We’ve come to the end of the semester! In this final post, I’d like to take some time to reflect on what I’ve learnt from the blog posts I’ve put out over the past 10+ weeks.
For a sport that is closely linked to the environment and is typically perceived to have minimal impact on nature, rock climbing (in all its forms) does generate hidden contributions to environmental pollution. The absence of outdoor rock climbing spaces in Singapore does preclude us from contributing to direct environmental damage in natural areas (e.g. noise pollution, contamination of the natural environment with chalk and litter). However, the bulk of the environmental pollution is caused by unsustainable practices along supply chains, in which we are complicit. The production of climbing gear generates negative environmental and social impacts due to the sourcing of natural resources and processing activities at the factory level. As consumers of rock climbing gear, we can do our part to minimise our pollutive impacts by conducting research into brands we purchase from and showing companies that there is a demand for more responsible gear. We need to be more critical of the environmental statements published by rock climbing brands and hold them accountable to their sustainability claims.
I’ve definitely taken away a lot and from the research and writing processes from each of the blog posts and have learnt to become more conscious of my environmental footprint in this sport. Making environmentally conscious choices is not always easy, especially since we’re naturally inclined to take the path of least resistance, but I hope to do my best and be more intentional with my gear purchases in the future. Thanks for coming along with me on this learning journey and I hope you’ve enjoyed reading these posts!
-Nicole
