Conventional cotton

Futons are often much cheaper than organic mattresses and box springs. If you decide to get one, try to find a frame made from untreated, certified wood. They re often sold with untreated, organic cotton or wool mattresses, which might require a doctor s prescription. Some natural (nonorganic) futon mattresses are made from green cotton (which is environmentally friendly conventional cotton, harvested without the use of chemicals) and contain nontoxic borate powder as their flame retardant. This is obviously preferable to PBDE. Top-of-the-line organic crib mattresses are less expensive than adult ones. Expect to spend between 250 and 600. 

While the global organic fibre market is now worth around US 800 million , conventional cotton farmers across the world continue to use some US 2 billion of chemicals per year, within which at least US 819 million are classified as hazardous , and cause substantial damage to the well-being of developing world communities and their environment. 

Pesddde Action Network North America, Problems with Conventional Cotton Produedon, http //wwwpanna.oig/resources/documents/convendonalCotton.dvhtnil... 

Cotton farmers in the Southeast U.S. who were surveyed the by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 1997 applied most insecticides less frequently on Bt cotton than on conventional cotton. No less or more fiequently did these farmers apply organophosphate and pyrethroid insecticides to Bt cotton. In addition, adoption of Bt cotton correlated with yield increases, i.e. for each 10 % of adoption, yields increased 2.1% [9]. 

In a farm-level survey of 360 farms in the Southeast U.S. in 1996, the impact of Bt cotton adoption on number of insecticide sprays was studied. The direction in itdiich the number of insecticide sprays changed depended on the selection and backgroimd-correction of data employed for calculation. A decrease and an increase in the number of insecticide sprays were found if the comparisons of Bt cotton versus conventional cotton were within-farm (both Bt and conventional cotton on the same farm) and between all acres (also on different farms), respectively [4]. 

Conventional cotton farming is responsible for 25% of the world s total pesticide use. 

Pestidde Action Netwoik North America, ProUems wtith Conventional Cotton Production, http / /www.paiina.oig/resources/doaiments/conventionalCotton.dvhtml... 

The textile and apparel industry has been causing a number of different environmental problems like polluted air, land and water through the release of both toxic and hazardous waste. Moreover, a large amount of water, energy and other valuable resources are consumed during the production process. For conventional cotton cultivation, about 18 g pesticides are used per kg of cotton. A study showed that 1 kg of polyester fibres consume around 97.4 MJ of energy and 17.2 kg of water with 2.31 kg of CO2, 18.2 g of carbon monoxide, 39.5 g of CH emissions to air and... 

For 1 kg of production, organic cotton needed 53.6 MJ and conventional cotton needed 59.8 MJ, whereas polyester required 97.4 MJ of energy. In the case of water consumption, the results were reversed and supported polyester as the best choice. 

Per kilogram of organic cotton demanded 24,000 kg of water and in case of conventional cotton it was 22,200 kg, where polyester demanded only 17.2 kg (Kalliala and Nousiainen, 1999). 

A mandatory European Standard is being developed to establish basic requirements and test methods for disposable and reusable materials used for surgical gowns and drapes. Once this standard has been adopted, the continued use of cotton textiles and conventional cotton-polyester mixed textiles wiU become questionable. 

Introduced in 1994, the Tannenbaum stent was designed to overcome some of the limitations of the polyethylene stent Four flaps positioned at each end of the stent and the notable absence of sideholes characterize this Teflon stent (Trotteur et al. 2000) (Fig. 1.9). Several randomized trials have compared the Tarmenbaum stent to conventional Cotton-Leung stents. No significant difference in duration of patency or survival was found (Seitz et la. 1994 Terruzzi et... 

Most of the so-called eco-lfiendly dyeing or low impact dyeing available on organic as well as conventional cotton is still being dyed using huge amoimt of chemicals and dyes but in permissible limits. Thus they may be of low impact but certainly not no impact. 

Wang, C.Y. and J.Y. Xia. 1997. Differences of population dynamics of boll-worms and of population dynamics of major natural enemies between Bt transgenic cotton and conventional cotton. China Cotton 24 13-15. 

Whitehouse, M.E.A., L.J. Wilson, and G.P. Fitt. 2005. A Comparison of Arthropod Communities in Transgenic Bt and Conventional Cotton in Australia. Environ. Entomol. 34 1224-1241. 

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