Green Clean in the Spring - Click Here
Go Green Quiz from Kewl Magazine - Click Here
Why Not Cotton?
"There are no passengers on Spaceship Earth. We are all crew.' Marshall McLuhan
Cotton Flower:
Do you think cotton is a safe choice because it is “natural”?
Think again! 'Conventional' cotton occupies only 3% of the world's farmland, but uses 25% of the world's chemical pesticides! The EPA considers 7 of the top 15 pesticides used on cotton as “likely” or “known” human carcinogens.
Sprayed from the air, these highly toxic chemicals can poison farm workers, contaminate air, ground 
and surface water and
cause major eco-system imbalances. As insects gradually become resistant to pesticides, ever-increasing amounts are required
to be effective.
These hazardous pesticides also pose an increasing danger to wildlife. A 1993 EPA study estimated that “one to two million”
birds are killed annually by carbofuran, just one insecticide used on cotton! This is only one of many tragic effects on our
wildlife. Conventional cotton is also a major user of toxic herbicides, fungicides and chemical defoliants. It doesn't end there!.
During processing, the fabric is subjected to chlorine bleach, heavy metal dyes and formaldehyde resins
(the hidden hazard of'easy care'!). The bleach is almost worse than the pesticides, causing myriad health problems and vast
environmental damage.
Genetically modified cotton now accounts for 75% of cotton grown conventionally. It is no comfort that cotton is also a
food crop: cottonseed oil is used in snack foods and cottonseed is used in cattle feed.
What's the alternative?
A return to safe and sustainable practices! Cotton was grown sustainably until about 50 years ago. The pesticides that now threaten people, wildlife and the environment, were originally developed as toxic nerve agents during WWII.
CHOOSE ORGANIC!
Organic cotton clothing is safer for you and the planet. It is grown with natural fertilizers and is free of toxic chemicals.
Organic farmers rely on crop rotation, mechanical cultivation and botanical or biological means to control pests and weeds. A field must be pesticide-free for at least three years to be certified organic, and the cotton must be processed according to international organic standards. The standards also set strict guidelines for transportation and storage to avoid cross contamination.
Clean Green in the Spring!
