Organic Cotton: Safe For You, And Safe For The Earth

Some people totally deny the concept and existence of "organic" plants and products, and often they label those who support organic farmers and products as "fools eager to pay more money for a mediocre product."

I'm not one of those people, and here's why: I'm a scientist, I've done my research, and what I've found is an undeniable connection between toxins, a debilitated ecosystem, and a decrease in human health.

Organic living is simple living without the use of carcinogenic toxins like pesticides, fungicides, herbicides, insecticides, or man-made fertilizers, etc.

Believe it or not, but the organic method is the way crops and produce have been grown for tens of thousands of years--that is, until recently. All these crazy, carcinogenic chemicals leach into the fruits and vegetables you eat, are ingested in your body, and play a significant role in contributing to the development of diseases like cancer.

What you wear is also important, for it not only is in contact with your skin all day, but it also is directly affecting the ecosystem and Earth around you. Nature, and ecosystems, are interdependent, which is to say that when one species goes out of whack, everything around it is also disrupted (including us.) Using carcinogenic chemicals to produce cotton is unnecessary and harmful.

Once you realize the negative effects on health and the environment, you'll want to switch to organic foods and textiles.

"In the U.S., one-third of a pound of chemicals is needed just to grow enough conventional cotton for a regular T-shirt." -- Catherine Potter, Stanford Graduate School of Business

The World Health Organisation classifies pesticides according to acute toxicity, using the LD50 (Lethal Dose 50%) benchmark. LD50 denotes the amount of a chemical required to kill 50% of an exposed population of laboratory rats.

Acute symptoms of pesticide poisoning include headaches, vomiting, tremors, lack of coordination, difficulty breathing or respiratory depression, loss of consciousness, seizures, and death. Chronic effects of long-term pesticide exposure include impaired memory and concentration, disorientation, severe depression, and confusion.

1a (Extremely Hazardous):

• Aldicarb
• Parathion

1b (Highly Hazardous):

• Methamidophos

2 (Moderately Hazardous):

• Alpha-cypermethrin
• Beta-cyfluthrin
• Bromoxynil
• Chlorpyrifos
• Deltamethrin
• Dimethoate

3 (Slightly Hazardous):

• Acephate
• Etridiazole
• Fluazifop-p-butyl
• Malathion
• Metalaxyl
• Methylarsonic acid
• Pendimethalin
• Thiram

Source: Environmental Justice Foundation

• Commercial cotton is responsible for the release of US$2 billion of chemical pesticides each year, within which at least US$819 million are considered toxic enough to be classified as hazardous by the World Health Organisation.
• Between 1 and 3% of agricultural workers worldwide suffer from acute pesticide poisoning with at least 1 million requiring hospitalization each year, according to a report prepared jointly for the FAO, UNEP and WHO. These figures equate to between 25 million and 77 million agricultural workers worldwide.
• A single drop of the pesticide aldicarb, absorbed through the skin can kill an adult. Aldicarb is commonly used in cotton production and in 2003 almost 1 million kilos was applied to cotton grown in the USA. Aldicarb is also applied to cotton in 25 other countries worldwide.
• Despite being particularly vulnerable to poisoning, child laborers throughout the world risk exposure to hazardous pesticides through participation in cotton production.
• A 2004 study conducted by researchers at the Technical University of Lódz, in Poland, has shown that hazardous pesticides applied during cotton production can also be detected in cotton clothing.

Organic cotton products:

• Short Sleeve Women's T-Shirts @ $7, various colors
• Short Sleeve Men's T-Shirts @ $3, various colors
• Kasper Organics clothing for men, women, and kids
• Sckoon Organic Baby Clothing
• Dax Organic Cotton Bedding

Further reading:

• Extoxnet, Cornell
• Why choose organic?
• Benefits of organic cotton
• Producing the natural fiber naturally
• Weaving businesses together, Stanford
• High prices of organic cotton clothing got you down?
• How eco is organic cotton? The facts on 7 questions
• Environmental Justice Foundation report: Deadly chemicals in cotton

Copyright © 2012 Faceless39. All rights reserved.