live in the Arctic. The Uqqurmiut Center for Arts & Crafts represents artists who live in the Arctic Circumpolar Region. They like their native wildlife almost as much as you do.

9. Are you worried about Global Warming? Plant 150 trees. No, you don't have to actually plant them. Just send your money and Trees for Life International will find someone to plant them for you. Planting a tree is like putting a big green umbrella on the global warming beach. Every little leaf helps.

10. And finally Shannon, if you really want to put that $158 to good use, go to your local library and get a few books on Conservation, Global Warming, Recycling, Endangered Species, Simple Living, Hemp, and Economics. READ THEM. Then invest your money in a cause you actually understand.