expose:

Cotton

why you can't necessarily trust cotton...

Pulling cotton instead of wool over our eyes?

The cotton industry is doing an ad campaign promoting itself as sustainable. The industry is arguing that new technologies and agricultural practices have greatly reduced the use of energy, water, and toxic chemicals that are needed in the cotton industry. “No-till farming reduces soil erosion, improved irrigation methods reduce water use, improved methods of pest management have reduced the use of pesticides, and most significantly, the use of genetically modified (GMO) cotton has reduced the use of land and toxic chemicals in cotton production by improving crop yields and resistance to boll worms.”
Despite these changes, the mass-produced cotton remains to be a poor choice for the ethical consumer. Here is why:

Some Facts for Thought:

• “In May 2006, the U.S. Department of Agriculture released a report ‘Agricultural Chemical Usage 2005 Field Crops Summary’ for the major U.S. crops. For all U.S. corn crops, 2.124 pounds of pesticides were used per acre; for all oats, 0.166 pounds pesticides per acre; for all soybeans, 1.23 pounds of pesticides per acre; for cotton (upland), 4.486 pounds of pesticides per acre of cotton.”

• “Agricultural chemical runoff is poorly regulated in the U.S., often finding its way into smaller streams, then rivers and major estuaries (PBS Frontline, Poisoned Waters). It has had a serious negative impact on marine life, and the impact of combinations of chemicals upon children in particular is poorly understood, but a matter of growing concern (Philip and Alice Shabecoff, Poisoned Profits: The Toxic Assault on Our Children).”

• Insecticides are designed to effect nervous and reproductive systems of insects, which are similar in both animals and people. This makes insecticides the most hazardous pesticide to human health, causing a wide range of acute and chronic conditions, behavioral changes, increased risk of cancer, and death.( EJF. (2007). The deadly chemicals in cotton. Environmental Justice Foundation in collaboration with Pesticide Action Network UK: London, UK. ISBN No. 1-904523-10-2.)”

Organic fabrics instead are manufactured through sweatshop-free labor, low-impact dyes, energy-efficient processes, as well as, alternative energy. As a whole, the methods used to create sustainable fabrics use less water and land, use fewer toxic chemicals, and do not emit as many greenhouse gases as conventional methods of fabric production.

Try those instead!