Week 1 - Be Green Challenge

Jinia Lee
Blog Post #1

When I first heard about the Be Green Challenge, I was a little worried because I tend to buy more clothes during Spring to fit the season and I online shop a lot for products that I rarely use. After thinking about it, I don't think it's going to be too difficult because I haven't bought any clothes or other products besides my graduation dress and my cap and gown which are things that I needed. I'm actually kind of excited because I've started cleaning out my closet to either sell or donate them to others. It also forces me to become more aware of my spending habits and take more time considering what I want versus what I need and what is a good purchase versus what is not.

The reading, Santa's Sweatshop by Holstein et. al and the documentary, The True Cost, both opened my eyes about the dark side of fast fashion and the industry itself. When reading about the contrast between the experiences that producers went through to make the products and what the consumers receive is so different and sad. It makes me realize how much we don't know about who is making our products and in what conditions they are being made in and I wonder why we don't question these things. The documentary supplemented the reading because it gave me a visual of the people that have to experience these unethical and unsafe working conditions which gave me a reality check on where I stand and how I contribute in mindless consumerism.

On top of this, consumerism in fashion affects our environment and I think this TEDx Talk is pretty informative and brings into perspective on our own actions.

Works Cited:

Holstein, Palmer et. al. 1996. “Santa’s Sweatshop: In a Global Economy, it’s Hard to

Know Who Made Your Gift – and Under What Conditions.” U.S. News and World Report. 

121(24):50-54, 56-57, 60.

Morgan, Andrew. 2015. The True Cost.

TEDx Talks. 2016. "The High Cost of Our Cheap Fashion | Maxine Bédat | TEDxPiscataquaRiver." YouTube. Retrieved 28 April 2019.