Tuesday, January 28, 2014
Amy sent me this essay written by Rick Ridgeway from Patagonia (clothing). If you aren't already aware, Patagonia has been a leader in sustainable, fair-trade clothing production since their founding, and is a very well respected company among environmentalists. Please read the essay - I think you will see the connection to our recent class discussions, and leave a comment. I am interested in anything from grandiose thoughts about whether or not there can be such a thing as "sustainable growth" to your awareness about yourself as a consumer. Do you buy things you don't need? Do you conscientiously purchase items that were produced in a way that doesn't exploit workers or harm the environment, even if it costs a bit more? What trade-offs do you make? How aware of the environmental costs of your "stuff" are you? 
If you haven't seen it recently, you should check out this animated video, "The Story of Stuff." Most of us, even after tying to educate ourselves, don't fully appreciate what's involved in supplying us with the items we use and consume.
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It's really frazzling to try and balance economy and environment. Because, yes, we want to stay strong as a society, but is it more important to protect our environment? Can we balance both? I think that it's a commons issue. "It doesn't matter if I buy this extra jacket, everyone else is too." I've never really thought of buying goods as environmental before. Yes, I knew that it was bad for the environment somewhere way back in my mind, but I never felt a pang for the environment while buying things the same way I am conscious of driving or using the fireplace. I think it's important to educate people on the environmental effects of consumerism, like the Patagonia campaign and the story of stuff.
ReplyDeleteAs consumers we are always buying new items when our perfectly good items aren't in style anymore or are outdated. Then we read an article like this or watch a video like "The Story of Stuff" and we feel bad about our consumer patterns so we decide to purchase our items from more responsible companies such as Patagonia. Instead of thinking about what we buy and what need we actually have for it we still keep buying but try to ease the guilt. Or in other cases we hear about these issues but then we aren't actually seeing the impacts so we try to ignore it and continue living how we already live because it is easier. I feel the most responsible way to be a consumer is to buy from responsible companies that are transparent with their corporate practices, treat their workers well (fair pay, safe working conditions...), get their materials for the clothing with good environmental policies and standards. In addition to actively paying attention to where we get our items from we should only buy what we need, take care of it and repair it if it is damaged rather than buying a new one, and if you no longer have a use for the product to give it to someone who does have a use for it.
ReplyDeleteWe live in a society that turns a blind eye to the issues that to fix would cause us to change our lifestyles. Many people would agree that if they were walking down the street and they saw someone physically suffering they would stop and help because that would be the right thing to do, but around the world there are so many people suffering as a result of our habits here in the U.S. and we son't stop to help because we are not seeing them right in front of us. This is also true for many environmental issues that are associated with our consuming habits.
It is super awesome that Patagonia has taken the first step in minimizing the waste not only made by their company, but also by their consumers. Taking only what you need is a key aspect to keeping the environment healthy, and I hadn't really thought of clothing as part of that cycle until recently. It is interesting about how fashion has shaped our ecosystems. Since it changes so often, and we want to keep up with the trends, we find ourselves buying more and more, leaving perfectly usable stuff in the trash. Since many of our clothes are either made out of synthetic materials or have been processed too much, they cannot biodegrade well and end up filling up landfills.
ReplyDeleteThe fact that Patagonia has put themselves behind the environment is truly heartwarming. Many companies--especially ones that provide materials for activities like camping and backpacking--try to promote keeping our environment healthy and clean. It is great that Patagonia is actually trying to change the way the economy works to make the world a cleaner place.
This reminds me of how we were talking about in class how most governments put economy as the top priority for their country. There are much more important things money, as many of us at the Bay School are lucky enough to realize. It's discouraging that so many people, like shareholders and CEO's or whoever it may be, can be so unethical about real issues because they're so concerned about wealth.
ReplyDeleteNot only does Patagonia take into account environmental issues and follow green standards, but they push the boundaries. By finding environmental goals and not being primary concerned in profit, they are setting a standard for most big corporations.
I consider myself very green, short showers, unplugged toasters, ect., but I always forget consumerism is so un-environmental. This is a good reminder.
What Patagonia is doing is truly inspirational because they are a relatively large company whose main aim is to produce eco-friendly clothing in an environmentally friendly way. The problem with this is that their clothing is relatively expensive, and for an average person, buying their clothes would be completely out of the questions. They would rather go to Target, Walmart or other large companies where they can buy a jacket or shirt for $20 rather than $100-$200. Another problem with people today is that they believe more is better, and with that mentality it is definitely hard to come to the realization that you, even though you are one person, is harming the ecosystem because of where you buy your clothes from, the materials they are made from, and the conditions the workers go through. I suppose the solution to this is to either make environmentally friendly fashion accessible to everyone, or to make all fashion environmentally friendly, but the question is if this is even possible.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading this article, even though it made me feel a little bad about the clothing purchases I've made. I like Patagonia's campaign and even though it's a little hypocritical, at least they're doing something about it. They're willing to admit that they are making more profit off of the campaign, but what's more important is that they're spreading the word about how purchases are effecting the environment too,and not just the economy. I definitely plan on doing more research about how my clothes are being made and which companies to buy from and not to buy from. I feel like everything we do today affects the environment whether it's the food we make or what sheets we sleep on, so now I'm going to try and always think of the environment when I buy things
ReplyDeleteIt is cool that Patagonia is doing this. I have been hearing from friends taking ethics right now and every day someone tells me how corrupt the people are behind a store I love. It gets overwhelming, and I think it becomes a commons issue. I feel like I don't know where it is safe to shop so I try not to think about it. I know some stores are more deserving of our money, but I figure it isn't fair for me to have to limit myself when other people aren't doing it. Scary.
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