1 00:00:05,960 --> 00:00:07,840 Speaker 1: Hey, this is Annie and you're listening to Steph. Mom 2 00:00:07,920 --> 00:00:23,320 Speaker 1: never told you. In my high school, we had this 3 00:00:23,640 --> 00:00:27,520 Speaker 1: Valentine's Day rose tradition. It was sort of like the 4 00:00:27,560 --> 00:00:32,400 Speaker 1: Anonymous Rose program. Throughout the day, roses got delivered with 5 00:00:32,479 --> 00:00:36,360 Speaker 1: a printed anonymous message, and I think they were like 6 00:00:36,440 --> 00:00:40,400 Speaker 1: two dollars to send one. A white rose meant that 7 00:00:40,440 --> 00:00:43,400 Speaker 1: it came from a friend, and a red rose meant 8 00:00:43,440 --> 00:00:45,720 Speaker 1: that it came from someone that you were dating, or 9 00:00:45,760 --> 00:00:48,879 Speaker 1: that was interested in you some kind of romantic interest. 10 00:00:49,000 --> 00:00:52,000 Speaker 1: A secret admirer. They might say. Um, and I did 11 00:00:52,040 --> 00:00:54,000 Speaker 1: not really date in high school, but I did have 12 00:00:54,560 --> 00:00:58,760 Speaker 1: excellent friends. I'm very very fortunate. One Valentinie's Day, I 13 00:00:58,800 --> 00:01:02,560 Speaker 1: got a d aculous amount of red roses delivered to 14 00:01:02,560 --> 00:01:06,400 Speaker 1: me with messages like from your secret admirer, or I'm 15 00:01:06,440 --> 00:01:09,720 Speaker 1: superior to that other secret admirer, or don't listen to 16 00:01:09,760 --> 00:01:13,480 Speaker 1: those other secret admirers. It was hilarious. I loved it 17 00:01:13,520 --> 00:01:18,440 Speaker 1: because Valentine's Day, especially in school, could be really stressful 18 00:01:18,480 --> 00:01:21,440 Speaker 1: when you're single, or honestly even if you're not. But 19 00:01:21,520 --> 00:01:25,360 Speaker 1: in a different way, like those boxes in elementary school 20 00:01:25,360 --> 00:01:28,640 Speaker 1: where you put your Valentine's cards in them and not 21 00:01:28,680 --> 00:01:32,280 Speaker 1: getting a card. Was this really pressing concern? Kind of 22 00:01:32,319 --> 00:01:35,840 Speaker 1: like that over the years, I've never gotten flowers from 23 00:01:35,840 --> 00:01:37,880 Speaker 1: anyone I was in a relationship with. Now that I 24 00:01:37,920 --> 00:01:41,000 Speaker 1: say that, that sounds really bitter, but I'm not bitter 25 00:01:41,040 --> 00:01:43,319 Speaker 1: about it because they probably knew I would rather have 26 00:01:43,360 --> 00:01:47,440 Speaker 1: food or drinks. For some reason, I did date three 27 00:01:47,440 --> 00:01:50,280 Speaker 1: people that had birthdays on Valentine's Day. That was not 28 00:01:50,320 --> 00:01:55,120 Speaker 1: a requirement, just kept happening and that was stressful. But anyway, 29 00:01:55,160 --> 00:02:00,279 Speaker 1: this Valentine's Day, here's a classic episode about the flower industry. 30 00:02:00,600 --> 00:02:04,800 Speaker 1: Whatever you celebrate, Single Awareness Day, Valentine's Day, Valentine's Day 31 00:02:05,120 --> 00:02:11,799 Speaker 1: meal above, I hope you enjoy. Welcome to Stuff Mom 32 00:02:11,840 --> 00:02:19,560 Speaker 1: never told you from house Stop works dot com. Hello, 33 00:02:19,600 --> 00:02:23,280 Speaker 1: and welcome to the podcast. I'm Kristen and I'm Caroline, 34 00:02:23,760 --> 00:02:28,800 Speaker 1: and may I also say Happy Valentine's Day. Eve. Wait, 35 00:02:28,880 --> 00:02:32,720 Speaker 1: thank you, You're welcome. Are you gonna get me anything? Um, 36 00:02:32,760 --> 00:02:37,000 Speaker 1: I'm gonna give you a podcast straight from the heart. 37 00:02:37,240 --> 00:02:40,840 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, well we better get started then. Yeah. Uh. 38 00:02:40,880 --> 00:02:44,880 Speaker 1: And today we're going to talk about flowers because it 39 00:02:45,000 --> 00:02:49,600 Speaker 1: is the typical Valentine's Day gift from one beloved to 40 00:02:49,720 --> 00:02:53,799 Speaker 1: another or just to a friend. My dad sometimes will 41 00:02:54,240 --> 00:02:57,160 Speaker 1: send me flowers on Valentine's Day, which is always a 42 00:02:57,240 --> 00:03:01,400 Speaker 1: kind gesture. Um. But valentine Stay also reminds me of 43 00:03:01,480 --> 00:03:05,240 Speaker 1: high school because I don't know how your school worked, Caroline, 44 00:03:05,280 --> 00:03:09,000 Speaker 1: but mine it was a really big deal, and it 45 00:03:09,080 --> 00:03:13,480 Speaker 1: was a big deal that made me probably unnecessarily so, 46 00:03:13,560 --> 00:03:16,560 Speaker 1: but it made me really uncomfortable because there was this 47 00:03:16,639 --> 00:03:24,560 Speaker 1: competitive edge too Valentine's Day because the whole week or 48 00:03:24,560 --> 00:03:28,440 Speaker 1: two beforehand, kids would go around whatever kind of like 49 00:03:28,520 --> 00:03:32,840 Speaker 1: class officers would go around and they would sell carnations 50 00:03:32,919 --> 00:03:37,240 Speaker 1: for a dollar that you could give to other classmates. 51 00:03:37,280 --> 00:03:41,040 Speaker 1: So obviously all little high school sweethearts would give each 52 00:03:41,040 --> 00:03:44,440 Speaker 1: other carnations and you would either get them in white 53 00:03:44,480 --> 00:03:49,360 Speaker 1: for friendship, pink for love, and read for passion. In 54 00:03:49,440 --> 00:03:52,280 Speaker 1: high school, yeah, and so you always kept your fingers 55 00:03:52,280 --> 00:03:54,280 Speaker 1: cross that your crush was going to give you a 56 00:03:54,320 --> 00:03:56,360 Speaker 1: red one, that there would be a random red rogue 57 00:03:56,560 --> 00:04:01,960 Speaker 1: or cardom scene. Yeah, random carnation, uh, sitting in your locker. 58 00:04:02,120 --> 00:04:06,800 Speaker 1: The most popular kids would have collected just a bundle 59 00:04:07,800 --> 00:04:13,480 Speaker 1: of carnations by the end of the day. So yeah, 60 00:04:13,520 --> 00:04:18,720 Speaker 1: I really those that kind of obvious competition where you 61 00:04:18,720 --> 00:04:22,080 Speaker 1: can count up your number of friends and lovers always 62 00:04:22,120 --> 00:04:25,200 Speaker 1: really put me on edge. So that's what I associate 63 00:04:25,240 --> 00:04:32,040 Speaker 1: valda'd si with, cheap carnations and high school angst. Interesting 64 00:04:32,440 --> 00:04:35,560 Speaker 1: I associated with buying a new shirt with a heart 65 00:04:35,600 --> 00:04:38,120 Speaker 1: on it every year, wearing it to school. Do you 66 00:04:38,160 --> 00:04:42,200 Speaker 1: wear Valentine's themed clothes? Not anymore, but now we um 67 00:04:42,200 --> 00:04:44,200 Speaker 1: in well know, I'm sorry. That was middle school and 68 00:04:44,200 --> 00:04:46,919 Speaker 1: middle school we had, we had dances, and so I 69 00:04:46,920 --> 00:04:52,159 Speaker 1: would always buy like a heart themed T shirt because 70 00:04:52,200 --> 00:04:54,680 Speaker 1: I was really cool like that. And now we just 71 00:04:54,800 --> 00:04:59,920 Speaker 1: have those celebrity montage movies that we can watch by 72 00:05:00,000 --> 00:05:04,799 Speaker 1: ourselves with the bottle. That's a terrible movie. Valentine's Day, obviously, 73 00:05:05,040 --> 00:05:09,599 Speaker 1: is one of the largest days in the floral industry, 74 00:05:09,839 --> 00:05:15,240 Speaker 1: seconded only by Mother's Day. And just to give a 75 00:05:15,320 --> 00:05:19,760 Speaker 1: hint of how we're going to turn this Valentine's bouquet 76 00:05:20,000 --> 00:05:27,159 Speaker 1: into a withered handful of terrifying facts, um, we know 77 00:05:27,240 --> 00:05:31,039 Speaker 1: the valand Tine's Day is really really booming for the 78 00:05:31,040 --> 00:05:34,440 Speaker 1: floral industry because women on the plantations in Africa and 79 00:05:34,480 --> 00:05:38,400 Speaker 1: South America harvesting all those flowers have been working up 80 00:05:38,440 --> 00:05:41,960 Speaker 1: to sixty hours a week in preparation for it. Some 81 00:05:42,040 --> 00:05:44,640 Speaker 1: of the flower farms in South America triple the number 82 00:05:44,720 --> 00:05:47,479 Speaker 1: of of workers, most of them women, leading up to 83 00:05:47,560 --> 00:05:52,440 Speaker 1: Valentine's Day. So yeah, January, February, March late, and you 84 00:05:52,480 --> 00:05:55,039 Speaker 1: know then leading up to Mother's Day, it's big business. Yeah. 85 00:05:55,200 --> 00:05:58,239 Speaker 1: Just I mean, if that doesn't doesn't warm your heart 86 00:05:58,480 --> 00:06:02,760 Speaker 1: for this romantic okay, Asian, but let's go back to 87 00:06:03,400 --> 00:06:08,760 Speaker 1: a simpler time. Yes, the Victorian era, so simple and 88 00:06:08,839 --> 00:06:13,880 Speaker 1: yet so repressed, and that's what leads us to floriography, 89 00:06:13,960 --> 00:06:17,680 Speaker 1: which is the language of flowers. And in the Victorian 90 00:06:17,720 --> 00:06:22,200 Speaker 1: area era, excuse me, it was really popular to give 91 00:06:22,279 --> 00:06:25,039 Speaker 1: flowers that had meaning. You know, you've all I feel 92 00:06:25,080 --> 00:06:27,559 Speaker 1: like everybody's heard about you know, different flowers have different meanings, 93 00:06:27,560 --> 00:06:30,160 Speaker 1: and you know you mentioned the different colors of carnations, 94 00:06:30,160 --> 00:06:33,440 Speaker 1: the same thing for roses. Different rose colors have meaning 95 00:06:33,480 --> 00:06:38,720 Speaker 1: everything from from sympathy and remembrance to love and passion. Well, 96 00:06:38,720 --> 00:06:43,279 Speaker 1: in the Victorian era, you know, emotions that couldn't be vocalized. 97 00:06:43,600 --> 00:06:45,120 Speaker 1: You know, you couldn't just walk up to somebody be 98 00:06:45,160 --> 00:06:47,920 Speaker 1: like I love you. I mean maybe you could if 99 00:06:47,920 --> 00:06:51,919 Speaker 1: you were like that, if you were very full award um. 100 00:06:51,960 --> 00:06:56,920 Speaker 1: But people tended to give their their their crush or 101 00:06:56,960 --> 00:07:01,919 Speaker 1: whatever um a bouquet that meant something, and everything from 102 00:07:02,080 --> 00:07:04,680 Speaker 1: the flowers themselves down to the way you handed the 103 00:07:04,680 --> 00:07:08,360 Speaker 1: bouquet over meant something. So the way you tied the bow, 104 00:07:08,520 --> 00:07:11,160 Speaker 1: the hand you used, and God forbid you handed the 105 00:07:11,160 --> 00:07:15,040 Speaker 1: bouquet over upside down, that was just what that meant, 106 00:07:15,080 --> 00:07:17,880 Speaker 1: the opposite of what the flowers were supposed to mean. 107 00:07:18,080 --> 00:07:23,520 Speaker 1: You give someone an opposite day bouquet, fairly, fairly opposite 108 00:07:23,600 --> 00:07:25,400 Speaker 1: day has been around a lot longer than I thought. 109 00:07:25,600 --> 00:07:28,960 Speaker 1: I mean, talk about salt in the wound, I know, 110 00:07:29,440 --> 00:07:32,640 Speaker 1: but okay, so so every you know, bouquets. The flowers 111 00:07:32,680 --> 00:07:35,160 Speaker 1: had a lot of meaning, and Beverly Seaton, in her 112 00:07:35,160 --> 00:07:38,480 Speaker 1: book The Language of Flowers History, talks about how home 113 00:07:38,520 --> 00:07:42,360 Speaker 1: manuals of the time illustrated very elaborate arrangements of cut flowers. 114 00:07:42,360 --> 00:07:44,600 Speaker 1: So if you were high falutin, if you were in 115 00:07:44,680 --> 00:07:47,560 Speaker 1: high society, you were expected to have a lot of 116 00:07:47,600 --> 00:07:49,720 Speaker 1: cut flowers in your home. But not just in vases, 117 00:07:50,240 --> 00:07:52,400 Speaker 1: not just going to the store and putting them in 118 00:07:52,440 --> 00:07:54,280 Speaker 1: a glass of water. Now you were expected to have 119 00:07:54,360 --> 00:07:57,320 Speaker 1: these elaborate arrangements because you were expected to either have 120 00:07:57,520 --> 00:08:01,440 Speaker 1: the um the help around your house to help you 121 00:08:01,560 --> 00:08:03,320 Speaker 1: arrange them, or you were expected to take the time 122 00:08:03,360 --> 00:08:06,520 Speaker 1: to do it yourself to have these beautiful floral arrangements 123 00:08:06,520 --> 00:08:08,920 Speaker 1: in your home. And this also wasn't just a product 124 00:08:08,960 --> 00:08:12,320 Speaker 1: of Western domesticity. It reminds me of ikebana, which is 125 00:08:12,360 --> 00:08:15,880 Speaker 1: the Japanese art of flower arranging, which is one of 126 00:08:15,920 --> 00:08:20,680 Speaker 1: the typical skills acquired by geishas. Yeah, it's it was 127 00:08:20,720 --> 00:08:25,480 Speaker 1: definitely uh also seen as a womanly pursuit. But I 128 00:08:25,520 --> 00:08:28,480 Speaker 1: want to know what some flowers mean. If you were 129 00:08:28,520 --> 00:08:31,920 Speaker 1: to give me a special bouquet, if I were to 130 00:08:31,960 --> 00:08:34,720 Speaker 1: give you an iris, it would mean that I had faith, hope, 131 00:08:34,720 --> 00:08:39,600 Speaker 1: and wisdom in you or hoped to impart that to you. Carnations, 132 00:08:39,840 --> 00:08:41,880 Speaker 1: which there's a lot of talk of carnations and sex 133 00:08:41,880 --> 00:08:43,959 Speaker 1: in the city, and we'll go into it, but carnations 134 00:08:44,000 --> 00:08:48,360 Speaker 1: symbolize love and fascination, and there's a difference between a 135 00:08:48,400 --> 00:08:52,160 Speaker 1: striped carnation and a solid one. But I can't recall that. 136 00:08:52,559 --> 00:08:54,800 Speaker 1: One of my favorite flowers is the gerber A daisy, 137 00:08:54,840 --> 00:08:58,760 Speaker 1: and there's you know, a million different colors those signify beauty, innocence, 138 00:08:58,800 --> 00:09:02,679 Speaker 1: and cheerfulness. Yeah, you're all three of those wrapped up 139 00:09:02,679 --> 00:09:07,520 Speaker 1: in a daisy, Caroline blushing. Um, it's actually the Gerbera 140 00:09:07,559 --> 00:09:09,840 Speaker 1: daisy is the fifth most popular flower in the world, 141 00:09:10,040 --> 00:09:14,240 Speaker 1: in the whole world, and according to literature, it was 142 00:09:14,320 --> 00:09:18,760 Speaker 1: discovered in eighty four by a Scotsman in South Africa, 143 00:09:19,320 --> 00:09:22,400 Speaker 1: even though I'm pretty sure other people had probably seen 144 00:09:23,320 --> 00:09:26,440 Speaker 1: the flower before. But yeah, the Gerbera daisy as we 145 00:09:26,440 --> 00:09:28,800 Speaker 1: know it today, and it's been bread and mixed, so 146 00:09:28,920 --> 00:09:31,839 Speaker 1: that that's why we have so many colors and orchids, 147 00:09:32,200 --> 00:09:35,960 Speaker 1: rare and delicate beauty roses of course, love and appreciation 148 00:09:36,040 --> 00:09:41,600 Speaker 1: and they range like I said, red is love, pink, admiration, etcetera, etcetera. 149 00:09:41,800 --> 00:09:45,240 Speaker 1: So the floral industry traces all the way back to 150 00:09:45,640 --> 00:09:49,880 Speaker 1: the seventeen and eighteenth century. Uh. It's starting off, not 151 00:09:50,120 --> 00:09:54,400 Speaker 1: surprisingly in the Netherlands with the development of greenhouses, and 152 00:09:54,480 --> 00:09:59,240 Speaker 1: that practice then is taken to the United States. Um. 153 00:09:59,480 --> 00:10:03,200 Speaker 1: And one fun fact about the you know, the Netherlands 154 00:10:03,240 --> 00:10:07,360 Speaker 1: are all known for their tulips, and tulip comes from 155 00:10:07,400 --> 00:10:11,679 Speaker 1: the Turkish word for durban. Really because it was initially 156 00:10:11,880 --> 00:10:17,280 Speaker 1: um taken from Central Asia and then across to Holland. 157 00:10:17,480 --> 00:10:19,439 Speaker 1: I do love a good tulip and I don't mean turban, 158 00:10:19,480 --> 00:10:23,400 Speaker 1: I mean tulip um. Yeah, the industry really grew in 159 00:10:23,400 --> 00:10:27,160 Speaker 1: America with the advent of air transport and refrigerated trucks. 160 00:10:27,200 --> 00:10:29,800 Speaker 1: So now you could take them much longer distances in 161 00:10:29,880 --> 00:10:31,960 Speaker 1: a shorter amount of time. You didn't have to worry 162 00:10:32,000 --> 00:10:33,880 Speaker 1: about them Wilton, because flowers pretty much have to be 163 00:10:33,960 --> 00:10:37,079 Speaker 1: kept around thirty four degrees basically right about freezing when 164 00:10:37,080 --> 00:10:41,160 Speaker 1: they're being transported. And in the mid nineteen sixties, you know, 165 00:10:41,160 --> 00:10:43,199 Speaker 1: we've got all the development of where where this industry 166 00:10:43,240 --> 00:10:45,320 Speaker 1: is moving. And in the mid nineteen sixties the first 167 00:10:45,320 --> 00:10:49,640 Speaker 1: carnation production started in Bogata, Columbia, an area that offered 168 00:10:49,720 --> 00:10:53,960 Speaker 1: great light and temperature, not to mention low production costs 169 00:10:53,960 --> 00:10:58,599 Speaker 1: compared with North America. UM and large scale US producers 170 00:10:58,600 --> 00:11:01,520 Speaker 1: are hard hit by all of the flowers that are 171 00:11:01,559 --> 00:11:05,160 Speaker 1: being imported, and the floral industry, like so many other 172 00:11:05,200 --> 00:11:09,920 Speaker 1: industries here in the States, has largely been outsourced. UM 173 00:11:10,160 --> 00:11:18,120 Speaker 1: California produces of the domestic flowers grown here, but it's 174 00:11:18,200 --> 00:11:23,560 Speaker 1: it's largely moved abroad, and UM one place that I 175 00:11:23,600 --> 00:11:27,040 Speaker 1: did not realize was such a major hub of the 176 00:11:27,080 --> 00:11:32,200 Speaker 1: international floral industry is Kenya. If you live in the EU, 177 00:11:32,320 --> 00:11:35,880 Speaker 1: if you're listening right now in the UK, hello, talking 178 00:11:35,960 --> 00:11:39,040 Speaker 1: directly to you. If you have. If you're looking right 179 00:11:39,080 --> 00:11:43,240 Speaker 1: now at a vase of flowers, British friends, and Irish 180 00:11:43,240 --> 00:11:48,800 Speaker 1: friends and Welsh ones too, chances are they came from Kenya. Now, 181 00:11:48,840 --> 00:11:51,040 Speaker 1: if Carolina not here in the States, we're looking at 182 00:11:51,120 --> 00:11:54,480 Speaker 1: some some flowers, some fresh cut well not so fresh 183 00:11:54,840 --> 00:11:58,360 Speaker 1: cut rosas they be coming from South America. But Kenya 184 00:11:58,400 --> 00:12:03,160 Speaker 1: supplies of all the flowers sold in the EU. Right. 185 00:12:03,880 --> 00:12:07,160 Speaker 1: And there's a lot of talk about as you can expect, 186 00:12:07,200 --> 00:12:09,400 Speaker 1: there's a lot of talk about the environmental impact of 187 00:12:09,440 --> 00:12:13,120 Speaker 1: importing all of these flowers. UM. But it's interesting that 188 00:12:13,880 --> 00:12:21,080 Speaker 1: um twelve thousand Kenyan roses that creates raising them, you know, whatever, 189 00:12:21,200 --> 00:12:25,840 Speaker 1: growing them, that creates two hundred pounds of carbon dioxide 190 00:12:26,120 --> 00:12:30,559 Speaker 1: released from from the growth of these roses. The equivalent 191 00:12:30,640 --> 00:12:34,160 Speaker 1: number of Dutch roses releases seventy seven thousand, one hundred 192 00:12:34,240 --> 00:12:38,400 Speaker 1: and sixty pounds of c O two because they require 193 00:12:38,440 --> 00:12:41,840 Speaker 1: all that artificial light, heat and cooling. Over the eight 194 00:12:41,880 --> 00:12:44,520 Speaker 1: to twelve week growing period, so you don't have the 195 00:12:44,559 --> 00:12:49,000 Speaker 1: hot sun that's constant in Kenya and in Colombia. So 196 00:12:49,200 --> 00:12:51,520 Speaker 1: while you're you're importing all these roses and you you 197 00:12:51,559 --> 00:12:54,920 Speaker 1: might think it's horrible for various reasons that we will 198 00:12:54,960 --> 00:12:59,920 Speaker 1: get into here shortly um. It actually releases less CEO 199 00:13:00,080 --> 00:13:02,480 Speaker 1: two into the atmosphere because they have to tinker with 200 00:13:02,559 --> 00:13:07,360 Speaker 1: that actual growing environment less um, which would outweigh them 201 00:13:07,360 --> 00:13:10,040 Speaker 1: the cost I guess of transporting it and producing them 202 00:13:10,040 --> 00:13:13,679 Speaker 1: and transporting them over um. And this is coming from 203 00:13:13,880 --> 00:13:18,760 Speaker 1: the Globe and mail in Canada imported twenty three point 204 00:13:18,800 --> 00:13:22,760 Speaker 1: five million dollars worth of roses from Columbia, and almost 205 00:13:22,760 --> 00:13:25,280 Speaker 1: a third of all cut flowers sold in Canada are 206 00:13:25,320 --> 00:13:29,720 Speaker 1: imported from Columbia, including fourteen point one million dollars worth 207 00:13:29,720 --> 00:13:34,480 Speaker 1: of carnations and nine point six million dollars worth of chrysanthemums. 208 00:13:34,520 --> 00:13:40,040 Speaker 1: And the government has incentivized this floral trade between Canada 209 00:13:40,080 --> 00:13:43,840 Speaker 1: and Columbia because their free trade agreement that they recently 210 00:13:43,880 --> 00:13:48,360 Speaker 1: signed removed a ten point five percent tariff on roses, 211 00:13:48,400 --> 00:13:51,800 Speaker 1: so it's even cheaper now for them to bring these 212 00:13:51,840 --> 00:13:59,720 Speaker 1: flowers way up uh the lands, way way up the landsonder, 213 00:14:00,080 --> 00:14:03,360 Speaker 1: but we we did the same thing in UM. The 214 00:14:03,480 --> 00:14:08,000 Speaker 1: US really was seeking to offset all the coca production 215 00:14:08,480 --> 00:14:11,080 Speaker 1: in Colombia, and so we thought, I mean, I don't 216 00:14:11,120 --> 00:14:12,959 Speaker 1: know what they thought, but they were like, hey, well, 217 00:14:13,040 --> 00:14:17,040 Speaker 1: let's just have them make flowers instead. And so we 218 00:14:17,520 --> 00:14:20,640 Speaker 1: suspended import duties on Colombian flowers. And this was in 219 00:14:22,080 --> 00:14:24,760 Speaker 1: and just just to show you what that did to 220 00:14:25,200 --> 00:14:29,360 Speaker 1: flower imports in the US, in one the US produced 221 00:14:29,400 --> 00:14:33,240 Speaker 1: one point to billion flowers and imported one hundred million, 222 00:14:33,840 --> 00:14:36,680 Speaker 1: and in two thousand three that totally reversed. The US 223 00:14:36,760 --> 00:14:41,240 Speaker 1: was producing two hundred million blooms and imported two billion. 224 00:14:41,320 --> 00:14:43,840 Speaker 1: That's according to the Smithsonian, who took a big look 225 00:14:43,840 --> 00:14:46,960 Speaker 1: at um the flower trade. And now, according to the 226 00:14:47,040 --> 00:14:52,600 Speaker 1: Society of American Florist, Columbia, not so surprisingly is the 227 00:14:52,680 --> 00:14:56,440 Speaker 1: number one import country of flowers to the United States, 228 00:14:56,960 --> 00:15:02,040 Speaker 1: comprising sixty of that aid, followed by Ecuador at six 229 00:15:02,760 --> 00:15:05,320 Speaker 1: in the Netherlands at six percent. And then we actually 230 00:15:05,360 --> 00:15:08,280 Speaker 1: get four percent of our flowers from from Canada. So 231 00:15:08,320 --> 00:15:12,480 Speaker 1: I wonder if Canada is somehow kidding some flowers from 232 00:15:12,480 --> 00:15:15,400 Speaker 1: Colombia and then marking them up and selling them to US. 233 00:15:15,440 --> 00:15:17,920 Speaker 1: You're saying that we're getting recycled Valentine Stay flowers. I 234 00:15:17,960 --> 00:15:21,400 Speaker 1: don't know, Canada, what's behind this? What's going on? Canadians? 235 00:15:22,120 --> 00:15:25,320 Speaker 1: Let us know, Um, there is. There is quite a 236 00:15:25,400 --> 00:15:30,000 Speaker 1: process in all of this. Um. It involves chemicals, lots 237 00:15:30,000 --> 00:15:33,640 Speaker 1: of transportation, and a lot of labor. This is from 238 00:15:33,680 --> 00:15:36,520 Speaker 1: the New Statesman, which describes the process and says that 239 00:15:36,520 --> 00:15:41,800 Speaker 1: flowers are typically harvested, de leafed, semi dehydrated in refrigeration units, 240 00:15:42,040 --> 00:15:46,000 Speaker 1: steeped in chemicals, packed in boxes, sometimes by machinery, and 241 00:15:46,040 --> 00:15:49,160 Speaker 1: sent in refrigerated trucks to the airport. That's already that's 242 00:15:49,160 --> 00:15:52,400 Speaker 1: already quite a lot of stuff. Yeah, and then once 243 00:15:52,440 --> 00:15:55,120 Speaker 1: they get to the supermarkets and floors where they're sold, 244 00:15:55,440 --> 00:15:59,640 Speaker 1: they are usually chemically rehydrated and in the weeks proceeding St. 245 00:15:59,720 --> 00:16:04,720 Speaker 1: Valent Times Day, Saint Valentine's Day, so proper, proper, because 246 00:16:04,760 --> 00:16:08,320 Speaker 1: that's how I am h and Mother's Day. Women on 247 00:16:08,360 --> 00:16:11,640 Speaker 1: the plantations in Africa and South America frequently work sixty 248 00:16:11,640 --> 00:16:13,880 Speaker 1: hours a week, like you said, So that's all part 249 00:16:13,920 --> 00:16:18,320 Speaker 1: of this huge I have never I'm so ignorant. I mean, 250 00:16:18,360 --> 00:16:20,240 Speaker 1: I I just haven't thought about it. You know when 251 00:16:20,240 --> 00:16:21,880 Speaker 1: you go to the grocery. I like to buy flowers 252 00:16:21,880 --> 00:16:23,960 Speaker 1: at the grocery store all the time. I never thought 253 00:16:24,000 --> 00:16:26,240 Speaker 1: of this huge, long process. And so that's why I 254 00:16:26,240 --> 00:16:28,640 Speaker 1: think it's important to talk about stuff like this, because 255 00:16:28,680 --> 00:16:31,520 Speaker 1: something so simple as just buying a bunch of daisies 256 00:16:31,520 --> 00:16:34,200 Speaker 1: while you're getting your grocery shopping done, there's a lot. 257 00:16:34,320 --> 00:16:35,880 Speaker 1: There's a lot behind that, just like there is with 258 00:16:35,920 --> 00:16:38,040 Speaker 1: your food. Of course. Well, I'm thinking about them going 259 00:16:38,080 --> 00:16:43,360 Speaker 1: through the process of being semi dehydrated and then chemically rehydrated. 260 00:16:43,560 --> 00:16:46,280 Speaker 1: That blows my mind. Yeah, it's because they've found this 261 00:16:46,400 --> 00:16:49,680 Speaker 1: great growing location with all this sunlight and constant temperature. 262 00:16:49,840 --> 00:16:51,080 Speaker 1: But then they have to get out to all the 263 00:16:51,080 --> 00:16:53,200 Speaker 1: people who want to spend the money on it. And 264 00:16:53,280 --> 00:16:56,840 Speaker 1: Americans and Europeans been just millions of dollars every year 265 00:16:56,840 --> 00:16:59,320 Speaker 1: on flowers, which are mostly just to feel good purchase. 266 00:16:59,400 --> 00:17:03,640 Speaker 1: It's like eat it, but you know it's helping somebody. 267 00:17:03,800 --> 00:17:06,560 Speaker 1: And that's the big question of it, is it is 268 00:17:06,600 --> 00:17:10,600 Speaker 1: it really helping someone um? Or are we because of 269 00:17:10,640 --> 00:17:16,760 Speaker 1: this luxury purchase? Are we destroying the environment and perpetuating 270 00:17:16,960 --> 00:17:22,240 Speaker 1: low wage um industries that treat women unfairly and we 271 00:17:22,280 --> 00:17:24,359 Speaker 1: will get to the bottom of this um. This is 272 00:17:24,400 --> 00:17:27,840 Speaker 1: in Scientific Americans. Stewart or of the World Wildlife Fund 273 00:17:27,880 --> 00:17:30,919 Speaker 1: International sums it up this way. He and this is 274 00:17:31,040 --> 00:17:36,000 Speaker 1: talking specifically about Kenya and Lake Naivasha, which is where 275 00:17:36,040 --> 00:17:39,680 Speaker 1: a lot of those flower farms are located around. He says, 276 00:17:39,720 --> 00:17:42,600 Speaker 1: it's one of the most perfect places to grow flowers 277 00:17:42,640 --> 00:17:45,480 Speaker 1: at a high altitude with plenty of water and sunshine. 278 00:17:45,760 --> 00:17:50,440 Speaker 1: And flower farms employ people and generate income great, excellent, 279 00:17:50,840 --> 00:17:57,199 Speaker 1: but they're also big water and pesticide users. Right, And 280 00:17:57,240 --> 00:18:01,960 Speaker 1: like you said, Kristen, Kenya supplies percent of Europe's cut flowers. 281 00:18:02,240 --> 00:18:05,439 Speaker 1: That's that's a very large chunk. And the best are 282 00:18:05,520 --> 00:18:07,960 Speaker 1: sold to flourish through Dutch auctions and then not so 283 00:18:08,080 --> 00:18:11,440 Speaker 1: perfect end up in European supermarkets. So you know, same 284 00:18:11,480 --> 00:18:14,760 Speaker 1: thing with me buying daisies at the grocery store Gerbera 285 00:18:14,840 --> 00:18:27,960 Speaker 1: Daisies to be exact, Yes, beauty and innocence at the 286 00:18:28,000 --> 00:18:32,240 Speaker 1: Assyrian farm on Lake Naivasha. H. This is from Scientific American. 287 00:18:32,359 --> 00:18:36,600 Speaker 1: Also Roses, they talk about the the environmental impact and 288 00:18:36,760 --> 00:18:39,639 Speaker 1: what companies are seeking to do to offset some of 289 00:18:39,640 --> 00:18:43,000 Speaker 1: this impact. Roses are now grown with geothermal waste heat 290 00:18:43,040 --> 00:18:46,040 Speaker 1: to save energy, and no roses are raised within a 291 00:18:46,160 --> 00:18:48,439 Speaker 1: third of a mile of the lake to prevent pesticide 292 00:18:48,520 --> 00:18:52,680 Speaker 1: runoff from reaching it. But it hasn't always been like this. Um. 293 00:18:52,720 --> 00:18:55,120 Speaker 1: There were some alarm bills that were raised in two 294 00:18:55,160 --> 00:18:59,000 Speaker 1: thousand three which were largely attributed to a special report 295 00:18:59,080 --> 00:19:03,439 Speaker 1: in the Guardian new paper about worker conditions, and it 296 00:19:03,520 --> 00:19:07,439 Speaker 1: was specifically conditions for female workers that make up a 297 00:19:07,480 --> 00:19:11,879 Speaker 1: bulk of that labor force. Yeah, the Guardian made public 298 00:19:11,920 --> 00:19:16,639 Speaker 1: concerns about chemical spraying, long working hours and harassment of 299 00:19:16,680 --> 00:19:20,760 Speaker 1: female workers who were working under male supervisors. And concerns 300 00:19:20,840 --> 00:19:25,080 Speaker 1: remain over wages today and whether the large flower companies 301 00:19:25,119 --> 00:19:28,200 Speaker 1: are paying their fair share of taxes. UM. But let's 302 00:19:28,200 --> 00:19:30,840 Speaker 1: look at two thousand nine as far as the lake 303 00:19:31,000 --> 00:19:34,359 Speaker 1: goes that supplies all of the water to these flower 304 00:19:34,400 --> 00:19:37,639 Speaker 1: farms in Kenya Um. In two thousand nine, a major 305 00:19:37,760 --> 00:19:39,919 Speaker 1: drought shrank the size of the lake two levels they 306 00:19:39,920 --> 00:19:43,119 Speaker 1: hadn't seen since the nineties. But that was then followed 307 00:19:43,160 --> 00:19:46,800 Speaker 1: by a major storm that washed sewage and possibly chemical 308 00:19:46,880 --> 00:19:50,480 Speaker 1: residue from the farms into the lake. So here you're 309 00:19:50,520 --> 00:19:52,639 Speaker 1: you're they're using all this water, but then all of 310 00:19:52,680 --> 00:19:56,000 Speaker 1: a sudden it's polluted, endangering all the ecosystems. And just 311 00:19:56,040 --> 00:20:00,040 Speaker 1: to give listeners an idea of how much like of 312 00:20:00,080 --> 00:20:03,760 Speaker 1: Russia has been affected not just because of the flower farming, 313 00:20:03,760 --> 00:20:06,320 Speaker 1: but also because of that drought in two thousand nine, 314 00:20:06,560 --> 00:20:11,600 Speaker 1: it has receded over one mile and Kenya is really 315 00:20:12,080 --> 00:20:18,399 Speaker 1: trying to revitalize that ecosystem while sustaining these flower farms, 316 00:20:18,400 --> 00:20:20,520 Speaker 1: which are so important. I want to say that the 317 00:20:20,560 --> 00:20:23,800 Speaker 1: floral industry is the fifth largest in Kenya. It's very 318 00:20:23,800 --> 00:20:28,399 Speaker 1: important for for their economy. And depending on what flower 319 00:20:28,480 --> 00:20:32,280 Speaker 1: farm you work at in Kenya you might have a 320 00:20:32,320 --> 00:20:36,200 Speaker 1: great situation. There are some farms that provide worker housing, 321 00:20:36,680 --> 00:20:41,840 Speaker 1: education for their children, playgrounds, UM benefits. UH, there are 322 00:20:41,840 --> 00:20:45,399 Speaker 1: some that are transitioning more to permanent employment instead of 323 00:20:45,480 --> 00:20:49,159 Speaker 1: using contract work, but that's obviously not true across the 324 00:20:49,200 --> 00:20:52,040 Speaker 1: board UM and so there's still a lot of concerns 325 00:20:52,080 --> 00:20:56,080 Speaker 1: about wages and fairness and UM female workers and the 326 00:20:56,080 --> 00:20:58,719 Speaker 1: things that they have to deal with. But UM the 327 00:20:58,800 --> 00:21:02,080 Speaker 1: environmental issues with the it has led a couple of 328 00:21:02,119 --> 00:21:05,840 Speaker 1: companies to start investing a lot of money and sustainability efforts, 329 00:21:05,880 --> 00:21:10,480 Speaker 1: and there's the company, Flamingo Homegrown UH does follow fair 330 00:21:10,520 --> 00:21:13,280 Speaker 1: trade standards UH and the company says that it has 331 00:21:13,280 --> 00:21:17,320 Speaker 1: slashed pesticide use, replaced contract positions with permanent ones like 332 00:21:17,359 --> 00:21:20,040 Speaker 1: I was just saying, and made efforts to actually train 333 00:21:20,119 --> 00:21:25,520 Speaker 1: and promote women's supervisors. But UM University of Lester ecologist 334 00:21:25,720 --> 00:21:30,280 Speaker 1: David Harper still has some concerns, and in February he 335 00:21:30,720 --> 00:21:34,199 Speaker 1: basically said that the UK's demand for fresh flowers was 336 00:21:34,320 --> 00:21:38,639 Speaker 1: bleeding Lake Naivasha dry, and he's urging the supermarkets that 337 00:21:38,680 --> 00:21:42,240 Speaker 1: are buying these flowers to take more responsibility by promoting 338 00:21:42,280 --> 00:21:45,800 Speaker 1: policies that would help conserve the lake's ecosystem. So he's 339 00:21:45,800 --> 00:21:47,880 Speaker 1: saying that the people who are selling you the flowers 340 00:21:47,920 --> 00:21:51,199 Speaker 1: in your own country need to be more responsible. Right, 341 00:21:51,280 --> 00:21:54,800 Speaker 1: people who are worried from the more environmental standpoint can 342 00:21:54,840 --> 00:21:59,199 Speaker 1: look out for flowers that are fair Trade certified, or 343 00:21:59,240 --> 00:22:03,080 Speaker 1: you can go local are and buy more native plants 344 00:22:03,080 --> 00:22:06,760 Speaker 1: that are native to your the ecosystems that you're living in. 345 00:22:07,080 --> 00:22:10,919 Speaker 1: Obviously you can buy plants from and flowers from local 346 00:22:10,960 --> 00:22:16,639 Speaker 1: greenhouses and other things like that. But let's let's turn 347 00:22:16,800 --> 00:22:20,119 Speaker 1: now to another part of the world in Columbia and 348 00:22:20,160 --> 00:22:23,600 Speaker 1: Ecuador have a very similar situation to the one in Kenya, 349 00:22:23,640 --> 00:22:27,680 Speaker 1: which is, like we said, the the environment, the growing 350 00:22:27,800 --> 00:22:31,840 Speaker 1: situation is perfect. It's on a it's on a savannah. 351 00:22:31,880 --> 00:22:35,760 Speaker 1: There's plenty of water and sunshine and constant temperatures. But 352 00:22:35,840 --> 00:22:41,440 Speaker 1: we've got the same issues with pollution, pesticides, female workers, 353 00:22:41,480 --> 00:22:44,000 Speaker 1: all of that. And I thought it was fascinating how 354 00:22:44,040 --> 00:22:48,440 Speaker 1: the Colombian floral trade got started. This is coming from 355 00:22:48,440 --> 00:22:52,119 Speaker 1: a report in the Smithsonian magazine, and it all began 356 00:22:52,440 --> 00:22:56,000 Speaker 1: because a guy named David Schiever wrote a term paper 357 00:22:56,040 --> 00:22:59,520 Speaker 1: in grad school in nineteen sixty seven suggesting that the 358 00:22:59,560 --> 00:23:02,800 Speaker 1: savanna near Bogatat was an ideal spot to grow flowers 359 00:23:02,800 --> 00:23:05,640 Speaker 1: to sell to the US because it had an excellent climate. 360 00:23:05,880 --> 00:23:09,280 Speaker 1: The flowers would take off, and they could apply assembly 361 00:23:09,320 --> 00:23:13,280 Speaker 1: lines and modern shipping practices to to get things going. 362 00:23:13,840 --> 00:23:19,720 Speaker 1: And boy, howdy was David Chiever right? Yeah? He he 363 00:23:19,800 --> 00:23:24,320 Speaker 1: and three partners started Flora America, which used assembly lines 364 00:23:24,359 --> 00:23:26,679 Speaker 1: and modern shipping. So right off the bat, they're like, 365 00:23:26,680 --> 00:23:29,720 Speaker 1: we're going to make the model tea of flowers, and 366 00:23:29,960 --> 00:23:32,879 Speaker 1: it really, it really took off, and now Columbia is 367 00:23:32,920 --> 00:23:36,760 Speaker 1: the second largest exporter of cut flowers behind only the Netherlands, 368 00:23:36,800 --> 00:23:40,760 Speaker 1: and it commands of the U S market, which you know, 369 00:23:41,000 --> 00:23:43,720 Speaker 1: or sixty five depending on where you're getting your where 370 00:23:43,760 --> 00:23:46,760 Speaker 1: you're getting your numbers between sixty five and seven. So 371 00:23:46,840 --> 00:23:51,239 Speaker 1: basically a lot lot flowers. Uh. And this employs more 372 00:23:51,280 --> 00:23:54,200 Speaker 1: than a hundred thousand people working in the greenhouses, and 373 00:23:54,240 --> 00:23:56,360 Speaker 1: the majority of folks who are trying to work there 374 00:23:56,400 --> 00:23:59,679 Speaker 1: have been women, many of whom are single mothers. And 375 00:23:59,680 --> 00:24:03,920 Speaker 1: this is where the you know, this issue of what 376 00:24:04,040 --> 00:24:07,800 Speaker 1: kind of female labor we are supporting when we're buying 377 00:24:07,800 --> 00:24:12,040 Speaker 1: all of these Valentine's Day Mother's Day flowers. Uh. Because 378 00:24:12,080 --> 00:24:15,879 Speaker 1: on the one hand, employment for single moms that sounds great, 379 00:24:16,480 --> 00:24:19,840 Speaker 1: it is needed. Economists have gone and said, hey, this 380 00:24:19,920 --> 00:24:23,439 Speaker 1: is a new form of job opportunities that would not 381 00:24:23,640 --> 00:24:28,400 Speaker 1: be there otherwise. Not necessarily a bad thing. But according 382 00:24:28,440 --> 00:24:31,560 Speaker 1: to the International Labor Rights Fund, the typical South American 383 00:24:31,640 --> 00:24:35,680 Speaker 1: flower picker um is unmarried, she's got an elementary school education, 384 00:24:35,760 --> 00:24:37,720 Speaker 1: and she has three or more children, and a lot 385 00:24:37,720 --> 00:24:41,560 Speaker 1: of times she's not making enough money to really support 386 00:24:41,600 --> 00:24:45,159 Speaker 1: herself and her family. Right women at the at the 387 00:24:45,160 --> 00:24:49,399 Speaker 1: farm MG consul tories were surveyed and they found that 388 00:24:49,520 --> 00:24:53,479 Speaker 1: most had previously worked on substance subsistence farms or as maids, 389 00:24:53,560 --> 00:24:56,439 Speaker 1: jobs that paid lower wages than in the flower industry. 390 00:24:56,480 --> 00:24:58,480 Speaker 1: But we have to ask, which is exactly the point 391 00:24:58,520 --> 00:25:02,840 Speaker 1: you raised, are these the right kind of jobs? Uh? 392 00:25:02,920 --> 00:25:06,280 Speaker 1: You know, it is wonderful that single mothers can have employment, 393 00:25:06,560 --> 00:25:09,879 Speaker 1: but if they're being exposed to pesticides and being hunched 394 00:25:09,920 --> 00:25:13,840 Speaker 1: over all day with the clippers, I mean, are we again, 395 00:25:13,880 --> 00:25:16,040 Speaker 1: It's it's kind of a toss up. They're getting employed, 396 00:25:16,080 --> 00:25:18,200 Speaker 1: they're getting paid, but it's putting their children in their 397 00:25:18,200 --> 00:25:21,119 Speaker 1: own health at risk. So for those sixty hour weeks 398 00:25:21,119 --> 00:25:25,040 Speaker 1: that they're working, um, in anticipation of Valentine's Day. Not 399 00:25:25,080 --> 00:25:28,280 Speaker 1: to be a total Valentine's Day down er, um, but 400 00:25:28,640 --> 00:25:32,800 Speaker 1: these women are making minimum wage. They're working obviously long hours, 401 00:25:32,880 --> 00:25:36,000 Speaker 1: and a lot of them will suffer repetitive stress injuries 402 00:25:36,200 --> 00:25:38,439 Speaker 1: with no treatment or time off, and if they do 403 00:25:38,560 --> 00:25:40,919 Speaker 1: try to get any kind of treatment, they will be 404 00:25:40,960 --> 00:25:45,000 Speaker 1: asked to not come up, come back. Um. And there 405 00:25:45,080 --> 00:25:48,520 Speaker 1: are also stories and this is from um that two 406 00:25:48,520 --> 00:25:51,840 Speaker 1: thousand three Guardian article that really raised alarm bells. And 407 00:25:51,840 --> 00:25:55,760 Speaker 1: things have gotten a little bit better. Um, But you know, 408 00:25:55,840 --> 00:25:59,679 Speaker 1: some women were saying that when inspections would happen to 409 00:25:59,680 --> 00:26:03,280 Speaker 1: make sure a working conditions were safe and equitable, the 410 00:26:03,720 --> 00:26:07,400 Speaker 1: supervisors would ask certain people to stay home so things 411 00:26:07,480 --> 00:26:12,040 Speaker 1: would would look more above board. Um. One of those 412 00:26:12,040 --> 00:26:15,040 Speaker 1: things that's not looking above board is that as recently 413 00:26:15,119 --> 00:26:18,880 Speaker 1: as the mid nineties, a Colombian sociologists found children as 414 00:26:18,880 --> 00:26:22,159 Speaker 1: young as nine working in the greenhouses on Saturdays, and 415 00:26:22,240 --> 00:26:26,000 Speaker 1: children eleven and up working forty six hour work weeks. 416 00:26:26,040 --> 00:26:29,680 Speaker 1: So it's not only um, you know, taking advantage of 417 00:26:30,080 --> 00:26:35,080 Speaker 1: women cheap labor from women, but also from children. Um. 418 00:26:35,119 --> 00:26:39,280 Speaker 1: But talking about that exposure to chemicals, UM, survey of 419 00:26:39,400 --> 00:26:41,960 Speaker 1: nine thousand flower workers found that they had been exposed 420 00:26:41,960 --> 00:26:45,560 Speaker 1: to as many as one hundred and twenty seven different chemicals, 421 00:26:45,640 --> 00:26:51,120 Speaker 1: mostly fungicides and pesticides. And this is echoed. The problems 422 00:26:51,160 --> 00:26:55,040 Speaker 1: that come from this have been echoed in several studies. Right, UM, 423 00:26:55,040 --> 00:26:59,320 Speaker 1: you might be thinking, oh, a one survey that's totally outdated. 424 00:26:59,400 --> 00:27:03,400 Speaker 1: Well here about how about this two thousand nine University 425 00:27:03,400 --> 00:27:06,439 Speaker 1: of Mexico study finding that women working in the flower 426 00:27:06,480 --> 00:27:10,560 Speaker 1: industry in Ecuador reported more pregnancy losses than among women 427 00:27:10,600 --> 00:27:16,119 Speaker 1: outside the industry, and the researchers linked that to the 428 00:27:16,200 --> 00:27:19,040 Speaker 1: need for an evaluation of the reproductive health effects of 429 00:27:19,080 --> 00:27:25,000 Speaker 1: employment in that specific industry linked to pesticide use. Right, yeah, 430 00:27:25,040 --> 00:27:28,000 Speaker 1: if you're going to have this population doing this work, 431 00:27:28,600 --> 00:27:30,760 Speaker 1: we should definitely take a look at how to make 432 00:27:30,800 --> 00:27:34,840 Speaker 1: it safer. Um At two thousand six study of female 433 00:27:34,840 --> 00:27:37,879 Speaker 1: flower workers in Ecuador. This was study. This study was 434 00:27:37,920 --> 00:27:41,439 Speaker 1: published in Pediatrics found that a pregnant woman's exposure to 435 00:27:41,480 --> 00:27:45,679 Speaker 1: pesticides was associated with the child's neurological impairment and higher 436 00:27:45,720 --> 00:27:48,080 Speaker 1: blood pressure later in life. And of course we know 437 00:27:48,160 --> 00:27:51,240 Speaker 1: that higher blood pressure can you know if if if 438 00:27:51,280 --> 00:27:55,879 Speaker 1: it stays, it can eventually lead to cardiovascular problems. And 439 00:27:55,920 --> 00:28:00,240 Speaker 1: in addition to uh, these kind of pesticide exposure ers 440 00:28:00,440 --> 00:28:04,760 Speaker 1: and those repetitive stress injuries, there were, according to the 441 00:28:04,760 --> 00:28:08,639 Speaker 1: Smithsonian magazine, also a lot of reports of sexual harassment 442 00:28:09,040 --> 00:28:12,920 Speaker 1: by male bosses. Um. But again, these are these are 443 00:28:12,960 --> 00:28:16,360 Speaker 1: issues that a lot of companies have tried to go 444 00:28:16,560 --> 00:28:22,000 Speaker 1: in and rectify, but largely because watchdog groups have been 445 00:28:22,080 --> 00:28:27,440 Speaker 1: formed to pay attention to these kind of working conditions, right, 446 00:28:27,520 --> 00:28:30,600 Speaker 1: And I mean as far as creating better work environments, 447 00:28:30,600 --> 00:28:32,600 Speaker 1: you know, we talked about several of the companies in 448 00:28:32,680 --> 00:28:37,520 Speaker 1: Kenya that are really seeking to be sustainable to help 449 00:28:37,560 --> 00:28:40,360 Speaker 1: their workers and the workers families. UM. According to that 450 00:28:40,400 --> 00:28:44,520 Speaker 1: Smithsonian article, the flower industry in Columbia created Floor Verde, 451 00:28:44,640 --> 00:28:49,080 Speaker 1: a voluntary certification program that requires participating farms to meet 452 00:28:49,160 --> 00:28:53,520 Speaker 1: targets for sustainable water use and follow internationally recognized safety 453 00:28:53,520 --> 00:28:58,000 Speaker 1: guidelines for chemical applications. So there are people really trying 454 00:28:58,080 --> 00:29:02,000 Speaker 1: to um improve the quality of their workers lives. And 455 00:29:02,040 --> 00:29:06,360 Speaker 1: going back to the situation in Kenya the Economist magazine 456 00:29:06,600 --> 00:29:10,280 Speaker 1: was talking about, but more the the the importance of 457 00:29:10,440 --> 00:29:13,880 Speaker 1: the floral industry and kind of an unstable economy over there, 458 00:29:14,360 --> 00:29:17,240 Speaker 1: and the report that the average monthly salary of eighty 459 00:29:17,240 --> 00:29:21,360 Speaker 1: dollars plus benefits is actually considered a good wage. UM. 460 00:29:22,160 --> 00:29:25,840 Speaker 1: So I guess that's why UM it was it was 461 00:29:26,000 --> 00:29:30,520 Speaker 1: challenging to weigh the pros and the cons of what's 462 00:29:30,560 --> 00:29:33,640 Speaker 1: going on in this industry, because whenever we trace back 463 00:29:33,640 --> 00:29:36,440 Speaker 1: a lot of the products that we take for granted, 464 00:29:36,440 --> 00:29:40,320 Speaker 1: these simple luxuries like a bouquet of flowers, a lot 465 00:29:40,360 --> 00:29:43,200 Speaker 1: of times it does trace back to people, um not 466 00:29:43,320 --> 00:29:47,160 Speaker 1: earning very much money. UH, And and that can be 467 00:29:47,400 --> 00:29:50,400 Speaker 1: I don't know, it's it's it's hard to justify in 468 00:29:50,440 --> 00:29:52,760 Speaker 1: your mind because you can contextualize it and say, well, 469 00:29:52,800 --> 00:29:55,720 Speaker 1: for those for those Kenyan women, that eighty dollars a 470 00:29:55,760 --> 00:29:59,840 Speaker 1: month is really great, But should we be pushing for 471 00:30:00,000 --> 00:30:04,720 Speaker 1: are somehow more for them? I don't know, higher wages 472 00:30:05,120 --> 00:30:11,040 Speaker 1: that are safety precautions, Um, yeah, taking more procross precautions, 473 00:30:11,080 --> 00:30:13,960 Speaker 1: excuse me, for pregnant women, right. And I think that's 474 00:30:13,960 --> 00:30:18,520 Speaker 1: why it's hardening to see that organizations like fair Trade 475 00:30:19,040 --> 00:30:22,480 Speaker 1: are going in they are, um, you know, you can 476 00:30:22,520 --> 00:30:26,160 Speaker 1: actually find those kind of certified bouquets or of course 477 00:30:26,200 --> 00:30:29,840 Speaker 1: if you want to, you can always go local and native. Yeah, 478 00:30:30,000 --> 00:30:34,960 Speaker 1: by by your your lovey dovy person a potted plant. Yeah. 479 00:30:35,000 --> 00:30:37,000 Speaker 1: Because the thing is, at the end of the day, 480 00:30:37,360 --> 00:30:43,640 Speaker 1: people like people who buy flowers. Now. Granted, this study 481 00:30:43,760 --> 00:30:47,080 Speaker 1: at Rutgers University in two thousand and six was funded 482 00:30:47,560 --> 00:30:53,000 Speaker 1: by the Society of American Florists. Okay, but they did 483 00:30:53,120 --> 00:30:57,040 Speaker 1: conclude that people perceive others based on the types of 484 00:30:57,080 --> 00:31:02,040 Speaker 1: gifts they give, and flower givers rose straight to the top. 485 00:31:02,520 --> 00:31:06,200 Speaker 1: We think of people who give flowers as making the 486 00:31:06,240 --> 00:31:10,200 Speaker 1: best impression, and they are considered more likable, friendly, and 487 00:31:10,360 --> 00:31:14,800 Speaker 1: emotionally intelligent. I love getting flowers. But it's funny because 488 00:31:14,960 --> 00:31:17,120 Speaker 1: apparently a lot of people out there think that guys 489 00:31:17,200 --> 00:31:20,920 Speaker 1: need help in this arena, because there are several everything 490 00:31:20,920 --> 00:31:24,800 Speaker 1: from flower websites, from from flower companies themselves over to 491 00:31:25,040 --> 00:31:27,920 Speaker 1: that website. The Art of Manliness, they've excited before, has 492 00:31:28,160 --> 00:31:30,080 Speaker 1: told you know, guys, you really you really need a 493 00:31:30,120 --> 00:31:32,600 Speaker 1: man up and buy some flowers for your lady. But 494 00:31:32,680 --> 00:31:37,320 Speaker 1: don't just buy carnations. You better buy some lily. Yeah, 495 00:31:37,360 --> 00:31:39,960 Speaker 1: And they suggest they do. They go over the meaning 496 00:31:40,000 --> 00:31:42,320 Speaker 1: of different flowers, and I think that it was the 497 00:31:42,400 --> 00:31:46,880 Speaker 1: Art of Manliness that suggested buying your lady friend one 498 00:31:46,920 --> 00:31:49,880 Speaker 1: of those manuals about the meaning of the Victorian manuals 499 00:31:49,920 --> 00:31:51,760 Speaker 1: on the meaning of flowers, making sure that you have 500 00:31:51,800 --> 00:31:53,320 Speaker 1: the same one because they weren't all the same. So 501 00:31:53,360 --> 00:31:55,040 Speaker 1: you don't want to offender and try to say that, 502 00:31:55,080 --> 00:31:57,960 Speaker 1: you know, like, oh, I think you're really dumb, but 503 00:31:58,120 --> 00:32:00,680 Speaker 1: you know, like I don't know what flower would symbol dumbness. 504 00:32:00,680 --> 00:32:02,520 Speaker 1: And he hands it to her upside down and oh, 505 00:32:02,640 --> 00:32:05,640 Speaker 1: gods in the bow is tied the wrong way, you know, 506 00:32:05,840 --> 00:32:07,800 Speaker 1: Just take take the pressure off and get her a 507 00:32:07,880 --> 00:32:11,760 Speaker 1: chia pet. Oh God, nothing says I love you like 508 00:32:11,800 --> 00:32:17,080 Speaker 1: a bearded potted plan exactly. That's what I say all 509 00:32:17,120 --> 00:32:20,000 Speaker 1: the time. I have that knitted on a pillow. In fact, 510 00:32:20,120 --> 00:32:24,440 Speaker 1: keep the expectations low, ladies, right, So, yeah, I want 511 00:32:24,480 --> 00:32:28,240 Speaker 1: to know who out there is getting flowers for someone 512 00:32:28,480 --> 00:32:31,320 Speaker 1: on Valentine's Day. And if you thought at all about 513 00:32:32,000 --> 00:32:35,960 Speaker 1: the big line of places that it has been, well, 514 00:32:36,000 --> 00:32:41,560 Speaker 1: I'm wondering now too, if we're accidentally dissuading people from 515 00:32:41,600 --> 00:32:45,720 Speaker 1: giving flowers to their beloved. Well, maybe they'll go to 516 00:32:45,880 --> 00:32:51,240 Speaker 1: a local florist, or maybe they'll make their own bouquet 517 00:32:51,280 --> 00:32:54,760 Speaker 1: out of construction vapor. Yeah, I don't know. Let's combine 518 00:32:54,800 --> 00:32:57,840 Speaker 1: the Martha Stewart podcast with this one. All you need 519 00:32:57,920 --> 00:33:11,440 Speaker 1: some dried macarony and and that's a good thing. So 520 00:33:11,680 --> 00:33:14,200 Speaker 1: hopefully you thought this podcast was a good thing, not 521 00:33:14,280 --> 00:33:18,400 Speaker 1: to be a total downer on Valentine's Day. Eve. Either way, 522 00:33:18,480 --> 00:33:21,840 Speaker 1: let us know your thoughts. Send us a Valentine how about? Yeah, 523 00:33:22,760 --> 00:33:25,920 Speaker 1: you know you can't send me flowers, I guess because 524 00:33:25,960 --> 00:33:28,479 Speaker 1: that might take too long, But you can send us 525 00:33:28,480 --> 00:33:33,000 Speaker 1: an E card. Mom stuff at Discovery dot com. Draw 526 00:33:33,080 --> 00:33:37,800 Speaker 1: us a flower in MS paint like that very high tech. 527 00:33:38,480 --> 00:33:43,720 Speaker 1: You can send it to Mom's Stuff at Discovery dot com. 528 00:33:43,760 --> 00:33:47,800 Speaker 1: I repeat moms Stuff at Discovery dot com. I will 529 00:33:47,800 --> 00:33:52,040 Speaker 1: be awaiting your MS paint roses. Yes, and we would 530 00:33:52,040 --> 00:33:55,640 Speaker 1: like a guide of what each m S paint flower 531 00:33:55,720 --> 00:33:59,680 Speaker 1: you have drawn means. Yes, hopefully it is all love 532 00:33:59,800 --> 00:34:05,000 Speaker 1: and and dear man. Yeah, at least wait until after Balandia. 533 00:34:05,880 --> 00:34:09,880 Speaker 1: So I've got an email here to read from Tina, 534 00:34:10,040 --> 00:34:13,040 Speaker 1: And this is in response to our episode on gender 535 00:34:13,160 --> 00:34:18,960 Speaker 1: differences in exercise. And Tina is a soccer player, an 536 00:34:18,960 --> 00:34:22,520 Speaker 1: avid soccer player, and she brought up something that we 537 00:34:22,560 --> 00:34:25,279 Speaker 1: came across in our research for that podcast but did 538 00:34:25,320 --> 00:34:30,719 Speaker 1: not end up mentioning. In that episode, she writes, I 539 00:34:30,719 --> 00:34:33,000 Speaker 1: can speak for the sport I know best, which is soccer. 540 00:34:33,320 --> 00:34:35,719 Speaker 1: And after recently tearing my A c L and having 541 00:34:35,760 --> 00:34:39,560 Speaker 1: to undergo surgical reconstruction, I learned a lot about how 542 00:34:39,600 --> 00:34:43,480 Speaker 1: being a lady played into my injury. My surgeon told 543 00:34:43,480 --> 00:34:45,759 Speaker 1: me that women are actually up to eight times more 544 00:34:45,840 --> 00:34:48,360 Speaker 1: likely to tear their A c L in sport because 545 00:34:48,360 --> 00:34:52,040 Speaker 1: of our biomechanics and weight distribution. Men tend to have 546 00:34:52,160 --> 00:34:54,719 Speaker 1: stronger upper bodies, while women tend to carry their weight 547 00:34:54,719 --> 00:34:57,080 Speaker 1: in the hip and thigh region, and this means that 548 00:34:57,120 --> 00:34:59,719 Speaker 1: when a woman pivots or twists on her feet during 549 00:34:59,719 --> 00:35:02,799 Speaker 1: a there's a lot more torque in the ligaments on 550 00:35:02,800 --> 00:35:05,760 Speaker 1: the knee. This extra tension is what causes female soccer 551 00:35:05,760 --> 00:35:08,560 Speaker 1: players to have more ligament injuries. And I guess I'm 552 00:35:08,600 --> 00:35:11,080 Speaker 1: a living example of this. Because of this fact, my 553 00:35:11,120 --> 00:35:14,440 Speaker 1: physiotherapist has told me that most female varsity teams at 554 00:35:14,480 --> 00:35:17,440 Speaker 1: my university undergo some form of a seal and injury 555 00:35:17,480 --> 00:35:21,480 Speaker 1: prevention training sessions to build up certain stabilizing muscles in 556 00:35:21,560 --> 00:35:26,320 Speaker 1: their legs to counteract the torque on their ligaments. Ladies, 557 00:35:26,360 --> 00:35:31,000 Speaker 1: got torque? That sounds so bad? Put that on a pillow. Uh. 558 00:35:31,040 --> 00:35:33,920 Speaker 1: This this is from Janna. The subject line I'll let 559 00:35:33,920 --> 00:35:38,640 Speaker 1: it speak for itself. This Jim gender pandemonium. She says, 560 00:35:38,760 --> 00:35:41,960 Speaker 1: I'm a student at Memorial University in Newfoundland, Canada, and 561 00:35:42,000 --> 00:35:44,439 Speaker 1: we've had a bit of crisis on our hands up here. 562 00:35:44,480 --> 00:35:47,120 Speaker 1: As students. We all have access to the gym on campus, 563 00:35:47,160 --> 00:35:50,120 Speaker 1: which has a specific freeweights room that is often crowded 564 00:35:50,120 --> 00:35:53,160 Speaker 1: by many guys. Well, a decision was made by the 565 00:35:53,200 --> 00:35:55,399 Speaker 1: gym to promote more females to get into this kind 566 00:35:55,400 --> 00:35:57,799 Speaker 1: of muscle toning workout, and so the gym began to 567 00:35:57,840 --> 00:36:01,480 Speaker 1: offer female only hours on on peaked times. Oh sure, 568 00:36:01,600 --> 00:36:05,240 Speaker 1: non peaked times. Well, it has been an uproar, she says. 569 00:36:05,680 --> 00:36:08,040 Speaker 1: I thought it was funny and even laugh loudly when 570 00:36:08,040 --> 00:36:09,879 Speaker 1: you said that boys are more upset when they miss 571 00:36:09,920 --> 00:36:13,640 Speaker 1: their workouts. Because it has been crazy, guys have written 572 00:36:13,640 --> 00:36:17,760 Speaker 1: our campus newspaper started a Facebook group in protest, calling 573 00:36:17,760 --> 00:36:21,799 Speaker 1: this an act of reverse sexism. Now, mind you, they 574 00:36:21,800 --> 00:36:24,480 Speaker 1: still have ninety two hours a week to have access 575 00:36:24,520 --> 00:36:27,440 Speaker 1: to the room. I think they are being kind of silly, 576 00:36:27,480 --> 00:36:31,399 Speaker 1: but each to their own I guess, I guess Jenna. Yeah, 577 00:36:31,400 --> 00:36:33,919 Speaker 1: I asked Jenna to keep us informed to see whether 578 00:36:34,000 --> 00:36:39,400 Speaker 1: or not the school caves to the Jinder Jim Gender pandemonium, 579 00:36:40,640 --> 00:36:44,960 Speaker 1: Jim Jim Boree pandemonium. I just picture these people running 580 00:36:44,960 --> 00:36:47,160 Speaker 1: around the gym with their hands in the air like, yeah, 581 00:36:47,280 --> 00:36:50,239 Speaker 1: I'm thinking of a dance marathon now. So on that 582 00:36:50,360 --> 00:36:54,399 Speaker 1: note again, our email addresses mom stuff at Discovery dot com. 583 00:36:54,440 --> 00:36:57,440 Speaker 1: If you have a letter or valentine to send our way, 584 00:36:57,920 --> 00:37:01,120 Speaker 1: or you can send us a Valentine up on the Facebooks. 585 00:37:01,560 --> 00:37:04,080 Speaker 1: We'd like that. Why don't you send us a Valentine 586 00:37:04,080 --> 00:37:06,520 Speaker 1: by liking us? That would be the best Valentine's present 587 00:37:06,560 --> 00:37:10,600 Speaker 1: you could possibly give to me and Caroline. We would 588 00:37:10,640 --> 00:37:13,480 Speaker 1: love you for that. And you can also follow us 589 00:37:13,480 --> 00:37:16,680 Speaker 1: on Twitter at Mom's Stuff Podcast, and you can check 590 00:37:16,680 --> 00:37:19,120 Speaker 1: out the blog during the week. It is at how 591 00:37:19,280 --> 00:37:25,480 Speaker 1: stuff works dot com. Be sure to check out our 592 00:37:25,480 --> 00:37:28,880 Speaker 1: new video podcast, Stuff from the Future. Join how Stuff 593 00:37:28,880 --> 00:37:31,799 Speaker 1: Work staff as we explore the most promising and perplexing 594 00:37:31,880 --> 00:37:35,560 Speaker 1: possibilities of tomorrow. The How Stuff Works iPhone app has 595 00:37:35,600 --> 00:37:40,320 Speaker 1: a ride. Download it today on iTunes.