One Small Step for Mankind, One Giant Leap for Our Environment

      The solutions set out by Fashioning Sustainability, a report informing readers on the environmental issues and solutions to these issues surrounding the apparel industry, can and will make a difference in today’s society if society in fact listens and acts accordingly. Simple, small and easy movements to become more sustainable stated in the reading such as recycling fibers, making educated decisions on washing and drying our clothes, and even just raising awareness to others will help our environment tremendously. The solutions set out by the Fashioning Sustainability article can bring about a significant amount of change. Any step towards becoming more sustainable is a step in the right direction. The first step is awareness and then solution finding. This article has both of these imperative elements that can and will change the apparel industry and even our world to bring about a more sustainable future. 

      When comparing the ESMA “promising solutions” to the solutions stated in the Fashioning Sustainability, the solutions in the ESMA are much more in depth and seem to have been researched a little further to ensure sustainability for our society. Those solutions in Fashioning Sustainability however, will help but are not as extensive as those set out in the ESMA. Though less extensive, the small steps in Fashioning Sustainability can turn into giant steps. Giant steps can then turn into a more sustainable world all together. Consumers just need to become more educated which is the prime object of this article. Once informed, the consumers can then make their own educated decisions on how to benefit our environment. The solutions outlined in both articles, no matter their strength, will help educate readers who will then in turn help our mother earth to see a better future.

      It was stated in the Fashioning Sustainability article as well as the ESMA article that our industry needs to become more transparent. To know company’s standards and motives and to be aware of those company’s standards is to become transparent. This way, consumers can make educated decisions on where to buy their clothes from and can even give them input on how to become a better, more environmentally just company. Becoming more educated on company’s standards is a way that consumers are becoming more aware and are able to change their actions to better our world.

      Increasing water efficiency is another solution Fashion Sustainability has provided that is also in sync with the goals of the ESMA. Because cotton, the most widely used fiber in the apparel world, is always thirsting for water, farmers growing cotton could use some insight on how to regulate and become more water efficient. Stated in the Fashioning Sustainability article, the Aral Sea in Asia is becoming eradicated because of insufficient use of water in cotton production. By investing in science and technology to help become more efficient with our water in agriculture, this is another way that the ESMA agrees we can become more resourceful. Once educated on how to become more water efficient, farmers can have much more sustainable cotton. Again, this is another easy step to be utilized to foresee a better future.
    
      Once societies across the globe become educated, their small and simple actions will prove to be giant for our environment. If everyone was to do their part one small bit at a time, our world would be insured to see a more positive future for it’s environment. Even by choosing to wear an organic t-shirt over a conventionally made t-shirt can make a world of difference.

      The article, Pricing Environmental Impacts: Tale of Two T-shirts, outlines the costs incurred when producing an organic t-shirt versus a conventionally made t-shirt. Cutting costs anywhere possible while making a t-shirt is a smart and sustainable idea. If it is more cost effective as well as better for the environment, why not? It seems silly, in my opinion, that anyone would think to do anything else. Though the total costs were not completely accurate due to complications and difficulty deciding what to take into account, the organic t-shirt was more cost effective. A few cents and dollars saved here and there can make a big difference. If more people thought to be cost effective in small doses, the world would be a much different, more sustainable place. Doing your part, one small step at a time, like wearing an organic t-shirt will make this challenge to become more sustainable less overwhelming and seem much more attainable. I believe some people do not do their part to become more sustainable because they do not think their small actions will do anything of importance to our environment. This is simply not true. Their small actions will go a long way; and, as stated before, if more people had this mind set, our world would be a better place. 

      Small steps everywhere can make a huge difference. Saving money in making an organic t-shirt and taking small steps to become more sustainable will prove to be more effective than we think if societies around the world will do their part. It does not matter the size of the action, as long as some action is being taken; our world will benefit no matter what. The three articles read this week support and appreciate the small steps that are being taken. I think we can all agree that one small step for mankind can be one giant leap for our environment.

Caution: Damage done IS permanent

      It is no surprise that environments on planet earth are suffering greatly today. The damages done to our planet thus far are irreversible and are slowly depleting our home one day at a time. Some damages done to our earth include: using our resources faster than we can replenish them, not recycling, greenhouse gas emissions from our cars, and harmful chemicals used in everyday products. Due to the lack of knowledge and compassion for most, earth’s inhabitants have been and are still today ruining the place we call home. Some still do not believe what we do on this earth is causing any harm to it. The environmental crises we see today are repetitions of past discrepancies because of the lack of knowledge and are proving to be irreversible.

      As proven in A New Green History of the World, a text describing the interesting history of Easter Island, the island gives us evidence from centuries ago relaying that those who did not flourish on Easter Island caused irreversible damage. Permanent damage is still being done to this day on each of our world's nations. The article also reads that those who do not take care of their land will not and cannot flourish. The text states, “The history of Easter Island is not one of lost civilisations and esoteric knowledge. Rather it is a striking example of the dependence of human societies on their environment and of the consequences of irreversibly damaging the environment.” Clearly, the author is stating that our actions against the environment are harmful and permanent. The text dates back to the seventeen hundreds; therefore, proving that these crises are permanent since a considerable amount of time has passed and few improvements have been made. In today’s society, actions from the past are being repeated and earth’s inhabitants are not being clearly informed of the repercussions of their detrimental actions on our earth.

      Though it is evident that these crises are abundant, some are still having a hard time believing whether or not the crises are in fact true and causing permanent damage. For example, Tom Deweese, a reporter who wrote an online article believes for certain we should not be worried about our actions. In his article, There is NO Man-Made Global Warming, he argues, “School children have been told that recycling is a matter of life and death. Businesses have been shut down. Valuable products like Freon have been removed from the market. Chemicals and pesticides that helped to make this nation the safest and healthiest in the world are targeted for extinction. Our entire nation is being restructured to fit the proper green mold. All of it for a lie about something man has nothing to do with.” Though he believes man has nothing to do with it, his radical beliefs are the ones that are causing such harm to our nation. His words spread like a disease within societies and no improvements are being made because of them. These damages may not be reversible but much needs to be done in order to stop such harm.

      Little hope for fixing the earth's envirornmental problems are being seen by green exhibitionists. The text, Ecosystems and Human Well-Being reads, “There is no simple fix to these problems since they arise from the interaction of many recognized challenges, including climate change, biodiversity loss, and land degradation, each of which is complex to address in its own right. Past actions to slow or reverse the degradation of ecosystems have yielded significant benefits…”. Not much can be done to reverse these side effects besides stopping our harmful measures altogether. Texts and evidence in our society today support this issue: it is clear that our actions are and will be irreversible on our earth.