In the meantime, here are some ideas for fun stuff to do to celebrate Earth Day: http://www.inhabitots.com/2010/04/22/7-ways-to-celebrate-earth-day-with-your-family/

And here you can find more about activities and campaigns in your country today and in the next few days in relation to Earth Day: http://www.earthday.org/

Have a great Earth Day!
Thorunn

The Story of Stuff

Ever wondered how the products you buy ended up in the store you bought them from? Or did you ever think about how a T-shirt can cost less than $2 or a radio less than $5 when it should only be enough to cover the cost of its transportation from Asia?

The Story of Stuff is a 20-minute look at the supply chain, especially the parts that are hidden away from the consumers. It reveals the connections between a large number of environmental and social issues, and calls on us to create a more sustainable and fair world.

If you want to know what you can do to address the problems that are discussed in the film, check out Another Way; a list of 10 little and big things you can do.

Thorunn

One of the most polluting industries in the world is the conventional cotton industry. Conventionally grown cotton uses huge quantities of chemicals and fertilizers. As an example, it is estimated that 50% of all pesticide used in India is sprayed on the cotton fields. This has a dramatic negative effect on the environment and to the health of farm labourers who are exposed to the chemicals.

Cotton can however be successfully grown without pesticides by enrolling the help of insects and fungi that attack the cotton pests. That´s how organic cotton is made.

So why doesn´t everybody use organic cotton? I´m not really sure, but my guess is that the main reason is higher cost, less production capacity and slower growing.

But if you think about the real cost of non-organic cotton, I think it will turn out to be much higher than the cost of organically grown cotton, given the effect the chemicals and pesticides have on the environment, consumers, and farm labour. Furthermore, child labor is often associated with the traditional production of cotton.

So what can we as consumers do? Look for environmental, organic or fair trade labels on the clothing we are thinking to purchase. It used to be that only small, specialized stores carried clothing made from organic cotton, but today you should be able to find them in many mainstream clothing stores. Here you can find a list of the most common eco-labels on textiles: Eco Labelling.Org

I will leave you with a short documentary on organic cotton. I hope you find it as informative as I did.

Moral Fibre – Organic Cotton

Part 1:

Part 2:

I wish you a nice and organic weekend!

Thorunn

(photo credit: Wonder Mike)