THE IMPACT OF FASHION WASTE ON CLIMATE CHANGE.

Hello,  everyone! 

You are welcome to my blog. 

My name is Deborah Akerele a fellow at African Climate Stories. I am sure you will love to read this interesting write-up about climate.

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Fellow at African climate

The impact of fashion waste on climate.

Why fashion? Have you ever thought that there is a connection between fashion and climate?

As a fashion enthusiast, who has been in this sector for years, I have come to tell you how this can affect our climate.

The fashion industry has a large market because every day more and more people are being recruited into this sector, and more businesses are been set up due to its large market space.

Everybody needs to be clothed, some for occasion, work, and other purposes.

You know you can't step out of your house without a cloth, you need to cover up. So you need a cover, 

Who would have thought that your leftover fabrics from your clothes with the tailor or your used shirts, and dresses can affect or alter our climate?

I am very sure, the majority won't think in that aspect because how does this even connect?

Follow me, as I dive in on how fashion waste affects climate change.

According to researchers, it has been proven that the fashion industry contributes about 40% each season of waste which affects and alters climate action. And this is more the emission of maritime shipping and international flights combined. The fashion sector is one of the second largest contributors to global emissions aside from the plastic industry and contributes 10% of global carbon emissions.

Take a look at your used clothes, which were dumped in the trash bin. 

When those clothes are being transferred to the dumping site they cause more harm than we can ever imagine.

Copyright:http://hallmark news.com/olusosun beyond-a-dumpsite.

One of the ways to tackle the issue of plastic pollution is to focus on the fashion industry. Because polyester is the most commonly used fiber in the textile industry. These clothings when they are dumped in the dumping site and they end up as landfills. 

These wastes in landfills often do not decompose but are been leached into the soil which can make our water unsafe for drinking and also unsafe for planting crops because of the harmful chemicals in our clothing.

These wastes also produce methane a powerful greenhouse gas that is 28 times more powerful than carbon dioxide. 

 Imagine all these harmful effects on our environment and the impact if we don't act fast.

The Environmental Footprint of Fast Fashion

The equivalent of one garbage truck full of clothes is burned or dumped in a landfill every second (UNEP, 2018)

Approximately 60% of all materials used by the fashion industry are made from plastic (UNEP, 2019)

500,000 tons of microfibers are released into the ocean each year from washing clothes — the equivalent of 50 billion plastic bottles (Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2017)

The fashion industry is responsible for 8-10% of humanity’s carbon emissions – more than all international flights and maritime shipping combined (UNEP, 2018). If the fashion sector continues on its current trajectory, that share of the carbon budget could jump to 26% by 2050 (Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2017)

Some 93 billion cubic metres of water – enough to meet the needs of five million people – is used by the fashion industry annually, contributing significantly to water scarcity in some regions (UNCTAD, 2020)

Around 20% of industrial wastewater pollution worldwide originates from the fashion industry (WRI, 2017)

How to reduce fashion waste?

Upcycling should be encouraged to reduce fashion waste for sustainability. This can be achieved by:

1) People should buy fewer clothes that are of good quality than buying more clothes with less quality which doesn't last and in the end contributes to fashion waste in the environment. 

Moreover, second-hand clothing of lower quality should not be encouraged because most times these clothes don't last. 

2)Improving our local fashion sector should be encouraged: The government should improve our local fashion sector to avoid importing dresses, especially second-hand clothing. This will help to reduce fashion waste.

The desire to purchase these cheap clothes oftentimes makes our local industry of no value.

3) Used clothes/bags can be converted to something else. They can be repaired or transformed into something more beautiful. This can help spice up the creativity of the local fashion industry.

Pictures showing the process of a handmade Ankara mixed with leather bag 

4) Waste/leftover fabrics can be merged and used to create something more beautiful, instead of trashing them into the bin.

5) Renting should also be encouraged for some occasions as this will also help reduce cost and waste in the environment.

Why we look for a way out of this, let us in our own way do our best to rescue a nation, continent and the world at large.

Let us preserve posterity for our future generation. Let's take this opportunity to reach out to many people and educate them on the harmful effects of fashion waste on our environment. You can be the change, so I can.

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Reference:

.zurichmedia.com

www.genevaenvironmentnetwork.org

MENTAL HEALTH STABILITY FOR STUDENTS

MENTAL HEALTH STABILITY FOR STUDENTS

DEFINITION: Mental Health is a state of well-being in which an individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively, and can make a contribution to his or her community. -(world Health Organisation)-

Most of us only talk about the good things happening to us, we don’t like to share how we really feel. It may be as a result of a lack of trust in humans or fear of ridicule from them. Sometimes we feel our friends and family will not understand, so we keep to ourselves the negative emotions, feelings, thoughts and discouragements, and when we get overwhelmed, we cause more harm to ourselves.

Just like physical health, we all have mental health. These are our feelings, emotions, thinking and moods. Feeling down or discouraged, the feelings of anger and stress are as normal as the feelings of happiness, confidence and cheerfulness. These feelings are all part of a Man’s life. We all have positive and negative emotions, they all come and go based on what is happening around us but sometimes, they come for no specific reason. These are everyday feelings. Nevertheless, sometimes we have overwhelming feelings that can be more intense than our everyday feelings. These feelings hang around for a long time and finally changes the way we feel, think and behave. They can stop us from being what we want to be in life. If we feel physically unwell we let people know and ask for help, we should learn to do so with our mental health. ASK FOR HELP! 

There are Three Basic ways to take care of our Mental Health:

Social/support Networks;

Try talking to someone, sometimes the person you are talking to might be able to help or perhaps know someone who can. Talking to someone about your mental health does not have to be difficult. It’s something we all have.

Take a break from everything else and do what you enjoy, like sports; playing football, exercising, dancing, listening to music, writing, reading, painting, taking a good nap, playing a game, watching a good movie etc. whichever makes you feel better. 

Biological (Medications);

There are authenticated medications that have been studied and are safe for use as well as effective. Therefore, people should not shy away from using these drugs.

Psychological Therapy;

In severe cases where the emotions a person (be it a child, youth or an adult) feel are intense and overwhelming or makes one have demining thoughts such as suicide or self-harm, then that person needs psychological therapy also known as psychotherapy. Therapy sessions for a short period (three to four months), depending on the severity of the issue. There are professional therapists, specialists, psychiatrists and psychologists that have been well trained. They focus majorly on building skills, learning coping technics, how to handle difficult situations and achieving psychological resilience.

In conclusion, it is important to note that good mental health depends on a delicate balance of factors and several elements of life.  Factors in people’s lives, interpersonal connections, and physical factors can all contribute to mental health disruptions.

 Photo credit:Internet

Content Writer: Nze Glory Chinemenma.

How to prevent abuse in a child.

"Mummy" Rhoda said.
"Yes my daughter," her mother replied.
"I have something to tell you, but
Uncle Titi said I should not tell you" she said.
"Why" she replied.

"He promised to kill me if I tell you."
"Kill you! she shouted.
God forbid, talk to me, my daughter."
She replied.
Rhoda struggled to mutter some hard incomprehensible words.

"Emmmm," she said.

"Talk to me dear," her mother said.
She drew closer to her and placed a kiss on her forehead.
"Mummy, promise me you won't go and meet him after everything". Rhoda said.
"I won't", her mother replied.
Been so inquisitive to hear what her daughter has to say.
.
.
Uncle Titi always tell me to remove my pants, and he brings out one thing from his trouser, he told me it is carrot."
Rhoda said.
Her mother became furious, waiting to hear all that her daughter has to say.

"He asked me to lie down, and he put the carrot inside this place (pointing to her vagina).
It is always painful each time he does it."
Rhoda said.

"Is okay daughter, as she smiled and hugged her.
You will be fine".She replied.
She breathed heavily, thinking of what next to do.
Titi was her husband brother.
He came to the city a few months ago, for a better life. She had trusted him so much. He was one of the youth leaders in church back then in the village.
He thought of relocating to the city, after his education to get a better job.

Rhoda, watched her mother as she fake those smiles in pretence.
Her mother, went back to the kitchen to continue with her cooking. Her daughter was very brave for opening up to her.
Titi, came home not long looking tired and stressed, he went for an interview.

"Good evening, ma"..he said.
She ignored his response and continue what she was doing.
Titi, went away thinking she must have been stressed after a long day.

"Hey, Rhoda," he said.
Touching her cheeks.
Rhoda tried to push him away and ran towards her mother.
Her mother had informed the police, about the situation. Not long, the police arrived and he was apprehended.

Dear parents,

- Train your child to be brave and not timid.
- Have a non-judgemental environment,
be your child best friend so they can confide in you.

- Nobody has the right to touch your child sexual organs/ body parts without your consent, teach them sex- education.

- When a child tries to avoid family members or friends/ or is rude to an adult, try as much as possible to find out what is going on.

- Be sure of who you entrust your child with, statics shows that most victims of rape and sexual abuse come from friends and family members.

© Deborah Akerele.

To your personal development.

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Photo credit: Internet.

What emotional intellgience has taught me?

WHAT EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE HAS TAUGHT ME?

Emotional intelligence (EI) is a topic I would love to write about.
I was mentored by pastor Ugo Fidel Onwuraokoye from the Tamar Rescue Foundation.

I must say Emotional intelligence has helped me,

I still can't count how many times I have gone back to my workbook.

- Emotional intelligence has helped me in so many ways:

- Emotional intelligence has helped me in discovering myself. ( Who I am?)

- Emotional intelligence has taught me how to treat everyone equally, no matter the religion, tribe and background.

- It has helped me in the area of growth which has increased my personal development.

- Emotional intelligence has taught me, how to handle life challenges and situations.

- Emotional intelligence has exposed me to the power of good teamwork and the need to increase my social network.

- Emotional intelligence has given me room for self-improvement.

-  Emotional intelligence has taught me when to react and when to be silent.

-  Emotional intelligence has helped me in digging into my past and letting go of my past and letting go of anything that will hinder my productivity.

- Emotional intelligence has helped me in the area of time management, to plan my time well and take action where necessary.

- Emotional intelligence has helped me to perceive friction before they become problematic.

- Emotional intelligence has helped me in the area of handling conflicts, to enable healthier relationships.

- Emotional intelligence has helped me to understand the way people feel, react and put off some attitude, so I can relate better with them.

- Emotional intelligence is life.

© Deborah Akerele.

SCHOOL IS NOT A SCAM.

SCHOOL IS NOT A SCAM

The popular statement that's sound more like a cliche gets me pissed when people utter it. "school na scam."
¶ School na scan, school na scam, yet you can speak fluently.
¶ School na scam, school na scam, yet you can draft a letter.
¶ School na scam, school na scam, yet you can hold an intelligent conversation.
¶ School na scam, school na scam, yet your relationship with people is nothing to write about. (Social-network.).
School is not a scam, if you think it is to you, then go and learn a trade and stop forcing people to believe the ideology that school na scam. If we don't learn, how can we grow? Yes, I agree with the fact that learning can be formal and informal.
Even the vocational school you are going to learn a trade is also a school  Do you just go there to learn a trade alone?
There are some moral values and competency that is instilled on us when we are in the system.
Learning a trade is good, but please learn the basic skills of life if you think the formal system of education is not for you. Add value to yourself and become a better person.
‌School is not a scam!

This statement school na scam is the reason why we are not progressing in this country. Many young ones are losing interest in education gradually.
Oh yes, the system of Nigeria educational system is not helping matter but rather worsening it. But still thrive to be a better person.
Don't kill that dream.
Don't abort that vision.
Everyone will not do well with the formal system of education, wherever you find yourself still try to add value to yourself and become someone better.
A vocational school is a form of education also.
You can do well in that vocational school and be better than someone that went to University and sometimes the reverse can be the case. As you go further in your career, your quest for knowledge increases no matter where you find yourself.
Just know this know your path and don't let people force their beliefs and ideology on you.
You will be alright, in the end.

LIFE IS A PROCESS.

Life is a process.

Sometimes, we forget this and become impatient with life by allowing pressures from friends and society to succumbed to us. We feel intimidated by other people success forgetting we can't all get to the top at the same time,
we can't all achieve our dreams at the same time. Life is all about being patient and understanding the seasons in which you are in.
If you don't know the meaning of time, you won't understand anything in life and may succumb to the pressures around you. There is a time appointed for everything in life.
An adage says twenty friends can not play together for twenty years, so also we can't all get to the top at the same time.
We can't fast track our destiny before the right time.
Life is a journey and sometimes we are allowed to slow down, breathe again, we are allowed to rest, rethink and move on.
Life is not meant to be lived in a hurry, (there is no hurry in life).

Don't allow society to put pressure on you.
Don't feel intimidated by your friend's success, appreciate them but don't envy them.  Appreciate your little effort, even if they are not significant, appreciate every phase of your life because they are part of your growth.
The fact that your friend is about to venture into a business does not mean you should do the same also,
The fact that your friends wear expensive clothing does not mean you should spend all your hard earn income to please them and to fit into society standard.
Competitions kill our joy and often the biggest distraction on one's journey to success.
Humans don't grow to their highest capacity in life because of competition.
You are only allowed to compete with yourself in the journey of life. Build your life, add value to your life each day, be better than who you were yesterday.
Give the best of life to yourself alone and avoid distractions from others that can interfere with your dreams.
To be a high performer in life you must focus on your journey and assignment here on earth.
Focus is all we need in the journey of life.
When you rush into the seasons of life unprepared you last for a short phase, wait for your time and in due season you shall spring forth.
Shalom!
©Deborah Akerele.