Three Fingers Pointing Back
For the past 15 years, there has been a a substantial decline in the honeybee population. This has boggled the minds of many. Mostly speculation, we've blamed every natural occurrence, such as global warming, over population, etc. While we are pointing fingers at everything else, three fingers remain pointing in our direction.
Our good intentions to fix one issue has diminished an entire species. There are more than one causes, yet we are to be blamed for majority. Pesticides, Insecticides, Substitutions for honey such as corn gluten, and expansion of commercial farming are effecting the bottom of the food chain. We use these for major crops such as wheat, corn, and cotton. Us dust bombing, using Neonicotinoids in fertilizers, and anything far and in between are weakening honey-bee's immune systems and killing entire colonies (also know as Colony Collapse Disorder). Yet, we rely on these major crops for mass production to feed and clothe an ever growing population.
" Embodying the Golden Rule, sustainable development is defined as meeting the needs of the present without prohibiting future generations from meeting their own needs (World Commission on Environment and Development 1987)." We need to find alternatives before extinction
of honey-bees occur. Although we rely so much on sufficient crops to
sustain 'the American way of living', how to we do this? Who is to say
losing the bees wont harm our own species? Here's where the Golden Rule
comes to play. If something was threatening our livelihood, our first instinct would be to assess the situation and render what ever the problem ensued.
Raising awareness about disappearing bees to the public, lobby for protective rights for the species and enforce standards for farming and agriculture would be great starts. These examples found in Fashioning Sustainability are not enough. Adjustment in the supply chain will need to be addressed, for the result of production will be shifted. Consumers will need to be well-informed of these changes due to the fact that prices will significantly increase in cotton and other major crops. Consumers can identify with purchases that help the environment and give them a peace of mind that higher prices are justified. New labeling methods, like listed in Fashion Sustainability (Forum for the future) which incorporate a simple disclosure like 'product services to the saving bees' would be a great way to raise customer awareness.
As stated in 'Shifting the New Dominant Social Paradigm in the Apparel Industry: Acknowledging the Pink Elephant' by Armstrong and LeHew, "Fashion is an important aspect of modern culture, and may, therefore, be a powerful conduit for the transition to environmentally friendly and socially responsible production and consumption.." (Walker 2006: 74-75) Let us be the forerunners to the cause. Let us pick the up the conglomerate to assure the bees livelihood. Mass production, mass retailing, and mass consumption as we know it will see changes that benefit the bees and our lives.
Raising awareness about disappearing bees to the public, lobby for protective rights for the species and enforce standards for farming and agriculture would be great starts. These examples found in Fashioning Sustainability are not enough. Adjustment in the supply chain will need to be addressed, for the result of production will be shifted. Consumers will need to be well-informed of these changes due to the fact that prices will significantly increase in cotton and other major crops. Consumers can identify with purchases that help the environment and give them a peace of mind that higher prices are justified. New labeling methods, like listed in Fashion Sustainability (Forum for the future) which incorporate a simple disclosure like 'product services to the saving bees' would be a great way to raise customer awareness.
As stated in 'Shifting the New Dominant Social Paradigm in the Apparel Industry: Acknowledging the Pink Elephant' by Armstrong and LeHew, "Fashion is an important aspect of modern culture, and may, therefore, be a powerful conduit for the transition to environmentally friendly and socially responsible production and consumption.." (Walker 2006: 74-75) Let us be the forerunners to the cause. Let us pick the up the conglomerate to assure the bees livelihood. Mass production, mass retailing, and mass consumption as we know it will see changes that benefit the bees and our lives.
Solutions have a catch-22 in relation to the apparel industry. Discontinuing our techniques that we have progressively been using with toxic chemicals can cause these major crops to produce smaller amounts. With less material produced less products are made. Yes, what we discard will be lower. Yes, we will save a species. Yes, we will be losing part of our 'industrial' mentality. We are also addressing the pink elephant in the room.
Stated in Armstongs 'Shifting the New Dominant Social Paradigm in the Apparel Industry' , tools for sustainable approaches have five life cycle changes. The decision making tools offer precise ways to compare the impact of different product cycles stages. Three types include inventory analysis, impact analysis, and improvement analysis. Analyzing these in the Life Cycle Assessment can reduce the amount of crops being grown due to over estimations in inventory, environmental burdens, discarding waste, etc.
This is why Industrial Ecology cannot be made in one stage of life for a garment. Review in the Materials we use, Fabrics and Garments, How we sell the garment, the consumers usage, and finally how we dispose of the garment should be addressed. Speaking for myself, I have a closet which 90% of what I own is made from cotton. We have become accustomed to variety and assortments when it comes to shopping. Our "fierce competition" that drives costs and standards down, mentioned in Forum for the Future, will need to be left in the past and a lesson for future generations to come. Americans will have to adapt. Less product is not only a result of rescuing honeybees. Prices will rise. The effects of higher costs alone cause consumers to shop only for necessities and basic products instead of luxury and fad items.
Stated in Armstongs 'Shifting the New Dominant Social Paradigm in the Apparel Industry' , tools for sustainable approaches have five life cycle changes. The decision making tools offer precise ways to compare the impact of different product cycles stages. Three types include inventory analysis, impact analysis, and improvement analysis. Analyzing these in the Life Cycle Assessment can reduce the amount of crops being grown due to over estimations in inventory, environmental burdens, discarding waste, etc.
This is why Industrial Ecology cannot be made in one stage of life for a garment. Review in the Materials we use, Fabrics and Garments, How we sell the garment, the consumers usage, and finally how we dispose of the garment should be addressed. Speaking for myself, I have a closet which 90% of what I own is made from cotton. We have become accustomed to variety and assortments when it comes to shopping. Our "fierce competition" that drives costs and standards down, mentioned in Forum for the Future, will need to be left in the past and a lesson for future generations to come. Americans will have to adapt. Less product is not only a result of rescuing honeybees. Prices will rise. The effects of higher costs alone cause consumers to shop only for necessities and basic products instead of luxury and fad items.
PHOTO: A bumblebee sits on a rhododendron bloom on a sunny spring day in Dortmund, Germany, March 28, 2012. REUTERS/Ina Fassbender
It's a shame that the honeybee population is declining because I personally LOVE honey. What will happen if honeybees are extinct, will we lose the natural resource that honeybees produce? Perhaps if we do, the industry will turn to high-fructore corn syrup to replace honey! yuckkkk!
ReplyDeleteThat's my thoughts exactly. In California where they are trying to preserve honey-bees, they are using corn products as substitutes. This was just one species that has been affected by the apparel industries mass production. Fashion consumption has depleted not only bees, but think about the gallons of water we use to water the crops. If only 1% of the worlds water is freshwater. Majority is locked in icebergs. We are not planning for the generations to come sufficiently.
DeleteHi, Nic;
ReplyDeleteI was so wondering where you were headed with that bee story, but then I got the connection!! Thanks for the interesting narrative. This is well written and synthesizes the readings from this week nicely. The only thing I think this is missing is some results from the research activity -- specifically, industry applications of the design approaches discussed in the Armstrong article. You may revise before Tuesday and not receive a penalty. Thanks!
I apologize for my ADHD. I knew that I was being addressed in that e-mail.
DeleteThe sustainable approaches was what I was trying to get at. I saw that in the article that shifting to a new social paradigm for the apparel industry and sustainable product development was a goal to change consumer behavior and ran with it. I kept thinking about an article about the bees while reading this essay and couldn't shake it.
I will revise.
Thank you for the feedback!
Hi, Nic;
DeleteNo worries! You just have a little embellishing to do. And, you are not alone. If there is something I can do to make these activities clearer, please let me know!
I love how you incorporated these interesting facts on bee's with the environmental issues that as a whole we are responsible for. I was unaware that this was even a problem in our world today and think that other individuals would also be fascinated with this subject urging them to make a change in their everyday lifestyles!
ReplyDeleteYeah! It's something that I sought to relate to the sustainable approaches and how urgent for change we as a society are! I really don't want to start substituting our honey for any other type of sweetener.
DeleteI too was very unaware of this problem with the extinction of honey bees. It is so sad how many problems have come about because of mass production but as you mentioned I believe consumers will begin to buy less as prices keep rising, maybe this will help them to become more aware of these issues.
DeleteHey Nic!
ReplyDeleteSorry it took so long to respond been having some difficulties with the internet. However I found your article very interesting with the honey bees. What methods would you suggest to use for saving the water depletion in crops? I know there's a ton of Agriculture majors at OSU who spend years conserving and reusing water but I fear that it will no be enough.