Tonight I watched with horror as current affairs program Today Tonight told us how Australian shoppers are currently getting more bang for their buck by shopping overseas online. The reason for these bargains? The current strength of the Aussie dollar.To me, a story like this is outfitted with a couple of glaring holes.
First of all, a great way to lose our edge and to boost the US economy is, you guessed it, to shop in the US. 'Economics for Dummies' anyone?
Secondly, to bring it home to an environmental front, we have the issue of freight. Freight being a major cause of pollution. Whatever you're buying - clothes, homewares, groceries, vegetables, whatever! - local is always the better choice. The more we can eliminate the need for our goods (and services for that matter) to travel to get to us, especially from overseas, the more we reduce our carbon outputs. So whilst the jerks at Today Tonight ramble on about how the cost of your US-bought goods including postage & handling is a fantastic bargain right now, they have completely overlooked the environmental factors, let alone the long-term economic factors. In the midst of recent economic turmoil, coupled with the extremely serious matter of ecological turmoil (which is also directly linked to the wellbeing of our economy - another story) it's actually quite appalling that an Australian program would present this story to such an impressionable and un-questioning audience. Appalling, yet sadly not surprising.
The more we try to consider where our goods and services are coming from - the greater service we will be doing for the environment and for our economy.
Don't be a silly dumb ass traitor.
Show some local love! xo
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