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I don't know, how much energy does making clothes in China consume? You're more than welcome to go find out and let us know...

dragontamer 11y ago
My post was less about the energy usage and more about the Sweatshop workers's working conditions. He seems concerned about highly-paid Energy Workers in the US who are required (by law) to have safe working conditions (or at least, safe as defined by the law. People still die on the job but at least we try to keep them safe). And then he turns around and brags about using cheap Chinese workers to sew him new clothes every week. Hypocrisy at its finest.
- david-given 11y ago
  So what are the relative safety rates of textile workers in China vs energy workers in the US? I would be genuinely interested to know.
  - fnordfnordfnord 11y ago
    Not sure about China, but in Bangladesh where most clothes are made, it is dire. Building collapses, fires, environmental pollution (leather processing), worker injuries. Really bad. Rana disaster 2013 http://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/death-traps-the-bangladesh-garment-factory-disaster http://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/death-traps-the-bang...
  - dragontamer 11y ago
    http://www.theguardian.com/business/2005/apr/14/ethicalbusiness.money http://www.theguardian.com/business/2005/apr/14/ethicalbusin... > Between 25% and 50% of the factories in the region restrict access to toilets and drinking water during the workday. > The same percentage deny workers at least one day off in seven. > In more than half of Nike's factories, the report said, employees worked more than 60 hours a week. In up to 25%, workers refusing to do overtime were punished. Gotta keep those margins. You aren't allowed water because that'd cost the company too much. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1285980/Revealed-Inside-Chinese-suicide-sweatshop-workers-toil-34-hour-shifts-make-iPod.html http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1285980/Revealed-Ins... > Steel wire meshes have been fitted to windows at Foxconn's factory to stop workers jumping after a rash of suicides believed to be due to harsh management practices ------------------- The worst issue is that Chinese media restricts free speech and labor unions, making it hard to gather statistics of any kind. In the US, we are required by law to report injuries and accidents on the job. China... not so. And since these injuries are embarrassing to state-owned companies, government censorship exists to cover-up these sorts of accidents a lot. Non-government organizations are subject to crackdowns of course. When a country doesn't have labor unions fighting for workers rights, these sorts of issues happen. >> “I work on the plastic molding machine from 6 in the morning to 6 at night,” said Xu Wenquan, a tiny, baby-faced 16-year-old whose hands were covered with blisters. Asked what had happened to his hands, he replied, the machines are “quite hot, so I’ve burned my hands.”

dragontamer 11y ago

My post was less about the energy usage and more about the Sweatshop workers's working conditions. He seems concerned about highly-paid Energy Workers in the US who are required (by law) to have safe working conditions (or at least, safe as defined by the law. People still die on the job but at least we try to keep them safe). And then he turns around and brags about using cheap Chinese workers to sew him new clothes every week. Hypocrisy at its finest.

david-given 11y ago
So what are the relative safety rates of textile workers in China vs energy workers in the US? I would be genuinely interested to know.
- fnordfnordfnord 11y ago
  Not sure about China, but in Bangladesh where most clothes are made, it is dire. Building collapses, fires, environmental pollution (leather processing), worker injuries. Really bad. Rana disaster 2013 http://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/death-traps-the-bangladesh-garment-factory-disaster http://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/death-traps-the-bang...
- dragontamer 11y ago
  http://www.theguardian.com/business/2005/apr/14/ethicalbusiness.money http://www.theguardian.com/business/2005/apr/14/ethicalbusin... > Between 25% and 50% of the factories in the region restrict access to toilets and drinking water during the workday. > The same percentage deny workers at least one day off in seven. > In more than half of Nike's factories, the report said, employees worked more than 60 hours a week. In up to 25%, workers refusing to do overtime were punished. Gotta keep those margins. You aren't allowed water because that'd cost the company too much. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1285980/Revealed-Inside-Chinese-suicide-sweatshop-workers-toil-34-hour-shifts-make-iPod.html http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1285980/Revealed-Ins... > Steel wire meshes have been fitted to windows at Foxconn's factory to stop workers jumping after a rash of suicides believed to be due to harsh management practices ------------------- The worst issue is that Chinese media restricts free speech and labor unions, making it hard to gather statistics of any kind. In the US, we are required by law to report injuries and accidents on the job. China... not so. And since these injuries are embarrassing to state-owned companies, government censorship exists to cover-up these sorts of accidents a lot. Non-government organizations are subject to crackdowns of course. When a country doesn't have labor unions fighting for workers rights, these sorts of issues happen. >> “I work on the plastic molding machine from 6 in the morning to 6 at night,” said Xu Wenquan, a tiny, baby-faced 16-year-old whose hands were covered with blisters. Asked what had happened to his hands, he replied, the machines are “quite hot, so I’ve burned my hands.”