What is climate change and how is it different from global warming?
Climate change describes that carbon pollution does more than just warm the earth, it also changes rain and snow patterns and increases the amount of intense weather like storms and droughts. It also reflects on the fact that the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is the highest it's ever been, and why. Global warming only covers rising average global temperatures.
Why should we care about climate change, now, when it's been happening naturally since the Earth began?
We should care about climate change now because the amount of pollution we've produced has greatly increased our carbon footprint, and has had a negative impact on climate change. We've sped up the natural cycle of climate change, and this has become dangerous for the environment. The amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has drastically increased since the industrial revolution and things like warming oceans, retreating glaciers, and rising sea levels all show how this is impacting our earth in a negative way.
How does your project demonstrate your understanding of climate change?
We demonstrated our understanding of climate change through finding a solution to one of the big causes. We focused on finding a way to improve the amount of textile waste that we create by upcycling old clothing. Textile waste is a major problem especially in the US, and making your old clothes into something new can prevent you from throwing away your old clothing because it gives those textiles a new life.There are over 15 million tons of textile waste every year in the US, and that amount has doubled over the last 20 years. The majority of these clothes are sent to landfills, sending toxic chemicals from the dyes and fibers in the fabrics into the surrounding air, water, and soil. Producing fast fashion products in a factory can also emit large amounts of carbon dioxide into the air, increasing our carbon footprint.
What was your largest area of growth during this project?
I felt that my largest area of growth was during this project was communication. Halfway through the project, I got the flu and missed a whole week of school, when we initially only had two or three weeks to work on it. I had no idea what went on while I was home, and I just hoped that everything was being done. My partner and I only spoke once or twice while I was gone. When I came back, my partner also got sick, so I was working off of what she had created while I was absent. I feel that if we would've communicated more, the last few days we had to complete the project would've been less chaotic and stressful.
What was your greatest strength during this project?
My greatest strength during this project was definitely creativity. Since my partner and I were only in class at the same time for a few days, the project felt more like individual work to me for a bit. I had very little time left to put anything together, but in the end I created something that I was proud of (the pink floral skirt and top & the dark blue dress). I was able to work with what I had, even with very little knowledge about or experience with fashion and sewing.