Our Impact on Climate Change By: Andrew Wilson & Somara Son

  As a society, we all have a shared responsibility to take care of our planet. It is important to recognize that all of Earth’s systems work together. The four spheres of the earth; the atmosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, and geosphere all work simultaneously to sustain a planet capable of human life. As greenhouse gases pollute the atmosphere and our oceans, ocean temperatures rise, water consumption increases, and waste is produced at a higher rate than ever before causing climate change. The Earth’s responses to climate have gone from simple warnings by the scientific community to actual catastrophic weather events. For example, when superstorm Hurricane Sandy pulverized the east coast of the United States, water temperatures were around 90º above average. The warming of the climate also pulls moisture from the soil faster, causing droughts such as those common in California. When it finally does then rain, the dry soil mixed with the rain causes mudslides. These are all examples of how the Earth’s systems all work together. If not be an Earth systems thinker for the planet itself, you should consider the impact climate change has on human life. Air pollution kills roughly 6.5 million humans every year. Warming temperatures contribute to a decrease in food products such as corn and other nutrients. The burning of fossil fuels is the largest perpetrator of gas omission, so investing in clean energy initiatives is one way to be an active Earth systems thinker.

            Being able to understand the anthropogenic impact on the environment, and the power we hold to control the future climates is very important for the future of fashion. Fashion is the second most harmful industry to our environment, second to the oil industry. This in itself shows that the industry has a large responsibility to close the gap within the fashion cycle and decrease the harm that the cycle causes on our global systems. If a link between climate change initiatives and the fashion industry is not established, we could see sharp changes in the business of fashion and consumer behavior that were not predicted. Anthropogenic climate change is altering seasons, weather patterns, weather severity, and even the ability for us to use air travel. Without acknowledging this in the fashion industry, many companies could suffer losses due to the neglect paid to this new factor in the fashion forecasting. Climate change can also drive consumers to relocate as they become climate refugees or have changing attitudes. This does stir up the unpredictability for the business of fashion, however it also can largely affect how much clothing is being discarded yearly and changing shopping patterns. While climate change may not be directly affecting the daily operations within the fashion industry today, we all must consider how our industry may change society as a whole if responsibility is not taken for the harm committed on our planet today.

It's our responsibility to care for our planet. Without our action, we could be sacrificing the ability to have a thriving society and healthy global systems in the future.