It may not seem like that cute dress you wore out last night has
anything to do with the ecological status of the world. But considering
that a whopping 12 million tons of textile waste is generated in North
America every year, that throwaway pile sitting in the bottom of your
closet really does matter. Those designer jeans that make your butt
look awesome? One pair requires one pound of chemical fertilizers
and pesticides. You’ve probably got a few pairs of jeans, and so do your
friends -- count 'em all up, and we’ve created a huge footprint with our
daily fashion.
Most of our clothes are sprayed with known cancer-causing agents
(yep, we said it), to give us the “benefits” of anti-wrinkle,
anti-flame, and anti-odor. And the processes of harsh dyeing, chemically
enhancing, and cheapening textile manufacturing have already caused
environmental damage in places with unregulated industry practices, high
poverty rates, and mass exploitation of natural resources and labor
laws.
And all the while, the fashion industry is convincing us that they make the world more beautiful.
To learn more, check out the links below and join the {r}evolution.
