Many consumers do not acknowledge the power they have to influence the practices of

corporations. A lesson plan designed for a high school economics course reminds students
that, The role of the consumer in our economy is often underappreciated (University of
Minnesota Human Rights Recourse Center, n.d.). Without consumers making purchases
corporations cannot make a profit and therefore fail to stay in business. Informed consumers
can make decisions about which products to buy and which companies to support based on
how the companies practices align with their personal values. A person could become
overwhelmed attempting to learn everything about every product and company they spend
money on. Fortunately, many resources exist to help consumers learn about the business and
production practices of corporations. These organizations assist consumers by doing extensive
research about corporate production practices and reporting them to the public in a concise
and comprehensive manner. Some of the most convenient resources are websites that
evaluate and provide information about specific products or companies. Many of the websites
are easily searched for information about specific products or corporations. They often provide
information that is categorized according to a variety of different consumer concerns such as
human health, animal testing, labor issues, environmental impact, and politics. Some common
web based resources that are useful for learning about corporate practices related to the
production of consumer goods are goodguide.com, eco-rate.com, ethicalconsumer.org, and
epeat.net. Ethical Consumer also produces a bi-monthly print or digital magazine for
subscription.
A common focus of many of these consumer resources is reporting about the life cycle
of consumer products. They evaluate the responsible extraction of raw material, production
practices, transportation demands for production and sale of products, and how products are
disposed of or recycled, among other factors. Eco-rate.com provides buying guides that help
consumers become informed about the potential environmental impact of a whole category of
products. Additionally, the buying guides assist consumers in using the products they purchase
with maximum efficiently. It also provides guidance about how to properly dispose of products
(eco-rate). GoodGuide has a smart phone application that allows consumers to scan products
while shopping and read reviews about the health, social, and environmental impact of the
product or parent company. Ethical Consumer provides consumers with information about a
variety of boycotts that are in place against certain companies or products. All of these
resources help consumers make informed buying decisions and each one offers some unique
features that are not found in the others.
The University of Minnesota Human Rights Resource Center has published a series of
lessons for high school students about sustainable economics. The fourth lesson in the series
addresses consumer choices and the environment. The lesson plan states that, Students can
use knowledge of product life cycles to determine what they buy and consequently influence
what businesses produce and how they are made (The University of Minnesota Human Rights

Resource Center, n.d.). The lesson begins by giving students the opportunity to brainstorm
their own ideas about the life cycle of newsprint. The class then reviews the real facts about
newsprint. In another activity, students keep a record of the rate at which they consume wood
products in their daily lives and then learn about the impact of overconsumption on forests.
Solutions are offered for reducing their use of paper products or choosing alternatives to paper.
Finally, they complete the lesson by conducting an independent research project about a
specific company and the life cycle of a product of their choice. The lesson plan provided by
The University of Minnesota is a great opportunity for students to develop an understanding of
their power to influence corporations and the impact on the environment. Similar, yet
developmentally appropriate, lessons about product life cycles and simple economics should be
included in elementary and middle school curriculums. Additionally, learning experience about
consumer choices and the environment could be offered to the public in community centers,
public libraries, or local colleges.
It cannot be disputed that while many factors contribute to sustainability, the habits of
consumers influence a significant portion of the practices the harm the environment. An even
stronger way of stating the previous argument is that making informed purchases is not just a
right of every consumer but an obligation. It can even be argued that consumers are just a
guilty as corporations for dangerous and unethical production practices if they fail to become
informed about the products and corporations they support. The dollars consumers spend cast
a vote in favor of oppressive working conditions, unsustainable use of natural resources, or
dangerous pollution that results from manufacturing processes if they choose to turn a blind
eye to the practices of corporations. It is consumers that hold the power to decide if certain
working conditions violate human rights and how to use the earths limited number of natural
resources. The lesson from the University of Minnesota defines consumer sovereignty as the
power they have as consumers to effect change (University of Minnesota Human Rights
Recourse Center, n.d.).
References
GoodGuide, Inc. (n.d.) GoodGuide delivered to your phone. Retrieved from
http://www.goodguide.com/about/mobile
Ethical Consumer. (n.d.) Boycotts. Retrieved from
http://www.ethicalconsumer.org/boycotts.aspx
Eco-Rate, LLC. (n.d.) Computer Buying Guide. Retrieved from
http://www.ecorate.com/buyingguide/19/computers
University of Minnesota Human Rights Resource Center. (n.d.) Lesson 4: Products, the
environment, and consumer choices. Retrieved from
http://www1.umn.edu/humanrts/edumat/sustecon/lessons/lesson4.html