Fresh Friday Finds

1. John McCain is insane! See MoveOn’s “10 Things to Know About John McCain“. Spread the hate, people – he certainly is. McCain opposes a woman’s right to choose. The Children’s Defense Fund rated McCain as the worst senator in Congress for children. McCain sought the political support of right-wing preacher John Hagee, who believes Hurricane Katrina was God’s punishment for gay rights. Blach!

2. Kitchen Hell! (Yes, Gordon planned to eat the lamb depicted – but was beat to the chase last summer by a predator that found the lamb on the sexy Beckhams’ estate.) After his cheesy Paris “Kitchen Nightmare” episode, Gordon Ramsey’s chef skills have proven to fail miserably when it comes to veg food. Girlie Girl: Chloe Jo and I wrote him letters, challenging him to prepare a vegan meal in NYC among fine veg dining establishments like Candle 79, Blossom, Counter, and Pure. We suggest you do the same. See our letters HERE.

3. Scandal! Thanks to Ari at Scent of Scandal, (home of soy candles like “Double D” that smells like Melons) we find that Al Gore recently gave a speech on TED.com which is kind of like a brief addendum to An Inconvenient Truth. It’s about 30 minutes long and is quite inspiring. He’s extremely passionate and moving.

4. Oceans in Danger! Speaking of Al Gore, I had the opportunity to meet and get photographed with him last night at Current TV’s advertising event. I’ve produced videos for Current in the past, and plan to do more in the future. I was shocked, however, to find beef & shrimp – two of the most notoriously ecologically destructive foods for global warming and oceans being served AT AL GORE’S EVENT. All I would eat were damned vegetable kabobs and liquor. In Peggy Bundy’s voice, “AaaaL!”

5. Free Trade? Assasinations! The Columbia/US trade deal that Nancy Pelosi and Teamsters General Prez Jim Hoffa (official Obama supporter) are pissed-off about has to do with the fact that more than 2,500 trade unionists have been assassinated in Colombia, and very little has been done to bring their murderers to justice. Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 1.4 million hardworking men and women in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico.

“All of these trade deals are hurting American workers, but this one is especially bad because of Colombia’s horrible human rights record,” Hoffa said. “No agreement with Colombia should be considered until the government prosecutes the killers of trade unionists and until the union killings stop. Already this year, 11 trade unionists have been killed. It will take years to address the decades of violence and impunity that has taken place.”

For more info: http://www.teamster.org/

6. Guns Germs and More Germs! Speaking of Current TV, I grabbed this news story off of their homepage:

“Amazonian tribes have called for film and television crews to be banned from their territories after a British production company was accused of starting a flu epidemic that killed four members of a remote Indian people.

As if we hadn’t already done enough to completely fuck over all indigenous peoples, we are systematically destroying all hope for human survival after civilization. These are the only people who know how to survive succesfully (look at their track record!) outside of our civilization – when they go away, so does their intimate knowledge of the earth – knowledge we are less and less likely to recover as every single day goes by. Shame!

7. Animal Planet Goes Ape-Shit! Animal Planet’s new series RAW NATURE, gives viewers:

“… an unprecedented and immersive look at the intersection between human nature and animal instinct. The fearless filmmakers of RAW NATURE strike out across the globe to give first-hand accounts of dedicated wildlife professionals working to help animals survive human encroachment. Among other stories, the series showcases a man who’s dedicated his life to rescuing poached sloth bears forced to entertain and dance on the streets of Agra, India, and a biologist in Sumatra who’s doing everything she can to help save the orangutan population from total extinction.”

Only time will tell if this is a legit show trying to help animals – or just another “extreme” nature show exploiting and stereotyping nature. RAW NATURE premieres Tuesday, April 29, at 9 PM (ET/PT) and airs for five consecutive weeks.

8. Organic Hemp, Greek Boating Cap. This hat is quite handsome. 100% Organic Hemp, from Ecolution.

9. Spring Mariners. These ‘vegetan’ slip-ons from Vegetarian Shoes UK are perfect for summer. Made in Portugal, %100 vegan.

10. Pest Pardon. Humans aren’t the only pests that thrive in spring and summer. Don’t you hate the term ‘Pest’ anyway? If you get a rodent that you didn’t invite or rescue from a lab – use the Humane No-Kill Trap. Please? It’s only $12 and you can use it over and over.

Interview: John Patrick of Organic

New York-based designer John Patrick has a taste for rouge gamblers. He also approaches his clothing like an artist, a scientist, a politician, and an activist. From growing his own organic cotton, to building fair-trade, sustainable industries, to voicing skepticism of materialism, GMOs, and Free Trade policies, John Patrick is a force to be reckoned with. His vision of new school freedom and sustainability speaks to young people in a way that addresses the invalidity of tired, self-important cris de coeur. I interviewed John Patrick recently about his clothes, his involvement with the Green Revolution, and his plans for the future. Here is the interview:

DB: What is it about clothing that keeps your driven?
JP: Its one of the last “personal” spaces we solely occupy. but even then the consumer is dictated to as to what they are able to choose to wear. I am driven to keep the choices open and to create a dialogue that also includes the thought “you are what you wear”. Stop and think about it; textiles drenched in chemicals and dyes. 500 years ago you were lucky if you had a piece of cloth to wrap yourself in and a wooden or metal utensil to eat. So “you’ve come a long way baby” is still relevant, but creating relevant 21st century choices that are “smart” is what drives me.

DB: I’ve heard you grow some of your own organic cotton, how did this come about and why?
JP: I worked with 10 farmers in the amazon jungle who grow not only cotton but fruits and vegetables and roots. The jungle is the last “supermarket” to the world and needs to be protected so slash and burn farming doesn’t take over any more than it has. Free-trade agreements are disrupting the natural order of things drastically and the farmers know it outside of the USA. They know that cheap corn from North America will come, and so will GMO seeds and chemicals. We guaranteed a higher price for the 10 farmers for 5000 kilos of cotton, and in turn another 190 farmers were able to command the same price from bigger buyers who the year before paid very little per kilo. So, it became a win-win situation for an entire region. I am working on securing funding to make the project bigger in the future and hire an engineer to live and work in the jungle and help the farmers protect WHAT IS THEIRS. They are the stewards of the earth and without them the “green movement” is meaningless, in my opinion. I will be traveling this spring/summer to Georgia, and visiting a conventional cotton gin and trying to see if I cant start a small project with the gin to encourage them to transition to organic cotton. 1/100th of 1% of the cotton grown in the USA is certified organic. Small percentage, right? This is an area we need to change if we truly want to be able to say there is a Green Revolution.

DB: What was the inspiration behind the menswear in the Fall 2008 collection. Do any artists, writers, philosophers, etc.. inspire your work?
JP: My main inspiration was a rogue gambler who had a huge heart – who was compassionate about living life to the fullest and not being afraid to lose sometimes because in the end it was a huge win. Joseph Bueys is a great inspiration to me because he had many obstacles to overcome, yet there was a profound message in his work that is still being revealed today. I think that he was very forward in his use of organic materials in his art and traveling to New York and staying in a gallery with a dog. His “menu” is even more relevant today than ever.

DB: How have other people (including press and other designers) responded to your use of organic, repurposed materials and your vision?
JP: I hope Organic inspires people to work hard on the ethical aspect of the design industry. From LEED Certified buildings to supporting CSAs (Community Supported Agriculture). I am just doing my work and what I believe in.

DB: Who are your clothes for? Do you have an agenda?
JP: My clothes are for the people who make them and the people who wear them. My agenda is to do the next right thing that gets put in front of me.

DB: You mentioned you have three offices and no computers. How do you keep it together?
JP: Good orderly direction.

DB: I noticed there was no fur in your collection. What is your opinion of the commercial fur and exotic animal-skins trade?
JP: I support the Animal Rights people.

DB: It seems there is an entire generation of young people who want accountability and to redefine that “cool” is more than just the way things look. What is your definition of cool, of chic, and of luxury?
JP: In my opinion, those adjectives are from the late 20th century and have no relevancy in The Now. The Now is about sustainability, individualism and mindful thought as to how we are living. We can be who we are if we think about it. It takes thought to be a responsible consumer and citizen. The Now Generation has rejected the old school materialism in favor of a new school freedom. Just look at the streets of Williamsburg.

DB: If you could change one thing about the fashion industry, what would it be?
JP: It seems perfect in its imperfection. It allows everyone to do what they feel is right. There are a lot of amazing young designers now working and emerging who will push the change in the next 100 years.

DB: What was the most recent book you’ve read?
JP: Ways of Seeing by John Berger. A quote: ” seeing comes before words. The child looks and recognizes before it can speak”.

DB: Where do you see your focus and creative development heading in two years?
JP: I want to continue my archeology and dig more and more and more and find the things that speak to me.

BAMBOOZLED: ‘Spinning’ Eco Threads

I was shocked to discover that Bamboo Rayon is not an eco-friendly fabric! Thanks to Mark Morris of Turk & Taylor, who recently exchanged Emails with me regarding certain processes by which plants like bamboo are turned into soft threads, I was directed to this article which discusses in depth, the toxic chemicals and hazardous conditions surrounding a seemingly benign industry.

The major distinction here is between a rayon and a linen. Rayons are typically made using large amounts of hazardous chemicals like bleach, carbon disulfide, and sodium hydroxide (AKA: lye, caustic soda), known for a sleuth of environmental and health hazards, in a process called hydrolysis alkalization. Aside from the shock of finding out that something being touted as almost beneficial to the Earth and those of us living on it, I feel betrayed by those reaping the benefits of this perfect example of greenwashing.

It’s no surprise since the EPA has been a huge failure, and on top of that, even their limited scope cannot touch most of the “Free Trade” protected environmental catastrophes otherwise-known-as textile factories in other countries with little environmental regulations.

There are two typical ways in which bamboo is turned into fabric. One of them is considered sustainable – utilizing enzymes, one of them is not. Of course, the cheaper way is the dangerous one:

“Bamboo the plant is wonderfully sustainable; bamboo the fabric isn’t so easy to categorize. There are two ways to process bamboo to make the plant into a fabric: mechanically or chemically. The mechanical way is by crushing the woody parts of the bamboo plant and then use natural enzymes to break the bamboo walls into a mushy mass so that the natural fibers can be mechanically combed out and spun into yarn. This is essentially the same eco-friendly manufacturing process used to produce linen fabric from flax or hemp. Bamboo fabric made from this process is sometimes called bamboo linen. Very little bamboo linen is manufactured for clothing because it is more labor intensive and costly.”

In a market already overwhemled with specialized labeling, how can we know that the things we buy are actually eco-friendly and sustainable, and not just some ridiculous ploy?

“If you are thinking of purchasing bamboo clothing or any clothing that has been made outside the U.S., look for certification from an independent and reliable certification company such as Oeko-Tex, Soil Association, SKAL, KRAV or similar organic or sustainable certification body. Currently, the Oeko-Tex label is the most comprehensive label for insuring that the garment is healthy for consumers but it does not certify the manufacturing processes that produced the garment as being environmentally friendly and sustainable.”

DB’s Etiquette Recommendation: I am no chemist, so I’d love to hear your thoughts on this. Please drop a comment with any tips or advice.