Diversity, inclusion, equality, equity, justice.

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I’m incredibly reluctant to add another white woman’s voice to this space, or link to accounts everyone should have been aware of before now. This is long term work, allies don’t get to walk away from it, in fact it will not be fully completed in our lifetime (though I live in active hope). If you are new to this work, pace yourself accordingly. Do not mistake diversity for inclusion, the photos of products may show beautiful black faces but what about the boardroom photos? Equality does not equal equity, and is even less equal to justice. Meritocracy is a dangerous lie right now but could be the seed of a joyful future. Racial justice is climate justice and climate justice is racial justice. As an industry with a huge whiteness issue, everyone needs to understand that no amount of vegan/zero waste influencing could ever come close to the knowledge and experience of indigenous peoples. I will continue to amplify and confront and learn and unlearn, not because I think it makes me ‘good’ or to gain praise but because it is right. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.

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You ARE Nature.

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Humans are a part of nature. Seeing so many posts about how the pandemic is good for nature, YOU ARE NATURE YOU IDIOT. One of the reasons we’re in this mess is thinking we’re somehow above or apart from everything else on this earth. Linking global shutdown in the face of a pandemic to what we need to do to prevent climate chaos isn’t particularly helpful. By all means share the clean, clear waters of Venice, the breathable air in China (which some experts reckon has saved 50,000 lives usually lost to pollution related respiratory issues) and spread the love for spending more time in nature. BUT don’t equate this time of worry, stress and anxiety, drastic life changes and death with what the climate crisis requires. That’s what we’re trying to avoid for millions of people by addressing emissions now. We don’t have to stop living our lives to fix a broken planet, we’ll still enjoy the best things (which as Luther Vandross and Janet Jackson told us are free anyway) in fact systems change is going to require face to face, hand shaking, high fiving, community gathering, people holding spaces. There will be beers. So go outside and get your hands dirty (you’ll be washing them anyway) and appreciate the quiet and the clean air, but don’t post about how this is ‘nature’s way’ of redressing the balance because, once again and louder for those at the back, WE ARE NATURE.

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The Only Way is Ethics.

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How we start conversations is important. I NEVER comment on other people’s choices when it comes to travel, food, clothing or packaging. If people’s first reaction is defensiveness that’s because they feel attacked. This is also about punching up not punching down, we’re not in the situation we’re in because Susan likes bacon or Nicky wanted a new dress. It’s a market failure not a moral failure. I’m not preaching or doing this because it’s ‘worthy’ or gives me the moral high ground, I’m just as messy and complicated as any other human being, I don’t have all the answers. So I’m not here to judge anyone’s individual choices influenced by their economic position, their faith, their disabilities, their culture, their gender or anything else. I’m not the eco/social police, I don’t care if you drive a diesel, forget to recycle or bought something to make yourself feel better. In the words of the inimitable Mary Heglar ‘stop obsessing over your environmental sins…all I need you to do is want a livable future’. And that is really what it boils down to. No shame here, just support and acknowledgement. However if you’re a business or organisation and you aren’t taking your environmental and social impact into account, prepare for the full wrath of my ‘insultancy’, which consists of a careful audit, helpful recommendations and accountability and support. Image is from the latest edition @thewindow_magazine

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Over the threshold and into regenerative thinking

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Limen means ‘threshold’ in Latin. Anything labelled liminal is describing a state of transition, an in between space where the old isn’t quite forgotten and the new isn’t fully formed. In anthropology liminality describes a rite of passage, in psychology the liminal is the space between what was and what’s next. The Liminality describes the need to move away from practices that harm planet and people and step into systems that are people and planet positive. We’re on threshold of huge environmental and social upheaval, the consequences of stepping through the doorway without a complete understanding of sustainable and regenerative systems will be grave. Imagine a better future and then work towards it, The Liminality can get you in the door. 'Another world is not only possible, she is on her way. On a quiet day, I can hear her breathing.' Arundhati Roy.

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The environment is inextricable from the social

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Pollution and climate change overwhelmingly affect women and people of colour globally. Those who have contributed least to the problems are the most affected. Indigenous people are the most likely environmental defenders to be killed. Impoverished communities most likely to include people of colour because of structural inequality are most likely to be affected by toxic air pollution in cities. Women are most likely to die in environmental disasters made worse by climate change because they are at home in caring roles and are unable to receive warnings or leave if they do receive them. Environmental damage amplifies existing systemic issues like racism, sexism and human rights abuse, and tackling one means tackling them all. The sustainability movement is overwhelmingly white and middle class in the UK, it is vital that anyone working in the space is cognisant of this and examines why diversity is lacking. Unconscious bias training is essential but it should also be questioned at every level why people have to fight for their lives before they can fight for the planet. Your business may have started to address environmental issues but the next step is often realising that these are inextricable from social impacts too.

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Recycling is not enough

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RECYCLING IS NOT ENOUGH. It’s sunk in that we can’t landfill or incinerate our way out of the waste crisis. There is no ‘away’ where we can throw things. Unfortunately lots of businesses seem to think that recycling alone is the answer. Recycling is great for glass, metal, paper (when powered by renewable energy) as part of a closed loop, regenerative system. Plastics are a different kettle of fish (and those fish are full of micro plastics). Only certain plastics can be recycled and only once or twice at best, meaning the material is downgraded each time. It requires fossil fuels to make and energy to recycle and there’s no regenerative opportunity. Everything we make must go back to the earth as poison or food. There are huge technological advances being made in breaking down plastics with bacteria, creating bio-plastics and recovering plastic from the environment. However there’s a reason that REDUCE REUSE RECYCLE is in that order and the best technological solutions won’t be able to deal with the amount of useless plastic currently being pumped into the system. Plastic isn’t bad, it’s the pinnacle of human ingenuity, giving us fridges, phones and incubators. But the way we use it for pointless throwaway items is the pinnacle of human stupidity. What’s your business doing to disrupt the system? Relying on recycling alone is just business as usual.

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The Value of Values