I’ve recently been part of a few discussions about the pros and cons of fracking. It’s a huge issue in my hometown; citizens there recently had a ballot item that would have banned fracking, and they voted it down. Fracking creates jobs.
And it pollutes groundwater.
It’s not sustainable.
But do you know what an environmental nightmare the tar sands are?
Likewise, there’s a major reassessment of overseas clothing manufacturing practices in the wake of the collapse of a factory in April. Cheap clothing creates jobs; even a bad job is better than no job in a country where the per capita GDP is just $2000.
But cheap clothing is not sustainable.
The problem with fracking and with cheap clothing boils down to the same thing: we here in the United States want energy, and we want to own lots of clothes. I have the light on in my office right now when I don’t necessarily need it on. I’ve been known to go to Target and buy a stack of cheap t-shirts when I’m bored with my wardrobe and want some fresh colors.
As long as that’s the case, the groundwater damage and the human cost is a reality.
Whether or not we want it to be.
