Fast Fashion & The Climate Crisis: A Poem
We adorn ourselves in the exploits of planetary and human toil,
Not knowing the true cost of what we wear,
Sapping the water or using the oil,
Only to be told by adverts, brands and Instagram,
That all is well with clothes of theirs.
Oh, how we live in shallow times where fact is fake and climate change is denied,
We consume such masses without a clue of how, what, where or who.
A t-shirt alone takes 2,700 litres of water to make, yet we treat it without a care,
Tossing it away after one Facebook share.
With no knowledge of the journey it has made, even though it takes precious resource,
We buy even more with no remorse.
A designer’s view will help make the change from beginning to end
Informing the customer of sustainable values, not shopping for gratification but necessity instead, don’t throw it out until it's worn out and dead,
Thinking about the purchase made, where is it from and will it last long.
When buying our clothes, we can take the opportunity to make the right choice, buy less, hear the ethical voice.
Think about that water consumption, think about how many times you wore that top,
Question what happens at the end of its life, where does it stop?
In landfill no doubt, polluting the ground and never breaking down.
We need the conglomerates and corporations to step back from profiteering,
Gives us sustainability and stop our fearing of this catastrophic cycle we are enduring.
Change your ways to build a future where all can survive and thrive and let your fast fashion disappear, to save our climate, planet and atmosphere.
Entrepreneurs will rise up to give back what you once took, developing new ways to work with community projects and cooperative neighbourhoods, transparent supply chains and no forced labour,
Using fibres that are eco-friendly, biodegradable or recycled, making fashion circular with less take,
This the commitment we must make as our very existence is at stake.
Borrowed from Fferal designer Helen's blog Tom Boy Mum