Project #2: EDM Research OP/ED
Draft and publish right here an 800 word OP/ED piece summarizing your EDM findings for a popular audience. Imagine writing for the New York Times.
Project #3: EDM Research Reflection
Write and publish right here a 1,000 word reflection on your EDM research project, in which you explore the tribulations and triumphs of your semester of work.
Project #2
ReplyDeleteThe Polyester Posse: 21st Century Fast Fashion and its Relationship with the Environment
Fast Fashion is plaguing our nation and wounding the ecosystem. The reign of fast fashion reaches far and wide, from the factories in Bangladesh, where workers spend more time stitching and shipping than they do anything else to suburban shopping centers whirling with teenage hormones and stacks of synthetic styles awaiting selection. These fast fashion styles are CAUSING DETRIMENTAL HARM TO THE ENVIRONMENT DUE TO THE USE OF TOXIC CHEMICALS, THE INCREASE OF WATER POLLUTION AND THE DEVASTATING BULK OF TEXTILE WASTE PRODUCED IN THE PROCESS FROM CONSTRUCTION TO DISPOSAL.
Fast fashion was born in the late 1990s as online shopping and loitering in malls became a favorite activity of the low rise jeans-wearing population who wanted runway looks for department store prices. This rise in demand from the public created the perfect storm for fast fashion’s ill practices to take over the clothing market. Taking advantage of laborers abroad became a critical element for fast fashion’s success story.
H&M is one of the clothing manufacturers leading fast fashion’s polyester posse. They are profiting more from these poorly made clothing more than any of their fast fashion counterparts. In 2016 Plunkett Reseach found that H&M acquired revenue of $2.1 billion, $5.3 billion more than the second most profitable fast fashion competitor, Zara. Due to the level of power H&M holds over the fast fashion industry they have had to make efforts towards being more environmentally conscious as consumers become more aware of the negative impacts their cheaply made clothing has on the environment.
While H&M struggles to create a sustainable revamping of their brand, other companies, like Back Beat Co. that live in the same space of fashion-forward, youthful style that considers the well being of mother earth. The “about us” page on the Black Beat Co website claims “We incorporate environmentally friendly practices in our designs by using low-impact goods like GOTS-certified organic cotton, recycled cotton, hemp, and tencel.” (Back Beat Co.). Black Beat Co, is a brand that pushes ads on Instagram and Facebook with their environmentally conscious mission being at the forefront of their campaign.
Many other brands do the same, even those that don’t commit to such values in reality. This begs the question, are these brands considering the environment because it is truly at the core of their brand’s identity or are they pushing this mantra because it sells? This idea of becoming environmentally conscious in terms of marketing in order to boost profits is called greenwashing. Greenwashing as defined by the Oxford Dictionary is “activities by a company or an organization that are intended to make people think that it is concerned about the environment, even if its real business actually harms the environment” (Oxford). This is an increasingly dangerous reality to recognize as more fast fashion brands are feeding falsities to their customers.
DeleteInstead of greenwashing, the responsible thing for clothing brands to do would be to switch from synthetic materials to longer-lasting naturally occurring fibers such as wool, hemp or locally sourced organic cotton. The hesitation is that these naturally occurring materials are much more expensive than their crude oil derived counterparts. A study conducted by the University of Plymouth found that “each cycle of a washing machine could release over 700,000 microscopic plastic fibers into the environment” (Maddy White). With microfibers being released at this rate there is no denying that there are serious consequences for the environment when buying cheap, synthetic clothing. Consumers say they want clothing that lasts and doesn’t harm the waterways, but that attitude doesn’t resonate in the way they purchase.
In order to make this consumer wants realities, fashion producers will have to reevaluate and come at the industry with fierce alternatives. In order to abolish the flawed fashion industry systems that are currently being perpetrated by past and present risk assessment practices, “alternatives assessment [,] a robust yet practical framework for evaluating and identifying safer chemicals, materials, and products” must be used (Rossi, Tickner, Geiser). With the implementation of alternatives assessment, the companies can then get feedback from real people, who are tasked with making purchasing decisions every day. Alternatives assessments are easy to understand and encourage engagement from those conducting the assessments and those affected by the outcomes.
It is disappointing that there is no perfect solution to be offered, but luckily if alternatives assessment is used to revamp the fashion industry's current environmental and social impacts, more fashionistas will be wearing high quality, low impact, fashionable clothing. Without bringing more ill fortune to the environment than is necessary. Making for a healthier world with more opportunities for clothing to be worn and loved in years to come. The fall of fast fashion is contingent on our wallets, even if that wallet is from a factory in Bangladesh.
Project #3 Research Reflection
ReplyDeleteThroughout my semester-long research project on 21st-century fast fashion and it’s relationship with the environment I felt a few steps behind my classmates at every checkpoint. Having never taken a class with Dr. Rob before I wasn’t exactly sure where and when things should be posted on Blogger or if and when I would be called upon, making this class a great learning experience. Even though I have now completed my undergrad career I feel good being able to say I now know the ways in which things are expected to get done in a class instructed by Dr. Rob. Even though I felt behind and often unprepared for what the semester had in store I feel as though I gained skills I will carry with me into my next steps, being out in the working world or in a classroom striving for a master’s degree.
The skills that I will be taking with me from this class are those of understanding that writing scientifically for academia doesn’t have to be drab and old, I can still bring my voice full of color, and alliteration to help convey the discoveries made during my research. As well as the fact that I have become more comfortable navigating our library resources, digging deep into databases and using my knowledge of keywords to help me find exactly what it is that I am on the hunt for in order to support my case. Lastly, coming to see what a supportive group the Environmental Policy and Studies students are was inspiring. Because I am only receiving a minor in Environmental Policy and Studies and completed most of the courses required of me to take to fulfill my minor while abroad I didn’t know many of the ENP crew too well.
I wasn’t sure if they were going to be annoyed with my sporadic, frantic questions trying to understand a system they all seemed so at ease with, the same one that I was confused by until, well, I still am, but much less so.
While they could have been annoyed and left my persistent texts and left me on read, they didn’t. They all offered me thoughtful advice and explained to me what it was I was missing and provided ideas as to how I could better understand what was going on. These are just a few highlighted triumphs of my research project. The most meaningful one being that of being included by this tight-knit circle of sapiens who assisted me in my journey of writing a research paper on an industry I shamefully have been feeding into since my hormones erupted and having Hollister written across my chest was the only thing that could cure the permanent scowl that sat on my face whenever my parents were near. Luckily I had progressed from shopping at top fast fashion producers quite a few years ago now, but I now feel that I am armed with the knowledge to be a better more conscious clothing consumer. Since beginning this project I haven’t bought any first-hand articles of clothing and have managed a personal successful, boycotting Amazon (including canceling my Amazon Prime membership, bye bye The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel).
With these many wonderful triumphs came tribulations equally as influential to my research project. The one that stands out the most to me is that of realizing I had illustrated my findings with images from the internet in a far from perfect manner. I showed my classmate my paper, that at the time I was considering my final draft. They looked at me and let me know in the kindest way possible while still getting across their point that I had made a big mistake that needed immediate attention and that it DEFINITELY needed to be changed before submission. I originally had ten images, that I believed told the story I was trying to tell, and they would have been respectable image choices if this paper wasn’t a research paper that needed figures and graphs to support my claims. The pictures I had selected of an early 2000s shopping mall did not qualify as supporting evidence for my topic. Although they did do a remarkable job setting the scene, you all would have enjoyed them. But, I will admit I am glad I added the proper sort of imagery when and where I did because I now see how much of a better story my paper was able to tell with all of the supporting materials.
DeleteA lesser, but equally important tribulation I faced was that of staying on the timeline that Dr. Rob provided for us. I am not a wait until the last, last-minute sort of student, but having the incremental deadlines for this research paper left me feeling, again a little out of the loop. I normally sit down and bang out my papers. A couple of hours, a coffee, a snack, a fully charged laptop and a destination that perfectly balances distractions and peace, aka Eats, and I am good to go. Paper after paper, I can spit them out. That is, with the kind of writing I am familiar with. A kind of writing that is quite different from a scientific research paper. Having to take the time to accurately look into and explain my findings for each distinct paragraph was a challenge for me. It was hard to write my paper over the course of a semester. I know had I chosen to I could have written it in one fell swoop, but I am glad I didn’t. As much as it was a challenge for me to really break down the writing and research process I am glad I did. It left me feeling as though I had given each section of my paper the proper care and attention it deserved whereas I usually only provide this level of love to my introduction.
This paper definitely took me out of my comfort zone as a writer, which at first seemed daunting, but now feels like motivation to continue writing about less creative topics in the colorful way I enjoy.
Project #2:Op/Ed
ReplyDeletehttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1Z-1J5AEVLgV2evHOfNgPqHExpsQJ40kmP_K4X1H5ZgQ/edit?usp=sharing
Project #3: Reflection
ReplyDeletehttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1YbRJSOhnR_Q0Hh4EQMnRwXcbp6mVDCnuOe7mdZfheaE/edit?usp=sharing
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1KDjeIYEQ51EeXANwZ5PzJvJlLgdhnF1I5nzAR-yONNU/edit?usp=sharing
ReplyDelete