Interesting Slate piece from today's Philanthropy Issue about paying more for products that are fair trade or from companies with socially conscious business practices. I think it raises good points about who can actually afford to make these kinds of shopping choices, particularly in expensive cities.

Quoted: We've learned that socially minded rich folk can afford to let conscience dictate their purchasing decisions, whatever the markup. But this represents only the tiniest sliver of American consumers, and their buying preferences alone aren't enough to make American businesses kinder, gentler, and cleaner.