Doctors Take the Mic

Dr. Helen E. Fisher, a renowned biological anthropologist, passed away recently at age 79. Fisher's groundbreaking research explored the neural basis of love, utilizing MRI scans to study the brain activity of individuals experiencing new infatuations. Her work revealed that the ventral tegmental area of the brain, associated with dopamine production, becomes highly active when people view images of their loved ones. This area also lights up in response to rejection, highlighting the profound emotional impact of both love and heartbreak. Fisher's research extended to identifying four personality types linked to different brain systems, influencing how people connect in romantic relationships.

Fisher's contributions included the development of the Fisher Temperament Inventory and the creation of chemistry.com, a dating site tailored to her findings. Her annual "Singles in America" survey, conducted with the Kinsey Institute, provided insights into dating behaviors and preferences across different generations. Fisher's work demonstrated that love profoundly influences our thoughts and behaviors, shaping how we connect with others in romantic contexts.

References

Fisher,H., Aron, A., Brown Lucy L. (2005). Romantic love: an fMRi study study of a neural mechanism for mate choice. Journal of Comparative Neurology 493 (1), 58-62.

In a discussion about career development and personal growth, Dean Louito Edje, Dean, University of Michigan Medical School, emphasized the importance of understanding and nurturing one's professional base, whether in private practice or academia. For women doctors in private practice, nurturing your Base involves supporting and advocating for colleagues and patients, while in academia, it involves leadership, collaboration, and connecting with like-minded professionals. Being effective in these roles requires being Bold in trying new ideas and approaches, while also being Brave enough to stand firm on core principles despite external pressures.

Dean Edje also highlighted the significance of personal brand and continuous self-discovery. Recognizing and evolving your Brand involves being aware of feedback, maintaining a growth mindset, and aligning your career with what you love and need. It's crucial to balance professional demands with personal restoration, likening it to diastole in cardiac function—where effective recovery ensures sustained performance. Embracing these principles can help professionals effectively integrate various roles and achieve long-term success. Lastly, we wear many hats. The Baseball hat has many parts sewn onto the cap: they are all interconnected. So your energies and interests must be interconnected to maximize your potential. The 5 points: base, bold, brave, brand and baseball hat! Go for it!

The fashion industry significantly impacts the environment, with global clothing production reaching 100 billion items annually. Consumers buy 60% more clothing than 15 years ago and keep each item for only half as long. Despite owning plenty of clothes, many still feel they have "nothing to wear," leading to excessive purchasing. Sustainable practices like repairing or upcycling can reduce waste; for instance, Eileen Fisher offers upcycling services and incentives. Buying used clothing can also help, as it could save around 2.2 million metric tons of CO2 emissions annually in Europe alone.

Fast fashion brands like Zara, H&M, and online retailers such as Amazon and Temu release new collections almost weekly, contributing to significant environmental harm. Producing one cotton t-shirt uses 2700 liters of fresh water. Textile purchases in the EU generate substantial CO2 emissions per person. Textile waste is projected to increase by 60% between 2015 and 2030, with vast amounts ending up in landfills or being incinerated. The industry also uses 43 million tons of chemicals and dyes yearly, often polluting water sources. Synthetic fibers release microplastics into the oceans. Garment workers, especially in countries like Bangladesh, often earn meager wages under poor conditions. Consumers are encouraged to consider these impacts and make more sustainable choices.

Danit Peleg, an Israeli designer, used 3D printing to create a personalized and waste-free fashion collection for her graduation project at Shankar College of Engineering and Design. She uses affordable 3D printers to produce clothes sold on her online shop, promoting a circular and cleaner supply chain.

Julian Ellis Brown from the UK, co-founder of Ponda, developed Biopuff, a sustainable alternative to down made from bulrushes, which sequester carbon and recultivate soil. Brown and his team created a method to extract a soft filler from the plant's bulbs, earning them the Global Change Award. Jessica Chang from Hong Kong focuses on upcycling secondhand clothing. Her award-winning collection "PCEs" emphasizes zero waste patterns and recycled textiles, showcasing the potential of discarded fabrics.

The average British adult owns 118 clothing items, with a quarter remaining unworn for a year. We buy 60% more clothing than 15 years ago and keep each item for only half as long. The global fashion industry produces over 100 billion items of clothing annually. Consumers are encouraged to consider upcycling and making more sustainable choices, evaluating their current wardrobe before purchasing new items.

Fungi are incredibly versatile organisms, ranging from microscopic spores to massive mycelial networks. An astonishing discovery at the Chernobyl reactor revealed that the black fungus Cryptococcus neoformans thrives in radioactive environments due to its melanin content, which allows it to absorb radiation and convert it into chemical energy. This property is being explored for potential use in protecting astronauts from space radiation. Fungi's adaptability extends to their role in decomposition and synthesis, using enzymes to break down materials like wood and straw into useful components. This has spurred the development of sustainable products, such as fungus-based bike helmets, clothing, and packaging materials.

Innovations in fungal biotechnology include creating biodegradable construction materials, with projects like MycoWorks combining artists, architects, and biotechnologists. Fungal mycelium binds materials into hard composites, offering a low-emission, recyclable alternative to traditional construction materials. Fungi like Ashbya gossypii produce essential nutrients like vitamin B2, previously chemically synthesized. Additionally, fungi can break down plastics, aiding sustainable farming by converting biodegradable polymers into natural materials. These advancements highlight fungi's potential in creating sustainable, eco-friendly solutions across various industries.

Today we discuss the environment and clothing, featuring insights from Christina Dean, a sustainable fashion activist recognized by British Vogue as one of its top 30 inspirational women. Dean highlights that sustainability in fashion aligns with the UN's sustainable development goals, encompassing economic, environmental, and social aspects. She envisions a fashion industry with closed-loop systems, renewable fibers, recyclable materials, and fair working conditions. However, she points out critical issues such as overconsumption, cheap fashion, and a lack of recycling, leading to environmental harm from items like polyester t-shirts that contribute microfibers to the ocean.

Dean emphasizes the need for consumer pressure on fashion labels and manufacturers to accelerate change. The industry requires significant annual investment—estimated at $20 to $30 billion until 2030—to develop sustainable solutions. Companies with strong environmental, social, and governance (ESG) strategies have shown greater long-term profitability, suggesting that sustainability drives commercial success. Dean encourages consumers to wash, care for, and wear their clothes longer, sharing and recycling to reduce environmental impact. Our clothing choices reflect our desired world and the responsibility we bear towards those who produce these garments.

BASF's "Seed to Sew" project in Greece began in 2022 and focuses on sustainable cotton cultivation. This initiative promotes reducing carbon dioxide emissions, water consumption, and the precise use of crop protection products. It involves 1600 farmers, three cotton ginning plants, and one spinning mill, producing 50,000 to 55,000 bales of cotton annually. The project uses blockchain technology to ensure transparency in the cotton supply chain, with data recorded through an app and linked to scannable QR codes on each cotton bale and finished garment.

In the U.S., BASF has a similar initiative called the e3 Sustainable Cotton Program, empowering farmers to highlight their sustainability efforts. Labels and seals on clothes also provide clues about their sustainability. For instance, the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) is the strictest, covering environmental and social criteria throughout the supply chain, while the IVN Best certification from the International Association of Natural Textiles focuses on natural fibers from organic farming to the final product. However, the Oeko-Tex Standard 100 only tests for harmful substances in the final product without considering production impact. This is circular clothing, emphasizing sustainability and transparency from field to consumer.

Professor Edwin Keh from the Hong Kong Research Institute of Textiles and Apparel points out the difficulty in recycling synthetic blended fibers. Near-infrared spectroscopy offers a solution by identifying textile types quickly, aiding in fiber sorting. BASF subsidiary Trina Mix has developed an NIR-based solution for sorting textile waste, used by companies like Germany-based BASF Group, a leader in recycling used textiles. Chemical recycling, which breaks down plastic polymer chains into basic building blocks, also contributes to a circular economy, reducing resource use and pollution.

BASF developed loopamid, a recycled polyamde-6 made of textile waste. Zara and Inditex has used this to create a capsule jacket.

Influencer Izzy Manuel advocates for sustainable fashion through ethical dopamine dressing, promoting colorful clothing that lifts spirits. Sustainable fibers and dyes are appealing, but understanding the recycling process is crucial. When recycled, clothes are sorted, shredded, and broken down into chemical building blocks in a process called depolymerization. These building blocks are cleaned and transformed back into pure polyamide, creating new polyamide fibers for 100% circular clothing. This highlights the importance of considering sustainability, especially in the U.S., where fast fashion is prevalent

Traditional dyes like indigo and tyrian purple have given way to synthetic dyes, which require large amounts of energy, chemicals, and water—around 5 trillion liters annually, equivalent to 2 million Olympic-sized swimming pools. The snail Muricidae is responsible for the color purple, 6,6'-dibromoindigo. This has led to 20% of industrial water pollution globally, with untreated water often illegally discharged into rivers, contributing to severe environmental and health issues. This pollution has been linked to widespread metabolic dysfunction in Americans, with 80% affected, according to the Endocrine Society. The leather tanning process also poses severe health risks to workers in low-income countries due to exposure to harmful substances.

Efforts to find sustainable alternatives have led to innovations like the Swedish startup Mounid's algae-based dye, which uses 90% less energy and water than conventional methods. However, scaling these alternatives to meet the demands of the fashion industry remains a challenge. As we consider the brightly colored clothes we wear, it's crucial to think about the environmental toxins we're exposed to and the broader implications of our fashion choices. The next part of the series will delve into the fate of unused clothes and further explore how both doctors and patients can address these environmental concerns.

In Europe, there is a significant focus on environmental consciousness, particularly in the fashion industry. Fast fashion brands like H&M, based in Sweden, contribute to environmental and social issues, including poor working conditions and significant greenhouse gas emissions. The 2013 Rana Plaza collapse in Bangladesh highlighted the dangers faced by garment workers. Fashion production also leads to vast amounts of waste and pollution, with synthetic fibers releasing harmful microplastics into the ocean. However, initiatives like Greece's #Seed2Sew project to create organically grown cotton, decreased use of water are changing the way we view raw materials in fashion. There are innovative solutions from young designers who are working to make fashion more sustainable.

Additionally, companies like Zara are developing products to mitigate environmental impacts, such as a detergent that reduces microfiber shedding by up to 80%. This product, developed with BaSF, helps protect fibers and extends the life of textiles while reducing the environmental footprint. The fashion industry must continue to explore alternative raw materials, sustainable practices, and recycling methods to address the environmental cost of garment production and the associated pollution.