The Newbury Diaries: Buy for the Environment

More and more, everywhere around us, we are reminded how precious and unpredictable the weather and climates can be, all because of the damage we have done as mankind to the environment. Between the wildfires in California, the book that I'm currently reading, which talks about how quickly nature would reclaim the land if humans just disappeared one day, and my absolute decision to purchase a Toyota Prius as my next vehicle (nope, no Honda CR-V after all!), I know that suddenly, anything we can do to help the environment is not just something trendy to do, but something that ABSOLUTELY must be done.

If you're not a hands-on kind of person, and maybe you don't feel green just yet, but don't mind exploring ways to help without getting your hands dirty, there is ~still~ a way to help. Buy something! While Confucius would say "if you want to save the planet, stop buying more stuff, you are creating more pollution and crap that will take forever to biodegrade," the corporations like to gloss over that minor note and have you focus on the big picture, which means releasing one-of-a-kind items on eBay, and making sure proceeds from the auctions go towards the environment. Not fundamentally the savviest or logical way to do, but I suppose it's better than nothing, especially if they're already in the midst of producing these items anyhow.

Club 21 has chosen to support the protection of the environment — a global and urgent issue — in commemorating its 35th anniversary. Proceeds from the auctions will benefit charities supporting this cause in nine countries where Club 21 has a presence: Wildlife Warriors Worldwide (Australia), Friends of the Earth (Hong Kong), Kehati (Indonesia), The Malaysian Nature Society (Malaysia), The Singapore Environment Council (Singapore), The Homemaker’s Union and Foundation (Taiwan), The Thailand Environment Foundation (Thailand), Fields in Trust (United Kingdom), Rainforest Foundation (United States), and Planet A|X formed by Armani Exchange (United States).

Club 21 is a luxury retailer originally based out of Singapore, and while I have never heard of them, I'm sure that as a marketing move, this will give them very good global exposure. While the items currently posted on eBay are nice, they don't seem stellar enough to garner some of the bids that people have put up, but I suppose if it's for a good cause, there shouldn't be any guilt, right?

I like this Calvin Klein ostrich duffel, but something about it also makes zero sense to me, 'cause if I truly needed to use a duffel, it's almost guaranteed that that bag will be abused and tossed around, and I don't think ostrich skin was designed for that. Perhaps this was designed for a classier jet-setter than I.

This latex bag from Marni is also super cute. It has both a raw sexiness and a subtle femininity to the design. This item seems to be the most popular, as it currently has the highest bid in terms of dollars.

And while the clothes up for sale aren't really wowing me, I dare say, if I had the cash, I would love this black glass vase from Armani. Pure sophistication. Who doesn't love a glossy black orb on display in their living room, and signed by Mr. Armani himself?