Superman’s parents must have felt the same way I’m feeling these days. After people on their planet used up all their natural resources, didn’t they ship their young son to Earth because Krypton was caving in on itself? With the fires out West and the floods in the South, I’m beginning to think it’s time to ship my own children off to another planet.
If we looked at climate change from a parent’s point of view instead of a political one, would our world be different? I know, I write a lot about my mom and how she felt passionate about the environment but I don’t always talk about how fearful she was for our future. She saw climate change coming and she wondered how companies could continue to pollute, having no regard for anyone or anything else except their bottom line.
Like her, I wonder how so many companies can continue to operate irresponsibly without caring about the future of our planet and I’m super perplexed as to why so many consumers support them.
I hate to admit it, but the textile business is the 2nd highest polluter behind oil. When I started MAJAMAS, I was determined to be different from other clothing companies.
All of us have to wear clothes…yes! Naked is NOT an option, especially for those over 40, so I committed myself not only to designing beautiful clothes but to making them responsibly. (see how we do it in WE MAKE)
Our clothes aren’t super cheap but I’d like to think there are people who support our beliefs, who care about our process and see the bigger picture, but lately, I’m getting discouraged.
Recently, Russ and I were at a party and a guy told us we could make a fortune if we did a little homework. His advice? “See what’s trending on Amazon, even a brand name of something, anything. Get loads of it produced cheaply in China then sell the hell out of it for less on Amazon cause no one cares who makes it. They only care if it’s cheap.” I was stunned! We’ve heard this before but this guy was young and he has a daughter who is barely four.
“How irresponsible”, I wanted to say.
How can he look at his daughter and separate her from the planet she’s growing up on? What good can making some cheap trinket bring her? Money? Sure but what comes with it? Another polluted lake, another person poisoned by dyes or sick from inhaling a toxic chemical? Another child left with nothing but bare fields that flood or dry hilltops that burn? Is making a quick buck worth losing our planet? To me, it’s a short sighted goal that hurts everyone, even the guy making the money because even money can’t keep him from getting cancer from pollutants or sadly, his daughter from getting it either and that’s the thing we should all look at. How will this greed hurt our children one, ten or twenty years down the road? (see how we help prevent it in WE WEAR)
I feel like Superman’s father, standing before the elders of the planet Krypton, pleading for everyone to listen.
Since shipping our children off to another planet isn’t an option…yet…maybe we should all take steps to save their futures. I realize it feels overwhelming but small steps can lead to a big impact if we ALL take them. Look at the way you throw out trash. Do you compost any of it? Look at the cleaning products you use. Do they pollute our water and our air? Look at your clothes. Are they made responsibly or are they sewn overseas with no regulations to protect the people and environments they’re produced in?
Pay attention to the details and look at where every product comes from before you buy it. The money you give to irresponsible producers is the fuel they need to continue their bad practices. Instead, support your local farmers, your local manufacturers and your USA made brands. Support companies that work responsibly and avoid those that are in it only for monetary reasons with no regard to how their practices affect our planet. In doing so, you have a better chance of protecting future generations from watching their planet cave in on itself and then, just maybe, you’ll become the real Superman.
– Germaine Caprio, Company Owner & Designer
A huge thanks to Katie Doner Photography (top & bottom) & Genna Curry (2, 3, 4, 5) for capturing these little moments!
Check out some of our favorites above that will make you feel great – inside and out.
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Tell us about the little things you do to protect the planet in the comments below. Your comment could win you a free garment from MAJAMAS so you can see for yourself how beautiful responsibly made fashion can be!
Good lesson Germaine. It starts at the top. For instance, remember the 5 cents we would earn returning bottles to the stores when we were young? Why on earth would any state abolish that? In Maine there is a 5 cent bottle tax you get back when you return the bottles and cans. You never see pop bottles (glass or plastic) on the side of the road, as a matter of fact the bottle return tax has developed into a nice little cottage industry for charities and such.
Chris Caprio