"When we think of pollution, we envision coal power plants, strip-mined mountaintops and raw sewage piped into our waterways," writes Glynnis Sweeney for the online journal Alternet. "We don't often think of the shirts on our backs. But the overall impact the apparel industry has on our planet is quite grim."
Sweeney's article, "It's the Second Dirtiest Thing in the World—And You're Wearing It," shines a spotlight on the impacts of fast fashion. Clothing production has an immense environmental impact, not the least of which is the demand for water. Sweeney describes how in Uzbekistan -- a country that produces much cotton -- the Aral Sea is drying up because of the demands of irrigating thirsty cotton fields. And that is just to grow the cotton. The dyeing of the fabric is even more water intensive. So as you reach for another T-shirt to wear, think about the water. Approximately 700 gallons are needed to to make just one T-shirt!
So this brings us back to the title of this blog: what to wear on World Water Day? The answer, of course, are the same things that you should wear on any other day. Three aspects to keep in mind in choosing your wardrobe are: sustainability, quality, and quantity. To find out more about each of these, read our earlier blog about fast fashion.