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green
THE TIME IS NOW
Those of you who follow me across my social media channels will know that I’m passionate about sustainability and ethical business practices. But what is the big deal you ask… and what’s it all about?
Generally speaking most of us have heard the word “sustainability” thrown around, but not a lot of us truly understand the complexities of what it means and why we keep reading about it. When people talk about “sustainable fashion” “sustainable business” or "sustainable living" we assume what they’re talking about but we don't REALLY know the specifics... nor do we attempt to find out. In some ways we detach ourselves from the conversation because we don’t think it has much to do with us (even though it does) and I believe one of of the reasons behind this disconnect, is the language being used. It needs to change. The mass public (especially in todays fast pace society) need simple, quick messages to absorb new information... not complicated intellectual talk that instantly has them overwhelmed.
Now more than ever before, this has to change. Sustainability needs to find a language and start a conversation that everyone DOES understand. Why? Because it has EVERYTHING to do with EVERY ONE OF US... it’s about the survival of our planet and our future generations.
Did you know that a number of reports have suggested that if our population and consumption trends continue at the current rate, we will need the equivalent of two Earths to support us by 2030?!
This is not a scare tactic by green organisations and global leaders, this is a reality (trust me… once you start reading about this stuff, you will find that there is an abundance of terrifying statements and predictions on this topic). You will also find that there’s also an incredible sense of urgency too (2030 is just over a decade away!).
So that’s why I’m passionate about this cause - I want my children and their children (and so on) to be mind-boggled by the beauty of our incredible reefs; to explore the same rainforests and habitats that hundreds of generations before us have; and to live their lives experiencing the wonder of mother nature and it’s nourishing resources. I don’t want to be part of the generations who ruined it for everyone else to come.
The best part is, it’s not all doom and gloom... we still have time to reverse the cycle and there’s loads of simple ways that ALL of us can start making a difference because #EveryLittleBitCounts and it's easy! This is also where I can help.... I’ve got loads of tips and brand recommendations to share, plus a simple way of sharing the knowledge which should make it easier to digest (well at least I hope so – I'll try my best!).
My goal is to encourage conversation and make it easier for people to understand the basics of what’s going on, plus empower people with the tools to start navigating their own positive lifestyle without compromising their existing one. It’s not about being 100% perfect and living a 100% sustainable lifestyle (that’s an unrealistic expectation of anyone living in modern day society) it’s about making positive choices IF and WHEN you can. Being aware and being proactive in small ways can have a hugely positive effect when applied on mass. If we can all make a small effort, these efforts combined will accelerate change and make a huge difference.
In upcoming weeks I’ll showcase positive brands and easy steps you can make to kickstart your sustainable journey, but before we do that here’s a basic overview on what we’re talking about...
BACK TO BASICS
There is no single definition of sustainability. The most commonly used definition today is: “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” (Published in the Brundtland Report in 1987 by the World Commission on Environment and Development)
While some of us understand sustainability as sustaining anything, sustainability actually includes three dimensions of human activity: the ENVIRONMENT, SOCIETY, and the ECONOMY.
PRIMARY GOALS OF SUSTAINABILITY?
In September 2015, the United Nations released The Sustainable Development Goals (known officially as ‘Transforming our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development).
WHY THE BIG DEAL?
Because in short, the world can’t replenish its natural resources at the same rate we are depleting them. Today humanity uses the equivalent of 1.6 planets to provide the resources we use and absorb our waste. This means it now takes the Earth one year and six months to regenerate what we use in a year… so with every year that passes, we are creating more and more deficit until eventually our natural resources will dry up. Unless of course, we start sustaining them.
GREEN IS THE NEW BLACK
Thankfully there has been a huge shift over the last decade and you’d be surprised by how many brands (both start-up and global) have already employed positive business models with sustainability and ethics at the core of them. I can’t wait to start highlighting some of these in future posts because it will inevitably make you you feel differently about how you spend your money and who you give it to. When you know your money is going to a brand that you can trust – a brand that is doing the right thing by you and your world, you feel good about the purchase and this is very empowering (as well as addictive!).
This shift in business can be linked to the investor communities also, who after years of focusing on a firm’s financial performance to determine whether or not it was worth purchasing stock, they have now turned to businesses with positive business models because they acknowledge that performance is intertwined with future social and environmental impact also. In short: good business = good investment.
On a legislative level, climate change and sustainability are undeniably a hot topic for the UN and all global governments. On the 12th December last year, Paris hosted one of the biggest events in history (COP 21/ The Climate Change Conference) when 186 countries came together to form an action plan to reduce their greenhouse gases and keep the global rise in temperature below 2C. The objective was to achieve, for the first time in over 20 years of UN negotiations, a binding and universal agreement on climate, from all the nations of the world. Off the back of this summit, a number of targets have been set and each country in attendance have agreed to try and adhere to them. This event and its outcomes have been regarded as a historic turning point in the goal of reducing global warming.
So things are happening all around you and these are just a few examples of what's going on. It really is just a matter of time before living sustainably is integrated into our lives as seamlessly as occupational health & safety… well lets hope so anyway!
DID YOU KNOW?
- Globally, the fashion industry is the second worst industry for polluting our world (behind oil).
- An energy-smart clothes washer can save more water in one year than one person drinks in an entire lifetime.
- A crack as small as 1/16th of an inch around a window frame can let in as much cold air as leaving the window open three inches.
- Some new refrigerators are so energy-smart they use less electricity than a light bulb.
- One ton of 100 percent recycled paper saves the equivalent of 4,100 kWh of energy, 7,000 gallons of water, 60 pounds of air emissions and three cubic yards of landfill space.
- One recycled bottle saves enough energy to run a 100-watt bulb for four hours. It also causes 20% less air pollution and 50% less water pollution than does making a new bottle.
- Recycling plastic saves twice as much energy as burning it does.
- Globally, we use as many as 1 million new plastic bags every minute, at a cost of 2.2 billion gallons of oil a year.
- Recycling a single run of the Sunday New York Times would save 75,000 trees.
WHAT CAN I DO?
Stay tuned because that’s for my next posts!
Some of the photos used to collate the imagery for this blog post have been gathered from sustainable brands who have been awarded the Butterfly Mark by Positive Luxury, this means they are a Brand You Can Trust. These include the stunning Song Saa Private Island Resort in Cambodia, Neal's Yard Remedies, Camilla Elphick designer shoes, Mulberry and G.VITERI (formally Prymal) hats.
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It’s been a very busy couple of weeks since my last post because aside from the usual juggling of work commitments and catching up on the every-day duties that slip when you’ve been travelling abroad for 4 weeks (argh) I’ve also been moving house! Yep – that’s no small fry. So apologies for the silence on my feed, but I’m secretly hoping I can smooth that over with a little update on the move and some snaps from our new country home. Cheap attempt I know... but hey it’s all I’ve got right now as my head has been stuck in brown cardboard boxes for two weeks!
Dungarees: Ksubi, Hoodie: Kooples, Jacket: cheap vintage buy in Paris, Top: Joseph, Hat: Deus, Wellies: Hunter, Sunnies: Chanel
SO WHY THE MOVE? We’ve been hunting for a new house to call home for a good couple of years now, but for one reason or another we’ve never found ourselves being handed a new set of keys. We’ve become very good at consoling ourselves with a little Irish saying that my husbands mum used to say: “What’s meant for you will not pass you by” and I wont lie, it’s amazing how this one little sentence can pick you up and keep the dream alive when you're losing all hope (don’t you just love the Irish?!). Seriously there’s been times when I’ve just wanted to cry with frustration but then someone would say these magic little words and I’d not only dust myself off again, but also be completely convinced that our dream home was right around the corner... AND it was going to be worth the wait!
WAS IT WORTH THE WAIT? Hell yeah!!!
WHERE DID WE MOVE TO? The English countryside. It’s still only a quick drive into London and very convenient to Heathrow Airport (which was very important for us given the amount we travel) but when we’re at the house (which we've already started referring to as the farm) we feel like we’re miles away from everything #UtterBliss
WHY THE COUNTRY? Not really sure if anyone is actually wondering this… aren’t nearly all of us born with an appreciation of the simplicity that comes with being removed from it all? I know that I do… but then again I grew up on a farm and worked the land, so there’s every possibility that I’m a bit biased haha
NO SERIOUSLY… My husband and I are definitely one of those couples that move through life in the fast lane (the super dooper crazy fast lane). We work continuously, travel continuously, and cram way too many things into our days continuously… plus with no signs of this slowing down any time soon, we found ourselves craving more balance in our lives and knew that this would mean a serious adjudication of our living arrangements. Essentially this was the only thing that we knew we COULD slow down. We were pining a stripped back lifestyle in the fresh air… wide open spaces… peace and simplicity... all the things a home in the country could provide.
This move was a no-brainer for us, it was the perfect way to "earth" us amid all the chaos of our careers and nurture our souls in the most simplistic was possible.
HOW’S IT GOING SO FAR? One week in and it's already total bliss. Each morning I wake up to the sounds of birds chirping outside our window, then I pull back the curtains to stunning views of rolling green hills. It's a beautiful way to start the day and I don't think I'll ever take that for granted. It's magic!
THE PLAN? To grow our own veggies, harvest our own rainwater and renovate the house! Yep thar’s right… there’s one big reno plan being drawn up as I type. No doubt I’ll be keeping my feed updated with all of that too once the ball starts rolling! Exciting times.
WHAT HAVE I LEARNT? That the Irish were right… what’s meant for you won't pass you by. This was the home that was meant for us and although at one point we thought it was out of our reach, it surprisingly fell back into our laps and now we couldn't be happier. Everything happens for a reason (even if sometimes you can't see what it is at the time) and with a bit of patience, hard work, positivity and hope... you will get there in the end.
My husband and I may have been through the ringer to get here, but it was definitely worth all of it!
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Skirt: Club Monaco, Tee: Rag & Bone Hat: Seafolly
Bikini: Melissa Obadash Towel: Hermes
I say… once a foodie always a foodie and since I produced Masterchef Australia back in 2011 (and was exposed to some of the best chefs and culinary experiences the world has to offer) not a meal goes by without my attention being diverted to it’s flavours, textures, quality and presentation (except on occasion when I’m pulling into a KFC or Maccas of course haha).
Food genuinely excites me and subsequently it also has the power to put me in a good mood or a bad one (don’t even ask what happens to me when I’m hungry eeeeek). That’s why living in Bondi is so brilliant - there's a great food scene and so I’m always in a good mood. Well most of the time anyway… it's definitely one of the best aspect of #BondiLife
Ronan - Shirt: James Perse Sunnies: Persol
BONDI BRUNCH
My favourite meal of the day is brunch - that window of time between brekky and lunch which is late enough that you can have a sleep-in before having to meet up with anybody, but still early enough to give you the rest of the afternoon off after you’ve caught up. Aussies do it really well (especially in Bondi) and these days going for brunch on the weekend in Oz, is as normal as an Irishman going to the pub for a pint. The best brunch spots to hit are:
1. Chapter One for the ‘Hungry Chaps’
2. Porch & Parlour for the ‘Devil’s Breakfast’
3. Harry’s for the ‘Crispy Rolled Egg, Black Beans, Chorizo, Avocado & Lime'
Over the last number of weeks Chapter One has become my ‘go to’ café overall. They have a perfect little spot at the top of the hill, slightly removed from the hustle and bustle of Bondi but with lovely views over the beach. The décor is rustic and non-pretentious… the staff are super lovely… the food and coffee are great… plus they offer free wifi which allows me to multitask my meal times with my work. It ticks all the boxes really.
SMOOTHIE O’CLOCK
No where else in the world do I ever say “Do you want to go out for a smoothie?”… it’s like the days of socialising over an alcoholic beverage are being challenged by a sunnier and more nutritious option. Especially in Bondi where health + fitness are as integrated into the lifestyle as black cabs are to the streets of London.
Smoothies and juices are big business now – especially the ‘cold pressed’ variety which retail for around AU$12 each (which I still can’t get my head around?!) and although there are so many options, I’ve become totally hooked on GREEN smoothies!! #Addicted. Green smoothies are generally thick like a normal smoothie plus taste like a normal smoothie, but they’re packed with spinach or kale which means you’re also getting a good dose of green veg into your diet. So imagine the same yummy taste but with an extra injection of goodness and you can't even taste it.
The best green smoothie I’ve had so far is from the David Jones food court in Westfield. It has kale (which I substitute with spinach), banana, mango, coconut water and ice. I also love the DS2 smoothie at Scari Berri on Campbell Parade which is a combination of kale (again I substitute with spinach), blueberries, banana, spirullina, coconut water and ice. For cold pressed smoothies or juices try CaliPress on Hall Street – very trendy, very heathy but with a higher price point to most of the other options.
It's really so easy to be healthy in Bondi... When I'm here, I feel a million times healthier without even trying. Everywhere you go you're surrounded by creative and nutritious food that's not only nutritious but tastes delicious too #LoveIt
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