Why is it important to know the history of Sustainability? by Kirraly Antcliff

In the wise words of Justin Timberlake “What goes around, comes all the way back around”. When thinking about sustainability today and in the future, it is important to know and understand the history in order to make ethically conscious decisions. History can teach us important lessons, to avoid repeating past mistakes.

The history of sustainability goes back to the development of human civilization and beginning of the Anthropocene. Changes first appeared with the discovery of fire, and manipulation of the earth through harvesting. As the human population, has expanded and evolved over centuries, biodiversity and our earth has reached many critical points, that have either been addressed and resolved or continue to negatively develop.

One of the crisis points our earth has faced is the loss of species, such as the Dodo, Pyrenean Ibex, Quagga and hundreds more. This has been the result of both animal hunting as a sport or for fashion, and loss of habitat from deforestation and mining. Conservation has been introduced as a way to protect and sustain species low in numbers from extinction, because the loss of one species has a big impact on the whole biodiversity system. Having learnt from the unrepairable past, once a species is extinct sustainability is no longer an option. Recognizing the past, preserving the present to protect the future.

The industrial revolution, along with the discovery of earths energy sources led to the depletion of non-renewable resources and chemical waste being unethically disposed of. Impacting firstly the biosphere, where we live and the entire planet. The fashion industry, as the second most polluting industry has a history full of systems that are detrimental to people and the planet. The disappearance of the Aral Sea in central Asia due to the dividing of its main waterways is an unfortunate example. One of the causes includes cotton farming irrigation.

To look forward, to a fashion industry of new technology, innovative designs and self-expression through textiles, that doesn’t exploit people or the planet we need to learn from the past. Be earth systems thinkers and evolve the entire supply chain to a system of sustainability. Examining each small part individually that encompasses the entire system. For the future of our earth and generations.