FAIR Trade

sweatshop in Haiti from No Sweat website

fair to whom? no more carte blanche assumption.

Free trade has proven to be a way to commercially, environmentally and socially rape millions of people and acres, wreaking havoc to the commons of air, sea and over-consciousness (consider the possibility?)

The recent Haitian trauma was a set up; not planned to harm per se, but definitely planned to exploit a nation that is unless a nation is defined by the elitist few who benefit; in which case biz as usual.

A few Haitian clothing sweatshops are back in operation at wages less than before the earthquake.(according to a PBS world news broadcast)

One can always argue both sides -at least they have a job, the companies are hurt by delays & equipment losses vs the environmental, economic and social damage that spins from looking at a bottom line as $$$ only. The full costs are a tally of health, environmental damage, job loss, loss in human dignity and community loss ....hmm what about real parity?

We have the data, the technology, the intellect and we have the heart turn this all around.

However, it has to make sense and it has to be portrayed as do-able; that's the hard part. The examples of the issues are more prevalent then the pictures of solutions.

The ILO looks to be trying for some parity..SGN (some good news)

waterline series

Vintage bedspread, chemise, 1940s Navy laundry bag, silk floral stems..off the stem and a denim pant top for the skirts. The jacket is made from a retro tablecloth with sleeves from a vintage shirt and remnants.

Womens Health and PVC

SWHR sends out quick notes on woman's health every month. This is a great way to keep informed and the e- newsletters are free!

The latest SWHR bulletin released this report from the Mt Sinai Medical Center:

"Phenols, phthalates and phytoestrogens are among chemicals known as endocrine disruptors, which interfere with the body’s endocrine, or hormone, system. They are found in a wide range of consumer products, such as nail polishes, where they increase durability, and in cosmetics, perfumes, lotions, and shampoos, where they carry fragrance. Some are used to increase the flexibility and durability of plastics such as PVC, or are included as coatings on medications or nutritional supplements to make them timed-release."

The PVC industry supports this with:

"The functional qualities of PVC make it a great material for protective clothing outdoors. It has long been the material of choice for children's rainwear, but is also put through more demanding tests through its use in protective work-wear. At the other end of the clothing industry, PVC has played an important role in fashion design for many years. From its early applications in the 1960s, PVC has grown into one of the most fashionable materials to make a regular appearance at major fashion shows around the world."

However "....phenols, phthalates and phytoestrogens—in young girls may disrupt the timing of pubertal development, and put girls at risk for health complications later in life. The study, the first to examine the effects of these chemicals on pubertal development, is currently published online in the journal of the Center for Health, Environment and Justice

Isn't it time we think before we buy and hold industries accountable , like put the burden of proof on them? We are all paying the consequences of a few bad ideas...that isn't fair, just or tolerable and we needn't continue being amiable, naive pawns.

Take One Vintage Bedspread

Rainshedder front

Clean Water Act..get serious! Skirt

Rainshedder - back

Water or Rain Gypsy? or Sea Witch ...Yes
Sea Witch!!

& make 3 skirts. These are elements of the Waterline chapter of fashionRIP Project and also recent submissions to the Seattle Magazine design contest. Whatever works...they are ready to "perform"

Women Care and Act

healthy is necessary for happy.
.so what's that about pursuit of happiness and USA sub par health care policies?

Montana is full of surprises; one of them is that it is the home of:

Women’s Voices for the Earth (WVE) is a national organization that engages women to advocate for the right to live in a healthy environment. mission: “WVE seeks to reduce and ultimately eliminate environmental pollutants that cause health problems for women, their families and communities. To this end, WVE creates opportunities for women to influence environmental decision-making.”

Eco feminism is new to me. i learned about it by taking Environmental Law ( now at Evergreen state)

OMG! the abuse we tolerate in the name of $ is shameful and unwarranted...there are other ways, evolved lifestyles that will be better. Habituating to this old world view has us in a smelly rut and we need more WVE partnering to leap out and see new horizons.