By 2050, global clothing production will account for nearly ⅓ of the carbon budget needed to keep global temperatures from exceeding 2 degrees Celsius. And all of this synthetic clothing? It’s close proximity to our skin can expose us to over 8,000 different chemical compounds. Not to mention, 70% of what humans wear today is plastic clothing and plastic fiber blended clothing that is shedding nonbiodegradable fibers into our freshwater and marine ecosystems at an alarming rate through our laundering processes."
Today we talk with Rebecca Burgess, founder of Fibershed, a non-profit whose mission is to develop regional fiber systems that build soil & protect the health of our biosphere.
Find out how a Northern California Native became inspired to develop and wear a prototype wardrobe whose dyes, fibers and labor were sourced from a region no larger than 150 miles from the project's headquarters, which sparked a movement within months. The project has spread to regions not only across the U.S. but also across the entire world.
Rebecca was the first person to introduce our founder, Mary, to the magical world of botanical dyes while she was a student at The California School of Herbal Studies. Since that first auspicious meeting, Rebecca and Mary have formed a friendship rooted in their mutual desire to create awareness about the amazing history, use, and future of Nettle Fiber. Mary presented at Fibershed's 2017 Fine Fiber Symposium, speaking about the processing, production and future possibilities of adding Nettle to the list of bast fibers that could become part of the United State's fibershed.
Be sure to check out Fibershed's new Clothing Guide for consumers, which outlines how to engage in a circular system that connects farmers, ranchers, designers, producers, and consumers invested in healthy soils and responsible textile manufacturing. For more information, visit www.fibershed.com
My name is Mary Wutz and I'm the founder of the medicinal clothing company Seam Siren. Here on the Unusual Change-Makers podcast, I'll be sharing interviews with experts from a range of fields that include Sustainable Fashion, Astrology, Music, Plant Medicine and more. These leaders share their personal stories of how they came to be, where they are today and the latest news from their particular industries. With a heart-centered approach from change makers that care deeply about the earth and its inhabitants, we are offered wisdom to contemplate while being encouraged to take action on our lifelong journey of personal growth.
Thanks for listening to the Unusual Changemakers Podcast. Be sure to hit the subscribe button and check out my website seamsiren.com