Free Republic

We often hear about “bullet proof” vests. TV/movie good guys shot while wearing one immediately fall to the ground, breathless and momentarily incapacitated, even though the bullet did not penetrate the vest. Dramatic, but mostly nonsensical. There is no such thing as a “bullet proof” vest, merely vests designed to be bullet resistant, capable, depending on design, of stopping some, but not all, cartridges. The vests worn by these US troops, for example, are commonly rated to stop the usual rifle caliber cartridges of known enemies. However, they are heavy, hot and somewhat restrict movement. Graphic: Pfc. Ty Correll provides...

(NewsNation) — The fashion industry (companies that construct clothing or make the materials for clothing) accounts for up to 4% of global climate emissions and an unknown but large percentage of worldwide water pollution. “Natural” materials like cotton and leather have huge impacts on the environment and humans. Cotton relies on pesticides, and in many parts of the world it’s harvested by children and forced laborers. Animal leather means raising cattle in ways that often lead to deforestation, water pollution and increased carbon emissions.

Analysis of Rare Textiles From Honduras Ruins Suggests Mayans Produced Fine Fabrics An analysis of textile fragments excavated from a 5th century Mayan tomb in Honduras, some of the few surviving textiles from the Mayan civilization, revealed high quality fabrics produced by highly skilled spinners and weavers. Newswise — Very few textiles from the Mayan culture have survived, so the treasure trove of fabrics excavated from a tomb at the Copán ruins in Honduras since the 1990s has generated considerable excitement. Textiles conservator Margaret Ordoñez, a professor at the University of Rhode Island, spent a month at the site in...

According to this report, China is making inroads into India's domestic market. Imagine that: China can produce textile raw material and export it to India CHEAPER than India can do it on its own. The increase in imports to India from China is growing at a 33% a year rate. The reasons: 1. India has lower-scale operations. 2. India cannot fulfill large-scale orders. 3. India cannot produce specialized fabrics. Thus, India has to rely on imported fabrics. It appears that the quality of products produced in China and Taiwan is higher. These products have more uniform shades and fewer defects...