What's the deal with cotton?

Cotton. All of us have an intimate (and by that I mean intimates) knowledge of this fabric. It's comfortable, light-weight, breatheable, natural, versatile and omni-present. So why does it seem to be on the black-list of hard-core environmentalists?

Like any crop, a lot goes on behind the scenes to produce this fabric. It is a cash crop, and sometimes the "cash" portion becomes a little domineering, often to the detriment of human health and the environment.

Water

Cotton is guilty of one of the 7 deadly sins: gluttony. Cotton needs a lot - and I mean A LOT - of water to give us those puffy little white clouds we so adore. Couple that with the fact that cotton is often grown in the parched areas of the world, and we've go a problem. Cotton production in these places have intensified drought, erosion, and desertification. The construction of irrigation systems for these fields have carved the natural landscape and permanently altered the hydrology of these areas. Most importantly, drinking water is highly rationed and sometimes unattainable in these areas because it's redirected to the almighty cotton plants.

Fertilizers

How about this little tidbit: almost 1/3 of a pound of synthetic fertilizers are used to grow enough cotton to make ONE t-shirt (1). These fertilizers, as most of us are now well aware, leech into our soils, run-off into our water sources, suffocate our lakes and increase greenhouse gas emissions.

Pesticides

Which crop uses the most insecticides? Yup, cotton. Its production accounts for a whopping 16% of the world's insecticide use (1). Not only that, but it uses some of the most deadly and hazardous chemicals. The three most dangerous insectides to humans are all used in cotton production (1). Take this lovely example from the Organic Trade Association:

"Aldicarb, cotton's second best selling insecticide and most acutely poisonous to humans, can kill a man with just one drop absorbed through the skin, yet it is still used in 25 countries and the US, where 16 states have reported it in their groundwater."

Scary, no? And to think that most cotton production is in the developping world, worked by rural farmers without adequate protection from these extremely dangerous chemicals.

Hmm... Does you brand new t-shirt seem a bit dirty to you now?

(1) http://www.ota.com/organic/environment/cotton_environment.html

Image from http://www.organic-cotton.us/

I'm trying to find a book.

Of course, not any old book will do. I want something that incorporates every aspect of building a sustainable society, from building construction alternatives, to organic agriculture, to being a low-impact consumer. There should be a chapter on how to eat, one on how to clean, and another on getting corporations to want to be 'green' for reasons other than $$$. It should all be backed up by sturdy references and examples instead of being a bunch of ideological fluff. And of course, the whole thing should be printed and distributed in the the least detrimental way possible.

Am I simply asking for too much? Maybe I should write it myself - it might take less time than searching through a bajillion websites, bookstores, and reader reviews...

The dawn of an era...

First blog, first post - first timer trying something new on for size!

Well, this is bound to be a bumpy ride. I've never followed a blog, only stumbled upon one here and there when searching for stuff online. I really haven't a clue what I'm supposed to write about, or what would interest people, or why people would be interested by what I have to say.

So, true to the studious side of me, I've decided to go for a more informative "magazine" style of entries. Think Canadian Geographic meets Discovery Channel, with a smidgen of TLC to liven things up (minus all the experience, and wisdom, of course). Being a Wildlife Biology graduate with an intense interest in environmental sustainability, my topics will include such things as:

*Green technologies
*How to be a conscientious consumer
*Steps I've taken, or am thinking of taking, to minimize my impact on the environment
*Anything else I've researched and find pertinent

So if you are actually reading this: thanks. And don't worry - I'm sure things will get a lot smoother as I get the hang of things.

Happy reading!

~Krystal~