Fashion and plastics - we need to speed up on slowing it down

Hi there, this last couple of weeks, myself, and the mainstream media have been very focused on climate issues. Finally, the Beeb (BBC) are focusing on the issues that are seriously affecting our planet, and the the existence of the human race, and it is a fast race that we need to speed up in. Over the last couple of weeks, politicians have been spreading the topical news of the polluting fashion industry (Green politicians I hasten to add).
A couple of months ago, we had a great series on BBC1 with David Attenborough called Blue Planet 2 , which was so shocking in parts, I didn't let my daughter watch it, as she would be so horrified and potentially frightened.
Last Monday they aired a show called 'Drowning In Plastic', which was pretty harrowing, and reduced some people to tears.

This Monday, the Beeb aired a programme, with the amazing Stacey Dooley, who is an investigative reporter (and Mias favourite on Strictly Come Dancing) called Fashions Dirty Secrets. What a game changer this programme was, hopefully, many people in the UK will now have a different approach to their clothing consumption now.  I am currently big on promoting 'slow fashion'.
What is slow fashion?

Unlike fast fashion, slow fashion production ensures quality manufacturing to lengthen the life of the garment. Slow fashion may be considered a revolt or action against the fast fashion movement. Developing a garment with a cultural and emotional connection is also pertinent to the purpose behind slow fashion: consumers will keep an article of clothing longer than one season if they feel emotionally or culturally connected to the article of clothing.^[4] A taxation is in early stages of development in order to deter fashion companies from purchasing or producing materials that are not made with recycled, organic, or re-purposed materials.^[5] Utilizing materials already made will reduce the industry's carbon footprint.^[5]
(wikipedia)

Next week I will be doing a blog dedicated to 'fast' and 'slow' fashion.

If you didn't catch the tv programme please click on the link below, its so eye opening.
One of the most shocking things to come out of it was the impact that cotton has on the environment, because of the amount of water that is used and the pesticides that are used to farm it. Stacey informs us that it takes over 15,000 litres of water to produce just one pair of jeans. A representative from Levis, assures the viewers that they are doing everything they can to re-invent how jeans are made, and are aiming for a zero water process. Apart from the environment its also about the millions of lives this has affected. People have no jobs, and poor water and food supplies because of the devastating affect the cotton farms have had on their land.
The thing that angered me most about this programme, was when Stacey contacted Michael Gove (Secretary of State for the Environment), asking if they could bring a legislation in making clothing brands accountable for the supply chain, she got a pathetic and insulting reply from his spokes person. They stated that are banning plastic straws and have banned micro beads, and brought in the plastic bag levy and that they will look into micro plastic. They kind of missed the point of the argument, and he claims he is taking environmental issues seriously.

Fashions dirty secrets

During the last two weeks I have also been actively promoting our (FOE) free film night (12.10.18) in Newbury, called A Plastic Ocean, so we can raise awareness of the plights of plastics entering our ocean, something I recently blogged about.

A Plastic Ocean trailer