This Earth Day we celebrate courage to change

Sustainable clothing is just one part of the move toward a healthier planet.

Rose Gerstner is the founder of Sympatico, an artisanal clothing business in Oregon. She is committed to making apparel that’s eco-friendly thanks to sustainable methods and materials. Rose blogs about sustainable fashion regularly and you can subscribe to her weekly emails below.

Earth Day, the largest secular holiday in the world, will celebrate a half century of promoting a healthier planet this year. Founded on the campus of University of California at Davis, the now global event aims to change human consciousness about our relationship with the environment. Earth Day is about adopting behaviors that acknowledge our interdependency with the earth and its other inhabitants. To do this, we need to overcome our collective resistance to change. Even with the consequences of climate change staring us in the face, the will to make institutional changes is still flagging.

Recognizing the incredible challenges the Earth faces can be daunting, but our actions all add up. If we work together, the potential is enormous! Hopefully we will soon reach critical mass and reach a tipping point at which people and governments will agree to make significant changes!

One of my aims in choosing the textiles and styles used in the Sympatico line of sustainable clothing is to introduce customers to eco-friendly fabrics they may be unfamiliar with. My hemp/Tencel blend improves upon popular fabrics like cotton and rayon. For many customers who make the purchase of eco-friendly clothing a priority, Sympatico’s sustainable methods and materials are a deciding factor. 

My customers tell me they like the clothing because it's comfortable to wear, comes in attractive colors and lets your skin breathe. They like its durability and classic styling and often wear their garments for many years. Sympatico fans like the pockets in the pants and skirts because they’re functional.

Sometimes acting on your environmental convictions isn't as much a sacrifice as an introduction to something better. Like changing from coal-fired power plants to solar or agribusiness food to organic, going green gives us fresher, healthier air and food. Planting a tree to help reduce carbon yields shade and sometimes even fruit.

When we balance our lifestyles to use only the resources we need to minimize waste, we often can afford sturdier, better made products. True, they sometimes involve a bit more work, such as washing reusable coffee cups instead of tossing paper cups away.

Change can be disruptive to the job market, and many are currently left out in the cold. But even in difficult times, both the small and large things we do count. In the end, it’s taking care of one another and the Earth that really matters.

On this Earth Day, let’s celebrate the courage of those of us who try to live in harmony with and sustain the Earth!