Organic vs. Non-Organic
Fabric Can environmental and heath problems
be caused by what we wear?By: Rachel Summerlin
Different fabrics impact the environment in different ways:Polyester
Manufacturing emits nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas, 310 times more potent than carbon dioxideUses large amounts of water to cool which can cause
contamination of water sourcesEnergy hungry process
Non-biodegradable Made from petrochemicals
Fabrics Continued:Rayon (a type of silk)
-- Made from wood pulpSeems like a more
sustainable option but forests are often cleared and/or subsistence farmers are displaced to make way for pulpwood plantations.
Treated with hazardous chemicals
Hawaiian Shirts
Cotton:Most pesticide intensive crop In the world
Uses Herbicides alsoKills and injures many people per
yearRemains in fabric after finishing
productionNatural Selection
Takes up large portion of agricultural land
Which people could of used for food
Cotton cont. Development of genetically modified
cotton Organic cotton
It can take almost a 1/3 pound of synthetic fertilizers to grow one pound of raw cotton in the US
it takes just under one pound of raw cotton to make one t-shirt
Manufacturing processes: Poly Cottons
Like “permanent press cotton”, “easy care”, and “crease resistant" Cottons
Are treated with formaldehydeA type of chemical that can
pollute the rivers and streams
Dyeing Fabrics:
Dye can often wash out of garments, and can end up coloring the rivers, as treatment plants fail to remove them from the water.
Dye fixatives – often heavy metals – also end up in sewers and then rivers.
The Benefits of Organic : Reduces the overall
exposure to toxic chemicals that can end up in the: ground air Water food supply
Helps protect against the health consequences from asthma to cancer
The U.S. and Turkey are the worlds largest organic cotton producers.
Organic Cotton Uses natural fertilizers,
like compost and animal manure, that recycles the nitrogen already in the soil rather than adding more, which reduces both pollution and N2O emissions
What does “Organic” really mean?
Definition:
‘Organic’ is a labeling term that refers to agricultural products produced in accordance with Organic Foods Production Act and the NOP Regulations. The principal guidelines for organic production are to use materials and practices that enhance the ecological balance of natural systems and that integrate the parts of the farming system into an ecological whole. Organic agriculture practices cannot ensure that products
are completely free of residues; however, methods are used to minimize pollution from air, soil and water.
Places growing Organic cotton today:
Where does our cotton come from?
Health problems from pesticides:
Worldwide:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlSQevNPBd4&feature=relmfu
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mz-yuGFiPpg&feature=relmfu
Pesticides and Human Health :
In California, five of the top nine pesticides used on cotton are cancer-causing chemicals
In Egypt, more than 50 percent of cotton workers in the 1990s suffered symptoms of chronic pesticide poisoning
The World Health Organization estimates that at least three million people are poisoned by pesticides every year and 20-40,000 more are killed.
Health effects:Fetuses, (pre-birth babies), may suffer from
exposure and exhibit behavioral problemsLower cognitive scores, fewer nerve cells and lower
birth weight
A lower resistance to the toxic effects of pesticides
A greater risk (70% increase), for Parkinson's disease, even with low levels of pesticides
Can remain in lever and build up over timeHigh exposure can be fatal
What we can do to help• Choose organic clothes
Be sure to ask companies offering organic cotton if they have organic production standards in place to keep all chemicals out of their clothes
Look for other organic cotton products
Support the greenest businesses offering organic cotton
Promote the use of organic pesticides and/or the removal of them all together
Fair Trade
A way to give their producers of organic products a safer and healthier environment to live in.
A clean way to create “white gold”
Creates a clean environment without hazardous pesticides
Fair Trade continued… Alternative to poverty in
third world countries
Allows farmers to reap the benefits of the organic cotton with a bigger portion of the cost of the product.
The variety in “Organic” clothing:
Economic differences:Normal:
Amount of conventional cotton produced per year: 25 million tons
Uses lots of pesticides and herbicides in tons per year
Production year round based on mutations in crops
Less expensive to produce
Organic:
Yearly produced amount of organic cotton: 25,000 tons
Takes longer to produce because of organic licensing periods are limited
Loss of crops to some pests
More expensive that traditional cotton because of labor/transport
ConclusionOrganic cotton will help our environment in the
future and even today
Clean production of cotton makes a better living environment for farmers and communities.Health bonusesEconomical increase through fair trade Fewer pesticides in the run off and fields
Expected Learning Outcomes
Discuss the environmental impacts of the organic industries
Discuss the environmental impacts of non organic fibers In production today
Discuss the role of Fair Trade and the impact it has on those developing nations
Be able to discuss the health concerns surrounding pesticides from cotton production
Work Cited: Organic Cotton USA:
http://www.organic-cotton.us/
Cottonique: file:///Users/rachelsummerlin/Desktop/The%20Health%20and%20Environmental%20Pro
blems%20with%20Clothes%20Dyes%20%7C%20Cottonique%20-%20Your%20source%20for%20Allergy-free%20.webarchive
Green Choices: file:///Users/rachelsummerlin/Desktop/Green%20Choices%20-%20Environmental%20im
pacts%20of%20clothing.webarchive
Global Health Center: http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/effects-of-pesticides/effects-of-pesticides
Organic Trade Assoication: http://www.ota.com/organic/environment/cotton_environment.html
Global Healing Center: http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/effects-of-pesticides/effects-of-pesticides
Divine Caroline: http://www.divinecaroline.com/22354/82760-cotton-production-clothes-aren-t-clean#i
xzz1dpCk8xjH
Extra Info:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHZR5SyA-C
Q&feature=relmfu
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