Globe Climate: How to fix instead of waste
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Good afternoon, and welcome to Globe Climate, a newsletter about climate change, environment and resources in Canada.
Welcome to the summer of tariffs. Just in time for golf and fishing seasons, the Canada-U.S. trade war is set to increase costs for pretty much all outdoor gear.
Catch up on our recent story about how the latest developments will hit your camping trips and barbecues.
Now, let's catch you up on other news.
For this week's deeper dive, in the middle of prom season, we talk about reducing fashion waste and fixing things up around your home.
The climate crisis demands that we adjust buying habits, but already many people are trying to limit purchases. The need to shop less has become even more pressing given the trade war and the recent volatility of the stock market. Canadians are strapped for cash and avoiding American goods at the same time.
So why not repair or upcycle what you already own?
The Globe and Mail spoke with Canadians about how they honed their skills in mending and DIY, and their tips for holding on to belongings just a little bit longer.
Mend items by hand
Arounna Khounnoraj is a multidisciplinary artist, author and co-owner of Bookhou, multidisciplinary studio.
She believes a growing awareness of the harms of fast fashion have triggered a rising interest in clothing repairs. 'When people actually mend their knits, they start to connect with that item because they spent all this time fixing it, and then they have a whole different view of it,' she said.
Maintain your footwear
Lorena Agolli is the owner of Sole Survivor and a cobbler with Cirque du Soleil.
As the years have gone by, she has learned what materials make a good shoe and relayed that knowledge to her customers, encouraging them to buy quality items that will last and can more easily be repaired. She also regularly shares tips and tricks with her more than 10,000 Instagram followers.
'The longer I've been in the business, the more it's really sat with me that we are doing important work here without even realizing how important it is,' she said.
Make your clothes last longer
Anna-Marie Janzen is a seamstress and owner of Reclaim Mending. For her, fixing up clothing was a normal part of taking care of her cloths growing up.
In high school, Janzen learned how the garment industry was contributing to climate change – an understanding that only deepened her passion for mending clothing. The biggest issue is overproduction, Janzen says, and the belief that we need a new outfit for every occasion is part of what's driving it.
'You go back even just one generation and people would have their Sunday best and then maybe two regular outfits. We have this idea that we need a lot more than we really do.'
Also read:
Eric Reguly: Trump's lunge for critical metals could come at a huge environmental cost by churning up the seabed
Jennifer A. Quaid and Julien O. Beaulieu: Ottawa's anti-greenwashing rules aren't radical. Companies are just overreacting
Seafood magnate John Risley leads venture to build infrastructure in Canada's Arctic
Nova Scotia billionaire John Risley says Canada has neglected the Arctic for far too long, which has undermined the country's economic prospects and put its sovereignty at risk. He's betting he can light a fire for change.
'We haven't really stepped up as a country,' Risley said. Public underinvestment in the Coast Guard has left Northern waters exposed while corporate Canada 'hasn't woken up to the opportunity.'
We've launched the next chapter of The Climate Exchange, an interactive, digital hub where The Globe answers your most pressing questions about climate change. More than 300 questions were submitted as of September. The first batch of answers tackles 30 of them. They can be found with the help of a search tool developed by The Globe that makes use of artificial intelligence to match readers' questions with the closest answer drafted. We plan to answer a total of 75 questions.
We have ways to make your travelling more sustainable and if you like to read, here are books to help the environmentalist in you grow, as well as a downloadable e-book of Micro Skills - Little Steps to Big Change.
We want to hear from you. Email us: GlobeClimate@globeandmail.com. Do you know someone who needs this newsletter? Send them to our Newsletters page.
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