Will peak oil mean scratchy shirts?
Aug. 17th, 2007 by AlPeak oil is coming, and once our oil supplies reach that critical point at which inexpensive supply begins to fall short of demand, the truly pervasive influence that oil currently exerts in all aspects of our daily lives means that we are all going to face some major lifestyle changes.
Consider the clothing that we wear. An average pair of cotton pants requires just under 1 kg of oil produced nitrogen fertilizer to produce, and when you factor in the transport of that cotton for processing, and the transport of the processed thread to the garment factory, and the transport of the finished pants to the wholesaler, then transport to the retailer, and finally transport to your home; the hidden oil in a pair of pants begins to mount substantially. This is of course no problem today, when oil remains relatively cheap, but when oil prices skyrocket, those $20 pants may just get a lot more expensive…if they are even available at all!
So back to polyester?
Current alternatives, such as nylon, polyester and rayon (which in addition to being unbearable on a hot day!) are in fact made from petrochemicals, and as a result carry an even heavier petro chemical footprint, and are not viable alternatives.
So what’s the answer?
Ecologically minded people are already promoting the purchase of organically grown cotton garments, and in fact manufacturers appear to be interested in supporting such “greener” production, as each year’s production of organic cotton falls significantly short of demand; but another option often touted is to shift away from energy intensive cotton to alternative materials. Hemp and bamboo, which both require very little fertilizer for growth, are often touted as the most sensible alternative to cotton; and activists swear that clothing made from these fast growing plants is not what you’d expect. The current public perception of incense fragrant hippy looking folk wearing scratchy rough hewn natural fibers needs not be the reality swear proponents of these materials, and they boast that both hemp and bamboo can be made to manufacture very soft and fine clothing, just as attractive and comfortable as those currently made from cotton.
We shall see anyways, as it looks increasingly likely that a gradual shift away from energy intensive cotton needs to occur, and with the rising price of oil, will occur of its own accord.
For now, if you’re reluctant to buy bamboo shirts, experts recommend buying second hand and vintage shirts, and buying with an emphasis on quality over price, in an effort to only buy clothing that you will use for a significant period of time.
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