OVER THE EDGE. — Arts & Culture © anuary 16-30, 2008 Bb. The Benen Esthetic: Now You Can Bea Hippie, Too Saran DesRocHes THe Arcosy (Mount Axuison University) SACKVILLE, N.B. (CUP) -- Hip- pies, granolas -- call them what you will -- are a common sight on many a university campus. Their uniform of oversized ponchos and variously styled Birkenstocks identifies them as a community of conscientious consumers who are indifferent to high fashion and are dedicated to a low ecological impact. Or so you thought. As consumers become increas- ingly aware of their impact on the surrounding environment, more and more shoppers are partaking in varying sustainable practices. For many years, the average consumer has been bombarded with news of climate change, emission controls, the Kyoto accord, and issues sur- rounding social responsibility -- and they are no longer turning a blind eye. In fact, many individuals are attempting make a difference, start- ing with the clothes on their backs. And this time, they’re not wearing ponchos. There is a new environmentalist. on the block, and it’s not your aver- age lefi-of-centre university student. These are the new-age hippies driv- ing hybrid car; shopping at Whole Foods Markets, and installing solar panels on their rooftops. These often-expensive endorse- ments of eco-friendly living are now being followed by a new trend. in the, garment industry: .organic fibres, especially cotton. Trad- itional cotton production uses more insecticides than any other single crop annually, consuming over 10 per-cent of the world’s pesticides. Some such pesticides were origin- ally developed as toxic nerve agents during the Second World War. They can contaminate ground and surface water, sometimes resulting in barren (2002). The casualties of ‘casual’ sex: A qualitative exploration of the sonal Relationships, 19(5), 639-661. ent and loss: Vol. 1. ‘Attachment _ 2nd ed). New York: ‘Basic Books. _ phenomenology of college students = hookups. Journal of Social and Per- 5s ‘Shaver, P R, & Hazca, C. (1988). ce A biased overview of the study of _2 Bowlby 7 (1969/1982). Attach~ love. Journal of Social a fields as a result. of their high level of poison. The toxicity of pesticides has far- reaching effects such as causing ill- ness in farm workers, an effect es- pecially felt in developing countries where antiquated machinery can be used to apply the chemicals. Con- tamination of water and plant life (such as cotton straw consumed by livestock) can lead to death or ren- der livestock inedible to humans. Alternatively, organic cotton be- gins with organic seed, and must be grown by farmers certified to produce organic crops. Organic production methods aim to increase soil fertility, maintain biodiversity, and prohibit the use of toxic pesti- cides (although biopesticides using bacteria and viruses are permitted). There are also other eco-friendly altematives to traditional cotton, including hemp, bamboo, and soy fibres. The advantage of such fibres is that, unlike conventional synthet- ic materials, they can be composted once the garment is no longer used. But the new hippie, dubbed the “neo-green,” can assert that these environmentally friendly duds do not come cheap. Loomstate is a denim company that constructs all of their jeans from 100 per cent or- ganic cotton. The price tag for these. environmentally friendly jeans is in the neighbourhood .of US$165, and are sold at Barney’s department stores. Upscale yoga-wear makers Lulu- lemon have launched OQOQO, a line of clothing made from 100 per cent renewable resources such as bamboo and soy. One popular con- vertible dress/skirt style. from the OQOQO line retails for about $90 in Canada. ; The world’s fastest growing gro- cery chain, Whole Foods Market, has followed suit and developed a new store they call Lifestyle. Here consumers can find organic cot- +308), 1076- 1090. a 8. Brennan, K. A., e ‘Shaver P. R a ne ae Dimensions of one attach- ton hoodies from makers Stewart + Brown for US$160, as well as Loomstate jeans and even a line for infants called Green Babies. Some organic clothiers retail bamboo fibre blouses for up to US$300. Expensive price tags are little de- terrent, however, for some of those who want to associate themselves with things like healthy eating and an earth-friendly lifestyle. Between 2003 and 2004, sales of organic clothing increased by 22.7 per cent. The Organic Trade Association pro- jects that by the year 2025, 14 per cent of the average U.S. household’s budget will be dedicated to the pur- chase of organic products. In fact, the trend towards organic has even grabbed the attention of major corporations such as Wal- Mart, as well as jean makers Levi- Strauss. Levi-Strauss has launched a line of organic cotton jeans that will be released this fall in the U.S. Lee Scott, the chief executive of- ficer at Wal-Mart, has embarked on a mission to make the company’s operations more environmentally sound, and stores now sell organic- ally grown foods, as well as organic cotton clothing and a line of bed- sheets and towels. Of course, Wal-Mart’s bottom line has always been to provide goods to customers for the lowest price, an objective seemingly impossible to maintain with current price trends in organic clothing. You won’t find Loomstate jeans at Wal-Mart, but you will find some of the cheap- est fair-trade coffee around (at just $4.71 a pound), and their organic clothing is much less expensive than the items sold in upscale de- partment stores. Glenn Prickett of Conservation International, a large Washington, D.C.-based environmental organiz- ation working alongside Wal-Mart, had this to say about Wal-Mart’s progress in the organic arena: “The potential here is to democratize the whole sustainability idea -- notmake it something that just the elites on the. coasts do but something small- town and middle America also em- brace.” Some remain skeptical of the world’s largest retailer, however. Jeffrey Hollender, a maker of non- toxic household products, refused Scott’s offer to carry some of his line. Although Hollender saw the potential for big sales, he explained his feeling that “we’re not living up to our own values and helping the world to a better place if we sell our soul to do it.” What about the neo-greens? Are eco-conscious consumers selling their souls when forking over hun- dreds of dollars for organic denim or a bamboo sweater? It is their en- thusiasm for organic materials that has sparked market-wide interest in giants like Wal-Mart, the very giants to which they were once mor- ally opposed. After all, Wal-Mart still faces a class-action lawsuit for unfairly treating its female employees, and pays average wages below the pov- erty line, The company is accused of. trampling local businesses and driving down local wane in other stores. Documentaries such as “The Corporation” have compared big businesses to psychopaths for their environmentally and socially ir- responsible practices. Will consum- ers trust such companies to account for their materials and production methods honestly in order to guar- antee organic products? Like Hollender, some may feel that major companies undermine the very nature of a grassroots en- vironmental movement. But what good is the movement itself if it is ineffectual? If the goal is to in- crease awareness and bring about change, and if the largest retailer in 8 and behavior | in ie ‘piolecence __ Psychology and. Health, 2000, iq. - 1105-112. 10. Feeney, J A. ,Noller, P, & Patty, ‘ lee ie eee : = = | beachinent style and ek Tour nal of Adolescence, 16, 169-186. al-