Best and Worst Companies regarding social and environmental responsibility

Betterworldshopper.org

This website provides people with a reliable account of the social and environmental responsibility of every company on the planet. This work is based on a comprehensive database of over 1000 companies and utilizes more than 25 reliable sources of data to cover everything from the environment to human rights, community development to animal protection. Data is collected over the past 20 years from a wide range of nonprofit sources on the social and environmental responsibility of companies. This data is then organized in a massive database that matches companies with their brands, assigns weights to each piece of data, and calculates an overall responsibility score.

Companies receive an A if they are the social and environmental leaders in their category.

The 20 Best Companies:

Seventh Generation, Method, Organic Valley, Clif Bar, Aveda, Tom’s of Maine, Dr. Bronner’s, King Arthur Flour, Earthbound Farm, Dansko Footwear, Patagonia, Working Assets, New Belgium Brewing, Nancy’s Dairy and Soy, Endangered Species Chocolate, Honest Tea, Earth Friendly, Annie’s Naturals, Eden Foods, Ben & Jerry’s

The 20 Worst Companies:

Exxon Mobil, Kraft, Walmart, Chevron Texaco, General Electric, General Motors, Nestle, Pfizer, Citibank, AIG, Microsoft, Archer Daniels Midland, Verizon, Procter and Gamble, Ford, Dillard’s, Vanity Fair, United Airlines, Sears, Bank of America

Companies that received an A:

Baby Care: Seventh Generation, Aubrey Organics, gDiapers, Healthy Times, Peapods, Nubius Organics, Organic Baby, Tushies, Earth’s Best, Tender Care, Earth Mama

Banks: ShoreBank, University Bank, VanCity Credit Union, New Resource Bank, Chittenden, Wainwright, Albina Community, City First, Franklin

Beer: New Belgium, Wolaver’s, Sierra Nevada, Eel River, Butte Creek, Peak

Body Care: Druide, Preserve, Dr. Bronner’s, Tweezerman, Method, Tom’s of Maine, Aveda, Aubrey, Kiss My Face, EO, Auromere, EcoLips, Pangea, Body Shop, Lush, Dr. Hauschka, NOW

Cereal: Alvarado Street, Nature’s Path, Envirokidz, Barbara’s, Peace Cereal, Arrowhead Mills, Health Valley, Earth’s Best, Yogi

Chips: Barbara’s, Little Bear, Bearitos, Garden of Eatin’, Hain, Terra, Kettle Chips

Chocolate: Endangered Species, Rapunzel, Equal Exchange, AlterEco, Divine, Theo, Shaman, Terra Nostra, Sjaak’s, Sweet Earth, Green & Black’s, Dagoba

Cleaning: Seventh Generation, Oxo Brite, Earth Friendly, Method, Dr. Bronner’s,

Clothes: Patagonia, Autonomie, No Enemy, Hempys, Ecolution, Deva, Maggie’s Organics

Coffee: Thanksgiving, Café Humana, Equal Exchange

Computers: GreenDisk, HP, Compaq

Cosmetics: Aveda, Aubrey, EO, Zia, Body Shop, Colorganics, Kiss My Face, Pangea

Credit Cards: Salmon Nation, Working Assets, Brighter Planet

Dairy Alternatives: Organic Valley, Nancy’s, Stonyfield Farm, Wildwood, WholeSoy

Energy Bars: Clif, Luna, Alpsnack

Fruits and Vegetables: Earthbound Farm, Sunridge Farms

Juice: Organic Valley, Adina, Sambazon, Zola

Meat Alternatives: Amy’s, Fantastic Foods, Wildwood, Sunshine Burgers

Milk Alternatives: Straus family, Eden, Organic Valley, Silk

Office Supplies: HP, IBM

Retail Stores: Patagonia, IKEA, REI

Shoes: Ecolution, Blackspot, No Sweat, Teva, UGG, Earth Shoes, Birkenstock

Supermarkets: Whole Foods, Wild Oats, Trader Joe’s

8 tips to stick with your workout plan!

Many people make resolutions to work out and loss weight but very few stick with it. Instead of making a resolution, create a habit. Habits are long-term.

Tips:

1.       Make it the same time every day. I work out when I get home from work. I get dressed in my workout clothes, turn on the television which is usually Ellen and workout. I am working out 25 minutes for 6 days a week. Mornings are also a great time to work out. It only takes a couple of weeks for a routine to become ingrained.

2.       Start small and work your way up. Start by exercising 10 minutes every day. Add 5 minutes per week. If you start out too big your chances of staying with your workout routine are low.

3.       Do a variety of exercises. I combine pilates, yoga and weight lifting.

4.       Do workouts that are fun. I sometimes get DVD’s at the library such as pilates, yoga, zumba, etc. and follow along. Do what you like to do. If you are not having fun you will not stick with your workout routine.

5.       Watch television or listen to music while working out.

6.       Focus on one habit at a time. Don’t over commit. You will be overwhelmed. You will have a higher success rate if you stick to one habit at a time.

7.       Don’t expect results in a short amount of time. It is not realistic to lose 30 pounds in a month and get washboard abs. Be patient. Results will happen.

8.       Workout with friends or join a fitness class at your gym. Working out with friends is great because you can motivate each other and help each other stick to a routine.

My workout:

1.       50 jumping jacks

2.       50 crunches

3.       25 bicycle crunches

4.       15 pushups

5.       Pilates: I lie on my side and lift one leg up 15 times. I also do the bicycle 15 times.

6.       Yoga: I do the morning salutation 3 times. I also do some other poses such as the warrior stance and other balance stances.

7.       Lift weights: I combine squats and lifting weights.

8.       Running for 10 minutes: I run inside by running 4 paces forward and 4 paces backward.

It may be hard to stick with your workout routine because you may feel tired when the time comes to work out. Just think about why you want to work out. Usually by the end of a work out you feel energized and happy.

Good luck and have fun!

Stop coddling your kids!

I have been reading Bill Maher’s book, “New Rules.” It is absolutely hilarious and brutally honest. In the book there is an excerpt about how parents should stop coddling their children. Here is an excerpt:

“I’ve heard that now some schools have stopped grading papers with red ink because of complaints that a big, mean red X is too negative-why, a kid might even think he got that question wrong. Parents today are so fixated on protection, it’s amazing they ever got pregnant in the first place. A recent reality show called Supernanny placed an old-school, discipline-wielding nanny into a family where the mother can’t figure out that the reason she’s having a nervous breakdown is that she says things to her kids like, “Tyler, Mommy would really appreciate it if you didn’t throw rocks at me.”…Now, for those of you who are saying, “But Bill, you’re not a parent,” I say true, but I have one thing these parents apparently don’t: a brain. This is not rocket science, What should you do when Skylar won’t do his chores? How about using your size advantage? Make him!...parents these days act like they’re on a date with their children-trying to impress them, trying to buy their love, and never contradicting them or giving them a big red X when they’re wrong.”

I have worked with many children and you can always tell which ones always get their way at home. It makes our job a whole lot harder. Parents, please don’t always give your children what they want. It is okay to say no. You will make them into better people if you don’t always give them what they want. If you give them everything they want, they will walk all over you. They will not listen to you and they will cry when they don’t get something they want. Never bribe a child to do things. If they are misbehaving, don’t promise them candy if they start behaving correctly. They don’t deserve it. Yeah, you can reward them but only when they are behaving the right way. Here are some tips:

1.       Give them some independence.

2.       Don’t be their best friend. Parents are afraid that their kids won’t like them. Being a true parent means that sometimes you have to lay down the rules, and oftentimes your child won’t like that. Kids don’t need a best friend, they need an authority figure. Kids really do want structure and guidance.

3.       Don’t automatically take their side. Listen to the whole story and don’t get defensive when someone criticizes your child.

4.       Make them work for what they get. Don’t buy them everything they want. If you do that, you are conditioning them to the idea that if they whine, they’ll get what they want. Encourage your children to work for what they want.