Going Green: Fashionable clothes to help stay super cool in hot weather

They are also lightweight and help remove moisture, which is crucial, as sweating is a key function to moderate our temperature.

Visit https://theconversation.com/do-natural-fabrics-really-keep-us-cooler-in-summer-heres-the-science-240909#:~:text=So%2C%20clothing%20made%20of%20cotton,stay%20cool%20in%20sweltering%20temperatures website.

This is increasingly important, as global warming means we are experiencing higher temperatures more regularly. 2024 was the hottest year on record and so, as this horrifying trend continues, it’s about staying safe to avoid heat stress, discomfort and potentially heat stroke. This is a significant health risk in summer, particularly for those who work outdoors or are vulnerable, such as pregnant women, children and the elderly.

Visit https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/event/85098/annual-global-temperature-records website.

Synthetic clothes, such as nylon and acrylic, are the cornerstone of fast fashion so are cheap and readily available, however it’s best to go green and avoid these products where possible as they are made from fossil fuels. Oil and gas products are the key reason behind climate change so anything we can do to avoid plastic products is good for us and the environment.

When washed, these garments release micro fibres. These micro plastics enter our rivers and end up in the sea, where they’re consumed by marine animals and then us through our food and drink.

Visit https://www.plasticcollective.co/how-fast-fashion-is-bad-for-the-environment/#:~:text=Impacts%20of%20Fast%20Fashion%20on%20Plastic%20Pollution&text=Washing%20synthetic%20clothes%20is%20one,causing%20harm%20to%20aquatic%20life website.

Thankfully, there is a big push to produce more sustainable clothing, driven by conscious consumerism, and therefore knowledge is power. Buying pre-loved items is best for your budget and the environment.

There are enough clothes already in the world for six generations so using Vinted, ebay, or Oxfam online is a great way to find summer fashion, where you don’t have to compromise on style. You can search by size, colour, label and return goods for free if not happy.

As fresh water becomes scarcer, using more recycled fabrics in the manufacturing process is essential and this also reduces the amount of chemicals required for dyeing material, so a win win.

Oxfam Shop | Buy Second-hand & Ethically Sourced Products

Many labels now advertise green credentials, but it’s only meaningful if they say the amount of product that was used was from recycled fabrics. While linen, organic cotton, silk, wool and viscose are natural products, some production practices are better than others. Viscose is made from wood pulp.

Forestry can be a sustainable and renewable practise however, historically much viscose was produced from harvesting trees in high conservation and biodiversity areas. A wonderful charity called Canopy has been working with industry to ensure that conservation is foremost in fashion.

CanopyStyle is an initiative to protect forests and encourage greater investment in recycling mills to reduce the staggering 92 million tonnes of textile sent to landfill each year. Many designers and retailers have signed up to source viscose only from suppliers awarded a ‘green button’, which is a symbol of eco credentials in Canopy’s annual Hot Button report.

Visit https://canopyplanet.org/change-together/canopystyle website.

So, as the world warms up it’s best to wear what’s green, pre-loved and cool this summer and steer clear of sweaty synthetics because style really shouldn’t cost the earth.

Celebrity spot

The actor Jason Momoa, who was named by National Geographic as one of the most influential people in trying to save the oceans said: “When I was growing up, I wanted to be a marine biologist. At the root of everything in my heart and soul is just I love the ocean, I want to do anything I can to protect it.”

Green swap

Add some beans and veg to your favourite dishes. For example, puy lentils with fish, potatoes and carrots in pie and soya mince in lasagna or meat balls. Simple substitutions, will not only save you money but help improve your health and reach your five a day.

Thousands of flood victims are hung out to dry

Thousands of flood victims are missing out on government support to help protect their homes from future storms.

Data obtained by climate education charity, One Home, shows the Government’s £5,000 Property Flood Resilience (PFR) grant scheme is failing to reach those who need it.

The PFR grant scheme enables homeowners whose houses have flooded, to apply through their local authority for a £5,000 grant to help make their property more resilient to future storms by ‘building back better’.

Following Storms Babet in October 2023 and Henk in January 2024, more than 4,000 homes and businesses were eligible to apply yet the rates of success are shockingly low. Applications for PFR grants relating to Storm Babet closed in April and will close to Storm Henk in July.

Despite the widespread flooding and devastation caused by Storms Babet and Henk, Freedom of Information (FOI) figures show that many local authorities received small volumes of grant applications, and only a small majority of flood victims have received the grant in full.

After Storm Babet, just seven applications were received out of 94 eligible homeowners in Norfolk and, despite 205 homes being eligible on the Isle of Wight, just 24 applications were received.

Following Storm Henk, Herefordshire, Nottinghamshire, Oxfordshire and the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead have all seen low application rates.

In Herefordshire and Windsor and Maidenhead NO grants have been paid in full, despite a total of 125 eligible households.

One of the reasons for such low uptake is many local authorities require homeowners to pay for a property survey before they can even apply putting more financial costs on flood victims just after their homes have been devastated.

Therefore, it's not surprising that so many are put off by the red tape, low success rates and long wait times. What’s more, the value of the grant hasn’t increased in almost a decade, so given inflation the support level is very small.

As one in four homes is set to be at risk of flooding by 2050, it’s vital Government gives more efficient support for flood victims and ensures new build homes have better adaptation measures in place.

There are rumours the flood defence budget could be cut in the Spending Review. I very much hope that defences will increase not decrease, as the impacts of global warming are rapidly increasing.

Flooding is catastrophic for homeowners, both from a financial and emotional viewpoint but flooding negatively affects the whole economy. As global warming increases we should be investing in flood-resilient communities and businesses.

To find out more about flooding support and property flood prevention tips visit One Home website.

Fact or fiction

China's emissions are finally falling despite its economy growing.

FACT.

For the first time on record, there was a drop in power sector carbon dioxide, driving a 1.6 per cent fall year-on-year overall.

The fall in power sector emissions came despite surging electricity demand growth with renewables such as wind and solar replacing coal power, which is the most polluting fossil fuel.

Looking beyond electricity, emissions have been falling in most sectors of China's economy over the past 12 months.