The Fashion Industry: A Quick Factsheet

GREEN LIVING COLUMN, PENCINTA ALAM OCTOBER 2019

THE FASHION INDUSTRY: A QUICK FACTSHEET

Compiled and edited by Wong Ee Lynn <gl.mnselangor@yahoo.com>

We rarely think of clothing as an environmental problem. After all, fabrics are not seen to end up in the oceans or harm wildlife the way plastics do, and they are not seen to emit pollution during use. Consumers and shoppers believe that they can always donate the clothes they no longer wear to those less fortunate than they are, and this would keep clothing in use and out of landfills.

However, the reality is that the fashion industry has a massive carbon footprint. Here are some facts that highlight just how damaging the fashion industry can be, and what is being done to make the industry more sustainable:

1.      The apparel and footwear industries together account for more than 8% of global climate impact – the equivalent of 3,990 million metric tonnes of carbon dioxide in 2016 - greater than all international airline flights and maritime shipping trips combined. Total greenhouse gas emissions related to textiles production are equal to 1.2 billion tonnes annually, according to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation.

2.      To make just one pair of denim jeans, 10,000 litres of water is required to grow the one kilo of cotton needed for the pair of jeans. In comparison, one person would take 10 years to drink 10,000 litres of water.

3.      Cumulatively, the fashion industry produces about 20% of global waste water. Textile dyeing is the second largest polluter of water globally. Washing clothes also releases half a million tonnes of microfibres into the oceans every year.

4.      An estimated two-thirds of the emissions in the fashion industry come at the raw materials stage, so improving the way we produce polyester and cotton could have a huge impact. Synthetics, mainly polyester, make up 65% of all fabrics produced today. Cotton makes up around 21%.

5.      Polyester, as a plastic, is made from oil, and extracting and processing the raw material to make it is highly energy-intensive. 46.1 million tonnes of polyester were produced in 2014, releasing 655 million tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere – around 40% of total fashion industry emissions.

6.      As an agricultural crop, cotton’s carbon footprint is lower than that of polyester, but fertiliser use releases nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas with 300 times more warming power than CO2.

7.      Currently, less than 1% of garments are recycled into new clothes, with only 20% of fabrics being recycled at all. 85% of textiles go into landfills or get incinerated. This is made worse by the fast fashion trend of recent years. We are buying more clothes than ever before, wearing them fewer times, repairing them less, and throwing them away sooner.

8.      In December 2018, a group of leading fashion brands and NGOs launched the Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action, under the auspices of the United Nations. The Charter sets out a series of commitments, including a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of 30% by 2030 and public reporting of emissions.

9.      One of the ways fashion brands can reduce the adverse impact of fashion is by switching raw materials. Switching from virgin polyester to recycled material from plastic drink bottles or ocean plastics can reduce the carbon footprint of polyester by 40%. Likewise, switching from conventional to organic cotton can cut harmful emissions by 46%, as the nitrogen waste from fertilisers is eliminated. Currently, only approximately 1% of all cotton produced is organic.

10.   The fashion industry is working with NGOs and United Nations agencies to come up with more sustainable and ethical manufacturing practices. Adidas are Ecoalf are manufacturing shoes out of ocean plastics. Patagonia has been producing fleece jackets using polyester from recycled bottles since 1993, encourages shoppers to buy only what they need, and mends and recycles older items. H&M and Guess have launched garment collection and recycling programmes. Clothing swap and rental programmes such as Rent the Runway, Girl Meets Dress and YCloset encourage shoppers to rent or swap rather than buy clothes that they will wear only once or twice.

11.   The fashion industry can also reduce their carbon footprint by making energy savings along the value chain. When Hugo Boss analysed the carbon footprint of their transport operations, they realised that switching from air to rail freight could cut emissions by 95%.

12.   Ultimately, for the fashion industry to make a positive impact on the climate, the culture of fast fashion needs to change. We need to buy fewer things, shop only when absolutely necessary, wear our clothes longer and keep things in use longer. We need to stop thinking of clothes as disposable, and adopt circular fashion principles that treat the life cycle of garment as a closed loop.

Sources:

1.      Fashion industry’s carbon impact bigger than airline industry’s: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/earth-day-2019-fashion-industrys-carbon-impact-is-bigger-than-airline-industrys/

2.      Can Fashion Stop Climate Change? https://www.commonobjective.co/article/can-fashion-stop-climate-change

3.      UN Helps Fashion Industry Shift To Low Carbon: https://unfccc.int/news/un-helps-fashion-industry-shift-to-low-carbon

4.      Putting the brakes on fast fashion. https://www.unenvironment.org/news-and-stories/story/putting-brakes-fast-fashion

Leaving on a jet place? Better think twice!

PENCINTA ALAM JULY 2019

GREEN LIVING COLUMN

LEAVING ON A JET PLANE? BETTER THINK TWICE!

By Wong Ee Lynn <wongeelynn@yahoo.com / gl.mnselangor@yahoo.com>

Teen climate activist Greta Thunberg is one of the growing number of Swedes who avoids air travel because of the aviation industry’s effect on climate change. The social media hashtags #flygskam (flight shame) and #stayontheground encourage travellers to think about the environmental impact and carbon footprint of air travel and to opt for alternatives to flying.

Instead of flying, Greta Thunberg spent 65 hours on a train to travel to Davos, Switzerland, to speak at the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting. The train journey emitted only 44 kg of carbon, compared to 262 kg if she had travelled by plane.

Although the flygskam movement has yet to have a significant impact in Malaysia, where being able to travel abroad is a status symbol among the rising middle class, in environmentally-conscious Sweden it has resulted in a drop in air travel of 8% in just one year.

Some facts about air travel:

·         On a measure of CO2 emitted per km travelled, air travel is the most polluting means of transportation with 285 grams of CO2 per passenger / km.

·         Globally, the aviation industry is responsible for roughly 2%-3% of CO2 emissions, but that is rising quickly as more people fly more often.

·         Air travel worldwide is growing at more than 6% a year, outpacing the reduction in per passenger carbon emissions gained from efficiency measures.

·         Every roundtrip transatlantic flight emits enough CO2 to melt 30 sq ft of Arctic sea ice.

·         Not all the environmental impact of air travel comes from the act of flying, as airports themselves have high carbon footprints. All the surrounding infrastructure  -- terminals, runways, ground transportation, maintenance facilities, and shopping centres – uses significant amounts of land, water, energy, and resources.

How has the aviation industry responded?

·         The largest contribution to emissions reduction in aviation comes through technology. The Air Transport Action Group estimates that CO2 emissions per seat kilometre have halved since 1990, and each new generation of aircraft improves fuel efficiency by roughly 15%. Current aircraft models consume an average of 3 litres of fuel per 100 km per seat. According to a 2017 report by the International Council on Clean Transport, Norwegian is the most fuel efficient airline on transatlantic flights.

·         The aviation industry is developing more sustainable fuels that are capable of reducing the industry’s existing carbon footprint by 80%. However, the problem of high price and limited supply remains. The aviation industry maintains that they need the support of governments to build up and promote sustainable fuels, new technology, and more efficient operations.

What can we do, as responsible earth citizens?

·         Support campaigns and initiatives and make air travel more sustainable and equitable. A relatively small percentage of the population is flying much more than the rest, and taxes and levies can be imposed on these frequent flyers.

·         Pay extra to offset emissions by investing in renewable energy projects or planting trees. However, take note that personal and corporate carbon offsetting schemes have been criticised as being excuses for the rich to carry on polluting.

·         Cut down on unnecessary trips and flights.

·         Choose nearer holiday destinations.

·         Make a conscious decision to limit air travel to a maximum of once a year.

·         Consider attending a conference or meeting remotely by video conference or even via a telepresence robot. Experiment with virtual platforms such as Zoom, Connect, and GoToMeeting. The Nearly Carbon Neutral Conference is a fully online conference that has now run several times.

·         If you work for an institution or you are a manager or decision maker in your company, opt to hold fewer conferences, or organise regional hub conferences that convene at multiple regional sites that are linked digitally to one another. Invite speakers to give talks remotely so their talks could be broadcast to audiences around the world at a lower carbon footprint.

·         If you wish to go to a particular destination just to see the sights, consider virtual reality (VR) travel, which is clearly a more sustainable option than flying. VR is increasingly becoming recognised for its potential to give users immersive experiences of real world locations.  

·         Pack light, since the total weight of the aircraft directly affects its fuel consumption. Finnair has calculated that if each passenger were to cut down the weight of their luggage by 5 kg, the total reduction could save the airline almost 17,000 tons of CO2 emissions.

·         Search for flights on websites (such as FlyGRN) that allow you to check what type of aircraft you will be flying on, and that estimate CO2 emissions for the flight. Choose flights offering newer models of aircraft with lower emissions.

·         For domestic destinations, skip air travel. Whenever possible, go for rail and water travel. Despite carrying 75% of world trade, shipping and rail combined produced only 1.75% of greenhouse gas emissions. Road transport produced 10.5%.

·         Choose direct flights. Cut down on internal flights and stopovers. In air travel, most of the carbon release takes place during take-off and landing, so it is even more important to try to cut down on the number of internal flights or stopovers.

·         If you must fly, you could mitigate a tiny fraction of your impact by avoiding flying at night. Dr Piers Forster from Leeds University has discovered that trails of condensation from aircraft, called contrails, have a greater warming effect at night, trapping heat but without reflecting any of the sun's rays back into the atmosphere as they do during the day. Avoid taking winter flights for the same reason. Despite making up just 22% of total annual traffic, winter flights account for more than half of aviation's annual warming effect. Increased humidity creates more problematic persistent contrails. Also, the energy used in one flush of a plane toilet - exacerbated by altitude - is enough for an economical car to run at least 10km, according to Captain Liu Zhiyaun from China Southern airline. So use the airport toilet before you board your plane.

·         Reduce your daily travel impact. Taking public transport, working closer to home, telecommuting, teleconferencing and working from home are all ways in which you could reduce your daily travel impact so you would not feel so guilty about taking a one-off vacation abroad. You can also reduce your overall carbon footprint by going vegetarian or vegan, going carless, reducing your home energy use, and having fewer children.

What Should I Know About Hybrid Cars?

PENCINTA ALAM NOVEMBER 2012 
GREEN LIVING COLUMN

WHAT SHOULD I KNOW ABOUT HYBRID CARS?

By Wong Ee Lynn 
 gl.mnselangor@yahoo.com

In this discussion of "hybrid cars", we are considering only vehicles that use a combination of petrol and electric power, and not natural gas or other fuels.

A hybrid car has a standard petrol-powered motor and an electric motor that provides additional boost using a rechargeable battery. Using a technology called regenerative braking, as the hybrid car decelerates, the system captures this braking energy and regenerates this to charge the battery.

 Purchasing a hybrid car can be a very costly investment. While we at MNS do encourage everyone to take public transport, carpool or go car-free as much as possible, for many people, this isn't a realistic or practical option. The two main factors that would influence a purchaser's decision to choose a hybrid car are the fuel savings and reduced carbon emissions.

 In considering whether or not to make your next car a hybrid, here are some factors to be taken into consideration:

  (1) COST
Hybrid cars cost significantly more than conventional cars due to the capital investment poured into hybrid technology. The Toyota Prius C, for instance, costs approximately RM97,000.00 while the Honda Jazz Hybrid costs RM94,800.00 with insurance. The cost of purchasing hybrid vehicles is gradually decreasing due to legislative and other incentives. In addition, there is no import duty and excise duty imposed on hybrid vehicles with engine sizes under 2.0L until 31 Dec 2013, in a move by the Malaysian government to encourage the purchase and use of hybrid vehicles. However, the fact remains that the initial purchase price is high and may not result in a return of investment in terms of fuel savings in the foreseeable future for many car users who do not need to drive long distances on a regular basis. Also, the main factor that is keeping the prices of hybrid cars competitive in Malaysia right now is the exemption on duty and import tax. The government may change the policy in future, so there are no guarantees that the prices of these cars will remain as they are.

  (2) FUEL ECONOMY
It would make sense that a hybrid car that runs partly on battery would consume less petrol than a standard petrol engine. The electric motor of a hybrid car supplies substantial power to run the car under very light acceleration and speed. Moreover, hybrid car manufacturers have a tendency to utilise smaller engine capacities on the assumption that the electric motor would assist by way of power when needed, therefore consuming less fuel. However, if you are harsh on your accelerator pedal, no matter what make of car you drive, you car will be consuming petrol at a faster rate.

 Here is some information that would help you make a comparison of fuel use and costs between 2 hybrid models and 2 non-hybrid models, based on a 20,000km range per year and using combined consumption figures provided by manufacturers:

 Toyota Corolla Altis 2.0V (Hybrid): 1,538.46 litres x RM1.90 (RON95) = RM2,923.07
Toyota Prius Luxury: 950.12 litres x RM1.90 (RON95) = RM1,805.23

 That amounts to substantial savings of RM1,117.84 per year. Although there are substantial petrol savings each year from driving the Prius over the Altis, the initial outlay is considerably more. However, this comparison is not conclusive, as they are in fact very different cars with different specifications.

 Let's now compare 2 cars with similar specifications and capacities:
 Honda Jazz Grade V: 1,265.82 litres x RM1.90 (RON95) = RM2,405.06
Honda Jazz Hybrid: 938.97litres x RM1.90 (RON95) = RM1,784.04

 This results in savings of RM 621.02 a year.

 Furthermore, hybrid cars consume zero petrol when at a standstill, so you won’t be burning petrol in heavy traffic or while waiting at the traffic lights. However, many of the newer models of conventional petrol cars are using the same stop-start technology, so hybrid vehicles are not the only options if you want a fuel-efficient vehicle.

(3) RESALE VALUE
The price of hybrid cars is inevitably coming down due to a rapidly increasing demand. In addition, tax incentives that may apply now may not continue forever. This means that you will not be able to sell your car at a premium price later, even though resale value is good now. So if you buy a hybrid because you think it will hold its value, don't count on that being true in five years' time.

(4) MECHANICAL ASSISTANCE AND MAINTENANCE
Many mechanics are not yet trained in maintaining and repairing a hybrid vehicle. Could you get yours repaired and maintained locally?

(5) CARBON EMISSIONS -- A LIFE CYCLE ANALYSIS
This may upset electric vehicle proponents, but it has been determined that electric and hybrid cars generate more carbon emissions during their production than current conventional vehicles, according to a new report prepared in collaboration with the UK’s Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership that includes major vehicle manufacturers and oil companies.
However, electric and hybrid vehicles still have a lower carbon footprint overall. For example, a typical medium-sized family car will create around 24 tonnes of CO2 during its life cycle, while an electric vehicle (EV) will produce around 18 tonnes over its life, the report said.

For a battery-powered electric vehicle, 46% of its total carbon footprint is generated at the factory, before it has travelled a single kilometre. The report, being released as part of the LowCVP Annual Conference 2011, highlights the increasing importance of accounting for whole life carbon emissions to compare the greenhouse gas emissions of low carbon vehicles. The study found that some of the CO2 savings made during the use of low carbon vehicles is offset by increased emissions created during their production, and to a lesser extent, disposal.

We must appreciate that hybrids are still internal-combustion, petroleum-powered cars. While they might use less of it than other vehicles, they still depend on a fuel that often comes from a fossil fuel, and they still create emissions when they are driven around.

 The batteries inside hybrid cars depend on materials like lithium and cobalt. Mining for those minerals is an extremely destructive process, and one that has left entire mountains leveled in their wake. Local residents benefit little from these endeavors. Furthermore, the countries with the most lucrative mines tend to also be some of the most unstable, including Bolivia and the Democratic Republic of Congo. So increasing our dependence on electric and hybrid cars may mean trading the conflicts in the Middle East for another set of problems.

 Then there's the issue of plug-in hybrid cars. While they have the potential to use far less petrol than conventional engines or even regular hybrids, the electricity they use comes from our existing power grid, which in Malaysia comes mostly from coal-fired power plants. Adding more plug-in hybrids will put an extra strain on the grid that just means more output from existing power plants, at least until our country runs on renewable energy sources

DISCUSSION:
Hybrid cars can be a great alternative to conventional vehicles, but people need to realise that hybrids won't solve the fossil fuel and pollution crisis overnight. There are many ways to reduce your fuel consumption and carbon emissions without having to invest in hybrid cars. Your driving style has a large impact on your fuel consumption. It's not just about what kind of vehicle you are driving, but how you are driving it. Is it a single-occupancy vehicle most of the time, or are you carpooling and ride-sharing? Are you making too many unnecessary trips, or combining trips and errands whenever possible? Are you making every effort to reduce your reliance on driving, and taking public transport or walking / cycling instead? Are you able to forgo driving once a week? Are you braking and accelerating abruptly and frequently, or do you drive at a manageable and consistent speed, and anticipate things which may require you to stop or slow down? Do you drive mostly in the city, or on highways? If in-town, low-speed, start-stop driving is a major part of your day, a hybrid will probably get the better side of the fuel consumption equation. But for long highway commutes at steady high speeds, petrol and diesel-powered cars might perform comparable to, or in some cases even better than, hybrids.

Hybrid vehicles aren't the only fuel efficient and low emission vehicles around. Clean diesel vehicles such as the Volkswagen Jetta TDI, for instance, have high fuel effciency and cleaner emissions than conventional vehicles, and may even outperform hybrids while driving on highways. Diesel's former reputation as smelly, dirty and sluggish is now a thing of the past. Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) tank installations on your existing vehicle can also result in considerable fuel savings and cleaner, lower emissions. Smaller, newer cars designed for city driving (remember the Smart Fortwo?) can make significant fuel savings and reduced emissions.

Ultimately, you need to ask yourself your reasons for wanting to purchase a hybrid vehicle. Are you going to do much driving at all? Are there alternatives to driving? How frequently will there be passengers in your car? Would you consider smaller and newer conventional cars as other fuel-saving options? Can other types of fuel such as natural gas or clean diesel be comparable to hybrids in terms of reduced emissions? It may also be worthwhile to wait until the prices of hybrid vehicles come down, or more secondhand hybrid vehicles are available on the market, or for the technology to improve in a few years.


(Sources: http://savemoney.my/malaysia-hybrid-car-buying-guide-do-hybrid-cars-save-you-money/; http://www.edmunds.com/hybrid/before-buy.html and http://auto.howstuffworks.com/ 
Image credits: How Stuff Works)

Reducing Your Carbon "Foodprint"

PENCINTA ALAM OCTOBER 2010
GREEN LIVING COLUMN
REDUCING YOUR CARBON "FOODPRINT"


In this economy, it's hard to prioritise the quality of your food. Why buy free-range eggs or fair trade coffee when you can get virtually the same product at a hypermarket for half the cost? However, the food we choose to buy and consume not only has a great impact on our bodies, but on our environment, as well. What seems like a trivial matter--what you choose to eat for dinner--ultimately amounts to an overwhelming issue that concerns the very future of our planet. But this doesn't mean it's a lost cause: by educating ourselves and others, we have reduced, and continue to reduce, the energy consumption due to our diets by choosing our foods wisely.

You can try measuring your carbon "foodprint" using online applications such as the Carbon Diet Calculator (http://www.eatlowcarbon.org/Carbon-Calculator.html and http://www.foodcarbon.co.uk/calculator.html), but bear in mind that as we are in Malaysia, local fruits fall into the category of "seasonal" and not "tropical".

Here are steps you can take to measure and reduce your carbon foodprint:

1. Take your food list from yesterday and calculate your carbon “foodprint.” Did you eat anything grown within 250km? Choose five items from yesterday that were not produced locally and try swapping them out for items that are produced locally.

2. For this week define your own limits. Will you only buy food grown within 100 km of your home, or food only grown in Malaysia? Will you give up beef or try veganism? If you aren’t consuming packaged products (which create trash), your choices may be easier than you think.

3. There’s no denying it — eating fewer animal products can be the single greenest move you can make. Try going vegetarian once a week, or having meat in just one of your meals each day.

4. Practice “passive cooking” by using leftover boiling water to soften and even lightly cook (or steam) things. Instead of sautéing or braising greens, massage them with some oil and vinegar until soft and wilted. Eat more raw fruits and vegetables instead of processed food. It can be as easy as having fresh fruit for dessert instead of ice cream and jelly.

5. Find ways to use your oven for shorter periods. Put food in during the
preheating stage and turn the oven off early to let the heated air finish
cooking your food.

6. Pack school or office sandwiches and snacks in reusable or washable cloth bags or in lunchboxes. Use glass or stainless steel lunchboxes instead of plastic ones.

7. When eating out, ask for a glass of boiled water instead of a bottle of bottled drinking water. Bring your own drinking water with you whenever possible.