The Problem With Fast Fashion
There’s nothing quite like new clothes, is there? The UK certainly loves them. According to a report by the Environmental Audit Committee (EAC), the UK consumes five times more clothes today than it did in the 1980s. That’s more than any other nation in Europe and amounts to around
26.7 kg per person.This results in 235 million garments being dumped into landfills - victims of fast fashion.
Fast fashion is defined as “an accelerated fashion business model ”involving “increased numbers of new fashion collections every year,” “quick turnarounds(周转期)”and “lower prices,” according to the EAC. Globalization means that clothing is made in countries where labour is cheaper. These savings are passed on to consumers, who then consider the clothes they own disposable - easily replaceable with something more trendy. And that creates problems.
First, there’re the environmental costs. Manufacturing any kind of textile costs resources. For example, synthetic fibres, which are made from plastic, have a larger carbon footprint than natural ones. Natural fibres, although more carbon-efficient, still require more water to grow. And further resources are used as the cloth is dyed, made into clothing and transported to retail for sale. Secondly, the fast-fashion industry is under pressure to put the latest trending items on shelves faster, which can lead to workers being exploited and forced to labour in poor working conditions. In countries such as Bangladesh, Ethiopia and the Philippines, workers are paid wages that are insufficient to live on. One worker in Ethiopia told the BBC that they had to deal with intolerable conditions, such as withheld overtime payments, verbal abuse, and unsanitary toilets.
So what can be done in the UK to reduce clothing waste? The EAC has recommended eighteen improvements to the UK government, from increasing tax on purchases to fund recycling centres to introducing more sewing lessons in schools, encouraging a make do and mend attitude when things become worn out.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________A. categorise B. creation C. good D. innovative E. maximum F. packed G. pedestrianise H. processing I. shape J. short-lived K. transformation |
All Change in Curitiba!
Like many other major world cities, Curitiba in southern Brazil has had to deal with issues such as pollution, poverty, and limited public funding. However, the architect and three-times mayor of the city, Jaime Lerner, has introduced some
As part of his ‘Master Plan’, Lerner hoped to make the city more environmentally friendly. He initiated a recycling scheme. In return for delivering recyclable rubbish to specified
Lerner did not win over all the city’s residents immediately, however. When his plans to
Lerner’s determination helped
So, is it all just one big success story? In some respects, Curitiba may have been too successful for its own
Uber Eats pilots reusable container scheme
From today (Tuesday 18 April, 2023) Uber Eats customers in Central London will be given the option to order their takeaway in reusable containers and easily return them in an attempt
The trial will run for six months and will be managed by Again, which operates a network of packaging cleaning facilities
Japan Releases Nuclear Wastewater into the Pacific. How Worried Should We Be?
Japan has started releasing wastewater into the ocean. But this isn’t the kind of wastewater
Since the accident, over 1.3 million tons of nuclear wastewater
Japan’s discharge plan involves incrementally (递增地) releasing it over the next three decades, although some experts say it could take longer, given the amount still
Now, American scientists are raising concerns that marine life and ocean currents could carry harmful radioactive isotopes (同位素) —also called radionuclides—
“It’s a trans-boundary and trans-generational event,” says Robert Richmond, director of the Kewalo Marine Laboratory at the University of Hawaii. “
The radionuclides could be carried by ocean currents, especially the cross-Pacific Kuroshio current. Marine animals that migrate great distances could spread them too. No
Richmond and Buesseler say that
5 . People are looking for ways to reduce their carbon footprint. Purchasing property that is environmentally responsible is a good investment for those who are
If everything goes according to plan, Dockside Green will be a
Energy efficiency is one of the
Planners of eco-communities such as Dockside Green must take the
Dockside residents will be encouraged to take advantage of a mini transport system and buy into the community’s car share program. Finally, plans are underway for a high-tech heating system that will use
Dockside residents will
A.ashamed of | B.concerned about | C.connected with | D.proud of |
A.scene | B.memory | C.focus | D.diet |
A.harmonious | B.digital | C.crowded | D.self-sufficient |
A.put aside | B.belong to | C.consist of | D.make up |
A.natural | B.mixed | C.historic | D.fancy |
A.animals | B.pesticides | C.consumers | D.conferences |
A.top | B.embarrassing | C.global | D.questionable |
A.convenience | B.advantage | C.protection | D.impact |
A.for fear that | B.so that | C.because | D.although |
A.However | B.In particular | C.Therefore | D.In addition |
A.image | B.future | C.label | D.decoration |
A.emissions | B.accidents | C.unemployment | D.crime |
A.traditional | B.man-made | C.renewable | D.enough |
A.result from | B.refer to | C.contribute to | D.benefit from |
A.desirable | B.reliable | C.recyclable | D.imaginary |
6 . Climate experts have warned about the many ways a warming planet can negatively affect human health.
One long-held prediction that appears to be coming true — according to the results of a study recently published in Nature Scientific Reports — is how climate change might enhance
Vibrio vulnificus (创伤弧菌) flourishes in salty or brackish waters above 68℉. Infections are currently rare in the U.S., but that’s likely to change. Using 30 years of data on infections, scientists at the University of East Anglia in the U.K. found that Vibrio vulnificusis
“We’re seeing the core
Based on the latest data on how much the world’s water and air temperatures will rise, the scientists predict that by 2081, Vibrio vulnificus infections could reach every state along the U.S. East Coast. Currently, only about 80 cases are reported in the U.S. each year; by 2081, that could go up to over three-fold, the authors say.
Such a proliferation could have serious health consequences. Vibrio vulnificus kills approximately 20% of the healthy people it infects, and 50% of those with weakened immune systems. There is little evidence that antibiotics can
Warming sea temperatures aren’t the only reasons behind the rise of Vibrio vulnificus. Hotter air also draws more people to the coasts and bays, bringing them into closer contact with the bacteria.
“The bacteria are part of the natural marine environment, so I don’t think we can
To alert people to the growing threat,
Vbrio vulnificus is so
Lake says the expansion of Vibrio vulnificus is concerning for public health since the bacteria are now invading waters closer to heavily
A.Even if | B.Except when | C.The instant | D.In case |
A.numbers | B.ranges | C.coverages | D.concentrations |
A.failure | B.fatality | C.survival | D.acid |
A.ranging | B.varying | C.expanding | D.shifting |
A.distribution | B.launch | C.community | D.sample |
A.principle | B.lead | C.principal | D.hit |
A.boost | B.accelerate | C.contain | D.remove |
A.harms | B.damages | C.injuries | D.wounds |
A.relieve | B.dissolve | C.resolve | D.erase |
A.conscience | B.awareness | C.panic | D.alert |
A.monitoring | B.processing | C.managing | D.delivering |
A.sensible | B.vital | C.vulnerable | D.sensitive |
A.populated | B.dense | C.paralleled | D.bordered |
A.reaction | B.interaction | C.intervention | D.relativity |
A.rather than | B.except for | C.such as | D.other than |
Should we be rewilding more land?
Every day in the US, 6,000 acres of open land are cleared for various purposes such as farming, housing, roads, and others. This has led to concerns among scientists
Despite the potential risks, rewilding can help slow down climate change by restoring forests that absorb harmful gases like carbon dioxide. It can also prevent species from
A. deliberately B. justifiable C. accumulating D. consume E. spills F. spent G. potential H. charging I. boost J. subscription K. collected |
Is rental fashion the future?
With a cost-of-living crisis and climate awareness sitting heavily at the forefront of our minds, many of us are having to make choices about what we
Even the fastest of fashion retailers are taking note; this summer, BooHoo announced that they will be
However, there will still be times where a new item feels like a
So here comes rental fashion. The set-up is simple. Rent three, five or ten items and swap (替换) every month, with prices starting from £39 a month for a three-item. In the case of any accidents, do not fear
At the end of each cycle, you’ll receive an email reminding you to choose your next box. With a three-item return, items can be returned at a local drop-off point, whilst bigger parcels will be
9 . The woods are turning orange. Drifts of dry leaves are growing on forest floors and flying into street corners. From a distance, it is beautiful. But the air is still warm and summery. This turning and leaf fall is not the usual gradual preparation for winter in temperate zones(温带) but a stress response by trees trying to preserve water. We are now in a false autumn, caused by heat and drought. And it feels wrong.
There is, therefore, something deeply disturbing about such a graphic alteration of familiar rhythms, Droughts are not unknown to the UK, of course, and too many parts of the world are certainly familiar with far more severe versions. But increasingly they are occurring in the context of a climate emergency, and record-breaking heat. And the beauty of a false autumn, specifically, has an emotional effect, a deep weirdness, something mysteriously suggestive of evil or danger
Cultures across the world contain ceremonies for the propitiation(宽恕) of the weather; a sense of responsibility for the natural world—and the belief that it will punish us if we fail it—is as old as humanity. One of the reasons why the Romantic poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s 1798 poem The Rime of the Ancient Mariner is so effective is the directness with which it links the shooting of an albatross(信天翁)—the destruction of innocent wildlife—to a terrible change in the weather: no rain, just burning, death-dealing sun. We may not understand the mechanism, but at an instinctual(本能的) level it feels right.
And in a similar way it has not really been a surprise to hear that birds are struggling. In London, young swifts (雨燕) were seen falling out of the sky. Fewer—and too early—nuts and berries mean some animals will not live through this winter. Older trees, with their longer roots, will hopefully survive, but young trees may not—all that promises further warming. There will always be a degree of uncertainty about the causes of specific weather events, but we cannot deny that we have not taken care of the albatross. Now we must hope we are doing enough to make sure that these fearful golden days are pot an autumn of autumns.
1. According to the passage, what is a disturbing sign of “a false autumn”?A.Tree leaves are turning orange and fall gradually in winter. |
B.Birds are struggling to fall out of the sky in London. |
C.People worldwide are careless of droughts and heat in the UK. |
D.Nuts and berries-ripen earlier but yield less than before. |
A.Because people across the world sympathize with the albatross. |
B.Because it directly links destruction of wildlife to extreme weather. |
C.Because we are certain about how the weather shifts instinctually. |
D.Because he is an established Romantic poet curious about nature. |
A.This autumn must be seen as a warning to take instant action. |
B.Plants and animals are bound to survive in spite of their fear. |
C.The writer appreciates and looks forward to such golden days. |
D.Abundant environmental protection has already been ensured. |
A.Optimistic. | B.Concerned. | C.Humorous. | D.Ironic. |
A.It prevents oceans from oil pollution quickly. |
B.It effectively improves air quality on airplanes. |
C.It treats diseases happening on airplanes quickly. |
D.It costs more but can be easily fixed into airplanes. |
A.To inspire teenagers to challenge the authorities. |
B.To persuade more teens to do good for society. |
C.To get more teens involved in scientific competitions. |
D.To encourage young people to get interested in science. |
A.More than 30% of finalists received awards and prizes. |
B.Scientists all over the world competed for grand prizes. |
C.Nearly 1000 judges were present at the competition. |
D.The prize money was offered by Intel alone. |