I’ve been trying to step up my fashion game lately. Case in point: My 2018 New Year’s resolution was to buy more pants that scare me, which is why I’m now the proud owner of a pair of Scandinavian (??) wool bell bottoms.
But buying these fresh threads comes at a price, and I’m not just talking dollars and cents. The average American throws away 81 pounds of clothing every year. And it takes around 1,800 gallons of water to make a pair of blue jeans! That’s a lot scarier than walking around in wool pants.
The high price of fast fashion is one of the reasons why I’ve been shopping at places like Reformation, Everlane, and Seattle’s myriad thrift stores. Good quality clothing for a lower carbon footprint? That’s an offer this eco-minded chick can’t refuse!
The way I see it, though, buying a pair of sustainably made pants just doesn’t cut it, especially considering the scale of the global crisis we’re in. That’s why I’m emailing you today (See? There’s a point to all of this).
Try this on for size: A pair of Reformation cougar-print pants costs $178 and saves 10 pounds of CO2 and 2 gallons of water. For roughly the same price, one year of monthly donations to Grist (we’re a nonprofit!) could have unlimited real-world impact.
Your support helps me break stories like this one, about a fearless woman who endured harassment for a year and a half at the National Park Service. Or compile this map, which breaks down how climate change is going to hit your backyard. Or write this profile of a teenage activist who is suing our government over rising temperatures.
We’re lucky to be a part of NewsMatch 2018, a national call-to-action to support nonprofit news organizations. If you give today, new monthly donations will be matched 12x (!!) and one-time gifts will be doubled, all up to $1,000. This match — and your support — will go a long way toward helping us meet our year-end goal of raising $50,000 by December 31 (we’ve already raised $20,000!).
You might not be able to wear your donation to Grist to your next holiday party, but you will be helping us tell the most important story of our time.
Donate to Grist today so you can sport your green cred inside and out.
Warmly,
Zoya Teirstein
