Green Earth Market
Encyclopedia
Launched in 2006, Green Earth Market is an American online retailer of environmentally friendly
goods, offering products that are made locally (North America), of natural, organic, or recycled materials, and/or produced in a fair trade
, sustainable, or organic production process or method utilizing energy conservation
. The objective is to offer alternative products for everything the "big box" stores offer in forms that have less negative environmental and social costs. With increasing attention on global warming
and mankind's possible exacerbation of it through industrial and consumer practices, practices of ecological economics
and ethical consumerism
are growing and the big box stores are taking environmental initiatives. As many of the makers of environmentally friendly consumer products are small entities, they are typically not marketed or distributed broadly, and incapable of supplying a store the size of a Wal-Mart
or Target
. The Green Earth Market is one of a number of businesses giving these products wider exposure, but doing it in the manner of a general store
, providing for all general goods needs for a community. This new paradigm for the 21st century general store pulls together in one place environmentally responsible products for every need from disparate small companies, working to grow them, distribute their products more broadly, and increase the environmental consumer market.
Though not launched until early 2006, the Green Earth Market was conceived originally in 1991 by Patrick Gibbons of Dallas, Texas, following the birth of his son, which occasioned him learning of and becoming an advocate for organic baby food. That grew into a greater awareness of environmentally responsible products and the fact that they existed for virtually every need, but were typically hard to learn of and find. The interim years between conception and birth of the store were spent by him gaining experience in retail, customer service and IT in order to plan and execute it successfully. After 6 months of live tests the Green Earth Market launched a formal "Grand Opening" November 30, 2006. Press Release
Environmentally friendly
Environmentally friendly are terms used to refer to goods and services, laws, guidelines and policies claimed to inflict minimal or no harm on the environment....
goods, offering products that are made locally (North America), of natural, organic, or recycled materials, and/or produced in a fair trade
Fair trade
Fair trade is an organized social movement and market-based approach that aims to help producers in developing countries make better trading conditions and promote sustainability. The movement advocates the payment of a higher price to producers as well as higher social and environmental standards...
, sustainable, or organic production process or method utilizing energy conservation
Energy conservation
Energy conservation refers to efforts made to reduce energy consumption. Energy conservation can be achieved through increased efficient energy use, in conjunction with decreased energy consumption and/or reduced consumption from conventional energy sources...
. The objective is to offer alternative products for everything the "big box" stores offer in forms that have less negative environmental and social costs. With increasing attention on global warming
Global warming
Global warming refers to the rising average temperature of Earth's atmosphere and oceans and its projected continuation. In the last 100 years, Earth's average surface temperature increased by about with about two thirds of the increase occurring over just the last three decades...
and mankind's possible exacerbation of it through industrial and consumer practices, practices of ecological economics
Ecological economics
Image:Sustainable development.svg|right|The three pillars of sustainability. Clickable.|275px|thumbpoly 138 194 148 219 164 240 182 257 219 277 263 291 261 311 264 331 272 351 283 366 300 383 316 394 287 408 261 417 224 424 182 426 154 423 119 415 87 403 58 385 40 368 24 347 17 328 13 309 16 286 26...
and ethical consumerism
Ethical consumerism
Ethical consumerism is the intentional purchase of products and services that the customer considers to be made ethically. This may mean with minimal harm to or exploitation of humans, animals and/or the natural environment...
are growing and the big box stores are taking environmental initiatives. As many of the makers of environmentally friendly consumer products are small entities, they are typically not marketed or distributed broadly, and incapable of supplying a store the size of a Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. , branded as Walmart since 2008 and Wal-Mart before then, is an American public multinational corporation that runs chains of large discount department stores and warehouse stores. The company is the world's 18th largest public corporation, according to the Forbes Global 2000...
or Target
Target Corporation
Target Corporation, doing business as Target, is an American retailing company headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is the second-largest discount retailer in the United States, behind Walmart. The company is ranked at number 33 on the Fortune 500 and is a component of the Standard & Poor's...
. The Green Earth Market is one of a number of businesses giving these products wider exposure, but doing it in the manner of a general store
General store
A general store, general merchandise store, or village shop is a rural or small town store that carries a general line of merchandise. It carries a broad selection of merchandise, sometimes in a small space, where people from the town and surrounding rural areas come to purchase all their general...
, providing for all general goods needs for a community. This new paradigm for the 21st century general store pulls together in one place environmentally responsible products for every need from disparate small companies, working to grow them, distribute their products more broadly, and increase the environmental consumer market.
Though not launched until early 2006, the Green Earth Market was conceived originally in 1991 by Patrick Gibbons of Dallas, Texas, following the birth of his son, which occasioned him learning of and becoming an advocate for organic baby food. That grew into a greater awareness of environmentally responsible products and the fact that they existed for virtually every need, but were typically hard to learn of and find. The interim years between conception and birth of the store were spent by him gaining experience in retail, customer service and IT in order to plan and execute it successfully. After 6 months of live tests the Green Earth Market launched a formal "Grand Opening" November 30, 2006. Press Release
External links
- Green Earth Market web site
- November, 2008, Interview with Patrick Gibbons, founder of Green Earth Market
- Organic Trade Association
- Co-op America
- Judaism and the Environmental Ethic - Article examining an environmental ethic in traditional Judaic sources.