Fashion ADHD

We live in a world where resources are easily at our disposal.  This has created many advantages for consumers and many disadvantages for the environment.  My design concept this week is targeted towards the group of over consumers.  Over consumers have a bottomless appetite for resources that cannot be satisfied.  The potential environmental implications that can result from their abuse of resources is far from their concern.  The apparel and textile industry have aided in the adoption of over consumption by making ‘fast fashions’ easily accessible and affordable.  Over consumers prefer quantity over quality.  I’m guilty of over consuming, a $10 shirt from Forever 21 sounds more appealing than spending $80 on a shirt that’s of higher in quality.  Fashion changes day by day and as a result many consumers are constantly on a quest to reinvent their styles.  Fast Fashions enable over consumers to purchase the latest fashions at a more affordable price.  However, what inevitably ends up happening is a consumers grows tired of the product then improperly disposes of it to go out and buy a new product that fulfills their latest style desires. I like to refer to this unsustainable cycle as fashion ADHD.  

My design concept is a solution that prescribes a sustainable antidotes to combat the effects of fashion ADHD.  In the reading Design Activism: Beautiful Strangeness for a Sustainable World, sustainability is described as learning how to live well, but consuming less.  Sustainability is constructed of many layers that include social, political, cultural, economic, and ethical aspects.  In order for designers, retailers, and manufacturers to become design activist they must intertwine the different aspects to formulate one sustainable strategy.  The concept of my design allows clothing to be loaded into a printer using water based flexo ink to print patterns and designs on clothing.  It would look similar to a computer printer, but much bigger in size.  Retailers and designers would place the printers in local retail stores.  When purchasing a product the consumer would select a design and/or pattern.  Once the design is selected the item is fed into the printer which then transfers the graphic onto the item.  The printer’s ink would not be permanent and after washing the item multiple times the graphic would eventually disappear.  Once the graphic disappears the consumer could go online to the retailers website to view the retailers library of patterns and designs.  After a pattern is selected the consumer would bring the original item to the store and a sales associate would then feed the item into the printer.  The intent of this design concept is to provide consumers with more sustainable options to easily reinvent their styles.  This would increase the lifecycle's of clothing because it would provide consumers with the ability to easily change the appearance of clothing.  The fashion urges of consumers would be fulfilled and as a result, the overall consumption of ‘fast fashions’ would greatly be reduced.  The amount of water that’s usually consumed during the dyeing and production process would also significantly be reduced.  By eliminating the dyeing process workers as well as consumers would no longer be exposed to the harmful chemicals and additives that are commonly found in dyes. 

Example of the retailer's online pattern library

This design concept applies a similar method of design activism that’s described in Design Activism: Beautiful Strangeness for a Sustainable World.  The ‘halfway‘ products that are described allow consumers to take part in the design process.  “In a halfway product, the designer/maker/manufacture only takes the product so far, leaving a space for the user to complete the making.”   As a result, consumers will feel more connected to their products knowing that they took part in the creation process.  Similar to ‘halfway’ products, my design concept would also integrate consumers into the design process of products.  By applying my design concept consumers will feel more emotionally connected to their products as well as to the designer and/or retailer that produces them.  Longterm relationships between consumers and retailers would evolve in the application of my design concept.  Retailer's would be more likely to increase the awareness of consumers, seeing that the customer loyalty is more prevalent.  Retailer's would introduce their customers to this design concept by placing a brief description on tags of clothing.  Retailer's could also advertise this new design concept on the company’s website by featuring an extensive pattern library that adequately showcases their product offerings.  Ultimately, retailers could use this design concept to stress the importance of mindful resource consumption and sustainable production.

In closing, before taking this course I never took into account how my actions could potentially impact the environment.  Needless to say the concept of sustainability was far from my mind.  The most important thing that I learned from this course is the detrimental implications that are forced onto the environment due to the carless practices of the apparel and textile industry.  I intend to integrate this knowledge into my patterns of consumption.  I am defiantly more hesitant to buy clothing that contains certain fibers and I’ve become a staunch advocate concerning the legalization of hemp. I would like to learn more about the battle of legalizing hemp because I found this debate to be extremely compelling.  I’m absolutely certain that if more consumers had a greater awareness of the advantages of hemp it would help in diminishing the negative stigmas that are commonly associated with the fiber.  This course has taught me that sustainability is not merely just a practice or concept, it’s a lifestyle choice that’s imperative for survival and future development.

COMPOST- NOT AS SMELLY AS YOU WOULD THINK!

What are some of the first words that enter your mind when you hear the word COMPOST?  In the past, whenever I heard the word compost, I would commonly associate it with two adjectives, smelly and dirty.  Countless individual’s, including myself, have several misconceptions regarding the process as well as the benefits of compositing.  The amount of waste generated by humans has rapidly increased due to our resource heavy appetites.  Often times, waste is not properly disposed, inevitably ending up in landfills.  Using the methods of composting, provides a solution to improper waste disposal by incorporating the Cradle to Cradle concept of waste=food.  When composted, products constructed 

from natural fibers and materials are transformed into biological nutrients that nourish and replenish our environment.  

This week, I was inspired by the Cradle to Cradle concept that focuses on biological nutrients.  In order, for a product to fall into the biological nutrient category, it can only be constructed from materials that can be recycled back into nature.  Biological nutrients do not impact the environment negatively.  Unlike technical nutrients, biological nutrients enrich the nature of our environment.  Products constructed from natural materials that can easily be composted is the focus of my design concept this week.  In the article, C2CAD: a sustainable apparel design and production model, the author Gam describes four steps that can be used to effectively integrate the framework of the cradle to cradle model into the practices of production.  The four steps include, problem definition and research, sample making, solution development and collaboration and production.  After reading the assigned articles, it became very apparent to me that mixing technical and biological nutrients complicates the disposal process, inevitably making it more energy intensive.  Products containing biological and technical nutrients must undergo the separation process to ensure each material is properly disposed.  In my opinion, the separation process is labor intensive and it’s very unlikely retailers, manufacturers, and designers will actually follow through with this process.  

The concept that I designed reiterates Gam’s first step which is focuses on problem definition and research.  Many of the problems and frustrations of retailers and designers could be completely avoided by putting forth the effort to avoid mixing biological and technical nutrients.  In the application of my design concept, products would be constructed solely from biological nutrients or technical nutrients, not a mixture of both.  After clothing has reached the end of its lifecycle, consumers would compost the products made from biological nutrients and products made from technical nutrients would be sent back to retailers to reuse.  The following example helps illustrate the foundation of my design concept.   To apply my design concept, a designer would first need to determine if she would use biological nutrients or technical nutrients to construct her envisioned design.  In this scenario the designer chooses the more natural route, biological nutrients.  To construct her envisioned design, a dainty collared button-down blouse, she selects fabric that’s made from organic cotton and uses this fabric as the basis of her design.  To assemble the different panels of the shirt the designer uses thread that’s biodegradable.  The next step of my design concept is influenced by Gam’s collaboration approach and by the ethical and sustainable production methods discussed in the article, Textile futures: Fashion, design, and technology.  After the shirt is fully assembled, it’s transferred to sustainable manufacturer, who would then dye and add the trimmings to the shirt.  The manufacturers would use only natural dyes, similar to the dyes discussed in the article by Gam.  Once the shirt is dyed, the trimmings are added by the manufacturers to the shirt.  The buttons and/or trimmings are unlike the typical plastic buttons that are usually found on shirts.  The buttons are made from biodegradable materials, such as corn.  By using only biological nutrients, such as  organic cotton and biodegradable thread and buttons, eases the disposal process for consumers as well as the apparel and textile industry. 

Biodegradable button from the website-http://www.hktdc.com/suppliers-products/Biodegradable-button/en/1X0669UF/1290474

         My design concept reflects many of the design aspects discussed in the articles by Gam and Quinn.  Quinn stresses the importance of taking a more innovative approach that rethinks and reinvents new ways to reuse textiles.  The points made by Quinn inspired the versatility of my design concept.  The congruence of materials and the four-season sustainability methodology, are two aspects Gam strongly emphasized throughout the article.  Ultimately Gam’s ideas helped me form the basis of my design concept that revolved mostly around the composition of materials purely constructed from either biological nutrients or technical nutrients.

One man's trash is another man's treasure

My sister was an extremely picky eater as a child and this made the majority of our meals as a family extremely unpleasant.  Every night the same scenario would repeat itself, my sister would hate the meal and refuse to eat it and my mother would become extremely irritated.  The stubborn nature of both my mother and sister often caused the two to engage in nightly dinner stand-offs that could last for hours.  Usually after an hour my mom would realize this was a battle that she could not win and eventually dismiss my sister from the dinner table.  My mother would make her way to the kitchen sink to wash the full plate of food and in disgust she would look over at my sister and say, “you know kids in China are starving and would love to eat this!”  The idea of my sister wasting food truly irritated my mother.  However, if you were to ask the opinion of a manufacturer that utilized the cradle to cradle system of design I’m certain you would get  a completely different response.

Cradle to cradle design is a production process where the concept of waste doesn’t exist.  In the cradle to cradle production process every resource and material is fully utilized by manufacturers and producers.  Each product is designed with the intent to provide the planet with some form of nourishment.  In the very beginning of the production process the manufacturer and/or producer determines each products fundamental purpose.  Products have more than just a functional purpose, rather products are designed to feed the earth’s biological or technical metabolism.  The concept of my design is based on the technical cycle of the cradle to cradle model.  The technical cycle is a closed loop system where materials are circulated and reused.  Materials are designed to be products of service that can be enjoyed by a variety of consumers.

The eco-leasing and “rent-a-solvent” concepts described by McDonough and Braungart helped me form the basis of my design concept.  My concept incorporates the technical metabolism that largely focus on reusable service based products.  Instead, of purchasing apparel products all products would be leased to customers.  For example, if a consumer wanted a blue blouse from the GAP she would go to the company’s retail store.  Products would be displayed on fixtures and mannequins and grouped by size.  Once desired product is selected the customer will proceed to the cash register to complete the leasing transaction.  The GAP employee would put the name of the customer in the company’s database that’s designed to track and monitor the company’s inventory.  The customer pays a leasing fee for the product that she will have for a defined period of time.  Once the specified period ends she will be expected to return the item to the retail store.  The company database would have the customers credit card information on file.  This is a measure that’s taken by retailers to ensure that customers return the leased items on time.  If the customer fails to return the item the retailer will charge the customer until the item is returned.  Consumers also have the option of going on retailers website in order to browse the products leased by the retailer.  The website allows consumers to reserve specific items based on the products availability.

Manufacturers are largely responsible in constructing sustainable products that are high in quality.  The transportation process that’s often used by retailers to transport products can have many detrimental affects on the environment.  To avoid the depletion of the environment retailers hire local manufacturers to produce and design products.  Localized production will boost local economies and retailers profits will steadily increase due to the reduction of costs.  According to McDonough and Braungar, consumers enjoying buying new products because it makes them feel more powerful and unique.  This is a significant barrier that poses a threat in the future adoption of systems using the cradle to cradle design. The following quote by Albert Einstein was featured in the beginning of the cradle to cradle application video, “the significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them.”  I found this quote to be powerful as well as inspirational.  Ultimately this quote helped me determine the distinct roles that would be assigned to manufacturers in my design concept.  The role of manufacturers is developing new and creative ways to reuse the worn out materials from previously leased products.  Manufacturers creative utilization of materials will give retailers a creative edge while also giving consumers the opportunity to lease products with unique characteristics.  The video and the excerpt from McDonough and Braungar’s book both reiterate the importance of being fully aware of every aspect of a product.  My design concept is intended to look at the different angles of a product as well provide waste free materials as a means to enrich a products technical metabolism.

  

Out with the Global, in with the Local

If your an Oklahoma resident who enjoys shopping at Urban Outfitters, H&M, American Apparel, or Free People I’m sure you share the same frustrations regarding the extremely limited shopping selections that our great state has to offer.  An Oklahoma resident has two options: Option A is shopping online or Option B is driving to Dallas and/or other surrounding states.  Try to imagine the amount of time and money you would save if all of these stores were located in Oklahoma.  Many benefits are associated with localizing the production of apparel and textile products.  A design concept of a sustainable future focuses on producing products locally which ultimately reinforces the concept of sustainability and further enhances the lives of consumers.

According to Sustainable Fashion and Textiles: Design Journeys, “the global market in textile production means that many textile products are transported several times between processors before a product reaches a user- indeed it is thought that the average T-shirt travels the equivalent distance of once around the globe during its production.”  The transportation of textile products negatively impacts our environment by enlarging  the size of our carbon footprint.  To preserve our environment for future generations to enjoy we must eliminate the production methods that do not mimic the characteristics of nature.  The author Benyus eloquently states “nature doesn’t commute to work”, thus further reinforcing the importance of incorporating the qualities of nature into the various practices of production. Globally mass producing products defies the limits of nature and results in unsustainable impacts on the environment as well as the lives of consumers.  A design concept of a sustainable future is founded on the principle that advocates to diversify and cooperate to fully use the resources of our natural habitats.   Focusing on this principle will significantly reduce the multitude of damages that are being posed on the environment through the global production of products.  My design concept for the future would require states to produce their own products by utilizing the natural resources that are currently available.  For example, the clothing outfitting the people of Oklahoma would be produced locally and the majority of products would feature materials made from cotton, seeing that cotton is largely cultivated in the southern portions of the United States.  The process of cultivating cotton would be purely organic and avoid irrigation methods that require excessive amounts of water.  

Another principle  this design concept is largely founded upon is gathering and using energy more efficiently.  Producing apparel and textile products within state lines would use less energy as opposed to producing products internationally.  The specifics of this design concept would encourage states to use their natural resources as well as employing local workers to construct and produce products.  States that lack an adequate supply of available natural resources have the option of using resources from other states.  However, resources obtained from other states would be more costly due to a new system of taxation that’s established by the government that taxes resources that are not locally grown and produced. Under this new regulations states would buy natural resources from other states, but each resource would be heavily taxed.  For example, if Washington state desired to produce products made from a natural resource that was currently unavailable in the state the state would have the option to purchase this particular resource from another state. If a state were to purchase resources from another state they would still be expected to produce the final product using local methods of production.  Concentrating on local levels of production will enhance local economies as well as minimize the environmental impacts relating to the transportation of products.  The taxation of resources that this design concept requires is used to encourage local producers to research potential alternatives for the future by exploring the science of biomimicry that’s described by Bradley Quinn.  The science of biomimicry studies animals and plants while exploring the variety of advantages humans could have by mimicking their systems and processes.  The incentive of this tax system is to motivate local producers to investigate other methods to which they could potentially utilize their available natural resources.  The fashion designer, Suzanne Lee, utilizes the science of biomimicry by combining the available resources such as, green tea, sugar, a few microbes, and a little time.  Combining these resources creates a bacterial cellulose that can be used to replace the use of fabrics and materials in textile and clothing products.

Localized production would essentially raise the awareness of consumers, thus further allowing consumers to become more educated relating to the concept of sustainability.   Many consumers cannot fully comprehend the future implications that will inevitably result from their unsustainable actions.  The concept of designing locally is invested in increasing the foresight of consumers by bringing environmentally fueled issues closer to home.  Residents of a localized community each assume the social responsibility to enrich their communities by optimizing their natural resources as well as consistently striving to develop new alternatives to creatively use the resources that mother nature supplies. 

Refusing to Satisfy the Appetites of Young Grasshoppers

Picture this:

It’s dinner time and you decide to dine at your favorite Chinese restaurant.  While polishing off a second helping of sesame chicken and beef lo mein, you ask yourself the question “should I or should I not make a third trip to the buffet?”  Upon your realization that a meal at a Chinese restaurant cannot be complete without a fortune cookie, you begin to move towards the buffet to quickly grab a fortune cookie.  Breaking the crispy layers of the fortune cooking you expect to find a fortune asserting a phrase like, “good things take time”, however your fortune states that, “Chinese food is satisfying in the moment young grasshopper, but isn’t long term.”   Chinese cuisine contains monosodium glutamate, an appetite suppressant, that leads you to believe your appetite has been satisfied, but an hour after eating the sensation of hunger returns.  Consumers consumption patterns and Chinese cuisine have several characteristics that are highly similar in nature.  Consumers actively consume in hopes that it will satisfy their needs and desires.  However, designers, retailers, and marketers employ “appetite suppressants”, such as advertisements, discount price lining, and celebrity endorsements to convince consumers to buy their products and/or services.  Persuading consumers into believing they NEED a product inevitably increasing the supply and demand of products. The design concepts I’ve developed to address the excessive consumption of consumers and its damaging impacts on the environment.

According to (Gradel & Allenby, 2002),industrial ecology is aligned with practices that ensure manufacturing is sustainable over the long term if properly defined and executed, continually updated in light of new data and understanding, and properly supported by enlightened government policies.”  Currently, our society is motivated purely by productivity and growth.  We focus more on the quantity of a product rather than the overall quality.  The multitude of media advertisements have generously contributed to our unhealthy fixation on mass producing an excessive amount of products.  From a young age we are conditioned to be efficient multi-taskers.  Energy drinks are one example of products marketed to consumers to encourage multi-tasking and efficiency.  For instance, the commercials for Red Bull energy drinks markets products with the catchy slogan that tries to convince consumers that drinking Red Bull will give them wings, thus leading to higher levels of efficiency.  The “quantity over quality” mentality that society currently possesses must be replaced by a new mentality that focuses on optimization rather than maximization.  According to (Benyus, 1997), implementing the principle of optimizing rather than maximizing will mean “being more competitive, doing more with less, and being more efficient than your competitor.” Integrating this principle into our environment will require consumers to be more mindful and conscious concerning the amount of products we consume.  To forward the progression of this principle requires a new design that transforms the concept of manufacturing.  The government would establish regulations that limited the amount of products that manufacturers are allowed to produce.  The government would determine the total amount of products that takes into account additional factors such as cultural, economic, social, and technological.  This policy is intended to encourage the production practices of manufacturers to reflect values representing quality not quantity.  Products that are high in quality and not cheaply made are more durable.  Applying government regulations to the systems of manufacturing will steer manufacturers and developers away from satisfying society’s bottomless appetite for consumption.  The government will integrate this design concept gradually into manufacturing systems in a sequence of four phases.  Implementing this design concept in four separate intervals is aimed towards allowing designers, manufacturers, and developers an adequate amount of time to adjust their methods of manufacturing to new sustainable alternatives that are long term solutions.  Manufacturers failing to adhere to the new government regulations employing this design concept will be fined then prosecuted if offenses continue to proceed.  Manufacturers as well as consumers maybe hesitant at first to this design concept because products that are higher in quality are likely to command higher prices.  However, by the end of the fourth phase consumers and manufacturers will become more acclimated with the regulations and recognize the financial and environmental benefits of this concept.  

An additional design concept that further addresses our unsustainable patterns of excessive consumption focuses on minimizing the use of materials.  Integrating this principle into the design concept, known as ‘tailor materialization’ is geared towards repressing the mental modes that encourages our patterns of excessive consumptions.  For instance, the mental modes possessed by individuals who use excessive amounts of products in order to increase social mobility and personal self worth. This design concept requires a mental mode that adheres to the “less is more” philosophy.  Throughout history the apparel and textile industry have repeatedly engaged in using unnecessary materials that fail to increase the functionality or utility of products.  In my design concept, clothing will no longer feature unnecessary materials that fails to enhance the product as a whole.  For example, the back pockets of jeans, pants, and shorts would be eliminated in order to conserve material.  Retailers and manufacturers would encourage the minimal use of materials by employing just in time manufacturing.  Jeans and pants would be produced based on the demand from consumers on a product to product basis.  However, an assortment of style ‘samples’ would be produced in terms of pants and jeans, that would be displayed on the sales floor and intended for consumers to try on.  For example, a consumer browsing at the Gap discovers a style of jeans that they really like.  The consumer would take the style “sample” that’s displayed on the sales floor back to the fitting rooms.  Upon entering the fitting rooms the consumer would be greeted by a seamstress that would have the consumer try on the pair of jeans to take her measurements in order to see if any length needed to be added or taken off.  Once the seamstress determines the exact measurements she would log on to the company’s database that interlinks each participate involved in the different phases of the company’s supply chain.  The seamstress would contact the manufacturers to specify the exact measurements of the specific style of jeans and/or pants.  At the request of the seamstress the manufacturer would construct the specified product and would be shipped on a weekly basis to the retailer.  This design concept would allow designers, manufacturers, and retailers to monitor the amount of materials that are used in their products.  Wisely monitoring the use of materials would considerably reduce costs, thus resulting in designers, retailers, and manufacturers experiencing an increase in profits.  Consumer’s can also benefit from the application of  ‘tailored materialization’ seeing that it enhances the value of products by customizing ‘one of a kind’ items for each consumer.

The fundamental purpose of my design concepts are aimed to reduce the patterns of over consumption.  We must apply the advice of (Benyus, 2007) that contends “the farther removed we become from nature in our attitudes, lifestyles, and spirituality, the more dependent we’ll become on the products of this transformation.”  Society as a whole must acquire similar environmental values in order to sustainably align our attitudes, lifestyles, and beliefs.  The possession of similar societal environmental values will essentially make the endeavor of integrating sustainable design concepts an easier process that’s more simplistic in nature.

Gandhi Knows Best

“Be the change you want to see in the world”- Mahatma Gandhi 

This quote is relevant towards achieving a sustainable future in more ways than one.  True change cannot be achieved without a sufficient foundation.  It’s easier to come up with characteristics that define the change you would like to see, but it’s more difficult to think of actions that ultimately drive the change you desire.  The ideas and characteristic that we associate with a sustainable future can only be achieved through implementing action.  In my opinion, the actions that will drive the change towards a more sustainable future include sufficiency, collaboration, innovation and balance.

Characteristic: Sufficient 

Mental Mode: I’m a minimalist, I do not need to use an excessive amount of resources to prove my self worth.  

In the article Limiting Consumption: Toward a Sustainable Culture accredits overconsumption with the “surging exploitation of resources that threatens to exhaust or unalterably disfigure forests, soils, water, air, and climate.”  To ensure a sustainable future we must critically evaluate our daily routines to help us determine the specific areas where we carelessly utilize unnecessary resources.  A large majority of our society believe that the earth has an infinite supply of resources that will never run out.  We must begin to view the environment as a living being because it has certain needs that must be met in order to ensure its survival.  The mindset, “presentation is everything” poses a significant threat that ultimately detracts our society from achieving a sustainable future.  The multitude of advertisements have caused many consumers to raise their expectations towards products and it will continue to progress if not addressed.  A possible solution is the government establishing more limitations on the number of advertisements that businesses are allowed to present to consumers.  A sustainable future avoids misleading consumers with mindless advertisements.

Characteristic:Collaborative

Mental Mode: Harmony and communication make all industries stronger.

For example, if the apparel and textile industry is committed to using less water in the production of its products, but the agriculture industry continues to use excessive amounts of water, the lack of collaboration among the two industries creates a toxic cycle that reinforces unsustainable management practices.  An environment will be more profitable when industries are unified by communication.  Mental modes similar to the “us vs. them” mentality creates an unhealthy dynamic that paralyzes our efforts in achieving a sustainable future.  Collaboration can be achieved through installing a mode of contemplative thinking, known as systems thinking.  “In systems thinking, sustainability is a dynamic process, featuring the networks of relationships among the purposeful motions toward a shared vision, the properties of a complex social ecological concept.”(Visioneering: an essential framework in sustainability science)   

Characteristic: Innovative

Mental Mode: I have the responsibility to create more alternatives that will ultimately benefit the future. 

Throughout this semester I’ve gained more awareness concerning the alternative fibers that can be used to substitute the use of natural and manufactured fibers. Many of these so called ‘alternatives’ also pose many threats that are detrimental to the environment.  We can take more actions to become more proactive in developing solutions that fully address the problem.  It’s also our duty to develop and design solutions that will ensure the longevity of our environment for future generations.  For example, the alternatives that can be used to substitute polyester fibers can also be extremely damaging to the environment.  Mental modes like “we’re wasting our energy in our quests to develop more sustainable alternatives because sustainability is a concept that cannot be accomplished” creates a barrier that directly impacts research and development.  A innovative future that’s sustainable can be accomplished  by “expanding our capacity for foresight, and we can do it by learning how to imagine many possibilities when we are thinking about the future.” (Thinking Ahead: The Value of Future Consciousness)  We must refuse to accept defeat and continue our quest to discover alternatives that are truly sustainable.

Characteristic: Well Balanced

Mental Mode: To find a solution to a problem I consider the environmental costs as well as the financial costs.

A decision cannot be a SOLUTION without evaluating the environmental and financial advantages and disadvantages.  For example, if a retailer only took into consideration the environmental costs involved in the production of goods it would be very difficult to obtain a sizable profit.  Our goal for the future must “involve not only the integration of disciplines, but also different views and knowledge in the processes of deliberation and assessment.”  Mental modes like “the only purpose of the environment is to line my pockets with money” is a mentality that’s hampering our growth.  A well balanced environment can be achieved through the mode of systems thinking.  When more people feel like their needs are being addressed the more receptive they will be towards change.   

The formula for a Sustainable Future: 

Sufficiency + Collaboration + Innovativeness + Balance = A Sustainable Future

Bamboozling a Hempster in Sheep's Clothing

Pro-Life or Pro-choice?

Pro-Death Penalty or Anti Death Penalty?

Pro-Gay Marriage or Anti-Gay Marriage?

I’m an individual that tries to steer clear of issues that involve politics, religion, or any other topic that’s morally fueled.  However, the focus of my blog this week aims to further examine and critique the arguments associated with the supposed "miracle fibers." 

The idiomatic expression “a wolf in sheep’s clothing” can be used to describe the sequence of events prompting the textile industry to reexamine the model of the certification systems utilized by the clothing and textile supply chains. The supposed ‘wolf’ in the Controversy Broiling; GM Cotton Against Organic is genetically modified cotton and the disguise that’s being worn resembles organic cotton.  In 2010 the Financial Times Deutschland reported, “large amounts of genetically modified cotton from India had been put on the German market as organic cotton.”  This led many consumers to question the authenticity of organic cotton.  Determined to win back their customers trust the organic textile industry sought a solution that would ultimately guarantee uncontaminated production. The author argues that organic integrity can only be achieved through the reform of current certification systems.  The model that shapes the Third Party Certification system fails to ensure the equal distribution of trade-offs among various contributors.  For example, “the inherent expense and paperwork required in a multilevel system discourages most small organic producers from being certified at all.”  To revamp certification systems the author suggests that we must “seek a model where certification transcends its generic limits and becomes a conscious effort from all the players in the chain, right from producers to the brands.” (Controversy Broiling; GM Cotton Against Organic)  Chetna Organic in India, is an example the author uses to strengthen his argument and to convey the substantial benefits of a certification system largely focused on mutual trust and commitment.  “Chetna Organic is an Organic and Fair-trade supply chain initiative to support small and marginal farmers to adapt sustainable agricultural practices.” (Controversy Broiling; GM Cotton Against Organic)  The certification model of Chetna Organic places a huge emphasis on long term commitment, social development, transparency through Internal Control Systems, and communication.  Evaluating the certification model utilized by  Chetna Organic from a farmers point of view, it would prove to be quite effective considering “Chetna farmers have a shareholding in the garmenting factory of Rajilakshimi Cotton Mills Limited to ensure that they have stakes in the supply chain.”  In addition, the suppliers investment in social development would significantly  benefit farmers, consumers, and the community as a whole.  The author has a very persuasive argument and I agree with all of the measures proposed by the author.  The argument presented by the author adequately took into account the different perspectives of stakeholders.   The author accomplished this by conveying the potential benefits that each stakeholder stands to gain through a reformed certification system that’s internalized. 

The article Are you Being Bamboozled: How to Avoid Mislabeling, argues that more combative measures must be taken to ensure clothing products containing bamboo fibers are accurately labeled.  The first paragraph of the article contains the most compelling arguments made by the author.  The following statement is featured in the opening sentence, “the truth is, most “bamboo” textile products, if not all are really rayon.”  The author then goes on to say “rayon is a manufactured polymer typically made using environmentally toxic chemicals in a process that emits hazardous pollutants into the air.”  It’s likely the arguments in the first paragraph would have the greatest impact on consumers.  Many consumers do not have the slightest idea regarding the similar properties in fiber that bamboo and rayon posses.  I’m almost certain that the author presenting this argument is a disgruntled consumer.  The clothing and textile industry are largely relied upon to increase the awareness and education of consumers. Consumers will feel instantly deceived that more preventative measures were not taken to increase their awareness.  Retailers and manufacturers may find the authors argument to be irrational and irrelevant, thus assuming no responsibility pertaining to deceptively labeling products.  The author addresses the argument that describes that “no one would dream of labeling a product as “spruce” or “pine”, but because it seems vaguely credible that bamboo plants could be made into fiber with minimal processing, the process is never discussed.”  I find this argument confusing and I’m certain consumers would also agree.  Overall, the arguments presented in this article were lackluster in nature and not highly convincing.  

The article Hemp: Historic Fiber Remains Controversial and the film Hempsters: Plant the Seed are arguments in favor of legalizing industrial hemp in the United States.  The article and the film view hemp as a sustainable alternative that can serve as a substitute form of cotton. Fundamentally one of the most compelling arguments presented in the article Hemp: Historic Fiber Remains Controversial includes the following quotation, “currently, it is legal to import hemp fibers and processed seeds into the U.S., but it is illegal to grow the plant here.”  It’s very hypocritical that the government will allow hemp to be imported into our country, but if an American dares to cultivate the crop it’s against the law.  It is this very issue that radically reduces the validity of the arguments made by politicians and government institutions in opposition of legalizing industrial hemp.  The article and film both point out that the strongest advocates in opposition of legalizing industrial hemp fail to acknowledge the multitude of environmental benefits that the cultivation of industrial hemp would provide.  Those in opposition of legalizing industrial hemp completely alter this issue by creating a fictitious facade that all morality will be lost  if industrial hemp is legalized.  Law enforcement and the United States Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) are advocates strongly opposing the legalization of industrial hemp because they think it will be far too difficult to distinguish between hemp and marijuana crops.  The article argues that the growing methods for hemp and marijuana are significantly and noticeably different.  The film reinforces this argument by presenting pictures that accurately showcase the noticeable differences concerning the growing methods.  An advocate for legalizing industrial hemp suggests that the reservations of our government are merely a power struggle between the government and its citizens.  The advocate goes on to question if the government will also ban powder sugar because of its close resemblance to cocaine.  Those in opposition of legalizing industrial hemp argue that hemp is just a cuter name for marijuana.  They also argue that hemp contains THC, one of the main ingredients found in marijuana.  However, the article Hemp: Historical Fiber Remains Controversial disagrees and states that, “the subspecies used for making fiber, colloquially known as “industrial hemp:, reportedly contains too little of the hallucinogenic substance tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), between 0.1 and 0.4% to have an effect when smoked and, according to a number of sources, would make one quite ill.”  The article goes on to state that the “marijuana plant contains as much as 20% of THC.” A statement in the film that I found very compelling was “a person would have to smoke the quantity of hemp the size of a telephone poll in order to feel a slight buzz.”   The author in the article Hemp: Historical Fiber Remains Controversial suggests that certain measures must be taken in order to legalize industrial hemp in the United States. Increasing the awareness and providing the public with the adequate education will aid in diminishing the negative stigma that’s associated with hemp.  Additional research and as well as the commitment to improve specific areas concerning the processing and production of hemp are necessary solutions that if taken will detract from the negative stereotypes and attitudes that are often associated with hemp.

Without a doubt I consider hemp to be the miracle fiber of the future.  Organic cotton has the potential to become a miracle fiber in the future, but many measure must be taken to refine the systems of production and certification.  I do not consider bamboo as a miracle fiber of the future.  Bamboo has far to many similarities to rayon most of which are unsustainable and negatively impact the environment.  The barriers that impact the success of miracle fibers are consumers lack of education and awareness. Knowledge and communication are intertwined and one without the other cannot fully serve the purpose that it’s intended for.  Consumers, politicians, business owners, and government institutions can integrate these component into society to ensure a sustainable future.