Find the Best Cajon... and Help Mitigate Climate Change
Many of us see the effects of climate change directly - increased fires, rising sea levels, prolonged droughts, heat waves and melting glaciers. It's easy to feel powerless by the scale of these changes. 12 Things You Can Do Right Now on Climate Change includes "Making informed decisions as a consumer". If you are in the market for a cajon drum, there's one simple thing you can do that may help reduce the ecological footprint of your purchase: Buy a locally made cajon.
Most cajon models dominating Internet search results are made in factories in countries far away. Their journey around the globe involves long distance shipping via enormous cargo vessels, multiple trucking trips, storage, transfer facilities and transfer events. The effectiveness of a local purchase as a means of mitigating climate change will depend on many factors, including, where you are, where the imported cajons originate (most are from southeast Asia) and the origins of your local cajon makers materials. You'll have to assess these variables.
Photo: Michael Kotzen in California
Purchasing a locally made cajon is a simple personal action that may help reduce the carbon footprint of your purchase. It may not be as simple as clicking a few buttons on a website, but there are other advantages: a local cajon builder will have unique insight to the local music scene and will have suggestions for learning to play cajon.
Start your search here: "Cajons by Country". Find your country or perhaps a neighboring country and check out the links to cajon makers near you.
Photo: Cajon made in Japan
Photo: Cajon Borówka Handmade
It's probably not possible to buy a TV or microwave made in your neighborhood or region, you often have no choice but to buy imported goods or go without. But you do have a choice with cajons, there are over 350 cajon builders on the planet. The best cajon to potentially mitigate climate change will not involve transportation via cargo ships or airplanes. Just ask, "Where was this cajon made?"
Discuss your local cajon purchase with your friends. 12 Things You Can Do also emphasizes making your voice heard. Increasing awareness of simple ideas, actions and effective follow-through will help to build momentum and achieve climate justice.
Other articles that disucss locally made vs imported goods and climate change mitigation include:
The BBC article "Ten simple ways to act on climate change" inludes a section, "Should I be shopping differently?" which states "International transport, including maritime and air shipping, also has an impact."