climate crisis

Climate and environmental activism isn’t new but its most certainly becoming a more common title that people are willing to label themselves as. The climate and ecological emergency is something that threatens all life on earth, so, it’s no surprise that over 7 million people have taken to striking and that over 31,000 people have expressed their interest in participating in Extinction Rebellion UK’s upcoming actions…

However, I recently asked my Instagram followers what stops them from participating in direct climate activism (like the recent Global Climate Strike) and the responses made it incredibly clear why we need to be listening to the masses in order to make movements more accessible for all.

Answers included mental health; physical disabilities; chronic pain; lack of time due to lifestyle and education; anxiety and panic disorders; caring for children and even living in countries which don’t allow for freedom of speech – there are a myriad of reasons why many people can’t take to physical forms of activism (such as a swarming, blocking roads and taking part in strikes and marches).

It wouldn’t be right for me to offer solutions to these very specific and individual cases which often don’t have quick fixes, however, I do believe I can help break down the idea that direct climate activism (or any direct activism, really) can only be supported in those sometimes physically draining and emotionally-tolling activities.

Climate activism (by the likes of Extinction Rebellion – which the majority of my direct activism experience comes from) involves so many roles behind-the-scenes that can be just as vital as those willing to break laws or put themselves up for arrest. Using my own personal experience, I’ve created this basic list which covers some of the ways that I have indirectly supported climate activists and how you can, too…

~ ARRESTEE SUPPORT ~

I have attended court hearings and final verdict hearings in support of local rebels after they have been arrested on actions. This has involved attending court from a few hours to a full day, listening to the proceedings and providing emotional and physical support when needed. For example; giving hugs, doing coffee runs or making sure that people are in the right place at the right time.

How to do it?

Connect with your local activist groups or have an Ecosia (web browser) search for upcoming court dates related to recent actions. Even if you don’t know the individuals, court cases are open to public viewing which means you can come and show that they have people on their side. If you’re part of Extinction Rebellion, you can also put yourself up for an official Arrestee Support role in your local group.

~ ART & DESIGN ~

I’ve created graphics and flyer designs for local actions, in order to support the promotion of actions (even if I haven’t been part of them in a direct way). For example, I created the map used during Extinction Rebellion Bristol’s Summer Uprising, which displayed things like accessible toilets, the kitchen and camping site. I’ve also painted and designed banners for ‘swarming’ (blocking roads) which have been used on actions and become part of my local group’s identity – using upcycled materials, of course.

How to do it?

If you have the tools – you are free to create whatever you think can aid a movement. For Extinction Rebellion, there is a full guide to the ART that is used across the Rebellion; it’s important to stick to the guides as it keeps things as impactful as possible.

~ SOCIAL MEDIA ~

On a similar vein, a lot of the work I do is on social media. I’ve designed the official GIF stickers for Extinction Rebellion; once again, designed graphics for my local groups and upcoming events and have promoted actions in order to reach wider audiences who might be interested in supporting the movement and telling the truth about the climate emergency.

How to do it?

Anyone can support climate activism by using social media. Share tweets from activists (making sure to include minorities or groups who don’t always get the spotlight) or promote upcoming actions. Follow activist groups in your area, even if you’re unable to support in person. With activist groups, typically, this kind of role can be shared so that no one person is solely relied upon, meaning this is a really great role if you have limited time on your hands but you still want to play your part.

~ OUTREACH ~

Supporting direct-action doesn’t always mean taking to the streets or participating in a march or strike; it can also mean doing outreach to find those who are willing to take to the streets, by spending a weekend or a few hours doing things such as leafleting or stall-running. Locally, I’ve worked on stalls which have combined leafleting and activities such as fabric printing (because who doesn’t want activist slogans all over their clothes?). If you’re able to bake – vegan treats like flapjacks and cookies go down a treat and are a great way of raising donations.

How to do it?

Once again, it’s important to connect with a local activist group to see how and when they need your help. If you want to help out with something as simple as baking then it may just be a case of knowing the dates for upcoming events and having a place to drop them off.

~ WELLBEING ~

Speaking of flapjacks… I’ve baked a whole load for actions because activists need food to keep them going! My vegan flapjack recipe (well, this vegan flapjack recipe) is now infamous to my local XR group and works as a great energy boost and stomach filler. If any restaurant owners or chefs are reading – sometimes restaurants even provide free meals for hundreds of people on site (like this incredible vegan curry pictured above). Wellbeing isn’t just providing food though; it can mean emotional support and offering a shoulder to cry on or it can mean donating woolly hats or sunglasses for actions (depending on the season, of course).

How to do it?

Once again, get in touch with your local activist group to see what they’re in need of. If you can’t (or don’t want to) offer emotional support then ask what physical items they’re in need of. Have some spare yoga mats lying about or some reusable water bottles that you’ve collected too many of? Activists taking part in non-violent direction action can always do with things like these.

For the upcoming International Rebellion in London (starting 7th October 2019), October Sustenance are looking for support both in the kitchen and in receiving donations.

~ FINANCES ~

I’ve given to legal crowdfunds for activists who have been arrested in my area and I’ve helped raise donations by manning those outreach stalls and baking those all-important vegan flapjacks. Donations are highly appreciated, especially for legal matters because stepping up to fight for climate justice shouldn’t cost as much as it does for those who are able to put themselves into an arrestable position.

How to do it?

Donate to an environmental organisation or a local activist group nearby to you or find a relevant crowdfund which is in need of support. Crowdjustice is a great place to start.

Have more questions about how you can support climate activism? Ask away in the comments!

This is my third piece dedicated to focusing on the UK Parliament’s inquiry into the sustainability of the fashion industry. This piece focuses on how the Government has responded to the final report, put forward in February 2019. You can read my initial piece and interview with Mary Creagh MP here, and the second follow-up, here.

The Government’s response to the Fixing Fashion report can be read in full, here.

On May 1st 2019, UK Parliament approved a motion to declare a climate emergency. Now, not long after, we have a response from the Government when it comes to the fashion industry’s crucial role in it. This response clarifies the Government’s position on different key recommendations from the Environmental Audit Committee, including those of which I covered in my most recent post covering the inquiry.

In line with my opinions in that post, I’m going to run through each response from the Government and explain what is actually being done to make the fashion industry more sustainable in the UK.

However, it’s important to note (not only with fashion-based climate-related issues), that in the UK, we export a huge amount of our manufacturing overseas. This means that our contribution to pollution, carbon emissions and social issues can often look like they are reduced (or are reducing) due to the fact that statistics and numbers, often refer to those contributions made solely in the UK, rather than what we contribute to elsewhere, globally.

Protest in support of the Bangladesh Accord, January 2019

Made in the UK should mean workers are being paid fairly…
Work in progress.

In response to evidence suggesting that garment workers based in the UK directly are not receiving the National Minimum Wage, the Government states that with increased budgets, more is being done to ensure the minimum wage is being enforced, and that it’s recommended that textile retailers sign up to the likes of the Global Framework Agreement.

The Global Framework Agreement is in place to protect the interests of workers across multinational companies, ensuring the best standards of ‘trade union rights, health, safety and environmental practices, and quality of work principles across a company’s global operations’.

Retailers failing to report and comply with the Modern Slavery Act should be faced with a penalty…
No recommendations adopted.

In the response, it’s said that the Transparency in Supply Chains (TISC) provision in the Modern Slavery Act has led to thousands of businesses publishing statements in regards to how they are addressing slavery in their global supply chains.

The Government “agrees that greater transparency is essential to tackle modern slavery” and that they are “committed to improving business compliance with the Act”, however, this recommendation will not be adopted. 

The Government should ban incinerating or landfilling unsold stock that can be reused or recycled…
Recommendation rejected.

Although the Government agrees that recycling and reusing unsold stock should be prioritised, it doesn’t believe that placing a ban on incineration or landfill is the way to move forward, despite the financial and environmental impacts and the imbalanced proportion of energy produced when unsold stock is incinerated.

In my own personal opinion, I am unsure as to why this has been rejected and isn’t being explored further. The Government say they want to focus on ‘positive approaches’ yet I see nothing negative in this recommended ban.

GIF originally featured in a post about embroidery for #MAKESMTHNG Week

Lessons on designing, creating, mending and repairing clothes should be taught in schools…
There is scope.

This section of the Government’s response focuses on the current curriculum and how there is already room for these topics to be approached within schools, whether it be in Key Stage 3 (age 11-14) geography that “covers how human and physical processes interact to influence and change landscapes, environments and the climate” or whether it be in the design and technology curriculum.

An Extended Producer Responsibility scheme for companies that take positive action to reduce waste, should be introduced…
Not accepted.

Under the Resources and Waste Strategy, which aims to set out how we preserve natural resources by reducing waste and moving towards a more circular economy, a commitment has been made to review and consult on “measures such as EPR [Extended Producer Responsibility] and product standards for five new waste streams by 2025, with two these to be completed by 2022″.

With the UK announcing a commitment to reducing emissions to net-zero by 2050, it’s concerning to me that approaching the issue of waste and overproduction could take us into 2025, with what seems to be little urgency.

The Government should reduce VAT on repair services…
Not accepted.

Although in other responses it’s been suggested that the focus should be on reuse and recycling, when it comes to repairs, reducing VAT on repair services is unlikely to happen, due to the fact that VAT funds the Government’s spending on priorities such as education, health and defence. The Government claims that not enough evidence has been found that supports Sweden being used as a prime example in the original inquiry.

Extinction Rebellion at Oxford Circus, London, in April 2019.

Other thoughts…

Some of the language used and statements made within the response were in some ways, rather contradictory. Although the Government “recognise how crucial it is for the environmental and social impacts [of the fashion industry] to be well managed, particularly in this era of fast fashion”, in the next breath, it also suggests that “the industry has the primary role to play in achieving change, helped by consumer behaviour”, almost entirely ignoring the fact that fast-fashion is a double-edged sword when it comes to consumption.

Yes, the industry thrives off our demand for more and how we vote with our money but that demand is only maintained by the fast-fashion industry’s role in the normalisation of over-consumption. Within the inquiry, fast-fashion brands openly disclosed the selling of ‘loss leaders’ (products which are sold simply for the sake of driving site traffic and which are produced at a loss for the company). Just look at one controversial example in recent times, with Missguided selling a £1 bikini made from synthetic materials.

This addictive nature to fast-fashion will only ever be strictly controlled if regulations (or penalties) are in place to slow down that consumer demand that we’ve become so accustomed to.

Along this same vein of brand responsibility, the Government praises retailers for “offering in-store take-back and resale clothing collection services”, despite the fact that many of these in-store take-back services are often incentivised with vouchers that once again, keep consumers in a loop of consumption.

I don’t want to have to point it out but there seems to be one common theme here – money. 

The only positive that I can find related to consumer behaviour, is the suggestion of a ‘domestic ecolabel scheme’ that the Government seeks to develop, enabling consumers to be provided with better information when shopping.

In summation, I am disappointed in the Government’s response to the inquiry as I do not believe it aligns itself to the targets which we need to be reaching in order to face the climate crisis head-on or the weight of responsibility that is on us as a country when it comes to fashion as a global industry, whether that be environmentally or socially.

What do you think of the Government’s response (or lack of)? Let me know in the comments…