{"id":21126,"title":"On Carbon Emissions","description":"Every year on Zero Emissions Day - Sept. 21st - people around the world participate in activities to promote a climate-friendly future. Find out about carbon neutrality, tree planting projects, and how OilOnShirt is able to offer carbon neutral clothes.","content":"<p><strong>In this post you can read about:<\/strong><\/p><p><\/p><ul><li><p>The Carbon Emission Problem<\/p><\/li><li><p>Individual Responsibility<\/p><\/li><li><p>Carbon Neutral Clothing<\/p><\/li><li><p>How OilOnShirt Operates<\/p><\/li><li><p>Tree Planting (and why it won\u2019t solve the problem)<\/p><\/li><\/ul><p><\/p><h2>The Carbon Emission Problem \ud83c\udfed<\/h2><p>The world emits too much CO2. Those emissions drive the global rise in temperature, which in turn results in environmental catastrophes such as droughts, wildfires, storms, rising sea levels, warming oceans and flooding. This directly impacts and destroys animal habitats and people\u2019s livelihoods.<\/p><p><\/p><p><img src=\"https:\/\/images.teemill.com\/i9ox2ltrxksvy1dexclmxrecvjzojje6wqsaetbjgbhk2ygh.png\" alt=\"i9ox2ltrxksvy1dexclmxrecvjzojje6wqsaetbjgbhk2ygh.png\" \/><\/p><h3>If we were all to stand still, carbon emissions would drop \ud83c\udf0d<\/h3><blockquote><p>But, would <u>this<\/u> be life? After all we need to eat and drink, we require electricity and heating in our homes. We do want to meet people and explore the world we live in. It seems though, we lost touch with planet Earth and how we can live in harmony with it. For too long now we neglect crucial principles such as: don\u2019t spend more than you earn (or can afford to pay back)\u2026<\/p><\/blockquote><p><\/p><blockquote><p>But, would the planet be saved? No, according to research it would take many thousands of years for atmospheric CO2 to return to pre-industrial levels. <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/royalsociety.org\/topics-policy\/projects\/climate-change-evidence-causes\/question-20\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Read more here.<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote><p><\/p><p><\/p><p><\/p><h3><strong>The debt crisis \ud83d\udcc9<\/strong><\/h3><p>Not only monetarily, but also ecologically the world is in debt. We pumped more CO2 into the atmosphere than we can afford. The question is, how can we get rid of this huge pile of debt? The discussion around carbon neutrality, sustainability and carbon footprint measurement increased in recent years. The views on <u>how<\/u> to create a climate-friendly future became somewhat blurry - in particular with regards to the current energy crisis. It nearly seems the more we talk about it and the more challenges we face as a society, the less clear it becomes what to do. And the pile continues to grow.<\/p><p><\/p><p><\/p><p><\/p><h3>Individual responsibility \ud83e\udd13<\/h3><blockquote><p>Could it be the magical formula?<\/p><\/blockquote><p><\/p><p><img src=\"https:\/\/images.teemill.com\/qh1vrdc2tkmmuscdi1segybebeg4n0ehi5mxvbhpir868pzi.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&amp;h=auto\" alt=\"qh1vrdc2tkmmuscdi1segybebeg4n0ehi5mxvbhpir868pzi.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&amp;h=auto\" \/><\/p><blockquote><p>If I could hold a megaphone on the whole world from above (like this), I would say:<\/p><blockquote><p><strong>\u201cRead, research, act - sleep, repeat.\u201c \ud83d\udca1<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote><\/blockquote><p><\/p><p><img src=\"https:\/\/images.teemill.com\/hmuzubrtyrohfq8ljuiqymifjeozbclonar0j4ofhw0ko29a.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&amp;h=auto\" alt=\"hmuzubrtyrohfq8ljuiqymifjeozbclonar0j4ofhw0ko29a.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&amp;h=auto\" \/><\/p><p>Even though this wouldn't save the world either, it holds part of the solution. <u>Everyone<\/u> has ownership on the path to a climate-friendly future. Yes, YOU and I, too.<\/p><p><\/p><p>Personally, I don\u2019t like the phrase \u201cEveryone can do their part.\u201c Even though it\u2019s true, it is too weak. It should be \u201cIf You don\u2019t do it, it won\u2019t happen my friend!\u201c. We vote with our actions, where and what we buy, what we read about and how we act on those insights we gain. Our daily actions impact our personal carbon footprint.<\/p><p><\/p><p>It comes down to all individuals on this planet. By that, I include myself, your neighbour as well as students, young researchers and businesses. I do believe that reduce, reuse, recycle is the bare minimum we can do. More research needs to be done in order to find innovative solutions to reduce and capture excess carbon emissions.<\/p><p><\/p><p><\/p><h2><strong>Carbon Neutral Clothing \ud83d\udc55<\/strong><\/h2><p>When it comes to the clothing industry, You have to cut through the noise. It is your responsibility to distinguish the \u201cbad\u201d from the \u201cbetter\u201d ones. I am saying better, because there is a talk to be walked. And some companies might, even if late, decide to make this transition which will start imperfectly. So, giving credit to the process of improvement is part of it, but don\u2019t trust blindly. Check the actions a business undertakes to be or become \u201cplanet friendly\u201d.<\/p><p><\/p><p><\/p><h3><strong>Planting Trees - only a first line of defence \ud83c\udf33<\/strong><\/h3><p>Planting trees is <u>not<\/u> the solution for our actual problem at hand, namely <u>cutting the excess carbon emissions that already linger in the atmosphere<\/u>. Researchers warn from seeing tree planting projects as a healing method for the planet. Firstly, we can\u2019t plant enough trees to neutralise the accumulated carbon footprint debt. Secondly, it depends hugely on how those carbon-storing ecosystems are set up. If done the wrong way, they might do more harm than good. There seems to be an agreement though that planting trees can help to reduce or neutralise the currently produced carbon emissions for example by businesses.<\/p><p><\/p><p><\/p><h3><strong>OilOnShirt - supply chain is carbon neutral certified \u267b\ufe0f<\/strong><\/h3><p>On that note, we want to share some details on how OilOnShirt operates.<\/p><p><\/p><p>Our proposition<\/p><ul><li><p>personalised print clothing<\/p><\/li><li><p>GOTS certified organic cotton<\/p><\/li><li><p>production on demand<\/p><\/li><li><p>circular from the start<\/p><\/li><\/ul><p><\/p><p>For various reasons, including the <strong>transparency and sustainability first approach<\/strong>, we decided to use <strong>Teemill <\/strong>as our manufacturing partner. Proudly we can say that Teemill is awarded the <em>Carbon Trust's Carbon Neutral certification.<\/em><\/p><p><\/p><p><\/p><h3><strong>Organic Raw Materials<\/strong><\/h3><p>It is non negotiable that the creation of new products needs to be harmless to the planet and the people working and creating those products. All our products are made from GOTS certified organic cotton only. At Teemill, the organic cotton is harvested and processed in India. The garments are then shipped to the UK where they are printed on demand on the Isle of Wight and sent to you.<\/p><p><\/p><p><img src=\"https:\/\/images.teemill.com\/geSgA92QQjwJy699MG1moOL1yTxdcHkGGfWnoLgM6MXHMT6b.jpeg\" alt=\"geSgA92QQjwJy699MG1moOL1yTxdcHkGGfWnoLgM6MXHMT6b.jpeg\" \/><\/p><p><img src=\"https:\/\/images.teemill.com\/j6eHSw0DMCTX33oDiH8n2mLTkP9mJlBR4846T0kkrGHxYWza.jpeg\" alt=\"j6eHSw0DMCTX33oDiH8n2mLTkP9mJlBR4846T0kkrGHxYWza.jpeg\" \/><\/p><p>Instead of using pesticides and fertilisers, Teemill uses co-planting and cow poo as natural \u201ctechnologies\u201c. This means that the soil is clean and can be used by the farmers to grow onions and other food during the dry season. This is a solution that benefits farmers, the environment and you as a customer. Kind to skin and soil, fully recyclable.<\/p><p><\/p><h3><strong>Circularity by Design<\/strong><\/h3><p>This brings us to the next crucial aspect: a fully circular model. All our organic cotton products are made to be remade - i.e. if they are worn out they can be sent back to Teemill. They will then be recycled and turned into new products.<\/p><p><\/p><p>You can also buy <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/shop.oilonshirt.com\/design-your-own-t-shirt\/womens-organic-cotton-jumper-50-recycled\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><u>already recycled products in our OilOnShirt store<\/u><\/a> and add your own designs. Using recycled materials means that less new cotton and less new yarn has to be produced. In addition, by only printing what people order, excess stock and therefore waste is designed out of the manufacturing process. Waste saved also means carbon saved.<\/p><p><\/p><p><img src=\"https:\/\/images.teemill.com\/bcbz1fz2fvqbj2rvw44okprewi7uvjlxqlbxgezyxsvul9cr.jpg\" alt=\"bcbz1fz2fvqbj2rvw44okprewi7uvjlxqlbxgezyxsvul9cr.jpg\" \/><em>Scan the QR code in your product to find out more about how to recycle.<\/em><\/p><p><\/p><p><\/p><h3><strong>Powered by renewable energy &amp; technology<\/strong><\/h3><p>All our products are made in a renewable energy powered factory.<\/p><p><\/p><p><img src=\"https:\/\/images.teemill.com\/b6gkrtlxy0pkhttoi4uydhphckypurublseg57blnd4xgn8v.jpg\" alt=\"b6gkrtlxy0pkhttoi4uydhphckypurublseg57blnd4xgn8v.jpg\" \/><em>Windpower used in India. Interestingly the Vestas V52 blades in this shot were actually made on the Isle of Wight where Teemill\u2019s HQs are located. Full circle.<\/em><\/p><p><\/p><p><img src=\"https:\/\/images.teemill.com\/icadsbdhngoue1dh26vmmqseb9skpxnaxdsnmujwuvhlxera.jpg\" alt=\"icadsbdhngoue1dh26vmmqseb9skpxnaxdsnmujwuvhlxera.jpg\" \/><em>Teemill uses solar on their Isle of Wight HQ and also wind energy.<\/em><\/p><p><\/p><p><\/p><h3><strong>Plant based packaging<\/strong><\/h3><p>All orders are sent in a paper mailer like the one below. In contrast to plastic mailers which are made from oil and take hundred\u2019s of years to break down, paper will biodegrade within weeks.<\/p><p><\/p><p><img src=\"https:\/\/images.teemill.com\/kpvu7gexjdn0p7iz7rnrfkt9ygpo3wtja3fqhu9jmbvcimht.jpg\" alt=\"kpvu7gexjdn0p7iz7rnrfkt9ygpo3wtja3fqhu9jmbvcimht.jpg\" \/><em>PS: you can use your mailer for a creative project, colour it or use it as a new gift wrap.<\/em><\/p><p><\/p><p><\/p><h3><strong>Planting Trees<\/strong><\/h3><p>Even though there are quite a few good things going on at Teemill, tree planting pushed the efforts over the edge to become carbon neutral. Trees absorb carbon and at the time of the Carbon Trust study, Teemill together with all its partner brands, planted enough trees to equate to over a million kilograms of CO2 sequestered.<\/p><p><\/p><p>Even though we can\u2019t save the world with this initiative, it allows for our supply chain to be carbon neutral, so we don\u2019t add to the debt pile described above. In addition, it contributes to biodiversity. We run tree planting weekends once a month. This means for every order placed, we plant a tree on your behalf.<\/p><p><\/p><p><img src=\"https:\/\/images.teemill.com\/evxa8kmgrmfc5j2f1yd3y9apw9fosplocss6frv8l8vrudrx.jpg\" alt=\"evxa8kmgrmfc5j2f1yd3y9apw9fosplocss6frv8l8vrudrx.jpg\" \/><\/p><p>Stay curious! If you have any further questions please contact us at <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"mailto:hello@oilonshirt.com\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>hello@oilonshirt.com<\/strong><\/a> - we look forward to hearing from you.<\/p><p><\/p><p>Yours,<\/p><p>OilOnShirt<\/p><p><\/p><p><\/p><h3>Sources<\/h3><p>Various sources have been used to write this opinion piece. Please refer to the following links for further reading.<\/p><ul><li><p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencenews.org\/article\/planting-trees-climate-change-carbon-capture-deforestation\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">https:\/\/www.sciencenews.org\/article\/planting-trees-climate-change-carbon-capture-deforestation<\/a><\/p><\/li><li><p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/royalsociety.org\/topics-policy\/projects\/climate-change-evidence-causes\/question-20\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">https:\/\/royalsociety.org\/topics-policy\/projects\/climate-change-evidence-causes\/question-20\/<\/a><\/p><\/li><li><p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/climate.mit.edu\/ask-mit\/why-dont-we-just-plant-lot-trees\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">https:\/\/climate.mit.edu\/ask-mit\/why-dont-we-just-plant-lot-trees<\/a><\/p><\/li><li><p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.opml.co.uk\/blog\/why-trees-alone-won-t-save-planet-cop26\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">https:\/\/www.opml.co.uk\/blog\/why-trees-alone-won-t-save-planet-cop26<\/a><\/p><\/li><li><p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/clc.fi\/zero-emissions-day\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">https:\/\/clc.fi\/zero-emissions-day\/<\/a><\/p><\/li><li><p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/ourworldindata.org\/co2-emissions\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">https:\/\/ourworldindata.org\/co2-emissions<\/a><\/p><\/li><\/ul><p><\/p>","urlTitle":"zero-emissions-day","url":"\/blog\/zero-emissions-day\/","editListUrl":"\/my-blogs","editUrl":"\/my-blogs\/edit\/zero-emissions-day\/","fullUrl":"https:\/\/shop.oilonshirt.com\/blog\/zero-emissions-day\/","featured":false,"published":true,"showOnSitemap":true,"hidden":false,"visibility":null,"createdAt":1663670612,"updatedAt":1663928757,"publishedAt":1663928757,"lastReadAt":null,"division":{"id":221508,"name":"OilOnShirt"},"tags":[],"metaImage":{"original":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/5z6id7uytvg9hounynd48dxcfmcd8mozyctngumyvi4p16j3.jpeg","thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/5z6id7uytvg9hounynd48dxcfmcd8mozyctngumyvi4p16j3.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&h=855","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/5z6id7uytvg9hounynd48dxcfmcd8mozyctngumyvi4p16j3.jpeg.jpg?w=1920&h=1440"},"metaTitle":"","metaDescription":"","keyPhraseCampaignId":null,"series":[],"similarReads":[{"id":24103,"title":"PLASTIC RECOVERY Weekends","url":"\/blog\/plastic-recovery-weekend\/","urlTitle":"plastic-recovery-weekend","division":221508,"description":"The average yearly plastic footprint  of a European citizen is 68 pounds (31 kg). More than 8 million tons of plastic leak into the ocean each year. During our Plastic Recovery campaign, your order will fund the recovery and recycling of one kilogram of ocean-bound plastic. This is equivalent to 50 plastic bottles less waste in our oceans. We count all orders and fund the plastic recovery, which is done through our friends over at Plastic Bank. The offer is enabled automatically at checkout! Click to find out more!","published":true,"metaImage":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/h9fnwro18mmhqwbggy8hc6ltwatymzh4kpds4e6lfu1rmd5x.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&h=855","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/h9fnwro18mmhqwbggy8hc6ltwatymzh4kpds4e6lfu1rmd5x.jpeg.jpg?w=1920&h=1440"},"hidden":0},{"id":24108,"title":"What is Quality Clothing?","url":"\/blog\/what-is-quality-clothing\/","urlTitle":"what-is-quality-clothing","division":221508,"description":"For a long time now the true value of apparel hasn\u2019t been at the centre of promotion. Glitter and glamour, the brand image and its aspirational power stand above the utilitarian value. No wonder that we are confused. So, what is quality clothing? Read on to find out more.","published":true,"metaImage":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/sikndvxys3jwg7zubhdyiepp7ow51euelccs4tvdkek82qdz.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&h=855","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/sikndvxys3jwg7zubhdyiepp7ow51euelccs4tvdkek82qdz.jpeg.jpg?w=1920&h=1440"},"hidden":0},{"id":24110,"title":"Sustainable clothing materials for Summer & Winter","url":"\/blog\/sustainable-clothing-materials-for-summer-winter\/","urlTitle":"sustainable-clothing-materials-for-summer-winter","division":221508,"description":"Weather is still guiding our decision making on what to wear. Textiles are the vehicle to deliver on those needs. Read on to discover some of the best sustainable fabric options for summer and winter.","published":true,"metaImage":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/ngeku7ot96imzjxqsdtyd4v2nbskeanh7bhsgxc8zxykl02c.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&h=855","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/ngeku7ot96imzjxqsdtyd4v2nbskeanh7bhsgxc8zxykl02c.jpeg.jpg?w=1920&h=1440"},"hidden":0}],"labels":[]}