Mike Jarvis writes in PSD Blog today about the increasing demand for Fairtrade products as a sign of growing consumer trust in the quality and desirability of this relatively new business model. This is news that will not only give Coldplay's Chris Martin something to talk about in between writing songs informing us that the stars are, in fact, Yellow.... it will keep one Brazilian company ahead of the fashion curve.

AmazonLife sells material for bags and clothing that is made using Treetap, the company's name for a rubber they harvest from trees native to northern Brazil. Eco-friendly products are already gaining wide popularity with entrepreneurs like Josh Dorfman of Vivavi.com selling eco-chic home decor to Manhattan's elite. But AmazonLife takes it to the next level, providing high paying jobs to local farmers while ensuring that their products are sustainably produced. The company follows fairtrade policy by creating an equitable relationship with their rural suppliers and paying them a living wage. Their success shatters old myths that incorporating social and environmental goals into an enterprise's business plan will distract it from making solid profits - AmazonLife's products are already being used by some of Europe's major designers. I won't try to name any here, because I don't want to pretend I know anything about fashion- in fact I'm pretty sure I'm wearing mismatching socks as I write this. But when they say they supply to some of the industry players, I'll take their word for it. See for yourself, here.

In Ecclesiastes, the son of David describes the resilience of earth and the futility of human action, explaining that, “One generation goeth, and another generation cometh; but the earth abideth for ever.” In the last two decades, ever since China began liberalizing its economy, a new generation of tech-savvy consumers has emerged, replacing the aging generation scarred by the excesses of the Cultural Revolution.  But as one generation replaces another here, it seems that the earth will not abideth for ever.  The air in China’s mushrooming cities, which are powered by coal-burning power plants, is so polluted that, on certain days, residents are advised to stay indoors lest they suffer severe health complications.  Now, according to the New Scientist, air pollution has become so bad that it is actually preventing condensation and exacerbating China’s current draught.  Realizing that its environmental situation is untenable, the Chinese government announced this January that it will end its addiction to coal—China burns more coal than the US, India, and Russia combined—by spending a whopping $200 billion on renewable energy sources over the next 15 years.  Such vast sums of money have captured the attention of industry giants, which are now scrambling to get a piece of the action.