Note: This letter from the editor was originally published in our weekly newsletter and is being republished here.
Hey guys,
First off, thanks so much to those of you who follow on social media and have entered our latest SOL Organics bedding giveaway. There’s only one day left until it closes so if you’d like to enter, click here.
Now I’ve been a bit quiet on the newsletter front as life takes over; it gets this way sometimes when my fiance Ben takes on a new contract that has him living and working away from home and I’m left to keep the household and property in order. Here on our farm, there’s always something that demands your time and energy, the chickens or plants, the worms or sourcing a building material or piece of equipment second-hand; and with EWP there’s always a sense of urgency with an advertiser, or an event or a campaign.
Since my last letter, I’ve been to Sydney for the release of the latest food waste report and was disappointed to learn that Australia is wasting more food than ever. I know the time, energy and resources used to grow food since I grow so much myself– and it is frustrating to know that food is being wasted; particularly as I reflect on the 850 million people around the world that go hungry.
Anyway, while I was there in Sydney, a friend and I went for a brisk walk around the park to get some exercise in and thanks to the bushfires, I was left coughing and having breathing problems. Of course, it’s gotten worse since then; Sydney’s air pollution levels would grow to 11x greater than what is considered ‘hazardous’ prompting a climate emergency rally, (To all who turned out to demand action from our absent PM Scomo who we’ve renamed “Smoko”, I salute you.)
When I returned to my home state, I went straight into prepping for my MC role for Peppermint Magazine’s wonderful PepTalks series. I never know how good a job I do when I’m on the public stage, so I have to rely on feedback from those that are there. I received positive feedback, which is always a good sign, and some people even thought my personal story was ‘inspiring’. I rarely share my story these days since mine has been a decade-long journey so it’s nice to know people think so.
Then I returned home and my cold returned (the one I caught when I travelled to Melbourne the month before) and I’m almost recovered. I only get sick when I travel, a sign that when my sustainable lifestyle routine is thrown out, my health suffers. It’s one of the reasons I am particularly choosy about work travel; it has to be worth my while as the opportunity cost for me being away from the farm and my peaceful surroundings is quite high.
Now as I sit typing this– CNN playing in the background, Boris Johnson on track to be UK Prime Minister, clear that UK leftists didn’t learn anything from Australia’s election and ignored the ‘working’ class – I know a big 2020 is in store. As Christmas draws near, one of my wishes is for people to think less about spending their hard-earned money on gifts that are useless and meaningless, and give a climate action gift by making the switch to ethical finance.
So many people are protesting for the government to TAKE ACTION and DO SOMETHING about climate change, and yet time and again, people in some of the biggest democracies in the world are voting in parties that have minimal commitments to climate action; which means that we conscious individuals, through our super/retirement fund and investments, must ensure we are investing in renewables. If governments are slow to take climate action, we must accelerate the pace of it through the private sector; and that means with our money.
As Gandhi said, we have to be the change we wish to see in the world, so if you’ve been climate marching and seeking governments to divest from coal and invest in renewables, but you haven’t made the ethical finance switch yourself, now is the time to do so. You can learn more about making your money align with your green values here.
Anyway, here’s what I’m reading, watching and listening to:
Podcast Shows / Films:
The challenges of social justice campaigning, Big Ideas
Naomi Klein on Climate Change, Extinction Rebellion and the case for a Green New Deal, Intelligence Squared
Books:
The Great Disruption: How the Climate Crisis Will Change Everything by Paul Gilding
Articles /Posts:
The economic cost of bushfires on Sydney revealed: up to $50 million a day and rising, The Sydney Morning Herald
Morrison responds to fears over bushfires but rejects censure of climate policy, The Guardian
Women Speaking And Leading Loudly On Climate Change– COP25 & Greta, Forbes
A new plant-based meat company has launched in Australia, backed by Atlassian’s co-founder Mike-Cannon Brookes, Business Insider
And that’s all from me for this week (as I try not to suffer from heat stroke and step up my rain dancing as our dams are running pretty low and drought is ravaging much of the state).
Peace, love and all that jazz,
Jen xx
[Never miss a letter. Sign up here.]
- Collective Action: The Environment Needs More Than Just You (or Me)
- 30 Things You Can Do If You’re Feeling Helpless About Climate Change
- How To Be A Political, Social Equality and Environmental Activist In Your Own Way
- Female Power: Why Gender Equality in Business is Essential for a Sustainable Future
- How to Have Better Arguments About the Environment (or Anything Else)
- Greta Thunberg, The 15-Year-Old ‘Radical’ Climate Activist Demanding Systemic Change
- New Report from Change.org Reveals Best Practices for Social Activists
Feature image courtesy of Ashleigh Stallard @shift_style.
