Yes, the water consumption and fertilizer use inherent in cotton are problems. But you casually nodded at the pesticide issue, which is a gross oversimplfication. Cotton uses far more pesticides than almost any other crop grown in the US- and internationally, it accounts for a very large share of all agricultural pesticide use.

The double whammy of water consumption and pesticide use is particularly obvious in places like central Asia. Remember the area formerly known as the Aral Sea? It is formerly the Aral Sea because of diversion of water for irrigation- the majority of that to produce cotton.

In western Uzbekistan, winds now stir up the dirt which used ot be sediment- and so the population inhales the pesticides adsorbed to the dust particles. In one province, more than a quarter of all pregnancies which make it to the second trimester end in spontaneous abortion- largely due to the pesticides in the food, water, and air. Not for nothing has a prominent activist in the region (a medical doctor) referred to the Uzbek goverment's policy of expanding cotton production as "genocide."

Similar stories are found in many areas of the world where cotton is the main crop. While the comparison between wool and cotton is indeed difficult, minimizing the damage cotton does to the environment and to human health is irresponsible..

that's right. the effects of water diversion and over use of pesticides can be devastating. people living around the aral sea suffer from high levels of respiratory problems and other diseases because of the environmental degradation. Government forced programs to plant cotton have impoverished the populations. And, lots of the cotton in central asia is harvested by children and pregnant or lactating women, who are directly exposed to high levels of the harsh chemicals.

Why not switch to hemp?