Sustainability on Our Backs

There are so many ways in which sustainability is and should be part of our lives. In fact, we believe that it must be a foundational piece of how we live. Sustainability doesn't need to be difficult or inconvenient either. If we look closely at the systems we have in place for sourcing, producing and consuming it becomes clear that subtle modifications can have huge positive impacts on our collective quality of life. The systems work, they just are misused!

We've got a huge opportunity if we'd just be more cradle-to-cradle in our thinking. Systems thinking is essential to improving our current lives in ways that do not negatively impact our futures!

Take the article we've linked to for this discussion for example, which shows that there is a great demand for sustainably grown cotton. Opportunity to change!! Clothing, and cotton in particular, is a pretty dirty industry.

Some facts: (taken from Wikipedia)

• The U.S. cotton crop was 93% genetically modified (GMO) in 2010;
• The Chinese cotton crop was 68% genetically modified (GMO) in 2009
• The cotton industry relies heavily on chemicals, such as herbicides, fertilizers and insecticides;
• The 25,000 cotton growers in the United States are heavily subsidized at the rate of $2 billion per year;
• Many farmers in developing countries receive a low price for their cotton;
• Some countries are criticized for employing child labor & damaging workers' health by exposure to pesticides.

This is an industry that impacts ALL of us! There are multiple levels of its production where there are opportunities to make the industry better without breaking the bank and with higher quality all around. Making oneself aware of how our consumption contributes to degrading and improving our environment and our quality of life is important.

Visionary Values is getting very close to the unveiling of the first level of our consumer sustainability database that will enable everyone to see these complex processes in much more detailed and more easily accessed formats. We believe in the transparency of processes and in giving consumers the information that can help them make choices of all kinds that benefit our planet, ourselves and the species we share this beautiful life with! Stay tuned!!