A look into e-commerce during the global shut-down and it's adverse affects on our environment.
Amazon stock photo representing online shopping. Photo courtesy of Canva.com
Lab 6: Sidney Rayba
In this episode of Deep Dive, your host Sidney Rayba takes a look into e-commerce and shopping habits over the course of the COVID-19 global shut-down. Take a listen to learn the dramatic and staggering statistics surrounding e-commerce, and it's adverse affects on our environment. (to listen to episode 1: The True Cost, click here.)
E-commerce boomed over the March, 2020 global shut-down. With the entire population stuck at home, the nation turned to e-commerce for goods, services, and entertainment. E-commerce production skyrocketed, with websites like amazon providing shoppers with affordable and trendy items. These seemingly ‘harmless’ purchases, however, are pushing the world closer and closer to irreversible climate change levels.
Amidst the global covid-19 lockdown, people from everywhere turned to social media to provide entertainment and looked to online shopping for short-term fulfillment. According to digital commerce 360, e-commerce was growing fast before COVID-19 hit. But the pandemic pushed even more U.S. consumers online, contributing an additional $105 billion in U.S. online revenue in 2020 and accelerating e-commerce by two years. Online sales hit $791.70 billion in 2020, up 32.4% from the previous year.
In a survey of 23 Oakland university students, conducted by Sidney Rayba via google forums, 100% of respondents were aware of the term “E-commerce” as well as it’s capabilities. Out of the 10 websites listed, 100% of respondents shopped regularly online at Amazon, with Shein placing second at 47.8% and H&M placing third at 17.4%.
When asked about shopping habits, 57% of respondents claimed their shopping habits have significantly increased over the covid-19 lockdown.
Results from 23 Oakland University students. Amazon is the leader in e-commerce retail.
Amazon, the leader in E-commerce globally, stated In its annual sustainability report that its activities emitted the equivalent of 60.64 million metric tons of carbon dioxide in 2020. That’s up from 2019, when it reported 51.17 million metric tons, an increase of 15% year over year.
According to the UN Environment Programme, E-commerce is the second-biggest consumer of water and is responsible for 8-10% of global carbon emissions – more than all international flights and maritime shipping combined.
When asked how e-commerce affects the environment, Donald Newlin, an environmental science professor at Oakland University shares some insight on current trends,
“People have this idea that because they buy something online it does no harm. Having something show up to your doorstep with a click of a button is magic within itself”, Professor Newlin states, “What most don't realize, is that e-commerce is beginning to carry a large carbon footprint.” Newlin says that Amazon alone accounts for roughly 1% of the U.S. CO2 emissions each year.
“The worst part,” Dr. Newlin states, “[is that] the fashion industry itself is the second largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, the leader is the oil industry”.
The earth’s temperature has risen by .14 degrees F per decade since the 1980’s, according to Climate.gov. The amount of future warming the earth experiences depends on how much CO2 and greenhouse gasses are emitted in the coming decades. If fast fashion continues on its same trajectory, carbon emissions will rise to 26% by 2050 (GASP-pgh.org). This could lead to irreversible damage in the fight against climate change.
The next time someone thinks of purchasing something online, think of the true cost. The adverse effects fast fashion production has on our environment is not worth the two months one might keep the article of clothing for. Trends come and go, but the earth is our home. It is our responsibility to take care of it the best we can.
This post would go out on Instagram. With Instagram being a visual-heavy site, I would want to promote my podcast episode as well as post the link in my bio. I prefer to be more vague, as people do not tend to sit and look at a post for prolonged periods of time.
For this post, I would go more in-depth to appease my audience while also providing a link to my podcast episode. Giving background information before the link allows the reader to understand what they are getting themselves into before they do. Then, they can chose to listen based on the information provided.
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