C
enturies ago, when the European kingdoms began to rule the world, differences developed
between the so-called West and East. It was well-known that the West enriched itself at the expense
of the East. This fact even was strengthened beginning with the Industrial Revolution 200 years
ago. Westerners enjoyed the fruits of the East including spices, natural resources, precious stones
and oil. It was commonplace for economic upswings in the West to be carried out with the resources
of the Middle and Far East.
Energy and mineral resources were not adopted consciously, but were unscrupulously wasted.
On the one hand, a first trend reversal was carried out in Europe when political groups like
the “Greens” established themselves.
Environmental protection and not the worry over resources was the primary concern. These
political groups were considered obstructers of economic growth. The concern regarding economic
growth proved to be without reason; however, that growth did not occur in the way the West had
imagined it would.
On the other hand, emerging countries of the Far East started more and more to intrude on
international markets. This trend began in the 1960s, when first Hong Kong with textiles and then
Japan with cars prepared to challenge the established world markets with their products.
The situation changed dramatically when mainland China, and in the last few years also India
and other Asian countries, reclaimed their share of the world market for all kinds of products. The
energy requirement, and thus also the prices for this energy, increased to dizzying heights. Now
suddenly the world, and not only a couple of nongovernmental organizations, had a raw material and
waste problem.
Today, energy savings and a gentle deployment of resources are no longer a political issue,
but the only way to survive economically. The textile machinery industry also has to change its
perspective. At the successful ITMA 2007 in Munich, Germany, many textile machinery manufacturers
showed their latest machines and equipment, operating with less energy and fewer natural resources
such as water, while maintaining ‹ and even improving – quality.
The
Textile Industries Media Group
¹s textile magazines are devoting themselves to the topic of green. In 2008, various articles
will be published under the label “Energy Plus,” addressing the issue of economy and ecology.
November/December 2007