Future consciousness

I have always thought of myself as an optimistic person; alike, I have been told by family members and friends that I am, indeed a positive person. When I envision the future, I think about what kind of career I will have and where I will raise a family. Within these visions, I picture a green earth and a continuous upraise in technology. However, there are improvements in my daily life I could make in order for my vision of the future to come true; such as recycling, using sustainable products, cutting down on water, electrical, heat usage, etc. My beliefs that guide me to have a positive future is my faith, my ability to know that even as one, small person, I can make a difference, and that by my word-of-mouth and way of living I can help change the world.

A barrier that I face when envisioning a great future is my over-consumption. I love to purchase new clothes and new technology, even when I do not need these items. As Limited Consumption: Toward a Sustainable Culture explains, “we are encouraged to consume at every turn by the advertising industry” (Durning, 12). This is SO true; we are constantly being told we need the ‘next big thing’ and if we do not have it, we are not good enough. Another great note that Durning makes is, “Consumption becomes a treadmill with people judging their status by who’s ahead of them and who’s behind.” I love this because it is so true for me. I tell myself that the new clothes are for me and my own benefits, but I never mind ‘fitting in’ with the fashionistas. However, buying new clothes is not the problem; it is buying unsustainable fibers and purchasing from companies that practice un-environmentally friendly production.

As an optimistic, I do believe I have a future consciousness. I have love for our future generations, especially those family members I leave behind. I want them to grow up in a prospering world, not a deteriorating one. I have great hope for our future and I look forward to spreading that anticipation with others, especially those that tend to think more negatively. As Seligman explains in Thinking Ahead, “the emotional state of depression is primarily due to pessimistic thinking. Each mode of thinking tends to reinforce the behavior that leads to the very results that are anticipated.  If you expect to fail, you probably will. And those pessimistic habits of thought can be changed through relearning, education, and training.” So, there is hope! I plan to engage my fellow generation through excitement and enthusiasm at about the future, and also realistic views of what the future could be if we all do our part. Recycling is not difficult; it simply takes a little extra effort each day. Aside from the people doing their part, the community can also chip in by making recycling bins easier to access. However, recycling is only a small sector in the part to make our world a better place. There is so much more!

Durning, Alan (1991). Limiting Consumption: Toward a Sustainable Culture. The Futurist. 10-15

Lombardo, Tom (2006). Thinking Ahead: The Value of Future Consciousness. The Futurist. 45-50

"Cotton, the fabric of our lives"

Cotton is the most widely produced and used fiber in the world, alongside polyester. Because of this known fact, studying the harsh impacts of cotton cultivation and production is of tremendous importance. Cotton cultivation has two main environmental impacts: water usage and high pesticide use.

In order to farm cotton, a massive amount of water is used; rainfall is ideal for watering the crops, however more often than not, rainfall does not give enough water for cotton to grow. Due to this, “irrigation is used by 53% of the world cotton fields,” as the Sustainability of Cotton explains.  To put it in the perspective, the cultivation of cotton uses “10,000 -17,000 liters of water just to produce 1 kg of cotton lint.” Sustainability of Cotton goes on to explain that “cotton cultivation accounts for 1-6% of the world’s total freshwater withdrawal,” which is substantial. Although, there are alternatives like drip irrigation which reduces the amount of water used immensely.

Fertilizer is another aspect of cotton cultivation that impacts the environment. Manure is usually used in order to reduce the use of harmful chemicals, although there are negatives about the use of animal manure too. Along with this is pesticide use, which is extremely damaging to not only the ozone, but humans. The Sustainability of Cotton tells, “it has been estimated that at the global level annually 40,000 lives are lost due to pesticide application.” One of the most surprising and frightening implications of cotton cultivation is genetic modification. The Sustainability of Cotton notifies that “60-100% higher incidence of various disease symptoms (fatigue, eye irritation, throat irritation, and diarrhea) for humans living or working near sprayed cotton fields relative to the comparison group.” It goes on to tell, “In the USA, a 1987 National Cancer Institute Study found a nearly 7-fold higher risk of leukemia for children whose parents used pesticides in their homes or gardens” (Lotus, 2004). Pesticides used in cotton cultivation can also kill birds and fish. An upside to this, is that organic cotton does not use these pesticides, therefore the problem can be completely eliminated.

Cotton cultivation also causes deforestation. The Sustainability of Cotton states, “the major consequences of deforestation are loss of biodiversity, soil erosion, and contributions to the greenhouse effect.” Therefore, land clearing is not directly related to cotton farming.

The three types of cotton cultivation include: conventional, Integrated Pest Management (IPM), and organic. The question is, are any completely sustainable for producing cotton? Conventional cotton farming accounts for 80% of the world’s cotton farming. Of this, China, United States, and India are the main cotton farming countries. IPM accounts for a much less amount – 20%. To better explain IPM the Food and Agriculture Organization define it as: ‘A site-specific strategy for managing insect, weed, disease and other pests in the most cost effective, environmentally sound and socially acceptable way’. And organic farming accounts for a ungenerous 4% of the world’s cotton farming. However, the organic cultivation covers only agriculture land. Turkey and the United States account for the majority of organic cotton cultivation.

The primary indicators of cotton cultivation include: salinistaion and erosion, water depletion, deforestation, eutrophication, wildlife contamination, human health defects, and inhabitants through contamination.  When comparing a type of cotton cultivation one should look at the amount and type of pesticide use – which makes organic look ideal. Because organic still causes environmental issues, no form of cotton cultivation is sustainable. However, there are ways to decrease these impacts. Focusing on the management system helps us identify the ideal cultivation process.

Fiber traceability and its' importance

            The environment is impacted greatly by the apparel industry, mostly negatively. However, the apparel and textile industry is not all bad; it is one of the largest growing and changing industries in the world. As a designer, though, many factors need to be considered when choosing what items come in to the store. Factors to be considered relating to the environment include: the amount of greenhouse emissions that are polluting the air due to the production, how much water is used in the production process, can the item be recycled or is it biodegradable, how much energy is used during production, are there use of toxic-pesticides, and more. Those people associated with the textile and apparel industry must take these considerations in to account because the effect on the environment can be very damaging. As the Sustainable Fashion and Textiles book explains the pros and cons of a few natural fibers verse manufactured products.

            Natural fibers, like wool for example have many great attributes, however, despite popular belief, this fiber is not perfect. Wool is biodegradable, because it is made from materials like corn starch, therefore it will not end up in a landfill. Although, there is a downside to wool; farmers use a pesticide on sheep and that pesticide is extremely dangerous to the environment. While, there are alternatives, industries can insist on buying from factories with strict treatment protocols, which expel is use of pesticides. Silk has many of the same implications as wool. Another “great” natural fiber is cotton; cotton seems “great” because it is pure and comes from the earth. However this idea is very wrong; cotton, as the Sustainable Fashion and Textiles book explains, “reduces soil fertility, pollutes water, has pesticide-related problems including resistance, and causes severe health problems relating to exposure to acutely toxic pesticides” (Fletcher, 8). Due to the immense negative impacts on the environment by cotton, individuals in the textile and apparel industry have looked in to organic cotton and hemp for cotton alternatives. If consumers switch to organic cotton the “overall toxicity is reduced by [a massive] 93%” (Fletcher, 19).Nonetheless, there is a catch; there is a limited supply of organic cotton and the production process is slower and more costly than that of regular cultivated cotton.

            When looking at manufactured fibers, the same basic problems are brought up, biodegradability, water, and pesticide intensive, and the use of petrochemicals. Polyester is constantly brought up as a great alternative for cotton, however, although it is not water intensive, like cotton, it uses a massive amount of energy to produce, nearly twice the amount to be exact. An alternative is using fabrics that lack catalytic agents. Other manufactured textiles that damage the environment are nylon, viscose, and acrylic, which all release greenhouse gases into the air.

            So, as you can see, all fibers have pros and very bad cons, so choosing just one is difficult. Sustainable Fashion and Textile intelligently notes, that we, as textile consumers need to “focus on product lifecycles, which include cultivation, production, manufacturing, distribution, consumer laundering, reuse and final disposal” (Fletcher, 5). Further on, increases overall awareness of the fiber like where it came from, and how exactly it was made and needs to be cared for is very important information for not only the manufacturers, but also the retailers and even end consumers. Charline Ducas stresses the importance of, what she calls, “traceability”, which has the same idea.

            So, in conclusion, looking at a product in ‘tunnel vision’ has damaging consequences on not only you, as a designer, but on the environment as a whole. We, as fashion innovators must think about all aspects of an apparel item, from even before it is cultivated to how it gets to the store.

Fletcher, Kate (2008). Material Diversity. Sustainable Fashion and Textiles, 1-38.