🌱 The Grumpy Optimists Newsletter #12
Victory for climate law, a four-day work week to change the world and our top 5 Instagram pages to follow. 💚
Happy Tuesday folks 👋
We hope you all enjoyed a cracking bank holiday weekend in the sun! Finally, we have some weather to get excited about and it was great to see everyone out and about in their numbers after the year we've all had.
We've pulled together our weekly platter of good reads, and a little Instagram shoutout to improve your feed. Check it out, share it with a friend (pls) and let us know what you think.
George and Will 💚
Quick Reads
⛽ Shell ordered to reduce emissions in line with Paris Agreement. A hugely significant victory for the climate movement, and a major setback for Big Oil companies who are at the forefront of the fossil fuel economy. For the first time in history, a court has ordered a private company to reduce its emissions. Power to the courts!
🥵 Climate change means more heat-related deaths. As average global temperatures continue to rise, we are seeing an increase in heat-related health problems, hospital admissions, and deaths. Reason number 873 for us to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
👗 What is fashion as a service? We're increasingly seeing products as a service, think Spotify over CDs, Netflix over DVDs and hiring a car over owning one, but could fashion be the next business model to be service led? Hear from some brands on the future of sustainable fashion.
📅 Would having a four-day working week help tackle climate change? A report from the '4 Day Week' campaign suggests that working less could be one of the solutions to staying within our planetary boundaries. Reducing work hours could significantly boost our mental and physical health a well giving us more time to spend with friends and families. Saving the planet and an extra day off, a great proposition.
🏭 Trials to suck CO2 out of the air begin in the UK. Climate-heating carbon dioxide will be sucked from the air using trees, peat, rock chips, and charcoal in major new trials across the UK. Carbon removal is essential in halting the impact of climate change but with a lot of greenwashing around the subject, these trials will provide incredible value for the future.
🚰 California faces record droughts. The harrowing photo essay by the Guardian shows that even though covid has 'gone away' in the states, the threat of drought and future wildfires remains more than ever.
🌿 Shift to plant-based diets critical for climate change. Making small changes to the way we eat and produce food is a significant way to tackle climate change and reducing the risk of further pandemics. To better understand the links between agricultural farming, and the climate crisis, allow environmental activist, and all-around legend, Greta Thunberg, to explain.
Instagram accounts to brighten up your feed
Earthrise is a creative studio communicating climate. Their branding is unreal and their message is clear.
An environmental media + resource hub. Exploring the intersections of social + environmental justice. They share fantastic content that is a powerful educational tool.
Hubbub 🧡🌿
Hubbub provides creative campaigns and everyday inspiration for greener living. They have created cigarette ballot bins, work with big companies to create change on our streets and share inspiring stories.
A combination of memes, gathered content and one of our favourite features, good news Tuesday (a day late may we add) make this a great one-stop-shop for the best environmental content on the internet.
Earth Minutes is a collaborative of researchers and creatives that help communicate environmental research through video and workshops. They're making environmental learning accessible for all and they're run by a powerful founder, Emma Askew.
Enjoy the week and the weather folks!
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