Organic_Clothing

Perspectives on GM Cotton

"There is absolutely no danger at all."  The organic industry has actively and loudly opposed genetically modified (GM) foods. Genetic modification, also known as genetic engineering, alters the genetic makeup of living animals, plants, or bacteria by using recombinant DNA technologies to slice in genes and DNA from foreign plants, animals, or bacteria to change qualities or characteristics of the host organism. By far the most common genetically modified (GM) organisms are crop plants. 

But the technology has now been applied to almost all forms of life – such as pet fish that glow under ultraviolet light; bacteria which form HIV-blocking “living condoms” by secreting proteins that might protect women against HIV; pigs bearing spinach genes so that the genetically modified pigs contain 20 per cent less saturated fat than normal pigs; goats that have been genetically modified with spider genes in the hope that their milk will be a plentiful source of the proteins required for spider silk; and farm animals that have been genetically modified with a gene from a nematode worm which would enable farm animals to make the omega-3 fatty acids such as those found in fish that are known to help prevent heart attacks rather than their high cholesterol fats.  Any wonder why environmental activists and health proponents have labeled genetically engineered foods as “Frankenstein foods” and attacked the lack of long term studies into the risks of consuming GM foods?

Even though most consumers rarely make an Arugula Radicchio Salad out of their organic cotton exercise clothes, the organic movement has also strongly opposed the introduction of genetically modified cottons into the clothing chain for many of the same reasons. Having most of the GM cotton seeds being developed by the same large agri-chemical companies such as Monsanto and Syngenta who have doused our planet in toxic herbicides, pesticides, and insecticides further fuels the general distrust and suspicion surrounding GM cotton.

As in most environmental issues, genetically modified cotton is a highly controversial topic. To understand the churn and swirl of issues, it is sometimes helpful to examine and evaluate the issues from four perspectives:

1. Scientific Research. Who conducted the research, who paid for the research, how independent were the researchers.
2. Practical experience. Are there experiences and results from      independent sources that collaborate or refute academic or research      findings.
3. Economic. Follow the money to see who benefits. Because politics are frequently more closely aligned with economics than ideals of democracy, justice, freedom or truth, political positions will give an indication of where the money      is flowing.
4. Ethical. This can be very slippery and easily influenced by the other perspectives or even in direct conflict. What are your ethics, religious or spiritual views? In the end, each of us must true to ourselves.

Scientific research and field studies on Genetically Modified cotton have been mixed in supporting claims for improved cotton plant resistance to disease, insects, weeds and drought. Bt cotton is the most widespread genetically modified variant of cotton. Bt cotton has an added bacterial gene that creates a toxin that kills American bollworms, a major caterpillar pest that destroys cotton plants. 

After having conquered the U.S. cotton market in just a few short years, Monsanto, the giant agri-chemical company that owns the patent to Bt cotton, is focusing their drive for world domination on the huge agricultural markets of China and India. Advocates of Bt cotton say it lets farmers use less pesticide - typically one or two sprays per harvest as opposed to three or four sprays for conventional varieties. They argue this makes it cheaper and more environmentally friendly because the Bt toxin only kills moth and butterfly caterpillars.  But no one has studied in detail the effect of the crops on non-target insects and other species, particularly birds. Eco-chains are delicate and vastly complex.

Another difficulty with Bt cotton is that nature is incredibly adaptive and the bollworm pests that Bt cotton was engineered to defeat are adapting and becoming resilient to the toxins produced by Bt cotton. Farmers are required to take resistance-control measures to slow the growth of resistance in bollworms. "If proper resistance management strategies are not implemented, the efficacy of pest management through Bt transgenic crops will be seriously diminished due to wide spread development of resistance," cautioned Dr. Fakrudin of the University of Agricultural Sciences in India.

Monsanto claims that Bt cotton typically yields around 30 per cent more than traditional cotton crops, but critics dispute this. In a recent study of studied 100 cotton farms in India, yields of the non-Bt cotton out-produced the genetically modified Bt cotton crop by around 16 per cent.

Another study in India documented that 71% of farmers who tried out a genetically modified pest-resistant variety of cotton suffered an average decrease in crop yield of 35%, compared with farms where traditional cotton was grown.  The study says it also found that the new variety failed to live up to claims that it needed significantly less pesticide treatment, and that its cultivation was cheaper.  When presented with these findings, a Monsanto representative suggested that the differences were due to drought. Perhaps the drought only occurred on fields growing genetically modified cotton.

Government-sponsored studies in China to research the effectiveness of genetically modified cottons in resisting insect pests actually showed an increase in secondary pests such as cotton aphids, spider mites and thrips. Farmers were forced to continue using chemical pesticides and the chance of insect pest outbreaks has risen because the insect community has been destabilized suggested researchers.

Genetically modified cotton variants also are supposed to be resistant to Monsanto’s Roundup herbicide. For those unfamiliar few, Roundup is a mega-hit weed killer that people spread everywhere to kill anything green that they don’t want growing. It is the “Agent Orange” of the farm and suburbia crowd. Monsanto genetically engineered a strain of cotton so that farmers could douse their fields with Roundup and everything green would die except for their GM cotton.

Theoretically, the end result was supposed to be less herbicide usage. University of Tennessee scientists have documented a common farm and garden weed, marestail, developing resistance to Roundup on hundreds of thousands of soybean and cotton acres in Tennessee. As farmers have planted more and more Roundup Ready varieties since 1996, they've been spraying more of the weed killer, not less. This has contributed to weeds developing resistance to Roundup. If you use an herbicide on a continuous basis, a weed population can build up resistance to that compound and no longer be effective.

We can work in harmony with Nature or we can try to conquer Nature.  Experience has always shown that trying to conquer Nature will always ultimately fail. Harmony is the only path to success.

Many have been seduced by the promise of genetic engineering to solve the terrible problems of growing hunger in the developing world. The faithful believed that GM crops would grow in drought regions, be impermeable to plant diseases and insects, be more nutritious, and grow more abundantly with higher crop yields. Unfortunately, genetically engineering is not the savior.

As farmers and agriculturalists gain more experience with GM crops, they find that any benefits that might be temporarily gained in pest reductions are soon lost as the pests adapt and require even greater levels of toxic pesticides which further deteriorate the health of farm workers and the environment.

And still the largest uncertainty concerning the potential genetic risks from playing God at the fundamental levels of genes and DNA remains. Without adequately understanding the consequences of indiscriminate genetic engineering, a few large agri-chemical businesses are gaining a monopoly of the world’s supply of crop seeds. As evidenced by their hard-nosed, hardball business tactics to force their control over global crops, these businesses are motivated by greed and not global benevolence.

What can we do? Join and support environment and consumer groups working promote sustainable farming and environment concerns. And use your shopping dollars wisely to buy local, eat organic, and wear purely beautiful and healthy clothing.

Enjoy.

Michael
LotusOrganics.com

Linda Loudermilk :: eco-fashion designer

Perhaps appreciation of haute couture fashion is an acquired taste that requires training and study like fine wine.  Or perhaps haute couture is actually rather silly and presumptuous and like George Bernard Shaw’s opinion that “Fashions, after all, are only induced epidemics.”  Or perhaps appreciation of haute couture, as in the life and work of Linda Loudermilk, flows and grows like a seed from the soul that is nourished with passion, commitment and ideals. 

Eco-designer for eco-conscious celebrities such as Jane Fonda, Debra Messing and Jennifer Beals, Linda Loudermilk merges high fashion skills and environmental awareness with the wonder of earth-generated textiles made of sasawashi, bamboo, sea cell, soya and other eco-fabrics such as EcoSpun®.  EcoSpun® is recycled plastic beverage bottles that have been melted and then turned into a filament that is spun and re-knit with cotton to form a soft and fleecy fabric.  Organic clothing purists and chemically sensitive clothing consumers might take issue with the use of petroleum-based products in clothing and suggest that there are better ways to recycle plastic bottles.

In her clothing label “luxury eco by Linda Loudermilk,” she displays her passion for ecological sustainability and nature as she captures the moods and actions of nature in her fashions by creating exquisite clothing that allows the human body and spirit to reaffirm our deep connections to the natural world.  “Seek out the extra-ordinary,” urges Loudermilk. “Look for three-dimensional designs and fabric embellishments, unusual insets fashioned from vintage laces and trims transform frocks from classic to collectable. Venture beyond the plain and simple to luxury-eco artistic designs that usher in a new era of environmentalism fresh from an artist’s palette of sophisticated styles.”

Her spring '05 collection was inspired by the birds and air, with the theme "Who Will Nurture the Earth?" running through it. The luxury eco by Linda Loudermilk Fall '05 Collection draws upon the soft lines and fluid movement of sea creatures with wavy edges, jellyfish prints and rich colors that are reminiscent of the world below water.

“The simplicity of several silhouettes in the collection mirror the sleekness of a fish,” Loudermilk explains.  Describing the sasawashi jacket she designed, Loudermilk references kelp floating in water and how it looks while resting on the sand. “It's like the way sea life would land on your body; like clinging blankets of kelp or schools of jellyfish floating around you.”  Similarly, the bamboo jersey and crepe Loudermilk uses drapes and clings, moving as they would beneath an ocean wave. About the Barnacle dress Loudermilk designed, she commented, “When you think of our romantic thoughts of life under the sea, you think of color and lots of movement. If you picked a flower of the sea and you put it on your body like you would a land flower, it would droop and cling to your body. I tried to create this effect with the organic wool dress.”  Loudermilk's coral top mimics coral itself; hard and jagged yet fluid and curvy.  “The lace of the top is metallic, which is hard and the coral beads are a balance to that-more soft.”

"One of the tops, made from Lenpur, sasawashi leaf and metal zippers reminds me of when you see a still part of the ocean and you'll see a bunch of objects floating together," Loudermilk said. "I am replicating this experience on fabric." Another element of that same top, inspired by sea kelp, includes a chain of leaves, made of metal, entangled with chiffon.

Partnering with the philanthropic company Ethos Water for her Spring '06 Collecton, Loudermilk proclaims "Water is a human right."   Her Spring collection, not surprisingly, is deeply influenced by water - muddy, clean, flowing, still, wild, rushing - all of which celebrates the power of water to transform, feed and cleanse both body and soul.

When reflecting upon her fashions, Loudermilk says, "I design to hit people at a gut level; to capture the soul and raw beauty of people and nature. The garments in my fall collection inherently bring up our universal connectedness and our responsibility to take care of each other and the earth. This collection is about the hope in the world and the 'we are all one' spirit."

Loudermilk’s work is also distinguished by her use of sustainable exotic fabrics, such as sasawashi, an avant-garde fiber blend of Japanese paper, herbs, vitamins and amino acids said to have anti-allergen and anti-bacterial properties that purify the blood and human skin; Lenpur, which is made from wood pulp; soya, which is made from soybeans; bamboo jersey, which is anti-bacterial and deodorizing as well as highly eco-sustainable, as bamboo grows up to one a foot a day; and Eco-Spun, which is made from recycled soda bottles and when blended with organic cotton has the texture of sheepskin.  When considering her fabrics, Loudermilk says, “If we can all become more aware of how everything we do affects everything and everyone else, we'll make better choices.”

In keeping with her commitment to the health of the planet, Loudermilk uses only eco-conscious materials and strives to maintain the utmost in responsible business practices.  Loudermilk insists on partnering only with wholly sustainable companies. They consult with European textile watchdog groups like Ökeo-Tex, organic cotton trade organizations and a host of nonprofits that are regularly defining and redefining the meaning of sustainability in the fashion business and beyond. "Our biggest challenge is not choosing the right options, but finding them," says Loudermilk.  Not surprisingly, Loudermilk insists on stringent labor standards and fair trade practices for her company and all companies with which she deals.

As an eco-designer, Loudermilk’s designs accentuate the distinction between eco-fashion and organic fashion.  Eco-fashion supports environmental ideals of sustainability, organic sensitivities, and recycling, sometimes by turning refuse into apparel.

Most organic clothing designers and manufacturers create purely beautiful organic clothing that is functional, healthy for all, and utilitarian – yoga and exercise clothing that moves comfortably, pajamas and sleepwear that feel delicious and dreamy, and casual wear that looks great and makes you feel smooth and easy.  Whereas, Loudermilk's haute couture made from environmentally-loving textiles is not intended to be practical.  Like art, it nourishes the soul but won’t keep you warm.

Linda Loudermilk is an eco-warrior helping bring environment awareness and sustainable style to the well-heeled … but we can all enjoy vicariously.

For more information on luxury eco by Linda Loudermilk, visit her web site at www.lindaloudermilk.com

Enjoy.
Michael Lackman
LotusOrganics.com

Cotton: African Savior or Curse

Cotton, a crop native to southern Africa, can be a savior to many of the world's poorest people or it can be an economic, environmental and health curse.  Which is ironic in a twisted way as not only is cotton the most popular and best selling fabric in the world, due to its huge commercial value, cotton also represents an essential component of foreign exchange earnings for more than fifty countries. Cotton is grown on over 90 million acres in more than 80 countries worldwide. The millions of tons of cotton produced each year account for 50% of the world’s fiber needs with wool, silk and flax together accounting for only 10%. The value and reach of cotton extends far past the fashion runway.

Africa, with some of the poorest and most economically desperate peoples, has many regions ideally suited to growing cotton. Cotton farming should provide a lifesaving cash crop allowing millions of African farmers to feed their families, school their children and provide adequate healthcare. Unfortunately, the bright promise of cotton is turning into a social tragedy fueled by low worldwide cotton prices and health problems due to toxic chemicals from the cultivation of conventional cotton.

Four hundred million cotton farmers in the developing world are living in conditions of abject poverty due to the collapse of world cotton prices caused by large cotton subsidies to cotton growers in the US, EU and China and due to high costs and negative health impacts of pesticides used on cotton. Cotton crops account for twenty-five percent of the world’s use of pesticides. The World Health Organization estimates that more than 20,000 people die each year due to accidental pesticide poisoning and up to one million are suffering from acute long term poisoning. Conventional cotton farming also causes long term contamination of rivers, lakes and waterways.

Conventional cotton agriculture in Africa is bordering on collapse because crop yields are being reduced due to conventional growing techniques which deplete the soil, the high price of Genetically-Modified (GM) cotton seeds which many farmers are being coerced to buy, expensive imported pesticides many of which come from large U.S. chemical companies, and depressed worldwide cotton prices largely due to cotton subsidies provided by the U.S. Government to large agribusiness companies in the U.S.

The result is that American growers can sell their cotton cheaply because they are also receiving generous payments directly from the U.S. Government which paid U.S. cotton farmers $2.06 billion in 2001, according to the Department of Agriculture. American cotton subsidies are destroying livelihoods in Africa and other developing regions. By encouraging over-production and export dumping by U.S. cotton growers, these subsidies – which are almost twice as much as the U.S.’s foreign aid to Sub-Saharan Africa – are driving down world cotton prices on an inflation-adjusted basis to their lowest levels since the Great Depression. While American corporate cotton barons get rich on government subsidies, African farmers suffer the consequences.

However, growing cotton organically can reverse this situation by delivering a 50% increase in income by cutting costs of synthetic petroleum-based fertilizers and toxic pesticides and allowing farmers to access the organic cotton market which has a 20% premium for certified organic cottons. Farmers will need to be trained in organic farming and issues such as crop diversification and pest control to gain maximum effectiveness.

Of course, this is dependent upon an expanding market for organic clothing. This is the easy part. More and more talented designers are creating ecologically sustainable and ethical clothing. Two of the most well-known are Ali Hewson, founder of the EDUN collection and wife of Bono, and Katharine Hamnet, creator of the Katharine E. Hamnet label – the “E” stands for “ethical” and “environmental”.

To insure a large supply of quality organic cotton, Ms Hamnet has instituted a program to train and help African cotton farmers grow organic cotton. The results have been very encouraging. The African organic cotton farmers are able to avoid the expenses of high priced pesticides, sell their crops at higher prices, and avoid the health problems due to handling toxic pesticides. This project now needs to be expanded to a greatly larger scale. Perhaps governments can do this if they truly understand the scope and purpose ... something that governments have been reluctant to do so far.

This demonstrates that ethics, environmentalism and fashion can stand together to provide a better life for everyone involved in the growing, manufacturing, and wearing of healthy clothing.

Enjoy.
Michael Lackman
LotusOrganics.com

Sustainable Fashion Quotes & Musings

Here are some interesting quotes on and from the sustainable fashion industry ... except for Gilda's which is a fun quote from a marvelously talented and missed performer.  We would love to hear your thoughts about sustainable fashion and if it can be sustained.

Enjoy.

Michael
LotusOrganics.com

 

“I base most of my fashion taste on what doesn’t itch.”

Gilda Radner
1946 - 1989

 

“I think about the suffering that may have come with them and it makes we want to shy away.”
On why she doesn’t where diamonds

R&B singer Alicia Keys
Winner of nine Grammys including best new artist in 2001

“The most important thing to remember is that you can wear all the greatest clothes and all the greatest shoes, but you’ve got to have a good spirit on the inside. That’s what’s really going to make you look like you’re ready to rock the world.”

Alicia Keys

 

“I want to prove to the industry that there’s a viable alternative financial model the world can benefit from. The effect of the clothing industry has more impact on climate change than if the entire world signed the Kyoto Agreement. “

“It’s got to be fashion and not what people perceive as ‘organic fashion’ – those hippie, oatmeal type of clothes – they have to be gorgeous clothes. Otherwise, no one would buy them.”

“The fashion industry tends to attract people with serious personality defects. They just want to be rich and famous. But at some point you have to decide: Are you going to mindlessly go the easy way or are you going to go the ethical way?”

Katharine Hamnett
English Fashion Designer
Committed to ethically and environmentally sustainable fashions
Recipient of British Designer Of The Year Award

 

“Will it be sustainable, durable behaviour that will last, or is it just something trendy right now? For me, it’s still too early to answer that question.”
Speaking about consumer motivations and the trend of ethical consumerism, especially in the fashion industry,

Thomas Busuttil
Head of Corporate Social Responsibility at PPR,
The retail and luxury goods company which owns Gucci group, Yves Saint Laurent, Bottega Veneta, Alexander McQueen, Stella McCartney and the Balenciaga brands

Dyes and Chemical Sensitivities

A lady who is experiencing increasing chemical sensitivities called the store yesterday to order some sweaters and warmer clothing that was dye-free. The two major areas of concern and problems for people with chemical sensitivities purchasing clothing are the dyes and garment finishing. Garment finishes for wrinkle-free, stain resistant, flame retardant, anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, anti-static, odor-resistant, permanent-press, non-shrink, softening agents, and the other easy care treatments that are applied to new clothing can be especially harmful for people with chemical sensitivities … which is basically all of us – it is just the degree of sensitivity that varies.

Conventional clothing dyes and garment finishes can cause a wide variety of health problems for chemically sensitive people ranging from skin rashes, headache, trouble concentrating, nausea, diarrhea, fatigue, muscle and joint pain, dizziness, difficulty breathing, irregular heart beat, and seizures. Symptoms in children include red cheeks and ears, dark circles under the eyes, hyperactivity, and behavior or learning problems.

It is often the dye fixative which is used to bond the dye color to the fabric that causes the most problems. Unfortunately, heavy metals have often been used in dye fixatives and also in dyes. Toxic chemicals sometimes found in the dyeing process include:

• Dioxin – a carcinogen and possible hormone disrupter;
• Toxic heavy metals such as chrome, copper, and zinc – known carcinogens;
• Formaldehyde – a suspected carcinogen;
• Azo dyes group III A1 and A2 – which give off carcinogenic amines;

Because clothing comes into prolonged contact with your skin, toxic chemicals are absorbed through your skin, especially when your body is warm and skin pores have opened to permit perspiration. Once absorbed by humans, heavy metals tend to accumulate in the liver, kidney, bones, heart and brain. The effects on health can be significant when high levels of accumulation are reached. The effect is particularly serious in children due to effects on growth and their relatively low body mass.

Toxic chemicals from dyes also create severe environmental havoc. Large amounts of water are used to flush conventional synthetic dyes from garments and then this waste water must be treated to remove the heavy metals and other toxic chemicals before it can be returned to water systems, sewers and rivers. At least that is what should happen.

Most garments are produced in developing countries where pollution controls are often lax or nonexistent. Discharges from huge numbers of the textile producers go straight into rivers where the river water might be bright green one day and yellow the next. Developing countries are also lacking in standards and enforcement concerning the use of toxic chemicals in dyes and garment finishes.

So, what are you going to do if you are concerned about the pureness of your clothing? There is a sliding scale of choices:

1. Undyed, natural color clothing is the healthiest alternative. This includes color-grown cottons and natural color wools and alpaca. Color-grown cottons have a limited number of colors. Shades of blue, green, brown and purple      are the most common color-grown cottons.
2. Dirt dyes. The minerals and irons in earth have been used for eons to color fabric.  The were probably first invented by Stone Age kids playing outside.  New techniques, such as those applied by companies like Earth Creations, are improving the colorfast and variety.
3. Low-impact fiber-reactive dyes.  Fiber-reactive dyes are a synthetic dye that chemically bonds directly to the clothing fiber molecules. They were first used commercially in 1956.  The fixation or absorption rate of low-impact dyes is at least 70%, creating less waste water runoff and therefore a lower impact on the environment. Recent advances have created fiber-reactive dyes with colors that are brighter and richer, and they provide excellent colorfast properties. They contain no heavy metals or other known toxic substances, and they meet all European Union criteria for being an eco-friendly pigment.  But, the actual dyes in almost all low-impact fiber-reactive dyes are still made from synthetic petrochemicals.
4. Natural dyes. "Contrary to popular opinion, natural dyes are often neither safer nor more ecologically sound than synthetic dyes. They are less permanent, more difficult to apply, wash out more easily, and often involve the use of highly toxic mordants.  However, not all mordants are equally toxic, and the idea of natural dyestuffs is aesthetically pleasing." according to Paula Burch, PhD.  Mordants help make the dye colorfast by chemically bonding the dye to the fabric. Dr. Burch reports that "Some natural dyes, such as the hematein derived from logwood, are themselves significantly poisonous. Of course, the color possibilities are far more limited than synthetic dyes."

Low-impact, fiber-reactive dyes have become the dye of choice for many organic clothing manufacturers who want a diverse palette of vibrant colors. Depending upon the nature and degree of their chemical sensitivities, people with mild chemical sensitivities can often wear organic clothing with fiber-reactive dyes. Undyed, natural color or color-grown fabrics are the best choice for people who react to fiber-reactive dyes or who want only pure fabrics on their skin.

Enjoy

Michael Lackman
LotusOrganics.com

So, What Are Natural Fibers?

We often receive questions about the difference between "natural clothing" and "organic clothing".  In some people’s opinion, natural fiber clothing is the same as organic clothing.  In conversations, “natural clothing” is sometimes used to refer to organic clothing because the clothing is completely natural and was grown and manufactured without toxic chemicals. But natural fiber clothing simply refers to clothing made from fibers found in nature, such as cotton, wool or hemp, which may not be grown or manufactured under conditions which would allow them to be certified as organic.

Natural fibers fall into three main groups:

• Vegetable fibers which come from plants such as cotton, hemp, and flax;
• Protein fibers such as wool, alpaca, and cashmere which come from the wool and hair of animals;
• Strong elastic fibrous secretion of silkworm larvae in cocoons which is used to create silk.

The main ingredient in all vegetable fibers is cellulose, a carbohydrate found in all plant life. The most common natural fibers used to make clothing are: cotton, hemp, ramie, linen, wool, and silk. The use of natural fibers extends back beyond recorded history with archaeological evidence indicating that wool and flax were being woven into fabrics by the sixth century BC. Man-made fibers, however, which are fibers chemically and structurally altered to an appreciable extent during their production, were not developed until after the Industrial Revolution. The earliest of these fibers, including rayon and acetate, were comprised of the same cellulose polymers found in many natural fibers, though in a drastically modified form. Later man-made fibers, such as nylon and polypropylene, were created through purely artificial means and came to be classed in a separate category of fibers known as synthetics.

Technology marches forward and has given up a new category of fibers called “natural man-made fibers”, which does sound like an oxymoron.  The most common and best known of these new natural man-made fibers is lyocell, also known by its brand name Tencel.  Lyocell is made from the cellulose in wood pulp so it is “natural”, but the wood pulp has been dissolved with a solvent and the wood pulp solutions is then squirted into fibers so it is actually man-made from reconstituted wood pulp.  Lyocell has been given a reputation as being eco-friendly because it is made from trees, which are a renewable resource, and the solvent used to dissolve the wood pulp is reclaimed and recycled to be used again.  There is very little air or waste water pollution created by the manufacturing processes to create the lyocell fiber.

Natural Fibers vs. Organic Fabric
Most garments that are produced from natural fibers such as cotton are not organic. Conventionally grown cotton is the most chemically treated crop in the world.  One fourth of all toxic chemical pesticides produced each year are used on cotton crops. The damage and destruction to the ecology and wildlife and to the health of farm workers and residents living near cotton fields is enormous.  When evaluating the eco-friendly properties of any clothing garment, you must look at how the fiber was grown and produced and also at how the fiber was processed to create fabric and ultimately the clothing garment.  Both the fiber growing and the fabric manufacturing must be free of harsh, toxic chemicals to quality the garment as being organic and healthy for the consumer and the environment in which it was produced and manufactured. 

Conventionally manufactured fabrics rely heavily upon chemicals to clean and bleach the fibers and to prepare the fibers to be spun into yarns for weaving or knitting. Conventional dyes are often high in dangerous heavy metals and use large amounts of water to flush and clean the fabrics resulting in heavily polluted waste waters.  The final stage of the garment manufacturing process is the finishing step.  Finishing is often one of the most chemically intensive steps, especially if the garment is chemically treated to be stain-resistant, wrinkle-resistant, odor-resistant, or any of the other treatments that are being called “smart fabrics” to make life easy.  All of these labor-saving treatments come at the expense of chemical treatments.  And we wonder why chemical sensitivities are a growing problem.

Although most people tend to assume that most of what they wear is natural fiber clothing, this is far from the truth. Even if the label on a shirt states that it is 100 percent cotton or wool, it never mentions the amount of chemicals the fabric may have been in contact with up until that point. In fact, the only way to be certain that you are wearing natural fiber clothing is if they are certified to have been created using organically grown elements.

Enjoy

Michael
LotusOrganics.com

Why Wear Organic?

Remember leisure suits, disco, and the height of polyester?  Those days have faded although the synthetic fabrics will still be unchanged and haunting our nation's landfills for generations. As the public’s awareness of health and consciousness has grown, cotton and natural fibers replaced polyester and other synthetic fibers as the fabric of choice.  Just as concern over the harmful effects of insecticides and pesticides in our food supply has given rise to the demand for organic produce and vegetables, concern over the high use of insecticides and pesticides in growing cotton and other natural fibers has given rise to demand for organic cottons and garments free of these and other poisons and carcinogens. 

Cotton is a marvelous fiber for clothes but the way most cottons are grown raises serious health issues.  Are you aware that:

• Conventionally grown cotton accounts for more than 25% of worldwide insecticide use and 10% of the pesticides.  Pesticides used on cotton are among the most hazardous.  In California, five of the top nine pesticides used on cotton are cancer causing.
• Children are at greater risk for pesticide-related health problems than adults.  Millions of children in the US receive up to 35% of their estimated lifetime dose of some carcinogenic pesticides by age five through food, contaminated drinking water, household use, and pesticide drift.
• It takes one pound of chemical fertilizers and pesticides to conventionally grow the three pounds of cotton needed to make a T-shirt and a pair of jeans.
• Farm workers working in conventionally grown cotton fields in the US and around the world suffer from an abundance of toxic exposures and related health problems.  Pesticides used on cotton cause acute poisonings and chronic illness to farm workers worldwide.  Acute respiratory symptoms and other health effects in communities surrounding cotton farms are correlated with high use of defoliation chemicals.

Organic cotton is an imperative for ourselves and our world.  Besides the quality-of-life benefits from organic cotton, the quality of clothing produced from organic cotton is also substantially higher.  Organic cotton plants produce longer-stable cotton fibers which yield stronger yarn and more durable fabrics.  Pesticide-free long-stable cotton also feels softer and more breathable and luxurious against the skin.

But organic cotton is not the only healthy fabric.  Hemp has many excellent properties and is being found more and more in quality garments.  Hemp is the most environmentally positive crop, actually improving the condition of the soil.  It requires no herbicides and is naturally resistant to insects, fungus, and other pests. 

The rate of people experiencing a wide barrage of health problems such as rashes, allergies, respiratory problems, and difficulties focusing mentally due to chemical sensitivities has been growing alarmingly.  Many people diagnosed with Multiple Chemical Sensitivities find organic clothing to be essential in reducing their exposure to the vast array of toxic chemicals that we are unknowingly exposed to every day.  You wouldn’t eat a bowl of pesticides drenched in insecticides. So why would you want to cover yourself in clothes doused in chemicals?

There is another reason why people are becoming excited about organic clothing and that is because of the fashions that are starting to come from some of the hot, new designers turning to eco-fashion.  In future blogs, we will be interviewing some of the designers behind the cool eco-fashions.

Stay cool.

Michael Lackman
LotusOrganics.com

Welcome to OrganicClothing

Welcome to the Organic Clothing blog!  Organic clothing has become a popular topic for many reasons and we will be exploring and discussing everything associated with organic clothing and the hot new area of eco-fashion.  We will be exploring ecological and environment issues, social issues such as Fair Trade and sweatshop practices, economic issues such as U.S. Government subsidies to cotton growers, hot fashion trends and eco-clothing designers, clothing selections, organic clothing manufacturers, natural fibers and fabrics, clothing and Multiple Chemical Sensitivities, organic garment cost and prices, and anything else in the wide world of organic clothing that grabs our attention.   During this journey, we hope that you also become involved and send your comments and thoughts, rants and ravings, hot buttons and cool ideas. 

Let’s start by looking at what are “organic clothes” and why should we be interested.  Simply, to qualify as being organic, organic textiles are made from raw natural fibers such as cotton, hemp, ramie, wool, and alpaca that have been grown without the use of synthetic chemical fertilizers, pesticides, growth regulators or defoliants.  Just because a shirt is made from a natural fiber such as cotton doesn’t mean that it is organic or can’t cause health problems.  Growing the natural fibers organically is only half the equation to qualify as organic clothing.  The manufacturing process is the other half and often the half that is the most abused by toxic chemicals.  Organic clothes do not receive any synthetic chemical finishes or treatments such as moth resistant, fire retardant, easy care, anti-pilling, stain resistant, or wrinkle-free. Dyes used on organic clothing should be either plant / mineral derived or if not of natural origin are environmentally responsible low impact dyes. No heavy metals or other harmful chemicals should be used in the dyeing process. An ethically and environmentally aware approach is extended to all aspects of the organic clothing industry.

This “ethical and environmental awareness” found throughout the organic clothing industry is one of its more fascinating qualities.  To simply be organically grown and manufactured isn’t adequate.  “Living lightly upon the Earth” is entrenched into the organic clothing industry and market.  Fair Trade practices to insure that the farm and garment workers receive a fair and just wage for their efforts are also a cornerstone of the organic clothing industry.  We’ll explore this more carefully in a future blog.

In the next blog, we will look at the many benefits and advantages of wearing organic clothing.