Every day goods are bought and sold. I would have to say, that where I live, most of these goods come from China, India, or some other country than my own. I am sure this is fairly common in other nations too. With the possible exception of food, a lot of merchandise comes from other countries.
Some people know some of the problems associated with buying foreign made goods, but fail to understand how serious it is, and the long term results.
I want to state this is not an attack on China, or any country, obviously if you live in China you should buy the goods made there, similarly if you live in Canada, try to seek out Canadian Made goods, and so forth. Here is why.
- Sending Your Money Elsewhere. When you buy something made in another country, you are sending your money to that country, thus removing that money from your local economy. Effectively weakening your country, strengthening another.
- Waste. You don't see it, but there is a huge amount of waste, the garbage that is packed around items to get them from one country to another without breaking. Styrofoam and boxes, thousands of tons of garbage is generated daily and added to landfills here. You might not even see most of it, as it is in the garbage behind the retail shops that unload the items.
- Transportation Pollution. When something has to come from far away, obviously there is transportation, be this plane, train, truck, or ship, transportation involves pollution. The further away things come, the more pollution is generated.
- Different Pollution Regulations. I am sure we all know that different countries have different regulations, when you buy a product made in a country with lower pollution standards, you are supporting their decision to allow pollution. In some parts of China the air is so heavily polluted they never see the sun, it is only a glow behind the smog.
- Jobs. You are paying for people to work in another country, similar to the first reason, you are effectively putting people out of work in your own country. This is tough, if items were made cheaper where you live, then you probably would buy more of them, however there are undoubtedly some items made in your own country at a reasonable price, consider looking for these items and supporting that industry if you feel it is worthwhile.
- Hazardous Chemicals. Sometimes items are treated to be preserved, and sometimes these chemicals are not entirely safe. I know of a case where a girl was opening skirts from India, she was in a small closed in room, steaming the skirts so they were not wrinkled. As it happened, the steam released a chemical used to preserve the skirts, making the girl ill, actually sending her to hospital. Ask a person who works in the receiving area of any major retailer, and they will tell you that they experience harsh chemical smells when they open some crates from foreign lands.
- Labor Laws. Indeed some countries have looser labor laws than others. Because of the lure of income in factories, some parents put their children into factories for income. When you support these factories you are supporting child labor and other poor labor regulations, like longer work hours, and fewer breaks. Remember, the products are cheaper for a reason.
- Whose Backyard? Just because it is not in your backyard, does not mean that it is okay to destroy an area. Basically we feel that we do not want to destroy, or rape, our part of the earth. Nobody wants clear cutting or a quarry in their back yard, yet products must come from somewhere. If we call ourselves "Green" we need to remember that products must come from somewhere. You may be destroying the rainforest, a mountain, or a river.
- Stop Rewarding Unethical Companies. Many companies set up shops in China, Mexico, or India, because they can exploit the workers and take advantage of lower wages. They do not need to care about pollution standards if there are none, so they can make their factories cheaper. Many of these companies are indeed American, or European owned. You reward them for behaving in an unethical way every time you buy a product made by them in a foreign land. Also these companies are clearly in it for themselves. Taking money and cutting corners, they may be owned by the country you live in, but they clearly are not worried about helping the economy at home, only about making more profit for themselves.
- What is in the Boxes? Not often, but it happens, sometimes something other than merchandise is hiding in the boxes from other countries. A friend of mine was working unpacking boxes in a retail store, when later one evening her arm began to ache and became swollen. Turns out a spider had bitten her. It is not unheard of for deadly spiders and even snakes to enter a country via fruit or other items.
All in all, every action we take, every purchase we make, can either help our planet, or harm it. What you buy, where you buy from, and how much you buy, ultimately determines the face of change for our world. What is it worth to you to save a few dollars buying something made elsewhere? Unless you live in China, do not buy things made their. The same goes for India, and all other countries. Unless you live in the USA, do not buy products made there either.
译文:
中国制造
每一天，人们都在买卖商品。我不得不说，我所居住的地方更多的商品是来自中国、印度和其它一些国家，而不是产自我们本国。我确信这种现象在其它的国家也是相当普遍。除了一些无法进口的食品外，绝大部分商品都是来自其它国家。
有些人知道购买外国商品会产生些相关的问题，但却不知道这些问题的严重性以及长期的后果。
我所说的这些无意于攻击中国，或者其它的国家，很显然，如果你定居在中国，你就应该买那里生产的商品，同样，如果你定居在加拿大，那就应该去找那些加拿大生产的商品来购买，等等。以下便是原因：
把钱送到别的国家。当你购买别的国家生产的商品时，你就是把钱花给了那个国家，也就是把你自己国家的钱送了出去。要剥弱本国而增强别国的经济，这倒是个有效的途径。
浪费。你不知道，从一个国家运往另一个国家的商品，为了防止破碎，会被一层层包装起来，而这些用来包装商品所产生垃圾就造成了巨大的浪费。这些聚苯乙烯泡沫塑料还有包装盒每天都产生上千吨的垃圾，然后被投放到当地的垃圾场。甚至在卸货的零售商店背后的垃圾场里也能看到很多这种垃圾。
运输污染。商品从远方运过来，自然需要用飞机、火车、卡车、轮船等来运输，而这些运输就涉及到污染。商品从越远的地方运来，所产生的污染就越多。
不同的污染规定。我确信大家都知道不同的国家会有不同的污染规定，当你购买了那些对污染控制不严格的国家所生产的商品时，你就是在支持他们允许污染的规定。在中国的某些地方空气被严重的污染，那里的人们看不到太阳，只能看到烟雾背后的一串微光。
工作。你正在为别国的工人们支付工资，与第一个原因相似，你成功地使你本国的工人失去工作。这有点难办，如果你所居住的地方生产的商品便宜，那么你极有可能更倾向于购买它们，然而毫无疑问在本国自产的商品中也会有一些价格合理的商品，如果你认为值得的话，你就应该考虑去购买这些商品来支持工业发展。
危险的化学品。有时在保存商品的过程中所用的化学品并不完全安全。我知道个案例，一个女孩从印度进口裙子，为了不让裙子起皱，她在一间密闭的小屋内蒸裙子。结果蒸汽碰巧使为保存裙子而使用的化学品释放出来，使女孩生了病，竟然被送到了医院。去问问那些在大零售商的接货处工作的人吧，他们会告诉你在他们打开外国运来的某些包装箱时会闻到强烈的化学品气味。
劳动法。有些国家的劳动法确实比别的国家宽松。受工厂工资的诱惑，一些父母把他们的孩子们送去工厂工作。当你支持这些工厂时，你就赞同了童工和其它一些不合理的劳动规则，如延长劳动时间和减少休息时间。记住，商品相对便宜是有原因的。
谁的后院？仅仅是因为这个地方不是你家的后院就可以去破坏它，这样做可不太合适。基本上，我们都意识到我们不想破坏或践踏属于我们的土地。谁也不想在自己的后院里皆伐和开采，然而产品必须得来自某块土地。如果我们自称“绿色”，我们必须记住产品一定要从某个地方被生产出来。你可能正破坏着热带雨林，山脉或河流。
别再感谢不道德的公司。许多公司在中国、墨西哥或印度建厂，因为他们能以极低的工资雇佣到廉价的劳动力并利用这种优势。他们一点儿也不用担心污染标准，所以他们工厂的产品能更便宜。这些公司中有许多确实是美国人或欧洲人经营的。你每次购买一件这样的公司在外国生产的商品，都是在感谢他们的不道德的行为。而且这些公司自己也很清楚，他们走捷径去赚钱，这些公司归你的国家所有，但他们很显然不用担心去帮助国内的经济，他们只关心为自己赚取更多的利润。
包装箱里有什么？有时除了商品外还有其它的东西藏在国外来的包装箱里，这种情况不常有，但确是发生过。我有一位在一家零售商拆箱处工作的朋友，前些天晚上，她的胳膊开始疼痛变肿，原来是被蜘蛛给咬了。有可怕的蜘蛛甚至蛇随着水果或其它的商品进入一个国家，这样的事情并不是没有听说过。
总之，我们所采取的每一个行动，所购买的每一件商品，不是有利于就是有害于我们的星球。你买什么，你从哪儿买，你花多少钱买，最终决定着我们的世界会变成什么样。为了省一些钱而去买别处生产的商品，这样做对你来说值吗？除非你就居住在中国，否则别买那儿生产的商品。印度和其他国家也是一样。除非你居住在美国，否则也别买美国货。