Ethical consumerism is all about empowering the consumer.
Often people feel powerless in the face of global issues such as ozone depletion and third world exploitation but ethical consumerism can be a driving force for change. Every time we buy something we make a choice traditionally on the basis of the price or quality of a product but increasingly people are taking ethical issues into account. And what we buy can make a real difference. For example in the 1980s it was revealed that CFCs were damaging the ozone layer. While this state of affairs appals many, the individual is often left feeling helpless, the typical response being there s nothing I can do .