By Beatriz O'Brien.
The oceans are living bodies. The birds and fish that inhabit them are then hunted by larger mammals and humans. Let's not fool ourselves, people ingest the plastic floating in the seas. Large pieces of plastic break down in the water and become microplastics. We know that plastic or synthetic polymer materials can take up to 1,000 years to degrade. All the plastic we've produced in the last 70 years is still on our planet.
Microplastics have been studied in recent years by scientists to define and quantify the damage caused by these micro and nanoparticles derived from fossil fuels. What did they discover? In the case of clothing, microplastics are microfibers released during use and washing with each load of clothing in a domestic washing machine. Synthetic garments, whether nylon, polyester, or others, release nearly 7,000 microfibers, which are disseminated in rivers, seas, and, ultimately, the oceans. (Source: Open Education, Slow Factory, Madelaine MacGillivray).
The microplastic research project in San Francisco Bay has shown that these particles are abundant in the ocean and not only directly poison living beings but also carry bacteria and viruses that are dangerous to human health. They remain floating or on the ocean floor forever unless cleaned. This is a very difficult task given their diameter and the widespread nature of the contamination.
Microplastics are everywhere… even inside our bodies. It's estimated that an adult breathes microfibers and ingests microplastics the size of a credit card per week. These figures may sound exaggerated, but they are still worrying. Our clothing is leaving a far too large and permanent mark not only on the world but also on all living organisms that inhabit it.
The Industrial Revolution marked a new era in human history, the age of machines and mass production. Since the 18th century, the burning of fossil fuels (oil, coal, natural gas) has contributed to atmospheric warming, raising the Earth's temperature by 1.1°C. The greenhouse gases (GHGs) that cause global warming are: water vapor (H2O), carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), and ozone (O3). In 2018, the fashion industry produced approximately 2.1 trillion tons of GHG emissions, equivalent to 4% of global emissions. Of these, 1.2 trillion tons are CO2 from energy sources powered by oil or coal. The level of CO2 produced by the global textile industry exceeds that of all international flights and maritime cargo combined annually. Approximately 70% of these emissions come from activities such as material production, preparation, and processing. The remaining 30% is associated with the end-of-life or disposal phase of garments. (Source: Fixing Fashion 2019, Ellen MacArthur Foundation and Fashion Climate Report 2020, MC Kinglsley).
We must stop burning fossil fuels as soon as possible. The era of the Industrial Revolution is over, and we face the challenge of replacing our energy sources. While governments and global organizations are advocating for the fashion industry to continue to grow in size and profits for large corporations, various citizen movements must continue to push for change. GHG emissions are estimated to increase to 2.7 trillion tons by 2030, reflecting an annual growth rate of 2.7%.
The use of land for the production of natural fibers, livestock, cotton plantations, and forests for pulp, among other things, causes deforestation and biodiversity loss. Between 1970 and 2014, we lost 60% of the planet's species. It is believed that the remaining 40% of animal and plant species will gradually become extinct due to the destruction of ecosystems worldwide. (Source: Canopy Foundation).
Deforestation of tropical rainforests has been particularly intense in recent decades. As they possess the highest biodiversity on the planet, rainforests, like native forests, cannot be replanted or replaced, or it is very difficult. Deforestation is responsible for between 6% and 17% of greenhouse gas emissions and has direct consequences for the increase in CO2 in the atmosphere and climate change as a whole, since trees absorb, store, and transform it into O2, regulating the planet's temperature. (Source: Canopy Foundation). The same source estimates that deforestation in Brazil has increased by 88% compared to the same month last year due to indiscriminate logging and the fires that broke out at the end of 2019.
The devastation of nature is evident and chilling, but not irreversible. The planet has the capacity to regenerate itself, but it won't be able to do so if we continue at the current rate of resource demand. As fashion consumers, we can contribute to slowing down the industry simply by buying less and making our clothes last longer. Everything we have comes from nature, which is our home, and everything returns to it.