As you’ve heard, we’re now seeing a growing wave of clothing companies committing to eliminate toxic chemicals from their production processes. Four major clothing brands have recently come onboard and we’re certain that more companies – and perhaps other industries – will soon stop using hazardous chemicals that currently contaminate the world’s waterways and environment.
Other communities are doing what they can to highlight the fact that our streams, rivers and oceans are at risk and are interconnected – and they’re urging more companies to commit to Detox our waters globally. A friend from the surfing community, noted filmmaker Allan Wilson has put together this short video for us that we’d like to share with you.
Clean water – a universal right
The reality is that much more needs to be done to clean up the world’s waters. This problem affects a significant number of people globally and because of this situation, last year the United Nations voted to include access to clean water within the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
This late recognition probably comes as a surprise to many people – but I can only imagine that when the Declaration was passed 60 year ago, no one envisioned a scenario where access to clean water would hit a crisis point. As a Canadian who grew up in a relatively pristine environment, clean water is an issue that I’ve pretty much taken for granted. But here we are, in 2011, with almost one billion people on the planet being denied a universal right.
That’s why the commitments made by H&M and major sportswear brands Nike, Adidas and Puma are so important. But we need a critical mass to build within the clothing and textile industries - and in other industries, for that matter - to create the kind of momentum needed to make a transformational shift. At the end of the day, we want a toxic-free future, a clean environment, and a world where so many, in so many countries, don’t have to struggle for access to clean water.