Emilia Romagna: a region devastated by heavy rain and flooding
Climate change, between natural disasters and man-made activities, brings along massive devastation.
In 36 hours, 50 centimetres of rain fell in Emilia Romagna. In other words, the rainfall the region usually sees throughout half a year. The heavy rains and consequent flooding have devastated a large part of the area. 14 rivers had broken their banks. Ten people died and more than 10,000 had to be evacuated. Some rescued from roofs by helicopters.
In the end, extreme weather events are the result of human actions on the planet. Without any ethical consideration, man acts like the master of nature instead like a part of it. Indeed money is the only concern. Still, humans want to dominate nature, disposing of it in endless exploitation.
“We have traded nature for the economy, but in the end, we all lost. A healthy economy is not possible without healthy ecosystems. Enough with the merchants of doubts: it’s time to act.”
Mario Tozzi
The merchants of doubts are climate change deniers. We shouldn’t even waste time listening to them. Since the 70s, scientists and economists knew what was about to happen. Capitalism is an economic model that brings destruction. Now this destruction is in front of us.
“Here, natural events become catastrophic due to a worsening factor: the concrete with which we have covered the entire territory. If you take away space from a river, sooner or later, it takes it back.” – declared Mario Tozzi.
Concrete monsters, mastodontic shopping malls, intensive farming and, on top of this, fossil fuels are all part of an exploitative system that failed. In fact, climate change and natural disasters are undeniable proof of human activity over nature.
“If we squander our fossil fuels, we threaten civilisation; but if we squander the capital represented by living nature around us, we threaten life itself.” E.F. Schumacher
We must leave this pattern behind and take action now.
On March 22nd, the EU Commission released a plan against greenwashing claims. But these new rules leave some leeway that will probably generate more confusion.
Environmental claims aren’t reliable!
Over the last five years, we started digging deep into sustainable matters. And how tricky it is for people to understand which label is sustainable or not. That is because of greenwashing: the process of brands and companies deceiving consumers to believe they are green when they are not. Obviously, brands release fake green claims to sell more. Indeed, the sustainability business is flourishing! And perhaps, those who believe in fairy tales are happy with it!
The plan to fight greenwashing
These are the data: 53% of green claims are vague, misleading or unfounded information. 40% of claims have no supporting evidence. 1/2 Half of all green labels offer weak or non-existent verification. There are 230 sustainability labels and 100 green energy labels in the EU, with vastly different levels of transparency.
Hence, the new criteria want to make green claims reliable across the EU, protecting consumers from greenwashing. Also, contribute to creating a circular economy based on reuse, repair, and recycling.
Expected impacts
“With certain consumers purchasing products that will be truly better for the environment, it is estimated that the impacts on the environment will be highly positive.”
Now the above statement may sound like greenwashing, too! In fact, the only “better for the environment” is a drastic reduction of new products and not more eco-products!
The controversial point
“However, it remains a decision of companies to include (or not) environmental claims in their voluntary commercial communications. This means that the companies can control their costs by determining the scope of the claim (if any) considering its expected return on investment. In short, the costs of substantiation are of a voluntary nature to companies as they are part of one’s marketing strategy and therefore credible estimations of the overall cost for the Union market are difficult.”
Therefore, rules aren’t mandatory for companies. Indeed, businesses have been given leeway on how to provide their evidence. Likewise, governments will be able to decline the guidelines when they transpose them into national legislation.
In conclusion, without unified regulations, the EU plan to fight greenwashing won’t stop greenwashing!
The latest IPCC report, AR6 – Sixth Assessment Report, is a survival guide for humanity to defuse the climate time bomb. Will it awake people’s conscience?
The report & the climate time bomb
“Scientists from the authoritative UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), urged for immediate action that can be taken now, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to human-caused climate change.”
The study – “Climate Change 2023: Synthesis Report” – calls for urgent climate action to secure a liveable future for all. Antonio Guterres declared that the climate-time bomb is ticking, but we have the knowledge and resources to tackle the climate crisis. Only drastic action can avert irrevocable damage to the world. If we act now, we can ensure a livable planet for the future.
The solution proposed by the IPCC is “climate resilient development,” which involves integrating measures to adapt to climate change with actions to reduce or avoid greenhouse gas emissions in ways that provide wider benefits.
In supporting sustainable development, the discussion is about the decoupling of production and emissions.
Recently Kering Group launched a climate change adaptation strategy that uses a science-based framework. So, the group set the goal to cut emissions across their supply chain by 40% by 2035. In other words, Kering will keep growing while cutting climate impact.
But here is the point! Can developed countries achieve economic growth decoupled from environmental pressures?
So, “the jury has reached a verdict,” said UN Secretary-General António Guterres during the release of the report. For me, the AR6 is the last nail on the coffin of the green growth hypothesis, which I consider to be a broken promise, one of the “empty pledges that put us firmly on track towards an unliveable world,” as Guterres says. What if we could time travel to Galileo’s trial today? Which voice would we give credence to? I think the situation concerning decoupling is dramatically similar. Give a few years (hopefully less) for the smoke to disappear, and we’ll soon realise that, just like the Sun doesn’t revolve around the Earth, the continued pursuit of economic growth in rich nations is not compatible with a stable climate.”
Timothée Parrique
The climate time bomb is ticking, but green growth is not the answer. Though a reduction of consumption may seem utopic, we are afraid it will be too late when we will realise that was our way out!
Now everything revolves around the concept of community. But can you understand the true meaning of it? Simon Sinek had the perfect response.
“A community is a group of people who agree to grow together.” Simon Sinek
Community & growth
According to Simon Sinek, the purpose of a community is not just about having something in common, sharing a culture, heritage or a specific interest. It’s deeper than that. In fact, there’s an element of growth which comes from a journey you enrol in with a group of people. Specifically, growth is the product of a reciprocal process of shared interactions.
Community: making a change together
Fashion to celebrate the value of research and to tell the story of our times: this is a mission we share with people who want to make a change. And it’s a growth process, indeed. Because through our activity, we do more than just fashion. We use our blog and connections to discuss fashion and lifestyle as key to analysing society and promoting climate change awareness. And sustainability against greenwashing.
We started by ordering small productions of international brands and independent designers. An exclusive selection of timeless fashion and meaningful garments without gender barriers. While we are studying how to implement a practice of circular fashion, we shed light on what we consume and how we throw away, bringing about critical discussions.
What we learned
Our planet is an open-air landfill, and we must stop expecting our litter to disappear magically. Furthermore, we cannot move from capitalism to green capitalism just to keep consuming as we did before. We need something different to fight the climate emergency.
Buy less (far less), buy better is how we lead to thoughtful consumption.
Telling stories about fashion, lifestyle and climate change, inspiring and being inspired, we have a positive impact on each other. As a tiny community, we try to change for the better. And so we grow together, open to possibilities.
World leaders, the luxury bubble that rules the world
These days, the planetary elite is gathering in Davos. And try to guess how they reach the World Economic Forum? On a private jet, of course!
Davos Forum: what is it?
Davos is a town located in the Switzerland Alps where, in January, the World Economic Forum takes place. Started in 1971, WEF is a Switzerland non-profit that holds a five-day conference annually. The delegates include political leaders and representatives from international companies, pharmaceuticals, tech, banks and academics.
Every year the leaders tackle a different topic. This year’s theme is: “Cooperation in a fragmented world.” Since Europe is facing a persistent state of hardship, going from crisis to crisis, we entered the era of “permacrisis.” And there seems to be no end to this challenging time. Other than economics, leaders will touch on environmental and social issues too.
Greenpeace & Davos
Greenpeace published an analysis conducted by the Dutch CE Delft checking the CO2 emissions from the private flights to the Davos Forum:
“The analysis shows a substantial increase in private jet flights to and from Davos airports and an even more sizable increase in CO2 emissions during the week of the World Economic Forum 2022, compared to an average week. The number of private jet flights doubles and private jet emissions quadruple during the week of the World Economic Forum compared to an average week.”
About every second flight is attributed to the meeting. But, the distance travelled is striking: 53% of all private jet flights were short-haul flights under 750 km. 38% were ultra short flights (below 500 km) that could have easily been train or car trips. More than 6% of all private jet flights flew less than 100 km. The shortest flight recorded was 21 km.
Clearly, these leaders live in a luxury bubble. In order to address economics, the climate emergency and social injustice, they fly on private jets and go to five-star hotels. Nevertheless, they suggest a radical change in technology and sustainability. In short, they indicate solutions while they exacerbate the problems. Absurd. Isn’t it?
Of course, the idea that leaders travel on private jets to address pollution, causing more CO2, could make us laugh. Unfortunately, the climate emergency is here to stay, and there’s nothing to laugh about.
While reading the international news, it seems the growth obsession is here to stay despite climate change. Industries don’t see any problem or urgency. So, why should they make a change? They don’t really care because money comes first.
Sustainability is the goal of the fashion industry. But, according to the industry leaders, sustainability wouldn’t happen without changes to the business model and more efforts to educate consumers.
Ms Friedman said:
“At this point, it’s not about the chemicals. It’s about the sheer amount of stuff that we produce, that we buy and that we waste.”
Vanessa Friedman
But then Laurent Claquin, Americas president of the luxury group Kering, declared: “Growth is not a bad word.” Well, this leaves us a little bit perplexed…
Although the conclusion was that the fashion industry needs to stop focusing on exponential growth, some contradictory positions emerged.
“In China, the Covid situation is truly explosive. Some factories have 80-90% sick employees. Experts estimate 250 million cases and two million deaths within the year. Now everything is blocked and obviously, it will have consequences for the economy. Factories can’t keep up with orders, and containers don’t leave. But this situation will not last long. Forecasts say that growth will return in the third quarter. And when China restarts, it won’t be easy for the West: gas and oil will rise again next winter because Chinese energy demand will explode.”
Growth obsessed industries vs climate change
On the one hand, the actual situation in China is a catastrophe facing many deaths. Yet, on the other, the imperative is growth. Growth, growth and more growth!
The big picture is this: extreme heat, rainforest burning, glaciers melting, flooding, ocean life dying, and insect numbers plummeting. And we could go on with the list! Our lifestyle is destroying the planet and the ecosystems. And this destruction will soon revert to us.
Have you ever thought there’s a link between fashion brands and Russian oil? Yes, your mass-produced clothing might be indirectly fueling the war in Ukraine.
Changing markets Foundation released the report: “Dressed to Kill: Fashion brands’ hidden links to Russian oil in a time of war.” This investigation uncovered hidden supply chains connecting fashion brands and Russian oil. So, purchasing some specific polyester clothing might be a way to fuel the war in Ukraine.
Fashion & Russian oil – the connection
Major Indian and Chinese polyester producers source oil from Russia to make synthetic fibre. Then, they sell yarn and fabrics to garment manufacturers, who, in turn, produce clothes for well-known fashion brands.
Even though many countries have imposed sanctions on Russia, they continue selling clothes made with Russian oil. So, in the end, these same countries are financially supporting Russia’s economy during the invasion of Ukraine. Also, the research highlights links with Saudi Arabia and fracked gas from the US.
We invite you to watch this video:
Fossil fashion thrives on overproduction and an infinite growth system, a clear expression of capitalism. But, as we can see with our eyes, exponential growth is not sustainable for our planet. Indeed, it pushes people toward overconsumption of cheap garments, fostering that buy-use-toss behaviour typical of our society. A toxic consuming habit which, in turn, led to a spiralling waste crisis. The result is a massive exploitation of people and the planet, with an immense climate cost.
Are your clothes made with Russian oil?
Cheap fashion brands are attractive, but someone else pays the cost: exploited people and our burning planet. And you may also end up supporting Russia’s war.
So, be mindful and choose quality items made to last. One quality garment is better than two bags full of fast-fashion garbage!
COP 27 is becoming more of an international show leaving people in doubt about its effectiveness. We hear world leaders urging us to worry about the climate emergency for about ten days. After that, no action follows, and things are only getting worse. So, do we really need it?
With more than 35 thousand people involved, the cost and impact are crazy! In the first two days, 40 private jets landed in the Egyptian desert. For a conference on climate change? It sounds like a joke! However, most of the leaders participating in this summit are the same ones who contributed to creating the problems we face nowadays. And their strong connection with oil and corporations is at the heart of the matter.
So, a simple question arises, which doesn’t require rocket science but the common sense of humble people like us. Can those who caused a disaster help find solutions? It seems unlikely to happen.
Corporations are the face of capitalism. If asked to change, they will shift to green capitalism. But this will not reduce their impact on the planet because they will continue to overproduce goods. So, people and planet exploitation will continue. Just with a different colour!
Indeed, believing that corporations will be active in finding solutions to climate change is quite naive. Ethics and business aren’t good friends. Until the very last drop of oil is available, they will persist in exploitation and make money out of it. All the rest, COP 27 included, is just a facade. A kind of big greenwashing machine which has the effect of manipulating people. Or unnerving those who don’t buy it.
Capitalistic growth led to the destruction of the world. Making capitalism green will change its colour. But a new facade will not eradicate the element that caused the disaster: never-ending growth. Which is cancer to humanity and nature.
Our planet cannot bear it anymore. We need to question endless economic growth. If growth is life, overgrowth is death.
And so, we don’t need world leaders discussing the climate disaster for ten days, hand in hand with corporations. COP 27 is pointless. We need people who care 365 days a year!
Talking about fashion in the face of a climate disaster needs a radical attitude. Also, if we consider fashion a reflection of our society, we cannot start any discussion without setting priorities.
Climate change is the priority, and we need to understand what happens in order to make the right choices. Even when it’s about what we wear.
Climate disaster: the UN Environment Program
A few days ago, the UN Environment Program released a report which finds that “the international community is falling far short of the Paris goals, with no credible pathway to 1.5°C in place. Only an urgent system-wide transformation can avoid climate disaster.”
Are you surprised? Sadly, we are not. Sustainable is a trendy label. Indeed, we hear countless panels about sustainability because it is a popular topic. But they open their mouths just to put out words and make content for social media. No action that brings a positive impact ever follows. Therefore, they are pointless.
Furthermore, on November 6 in Sharm-El-Sheik – Egypt will be held the UN annual Conference of the Parties, COP27. There is no better opportunity to jump on a private jet and be part of a corporate event. And, this time, members participating can also enjoy a sunny place! It will be just another waste of money and resources.
What can we learn from this?
Climate change is an opportunity to drive business, and sustainability is the capitalistic response to the issue. Most sustainable brands represent a survival strategy set in place by capitalism. Indeed, corporations have flooded the market with green/organic/eco-friendly/low-impact/vegan/recycled/sustainable products. Nice buzzwords! Which, in essence, are empty claims. Misleading messages whose true face is greenwashing.
Our economic system cannot respond adequately to climate change because it is itself the cause. Buzzwords are just fluff! In fact, the negative impact of climate change grows every year.
The climate disaster calls for rapid transformation of societies and their economic system. And this transformation needs every nation and every community. All of us! Now!
Although frequently not understood, activism is a powerful communication tool when trying to make a change.
Why activism?
Our brains are so anaesthetized by comfort and habits that we have an altered perception. We stare like passive viewers, unable to react to the appalling occurrences flowing around us. And even if we have an idea of what is going on, perhaps we do not care. That is why we need activism: to awaken our sleepy consciences.
“The house is burning! Save the paintings!”
That seemed to be the reaction most people had when two girls, activists of the Just Stop Oil group, threw tomato soup over the “Sunflowers” – the famous painting by Vincent Van Gogh at the National Gallery in London.
The painting had glass screen protection, so it was in no danger. But the act of protest spread huge reactions and strong criticism everywhere. Comments went from anger to derision, shock or big concern. For the painting, of course. Not for our planet, not for climate change. Not even for the oil crisis and the costs people cannot afford.
These are the words the activists from Just Stop Oil said:
“What is worth more, art or life?”
“Is it worth more than food? More than justice? Are you more concerned about the protection of a painting or the protection of our planet and people?
“We are not trying to make friends here. We are trying to make change. And unfortunately, this is how change happens!”
Perhaps raising awareness and trying to make a change when no one sees the emergency or no one wants to move a finger requires strong actions. Oil crises and climate crises are connected. People cannot afford oil, and the planet cannot afford it too.
If you find yourself upset about a painting that wasn’t even damaged rather than about the ongoing destruction of the biosphere, you are part of the problem.
Dear folks, the house is burning. Are you ok with it?