This story was originally published by Reasons to be Cheerful
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Welcome back to our weekly behind-the-scenes glimpse at what’s getting our team talking. Tell us what you’ve been reading at info@reasonstobecheerful.world and we just might feature it here.
From high waists to low waste
The European Union is no longer allowing unsold fashion and footwear to be destroyed — it has to be reused or recycled, as Earth.org reports in a story shared by Contributing Editor Michaela Haas. Each year, it’s estimated that four to nine percent of unsold textiles are destroyed in the EU, and 92 metric tons of textiles are sent to landfills worldwide.
Earth.org describes the EU ban as a “strategic opportunity for companies to rethink their production and supply chains.” Those companies might take inspiration from Michaela’s recent RTBC story about a fashion brand whose clothes are fully compostable.
Michaela says:
Following up from my clean fashion addiction — this is a huge step for making “fast fashion” less wasteful.
Going dark
Speaking of fashion, are dark robes going to be the next summer trend? Probably not, but according to a New York Times story that grabbed Executive Editor Will Doig’s attention, science shows that wearing them does in fact have a cooling effect.
The story includes a number of surprising ways to keep cool, including the use of vetiver grass screens, which RTBC reported on as part of our Living Paradigms series last year.
Will says:
With Europe sweltering and New York recently experiencing its hottest day in 14 years, I’m ready to try anything (though I’ll probably dress in dark, flowing robes only as a last resort).
What else we’re reading
Philly’s Zero Fare Transit Program Has Been Extended, But Advocates Want More — shared by Contributing Editor Geetanjali Krishna from Next City
Can four SFU grads remake the electricity market with old EV batteries? — shared by Editorial Director Rebecca Worby from Be Giant
Switzerland’s solar railway has been a success. What happens next? — shared by Will Doig from Euronews
Dam Removal Efforts Lead to a Stunning Comeback for Maine’s Alewives — shared by Editorial Director Rebecca Worby from Inside Climate News
From our readers…
We’ve reported on the healing power of music, and we’re always interested in learning about more ways that music and sound can improve health. Reader Arlynda wrote to tell us about Ted Gioia’s recent Substack post on healing through ultrasound. Gioia highlights a remarkable MIT study in which researchers used 40 Hz sound waves to successfully eliminate 50 percent of the brain plaque associated with Alzheimer’s.
Thanks, Arlynda!
The post What We’re Reading: In Europe, Clothing Waste Is Unfashionable — and Illegal appeared first on Reasons to be Cheerful.
