🌱 The Grumpy Optimists #37
This week we're highlighting the impact of Black Friday on the planet and how to turn your Black Friday Green. We also introduce our newest grumpy optimist, Mari!
Happy Monday all and welcome to another week! 👋
This week we're highlighting the impact of Black Friday on the planet and how to turn your Black Friday Green. There's also exciting news this week as we have a new member of the grumpy optimist to introduce you to, Mari!
We also look at whether the way we phrase climate matters and why focusing on optimistic solutions is crucial, highlight how Apple have made it possible to repair your mobile and how Madagascar is being impacted by climate change. Let's dig in.
👋 A new grumpy optimist?
Let’s introduce you to Mari, our newest member of the grumpy optimists.
What do you do for work? I work in Domestic Climate Change Adaptation Policy for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). This involves looking across environmental policies that the UK government is developing and implementing and trying to "climate-proof them" from current and future risks which are impacting our habitats, ecosystems and food production such as increased flooding, drought and the spread of invasive species. In a nutshell, trying to help adapt to climate change.
What's an interesting fact about you? Some small, random facts - I'm left handed, I have 4 extra wisdom teeth in my mouth than I should have (X-Rays of my teeth make me look like a shark) and my surname, de Soissons, comes from a place in France where they grow a special type of bean.
What makes you care so much about the environment? Growing up in the middle of an SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest - an area protected for conservation due to it boasting particularly important or threatened species) and being able to engage in nature as I grew up certainly helped. I remember being really affected by the movie Princess Mononoke which explores the "capitalism vs nature" narrative (if you haven't watched it, I can't recommend enough!). Watching nature documentaries also gave me a sense of how statistically near-to impossible it was for all the right chemical and biotic factors to come together to create the perfect conditions for such beautiful and abundant life that we find on this special planet. I sought out a degree to help me understand the interactions between climate, ecology and society further (whey, I'm another geographer!). That and, y'know, the environment gives us the air we breathe, the water we drink, everything we need to exist... no biggie.
Favourite things to do? I love being outside- I've recently gotten back into conservation volunteering (I super recommend The Conservation Volunteers for anyone looking to get stuck into helping nature and hanging out with critters and plants - they're nationwide). I'm a very keen cook (but appalling baker, no Hollywood handshakes for me), I like singing in choirs and am part of a book club.
👀 Articles to read
🗞️ Does the way we phrase climate matter? Not really. A new paper finds that the words used in climate-related news stories are less consequential than whether the story emphasises harm or solutions. Interestingly, framing climate change as an "emergency" reduced credibility and newsworthiness.
💭 Key takeaway? The way we communicate is key, but the framing of the subject matters more than words like climate emergency. This research emphasises that a narrative of positivity and climate action rather than impacts is crucial (it's also the reason we started the grumpy optimists!!)
💪 How can we stay optimistic in the climate fight post-COP26? Speaking of moving beyond words to climate actions, this series of top tips will help you to re-energise and reinvigorate your individual actions to tackle the climate crisis. Strong Monday-morning motivation.
📱 Apple to sell parts and tools for DIY repairs. The move by Apple is a boost for the right to repair movement, making it easier for individuals to fix products and prevent unnecessary waste. With 80% of Apple's emissions from the manufacturing phase, it's a crucial step for Apple and consumers.
🇲🇬 Madagascar at the crux of climate injustice. Over one million people in the impoverished African island state are being directly affected by climate-induced famine. The country’s environment minister claims innocent Madagascans are paying the price for decades of high-emitting, consumerist lifestyles in the Global North.
💭 Why is this important? Madagascar has produced virtually none of the greenhouse gases which have caused the world’s climate to change, yet it finds itself on the frontline of its effects. Developed countries have been promising to deliver the $100bn a year in climate finance to help countries such as Madagascar adapt since 2009. It’s estimated they’re only giving a tenth of what’s needed if countries to stand a chance of adapting to increasingly intense droughts and water shortages.
🎨 The Colour of the Climate Crisis. ‘Do the Green Thing’ are a socio-environmental collective harnessing the power of creativity to confront climate change and other prominent global issues. Their latest exhibition previewed at COP26 a few weeks ago, exploring the intersection between climate and racial injustices.
🛢️The forgotten oil ads that told us climate change was nothing. Our final piece of news is a trip down the archives as Geoffrey Supran and Naomi Oreskes look at how the fossil fuel industry uses ads and PR to convince us that climate change doesn't matter. From emphasising uncertainty to economic scaremongering to greenwashing, this is a great history lesson of how we allowed fossil fuels to f*ck the planet.
♻️ Make Black Friday Green
Black Friday – something we Brits didn’t really encounter until the 2010s, but which has been loosening American wallets for over 70 years – is coming up this Friday, 26th November. The term was originally used by the Philadelphian police force in the 1950s to describe the chaotic jamboree of tourists who would flood the streets to buy all they needed in preparation for a big football game held on that subsequent Saturday every year. The sheer volume of people, traffic and cases of shoplifting led to the day’s sombre appellation. Today, however, it is seen as a great way for the thrifty shopper to bag themselves a bargain, and companies can enjoy a spike in sales.
Given how dimmed down the Christmas festivities were during last year’s lockdown, we wouldn’t blame readers who are looking to make the most of this day of discounts to splash out to ensure the holiday season is as dazzling as it can be.
However, as you can imagine, this concentration of consumerism isn’t the best for our planet. Last year, Black Friday sales produced 439,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (equivalent to 435 return flights from London to New York). Sadly, these emissions can be all for nothing because 80% of Black Friday purchases are thrown away after only a couple of seasons, particularly electronic waste. Fast fashion is also another huge source of waste as we chase fast fashion trends.
It's not all doom and gloom!
Leading companies are beginning to recognise that taking environmental and social shortcuts won't always be the most profitable option in the face of increasing consumer eco-conscience. Here are some top tips to turn your Black Friday a little greener: 👇
Seek out companies carrying out "Anti-black Friday" initiatives: There are a number of companies and organisations trying to turn Black Friday upside down, and use it as an opportunity to do great things for people and the planet. Let's have a dig, shall we?
Turning sales into social sustainability: the surf shop and B-Corp, Finisterre, are turning Black Friday "Blue" (find out what a B-Corp is here). With every purchase, they are making a donation to the Foundation Wetsuit Project which adapts wetsuits to improve accessibility to the ocean for those who face barriers.
Black-out Friday: Flamingos' Life, which makes shoes from sustainable materials such as corn waste, will be shutting down their physical and online stores over Black Friday, and instead will be concentrating their energies and social media outlets towards raising awareness other great green initiatives.
Sharing the environmental load: Freitag turn waste materials, from truck tarpaulins to airbags, into long-lasting upcycled bags. They will be promoting their "Shopping Without Any Payment" or "SWAP" Programme, where you can "match" with other users (not unlike Tinder!) and swap bags, rather than buying new.
Seek out small independent businesses: Small businesses often suffer when there are big sales going on, as they can't necessarily afford to match these discounts. It's more important than ever to support these small businesses coming out of the pandemic as well. A lot of these smaller businesses are also making particularly large efforts to be as socially and environmentally sustainable as possible. For example, the artist JEMIMASARA has focussed her brand on themes such as mental health and body positivity, collaborates with local UK based producers and sources all the materials for her products from low-carbon, minimal impact producers.
How to find more small businesses
The #makefridaygreenagain is a movement with over 1,200 brands that don't participate in Black Friday.
Indie week is the sustainable alternative to Black Friday and allows you to search brands from this website.
Small business finder helps you find small, independent companies wherever you are in the UK.
Trouva also lists independent bricks-and-mortar boutiques and excludes online-only sellers. It’s Europe-wide, but you can limit your search to the UK, or find shops near you.
If you're ordering online, opt for click and collect: This study found that online shopping resulted in lower greenhouse gas emissions than traditional bricks-and-mortar shopping, but only when you walk to a collection point to pick up your parcel. Opting for home delivery will increase the impact of your purchase, especially if you choose next-day delivery.
Want to learn more? Check out people like Aja Barber, who has just written a book called 'Consumed' and she is definitely worth following on social media:
📹 Video to watch
Netflix's new film 'Don't Look Up' is being heralded as a climate movie we deserve. With an all-star cast, the film is about the discovery of a planet killer comet hurtling towards earth but many have suggested it's a climate film in disguise. The film aims to show ignorance, denial, greed and the suppresion of science. It launches on the 10th of December. We can't wait.
That’s all from us for now folks. Have a great week!
The Grumpy Optimists 💚