[Physical]

With over seven billion people currently living on our precious planet, the impact of the human population on the earth’s resources is hard to avoid! Today we are going to explore the human impact on the planet, and how we can all work to reduce the problems caused by our presence! Doing so is essential if we are to continue living here!

Population

The population of our planet continues to increase at an alarming rate. The current estimate of over seven billion people is a dramatic increase from the approximate one billion people that inhabited the planet just 200 years ago*.

As the amount of people increases, so too does the demand on our natural resources increase. We need to produce more food, more energy, more housing – and all of these things require additional resources, and therefore place an additional strain upon the planet.

Farming

Humans have been farming on this planet for more than 10,000 years! Although this is obviously necessary in order to cultivate food, this also involves transforming landscapes and disrupting natural areas. For example, forests are completely destroyed in order to create land that is suitable for planting crops or raising animals for food.

Farming at the massive scale in which we do poses a problem because of the damage caused to the land, especially when deforestation is taking place. A huge amount of water is also required for farming which can lead to water shortages in other areas.

Industrial Development

Since the age of the Industrial Revolution in the 1700’s, the prominence of factory manufacturing processes has boomed. The problem with the majority of factories is that they use excessive amounts of natural resources and require massive amounts of energy to run effectively.

The waste that is created by these factories around the world contributes massively to global warming, as well as the pollution of our air and water.

Pollution

Pollution is one of the biggest issues when it comes to how humans are causing ongoing damage to the planet. The environment is being harmed by countless chemicals and other substances.

The main causes of pollution that we can identify are the aforementioned waste from industrial sources, as well as sewage and the use of pesticides on the crops that we grow. Our use of automobiles also massively contributes to pollution.

It has been suggested that there could be as many as two billion cars on the roads by 2035*! Automobiles are one of the biggest culprits when it comes to air pollution, emitting dangerous levels of nitrogen oxide, carbon monoxide and other chemicals.

It is true that certain types of pollution can be tackled and the effects therefore relieved to some degree. However, other types of pollution can remain toxic for many thousands of years, thereby having a seriously detrimental impact on the planet and its inhabitants.

What Can We Do?!

In order to lower the human impact on the planet, to combat pollution and to better prepare the earth for some of the unavoidable problems caused by over-population, we all have to make conscientious decisions when it comes to affecting the planet.

At PAMA London we advocate making ethical choices when it comes to your clothing and fashion choices, such as with the use of charcoal bamboo in our clothing.

In addition to making sustainable choices when it comes to your clothing, there are other ways that you can lower or limit your carbon footprint. You can try to use transportation less by walking more, always recycle your rubbish and try to use less energy in your home.

[Creative]

More and more people are waking up to the fact that the production of the clothes that they love is damaging our environment. In order to protect the planet, the future of the clothing industry undoubtedly has to move into the hands of sustainable fabrics!

At PAMA London we are big fans of the incredible potential of bamboo for manufacturing fabrics, and this is evident from its use throughout our collections. Bamboo is an incredibly durable and easily renewable natural resource. Some of the main reasons that it is used for clothing production are that it is antibacterial and makes for a breathable fabric.

How Sustainable?

When considering how sustainable a fabric is, it is important to not only look at how it is grown and cultivated, but also how it is transported and processed. Every part of the journey contributes to how sustainable these fabrics actually are, and how much better for the environment they are when compared to conventional fabrics.

The Best Sustainable Fabrics

In addition to charcoal bamboo, there are some other fantastic resources that can be utilised to produce high quality sustainable clothing.

Lyocell

Lyocell, which is also commonly known as tencel, is a man-made fibre created from wood pulp. The technology used to manufacture lyocell is award-winning innovation, and is considered to be a serious achievement in the world of environmentally friendly textiles.

It is a completely non-toxic process and the eucalyptus trees used for production are always grown using sustainable farming practices. The fabric itself is super absorbent, meaning that if the use of dye is required then less is needed than with other more conventional fabrics.

Post-use, lyocell is biodegradable and therefore won’t leave a mark on the planet once you no longer have use for your garment.

Hemp

Hemp fabric is made from a part of the cannabis sativa plant, which is a plant that is quick and easy to grow. The rapid growth time means that less water is required and also that the grower has to wait less time for the plant to reach maturity.

When hemp plants are growing, they will not require any additional irrigation than what nature already provides, and the entire process will usually be organic! Similarly to lyocell, hemp is entirely biodegradable.

Linen

Linen is a fabric that is made from naturally occurring fibres taken from the flax plant. Production of the flax plant is a fairly simple process and can be grown on land that currently has little agricultural value, such as land that has poor soil. In keeping with the other fabrics mentioned, linen is also biodegradable.

Organic Cotton

Farmers of organic cotton use crop rotation instead of chemicals to ensure that their plants reach their potential. The soil used to grow organic cotton cotton will be deliberately rich with compost in order to enhance growth.

With chemical-free crops, there is always the risk of attracting insects, which can of course be problematic. Organic cotton farmers usually utilise castor-oil traps that insects will stick to, and will also often use natural pesticides.

During the first growth cycle, cotton will require a large amount of water, with the production of 1kg of cotton needing approximately 20,000 litres of water. With organic cotton, the amount of water needed will decrease after the first few years, and the soil will retain many of the nutrients it receives. When we consider that 25% of pesticide use in the world is for conventional cotton production, we can see why its organic counterpart is the only way forward!

In addition to being biodegradable, making it safer for the planet, organic cotton production is (of course!) free from chemicals, meaning the farming environment is safer for workers too.

Avoiding the use of fabrics that are harmful to our planet is a step towards helping to protect it! Check out the range of clothes on offer from PAMA London to begin revolutionising your wardrobe!