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I am running the East London Half on April 14th for EJF, The Environmental Justice Foundation. EJF specialise in many different campaigns, from climate change to wildlife rescue all of which are equally in need of our help. One of EJF's campaigns which has particularly inspired me to get involved and raise awareness is the  "Pick Your Cotton Carefully Campaign". Over two thirds of the world’s cotton is grown in developing countries and the former Soviet Union. Valued at over $32 billion every year, global cotton production should be improving lives. But this "white gold" too often brings misery. EJF is committed to eradicating child labour and the deadliest pesticides from cotton production and promoting organic alternatives.

This cause was brought to my attention by a book I read by Lucy Seigle, "Is Fashion wearing out the world". The book highlights numerous 'big fashion faults" and has opened my eyes to the story behind the high-street wardrobe. When I read the Chapter titled "An Education... In cotton picking" I couldn't quite believe the destructive stories I was reading, not only the way that manufacturing cotton is efficiently destroying the earth, water and air, but its effect on the lives of the cotton farmers, cotton pickers and the individuals forced to work on these fields. "Evidence collected by The EJF working with a secret network of Uzbek people and journalists, suggests that in 2009 between one and two million children were forced to work on the fields." Alongside this issue that the cotton industry is socially unjust, Cotton is also shown to have a greater environmental impact than synthetic materials such as nylon and polyester. It transpired that the average cotton tee-shirt required five hundred litres of water and 40 grams of pesticides to make, plus carcinogenic chemicals used in the finishing process. This is a cause that desperately needs our recognition and our help, to read more please visit the EJF website and I hope you will sponsor me to raise money for this worthy cause. 

I will update this page weekly with photos, videos and more information on the cause at hand, so please dig deep and donate!

Thank you xx