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For environmentally minded consumers, the news is hard to swallow: almond milk is not healthy for the planet and the popular milk substitute is especially hard on bees. Our recent investigation into the connection between California's industrialized almond industry and a record 50bn commercial bee deaths created quite a buzz. The widely read story prompted one primary response from readers: "What should we be drinking instead?"

This is a thorny question, and food sustainability experts are reluctant to single out any one plant milk as best because all have pros and cons.

But we're going to try.

One thing is clear. All milk alternatives are far better for the planet than dairy. A 2018 study by researchers at the University of Oxford showed that producing a glass of dairy milk results in almost three times more greenhouse gas emissions than any plant-based milk and it consumes nine times more land than any of the milk alternatives. (Land is required to pasture the cows and grow their feed, which the animals belch out in the form of methane.)

Plant milks can, nevertheless, have a dark side, as when any crop is produced in mass quantities. It's important to consider not just whether they are grown using organic methods. Other factors include how the farming of the crop affects people and native habitats in developing countries, the carbon footprint and water use. And while each product has its trade-offs, some plant milks are more sustainable than others.

Based on interviews with experts, here is a an environmental ranking of plant milks, from the disappointingly sour to the sustainably sweet.

Coconut: 'An absolute tragedy'

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Global demand for coconut milk has led to deforestation and exploitation of workers. Photograph: Riau Images/Barcroft Media

Coconut has a reputation as exotic and healthy, but for poor regions in the Philippines, Indonesia and India, where pickers are often paid less than a dollar a day, the palm groves are no paradise.

Because coconut trees only grow in tropical climates, the pressure to meet global demand is causing exploitation of workers and destruction of rainforests. "Coconut is an absolute tragedy and it makes me really sad," Isaac Emery,a food sustainability consultant. "I love cooking with coconut milk but I don't feel good about buying coconut products. Farmers in Indonesia should be growing food to feed their families instead of meeting international demands."

According to an investigation by the New York Times, between 2007 to 2014 rainforests in Indonesia were clearcut at the rate of three acres every minute to make way for coconut palm trees. To avoid supporting unsustainable practices, choose coconut products that are certified Fair Trade.

Almond: bad for bees

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Almond farming is placing unsustainable pressure on bees and beekeepers. Photograph: Towfiqu Photography/Getty Images

While almond trees occupy smaller amounts of farmland compared with other crops grown for milk, this benefit is overshadowed by the negative impacts of almond farming in the US. Concentrated almost entirely in California's arid Central Valley, almonds are the largest specialty crop in the US and the orchards cover a region the size of Delaware.

Almonds require more water than any other dairy alternative, consuming 130 pints of water to produce a single glass of almond milk, according to the Oxford study. Satisfying continual demands for larger almond crops is also placing unsustainable pressures on US commercial beekeepers. Nearly 70% of commercial bees in the US are drafted every spring to pollinate almonds. Last year, a record number -over one-third of them- died by season's end as a result of these pressures and other environmental threats.

Rice: a water-guzzler

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Research has found rice milk produced more greenhouse gas than any other plant milk. Photograph: "Schindler, Martina"/Getty Images/StockFood

Although rice milk is ubiquitous as an inexpensive and widely available dairy alternative, it offers little in the way of nutrition or environmental benefits compared with other choices.

Rice is a water hog, according to the Oxford study, plus it produces more greenhouse gas emissions than any other plant milk. Bacteria breeding in rice paddies pump methane into the atmosphere and large amounts of fertilizer pollute waterways.

Hazelnut: on the up

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Hazelnuts are a rising star in the plant-based milk arena. Photograph: Roman Borovikov/EyeEm/Getty Images/EyeEm

For consumers who want the nutritiousness and tastiness of a nut milk but without the environmental impacts of almond farming, the hazelnut is a rising star.Like all nuts, hazelnuts grow on trees that pull carbon from the atmosphere and help reduce greenhouse emissions rather than increase them. Hazelnuts are environmentally superior to almonds in that they are pollinated by the wind rather than commercial honeybees and they grow in moist climates, such as the Pacific north-west, where water is less of an issue.

Hemp and flax: niche contenders

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Seeds from the flax plant, which produces nutrient-rich milk. Photograph: Tim Gainey/Alamy Stock Photo

Another way to ensure sustainable choices is to choose milk alternatives made from what Emery describes as "niche crops" such as hemp and flax. They are grown in relatively small quantities in the northern hemisphere, which makes them more environmentally friendly compared with a monoculture operation. Both plants produce seeds that make for a milk rich in protein and healthy fats.

Soy: back in favor

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Soy milk was the go-to alternative long before almond. Photograph: Envision/Getty Images

According to the Oxford study, soy milk is the joint winner on the sustainability scale. Plus, soy is the only plant milk that comes close to offering a protein content comparable to dairy. It was the go-to alternative long before almond milk came into vogue - but then soy fell out of favor.

"Soy has a relatively high concentration of certain hormones that are similar to human hormones and people got freaked out about that," says Emery. "But the reality is you would have to consume an impossibly large amount of soy milk and tofu for that to ever be a problem." Recent studies have instead found that a moderate amount of soy is healthy, especially for women.

The primary environmental drawback to soy milk is that soybeans are grown in massive quantities around the world to feed livestock for meat and dairy production. Large swaths of rainforest in the Amazon have been burned to make way for soy farms. The work-around for this is to simply do a little research and read the carton to find soy milk that is made from organic soybeans grown in the US or Canada.

Oat: a humble hero

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Almonds are out. Dairy is a disaster. So what milk should we drink?

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For environmentally minded consumers, the news is hard to swallow: almond milk is not healthy for the planet and the popular milk substitute is especially hard on bees. Our recent investigation into the connection between California's industrialized almond industry and a record 50bn commercial bee deaths created quite a buzz.

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Graphic organiser notes taking: Signposting in Presentations

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Graphic organiser notes taking: Signposting in Presentations

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By Andrew Krosofsky

Jan. 4 2021, Updated 4:12 p.m. ET

Natural fabrics used to be the most biodegradable ones around. Things like cotton, wool, hemp, or leather would decompose naturally using microorganisms. Unfortunately, many of today's versions of those fabrics are not nearly as biodegradable as they used to be - or as sustainable. If that's the case and the old, eco-friendly favorites are too chemically-treated to stand the test of time, what fabrics are biodegradable anymore?

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What does biodegradable mean?

What fabrics are biodegradable?

There are several different types of biodegradable plant-based fabrics out there, including hemp, cotton, abaca, bamboo, lyocell (aka TENCEL), ramie, and jute. Some animal-based fabrics are also biodegradable, depending on the circumstances.

Keep on reading for the details on just a few of our favorite biodegradable fabrics.

Conventional cotton can be composted too, but depending on the dyes used, it may not be the best thing for your soil. Just make sure your garment is 100 percent cotton and not a blend before composting it.

Silk is a strong, resilient fabric that takes about four years to fully biodegrade. It's hypoallergenic, antimicrobial, antifungal, luxurious, and comfortable. But be forewarned, it is certainly not vegan-friendly. Silk is made by boiling silkworms alive, which kills the silkworms before they can become moths, and instead results in long silk threads forming.

About 3,000 silkworms must be killed to make just 1 pound of silk, according to PETA - so just because it's biodegradable does not mean it's sustainable.

What fabrics are not biodegradable?

Plastic-based fabrics like acrylic, nylon, fleece, polyester, and rayon are some of the least biodegradable fabrics on the market. Not only do these synthetic fabrics not biodegrade, but their manufacturing process is also completely unsustainable.

Hey, why didn't you mention wool, fur, or leather?

When wool is not treated heavily, its high nitrogen content will help it biodegrade within a year, but wool has more problems than simple chemical dyes. Like all animal products, the harvesting of sheep wool takes a toll on the animals themselves, and is a highly-polluting process for the environment.

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Which Fabrics Are Biodegradable? You Can Compost These All-Natural Materials

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By Andrew Krosofsky Jan. 4 2021, Updated 4:12 p.m. ET Natural fabrics used to be the most biodegradable ones around. Things like cotton, wool, hemp, or leather would decompose naturally using microorganisms. Unfortunately, many of today's versions of those fabrics are not nearly as biodegradable as they used to be - or as sustainable.

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Vegans do not purchase silk - but why? And is the fabric sustainable?

Source: iStock

Silk is often touted as an eco-friendly, natural, material - but with so many fabrics out there, it can be hard to determine what is really sustainable, and what simply has gotten a sustainable reputation. Questions about the sustainability of silk may have you wondering why silk is not considered a vegan fabric - because if going vegan is one of the most impactful lifestyle changes we can make for the planet, why don't vegans wear silk?

Read on to learn more about why vegans do not purchase silk, how silk is made, and whether or not silk is as eco-friendly as it may seem.

Why don't vegans wear silk?

Vegans don't eat, wear, or use products made from or by animals, instead opting for animal-free and cruelty-free food, clothing, and products. Silk is made from fibers spun by worms, who are animals, in a process that's surprisingly cruel and typically ends with the worms being killed. For those reasons, vegans typically do not wear or use silk.

What is silk, and how is silk made?

Silk is a fabric made from the fibers that silkworms spin when they are building their cocoons.

Most silk is made from domesticated silkworms that are raised on farms, just like how meat and dairy come from animals bred and raised on farms.

There are a few different processes when it comes to taking silk from worms, but here's one of the most common processes for how worms commercially make silk, as explained by ThoughtCo. After being bred, the silkworms are fed mulberry leaves (hence the name "mulberry" silk). Once they are ready to spin their cocoons, they enter the pupal stage. At that point, they secrete a liquid version of silk from two glands in their heads, and form their cocoons.

In nature, the worms would eventually chew through their cocoon, emerge as a moth, and fly away. However, in the silk industry, this is the point where farmers drop the cocoons, which contain the live silkworms, in boiling water. This not only kills the worms, but also unravels the cocoons, resulting in the formation of long silk threads.

Unfortunately, this process has a very low fabric yield. According to PETA, around 3,000 silkworms are killed to make just one pound of silk. Or, as ThoughtCo puts it, for just one gram of silk thread, 15 silkworms are killed; and for one silk sari, 10,000 are killed.

What is Peace Silk, or Ahimsa Silk?

However, revamping the silk industry is not as simple as everyone switching to Peace Silk. For one thing, this method produces broken silk thread, as opposed to the long silk threads that are created by the worms in the commercial silk industry. The threads then need to be woven together, Stella McCartney explains. Because of that, Peace Silk is more expensive than commercial silk. Not only that, but the process is still not one most vegans would condone, as it still involves the breeding and use of silkworms.

Additionally, the worms used in the silk industry have been bred over centuries to be optimal for producing silk (much like chickens, cows, pigs, and other animals in the factory farming system), so even though they are "set free" once they become moths, they can only survive for five to 10 days after leaving their cocoons, according to mueZart.

What are vegan alternatives to silk?

Some vegans are comfortable purchasing and wearing clothing made from secondhand silk, as doing so takes the item out of the waste stream, and does not contribute to the demand for more silk.

But fortunately, if you do not want to wear silk, there are many alternatives.

Silky fabric alternatives are often made from semi-natural, semi-synthetic fabrics such as viscose, rayon, lyocell (aka TENCEL), and modal. These fabrics are all semi-synthetic cellulosic materials, according to the blog Ecocult, and in many cases, are biodegradable, and sometimes even compostable.

Other silk fabric alternatives can be made with synthetic fibers, most commonly polyester. Of course, polyester is generally not seen as eco-friendly, as it is made from petroleum. But because synthetic fabrics do not involve any animal exploitation, vegans are likely to choose polyester over silk - but a great middle ground choice is a garment made from viscose, rayon, lyocell, or modal.

Silk is most commonly used to make clothing including neckties, blouses, wedding dresses and evening gowns, and lingerie; it's also sometimes used to make household items like silk pillowcases and dental floss. Fortunately, there are vegan versions of all these items - and not only will they be free of animal cruelty, but synthetic and semi-synthetic fabrics are typically cheaper than natural silk. Click here for a list of brands using vegan silk.

Is silk a sustainable fabric?

Even though silk is biodegradable, the process of harvesting silk has a very high environmental impact - mostly in terms of energy use, but also in terms of chemical use (some silk farms use formaldehyde, chlorine, and other toxic chemicals), fresh water use, water pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions. In fact, silk contributes to those latter three factors even more than cotton does.

Surprisingly, the Higg Index found polyester to be the lowest-impact alternative to silk - even lower impact than the semi-natural fabrics listed above.

Is silk compostable?

100 percent silk fabric will break down in your compost pile - but it will take longer than the average banana peel to break down. According to various sources, it could take up to a year to completely return to the earth.

That said, before chucking an old silk blouse in the compost bin, investigate the material of your silk garment's surrounding fabric, as it could be layered with a synthetic lining, or sewn together with synthetic thread. According to the blog Can I Compost This?, makers of garments with natural fibers sometimes get away with using polyester-based thread, which will not break down in the compost. So if you don't mind plucking the thread out of your compost heap after the garment has disappeared, go for it. Just don't put it in a compost bin that you do not monitor (such as your municipality's curbside compost service), since the thread could contaminate the batch.

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Why Don't Vegans Wear Silk? Is Silk Sustainable?

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Vegans do not purchase silk - but why? And is the fabric sustainable?

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Graphic organiser notes taking: Begin: Disagreeing Politely

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Graphic organiser notes taking: Begin: Disagreeing Politely

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Silk is the fibre that silkworms weave to make their cocoons - outer casings that protect them during the pupal stage. But most of the insects used by the silk industry don't live past this stage, because they are boiled or gassed alive inside their cocoons, which causes the cocoons to begin unravelling so that workers can obtain the silk threads. Some 6,600 silkworms are killed to make just 1 kilogram of silk.

Abused Insects and Exploited Workers

At silk-production facilities in India, silkworms who are allowed to mature into moths fare little better than those who were boiled alive inside their cocoons. After they have laid their eggs, female moths are crushed to death and their bodies are checked under a microscope for diseases. If any disease is found, the eggs are destroyed. Male moths are simply discarded after they mate. It's not uncommon to see birds pecking at baskets full of male moths left outside of silk-production facilities.

Although worms can't show their distress in ways that humans easily recognise, anyone who has ever seen earthworms become startled when their dark homes are uncovered must acknowledge that worms are sensitive. They produce endorphins and have a physical response to pain.

There are also reports of the use of child labour in the silk industry. According to the non-profit organisation Human Rights Watch, which has investigated India's silk trade, children - some as young as 5 years old - are forced to work inside the factories and workshops that produce silk thread. Some must immerse their hands in vats of scalding water to palpate the cocoons, causing their skin to become raw and blistered. Children who wind the silk into strands often suffer from cuts that go untreated and can become infected.

Don't Be Fooled by 'Peace Silk'

Many people who are troubled by the cruelty of conventional silk production have turned to purportedly cruelty-free alternatives called "peace silk" or " ahimsa silk". Although sellers claim that these materials have been produced from cocoons that were collected after the moths naturally emerged, no certification authorities exist to guarantee that these standards are upheld, and there have been reports of conventional silk being sold as "peace silk".

Even silk producers who don't gas or boil the silkworms may cause them to suffer by providing them with inadequate food or forcing them out of their cocoons prematurely. The animal-welfare group Beauty Without Cruelty - India observed one producer of such silk consigning female moths to trays for egg-laying while the males were put into a refrigerator, brought out occasionally for breeding and then thrown away when they were no longer able to mate.

What You Can Do

The only truly cruelty-free options are those that aren't derived from animals. Fortunately, there are many luxurious animal-friendly fabrics available, such as nylon, polyester, Tencel, milkweed seed-pod fibres, silk-cotton tree filaments and rayon.

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Silk is the fibre that silkworms weave to make their cocoons - outer casings that protect them during the pupal stage. But most of the insects used by the silk industry don't live past this stage, because they are boiled or gassed alive .

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Animal care

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PETA operates under the simple principle that animals are not ours to eat, wear, experiment on, or use for entertainment.

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I am not sure if it is still on display.

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The Royal collection of Fabergé is unequalled in size and quality

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You can see some pieces of egg in collection.

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Collection Highlights, узнать подробнее о коллекциях Карла Фаберже.

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It 's have to sign in, but it's free!!

You can read fashion content from fashion's author.

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Fashion Shows: Fashion Week, Runway, Designer Collections

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Get up-to-the-minute fashion show coverage at New York, London, Milan, and Paris Fashion Weeks. See photos, videos, reviews, and more.

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Department of Economic and Social Affairs Sustainable Development

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Dan Widmaier: The future of fashion -- made from mushrooms

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Your closet is likely full of all kinds of materials -- leather, cotton, nylon and polyester, to name a few -- that contribute to fashion's sustainability crisis. Biomaterials investigator Dan Widmaier explains how we could look to nature for sustainable replacements for these much-used materials and introduces a leather alternative made from mushrooms that looks great and doesn't harm the environment.

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Sharing by Julie my classmate. The topics are talk about 17 sustainability development goals

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https://youtu.be/qfOgdj4Okdw?si=M1_N6ZlTh1eJr6zf

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Note: 3 creative ways to fix fashion's waste problem

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Note: 3 creative ways to fix fashion's waste problem

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https://www.ted.com/talks/amit_kalra_3_creative_ways_to_fix_fashion_s_waste_problem?utm_campaign=tedspread&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=tedcomshare

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The name of art is Wake Up

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Wake Up!, 2022 installation at Kentler International Drawing Space, Brooklyn, NY
Canvas, trim, thread, acrylic paint, wood, found objects, dimensional fabric paint, fabric
145 in. x 84in. x 10 in.

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Wake Up!, 2022 installation at Kentler International Drawing Space, Brooklyn, NYCanvas, trim, thread, acrylic paint, wood, found objects, dimensional fabric paint, fabric145 in. x 84in. x 10 in.

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I am recommend this application 'Quizlet'. It looks like a vocabulary cards. You can put your vocabulary and set it by category. You can learn, make flashcards, test or match the vocabulary on your category and no need to pay it.

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Sustainable development

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Graphic organiser notes taking: Presenting effectively PCA Week 3

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Graphic organiser notes taking: Presenting effectively PCA Week 3

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Graphic Organiser Notes Taking: Essay Writing PCA Week 3

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Graphic Organiser Notes Taking: Essay Writing PCA Week 3

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Try to use graphic organiser to take note

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Notes from video 'Paraphrasing ideas in writing' PCA Week 3

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Notes from video 'Paraphrasing ideas in writing' PCA Week 3

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From Ted talk 3 creative ways to fix fashion waste problem

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From Ted talk 3 creative ways to fix fashion waste problem

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https://www.ted.com/talks/amit_kalra_3_creative_ways_to_fix_fashion_s_waste_problem?utm_campaign=tedspread&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=tedcomshare

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Notes from video 'Good research skills' PCA Week 3

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Notes from video 'Good research skills' PCA Week 3

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Try to use Cornell notes

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https://youtu.be/HuxfYP1mdv4?si=X8b7Lln0D-trvarx

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Notes from Seminar Discussion PCA Week 2

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Notes from Seminar Discussion PCA Week 2

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Make some notes to think about the importance of seminar discussion, and how does it work?

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Fig. 1 Under the Wave off Kanagawa (Kanagawa oki nami ura), also known as The Great Wave, from the series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji (Fugaku sanjūrokkei) (1830)

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Fig. 1 Hokusai, K. (1830) Under the Wave off Kanagawa (Kanagawa oki nami ura), also known as The Great Wave, from the series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji (Fugaku sanjūrokkei). [Woodblock print; ink and color on paper] 10 1/8 x 14 15/16 in. (25.7 x 37.9 cm) At: https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/45434 (Accessed: 3 July 2024)

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Homework week2 Sustainability PB Vocabulary Table

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Homework week2 Sustainability PB Vocabulary Table

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vocabulary with 8 sentences.

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Vocabulary with 8 sentences

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How my paper plane loop in the air!

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Juncheng Wang is thirty-one years old. You can also call her ‘Julie’. She has a partner, but she is not married yet. She lives in the middle of China, Kaifeng, Henan with her partner and her mother. She is a volunteer, and she has started up a company. She likes to eat spicy food for instance, Thai food, Pad Thai. Her favorite sport is Squash. She is a pet lover. She has one dog and one cat. The cat lives in the United Kingdom but her dog lives in China. She studies digital media art, and now she is in the third years of PhD journey. She can speak Chinese, English and a little bit of Korean, and French. On free time she loves to play online games with her friends. Julie prefers yellow. Her favorite movie is Harry Potter. Her most favorite character from Harry Potter is the main character, Harry Potter. The place that she recommends is Manchester. She loves that place it’s beautiful and she likes city’s culture of Manchester.