Wessex Scene Sustainable Planet Magazine

WESSEX SCENE

SUSTAINABLE PLANET + could mars be the

sustainable planet humanity needs? 18

+ the urban otter sustainable apparel 22

+ Social travelling and the modern tourist 28

E D I T OR f r e ya mi l l ard editor@wessexscene.ac.uk D E PUT Y ED IT OR C ameron ri d g way deputy-editor@wessexscene.co.uk H E A D OF D ES IG N m ac k en zi e B rown design@wessexscene.co.uk D E PUT Y H EA D OF DE SIGN Hannah egert on design@wessexscene.co.uk H E A D OF IMA G ERY he r mi on e cook image@wessexscene.co.uk H E A D OF MA RKETING lau r a s wi n b urn e publicity@wessexscene.co.uk F E A T URES ED IT OR am y p i ck n el l features@wessexscene.co.uk P O LIT ICS ED IT OR z ach ari ah s h ari f politics@wessexscene.co.uk O P I N ION EDIT OR c har l ot t e col omb o opinion@wessexscene.co.uk LI F E S T YL E ED IT OR j u li a b eazl ey lifestyle@wessexscene.co.uk SCI EN CE & T ECH E DITO R j am e s mos el ey science@wessexscene.co.uk TR AVEL ED IT OR c he ls ea s mi t h travel@wessexscene.co.uk I N T ERNA T IONA L E DITO R i van morri s p ox t on international@wessexscene.co.uk SP ORT S EDIT OR dam i an mead en sport@wessexscene.co.uk

WELCOME BACK EVERYONE! To quote the almighty, Sir David Attenborough, ‘It is our environmental legacy that the younger generation of today will inherit; we need them to become the environmental champions of the future.’

Here at Wessex Scene we want to rise to that challenge and build a legacy to be proud of for all the generations to come. In this special Sustainable Planet issue, we face head on the problems that our home has to overcome and we explore the ways in which this can be achieved.

Each section addresses what sustainability can mean under their umbrella and why it is we should be paying this topic any attention in the first place.

The articles inside cover a great variety of topics, like evaluating the small changes we can make in everyday life to improve our carbon and ethical footprint, such as, trying plant-based diets or shopping for eco-friendly beauty resources. Other writers contemplate the big political scandals that dawn over us and how shared international goals can result in greater progress.

By taking a look at the larger picture we also explore the possibility of humanity inhabiting Mars in the not so far future. It might sound like the plotline to a perfect sci-fi film but it actually is a very real possibility by 2030 and you can find out more about that expedition here.

In our feature interview we got the chance to sit down for a chat with Southampton alumni who set up their own clothing company made out of 100% organic, fair trade cotton, which is definitely worth reading to see how sustainable entrepreneurship can thrive.

Our planet is the most valuable thing we inherit and as the future generation we can change the discourse ahead of us if we lead proactive and informed lives that benefit our home and all that inhabit it.

Join us in rising to the challenge Sir David Attenborough set us, let’s become environmental champions!

THE EDITOR

SUB- EDIT OR far i h ah ch oud h u ry SUB- EDIT OR hannah b ees on SUB- EDIT OR m e gan h art V P D CI E V I E REI L LY vpcomms@soton.ac.uk

FRONT COVER IMAGE BY SAM ELSTON SUSTAINABLE PLANET MAGAZINE

WESSEX SCENE | WELCOME

FEATURES THE PLASTIC PROBLEM 04 5 WAYS TO MAKE YOUR HALLS/HOME 06 MORE ECO-FRIENDLY

OPINION

I TRIED VEGANISM FOR A WEEK 08

10 SOUTHAMPTON’S GEOTHERMAL PURSUIT: A SUCCESS OR FAILURE? 11 CLIMATE CHANGE IS NOT YOUR FAULT 12 CAN ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLACENCY BE COSTLY?

SCIENCE & TECH

POLITICS THE UK: SAVE OUR BACON... OR 13 MAYBE NOT THE ENVIRONMENT IN US POLITICS 14

18 COULD MARS BE THE SUSTAINABLE PLANET HUMANITY NEEDS?

LIFESTYLE

INTERNATIONAL 26 WHAT IS THE AFRICAN UNION’S ‘GREAT GREEN WALL’?

27 WORLDWIDE GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES FOR THE ENVIRONMENT

ECO-FRIENDLY PRODUCTS TO TRANSFORM YOUR MAKEUP BAG

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YOUR OLD JEANS ARE CHOKING LANDFILLS

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THE URBAN OTTER SUSTAINABLE APPAREL

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CAN BEING VEGETARIAN CREATE A SUSTAINABLE PLANET?

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GOING PLANT-BASED FOR EARTH: HOW ON EARTH?

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TRAVEL SOCIAL TRAVELLING AND THE 28 MODERN TOURIST

SPORT 33 FOREST GREEN ROVERS - THE UK’S FIRST VEGAN CLUB

DRASTIC CUTS TO DUBROVNIK’S 30 TOURISM: DISASTROUS OR THE START OF A GLOBAL REVOLUTION

34 WHY FORMULA E IS THE PERFECT STAGE FOR CAR COMPANIES

W ESSEX SCENE. CO . UK @ W ES S E XS CE NE SUSTAINABLE PLANET MAGAZINE

F B . C OM / W S C E N E @OF F IC IAL W E S S E X S C E N E 3

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THE PLASTIC PROBLEM WORDS BY LUCY STEPHENSON IMAGE BY HANNAH SHORT White sand, turquoise waters, glorious sunshine: paradise in its purest form. Aptly named ‘Ihla Deserta’ or ‘Desert Island’ this exposed shoreline at the Southern most tip of Portugal is home to a single fisherman.

The paradise where we stand is undeniably tainted. Garish plastic is everywhere, littering the beach beneath our feet, an unwelcome reminder of man’s presence, even in such a remote location. Cotton buds, drinks bottles, even children’s toys, the familiar features of all aspects of our daily lives are all too recognisable here. I drizzle some sand through my fingers and discover that the problem goes so much further than what is immediately visible. Amongst the grains are similarly sized granules of plastic, which I later learn are referred to as ‘mermaid tears’ or ‘nurdles’. The relentlessly powerful waves, starkly contrasting to the tranquil lagoons on the other side of the island, throw down their cargo of all that mankind has discarded into the Atlantic along the beach. I feel despondent as I try to tuck what offending pieces I can fit into my backpack.

The use of plastic was a revelation in the 1950s. It was designed to be durable and to outlive its wooden and paper predecessors.

Yet 40% of the plastic we use is single use, discarded within a

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year. The properties plastic that it was heralded for are now it’s greatest downfall. Emily Penn, is an energetic entrepreneur, who has launched plastic-related education programmes on remote Pacific islands. She describes the use of plastic for single use items such as shopping bags and packaging as a ‘mismatch of product design and material science’. She insists it is not all plastic that is evil but primarily single use plastics.

Plastic is a global problem, affecting ecosystems and communities across the world. The statistics are staggering.

The World Economic forum reports that globally we use 320 million tonnes every year, which is set to double over the next 20 years. 32% of this escapes collection systems. As a result, much is littered, ends up in sewage systems, then rivers and ultimately runs downstream to the ocean. By 2050 the plastic in the sea could weigh more than all the fish. Once in the ocean, plastic meets ocean circulation and currents. Much of the litter clusters together in dirty soups many kilometres wide, at the centre of ocean gyres. If you run a sieve through these expanses you’ll find many tiny pieces of plastic.

Plastics are broken down by sunlight and churning waves to create smaller and smaller pieces. They take decades or

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centuries to disintegrate and never completely disappear.

Microplastics are defined as fragments less than 5mm in diameter, and are so small they are unlikely to ever be removed even in the most thorough of clean up efforts. Once in the ocean they can act as minute sponges, absorbing the soup of chemicals in the ocean, before entering the marine food chain.

Many of us have seen that emotive but gory viral video of a straw being pulled from a turtle’s nose. This is not an isolated incident. Albatrosses soar over the Northern Pacific ocean, searching for food to feed to their chicks. Midway island, where many albatrosses reside, comes into contact with the Eastern Pacific Garbage Patch. Of the 500,000 chicks born there every year 200,000 of them die, many due to being fed plastic mistaken for food. Globally over a million birds and marine animals die each year as a result of either consuming plastic or being caught in debris. Microbeads found in cosmetics cause starvation of ecologically important zooplankton by clogging up their guts. The smaller the fragment, the higher the diversity of organisms that can ingest it. When we eat seafood we eat the plastic they consume too.

So what are the implications for us and our health? Scientists estimate that everyone alive today carries at least 700 contaminants within their bodies, the majority of these have not been well studied. It doesn’t matter where we live in the world, the concoction of chemicals we eat, drink and wash with will make it into our body. In a demonstrative study conducted by the organisation ‘Exxpedition’ in conjunction with the UN, a group of British women had their blood sampled for contamination in analysis known as ‘body burden analysis’.

They were tested for 35 toxic chemicals, and found 29. What impacts could this have? A study by Harvard university found that BPA, a chemical found in plastic bottles, may interfere with reproductive processes. They found it could play a role in up to 20% of unexplained infertility. Furthermore BPA has been linked to behavioural problems in children, cancer and heart problems.

The conversation on plastic is gradually becoming louder with continuous steps being made by a variety of organisations to improve the problem. Countries across the world have

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introduced a fee on plastic bags. The UK 5p bag charge introduced in 2015 saved the use of 6 billion plastic bags in the first 12 months. Wales plans to take plastic legislation further. Welsh environment minister, Lesley Griffiths, revealed that a plastic tax and deposit return scheme will be introduced by 2019. Even international chain Wetherspoons have recently announced their boycott of plastic straws in all 900 restaraunts. Technological advances are being made too, Japanese scientists have discovered a bacterium (Indonella sahaiensis) which feeds exclusively on PET plastic.

What differences can we make on an individual level? Many people are part of a growing community that advocates a ‘zero waste’ lifestyle. Whilst extremely admirable, drastic lifestyle changes like this are unrealistic to expect from the majority of the population. Emphasis on them can have an opposite effect, alienating people from a problem, preventing them making any action at all. We cannot all spend time and money shopping at farmers’ markets, making our own toiletries and completely eliminating packaging. The Marine Conservation Society promotes taking responsibility with simple, easy actions. Their successful ‘stop sucking’ campaign encourages people to refuse straws, unless medically required, when buying drinks. They also launched the ‘Great British Beach Clean’, bringing together 6000 volunteers to clean 364 UK beaches. A recent app launched by ‘The North Sea Foundation’ called ‘Beat the Microbead’ facilitates conscious consumerism and can be used to scan the barcodes of products to check for harmful microbeads.

Back on that Portuguese desert island beach, we round a corner. As we do, a structure rising out of the ground becomes visible – two large branches of driftwood adorned and decorated with many plastic items found on the beach.

Someone has made a sculpture from the things they’ve found and we add to it, as undoubtedly others have. A thing of beauty made from something ugly. It brings me optimism as I consider the future of the plastic problem and all that is being done to alleviate its effects.

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WORDS BY AMY PICKNELL IMAGE BY SOPHIE WILLIAMS FRESHERS’ MAGAZINE

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_ Eco-Friendly 5 WAYS TO MAKE YOUR HALLS/HOME MORE

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LIVING AWAY FROM HOME IS HARD ENOUGH, BUT DOING SO SUSTAINABLY AND IN AN ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY WAY CAN SEEM LIKE A MONUMENTAL TASK! HOWEVER, IT CAN BE DONE. HERE ARE 5 EASY WAYS TO MAKE YOUR HALLS OR STUDENT HOME MORE ECO-FRIENDLY.

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Recycle, Recycle, Recycle!

Recycling is a wonderful thing, and very easy to make a habit out of. Make sure you have a recycling bin in your kitchen as well as one for general waste and wise up on what can and cannot be recycled. Sometimes it’s necessary to empty leftover food into the bin before recycling the packaging or wash out tins before they can be recycled. Glass can’t be recycled the normal way, so save up all your old washed out glass and take them down to your local bottle bank to be re-used. Why not have a compost bin either indoor or outdoor for leftovers?

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Zero Waste…ish?

There are lots of eco-warriors who have taken the pledge to go zero waste. Yes you heard correctly, to produce zero waste (or as minimal as possible) in their daily lives. Although this is a big challenge, it is possible with enough determination, and there are a few easy ways we can follow in their footsteps. Use a thermal flask or travel mug instead of using disposable take-away cups from your favourite coffee shop. Stop buying single use plastics such as water bottles and bring your own to refill. Refuse to take a thousand napkins from that fast food employee when you don’t really need one. Don’t use a straw at pre-drinks, try not to wrap everything in cling film, use rag cloths not kitchen roll… the list goes on and on.

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Keep Calm and Grow Your Own

If you’re lucky enough to live in a house with a garden and you’re feeling super green fingered, you could start your own vegetable patch! If not, even just having a little herb garden on your windowsill is perfect when living in halls. It also gives you a sense of pride knowing where your food has come from, and that you have grown it! It also saves you buying those pointless jars or bags of herbs and spices as well as wasteful plastic fruit and veg packaging.

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Conserve Energy

No I don’t mean take a break on the sofa, switch the plugs off! If you’re not using your phone charger when it’s in the socket or you’re not watching TV, just switch them off. The same goes for light switches, always switch the light off when you leave a room. If the heating is on, make sure windows and doors are closed to keep the heat in, or just put on a jumper instead of turning up the thermostat. Use a clothes line or an airer instead of using the tumble dryer. To produce electricity, power plants have to burn fossil fuels such as coal or oil which pollutes the atmosphere. By saving electricity where you can, it saves you money, and it saves the planet too!

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Save Water

Water is something we tend to take for granted in a first world country, it flows freely from our taps and is in such abundance that it’s free of charge in most places.

Although it is a recycled resource from the planet’s natural water cycle, clean, safe water is a resource that is limited, and the energy needed to heat and treat water is detrimental to the environment. Opt for a shower instead of a bath and reduce the amount of time you spend in there, do joint laundry loads with your flatmates, and don’t leave the tap running unnecessarily.

THESE ARE ALL EASY, MINIMAL EFFORT WAYS THAT CAN HELP YOU MAKE A STEP TOWARDS MAKING OUR PLANET MORE SUSTAINABLE!

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I TRIED

VEGANISM FOR A WEEK WORDS BY NELLY MAIR IMAGE BY HANNAH SHORT

There is a lot of debate about whether having an entirely plant-based diet is actually better for the environment, and a more sustainable way to live. So I tried veganism for a week – and it wasn’t as bad as I thought.

As a vegetarian, it would be understandable to think that transitioning to veganism would be easy enough. However, I am also a lover of cheese, chocolate, cake and very milky tea, which made the prospect of a vegan week intimidating, if not also somewhat exciting.

Always a woman of preparation, my vegan journey started the day before with an afternoon spent making a meal plan before going shopping. Finding vegan recipes was in itself a struggle. Many seemed overly long and complicated, or full of ingredients it seemed unlikely my local Sainsburys would have. Hours later, I was finished and my vegan haul was successful; I even managed to find vegan cheese and chocolate!

In a cruel coincidence only proving that God laughs at all our plans, the first day of veganism coincided with the first day of my period. A day that, for me, is defined by an insatiable need for comfort food. After a morning of complaints, a little bit of crying, and bingeing on chocolate and cheese on toast – both of which were vegan and better than expected – I started to feel much better, and my previous can-do attitude started to return, if somewhat faded.

The rest of my week proved to be much less difficult than that first morning. My dinners consisted of vegan burgers, bolognaise, chilli and curries. They were so good that I plan to incorporate them into my normal diet. I managed to find a few ready-made vegan meals towards the end of the week but for the most part, the cooking took time and work. It was enjoyable, but had I been more rushed, and the week busier, I would have got tired very quickly.

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Throughout the week I also cooked a few meals for the rest of my family which went down rather well. There was one particularly infuriating incident. It occured after I had spent at least an hour in the kitchen making bean burgers for myself and my dad who had specifically wanted to try a vegan burger. I was very impressed with my efforts, but after one bite he remarked, ‘it’s alright, but not quite a beef burger, is it?’ Looking back, I’m amazed that at that moment, my chocolate-deprived self didn’t go crazy.

My aforementioned susceptibility to cake transpired to be one of my biggest struggles. On the first day, my mother came home with a Victoria sandwich and because she is an angel, vegan flapjacks for me. Whilst this is obviously very sweet, it did not stop the pain of having to watch other people eat my favourite cake, or the leftovers grow old on the counter whilst I, desperate to rescue it from the horrible fate of ending up in the garbage, was unable to do so.

My experience of veganism was, as a whole, much better than I had expected. I spent a lot of the week complaining and the meals may not have been easy, but the restriction turned out to be exciting rather than limiting. The main thing preventing me from pursuing the lifestyle further is its impracticality. The inability to simply buy a chocolate bar, or eat a cake in a cafe, or even get a packet of crisps without checking the label, was what I found most difficult.

Trying veganism was an interesting challenge but to do it permanently would be almost impossible for me.

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SOUTHAMPTON’S GEOTHERMAL PURSUIT: A S U C C E S S O R FA I L U R E ?

WORDS BY NED WILLIAMS IMAGE BY BETH DAVIDSON A major geothermal heating project lies in the centre of Southampton – has it been worth it?

In the principled fight to reduce fossil fuel consumption and CO2 emissions in the UK, many different sources of energy have been trialled. Solar panels, wind turbines and nuclear power are the obvious options, but none of which are without controversy – particularly the latter. Less obvious are hydroelectric and tidal power, with the former having limited useful application in the UK, and with the latter still being rather experimental.

Geothermal, is a form of energy generation that is usually rejected as an unfeasible option in the UK. Geothermal energy generation involves pumping cold water into deep underground wells, in order to heat the water to run a turbine that generates electricity. On paper, geothermal seems like a great option; it’s a renewable, sustainable and carbon neutral energy source. It also creates minimal waste, and it is not generally weather dependent. However, it is often considered to only be efficient near to tectonic plate boundaries, which would render it useless in the UK. Although being near to plate boundaries indisputably improves the efficiency of geothermal power, there’s no reason why it can’t work in other places. While volcanic activity leads to greatly increased near-surface underground temperatures, there is still a significant temperature gradient underground in many places around the world.

Interestingly enough, to find examples of geothermal power in less geologically active places, there is no need to look further than Southampton’s city centre!

The use of geothermal power in the UK was first considered in the oil crisis of the early 1970s, although research decreased with oil prices after the crisis. Some research continued, and in 1981, the Department 10

of Energy found success in drilling a geothermal well in the Hampshire area. It was eventually deemed to not be a commercially successful option, and the Department of Energy discontinued research into it. However, Southampton City Council, then lead by Alan Whitehead (the current MP for Southampton Test), chose to take up the project themselves, with aims to make Southampton a ‘self-sufficient city’.

In 1987, drilling for the well started in the city centre. The well draws water from an aquifer 1800m under the surface, at a temperature of 76oC. The system is contained under a red corrugated building next to WestQuay and IKEA. It produces 13GWh of energy a year, and helps to provide the heating for several buildings, including WestQuay, the Civic Centre, and Royal South Hants Hospital. The amount of energy the system supplies is relatively low considering the amount of research and money put into developing it, but it is still considered as an efficient method of heating several buildings in the city centre around 30 years later!

With that in mind, as far as I can tell, Southampton’s very own geothermal project has been a success. To date, there has still been very little further research and development into the practical use of geothermal energy in the UK. There has been a small amount of research in Cornwall, and a similar system to Southampton’s is currently being developed for use in Stoke-on-Trent. Despite this, there’s evidence that geothermal has the potential to be able to supply a fairly significant portion of the UK’s energy and heating needs, and increased use and research would surely decrease the cost.

While there are several methods of sustainable energy sources that can be implemented in the UK to help replace the use of fossil fuels, it seems clear to me that perhaps geothermal power is an option that shouldn’t be overlooked.

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climate change is not your fault WORDS BY MAX PERRY IMAGE BY AVILA DIANA CHIDUME Rec y c le mor e , u s e l ow energy b ul b s , us e p ublic tr anspor t or bicycle s: just a fe w of the in it i at i v e s u s e d t o enc o ura ge us t o m i ni mise our impact on the e nv ir onme nt.

It ’ s per v as i v e i n t he m ed i a we c o ns um e, the adv e r tise me nts we se e , and the d isc u ssi on s ar ou n d us . W ha t a re yo u d o i ng to minimise your car bon footpr int?

But maybe it doesn’t matter what you’re doing. The Carbon Majors report revealed that since 1988, 70% of carbon emissions globally have been produced by just 100 companies. On an individual scale, does remembering to turn off your computer rather than leaving it on standby really have an impact on the climate, when there are corporations exploiting the earth for their own benefit and ignoring the consequences?

Over and over again, we are told that to solve the problems of the world, it is on us as individuals. If we buy ethically sourced clothing, the sweatshops will go out of business.

If we boycott tax evaders, corporations will start paying their due. If we start taking the bus, the pollution levels will decrease.

This message stops the corporations from taking responsibility for their behaviour, and allows governments to continue enabling those corporations. The consequences of carbon emissions are globally devastating. Already, there is a migrant crisis caused by climate change in some African states as land is no longer suitable for farming. As a result, people who have made their living from farming are forced to move and often driven into poverty.

It’s not just that the onus is placed on individuals. It’s also the absence of eco-friendly infrastructure. Cycling on the roads can be incredibly dangerous, with cycle lanes often starting and stopping abruptly, a situation which does nothing to encourage people to alternate forms of transport. Many appliances touted as ‘eco-friendly’ are more expensive, and putting solar panels on the roof of your house is an investment of thousands of pounds; hardly accessible to those on lower incomes.

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In our global capitalist economy, companies seek to maximise profits. Sometimes they do this by minimising costs, which is why we see companies sticking to resources and methods that harm the environment instead of making an expensive change. Often, they try to limit state intervention in markets since that disrupts their business practices. Large petrochemical companies are known to lobby the US government in order to deregulate their businesses and prevent the government from implementing policies that safeguard the environment. After the Brexit vote, large companies such as Ineos have been trying to ensure that a Britain outside of the EU doesn’t impose tough environmental taxes or add further restrictions to fracking. In 2016, MEPs for the Green Party accused BP of blackmail for threatening to exit the EU if certain new environmental protections went ahead, and many of these protections were then weakened or dropped.

With billions of pounds in play and huge corporations working hard to slow efforts to protect the environment, how are we as individual people supposed to combat the causes of climate change? There are limits to what effects we can have when behind the scenes, those who have a huge impact on the environment are able to shape policies and governments to ensure they don’t have to change their behaviour.

The safety of our environment is being bought and sold at a price far higher than most of us can comprehend, and governments of nations all over the world are complicit in this. The message we are sent is that every human is wasteful, that we all need to improve the way we move through the world and consume energy.

This message is a lie. Climate change is not our fault.

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CAN ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLACENCY BE COSTLY? It’s always tempting to dismiss small actions to help reduce your carbon footprint as ‘useless’, based on your small input not being more than a drop in the ocean.

I am guilty of this myself. But some sincere soul-searching quickly reveals that environmental complacency can be irrational and harmful to humanity.

Let’s first discuss where this lazy and complacent attitude comes from. Our brains have evolved to maximise ease in our lives and, as humans, we often find ourselves having to go against our ‘instant-gratification monkey’ (our lazy selves) to actually do something effortful; whether that is running errands, completing assignments, or going to the gym. If we consider walking to our destination instead of driving (to contribute less towards air pollution) our instant gratification monkey will stop us, simply because it requires more effort to walk than it does to drive. It will then search for a way to ‘rationalise’ driving, to silence your conscious mind in order to allow your lazy self to win. This is a process that will often play out in our minds subconsciously.

It’s easy to curse and blame the human brain for every fault of ours, but that would be falling into the same trap again. When it comes to environmental degradation, we have few options. Awareness and opposition are simply not enough anymore. The pro-capitalist magazine, Forbes, has admitted that at the rate at which capitalism is guzzling the earth’s natural resources, capitalism cannot survive beyond 2050. Call me a doomsdayer, but based on climate change trends today, if our lifestyles do not undergo a radical change we may enter a time where natural disasters will hit our homes, food will become scarce and water will either become contaminated, or simply run short too. This could lead to wars: wars over survival. Fertile land could be destroyed, freshwater reserves (glaciers) could have melted, and our population will also be at a record high. Satellite imagery is already showing worrisome images of raging wildfires and melting ice caps. What’s worse is that our generation is the one that will suffer the consequences.

Again, after reading this, your mind will be overjoyed if someone were to convince you that ‘you will be fine’, simply because biases of the mind will still exist! Another bias of the mind, one that is worth mentioning, is the ‘normalcy bias’. Every time you open a tap, water comes out. If one day it didn’t, you’d be shocked because it goes against what’s normal, even though a few hundred years ago, tap water didn’t exist. Unfortunately, the normalcy bias also keeps us complacent. It fends off thoughts of potential disaster on the basis that if things have been fine until now, they will be fine in the future too.

Miami and Texas are already flooded, wildfires rage in Oregon and California, and science suggests that it may not be long until the Thames Barrier ruptures and London is under water. Sadiq Khan’t (or won’t be able to) do anything then, either. Thinking in a more self-centered light, if your actions won’t save the world, they may just save you. Ordinary people who are conscious of the environment are bringing elevated homes into bigger demand, and are making use of gardenspace to grow their own vegetables. What’s more, the campaigning, lobbying and protesting by those who weren’t prey to this mindset has already started to deliver promising results. All diesel and petrol-fuelled cars will be banned in Britain by 2040, and China is planning to follow suit too. The renewable energy industry is booming, in Europe as well as worldwide. Tree-planting projects are on the rise, and the organic foods industry is also experiencing growth. Change isn’t a remote idea. The world is a fast-changing and dynamic place, and our voice counts. What doesn’t count, is our silence.

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WORDS BY SHAHEER ALI IMAGE

BY HERMIONE COOK SUSTAINABLE PLANET MAGAZINE

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THE UK: SAVE OUR BACON… OR MAYBE NOT WORDS BY STEVEN DIBBEN IMAGE BY HERMIONE COOK The UK nation is among the least concerned in the world about climate change, according to a recent YouGov poll.

Research claims Southern China will reach its limit of ‘survivability’ by 2100, and numerous incidents such as the UK flood crisis of 2007 leave a desperate question. Should we be frightened? Are we doomed? Hurricane Irma has prompted us once again to consider the impacts of the human lifestyle on this planet, thus we must analyse the UK’s response to the growing threat of global warming amid international politics. Time is ticking on, so what are we doing about it?

A history of environmental disasters plague the UK. Flash floods in 2007 killed 13 people and caused over £3 billion in damages. Also shockingly, 40,000 deaths alone are attributed to air pollution each year.

The UK government’s most significant commitment to tackling climate change has been to join the Paris Climate Agreement, aiming to limit temperature rise to 1.5-2.0% by 2100. But its annual ‘Emissions Gap Report’ found the emissions levels resulting from a full implementation of all unconditional contributions would lead to a temperature increase of 3.2°C until 2100. It also found that 2030 emissions are expected to reach far above the 42 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent needed to limit global temperature to 2°C this century. The report therefore urges enhanced pre2020 action. A global rise in temperature of this kind would lead to more extreme weather, and limiting temperature rise does not prevent environmental disasters such as the recent hurricane Erma. At an increase of 7% it’s ‘game over’, including the UK. The Conservative government in their 2017 manifesto promised a commitment to nuclear power and developing the Shale gas industry. Recently, the government supported the construction of the new Somerset Hinkley Point C nuclear power station, a controversial move as we SUSTAINABLE PLANET MAGAZINE

now know offshore wind farms have become cheaper to subsidise. The cost for three new mega offshore windfarms is at a record low, since ministers last year awarded the French state-owned EDF £92.50 per Megawatt hour (MWh) for Hinkley, whereas the cost is only £57.50 per MWh for new wind farms. However, neither wind farms nor nuclear power reverse the effects of climate change. A more fundamental change is needed.

The UN has presented data concluding that “a global shift towards a Vegan diet is vital to save the world from hunger, fuel poverty, and the worst impacts of climate change”.

For instance, the UN found that approximately 3/4 of the worlds fisheries are either being exploited or depleted.

This will lead to a complete depletion of current fishing areas by 2048, seriously affecting the lifestyle of the UK. Furthermore, agriculture of meat and dairy accounts for 70% of global freshwater use, 40% of the world’s land, and produces almost 1/5th of all greenhouse gas emissions.

In the UK, Veganism has more than tripled, from 150,000 in 2006 to over 500,000 in 2016. But none of the UK’s major political parties manifesto’s mention the words ‘Vegan’ or ‘Vegetarian’. Shortly after coming to power, Theresa May abolished the ‘Department of Energy and Climate Change’ and replaced it with the ‘Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy’.

Any serious UK change would involve reforming its arable land. If we lived on a Vegan planet we could feed over 200 million people - more than three times the UK population.

This looks unlikely, to put it mildly, in a profit-driven society, where cattle and land treated as capital will not be given up if industry stands to lose its investment - even if it benefits the world. The goal should be to reverse climate change through restoring the ozone layer, and removing greenhouse gases, but the UK will not achieve this through wind turbines or nuclear power. Action is needed.

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SUSTAINABLE PLANET MAGAZINE

THE ENVIRONMENT

IN US POLITICS WORDS BY LISA VEIBER IMAGE BY MAGNUS GORNY In the last two months, the United States has been one of the many unlucky victims of nature’s will. After Hurricane Harvey hit Texas late August, Hurricane Irma followed behind and stormed into Florida. These devastating natural disasters could happen more often if nothing is done to sustain our planet’s environment.

Ever since President Trump left the Paris Climate Accord in June, the US stance on environment and sustainability has been quite vague. While this political choice was one of Trump’s campaign promises, many members of his administration, including his own daughter, Ivanka, did not hesitate to demonstrate their discontent at this decision.

As a result, Elon Musk, Tesla CEO, left the president’s economic advisory council.

The Paris Climate Agreement aims to strengthen a global effort to combat climate change and to assist developing countries in doing so. The main goal is to keep the global temperature rise below 2oC. This sounded like a bad idea to President Trump, who believes US coal industry would suffer from it and that it will be too costly for his country to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. However, Trump was missing some information before making this statement.

Indeed, in 2015 investments for renewable energy exceeded those for fossil fuels. His statement on the coal industries and unemployment did not take into account the normal job rate loss and creation, as well as jobs shifting between

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those sectors. While President Trump’s statements have been proven wrong before, his party have a long history of disregarding or acting against environmental concerns.

In fact, large numbers of their members dismiss the very existence of climate change. Overall, the Republican party does consider environmental conservation to be a conservative value as long as it does not interfere with economic prosperity. But whilst they claim they want to develop green jobs in America, they still seek to continue developing lucrative domestic oil resources. Republican’s at least claim to support those clean energy sources, such as wind, solar and geothermal, but their party’s actions show the opposite.

Most Republicans support the exploitation of oil sources in the Arctic Wildlife Refuge and the continuation of the Keystone Pipeline Project, an oil pipeline system in Canada and the United States, for which Donald Trump took action to permit its completion in January. Since private property is a crucial value for Republicans it often comes at the price of environmental degradation whilst the US is under a Republican government and this time appears to be no different. On the other hand, the Obama administration have done a lot for environmental sustainability. Solar energy and wind power produced electricity increased substantially under the previous President. From Obama’s directive, the Environmental Protection Agency mandated to curb carbon dioxide emissions in order to

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reduce the emissions by 30% by 2030. The Democrats have made it a priority to protect the environment, by protecting natural resources and their ecosystems by investing in clean energy and fighting to protect the Paris Agreement. However they often disagree on the methodology, this has made progress on environmental law difficult.

Unlike the Republican’s, the Democrats are convinced that a cleaner and more sustainable environment goes hand in hand with a stronger economy and thus want the economy to shift away from oil. They have pledged that America should run entirely on clean energy by 2050. To do so they want half the electricity generated from renewable sources within ten years, fit half a billion solar panels, and boost energy efficiency in public places such as school and hospitals. Although both American political parties agree they should tackle environmental issues, they just do not agree on the way to do it. Unfortunately, political play and power will get in the way of any improvement that could be done in this area. Every single step done towards sustainability by one administration will automatically be replaced after a change in political party at one of the main political institutions. Playing and repeating ancient political rules, they cannot publicly agree with each other if they want to remain in their party.

Donald Trump himself is in fact a prime example of this, previously he was a Democrat and even supported Hillary Clinton when she faced Obama in the Democrats primary elections during 2008. Yet, less than ten years later and Trump, now a Republican, slandered Hilary and sustainability during the 2015 debates.

The main hope for the sustainability of our planet is that President Trump realises remaining in the Paris Accord and putting the environmental issues that our planet faces at the top of his agenda is the best way to make America great again.

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SUSTAINABLE PLANET MAGAZINE

Could Mars Be The Sustainble Planet Humanity Needs?

WORDS BY JAMES MOSELEY IMAGE BY JAMES WORSFOLD

Mars - A landscape where everything wants to kill you. A place where life once was, but not even that could survive the harsh conditions.

For any trip to the red planet, humanity would need to bring everything they needed to survive with them. These resources would have to be used and consumed, and then used again and again, taking the meaning of sustainability to a whole new level.

A colony on Mars has gone from the far fetches of science fiction to a major talking point during the space exploration debates in recent years, with private companies now starting to take over from governments in regards to feeding our need for exploration.

SpaceX, a company widely regarded as the key player in all things spacefaring, plans to start sending supplies to the red planet in December 2022, then launch a manned voyage in 2025. If SpaceX carry on at their current pace, Elon Musk, the CEO, will be sending people further than we have ever been before.

Why Mars? Why bother? Musk’s motivations are driven by the growing fear that a future global catastrophic event could damage or end human life on our planet. With a Martian colony of around a million people, the estimated number required for it to be completely self-sustaining and independent of Earth, this colony would be able to carry the banner for mankind. Our thirst for knowledge is another motive, the wealth of information sent back from the Spirit, Opportunity and Curiosity rovers already on the Martian surface would be minute in comparsion to a 18

manned mission that could carry out experiments in real time.

We may have over 50 years of space travel experience under our belt, but Mars is a whole other ball game compared to low Earth orbit (where the International Space Station or ISS is based) or the Moon. The dangers of being exposed to high levels of solar radiation for months on end, and the psychological effects of being confined in small spaces are two of the main worries for the trip there.

Things don’t get any easier after touchdown, the obvious danger is the thin CO2 atmosphere with no oxygen to speak of, along with freezing temperatures outside of any habitation we manage to set up. Furthermore, Martian dust will cause problems similar to that of Lunar dust, which corroded equipment and caused the Apollo astronauts to suffer from ‘lunar asthma’.

The list could go on and on, but one more serious risk to consider is that of living in micro gravity for extended periods of time. Scientists don’t really know what the effects of this are, but they hypothesize that astronauts could arrive on Mars, weak, brittle-boned and possibly blind, not to mention that they may not be able to return to Earth, unless a solution is found to Mars’ much stronger pull of gravity.

As you probably know, there’s not a lot on Mars. Scientists have found a high enough amount of ice that we could mine it and use the water, but other than that, we’re going to need to bring everything we might potentially need with us. We might need resources such as oxygen or building SUSTAINABLE PLANET MAGAZINE

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materials again once used, so the processes involved are going to have to be sustainable. Not just for a three day mission to the moon, or a six month mission on the ISS, but for at least a minimum of a generation down on the surface of Mars.

Plenty of technology is going to need to be developed for this kind of feat, similar to that of the space race which saw NASA invent a whole load of technologies that have now found their way into our everyday lives. These include satellite TV that we enjoy thanks to around 200 unmanned satellites originally sent to orbit for tests and experiments.

Also there has been many medical advances, such as artificial limbs, which we would not have if it wasn’t for our want to put man on a moon.

Along with entertainment and medical advances, sustainability featured heavily on NASA’s technologies to develop. Out of NASA has come the water purifier, which was invented to supply astronauts with a regular supply of drinking water away from the earth but is now used in under developed parts of the world where water supplies could be contaminated. Along with this, solar panels have been developed and are used as the main source of power for the Martian rovers as well as numerous satellites and the ISS. SUSTAINABLE PLANET MAGAZINE

Many technological advancements undoubtedly came from putting a man on the moon, but with continued funding the aim of putting a man on Mars could lead to inventions beyond anything we can currently imagine.

Sustainability is crucial for a colony that is independent of Earth, Elon Musk’s goal of putting human life on Mars could potentially provide us with even more ways to create a sustainable Earth. If we’re lucky, maybe these advancements could even save the planet from the devastating effects of continued global warming.

“Our thirst for knowledge is another motive, the wealth of information sent back from the Spirit, Opportunity and Curiosity rovers already on the Martian surface would be minute in comparison to a manned mission that would be able to perform experiments in real time.”

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ECO-FRIENDLY PRODUCTS TO TRANSFORM YOUR MAKE-UP BAG WORDS BY SOPHIE OLVER IMAGE BY ABI BARTHEE There’s one thing many of us overlook when we try to become more eco-friendly: our make-up bag. You can stop buying over-packaged food and start supporting anti-animal cruelty movements, but you can also help the environment by making simple changes to the products you use every day.

offers a full-volume, long-lasting mascara, paraben free and vegan, and Organic Bella provides a dramatic, 100% natural mascara, creating length without drying out your lashes, recyclable and free of harsh chemicals. Many other mascaras have also stepped up their ecological game.

The cosmetics industry has already made great advances in creating a more eco-friendly community, yet there are still many brands to watch out for. Non-eco-friendly companies often overuse pesticides, use non-biodegradable packaging that encourages deforestation and waste, and they include chemical components that cannot break down, consequently poisoning the hydrological cycle and damaging eco-systems. Furthermore, according to Humane Society International, 100,000-200,000 animals are still suffering each year from cosmetic animal testing.

Lipstick is home to some of the dodgiest chemicals in cosmetics, such as phthalates, lead, butylated compounds, and siloxanes, so when making your next purchase really look at the ingredients.

Brands that are taking a stand against this include: Rituel de Fille (99% natural. Paraben, phthalate, synthetic dye and synthetic fragrance free whilst also 100% cruelty-free), Ilia (85% bioactive organic ingredients, housed in a recycled aluminium case), and Hush + Dotti (a cruelty-free, organic lipstick with clean ingredients and zero toxins). Explore and discover new and rising brands that are clean and cruelty-free before mindlessly purchasing your usual go-to lipstick.

If you’re going to detox your make-up, you’re going to want some eco-friendly brushes to match. Eco-tools are the perfect brand for this: they use recycled aluminium and plastic, sustainable bamboo handles, tree-free packaging, and 100% cruelty-free bristles. They also donate a percentage of their profits towards Glamour’s The Girl Project encouraging female empowerment. The perfect set of brushes to feel good on the inside as well as on the outside.

Foundation contains a mass of chemicals, such as lead, butylated compounds and octinoxate, that are damaging to both your own well-being and the environment. Why not choose Tarte’s Amazonian clay 12-hour foundation? It’s free from parabens, phthalates and is cruelty-free. For a cheaper option, try Ecco Bella liquid foundation: paraben, petroleum, preservative and fragrance-free. If you prefer loose powder, Physician Formula Organic Wear is perfect. Also, always go for a natural, vegan and cruelty-free face wash such as Juice Beauty cleanser.

Sample brands to support: Acure Organics, Antonym Cosmetics, Aveda, Axiology, Beauty without Cruelty, Burt’s Bees, Cargo, Dr. Hauschka, Ecco Bella, Eco-tools, Hush + Dotti, Ilia, Jane Iredale, Josie Maran, Juice Beauty, Kiss my Face, Korres, NU Evolution, Organic Bella, Origins, Pacifica, Physician Formula, Ritual de Fille, Suki, Tarte, Vapour.

Simple changes to your make-up bag can go a long way both for you and the world around you.

Good, organic eyeshadow can be a difficult product to find and many companies are still far from developing a sustainable product. Look for a product that is 100% natural, vegan and gluten-free, and try refillable palettes to prevent wastage. Why not try Jane Iredale eyeshadow that offers an array of colours, or Aveda Petal Essence eyeshadow, paraben, talc and mineral oil free, and packaged in recycled material? The average woman spends £2,867 on mascara in her lifetime, however, toxic ingredients such as phthalates, petrolatum and sodium laureth make mascara an incredibly non-eco-friendly product. Beauty without Cruelty

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Research by the Waste and Resources Action Programme found that the average piece of clothing in the UK lasts 3.3 years before being discarded, whilst other research has found this time period to be as short as 2.2 years. This lifespan is likely to reduce significantly for younger people, whose trends change pretty much weekly. We all remember the importance of having Abercrombie and Fitch hoodies and Paul’s Boutique gilets and how it seemed like the end of the world if you didn’t have one. The fashion would vanish a few months later and your recent passion for this item of clothing would have shifted onto a new trend.

In the UK, we bought 1.3 million tonnes of clothing last year. That is the equivalent of a fully grown walrus. We bought a walrus’ worth of clothes in one year, and still the consumers’ urge to buy continues to increase. We are all becoming Rebecca Bloomwood in Confessions of a Shopaholic and it’s ridiculous. We’ll all be avoiding debt collectors and pretending to be fluent in Finnish in no time at this rate. However, there are things that we can do to reduce the impact that throwing away old clothes has on the environment.

Your Old Jeans Are Choking Landfills WORDS BY JULIA BEAZLEY IMAGE BY ABI BARTHEE

When you throw away that old top that’s no longer ‘in’ or those jeans that you’ve simply stopped liking, you often just throw them out, never giving them a second thought. However, it’s these clothes that contribute to the 235 million items that ended up on nationwide landfill sites last spring.

Firstly, make use of charity shops, both by donating and shopping with them. Just because you no longer like that pair of jeans does not mean that no one else would like them. By contributing to charity shops you not only get rid of the clothing you no longer wear without affecting our environment, but you are also giving the items a second life and supporting the charities that these clothing shops help. Cancer Research UK has claimed that the average value of a bag that is donated to their charity shops is worth £25 so think of the potential effects your donation could have on groundbreaking research.

The increasing concern surrounding the number of items going to landfill has been addressed by Stella McCartney. She chose to photo shoot her latest clothing collection on a Scottish landfill site where the models lay across household waste to show the sheer mass of refuse that is building all around us.

An extremely easy and simple way to give a t-shirt you don’t wear anymore another life is to simply cut off the sleeves and turn it into a cushion cover. You don’t need to be an amazing sewer or a DIY genius because the option to glue gun it is always there, and who doesn’t want an excuse to justify purchasing a hot glue gun?

Ripped tops and jeans have been prominent in everyday fashion for the past few months, but why spend £20+ on something that you can easily make at home? If you already own some jeans that you’re thinking about replacing, think again! Simply pick the spot you want to rip and slide something inside the trouser leg to protect the other side. Sandpaper the area until the fibres have loosened and if you want a more intense rip, use a knife carefully and then carry on until you’re happy with it.

It couldn’t be easier to simply give your clothes a new life through DIY or to give them a better home than your local landfill whilst supporting a charity.

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The Urban Otter is a newly established clothing company set up by James and Toby, 2012 graduates of the University of Southampton. They stress the importance of reclaiming the childish curiosity that is often lost in adulthood, and so they create simple and stylish clothing to encourage their customers to go out exploring! All of their clothing is made from 100% organic, fair trade cotton, so it’s entirely sustainable.

Also, as a form of moral sustainability, The Urban Otter give 10% of their profits to Crisis, a charity that aids the homeless nationwide.

I interviewed James and Toby about their experiences at the University of Southampton and how their start-up company is going…

Q: Many would say that, as a student, going out exploring is quite difficult. Were you always passionate about being active during your time at university?

A: We’ve always been mad about exploring and being outside. When James was younger, he did a lot of mountain biking and surfing.

For me [Toby], it was that freedom you get from being away from technology, exploring somewhere you’ve never been before. Seeing something for the first time is refreshing. At university, we both tried to get outside as much as possible, be it windsurfing in Bournemouth or playing touch on the common. James was part of the University Hockey Team and SUSSC and I played University Rugby. Outside is always better!

Q: Did you plan this company before graduation or were you still clueless about it then (as a large majority of students tend to be)?

A: James studied Politics & International Relations and I [Toby] studied Geography so this wasn’t directly relevant to either of our degrees. After I graduated, I did an unpaid internship at an infrastructure fund but eventually had to find a way to pay the bills and I kind of fell into a job in a bank. I [ James] had no plans whatsoever! I ended up working as a cable engineer which I loved. I ran the surveys to lay internet cables in the sea so I travelled a lot but again there was no plan.

Establishing The Urban Otter was something we loved doing, something that could get us going.

Q: You mention trying to “re-live that childish sense of wonder”. Why do you think people lose it?

A: I guess all the boring parts of being an adult take over: working, buying a house. The decisions you make seem so serious and people get scared to take risks or follow their heart. People fall into a routine.

Q: How did you decide that you wanted to start The Urban Otter?

A: After five years of the corporate grind, I realised that I wasn’t happy. What I really wanted to do was work for myself and The Urban Otter is a creative release. There are so many people who fall into this hole where they get up to go to work, commute home, repeat. They forget to live and I had become one of them. The company reminds people that life’s not just about work, it’s about having fun.

Q: What came first, your interest in ethics and sustainability or your passion for clothing? Is it a happy accident that your newly formed business is allowing you to do both?

A: It’s a very happy accident. We wanted to establish a brand that has meaning rather than just another empty clothes company.

As we started designing our products we thought “Hey! What’s important to us?” and that was producing clothing that has a small negative impact. Ethics and sustainability have always been important to us and the fact that we can blend something that we love doing with helping people and our planet is perfect! Our men’s navy shirts are earth positive so they are climate neutral.

Our grey t-shirts are bamboo cotton which is a highly sustainable plant and a great alternative to cotton. It grows naturally without pesticides, and as a grass, bamboo is cut rather than uprooted, so it’s good for the soil and only requires rain to grow.

Q: Why did you choose to support homelessness?

A: We want people to explore cities and walking around there are many people living on our streets. Most of the time it’s through no fault of their own. It must be horrifying to be cold and hungry, without the everyday essentials that we take for granted. It’s a really difficult situation to get out of and they can’t simply start a job because they need an address. If we can help them and treat them like the human beings that they are then that’s a good thing.

Q: Where is your clothing made?

A: India and Sri Lanka. A guy called Shariful does a fantastic job and always goes out of his way. Top bloke!

Q: What are your opinions on clothing being produced in third world countries where the workers are paid less than a proper living wage?

A: Unforgivable. It’s pure greed and it’s unacceptable to profit off the back of another person’s misfortune. We make a point to do thorough due diligence on every factory and company that we deal with. Our women’s navy t-shirts are part of the Fair Share project who aim to pay all workers a living wage. A small increase in t-shirt cost makes it possible to pay the poorest workers in the factory a wage increase of 50%.

The Urban Otter wants its values to be clear. It represents sustainability and a different way to think about living. As a startup, the company is focusing on promoting the brand, but as they progress they plan to help those around them as much as possible as well as their environment.

As graduates of the University of Southampton, The Urban Otter have kindly provided Wessex Scene readers with a 10% off discount code (soton17) so go have a look and support a startup, the planet and those less fortunate than yourself!

WORDS BY JULIA BEAZLEY IMAGE BY LUCY WHELLER-PARR

SUSTAINABLE PLANET MAGAZINE

CAN BEING VEGETARIAN CREATE A SUSTAINABLE PLANET? WORDS BY FREYA MILLARD IMAGE BY ABI BARTHEE Firstly, let me just say that I am not writing this to push an agenda or to make you feel guilty about your love of pepperoni pizza. Yes, I am a vegetarian but I did try meat when I was 14 years old. However, it just wasn’t something I enjoyed and the drama of cooking it and fear of dying was far too much for my little heart to take. This is my personal decision that I have the right to make, just like you have the right to decide to eat meat. This isn’t a lecture, I don’t think you’re a bad person for having a bacon buttie. This is just an overview of the facts.

In the last 10-15 years, there has been a massive rise in people turning to vegetarian diets. This mass change towards vegetarianism could be due to a number of factors: animal rights, dietary requirements, financial savings and the one which we’re going to focus on, sustaining our beloved planet.

Less Emissions, Less Global Warming!

A study conducted by Livestock’s Long Shadow in 2006 revealed that the climate change emissions from animals bred for meat consumption totalled about 18% – which might not sound like a lot, but if we put it into perspective, that’s more than the total of every form of transport on this planet put together. Our love for meat as a species is one of the main factors contributing to why Earth is currently being baked alive. Please don’t try to deny global warming; it’s not debatable, it’s a fact.

Stops Polluting Our Oceans

Polluting the ocean isn’t usually an association made when thinking about meat production because it’s usually reserved for oil spillage. However, it is true that the meat industry has a massive impact on our oceans. The excess of animal waste, nitrogen compounds and fertiliser find their way down rivers and into the seas, creating what is known as ‘dead zones’ which are basically a feeding ground for algae that consumes the water’s oxygen. This makes it impossible for the sea’s eco-system to survive. Almost 400 dead zones have been identified all across the globe.

Conserves Land Space

Another problem caused by our meat consumption is the space needed to breed livestock. Several studies have shown that the space to produce meat is over 20 times that needed to grow vegetables, fruit and carbohydrates. It is estimated that 30% of the Earth’s available space is used to home our animals or for growing crops to feed them. With the population rates predicted to grow by 3 billion, this space issue is eventually going to come to a head one way or another, and I doubt it’ll be pretty.

Feed The People

The sad reality is, our livestock is better fed than our own species. Over one billion people are starving every day, and we give our food resources to animals that we purposely breed to kill. Some researchers have concluded that if Western countries actually directly consumed the produce we feed to animals, we could feed at least twice as many people in the world and put a massive dent in the world hunger crisis. Now that’s the kind of positive change I want to see one day.

Even though the vegetarian population has increased, the meat consumers have increased their intake. In the last 30 years, meat consumption has doubled to about 230m tonnes a year! This mass want and demand means we have to breed far more animals than ever before. As a result, this puts a massive strain on the planet’s resources and sooner or later this is a strain we will have to face head on whether we like it or not.

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Going Plant-Based for the Earth:

How on Earth?

When I first tried going vegan, I didn’t really do it for the Earth.

In fact, I did it because I was curious how and why those weirdos managed to survive on such a diet…

However, it turned out that there are many reasons to be one of those weirdos!

While the world population is increasing, our natural resources are depleting at an alarming rate. Animal agriculture accounts for almost 15% of global greenhouse gas emissions and uses 30% of our land. The Earth will simply not be able to keep up with the demand for animal products, and global climate change will affect not just the food we eat, but our very existence.

So there are good reasons to go vegan, but how? It turned out that surviving on a vegan diet is not so complicated.

And so, 2 years later, I am giving you some of my tips on how to do it.

Firstly, embrace your cooking style. Some like to follow recipes; others enjoy improvising. Regardless, it is worthwhile exploring some of the millions of recipes online to get inspiration. You could also invest in a cookbook – you can get them cheaply online, or browse charity shops. I would recommend Vegan on the Cheap for budget-friendly ideas, and Soy, Not Oi! 2 if you’d like a truly massive collection (with a musical accompaniment and a punk angle to boot). There is also “Vegetarian Nosh for Students,” where what is not vegan already can be transformed with some imagination.

Students are always advised to cook in bulk, but trust me, it will change your life. For example, if you cook a big stew (e.g. ‘Vegetable Lentil Stew’ from Vegan on the Cheap) and have enough fridge/freezer space, you can keep it frozen for several days and simply defrost it in the microwave.

However, be careful storing rice: cool it quickly, do not reheat it more than once and eat it within 24 hours. For variety, you can make several different meals, freeze and rotate them throughout the week. If you happen to have nice housemates or like-minded friends, you could also cook in turns or chip in ingredients and share meals.

For a student plant-based diet, the brilliance of tinned beans, own brand cooking sauces and instant noodles cannot be stressed highly enough! Dry beans and pulses are not hard to cook either – simply soak them in water overnight before cooking. Go-to recipes include pasta with tomato sauce, broccoli and green lentils and beans on toast (you could spruce these up with seasonings and hummus or greens).

There is a common misconception that vegan diets are expensive. My view is that it depends on where you live.

In the UK it is simply not true, even in comparison to a more typical diet that involves meat. That is if you know what, how, and when to buy. There are many delicious alternatives to meat and cheese, but they are definitely more pricey than beans! A way to enjoy them on a budget is to watch out for offers, and use them to compliment your meal rather than making them the star of the show.

Making a meal plan can be helpful when getting to grips with a plant-based diet. It can both save you stress and reduce food waste. About 30% of all food that is produced is simply thrown away, and keeping food waste sealed in plastic bags contributes to methane emissions. So think before you throw away. However, do remember that most animal products (except crushed egg shells) are not compostable.

All in all, plant diets win!

WORDS BY MAGNUS GORNY SUSTAINABLE PLANET MAGAZINE

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SUSTAINABLE PLANET MAGAZINE

WHAT IS THE AFRICAN UNION’S ‘GREAT GREEN WALL’?

WORDS BY FREYA MILLARD IMAGE BY AVILA DIANA CHIDUME Over 60 years since the initial proposal of the ‘Great Green Wall’, the project has finally gained the support and funding it needs. The ‘Great Green Wall Initiative’ for the Sahara and Sahel Initiative (GGWSSI) has the ambition of creating the largest living structure on the planet by planting a 7,700 kilometre tree belt stretching the entire length of the Sahara Desert and running through a total of 7 countries.

British environmental scientist, Richard St Barbe Baker, conceived the idea of planting trees across the southern Sahara back in 1952. However, he did not receive the support necessary at the time to see his dream through. Skip forward to 2005, when the President of Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo, revived Baker’s vision as the answer to the current environmental and economic problems that plague the Sahel region. Recent statistics suggest that 83% of rural sub-Saharan Africans depend on the land for their survival; however, when over 40% of said land is degraded and impossible to cultivate, this leaves the residents of Sahel destitute.

In 2007 the ‘Great Green Wall’ project gained phenomenal support that has resulted in a total of 21 African countries participating, alongside a pledged $8 billion investment from bodies such as the World Bank and the French government.

The overall purpose of building this impressive structure is to provide a barrier against the growing Sahara desert and to interfere with the desertification process that has caused famine, drought and devastating poverty throughout the Sahel region. Across the continent the ambition is to restore 50 million hectares of land that can then provide food and resources for 20 million people, and in turn create jobs and financial security. If successful, the project will also contain 250 million tonnes of carbon.

likely caused by a mixture of factors including climate change and unsustainable land management. Some believe that the project is wasteful, since previous initiatives found that 80% of the trees planted in the Sahel region die within two months without water or protection.

The production of the ‘Great Green Wall’ has already begun, mostly in Senegal where around 15% of the wall has already been planted, which equates to about four million hectares of restored land. The benefits of the project are already being harvested, including creating 20,000 jobs in Nigeria. However, this is not the only positive sustainable development to emerge from this project. The countries within the region are unified as they work together to tackle the big issues that they face, including: climate change, economic growth and poverty. Each country tackles a specific issue, such as: education, technological advancements and agriculture. They then share all developments across the region to reach their unified goal together. For example, in Nigeria there has been fundamental improving of water management and abating soil erosion, while in Senegal they have focused on agri-business development.

Only time will tell as to whether the ‘Great Green Wall’ is truly great. There is evidence to support both sides to this argument, although it is undeniable that the project is an impressive ambition that has not only inspired hope but also more and more ambitious projects that have made positive and effective change. All of which take steps forward in making the region and the planet all that more sustainable.

However, not everyone is a fan of the ‘Great Green Wall’.

Many scientists have disapproved of the project from the get go. The consensus among the scientific community is that the Sahara Desert is not advancing, and that all the changes are

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W ORL D W I D E G O V E RN M E N T

I N I TIA TIV E S FOR TH E E N V IRON M E N T WORDS BY TABASSUM RAHMAN IMAGE BY HERMIONE COOK ‘SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IS THE PATHWAY TO THE FUTURE WE WANT FOR ALL. IT OFFERS A FRAMEWORK TO GENERATE ECONOMIC GROWTH, ACHIEVE SOCIAL JUSTICE, EXERCISE ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP AND STRENGTHEN GOVERNANCE.’ – BAN KI MOON A F RICA : CÔ TE D ’ I V O I R E • Côte d’Ivoire has the highest level of biodiversity in West Africa, with over 1,200 animal species and 4,700 plant species. However, the country suffers from deforestation and oil spillage.

• The national government set out measures to conserve over 230 ‘protected forests’, known as forêts classées, but has caused concerns among human forest residents as 24,000 residents have been forcibly evicted since July 2016.

• In 2017, Côte d’Ivoire (world’s largest cocoa producer) and Ghana set up the ‘Ghana-Cote d‘Ivoire Sustainable Cocoa Initiative’ to improve the pay of cocoa farmers and prevent crossborder smuggling of cocoa.

ASI A: JAP AN • Although Japan is the 3rd largest economy in the world, it was still ranked 26th on the Environmental Performance Index (EPI) in 2014, a measure of countries’ care for the environment. Japan currently faces issues concerning air pollution from power plant emissions resulting in acid rain and threatening aquatic life.

• Since the implementation of the New Growth Strategy (2009), Japan approached a more encompassing sustainability program that recognizes social values, ecological protection, and economic growth by promoting a low-carbon economy, smart materialcycle measures and preserves equilibrium with respect to the use of natural resources.

• In July, The Tokyo Metropolitan Government established a new energy saving campaign to make Tokyo switch to LED Lighting to help improve energy efficiency in households. Tokyo residents who bring two or more incandescent bulbs to their local home appliance store will in exchange receive one LED bulb.

EURO PE: UNI TED KI N G D O M • Home to approximately 5,000 miles of coastline and a temperate climate, the UK ranks 12th on the EPI (with a score of 77.35).

• The UK Government has supported the use of green technologies by providing financial incentives to companies that use renewable energy for generating heat and enforcing energy-saving methods in the workplace.

• Following France’s commitment to take polluting vehicles off the road by President Macron, the UK plans to ban the sale of all diesel and petrol cars and vans from 2040 due to warnings that the UK’s high level of air pollution could be responsible for 40,000 premature deaths a year.

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T H E A M ER IC A S : EC U A D O R • The small South-American country Ecuador remains the 8th most bio-diverse country on earth, with 20,000 species of plants and over 1,500 species of birds. However, Ecuador has one of the highest deforestation rates and worst environmental records in South America as a result of oil exportations, logging and road building.

• In 2007, the Ecuadorian Government officially granted the Cofán indigenous people rights to their land. Subsequently, the Cofán people alongside the Condor Bio Reserve established a park ranger program to cease illegal hunting and decelerate ranching/growing practices.

• The Galapagos Islands National Park and Marine Reserve was created in 1959 by the Ecuadorian Government, protecting 97% of the landmass of the islands and marine life in an area of approximately 25,000 miles (40,000 km).

O C EA NIA : A U S T R A L IA • Australia is one of the top 10 countries in the EPI, with a score of 82.4 out of 100 and a 2.32% change in environmental protection over 10 years. As over a quarter of Australia’s GDP is spent on mining, the country faces issues such as soil erosion and desertification.

• One of the major international environmental policies Australia is involved in is combating desertification. Australia is one of the 193 countries which signed the United Nations Convention on Combating Desertification aiming to reduce desertification and droughts.

• Across Australia, city councils are developing green buildings, electric transport, and emissions targets. Adelaide is Australia’s greenest city having successfully reduced carbon emissions by 20% between 2007 to 2013 and aims to achieve carbon neutrality by 2020.

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SOCIAL TRAVELLING AND THE

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WORDS BY JAMIE KELLY IMAGE BY LOUISE REGAN Every traveller will have an idea in their mind of how they would like their travels to be, with the various goals they wish to accomplish forming the shape of the trip. No matter what kind of traveller you are, the likelihood is that you would like it to contain a social element, whether that might be partying at night in the craziest clubs in town, going out sampling various restaurants, or perhaps spending time with locals at an event in the area. Being social adds to any travelling experience but sometimes this can cost more than you bargained for.

A new trend becoming more and more popular in recent years is the notion of homestays, whereby your accommodation is in a local family home instead of a hostel or hotel. But what are the advantages to this option as opposed to the typical hotel or hostel? Below are 5 key points to consider to see if a homestay will be for you on your next trip!

1.

Complete authentic travel experience

This is a great option if you are the classic backpack style traveller looking for the full travel experience. What better way to take in local culture, cuisine and history than have your accommodation and meals with one of the locals. On many websites, the different host families take guests on a tour of the area to ensure they are comfortable and settled in. Being able to socialise, eat and stay with locals all under one roof is an immersive experience that no hotel or hostel can offer.

2.

Cost

A quick google comparison between the costs of a homestay vs. hotels and hostels quite often shows that the homestay option is the best value, although this is not always the case. Most websites such as homestay.com ensure breakfast is included with some options offering a full catering option. This, of course, means that all meals are included which could save travellers plenty of money in the long run.

3.

Benefits the locals more

Although tourism benefits a great many countries’ economies, the impact this has on local people can at times be minimal. Homestays help to improve this as money spent on accommodation and food isn’t returning to chain hotels but is instead finding its way to the locals offering their home. The knock-on effect is the general population of the area becoming more wealthy.

4.

Sustainable preservation of environment and culture

Staying with locals, there is far less waste and damage to the local environment. Chain hotels, especially those that offer all-inclusive deals, over-cater for their guests and as such the waste generated through leftover food and litter is very high. Equally popular resorts see new hotels spring up each year which means more land is required for building, resulting in potential damage to the local heritage and environment.

5.

Break down that language barrier!

Staying with local families, especially for prolonged periods of time, will help to reduce the language barrier.

Although English is commonly spoken by most nationalities and its people, the chance to learn a new language and interact with the local people is a great opportunity whilst staying with a local family. This will inevitably enable more close friendships to form with local people and the host family.

These are just 5 points to consider when choosing accommodation for your next trip abroad. With websites such as Airbnb, homestay.com and many others offering the chance to experience the full travel experience by staying with a host family, there is a wealth of choice available at a variety of budgets. With more emphasis on reducing the impact of tourism on local heritage and the local population, homestays offer the chance to tackle this issue head on. As well as the added bonus of benefiting the locals in a more direct way whilst preserving the natural environment and reducing waste. As a result, homestays are very flexible offering a unique experience for the modern traveller!

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DRASTIC CUTS TO DUBROVNIK'S TOURISM: DISASTROUS OR THE START OF A GLOBAL REVOLUTION WORDS BY LUCY STEPHENSON IMAGE BY HERMIONE COOK

IS THE MAYOR PAVING THE WAY FOR A MORE SUSTAINABLE TOURISM I N D U S T R Y O R I S H E U N N E C E S S A R I LY D A M A G I N G A N I M P O R TA N T S O U R C E OF INCOME? New plans to protect Croatia’s ‘pearl of the Adriatic’ involve imposing limits on tour operators during the day, installing security cameras on the outskirts of scenic Old Town, and banning Segways between the major historic sites and the beachfront. Cruise ships will be moved away from peak times, such as weekends, and the flow of people will be spread more evenly. The number of people allowed to enter historical attractions will also be severely reduced.

The announcement of the policies comes in response to unprecedented growth in the tourism sector since the end of the Yugoslav War. An estimated 10% of the sudden growth is attributed by some to the city’s prominent appearance as “King’s Landing” in Game of Thrones. The picturesque, medieval streets have also featured in Star Wars and Robin Hood. A record number of 10,388 visitors entered the city on a day during Heatwave Lucifer last year, which was set to have been topped over this summer.

Hundreds of cruise ships bearing flocks of eager sightseers, dock at the port 2 miles from Old Town. In 2016, 529 ships visited, up from 475 in 2015 and 463 in 2014.

All this growth is in contrast to the dwindling number of permanent residents, which has fallen from 5,000 in 1991 to 1,157 in 2016. Locals haven’t received as much benefit as they potentially could, especially with the exploitation of the city by cruise companies. The spending of cruise-goers yields little profit to the local economy, whilst going about 30

daily life amongst the crowds would be nothing short of a pain in the neck.

UNESCO had previously recognised the impact that the fast growing industry was having on the city. They recommended that a maximum of 8,000 visitors were allowed into the city’s main attraction, Old Town, per day. This was as a result of fears the at the World Heritage site’s ancient buildings would be irreparably damaged. The mayor of Dubrovnik, Mato Frankovik, was voted in shortly after UNESCO’s involvement in June, and was faced with the large task of tackling such issues. Unfazed, he vowed to go further than the 8,000, by placing the cap at 4,000 entrants.

The impressive battlefront walls, which seem to defy time, survived an earthquake in 1667 and made it through the turmoil of the 1990’s conflict. Standing amongst the glorious Gothic, Baroque and Renaissance churches, it is hard to imagine that they will do anything but persist through any problems the city faces.

The radical announcement has not been received without opposition. The tourism industry is thought to be responsible for pulling Croatia to recovery from the 20092014 recession. Is it wise to turn away the people who have brought prosperity to the city? Dubrovnik authorities predict 1 million euros will be lost from visitor related SUSTAINABLE PLANET MAGAZINE

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revenue in the year after the cuts. However, the mayor is confident that the money lost will return in future by making the city a ‘high-quality destination’. Frankovik acknowledges the resistance he will face, justifying his actions by saying, “I am not here to make people happy but to make the quality of life (in the city) better”.

The changes in Dubrovnik highlight a wider issue of unrest related to tourism across European cities. A lot of this tension has been focused on Spain, where 75.6 million tourists visited last year, nearly 4 times as many as the UK. The 17th of August saw thousands swarm to the streets to express their dissatisfaction in Mallorca and San Sebastian.

Although largely the protests were peaceful, Arran, an anarchist group, have made a stand against the mass tourism they claim is destroying the country, by vandalising tour buses and rental bicycles. Barcelona has had building problems over the last decade, led by a shift to short city breaks and the use of AirBnB rather than traditional accommodation services. This has had a negative impact on the local housing market. The city has enforced its laws on rentals more strictly recently by doubling the number of inspectors checking unlicensed properties, frozen hotel construction and limited beds available in hotels.

Other popular destinations have responded with varying tactics. Venice installed automated ‘people counters’ in heavily trafficked areas, Hvar plans to fine tourists, and most notably, all visitors are required to have guides on the SUSTAINABLE PLANET MAGAZINE

iconic Inca Trail by 2019.

The nature of the tourism industry, being led by the private sector, often means that little long term planning is involved.Therefore, sustainable practices are often sidelined in favour of increasing visitors, locals often do not receive a fair amount of the benefits, and everyday life made slightly more difficult by the hoards of people.

What could be a really positive phenomenon for development of countries economically and socially, is tainted by divorcing control from locals and the potential damages they cause to ancient structures in Dubrovnik and elsewhere. The UN World Tourism Organisation secretary general Taleb Rifai defends the industry, arguing that if managed correctly tourism can be the “best ally” to conservation, preservation and the community.

How Dubrovnik’s new approach will affect the city, and whether more destinations will follow suit is currently a mystery. But in the meantime, anyone planning to visit the stunning Dalmatian Coast should not be discouraged.

However, they should perhaps consider holidaying in off-peak times (Dubrovnik is still lovely in winter), think carefully about where their money is going and not to be too disappointed by the lack of Segway tours.

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FOREST GREEN ROVERS THE WORLD’S FIRST VEGAN CLUB WORDS BY DAMIAN MEADEN IMAGE BY LUCY WHELLER-PARR We tend to associate football clubs with quite a lot of things, besides the nation’s favourite sport. When Forest Green Rovers (FGR) re-launched themselves as the world’s first vegan side back in October 2015, they existed a far cry away from the upper echelons of the Premier League, where finances continue to spiral, and sustainability is far from the top of the short-term agenda.

That all changed over the summer, as the club were promoted for the first time in their history to the Football League after triumphing 3-1 at Wembley over Tranmere Rovers, and in doing so secured professional status.

Now, the UK’s smallest football club, which exists in a rural setting near to Bristol, stands as a symbol of what could be achieved if their counterparts embraced their stance on sustainability.

Everything on sale at matches, from the burgers to the locally-sourced beer and cider, is suitable for vegans. It goes to extreme lengths – you can’t even have cow’s milk with your tea on the terraces at the club’s home ground, New Lawn.

options to assist with the day-to-day running of its operations.

More mainstream schemes such as solar panels on the stadium roof are underpinned by more potentially groundbreaking exercises, such as a low-energy floodlight to improve the energy footprint for evening matches.

Pitch irrigation is a priority, with the club aiming to use a mixture of rainwater, spring water and water collected from drains for pitch maintenance, making it independent from the mains water supply and promoting a sustainable cycle.

It would be easy to suggest all football clubs should adopt this stance and reduce their carbon footprints, particularly those at the highest level, but the simple answer is – that’s not entirely feasible in the short term.

Whilst clubs should be aspiring to be eco-friendly, the most established clubs would need to invest in a significant shift in their infrastructure, culture and operations, the like of which is difficult whilst trying to maintain relative operational and competitive stability. The benefit in this instance for FGR is their rise through the footballing pyramid from humble beginnings – think evolution, not revolution.

Small changes are possible in the short-term though – player diets can be amended in a heartbeat (though clubs may be reluctant until it is established whether there are any associated benefits or not) and energyefficient alternatives for stadium lighting can make a huge difference in the long run.

In the meantime though, credit is due to Forest Green for setting a positive example for the rest of the footballing world to follow.

That diet stretches to the playing staff as well, though admittedly the club is a little more lax on its policies with staff outside of working hours – some players were even caught on a rebellious trip to the local Greggs store during the early days of the culture shift.

In itself, the poses an interesting experiment for sports scientists and dietitians – should the club’s players perform to a consistently high or otherwise impressive level, how much of that can be attributed to the food and liquids they consume whilst training?

The club could also prove a world-leading exercise in sustainable energy, having explored several eco-friendly SUSTAINABLE PLANET MAGAZINE

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WHY FORMULA E IS THE PERFECT STAGE FOR CAR COMPANIES 34

WORDS BY DAMIAN MEADEN SUSTAINABLE PLANET MAGAZINE

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The FIA’s all-electric single-seater series, Formula E, was always going to draw unrealistic comparisons with the commonly accepted ‘pinnacle of motorsport’, Formula 1.

However, in the first three seasons of its lifespan, the series has found a niche in the market to exploit, centred around its message of sustainability whilst retaining the technical development, adrenaline-rush and strategic contest that encourages tens of millions of viewers to motorsport every year.

A championship that once attracted F1’s forgotten hopefuls or journeymen now stands as one of the most attractive marketing campaigns for car companies the world over to align themselves with: sustainability and efficiency.

Many who were once sceptics have been humbled, particularly in light of Mercedes scrapping its longstanding, successful and well-established DTM programme to pool resources behind an entry into the championship in 2019, whilst an entry for BMW from the same date joins existing involvement from manufacturers Renault, Audi, Jaguar and DS. For those unfamiliar with the category, Formula E runs an unusual format in that practice, qualifying and the ‘ePrix’ are all run as a single-day event, exclusively on temporary street circuits as opposed to purpose-built venues in some of the world’s most famous and iconic cities – New York, London, Beijing, Paris, Monaco and, for the upcoming season, Rome and Zurich.

Drivers are forced to use two separate but identical cars over the course of a race due to the current limit on battery capabilities, but to all extents and purposes this is an ‘electric F1’, whilst social media engagement is also a key strategy for organisers through the introduction of schemes such as ‘Fan Boost’, whereby spectators trackside and internationally through the TV coverage (Channel 5 in the UK) can vote for their favourite competitors, entitling them to additional power for a limited time during the race.

Motorsport is expensive, but in justification amongst car manufacturers there’s an old saying; “win on Sunday, sell on Monday”. For the most part, the logic behind the statement is fairly sound – Mercedes spend about £265 million on their Formula 1 activities every year, but their dominance of the sport and resulting association SUSTAINABLE PLANET MAGAZINE

with reliability, performance and innovation is likely to have helped recuperate that fee from consumers.

For car companies, Formula E is an easy decision, an opportunity to align themselves not only with the public conscience of sustainability, but also to pursue the development of technology that could secure their future in an ever-changing market. If ‘green’ cars are to become the future, corporate giants risk being left behind by not getting involved at any early stage, and where better to start than motorsport, where the science is developed at an aggressive rate to match the competition on-circuit?

That decision is only strengthened by the quality of Formula E’s competition, with each of the last three seasons producing a title battle spanning multiple drivers and teams, a plotline Formula 1’s V6-hybrid era can only dream of. True, Sebastian Buemi (Renault e.dams) and Lucas di Grassi (Audi Abt) have established themselves as the monoliths of the sport by sharing the last two championship battles and a large share of the race victories, but performances from emerging stars such as Felix Rosenqvist and Britain’s Sam Bird continue to keep the playing field level enough to be attractive for incoming teams, competitors, sponsors and manufacturers.

To summarise, the package effectively being offered to the car companies of the world is a competitive, attractive motorsport series that prides itself on achieving growth in both the cities of the world and through social media thanks to targeted media and logistics strategies – where better to try and sell a green method of transport than in a congested metropolis? At the same time, the competition enables manufacturers to aggressively develop technology that can be transposed onto their roadgoing vehicles, such as improved battery and powertrain packages, whilst also engaging in the sport their commercial existence revolves so crucially around.

Will Formula E ever develop enough to surpass Formula 1? Unless the latter is eventually rendered exitinct through the lack of resources to support it, be that finances or fossil fuels, it doesn’t look likely. F1 has dominated the motorsport market for over six decades and exists as one of the highest-grossing sporting events in the world. Everyone aspires to join the elite – even if Formula E has made a name for itself, it’s not capable of challenging the establishment yet.

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