Do Sustainable Surf Products Actually Exist?

I like to think that my moral compass points the right way, both generally, and in the case of this article regarding the environment. I also like to think that I am of average intelligence and schooling, so why is it then I sometimes feel like the world is missing something? The bigger picture.

The main problem with sustainable products is that they cost more at the checkout which limits the amount of people that will purchase them, thereby limiting the effectiveness of the product and its impact on the market. While people in general want to do the correct thing, the sad fact is that a lot of them don't know the correct way and don't have time to find out. Such is the challenge where time is the most valuable commodity in modern day living. It's easier to pick up the more expensive 'organic' or sustainable' thing from the supermarket shelf and get that fluffy feeling that you are doing the 'right thing'.

Let's keep on target here. This is a surf mag so let's talk about surf products. I am going to use Kelly Slater's brand 'Outerknown' as an example. It is a great idea. The company is dedicated to fair trade practices and sourcing raw ingredients that will not be detrimental to the environment. According to their website, 70% of a product's environmental impact happens at the sourcing of raw materials. Amongst other things, Outerknown uses recycled fishing nets to make t-shorts and jackets. Awesome idea. It's the same old problem though, the end product is too expensive to make a difference. All the product ends up doing is creating cash for investors and shareholders.

If the same product could be produced and made available at similar prices to 'normal' clothes, so that people on normal incomes could afford to clothe their families in it, now that would be making a difference. The environmental impact is kind of like a Kickstarter campaign in that it is 'make or break'. You can't kind of 3-4% save the planet. You either do or you don't.

Recently I spent time on a surf trip with friends and family from all over the world, they all (as most people do) felt like me, that if we could save energy and not pollute, we would. The staggering thing was all the different ideas we had about what would make a difference. From buying organic rice in the supermarket to owning surf fins made from hemp. It was a topic of conversation that was insatiable on the trip, and I soon came to the realization that I needed to do some research and get some actual relevant figures to back up my own possibly nonfactual beliefs.

With only a mild amount of digging I found out some very interesting comparisons. It is no secret that stats can be deceiving, they have been manipulated by politicians and big companies alike to show what they want you to think often with very little relevance. Here is my first interesting find :

Now admittedly, this does just show harmful  'Greenhouse Gasses' which people seem to have forgotten about. Last time I checked, however the greenhouse effect was still happening, its just 'last year's news' and like everyone else, even eco warriors follow fashion. Just in case you have forgotten about the 'Greenhouse Effect', here is a reminder:

**Step 1: Solar radiation reaches the Earth's atmosphere - some of this is reflected back into space.****Step 2: The rest of the sun's energy is absorbed by the land and the oceans, heating the Earth.**Step 3: Heat radiates from Earth towards space.

**Step 4: Some of this heat is trapped by greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, keeping the Earth warm enough to sustain life.****Step 5: Human activities such as burning fossil fuels, agriculture and land clearing are increasing the amount of greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere.**Step 6: This is trapping extra heat, and causing the Earth's temperature to rise.

I think we can all take it from there, polar ice caps melting, coastal flooding, weird weather is on the way, along with eventually war, famine and death. It sounds like the plot of any apocalyptic sci-fi movie but in actual fact, that is the future. So to put it lightly Global Warming is still a huge issue. It stands to reason that this effect is in direct relation to the amount of humans on the planet. We humans each have a certain footprint and there are only getting to be more of us every second, four more to be exact and less than two of us are dying. Every second. All the extra humans need heat, food and to be clothed as basic needs. Can you see where I am going with this?

Lets get back to Mr Slater's solution of t-shirts that cost between 50 and 80 US dollars. He, or 'Outerknown' (which is propped up by the Kerins group) sells shorts, trousers (pants) etc .In fact you could clothe your entire family in 'Outerknown' but I wonder how many families in the western society could afford this let alone a lot of countries that have a less affluent population. It does not even begin to scratch the surface of the problem.

We have been doing a bit research and have found a better solution. I give you 'Worn Wear' by Patagonia. The guys there have come up with an awesome idea which is to recycle their clothes. They will buy your old Patagonia gear back off you , repair it if needs be and sell it on. They have also partnered with 'I fix it' to help teach you how to repair your Patagonia clothes yourself.

This itself seems like a lot more of a sensible idea that does not necessarily involve buying new. Apparently if you have a go at fixing the Patagoinia clothes yourself and make a mistake, you can still send it off and the guys in the repair department who will fix your fix, if you know what I mean.

I don't want this to be a whingey article filled with negativity but more a kind of eye opening experience to what makes a difference and what does not. Here are two simple things that you can do to help.

1. After a bit of research, what apparently is about to become a limited resource is water which is already becoming rarer in certain spots on the globe. One real way of helping could be a simple as bottling the water you use when you are running a tap and waiting for the water to get hot. My boiler is quite close to my taps and I use about 2-3 litres of water every time I wait for hot to come through. If you multiply that by people in the world that have showers, baths, do washing up, that's a lot of water. If you collect this you can then use this to drink, water plants or cook with. Simple, effective and it does not involve buying some expensive clothes.

2. Turn off the lights and avoid 'Stand By' modes. It sounds obvious but the amount of people that leave lights on is insane especially halogen or incandescent lights. If you are not in the room turn off the lights. 'Stand By' Modes are responsible for 9-16% of bills nationwide which is a massive waste of energy. When you go to bed, unplug your TV, set top box and washing machine, this will also help you save some $$.

Now I don't want to slam Kelly's company completely so what I could suggest is that the money that you will save from both saving water and energy from the two tips above be saved up, then once a year you can buy yourself some Outerknown socks. That way you can save the environment twice.

The moral of this rather long and protracted semi-rant is to do some research. Find out what really is making a difference and don't trust the advertising, try and think. If the solution is buying something more expensive, then it is probably not a solution.