This week, we looked at Anthropocene and how it relates to our projects. According to Edwards, "Anthropocene....is the concept that we are now living in a time when the global environment, at some level, is shaped by humankind rather than vice versa. Humans have significantly altered Earth’s land surface, oceans, rivers, atmosphere, flora, and fauna. ". 1 This time period is marked by the rise of fossil fuels as a power source, the industrialisation of agriculture and the increase in urbanisation throughout the world. 2 This term has been used for two decades to describe how the environment has shifted to revolve around humanity rather than the other way around. I feel that topic is extremely relevant as fast fashion is an industry-created by humans and has affected the Earth because of the harmful emissions it causes through the production, transport and more. Many people have purchased or know someone who has purchased these garments whether they realise it or not. It is one of the many industries that has caused a large amount of damage to the planet as a whole.
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| Fast fashion is only one of several marks in the age of Anthropocene. [Image Source - New Atlas] |
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| The slide being discussed in this paragraph. |
I wanted to showcase all the statistics I found through UN reports because I felt that these cold-hard numbers really showcase the harm that the fast fashion industry has done to the environment. One of the facts that I found particularly shocking was the fact that "every second, an equivalent of one garbage truck filled with textiles is sent is to a landfill or burned in an incinerator." I included this as a separate slide because I felt that it was a true mark of Anthropocene and I wanted to emphasise the harm that this industry has done. The reality is that this waste produces greenhouse gases which damage Earth's atmosphere and harms the living environments of both humans and animals. This topic can't be ignored any longer, it needs to be discussed and visualised which is why I made it a point to include as many interesting and relevant images and facts as I could.
Since my slides were in the middle of the presentation, I felt that it was important to bridge everyone's work together. I did this by continuing to discuss the negative effects created by fast fashion as Rachel did and how that it could be potentially resolved which leads into Chenming's work. After discussing the horrifying facts on emissions, I wanted to highlight the recent developments of improved sustainability and greener energy sources. While humans have no doubt caused great harm to the planet there is still a chance for it to be reversed overtime through these new technologies and more potential developments. We wanted to end the presentation on a hopeful message as even these small efforts could create a more sustainable future. Perhaps the age of Anthropocene can one day be a distant memory.
1 Edwards, Lucy, 30 November 2015, What Is the Anthropocene? , https://eos.org/opinions/what-is-the-anthropocene
2 Smithsonian, 2013, Living in the Anthropocene: The Age of Humans, https://www.smithsonianmag.com/videos/category/science/what-is-the-anthropocene/?jwsource=cl
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