Waterfront 296

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APRIL 2021

ISSUE 296

Contents

April 2021 News

• Biden’s Vaccine Policy • World Earth Day 2021

Features • Senedd Election Voting Guide • Students’ Union Election Results • SU Environtment PTO

Advice • • • •

Making Women Feel Safer in Swansea Swanline Dating App Ways To Be More Sustainable 5 Things To Add To Your Morning Routine For A Productive Day

Music

• The Environmental Impacts of Music Touring • Mental Health Benefits of Playing Musical Instruments • The Local Scene - April • Festivals of 2021

Wellbeing • The Anticipation of Leaving Lockdown • The social media conversation on safety/harrassment • Restoring our Earth can help to Restore our Mental Health

Science and Research

Liberation

• The World Without Us • The Lunar Ark

• A Watershed Moment for Women’s Safety • Fat people aren’t brave for wearing a bikini

Fashion • Sustainable Fabrics

Societies • Dance Society - Society of the Month • Every Day Should Be Earth Day • Earth Hour 2021/Tips on Living Sustainably for Students

Creative Writing • See if you Can • Earth Day Haikus • Shadow

Literature • Book Review: Lives of Girls and Women

by Alice Munro

Art and Design • Art, Lockdown, and Me

Our Editorial Team

Editor-in-Chief Bethan Bates waterfronteditor @swanseastudentmedia.com

Societies Rachel Hart waterfrontsocieties @swanseastudentmedia.com

Deputy Editor Alex Baker waterfrontdeputyeditor@swanseastudentmedia. com

Fashion Rhianydd Sword waterfrontfashion @swanseastudentmedia.com

Proofreading Sam Binnie and Franziska Trumpp

Sports Efan Willis waterfrontsport@swanseastudentmedia.com

News and Current Affairs Jordan Onslow waterfrontnews@swanseastudentmedia.com Science and Research Sophie Sadler waterfrontscience@swanseastudentmedia.com Travel Jade Hughes waterfronttravel@swanseastudentmedia.com Literature and Creative Writing Ashish Dwivedi waterfrontliterature@swanseastudentmedia.com Film Mikee Dean waterfrontfilm@swanseastudentmedia.com Advice Bethan Collins waterfrontadvice@swanseastudentmedia.com Art and Design Megan Selway waterfrontdesign@swanseastudentmedia.com

Music Cat Daczkowski waterfrontmusic@swanseastudentmedia.com Sustainability Lucie Stepankova waterfrontsustainability@swanseastudentmedia. com Wellbeing Lauren Stodolnic waterfrontwellbeing@swanseastudentmedia.com Liberation Bethan Northwood and Cara O’Sullivan waterfrontliberation @swanseastudentmedia.com Disability Olivia Robson waterfrontdisability@swanseastudentmedia.com Culture Cora-Jane Jordon waterfrontculture@swanseastudentmedia.com

We Want YOU!

Seen a section you'd like to write for? Or want to start a new section? Get in touch now!

Email: waterfronteditor@ swanseastudentmedia.com

Welcome to Waterfront!

Happy New Year everyone!

I hope you have had a good holiday season and are settling back into the new semester. Although we did not produce a January edition we are excited to be back with our February edition. This month is LGBT+ history month so we have featured articles from our very own LGBT+ Society, our favourite LGBT+ books, my review of Cinderella Is Dead a lesbian retelling of the Cinderella fairytale, and much more! We have also written about how to maintain your wellbeing in this third lockdown and what support the university can provide for you. I am very proud of the newspaper the team have produced this month, even with a busy month of exams and deadlines, they have pulled together and written a number of really exciting articles. If you have ever wanted to write, edit, or produce art for the Waterfront this is your chance. Make 2021 the year of DOING. Bethan

Welcome back everyone!

Obviously this was not how we wanted to spend the start of 2021 but the team has produced an excellent issue despite all the obstacles. I hope that we can provide some forms of escapism (I would highly recommend consulting the LGBTQ+ TV and Film recommendations) and point you in the direction of some support with this issue. This coming month will be packed with various holidays and occasions, all of which we would be very pleased to see as the inspiration for articles. As always, if you want to get involved in any way, join our socials and/or email Bethan and I, I look forward to hearing from you!

Alex

Meet the Waterfront Team Bethan Bates is a third year English Literature and History student who is working towards a career in the publishing industry. She is a book fanatic (with a collection of over 400 books), an avid environmentalist, and a keen dancer. She is also the current Editor-in-Chief of the Waterfront and has been involved with the paper since her first year.

Rhianydd Sword is a second year media and communication student. She’s an avid reader of Cosmopolitan magazine and plays the saxophone in her spare time.

Megan Selway is a second-year English Literature student. She’s excited to share ideas and thoughts about the arts with you and would love for you to get in contact if you have an interest in writing for the section!

Rachel Hart is the current Societies editor. She is a third year English Literature student and her hobbies include reading, photography and music. She is always interested in liaising with different societies to promote their upcoming events. Please contact her if you are a member of a society or committee and you have an idea for an article.

Bethan Collins is a third year English Literature student. It’s her first year being the editor for the Advice and Relationships section. If ever you want to write anything for this section, feel free to contact her!

Ashish Dwivedi is an M.Phil. candidate in his final year, here at Swansea University and our current Literature and Creative Writing Editor. He calls himself a herpetology and mythology aficionado; a traveller who travels for food; a lax swimmer; and a hide-and-seek genius. However, one of his serious sides include his delightful interest in Utopian & Cartoon Studies and experimental and tragic poetry.

Sophie Sadler is a postgraduate researcher in Mathematics and Computer Science. As well as being the Science & Research Editor for the Waterfront, Sophie enjoys hiking & wild camping, riding her horse Bounce, and watching horror movies.

Cat Daczkowski is a masters student at Swansea and the Music editor. She loves to listen and create music, as well as play video games when she has time. She’s very open to all genres of music and is always looking for new contributors for her section.

Lucie Stepankova is a postgraduate Communications, Media Practice and PR student and Waterfront’s new Sustainability section editor. Through this section, she hopes to inspire more people to start making small steps towards sustainability and encourage conversation. She also writes about sustainability as a freelancer, enjoys playing the ukulele and practicing yoga.

Jordan Onslow is an undergraduate English Literature and Creative Writing student and the current News and Current Events Editor. He is always looking for student input, to champion the news that affects them most.

Bethan Northwood is a second year History student and Treasurer for both the LGBT+ society and Plaid Ifanc. They are passionate about political activism and baking, as well as Wales and its history. They spent lockdown doing different crafts that they saw on TikTok. Cara O’Sullivan studies Population Health and Medical Sciences and is in their third year, as well as being on the committee for the baking appreciation society and LGBTQ+ society. They enjoy baking, gaming, and reading, and they’re excited to write for the Liberation section, and would love for anyone interested in writing for the section to contact them!

Olivia Robson is a first-year Media and Communications student. She loves writing and sharing ideas which tend to be out of the norm and a bit weird, however it works for her! So if you like doing similar things, she’d love to engage you with her writing or hear from you!

Owen Wallace is an undergraduate student from Hertfordshire studying Physics. Some of his hobbies include D&D, practicing the violin, and playing strategy games.

Cerys Maryan is the current Environment Officer at the Student’s Union and is in her final year of her BSc Biology degree. Cerys is set to begin Postgraduate research from October looking into sustainable landfill waste management; an issue which affects the ecology of waterways across the UK and costs councils millions per year. In this article, Cerys discusses the importance of this year’s Earth Day and how we can mark the occasion.

Benjamin Nichols is a Swansea alum, currently residing in the United States. He is currently getting his Ph.D. and intends to return to Wales in the future for his career.

Bridget Biswas is an architect from Bangladesh, currently pursuing her M.Sc. in Public Health and Health Promotion.

Besides being interested in learning different languages, she nestles a fascination for surrealist and impressionist art, questions related to ‘identity’, ‘hoping’, ‘anthropomorphic bonding’, and ‘aesthetic cooking’. Some of her work has appeared in the national newspaper of Bangladesh, Prothom Alo. Currently, she is in the middle of creating her debut non-fiction work, Recipe of Recipes, that captures the art and science of food and cooking.

Franziska Trumpp is a German 3rd year British Studies and Political Science student and loves literature, art and animals. In 2021, she’s still quoting either vines, sometimes TikToks and at least once a day, Jenna Marbles- cos’ life’s too short but also like incredibly and insufferably long at the same time.

Sophie Apps is a second-year English Literature at Swansea University and is hoping to go on to study for an MA in her subject. She is a future frost-medal winner and aspires to be the next Emily Dickinson. In her spare time, she loves watching old movies, runs her own blog ‘Pockets Full of Poetry’ and spends every Monday night failing to get questions right on University Challenge.

Mathurin Aron is a first year media student. He likes listening to music, taking pictures and travelling. He has already published 3 articles at The Waterfront! Check them out!

Lauren Stodolnic is the Wellbeing Editor and is a second year Economics student. She loves fitness and can’t wait to go travelling again. She is always happy to discuss health and wellbeing, if you would like to write for the section feel free to contact her.

Amy Blundell is an undergraduate English Literature and Creative Writing student at Swansea University. Outside of university, she lives in Wiltshire. Her favourite authors include Peter Carey and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.

News & Current Affairs World Earth Day 2021: How can you contribute?

By Jordan Onslow

I

t’s a haunting fact that many of us don’t want to acknowledge, especially during a global pandemic, but the Earth is rapidly changing thanks to climate change.

This Earth Day, on the event’s 51st anniversary, it would be easy to see the problems we face as ubiquitous and unavoidable; however, every one of us can contribute to change.

Swansea City Council promoted the “Lights out for Earth Hour” event on March 27th, which saw a large number of houses turn off all electricity in their trees with generous donations from the public, in houses between 8:30 and 9:30. This event also saw an effort to push back the effects of deforestation, the famous Guildhall and the civic centre lights go which have decimated much of the world forests. out during this period.

The project has been running for 11 years and The council have stated that this is just a snippet has planted millions of trees in that time, a truly of the great work going on with the council, as they impressive feat. Trees have been planted across the are fully committed to reducing the city’s electricity world, ranging from right here in the UK to Egypt, usage and carbon footprint. Andrea Lewis, the Myanmar and Japan. If you’re interested in donating council’s joint deputy leader and cabinet member please follow this link. for homes, energy and service transformation stated that “the council is playing its part by declaring a climate emergency, re-doubling our work to reduce our carbon footprint and aiming to make the council net zero carbon by 2030”.

The official page for World Earth Day has all the information and figures to back up the need for a day of dedication. The site also highlights its ongoing projects, mostly focusing on conservation and protection.

One such project is “The Canopy Project” which enlists the ambassadors of the organization to plant

On the website, the organization promotes a counter that showcases just how many of us are willing to join the fight against climate change, as over 2.5 billion actions have been taken since 2010, a truly mindboggling number.

Change begins with everyone. This World Earth Day, why not organise an event, donate or take a pledge to reduce your carbon footprint, for a better tomorrow.

Is Biden’s handling of the vaccine rollout enough to win over Trump voters? commitment to the science that has lead to a transition towards promise and hope in recent times, or perhaps the “who” of the Presidency is irrelevant so long as jabs are going in arms and people can get back to life preCOVID. While the former is perhaps the more likely, there America’s coronavirus vaccine rollout has been quite still remains a lot of reconciling for America to do on the impressive, with it currently sitting seventh in the world for road out of this pandemic. doses given per 100 residents according to the Financial Times. President Biden set a goal of 100 million doses by President Trump received the second largest vote tally his 100th day in office, and the country surpassed that ever, or as he would prefer it, the largest vote tally for with ease (by roughly six weeks). The new goal of 200 a sitting president ever. The coronavirus scepticism and million doses by that same deadline seems as though it distrust that dominated his presidency will no doubt too will be quickly met, with the US averaging 2.9 million linger, and those most deeply entrenched in Trumpism will doses a day, as reported by the CDC. As of right now, only have their fears reinforced by Biden’s large spending America is on course to vaccinate 70% of the population, and stimuli. The data does paint a picture, however. the lowest threshold argued by some for reaching herd According to the John Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, states with Republican governors immunity, by June 17. have had the highest number of COVID-19 cases and The economy is also moving from strength to strength, deaths, and, most importantly for this discussion, the with almost one million new jobs being added in governors’ “party affiliation may have contributed to a March alone against the backdrop of increasing COVID range of policy decisions that, together, influenced the protection. The Bureau of Labor Statistics attribute this spread of the virus”. Partisan affiliation is obviously a wide to “the continued resumption of economic activity that ideological spectrum and not a Trump-Biden dichotomy, but narrative remains an ever-present mediator in the had been curtailed due to the coronavirus pandemic”. fight against the virus.

This wave of progress and momentum swinging the most powerful nation in the world back to a much needed A question that needs answering is whether or not a sense of normality, marks a very different America from successful vaccine rollout is enough to change the minds the one we have been witness to for the last few years. of those most fervently opposed to the current President.

Pandemic leadership was very much on the ballot last What do they value more - their lives and their economic November, with citizens needing to decide between an standing, or their narrative? incumbent who was adamant on downplaying the threat (unless it came to the plaudits he claimed he deserved for closing borders and vaccine creations), and a seasoned politician who emphasised the need to put the science and data first.

By Louis Bromfield

Since winning the election, President Biden has emphasised a more federal-based approach than his predecessor, with many viewing it as a “big government” overreach into healthcare. President Trump opted for a state-focussed approach that, as reported by Insider, left states “pitted against each other for the same supply of tests”. In terms of reception to these strategies, the answer seems to be clear: two thirds of American citizens Biden’s response.

The poll that delivered that figure also reports promising findings on vaccine hesitancy, with 17% now saying they definitely or probably won’t get a jab, compared to 22% in January.

Perhaps

it

is

Biden’s

strategy,

pragmatism

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Features

Senedd Elections May 6th 2021: Voting Guide

By Kieran Bason

W

hat Is The Election About

So what possibilities does the Senedd actually have and what law can they actually pass, change and influence? Well, with the budget sent from Westminster they have the power to change many aspects of Welsh law including but not limited to · Financial and economic matters · Home affairs · Trade and industry · Energy · Transport · Social security · Pensions · Employment · Medicine · Culture · Justice · Equal opportunities

constituency parties lose votes regionally due to this.

Student Voting Recent statistics show that students in higher education make up between 5-6% of the Welsh population. With these numbers, an election can have a completely different outcome for the area that the universities are located in.

Well, now that I’ve got you interested you must want to know “am I registered to vote? How do I register to vote? When do I have to register to vote by? “ You’d be right to ask all of those questions, as the clock is ticking and you have until 19thApril to register.

There are two ways to register to vote. The first way is online and the second way is via post. To be brief, all the information you need and the documents can be found on the Senedd Wales website. Have no fear though, I’ve got you covered with an easy to follow guide on how to register.

There are 60 members that are elected into the Senedd which are up every 4 years. However, there To register you’ll need to be 14 or over (sorry to the random are different roles and types of votes that you 13-year-old that has somehow managed to find this and need to know about for the election on May 6th. decided to read it. Better luck next time). It is advised that you will need your national insurance number (but also 40 out of the 60 members represent the constituencies says you don’t need it (I know you just rolled your eyes)). of Wales. These are the same as the Welsh constituencies that are in Westminster and there’s 1 seat per Online Registration: The registration will take about constituency. The 40 constituencies use the ‘first-past- 5 minutes. Now for you lucky lot that decided to move the-post system.’ This means the candidate with the away from home for uni, there is a question to allow most votes is elected into the position (Simple isn’t it?). you to register for your family home and your university accommodation. “Do you also live at a second Well, the other 20 members are the ‘regional members.’ address?” There is an answer specific for students to There are 4 seats per region with 5 regions. These enter their university accommodation address. Once members are elected via the ‘additional member you’ve finished all the questions you’ll be ready to vote. system.’ This one is a bit more complicated so stay with me now. Each party’s total votes are divided Postal Registration: Postal registration is just as easy. by ‘1+ (the number of members in the Senedd).” Print out the form from the government website.

Follow all the questions and instructions on the For example, if Plaid wins 5 seats in the form. Then send it off to the address on the form. constituency votes, their regional votes’ total will be “number of regional votes/ (1+5).” Either way when you register, you only need to do it once per address. So you’ll be set to go for the next election as well.

The party with the highest total number of votes then wins one of the seats. The process then repeats until all If you would like more information on the history of the seats are taken. With this system, we will see a range the Senedd and the upcoming elections as well as the of parties getting seats across Wales, as the high earning candidates in our local areas, go to our voting guide.

Earth Day and Swansea University This year marks the 51st Earth Day, an event that endeavours to diversify, educate and initiate the environmental movement worldwide with 190 countries actively participating. The main focus for this year is ensuring that as we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic, environmentally, we do not resume the “business as usual” model; predicting carbon concentrations rising to 550 parts per million by 2050 accompanied by a decline in food production of 6% (Kiehl, 2019).

Thevirtual event, hosted by earthday.org, will run numerous activities from the 20th-22nd April to engage people of all ages across the globe and raise awareness of how vital it is that we all play our part in protecting the world around us. The first day will see a youth global summit led by Earth Uprising, aimed at 11-18 year olds, in collaboration with My Future Voice and OneMillionOfUs. Throughout this conference, speeches, discussion and panels will be led by renowned activists including Greta Thunberg, reinforcing the importance of the small changes we can make to encourage a top-down response to climate change.

Something that I am incredibly passionate about is conveying the message that climate change is not something of the future; it is happening now. We are already witnessing climatic and natural disasters on the most extreme scales in human history, such as the Australian bushfires of the 2019-20 season; burning an estimated 18.6 million, causing <$5bn in damages and killing 1 billion animals (Burton, 2020). But what we need to recognise is that climate change is hitting the global south the hardest. In 2020 alone, the ten most extreme climatic events occured in Asia, exacerbated by an unusually wet monsoon season in India and Pakistan (The Independent, 2020). One event in particular proved to be particularly destructive: over the course of three days, Cyclone Amphan accrued damages in excess of $13bn (Sud & Rajarum, 2020). Climate change also has secondary effects on millions across the globe, including food insecurity. Approximately 333 million people in Africa alone - 27% of the continent’s populace - faced food scarcity in 2016 (UNICEF, 2017).

Earth Day is not solely about climate change and natural disasters, but an annual celebration of the beautiful natural sites we are so lucky to have. Be it the lush rainforests of the Amazon, the harsh conditions of the polar regions, or even the parks and gardens on our doorstep, we should never take the intrinsic beauty of nature for granted. I often find that British wildlife is overlooked, yet we have an incredible array of birds, mammals, amphibians and flora (to name a few groups).

This Earth Day, I will be walking along the streets around where I live litter picking, as I am sure many students know how messy the streets of Uplands and Brynmill can get. Shortly after that, I will be going on a long

By Cerys Maryan walk to soak up the calming birdsong of Singleton park.

As a university, we are among the most sustainable in the UK. We are currently ranked in 9th position in the Guardian University Green league and this is something that as an SU, we are particularly proud of. Our current Societies & Services and Welsh Affairs officers, GeorgiaRose and Katie respectively, have worked incredibly hard to make amendments to the university’s sustainability policy which will be released in the coming weeks.

Our Welfare officer, Liza, has also secured funding to provide students with reusable and eco friendly sanitary products, an excellent continuation of the Go Green for GWA campaign of 2020; these products can be accessed via the website whilst Root Zero unfortunately remains closed. In addition to this, the SU in association with Root run Meat Free Mondays, a really simple way to lower your meat intake over the week without having to compromise on having a warm, hearty lunch.

In my last few months as Environment Officer, I will be lobbying the university to install terracycle bins on both Singleton and Bay campuses. As someone who has a dairy intolerance, I find it difficult to plan visits to the nearest correct disposal point for my milk alternative cartons as these cannot be mixed with regular cardboard; having a site on campus would offer a closer location for terracycling for both students and staff. Once it has been deemed safe to do so and restrictions are eased further, myself and Georgia-Rose will start our fortnightly beach cleans again - so please come along! I will also be launching a fortnightly street clean for students and staff to take part in, hopefully alongside local residents of Uplands and Brynmill, again, once restrictions permit.

If you have any questions regarding the environment at Swansea University, please feel free to email me at: environmentofficer@swansea-union.co.uk.

Students’ Union Election Results 2021 T he FTO and PTO elections are the university democratic event of the year. Hundreds of students get involved in running, campaigning, and voting. This year we had 41 candidates and 1692 voters. Here are some statements from our new elected officers.

Full Time Officers President: Katie Phillips - I’m so pleased and grateful to have been voted in as your next SU President. I’m looking forward to working on safe social spaces for our students come September, and ensuring that a flexible approach to blended learning continues.

Education: Carys Jones - I am absolutely delighted that I’ve won the position of Education Officer in this year’s elections! I can’t thank everyone who supported and voted for me enough; I’m so grateful!

I’d like to congratulate all the other candidates running, as their campaigns were all wonderful! I’m really excited to start the position and be able to get a start on my manifesto points, all whilst working with an amazing team of FTO’s and PTO’s!

COVID-19 and the difficulties that have arisen as a result. Thank you to everyone who voted for me and a special shoutout to my friends and family who have supported me through another election!

Sports: Georgia Smith - I wanted to express a huge thank you to everyone that voted for me and decided to re-elect me as your SU Sports Officer. I will make sure our alumni graduating this year and last are not forgotten and are welcomed back to Swansea, once we finally leave behind the heavy restrictions COVID has put on us as a Students’ Union. I am looking forward to another year supporting our amazing Sports Club committees and ensuring sport is at the heart of the student experience at Swansea University!

Welsh Affairs: Gwern Dafis - I would firstly like to thank everyone that has supported me over the last week in my campaign! From posters to being forced into a TikTok it was a brilliant experience to be involved in the online election! I’ve gained many friends over this period and I can’t wait to get started and make a difference as Welsh Affairs Officer next year within the university! A great FTO team was just the icing Societies & Services: Georgia-Rose Gleeson - I am on the cake! overwhelmed to be crowned Societies and Services Officer for the second year in a row! Working for the SU has meant the absolute world to me this year and I am excited to get another year with a new FTO team, welcoming Gwern and Carys to give back to the student community and help them recover from

Part Time Officers General Secretary: Manuel Marshall - Amazingly gladdening and enlivening is my feeling at the moment. It is magical and somewhat ineffable for me tonight. But, firstly, I want to thank God, whom I serve and depend for everything. I want to express my profound gratitude to the students body for reposing a considerable confidence in me to be part of the governing body. I also thank all who voted and couldn’t vote. In the interest of all I shall carry out my duty in communal satisfaction. I set out to advocate for inclusion a package of all what students need to do once they get to campus or Swansea as offers of admission have gone out already or yet to go out. Thank you very much.

Mental Health: Rivaldo Fernandes - Thank you so much to everyone at Swansea University who voted for me as your mental health awareness officer. I would like to thank those at the Swansea Uni Students’ Union who gave me the opportunity to contest in this election. Also, I would like to congratulate those who won the elections and am excited to work alongside with them to provide the change you would like to see at our university. Once again, many thanks!

BME: Jeevan Mann - I am very excited to take on the roll of BME Officer in the Swansea University Students’ Union, and I want to say a huge thank you to everyone who voted and participated in this important democratic process. I also want to thank the Elections Team for coordinating and facilitating these elections, and ensuring that such platforms exist for student voices to be heard. As BME Officer I will ensure that this role continues as a platform for student concerns and representation for students who identify as BAME. As the founder and president of the Swansea University Punjabi Society, and a member of the BAME Committee, I plan on using my elected role to further the goals of diversity and representation here at Swansea University.

Environment: Ciera Atkins - Hi! Thank you to everyone who voted for me, I’m excited to be your next environment officer and ensure sustainability is at the forefront of the SU. International Students: Laviza Firdaus - Thank you so much for everyone who believed in me and voted me to be elected as their international student officer for the year 2021/2022. I am delighted and grateful to receive this position as well as genuinely appreciate the support I got even though the entire campaign was online and I did not get a chance to interact with a lot more people. My first duty as an international student officer will be raising awareness and encouraging the participation of international students in joining societies and other cultural activities which are all online at the moment.

Disability: Chloe Morgan - Thank you so much for voting for me and electing me as your next students with disabilities officer. I am honoured to have the opportunity to represent disabled students and I am really looking forward to working on all of my manifesto points. I am also very excited to work with next year’s incredible officer team. I am hopeful and determined to make a difference and improve things not only for disabled students but for all the students in Swansea University.

Advice

3 Simple Ways We Can Be More Sustainable

By Ciera Atkins S ustainability is a term that has been thrown around a lot recently, but what actually does sustainability mean and how can we be more sustainable? The UN world commission of Environment and Development says ‘sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs’.

There are so many different ways to be sustainable from being conscious about where you spend your money to water consumption! I’ll be talking about what I think are the most adoptable ways of being sustainable.

1. Food Some of the best ways to be more sustainable, in relation to the food we eat, starts where we buy our food. Large supermarkets ship in food from all over the world to be available for us to purchase, increasing carbon emissions into the atmosphere during their transport.

Visiting your local farmers market to buy locally grown produce will greatly reduce carbon emissions while simultaneously supporting your local farms.

Another great way to save money and be more sustainable is to grow your own veg. I love growing my own carrots and potatoes as I seem to have more success with those than other veg. Strawberries (mainly in summer), tomatoes, green beans, lettuce and onions are other great types of veg to grow in the UK climate, and usually taste better home grown too!

If these ideas aren’t for you, one really important way of being more sustainable is reducing your food waste. We throw out about 7.1 million tonnes of food waste in the UK each year, that’s about £840 for a family of four.

Here are some good ways of reducing food waste: - Write a meal plan so you only buy what you need - Freeze items that are about to go out of date - Or, batch cook items into stews and soups then freeze - If you know you are going to eat food straight after leaving the supermarket, pick the earliest date to help reduce supermarket food waste - If you have leftovers, even a small amount, save them! They’re great as a lunch the following day - Make a homemade stock from leftover stalks, peels and leftover veggies - Add fruit peels to your water to improve taste - Compost if you can!

2. Shopping habits Another really important way of being more sustainable is by reducing the number of new clothing and products being made. By reducing purchases of new items, we will reduce water consumption and energy.

Decide whether you actually need that item. Do you realistically need that 7th pair of leggings or 15th pair of shoes? Probably not, put the debit card away!

If you find you do need a new item, then try buying second hand; Facebook marketplace and Depop have been my saving grace when I have needed to buy new items (usually more affordable too!)

Sometimes, if something you own has come to the end of its lifetime you can repurpose it into something new; like broken hangers into wall hooks, old credit/debit cards into guitar picks or old clothes into cleaning cloths.

3. Water Being sustainable with water ensures that there is plenty to distribute across all sectors including agriculture, industrial and in homes. Using water sustainably is important for meeting all of our needs while enabling future generations to meet their own needs. These are some of the best ways to conserve water and be more sustainable.

The most common way to reduce our water usage, the one that has been drilled into many of us since we were younger is to turn off the tap when it’s not in use. This includes while brushing your teeth and shaving.

Only run your dishwasher and washing machine when they’re full, a pretty obvious way to save water and you’re saving money too, it’s a win-win!

Choosing a shower over a bath is a great way of reducing your water consumption. A 10-minute shower only uses about 25 gallons of water, but a full bath can use up to a whopping 50 gallons of water.

If you do prefer a bath, try just filling it halfway next time.

I hope that this guide was helpful and has given you some ideas on how to start being more sustainable in your life! The most important thing to remember is do whatever you are able to do, it all makes a difference.

Making Women Feel Safer In The City Of Swansea Suggesting that the local secondary schools in Swansea could introduce a curriculum on sexual harassment to their students and its nature on how it widely affects people could be beneficial.

Developing on the idea of social media, and linking Content Warning: Sexual Assault and Harrassment it to universities in Swansea, staff members of n the 24th of February 2021, I was harassed by universities should investigate reports from their a man around the Henrietta Street area. The female students even further. man attempted to stop me from walking past him and tried to grab me as I tried to move out of his A great number of women (who will remain way. I decided to warn other people on the Swansea anonymous) have come forward regarding incidents University Overheard Facebook page to be careful that occurred in Swansea University or UWSTD, and and cautious. A couple of men further harassed me told me that the universities often do not reprimand by making inappropriate comments and blaming students who were reported even with evidence; I me for the incident. One said, “you probably loved also believe that the universities must actively check the attention…”, which gave me the idea to create their emails, as a way to gather these reports and a group on Facebook for women, specifically female act upon them. students at Swansea, Group for Women at Swansea, where they can speak out freely without the fear of I do not think that the Full-Time-Officers or the being judged or trolled by people. I received many Part-Time-Officers should have to handle these messages from members of the group telling me incidents by themselves but with further help from about their experiences and how the group helped the university staff. Together, we could make further them to feel more confident to be more vocal about progress in helping female students in Swansea feel them. I also received supportive messages from safe again. I am not blaming the university for the members regarding my experience, asking if I was incident whatsoever, as I am well-aware that the okay or if I needed a place to hide, and that I am universities know about the many incidents being welcome to go to theirs if nearby. Not only does this reported, but some are also being ignored. Therefore, go for me, but also other members of the women’s we are asking for further help for female students to feel more confident, safe, and comfortable around group. the city of Swansea by possibly having more contact The main point for the creation of Group for Women with the police, hiring more security guards around at Swansea is to build up a community of women campuses or, as I have mentioned, being more active where we can help one another out. Many ideas are with social media platforms/emails.

By Mikee Dean

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being suggested by different members of the group about how we can feel safe in the city of Swansea.

One member suggested for universities to use more of their expenditure on legal safety gadgets for women, such as alarms or legal spray identifiers.

I also believe that the lack of streetlights in the streets of Swansea is another issue. Many women walk alone at night to get home, and the lack of streetlights puts us in more danger.

However, physical safety is not the only thing women need. We also need to be mentally protected. What I mean by this is that there are people out there cat-calling, victim-blaming or verbally harassing women in the streets and on social media platforms.

We could all help each other by encouraging students and the locals of Swansea to share awareness for this specific social matter on their social media, and other ways of promoting anti-sexual harassment matters.

Swansea University Meets

By Emma Morton Online Dating

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ating apps are out- “dated”. They match us with people totally wrong for us, not least because they live over 100 miles away… it can feel tiresome at best. Our dating app “Swanline dating” effectively cuts through the endless cycle of swiping, matching and chatting by creating a dating platform exclusive to Swansea University students.

we match you with other active users, meaning that responses are guaranteed.

Furthermore, since you are matched with someone every five minutes within the hour-long event, even if one person isn’t quite taking your fancy, you’ll be matched with another user. These occur weekly, giving you the power to continuously improve your dating prospects.

A majority of dating apps do boast strengths Effortless Conversations of their own. So, how does Swanline Dating As Rizzle Kicks once said, “let’s skip to the good bit”. We revolutionise these repetitive practices? found that whilst conversations may eventually flow, often even though both parties are interested, neither Singles At YOUR University make the first move. So, we do the hard part for you.

When it comes to finding love in the mobile age, We prompt a topic of discussion in all three it’s hard to topple Tinder, one of the biggest and main channels and the weekly speed dating arguably most popular dating apps. Tinder throws events. This can be anything from “What is the a large net out into the dating ocean and catches best condiment?” to “What shape do you cut any fish that happens to swim in. But what if you your sandwiches? Triangles? Or rectangles?” don’t want any fish? More specifically... what Whether your answer is obvious or controversial if you desire a swan? (excuse the cheesy pun). (we see you rectangular sandwich lovers), the conversation is off to a great start, and Our app shrinks the size of this “net”, keeping it exclusive the most challenging part is out of the way. to those studying at Swansea University... which we may be biased in calling the best dating ocean of all.

The Ability To Make A Difference The app was conceptualised by Emma Morton, The app boasts three main chat channels inwhich singles Oluwakemi Olaitan, Odelia Garcia, Alex Young, Celyn at Swansea University can converse. These are labelled Marsh, Amandine Badea and Emilia Thomas under “Bays” (for baes on Bay campus), “Singles” (for singles the guidance of Cris Izura and with the creative on Singleton Campus) and Swans (well, somewhat help of Neil Carter. This was in aid of a third-year less wittily because it’s Swansea University-based). and masters psychology project intending to collect data on the language used by online daters and Nonetheless, private chats are available to allow you compare this to the language use of online groomers. to engage in a one-on-one conversation with whoever catches your eye in these three main chat channels. Although the thought of others reading your online conversations may sound jarring, all Your Very Own Wingman the data is anonymised when extracted From 20:00-23:00 every night, one of our co-creators from the app, meaning that as researchers, acts as a sort of “wingman” in these channels, helping we have no idea who is chatting to who. to keep an ongoing flow of engaging conversation.

Furthermore, in granting us access toyourconversations, Active Users you are making a huge difference in the field of “Ghosting” is perhaps one of the worst phenomena academic research! We hope that the study’s results present in mobile dating. The pain of messaging could aid the potential development of a linguistic someone and receiving no response hurts.We’ve all been profile specific to online groomers, which would there, and if we haven’t, I’m sure we don’t want to be. ultimately aid law enforcement in detecting online An issue we had with other dating apps, was how grooming with increased reliability and efficiency. frequently users could fall victim to such a phenomenon. So, by signing up for the app, you are empowered to find love whilst simultaneously making a difference.

However, in organising “speed dating events”,

Morning Routines for

By Bethan Collins Productivity

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ver the last few months, I’ve noticed that a lot of ‘A Day in My Life’, and ‘My Morning Routine’ videos have been circulating on social media platforms, like TikTok, YouTube and Instagram. The videos generally contain a person who is really productive in the morning, waking up at 5am, going for long runs, having a really fancy, healthy breakfast and then getting loads of work done. As great as that is for some, it’s pretty difficult to do, and often leaves viewers with a sense of failure and unproductivity. I know when I watch those videos while I’m still lying in bed at 12pm, I begin to feel pretty bad about myself. So, here are some smaller things to incorporate into your morning routine that might help you have a more productive day.

1.

Avoid going on your phone The first thirty minutes of your day will decide how the remainder of the day is likely to be spent. If you spend the first half hour after you wake up on your phone, then it’s likely that you’ll spend a lot of the day on your phone scrolling. This might be one of the most difficult ones to put into practice, since it’s so easy to wake up and check through social media. However, waking up and leaving your phone aside means that you aren’t tempted to lie in bed for hours watching an endless stream of TikTok videos.

2. Make your bed straight away By waking up and making your bed straight away, you are instantly completing one task. Before you even start your day, you have checked one thing off your to-do list. Having a made bed also makes your room look cleaner and more organised, creating a better working environment. There’s also less temptation to crawl back into bed.

3.

Spend five minutes journaling or meditating

I find that if I wake up, look at my to-do list and try to get started right away, it gets overwhelming pretty quickly.

Looking at the long list of things I need to complete gets daunting and I end up not knowing where to start. However, by taking five minutes before starting work to calm down and clear my mind helps me to make better decisions and avoid getting stressed out so easily.

4. Give yourself plenty of time to get ready One of the worst feelings has to be waking up with not enough time, and then having to rush around searching frantically for all the things you need. You end up feeling stressed for the rest of the day, and it’s just not a great way to start your day off. By planning in an extra bit of time you allow yourself to make some mistakes, like not being able to find your keys, or not being able to decide what to wear for the day. It also gives you an extra bit of time to have a coffee and some breakfast before starting your day, which will help you focus a bit more.

5. Get your things ready the night before Following on from the previous point, if you have all your things (outfit, keys, purse/wallet) set out and ready the night before, you don’t have to hunt around first thing in the morning. Also, it makes you feel organised and productive, which will help the rest of your daily tasks follow suit.

I hope that these will be somewhat helpful to someone. It’s important to remember that building habits takes time, and by trying to do everything at once you’re less likely to be able to sustain the new habits. Trying to implement one small thing at a time gradually is a good way to form a solid routine.

Art and Design Lockdown, Art, and Me

By Olivia Robson

OR:What advicewouldyou give aspiring artists orglass blowers?

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personally would not call myself an artist in the slightest. I love art and everything that surrounds it; art is a term that I feel has no definition, it is an expression or representation. It is something, in my own opinion, that cannot be defined and cannot be academically or scientifically explored. Art affected me growing up; I have always loved drawing and expressing my emotions through fashion and makeup, however, during this lockdown, it has helped me expand my artistic discovery in different fields.

I found new TV Shows surrounding it – ‘Blown Away’ & ‘Lego Masters’; I even downloaded the app ‘TikTok’ to follow makeup artists to expand my artistic feel and representation. That may sound ridiculous but honestly, the art and discovery around TikTok are absolutely amazing and I feel it has helped me become better and riskier with my looks and fashion – I have never felt more myself or happier within myself. Lockdown art has helped me express and become happy within myself.

The TV Show ‘Blown Away’ is one I will re-watch and continue to follow the winners. ‘Blown Away’ is a TV Show surrounding Glass Art; it is mesmerizing and eye-catching, I highly recommend it. Spoiler Ahead! My favourite Glass Art artist is Elliot Walker. He was a British contestant and winner of Season 2; I was lucky enough to do an email interview with him. Here are the responses and questions: Olivia Robson: artwork you

What happens to created in ‘Blown

all

the Away’?

Elliot Walker: All the works we created on the BA series are actually the property of the production company as is the copyright. This was quite an interesting thing to navigate especially when it comes to remaking the works from the show to sell. I am not sure what happens with all of the original works, but the Spilt Milk sculpture is on display at the Corning Museum of Glass which I am very happy about.

OR:

How

does

your

art

navigate

the

world?

EW: My art navigates the world in very well-wrapped boxes if that’s what you mean? In terms of cultural or metaphoric navigation, it is a more difficult thing to address. I tend to work very intuitively and am constantly revising my approach to art and making.

EW: The best advice I could give an aspiring artist is to learn perseverance. It is a very difficult career path, and you need to have a strong sense of what you are trying to do and accept that you will be building your career over a lifetime rather than a few years.

OR: How has the pandemic helped and affected your work?

EW: The pandemic has been a difficult time for everyone and to be perfectly honest, without the winning result on the Blown Away series I am not completely confident I would have been able to continue my practice! Galleries closing, commission work drying up and the continued cost of living and running the studio (itself very expensive even if we are not working) would have very quickly become untenable. But the response to my work since the launch of the series has given me renewed hope for the future!

OR: What memorable responses have you had for your work?

EW: So many!! As an artist, for the past 8 years, I have worked almost exclusively through the gallery market. This has great benefits when it comes to separating myself from the difficult task of selling and shipping my sculpture, but it means that I very rarely have any contact with the clients.

But this has changed somewhat as many people who have purchased my works in the past have now been in touch to send me their congratulations and tell me how much they are loving what I am doing! It also opens me up to the wider world of art lovers and I have a great time chatting with people from all over the place about my life and theirs!

Wellbeing The Anticipation of Leaving Lockdown

By Lauren Stodolnic

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he thought of going on a night out, to festivals, travelling, socialising with friends and even just going to a café is so exciting! But at the same time, after a year of the pandemic, restrictions and being without ‘normal’ social interactions has left a lot of students with greater feelings of social anxiety and the anticipation of leaving lockdown is sort of nerve-racking.

It was initially very difficult to adjust to COVID-19 restrictions and lockdowns. As students, we were told to find a routine, eat well, exercise, stay connected and stay on top of our degree – while we were worrying about our family and friends and struggling with being away from home during this very tough and uncertain time. To say this last year has been more demanding and difficult for students is definitely an understatement.

distance, so it is okay to move at your own pace.

Challenge yourself to push yourself out of your comfort zone to ensure that you don’t become unintendedly isolated when your friends are starting to move forward and socialise more. If you can, make them aware of your situation and that you need time to move at a pace that is comfortable to you.

Try to maintain a healthy routine and habits that you developed during lockdown, but don’t criticise yourself if this doesn’t work for you. We all had to create coping mechanisms during the lockdowns.

Control what can be controlled – create an action plan if that helps, so you can manage your life and what you can influence. Remember that you can’t control how We have all faced a lot of challenges this year and others behave but you can control how you respond. it has taken a lot of mental and emotional energy to get through. As we are hopefully nearing the end Talk to people you trust if you are concerned about of the restrictions, the anticipation of the relaxation the anticipated social interaction, and it’s likely of the COVID rules is exciting but also daunting. that they will confide in you too if they are feeling anxious or uncertain about the easing of restrictions.

Here are some tips that may help if you are feeling anxious about the upcoming social interactions and freedom: Be kind to yourself and others; everyone is going through something whether you know what it is Pace yourself and don’t let others pressure you if or not. And this year has been particularly difficult you are nervous about socialising more; we have for everyone. A little kindness goes a long way. become comfortable with our own space and social

Restoring our Earth can Help to Restore our Mental Health

shows that interacting with nature can help calm your mind, reduce stress and the feeling of mental fatigue.

By spending more time outdoors, you can improve your creativity and ability to focus when studying because your mind will feel more relaxed and refreshed.

By Lauren Stodolnic

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very year on April 22nd Earth Day is celebrated in over 190 countries. It began in 1970 in the USA with the purpose of uniting individual environment groups to collectively raise awareness of the damage that human and business behaviour was having on the environment.

The movement was also intended to encourage people to take responsibility and protect our earth.

Ways that you could help to restore the earth include: Volunteer in a Clean-Up event.

By getting involved in cleaning your local area, you would physically see the improvements that you are making to the environment – reducing waste and plastic pollution, this will also help to prevent harm to the wildlife. There are frequent Beach CleanUp events in Swansea that you could participate in.

Today, Earth Day is recognised as the largest observed movement in the world, with more than one billion individuals participating – by changing their personal actions and demanding greater policy changes and initiatives to be made by governments and nations to proactively care for the environment.

Eat a plant-based meal.

Reducing your meat and dairy consumption will reduce the demand for these goods which will help to lower your carbon footprint, conserve water, and protect animals and their habitats. Eating less processed meat and more plant-based food is very healthy for you too.

There is growing awareness of the climate crisis within society, with information and conversations being provided though mainstream media and social media. However, being constantly reminded of research and data that is heavily pessimistic (and often difficult to understand) can leave people feeling helpless and scared for the future of our planet.

Buy a reusable water bottle.

Reusable bottles use less oil and release less carbon dioxide in production than single use plastic bottles.

Disposable bottles also have the potential to leak harmful chemicals into the water, whereas reusable bottles that are BPA free don’t contain any harmful chemicals, therefore are a lot healthier. Furthermore, purchasing a reusable water bottle will save you money over time too.

It has been said that news of the climate crisis has negative effects on our mental health; as we learn about the problems that we have imposed on the environment, we feel powerless and uncertain about how we could provide effective solutions.

The theme for Earth Day 2021 is ‘Restore our Earth’, focusing on innovative thinking and green emerging technologies that can be used to restore the Earth’s environment and ecosystem. The Earth Day organisation has stated that “A healthy planet is not an option – it is a necessity.”

Having a healthy mind is also not an option, but is a necessity! It is very important in supporting our health, happiness and livelihoods. However, this year has been particularly difficult, and a lot of us have struggled with our mental health, as we have been stuck inside and deprived of our normal lives and social interactions.

However, playing your part in helping to restore the earth may help to restore your mental health. Research

Implementing manageable adjustments in your lifestyle and consumption behaviour will help in the global effort to restore the earth. Getting outdoors into nature and knowing that your actions are helping the environment could also help to restore your own mental health.

Societies Earth Hour 2021 / Sustainable Swansea University Student Living ByGeography Society

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his Saturday (27th March), we lit our candles, turned off our lights, and joined the world in darkness to support the WWF Earth Hour.

Originally launched in Sydney by the WWF and partners back in 2007, the environmental grassroot movement has now become the largest of its kind. Annually - on the last Saturday of March - countries all over the globe participate in this symbolic lights-out event to show support for our planet, increase awareness for climate change and spark a global conversation. Last year, more than 180 countries took part, reminding us that little things can make a huge difference!

2021 marks the beginning of a significant decade for environmental action. This year, the WWF are asking you to get involved, get creative and get thinking so that you can help protect our planet. So, we thought we would share our tips on how you can adopt an ecofriendly lifestyle on a student budget!

INVEST IN A REUSABLE COFFEE CUP. Perhaps the most obvious tip, but one of the most important, especially if you’re coffee addicts like us! Not only will this help reduce your waste, but will save you money in the long-term as many coffee shops now give discounts for bringing your own cup… a WIN-WIN situation! Plus, there are so many different styles out there; you’ll be spoilt for choice.

BUY BAMBOO CUTLERY. We all get those days when we just don’t feel like cooking and fancy a cheeky little takeaway from Fulton House, but then have to use disposable plastic cutlery that ALWAYS BREAK! Usually around £5, bamboo cutlery is a great inexpensive sustainable alternative that you can keep in your bag for all occasions and enjoy your food guilt-free.

Speaking of food, why not try GOING VEGAN? Switching to a plant-based diet is one of the best ways to shrink your carbon footprint and is rapidly growing in popularity. However, if this is a little on the extreme side for you, why not add Meatless Mondays into your calendar and see how you get on? You never know, it could turn into a meatless month!

SHOP ZERO WASTE. From shampoo bars, refillable

hand wash bottles and even toilet paper, shopping in zero waste shops such as our very own Root Zero is an amazing way to adopt a more sustainable lifestyle and break up with plastic packaging. Trust us, there is nothing more satisfying than a trip to fill up your glass jars.

GET ON YOUR BIKE! If you’ve lived in Swansea for any period of time, you are bound to have seen the iconic red Santander bikes. Singleton, Bay Campus, Civic Centre and even the Mumbles, these bikes are everywhere and the perfect carbon-free way to explore Swansea and get that daily cardio in. Remember to keep an eye out on your emails as the University advertises offers for these from time to time and we ALL love a good bargain!

Of course, there are plenty of other ways you can live

Society of the Month – Swansea Dance Society

By Amy Burridge – Publicist

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ou only get out what you put in”.

This is the defining mindset that many feel makes Swansea Dance Society unique. To enjoy the society to the fullest, we encourage people to get involved: try a new style, teach a class, run for committee or participate in our socials or charity weeks.

We feel the past year has brought out the best in our society. It’s taught us that our society’s success isn’t defined by the number of classes, the wildest socials or the competitions won. We’re defined by the dedication, commitment and perseverance of the people in our society, and this has shone through more than ever.

“Innovation is the ability to see change as an opportunity – not a threat” The word on everyone’s mind over this past year has been ‘unprecedented’. Without a doubt, this year created challenges that made us rethink what we could and couldn’t do. But across the society, there’s been a willingness to be flexible and innovative that’s enabled us to push forward and make a difference. We’ve designed a new dance logo, introduced new additions to our merchandise, made the difficult change to teach classes online and changed our annual showcase to account for social distancing and mask-wearing.

Dancing through a pandemic This year, we’ve dancing with

been each

socialising and other virtually.

Socials are a big part of the way people connect in any society, and this opportunity hasn’t been lost over the past year. We’ve hosted a range of online socials such as: Freshers 90s/00s themed quiz, Valentine’s Cooking Evening, Glow Up Night and Online Games Social.

Our events have also looked different, and we’ve been thinking out-of-the-box to keep our society active, engaging and supportive of our member’s well-being. For example, we’ve been enjoying weekly Yoga & Coffee Mornings since January, led by members of our committee. This has been a great way to de-stress and socialise with other dancers. Our YouTube channel has been active this year, as we’ve worked together to choreograph and edit videos to take part in online events such as Swansea University’s Centenary Celebrations, the Virtual Variety Show, SU Instagram Takeover, Virtual Taster Day, Saint David’s Day Celebrations and Virtual Dance Competitions.

Charity Work Charity is at the heart of many of our events and is an important motivation for our society. The challenges of this year have pushed us to be creative. Our selected charity for the year is Llamau, who aim to eradicate homelessness for young people and vulnerable women. We raised £162 during our ‘Clash of the Committee’ Online Event, where teams filmed and choreographed a dance to go head-to-head for members’ votes. We also submitted a group dance video to motivate participants during Llamau’s annual Stay-Up event.

Other charity work included raising money for Sea Life Trust through an online quiz and competition, and our Valentine’s Cooking Social fundraising for the New Pathways Charity.

Thank you!

The Swansea University Dance Society are honoured and grateful to be recognised as Society of the Month. We would like to take this opportunity to thank the whole society who have stepped up in such challenging times. We are looking forward to welcoming you back to face-to-face dancing, events and socials soon.

So, thank you to the organisers, the participants, the teachers, the members for such an exciting, inclusive and fun society.

Your commitment and active participation have made these events and ideas so successful. This award is for you all!

Photo credit cc by nc Dan Craggs 4.0

Every Day Should Be Earth Day

By Jean-Louis Button

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very day should be Earth Day:

Well, that’s my opinion anyway, and it baffles me that anyone could think any different!

The good news is that we are beginning to wake up and focus more upon the preservation of our planet.

The bad news, however, is that we are just being too slow, and we know it. Frustration and anxiety begin to kick in when you dig deeper into all of the data and see the potential trajectory of where we are heading if we continue on with our consumerist lifestyles. The projections appear bleak, but we are actually in a unique position right now as we can stop ourselves before we head over a crucial tipping point and are no longer able to return to stability.

A change in behaviour and mindset is necessary, alongside a pinch of positivity and a goal in mind.

Only then can we - as one human race - develop the potential to achieve anything that we set our minds to. Why can’t we live in harmony with this planet?

Why must we destroy in order to advance? Why do we choose greed and power over sustainability and equality for all? If we have learnt anything over the past year in lockdown, it’s that we don’t need half of the products

on sale in order to live. In reality, we simply need energy to survive and human contact to thrive. We have the power to shut everything down and start anew, so let’s pressure the powers to finally listen to the scientists and take a step closer towards achieving a more fruitful life.

One can dream, right?

In the meantime - if you haven’t already - why not start by making small adjustments to your routine: buy as much local produce and products as possible, use your own energy to get from A to B (rather than a carbon alternative if you can), and turn the heating down. If you really want to make a difference and challenge yourself, how about cutting out animal products from your life? The caveman days are long behind us and there is absolutely no reason to continue harming our planet and sentient beings just for our taste buds and preferences, we know better than this now... Surely?

Become consciously aware of how you spend your money and time and I guarantee that - if you continue to make positive choices - we will all reap the benefits of your actions over time. Keep it simple, keep it smart, and always think, “is this the right thing to do?”

Now then, go and enjoy the sounds of “Mother Earth” by Paul Izak whilst you sit and contemplate how beautiful life is and why and how you should be protecting our home.

Liberation

Fat People Aren’t Brave For Wearing A Bikini On The Beach

By Cara O’Sullivan

S

ummer, for some people it’s their favourite time of year. The days get longer, nights are warmer, there’s sunbathing to do, you can go to the beach, have picnics, have BBQ’s and campfires, the list is never ending. But for me as a fat person, summer has become a season that I often dread. I can no longer hide under several layers of dark, baggy clothes and have no choice but to show my..*gasps* B O D Y. Along with feeling constantly exposed due to not having the safety of wearing a hoodie, there are many physical struggles: always sweating (in places you didn’t know you could sweat), OMG the chaffing that no amount of talcum powder will stop, the itching, the constant glossy forehead, hair being drenched with sweat and just general clamminess.

Not to mention the fear of sitting on flimsy garden chairs, constantly scanning the environment you’re in to find shade, a fan or a cool breeze, or worrying about whether the airplane seatbelt will fit, which will probably not be a problem this year (thanks covid), and having to awkwardly ask the flight attendant for an extension. The list could go on and on.

To wear summer clothes and show your body as a fat person can be controversial. It can be a reason for why you receive stares or verbal abuse, or can even be seen as a brave thing. So, I hear you ask why is being called brave can be controversial? Well, for example, Plus Size women who post a picture wearing a bikini can receive an array of comments, but I guarantee there will always be someone who comments “Omg you’re so brave!” and although this doesn’t

seem inherently bad, it can feel belittling and even insulting. A non-fat person wouldn’t be called brave for wearing a bikini on a beach, it’s normal attire for the beach, but often fat people are praised for doing something that wouldn’t seem like such a radical act if they had a smaller body. As a fat person, I don’t want to be brave, I just want to exist and live my life in the same way everyone else does without judgement.

This is not to say that I don’t feel brave within myself if I step outside my comfort zone and wear something I never thought I would wear as a plus-size person.

I believe every plus-size/fat person who feels brave wearing clothes they feel is adventurous or daring is totally valid, and have every right to feel confident and comfortable in their skin and clothing this summer, just without society labelling it as something progressive or revolutionary. This doesn’t mean I, or other fat people, don’t want to be complimented, by all means compliment us on how we look or tell us how much you like the top we’re wearing, just don’t call us brave. We shouldn’t have to feel brave for dressing in the same way smaller bodied friends do. It’s a reminder of the subtle fatphobia rife in society and the fear and shame we’ve been taught to feel when we let our body see the light of day.

A Watershed Moment for Women’s Safety

By Swansea University Feminist Society Trigger warning: women’s safety, sexual assault.

I

can do to play their part: Calling out inappropriate behaviour by other men, to show it should not be tolerated Crossing the road to move away from women when it it’s dark Keeping hands and faces visible when walking at night around women Admittedly it will take time for significant change to occur, and understandably women will continue to look for ways to keep themselves safe. In light of these, we would like to bring attention to some of the ways women can do this: Rape alarms from Swansea University Student Union Downloading a safety app, such as BSafe If using an Uber, sharing trip status in the app so they can track your journey It is all our responsibility to keep this movement to promote women’s safety going. The tragic death of Sarah Everard has clearly been a watershed moment for women, and it is not right that an issue which affects so many continues to be accepted as part of everyday life. The time for change is now.

t would be an understatement to state that the week of 8th March 2021 was a significant moment for women. 8th March itself saw International Women’s Day, an event designed to celebrate women and draw attention to the issues they continue to face. However, the same week also saw the discovery of the murder of Sarah Everard, who had disappeared while walking home alone in South London. Her death sparked an intense wave of anger and frustration among women, as it highlighted the inherent dangers still present for women simply for going about their business. Social media platforms witnessed a repetition of the #MeToo movement of 2017, with women sharing stories of harassment, Credit: Getty Images abuse and assault. Even outside of social media, despite the pandemic, women and allies took to the streets as part of vigils to pay tribute to Sarah and the women lost to male violence.

It is clear that more needs to be done to help women feel safer.

Historically, the emphasis has been on women to take measures to protect themselves, such as carrying makeshift protective devices and walking in groups.

However, a shift has occurred in the wake of Sarah’s death, in which there has been a greater recognition of men’s role in helping women feel safer. It has been pleasing to see some men reaching out on social media to ask what they can do to put women at ease, and we’ve put together some more things may

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Swyddog Materion Cymraeg | Welsh Affairs Officer: katie.phillips@swansea-union.co.uk

Fashion Sustainable Fabrics

By Rhianydd Sword

B

eing sustainable whilst staying fashion conscious can often be very difficult. If we choose sustainability over fashion then, arguably, our wardrobe suffers, for eventually our clothes will become outdated. However, if we pick fashion and buy new clothes, probably via fast fashion brands, then it could be debated whether being environmentally friendly still stands. The reason for this is because the rise of fast fashion unfortunately also means the rise ofenvironmentalwaste through degradable fabrics.

Whilst, there are many ways to be fashion and environmentally conscious at the same time, including upcycling old items or buying preloved clothing, there are also other options. One answer to protecting the earth whilst loving our wardrobes is to look at the fabrics that our clothes are made out of. Whilst we may not realise the harm that fabric consumption has on the earth, being aware of which materials are more earth conscious should become vital information.

One fabric that is sometimes presumed to be environmentally friendly is cotton, due to the fact that it is a naturally occurring fibre. Whilst this is the case, it also uses tens of thousands of gallons of water to make a singular item. On top of this, cotton farms use high amounts of pesticides and toxic chemicals that heavilypollute the earth.

Similar to cotton in that we may not realise that it is harmful towards the environment, is polyester. Polyester is a manmade fabric, meaning that it is able to be made in big batches which encourages the overproduction of fashion.

The process that goes into making polyester heavily pollutes the earth due to the excess of chemical fibres used.

Nonetheless, many clothes and other items, such as bedding are made from cotton, polyester, or a mixture of the two otherwise known as polycotton. This reveals that what we wear can be heavily harmful to the environment because of the way that it is made. This leads to the questions of what fabrics are sustainable?

One certain fabric is Circulose. Circulose has recently been created with the sole purpose of being a fabric that is environmentally friendly. Made from discarded textiles that are either simply too out-of-date or too worn, the process to turn them into a fabric is powered by 100% renewable energy with no need for cotton fields, oil, or trees. The aim of this is to close the loop

on fashion and make it so that there no longer needs to be the decision between sustainability or fashion consciousness, instead both options can come hand in hand. This is shown to work for, according to the Circulose website, “People that choose Circulose garments cut their waste, climate, water, microplastics and deforestation fashion footprint to almost half.”

Currently, Circulose works with companies such as Levi and H&M, to create more sustainable clothing that no longer harms the planet. Their aim is to create collaborations with more companies across the board.

Whilst, fabrics such as cotton and polyester will arguably always be in use, the creation of Circulose means that the fashion industry has taken one step forward to becoming an eco-friendly industry.

Literature & Creative Writing

Earth Day Haikus

By Benjamin Nichols 春 Bright flowers rise up Spring reveals nature’s beauty Too precious to lose 蛙 Our globe spins around Conserve this beauty, we must Master Yoda says 雲 Blossoms in the sun The young ronin looks up A clean sky greets him

Lives of Girls and Women by Alice Munro F

irst published in 1971, Lives of Girls and Women is difficult to categorise, blurring the line between a cycle of short stories and a bildungsroman.

Alice Munro writes the life of Del Jordan, a girl growing up in a small town in Ontario, Canada.

The focus is upon the transition from childhood to adulthood, both on the events that shape Del as well as the atmosphere of growing up, which is intertwined with descriptions of southern Ontario.

Through the precision and sheer cleverness of her prose, Munro has managed to construct a world in which little happens, yet keeps the reader entirely drawn in. This is not a book to read if you are looking for action, nor a book I would recommend reading quickly. The environment of Jubilee, Ontario, reminds me of Romantic literature, with a clarity in the writing which gives Del’s teenage opinions an added realism. Del is an outsider to the community, with her life teeming with autobiographical details, yet a distinct voice when compared to Munro’s other work.

This book was, at one point, removed from Canada’s schools, due to Munro’s frank attitude toward sexual awakening. However, it is in no way overtly sexual, dealing with Del’s sexuality sensitively yet not patronisingly. To read Lives of Girls and Women in the current climate of over-sexualised comingof-age portrayals, in television shows such as Riverdale, is refreshing and, frankly, humanising.

The protagonist’s forays into her first romantic and sexual relationships are nuanced, balanced carefully with the other relationships in her life: with her family, friends, nature, and her self-perception.

I would particularly recommend Lives of Girls and Women to fans of Margaret Atwood and Jhumpa Lahiri, or those interested in the fields of feminism and eco-criticism. As a creative writing student, I find Munro’s technical skill fascinating and inspiring, and I would recommend a close reading of her work for anyone looking to improve their writing skill in any area. There is an undertone of hope for the future throughout the book and a focus upon human connection and survival which, despite being written in 1971, translates well into modern

By Amy Blundell day discussions of the environment, women’s rights, and isolation during the coronavirus pandemic.

Munro would go on to win the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2013, with her work evolving throughout her life, probing deeper into the lives of housewives, of married and then divorced women, of women reminiscing on their adolescence. Whilst I highly recommend her writing in general, I have never found, in either another of her books or the work of another author, the same replication of how it feels to be almost grown-up. I imagine that, in future, I will reread her other collections and find my feelings translated fluently into fiction as I move through my life. Alice Munro is an author to read for life.

See If You Can

By Auditi Bridget Biswas

W

hen I was a little girl, my family used to live in a small quiet town in the south of Bangladesh. Every night there was a long load shedding. The whole neighbourhood would be dark, creating a surrealistic atmosphere. With no electricity, people had nothing to do and we, as kids, had our playtime. It was one such ordinary night which was also, coincidentally, a full moon. I remember my mother was singing a beautiful Tagore song, playing on her harmonium. Suddenly she stopped and said, ‘What beautiful moonlight!’ My father started to appreciate the moonlight as well. So, I ran to my mother and asked with excitement, ‘Where is the moonlight?’. Mother pointed her fingers outwards and said, ‘Look, on the coconut leaves!’. I looked and tried so hard, but all I saw was the coconut leaves.

It wasn’t until about 20 years from that night that I looked back and suddenly realized what was being told to me. By that time, I had grown up as one shy, lonely person who had a hard time finding things to trust, appreciate, and love. So, one day I sat myself down and challenged the way I looked at the world around me. I tried to see not the people, but what they were reflecting. I gathered the courage to evaluate an event not based on what it was, but what caused it. If that isn’t magic, then I don’t know what is! I soon forgave many of the people who wronged and hurt me. I was even able to put myself in their situation and to understand why they might’ve done what they’d done. As they say, you only need to forgive once but to resent is a lot of work as you need to resent every single day. As a result, I became happier and healthier. I had more time to invest in positive works that’d grow me. I finally saw all the mistakes of my life as seeds that, together with all my right decisions, made myself into the person that I love so much today.

I find it amusing how we have unlimited access to great knowledge, yet willingly limit our understanding of that. There are many magnificent sayings which have become just sayings through the process of being said it too many times. A classic example would be, ‘Know Thyself’. We all know what is meant but often miss grasping how important it is that we actually do it! Knowing who we are, what we have done to come here, what we want and

what we are willing to do to get there can be the key to fulfilment. I have seen students fighting over marks without caring for learning. I have known people destroying their health and relationships over earning more money without having an idea of what they need that money for. I have witnessed people belittling others without acknowledging their own shortcomings. To be honest, I, myself have done worse until I found the simple trick to have better control over my thoughts. Thus today, not only did I forgive others, but I forgave my ‘yesterday’ self too.

Not all great things are readily visible; not all precious words are loud. Only those who are willing to see and eager to listen may get access to those gifts. But know that it is you who can change your reality. All that is required is your willingness to ‘see’. I indeed have a long way to go until I heal, but, at least now, when it is a full moon, I know where to look to see the moonlight!

Shadow

By Franziska Trumpp Suddenly, he emerged from within, Silent, sneaking closer with a vicious grin, Slinging his arms around me, So calm so innocent, but cold like the wide sea.

Then he takes hold of me, pulling me underneath the surface, The emotions numb – no feelings, no memories, all wordless, Thoughts become meaningless, fatigue is the usurper of the mind, There is a world turning on the outside, but he keeps me behind.

I want to leave, but I am a prisoner, In the void, denial keeps his throne secure, I am wondering about the life I could have, It drifts farther away, more impossible day after day.

How can I be free again?

He is silencing me with wolf’s bane.

Here I am, held on a tight ring, I am drowning, drowning, -

Music

By Cat Daczkowski

I

n an age where musicians rely on concerts and festivals to provide a wage, the global climate could be taking a huge hit. Some musicians are striving to support change, with big-name Billie Eilish wearing an enormous black T-shirt to the American Music Awards, with the phrase “no music on a dead planet” spelt out in red rhinestones buying a musician’s CD either digitally or physically to and an outline of some lapping flames below the text. support them. In turn, this may reduce the number of Of course, it is incredibly difficult for any modern person tours that a band needs to partake in, and may, as a to control their environmental impact: even with the use result, even help lessen the impacts of overworking of metal straws and reusable coffee cups, their impact on that some musicians experience with constant touring. the environment can remain high. It is important to note Though, it is important to note that, as CDs and Vinyl are that while any little gesture does make a difference, the often made from plastic and plastic-like materials, we impact that the music industry has on the environment must be careful to dispose of them properly when they could be negating those small differences. In fact, Julie are no longer required, or even find ways to reuse them Bicycle (a London based charity) discovered that a total in creative ways ourselves. of approximately 85,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions come from bands touring in the UK, as well as Festivals are incredibly important to the music industry so I am in no way suggesting that you avoid them but I the UK acts touring overseas. am going to offer suggestions of how you can limit your Many musicians, bands and music organisations have impact on the climate while attending them. begun to highlight environmental concerns in the music industry, and some have even strived to make changes to lessen their impacts on the environment. The lead singer of Coldplay, Chris Martin, for instance, stated in 2019 that they would not be touring their newest album as the band’s travel makes up over 40% of their tours’ carbon footprint. As a result, Coldplay will be working together to create a touring strategy that is more sustainable.

Firstly, you can follow the Glastonbury Festivals’ efforts and bring only compostable or reusable tableware. Also, ensure that you do not litter while attending the festival, and take all your belongings with you when you leave.

In 2018, 60,000 tents, along with other camping gear estimated to be worth £1 million, were abandoned in the fields of the Reading by festival-goers, whereas in 2019 at the Glastonbury Festival 99.3% of tents were taken Some festivals have also started to create plans to lessen away by the festival punters. their involvement with climate change. For example, the Glastonbury festival in 2019 promised to become It is, unfortunately, a common misconception that the single-use plastic-free and will only offer compostable tents that people leave behind at festivals are collected or reusable plates and cutlery. Another example of a by charities to provide to homeless people. In fact, it is festival that is striving for sustainability is the Unsound estimated that over 90% of the abandoned tents end Festival, an underground music-and-visual-arts festival up in a landfill or incinerator. As a result of the number held annually in Kraków, Poland. They joined forces with of tents and other items that are abandoned at music the Aeris Futuro Foundation to work out the festival’s festivals, some have begun to suggest the introduction of annual carbon emissions and have proposed to plant a tent tax to discourage the behaviour. enough trees to counteract their environmental impact.

After a long year of no live music or music-based events in So, how can we as individuals help lessen our impact on the majority of the world in 2020, it is important to offer the environment while supporting the music industry? As support to musicians and music-based organisations by a result of the ever-growing amount of music streaming attending events when possible but please, take note of providers, many musicians rely on touring and festival your impact... before it is too late. performances to provide a wage, thus, I suggest outright

The Local Scene - April

By Cat Daczkowski Clwb Y Bont The Clwb Y Bont music venue and bar in Pontypridd was opened in September 1983 by Dafydd Iwan, and since then it has developed a great reputation as a venue for diverse cultural events, as well as a friendly and relaxed place to socialise. Although, a common misconception is that the venue is strictly for music events only. However, the venue also functions as a community centre of sorts; they often host events for a mixture of groups from business based organisations to dance groups. Clwb Y Bont is also incredibly popular with Welsh speakers as they are a bilingual venue that is very connected to the language.

Unfortunately, Storm Dennis in February 2020 caused a massive amount of flooding in the town of Pontypridd and caused severe damage to many businesses including the venue. The flooding was so severe that it was impossible to step foot in the venue as the water level was almost to the ceiling of the ground floor. Of course, 2020 was an eventful year for most as a few weeks after the flooding Coronavirus caused a nationwide lockdown across the country. This, in turn, caused a delay in the much-needed repair and clean up work that was taking place at the venue by the committee members, staff and volunteers.

Luckily now, with the funding the venue has received from the government and even from kind strangers online, the venue is in process of being repaired. The venue is also making use of the funding to ensure that it is updated and modernised for when it is able to reopen to the public. They plan to organise many music-based events when social distancing measures are relaxed, and even plan to offer more space for the community to utilise for meetings and other events.

Hangar 18 The website of the Hangar 18 music venue describes it as a 370 capacity grassroots venue located in the Swansea city centre that hosts original live music, tribute bands and club night events. The venue also offers comedy nights and even all-day festival events. The venue was established in June 2018 and has since had a number of prominent artists and bands perform there, including, Blaze Bayley, Okilly Dokilly and Not The Sex Pistols.

Hangar 18 doesn’t only host rock-genre events but also EDM and Chart club nights.

Of course, similarly to other music venues, the year 2020 was incredibly difficult for the venue due to the Coronavirus pandemic. As a result, though, the venue announced their very own radio station called, Station 18. The radio station plays music from a number of local bands, and also music from more established artists. In connection with the radio station, the venue has announced a new festival called the Station 18 Festival which should be taking place between Friday, 29th April 2022 19:00 and If you would like to stay updated on all the goings-on at Sunday, 1st May 2022. Some big-name acts have already the venue and to be one of the first to hear when they been announced such as Hollowstar, Beth Blade and the reopen, check out their social media and website listed Beautiful Disasters and The Dirty Youth. below.

As always, to stay up to date with the venue, radio https:/ /clwbybontblog.wordpress.com station and the new festival that is launching in 2022, https:/ /www.facebook.com/clwbybont check out the corresponding social media and websites https:/ /www.instagram.com/clwbybont that is listed below. https:/ /hangar18musicvenue.co.uk https:/ /www.facebook.com/Hangar18MV https:/ /www.facebook.com/Station18Festival https:/ /www.instagram.com/hangar18mv/

Science and Research

The Lunar Doomsday

By Owen Wallace

U

30,000. Should the Earth be completely annihilated or rendered uninhabitable, a backup sanctuary on the moon may prove to be invaluable in a worst-case scenario.

niversity of Arizona researcher Jekan Thanga recently proposed the idea of creating a moon vault filled with the genetic material of 6.7 millions species from Earth. Such a task would safeguard life from extinction and potentially allow humanity to continue in the event of a global mass extinction.

Similarities can be seen with the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, currently operational in the remote arctic north.

It stores over a million samples of plant matter and provides “backup copies” in the case of an extinction.

Of the 6.7 million samples, the vast majority would be fungi due to the kingdom’s immense diversity as well as 300,000 different plants. Unlike the Svalbard Seed Vault, the lunar ark would also preserve the sperm and egg cells of around 1.3 million species of animal.

Thanga claimed that there are certain events humanity would not be able to endure, citing examples of supervolcanoes and asteroids. Humans have come close to extinction before, one example being the Toba eruption, in which the global population was reduced to a mere 10,000-

Naturally questions have been raised as to whether such a high price is worth paying given that the full potential of the ark may never be used, and that funding should be allocated to other projects, but Thanga’s team is confident that the insurance provided would outway the cost.

The samples would have to be stored at freezing temperatures of -196 degrees celsius in order to be properly cryogenically preserved. In such cold, there is a risk of the metallic parts of the apparatus freezing or even coldwelding together. Thankfully quantum levitation may be Under the current proposal, the facility itself would be used to prevent this from happening. This phenomenon built into the surface of the moon, occupying a lava tube utilises magnets and the freezing climate to levitate the with only the airlock, an antenna and a large array of shelves above metal surfaces.Theywould be locked in place, solar panels on the outside. These panels serve a critical the magnet and superconductor would move together. purpose in the vault, as they provide the energy required to cryogenically freeze its contents. The preservation Naturally the question of cost has been raised, and it modules are located beneath the soil, along with analysis would be a substantial amount. With current technology laboratories where scientists are able to periodically it costs around £1,971 to send a single kilogram into orbit, ensure there are no faults in the samples. The lunar soil even more so to send it to the moon. Thanga estimates would help protect the samples from radiation, as well that 250 trips would be required using the SpaceX falcon as small meteorites. A series of elevators would connect heavy or NASA SLS launchers. By my own estimates the the airlock on the surface with the main complex below. price of transport alone may be around 400 billion dollars.

The World Without Us

By Sophie Sadler

Y

ears of scientific analysis make it impossible to deny the effect humanity is having on the Earth’s climate. However, this raises an interesting question, posed by Alan Weisman in his book The World Without Us: what would happen to the planet if humanity vanished overnight? Which of our buildings, structures, roads, cities, household items, chemicals, art, pets and farm animals would perish soon after, and which would persevere for years without us? And how many years would these things endure? Hundreds? Thousands? Millions?

Perhaps one of the more emotionally charged questions is what would happen to animals. Amazingly, according to ornithologist Steve Hilty, at least a third of all birds on Earth might not even notice if we vanished. However, these animals are probably in the minority. Some species would vanish along with us, such as the lice which live on our hair and bodies, as well as the follicle mites which live in our eyelashes and the over 200 bacteria species which depend on us for survival. Our pet dogs would be finished off by wild predators, as would domesticated farm animals. It’s not all bad news though: with no large predators around, cows and pigs might survive on Hawaii. Some horse species have also shown to be particularly resilient, with escaped wild horses of the American Great Basin and Sonoran Desert replacing previous wild equine species in those areas.

Of course, there are also species that would flourish without us. With the downfall of our major cities, areas of natural habitats for certain species would be restored.

It’s incredible to imagine that the entirety of New York City could be overcome by nature, but Weisman explores in his book the process by which this may happen. Within just two days of our sudden absence, the subway would flood completely. Manhattan was once 27 square miles of absorbent soil, now covered in concrete; but it rains no less today than it did then. Every day, New York relies on subway crews and 753 pumps to keep 13 million gallons of water from overpowering its underground tunnels. Within years, pavements all over the city would be permanently damaged by burst pipes, destabilising waterlogged structures.

But if even our cities aren’t immune to the processes of nature, have we created anything which is? There is plenty of concern today about plastic in the ocean.

However, we’re still vastly underestimating the quantity, as so much of it is broken down by waves and rocks into microscopic fibres. Scientists in one study found small pieces of plastic in the digestive systems of 95% of dead birds washed up on beaches. Since pieces of plastic found in the sea are being eroded to such small

sizes, the scientists suspect that very soon all living species will be consuming plastic – even zooplankton.

Even scarier is the nuclear debris we would leave behind.

If we vanished tomorrow, about 30,000 intact nuclear warheads would remain on the planet. Though it is essentially impossible that any of these could detonate without human intervention, the radiation would take 250,000 years to decrease to the level of Earth’s natural background radiation. At that point, there would still remain the deadly dregs of 441 nuclear plants. In the United States alone, there’s at least half a million tons of Uranium-238, which has a half-life of 4.5 billion years. The WIPP (Waste Isolation Pilot Plant) in New Mexico contains millions of cubic feet of nuclear waste, which the US Department of Energy is legally required to warn passing hikers about for the next 10,000 years. Since human language mutates almost unrecognizably in a timespan of 500-600 years, this has created an interesting problem: what sort of sign might dissuade future humans (or indeed, other intelligent lifeforms) from approaching the site who speak or communicate in ways we can only guess at today?

As a thought experiment, the world without us reveals a lot – some of it reassuring, some of it terrifying, but all of it fascinating. All of the information in this article came from Alan Weisman’s book The World Without Us, so I recommend picking up a copy if you’d like to learn more.

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