🌱 The Grumpy Optimists #40
I'm dreaming of a green christmas...but what does that actually mean?
Happy Monday 👋
Welcome back to another week. As we continue on the countdown to Christmas, we're giving you some tips on how to make this holiday season cheerful for your loved ones and for the planet. We'll give some helpful pointers on things you can make and do, as well as support at this merry time of year. If you haven't thought of renting a tree before, we explain what this means and how it keeps trees in the ground.
In our weekly news roundup we look at how tropical forests can regenerate themselves, why McDonald's need to beef up their sustainability targets and how Paid to Pollute have got their case against the UK government to high court.
Before we dig in we have a Christmas wish for you, share the Grumpy Optimists with someone you think would enjoy it!
👀 Articles to read
🌴 Tropical forests can regenerate in 20 years if left untouched. This is due to a natural process known as 'secondary succession' - where flora and fauna can help a new generation of forest grow. Natural regeneration also protects biodiversity and soil quality, meaning it's preferable to making lots of new tree plantations. Together the two offer real hope in the fight against climate change.
🌎 Climate change is an aggravating factor for terrorism. Armed groups are capitalising upon environmental degradation by seizing control of regional conflicts over land, water and food. Terrorist organisations use this influence to recruit men and women disillusioned by a lack of economic opportunity and access to essential resources. This shows how climate change can act as a threat multiplier for other global issues, such as peace and security.
👗 A comms guidebook for making sustainable fashion on-trend. Fashion has a huge climate impact and while some companies are driving sustainable fashion, the UN claim that fashion will only achieve their sustainability targets if they use marketing to make sustainable lifestyles desirable. Alec Leach claims that fashion is at risk of losing its social license just as smoking and fossil fuels have.
🍔 Why McDonald's sustainability initiatives need beefing up. The fast-food giant has announced promising plans to turn the famous golden arches green, but their sustainability pledges lack one key component: reducing the amount of beef it serves.
💭 Why does this matter? McDonald's and its suppliers slaughter over 7 million cattle every year to ensure its Happy Meals and Big Macs are filled with that delicious, processed, low-cost beef. The beef industry is extremely carbon intensive, responsible for up to a quarter of global CO2 emissions every year. In October the company announced a commitment to 'net zero' emissions by 2050, but until they reduce the volume of meat on their menus, it's difficult to see how these targets will be met.
✊ Environmental group Paid to Pollute successfully take UK government to court. Last week, the environmental campaign group got their case against the UK government into the high courts. Mikaela Loach, Jeremy Cox and Kairin van Sweeden ask the high court to rule that the government’s fossil fuel strategy is unlawful, in a case that could undermine the UK’s claim to be leading the fight against climate change. If they are successful and the court rules in their favour, the government could struggle to start any new fossil fuel projects - a win. Check out their Instagram page for more.
The caption on Mikaela Loach's Instagram post here is also worth a read. If you don't follow her you should!
🎄 Our sustainable Christmas tips
Our top tips for Christmas are here!
🎁 Make
How about having a go at making your own gifts rather than buying them? This can be anything from baked goods to chutneys and jams, or even have a go at crafting something - whip out the knitting needles and the paper maché and see what you can come up with (results may vary). Here are some ideas of food to make as a gift, and some crafting ideas.
👫 Do
Instead of giving a physical gift, how about an experience? Most of us have too much stuff and don't actually need any more, so doing something memorable with or for a loved one is a great way to celebrate. This can be a trip somewhere special, giving the gift of a course for a hobby they love or would like to try, or a meal out. Also, think about a membership to a museum or gallery. The possibilities are endless. The best part is that this can often be redeemed at any time in the year, and we all love having things to look forward to, to get us through those dark winter months.
💸 Give
Why not donate to someone's favourite charity or a cause that they really care about? Some organisations like WWF allow you to 'adopt an animal', and you often get an image of the adopted animal and some related goodies. Choose Love has an annual pop-up shop in London (in person and online) where you can shop for supplies to help refugees. This includes blankets, medical supplies, toys, and food. You can give a certificate of purchase as a gift, so the recipient doesn't receive anything physically but they are helping refugees worldwide.
Other things to think about:
♻️ Plastic
Christmas is a time when plastic is everywhere, from tree decorations to wrapping paper covered in glitter (which isn't recyclable) to presents themselves. This year, why not wrap gifts in brown wrapping paper or fabric? You could also make your own decorations out of paper or baked oranges.
🎄 Christmas Trees
Many of you will already have a Christmas tree, but if you don't, why not rent one? The idea is that you rent a tree, it gets delivered, you enjoy it and then in January it gets collected and replanted. Each year, 8 million Christmas trees are bought in the UK alone and most of these are thrown away! It takes around 10-12 years to grow a medium-sized tree, which is too many resources to just throw away. If you re-plant your Christmas tree, or have it chipped to spread on the garden, that will significantly reduce the carbon footprint by up to 80%. Why not give it a go? Or if you already have a tree, check out how to recycle it and then rent one for next year.
That’s all from us this week folks. Send us a mail with any cheeky requests, thoughts, or feedback at thegrumpyoptimists@gmail.com, we’d love to hear from you.
Have a great week,
The Grumpy Optimists 💚