What's a Little Sustainability Between Friends?
E4P Goes Green!!!!
I don’t know if you lot have been outside recently, but it has been really fucking hot. In fact, July and August of this year were the “warmest on record globally by a large margin, with an average temperature of 16.77°C (62.19°F), 0.66°C (33.2°F) above average” (X). According to Dr. Andrew Pershing, vice president for science at the nonprofit news organization, Climate Central:
“In every country we could analyse, including the southern hemisphere where this is the coolest time of year, we saw temperatures that would be difficult—and in some cases nearly impossible—without human-caused climate change.”
Ah, yes: if it isn’t the consequences of our actions.
My personal commitment to living a more sustainable life has, admittedly, varied wildly over the years: it’s been the number one issue I've dedicated myself to focusing on, something I bragged about not caring much for, a major source of anxiety, and a conversation with too much science for me to adequately follow. But, at the point where I am now, I recognize the importance of introducing consistent and effective sustainability measures in our everyday lives if we want any shot at mitigating the effects of our climate crisis.
I also know that sustainability in and of itself has become a buzzword we preach but rarely genuinely practice, so I wanted to talk with someone who both knows their shit and cares about making a difference for this world. This week, our friend Bianca returns to talk about how she got involved in sustainability, some misconceptions about climate change and the work she does, and what we can all do to make our own lives more sustainable.
Hi, I’m Bianca! I’m an environmental scientist and sustainability advocate. I’ve been interested in environmentalism since I was a kid and graduated with my BS in Environmental Science from Georgia State University. I’ve been working in the sustainability space professionally for the last few years and am currently a sustainability analyst. When I’m not working, I’m usually with friends, my dog, or alone reading an unrealistic romance novel (enemies to lovers ftw.)
Maybe It IS Easy Being Green!!!
True to form, I simply had to begin today’s conversation by asking Bianca:
Emily: How can we live sustainably when the world is literally on fire?
Bianca: Be optimistic!! If you think that nothing can be done then nothing will get done.
As I mentioned, I feel like sustainability is something that is often discussed but not as often enacted, so I sprung at the chance to pick Bianca’s brain about why and how she got into this line of work:
Emily: How did you first learn about and get involved with sustainability? Is this something you've always wanted to do?
Bianca: I first learned about the concept of global warming in high school (2014-ish) and considered myself environmentally conscious since then, but it wasn’t until I got to college and learned more about the climate crisis that inspired me to be more aware of my environmental footprint.
But I can’t say that working in sustainability is something I’ve always wanted to do, but I always wanted to help people. And as I got older that concept of helping people shifted from individual to systemic.
There’s a Japanese concept called ikigai that I learned in high school. It refers to something that gives a person a sense of purpose, a reason for being, and I feel like I’ve found mine.
Not only is it inspiring that Bianca has found a way to build her personal passions into her professional life, she’s also doing so at a time when other members of Gen Z are leading the charge to mitigate the effects of the climate crisis. Last month in Montana, a judge ruled in favor of the young plaintiffs in Juliana v. United States, agreeing that citizens have a right to a healthy environment. A similar case was brought in Oregon and a judge allowed the kids suing the government to modify their lawsuit “to ask only for a judgment declaring that national energy policy violates their rights to a ‘stable climate system capable of sustaining human life.’”
One would think that hearing the notion of Earth becoming inhabitable for Gen Z in our old age so regularly repeated would have made us all grow numb to it. Instead, it has galvanized countless individuals to fight for our futures. But, and this is key, we’re not the only generation currently alive on this floating rock.
Thinking about all of this, I asked Bianca:
Emily: I think it’s safe to say that Gen Z cares exceedingly more about climate change and living more sustainably than older generations. In your experience, what is it like working with older individuals who might not take what you do as seriously as they need to?
Bianca: Extremely safe to say, and I think I can speak for a lot of young people in my field of work when I say this: I can’t wait for them to retire. Not because they’re incompetent, but because they lack the urgency necessary to combat the climate crisis.
Emily: What was the hardest lesson you’ve had to learn in your line of work, and how has it shaped or altered your approach to sustainability?
Bianca: The hardest lesson I’ve learned in my line of work is to meet people where they are. I tend to forget that sustainability is still a fairly new concept to the masses and a lot of people don’t have any prior knowledge of it. It’s unrealistic to assume that everyone shares my level of expertise or passion about it.
Working with colleagues and clients who genuinely want to do good but don’t know how has led to me having a more empathetic approach to sustainability.
Emily: What do you wish you had known about this line of work before embarking on it? Would you recommend it to others?
Bianca: I 100% recommend this line of work! Not only is it fulfilling (I’m a bit biased), but it’s also a great industry for someone who has multiple interests because of all the different facets of work.
Maybe one day, I’ll launch an E4P career fair…but that day is not today so let’s move on.
No, No, No—Y’all Don’t Wanna Hear About the Industrial Revolution
You’ve probably encountered people who argue that climate change on Earth is a naturally occurring cycle and not a result of human influence, and it is true that our planet’s climate does naturally go through phases of glaciation and heating. According to NASA,
just in the last 800,000 years, there have been eight cycles of ice ages and warmer periods, with the end of the last ice age about 11,700 years ago marking the beginning of the modern climate era—and of human civilization. Most of these climate changes are attributed to very small variations in Earth’s orbit that change the amount of solar energy our planet receives.
But immediately after this passage, the same article states that
the current warming trend is different because it is clearly the result of human activities since the mid-1800s, and is proceeding at a rate not seen over many recent millennia. It is undeniable that human activities have produced the atmospheric gases that have trapped more of the Sun’s energy in the Earth system. This extra energy has warmed the atmosphere, ocean, and land, and widespread and rapid changes in the atmosphere, ocean, cryosphere, and biosphere have occurred.1
If you’re wondering which human activities began around the mid-1800s2 and have continued through today, it might have something to do with the Industrial Revolution and the shift from an agricultural society to an industrial one. As you’ll likely remember from a history class of yore, this pivotal moment “influenced in some way almost every aspect of daily life” (X).
Just to save time, we’re going to press pause on any discussion of economic development throughout all of human civilization as well as the 250-odd years of general impact the Industrial Revolution has had on our global society as it exists today. Let’s try to not make any too many sweeping conclusions, and keep our hands and feet inside the moving vehicle at all times.
The Industrial Revolution and the history of capitalism are oftentimes mentioned within the same general scope of one another. To draw a virtual Venn diagram for you, capitalism and climate change are also regularly smushed together in some discussions and it is not unfair to say our current global capitalist habits play into certain driving factors of climate change (see: overconsumption).
But I wanted to know if and where there was any overlap with all of this and efforts towards sustainability, so I asked:
Emily: How does sustainability factor into the functions of capitalism, and how is it also shaped by capitalism?
Bianca: This is a really complex question because in theory, sustainability is the acknowledgment that infinite economic growth that capitalism advocates for is at odds with Earth which is a planet with finite resources. Every industry you can think of exploits Earth’s natural resources for capitalistic gain (beauty, real estate, apparel, tech, etc.)
But in practice, sustainability has to be viable within the system of capitalism. Sustainability has to be “sold” to capitalists that have had a huge part to play in the climate crisis by showing them that there is economic opportunity in incorporating sustainable practices.
This might sound dramatic but, if my childhood memory is to be believed, I have known about climate deniers for just as long as I have known about climate change. Granted, the earliest deniers I encountered were pre-pubescent boys who thought the peak of comedy was always being antithetical but then again, some little boys never really grow up.
Still, eons of climate change conspiracies have surely trickled into even the best-laid sustainability efforts. With that in mind, I asked Bianca:
Emily: In your experience, what are some of the biggest misconceptions about sustainability and sustainable practices?
Bianca: That it’s either difficult, expensive, or both to live more sustainably. Which is a myth! A lot of living more sustainably is more about what you don’t do versus what you buy.
I started to feel myself becoming more doomsday the deeper I dove into this topic, but I kept thinking back to the easy sunniness Bianca had during our chat. It was so natural for her to talk about making positive changes despite being faced with, lightly, the future of our planet.
So often, I find myself getting really fucking dark during our conversations here but today, despite the subject matter being considerably heavy, I felt inspired to try Bianca’s worldview on for size. I asked:
Emily: As you mentioned earlier, you have an optimistic outlook on sustainability. What is it like to work in a field that is typically discussed with a lot of pessimism?
Bianca: Honestly, I think my optimism is an indirect result of my stubbornness. The climate crisis is scientifically proven to be anthropogenic, meaning caused by human activity. That means that we’re the only ones that can fix it!!
That ironically gives me hope, so the thought of bitching and moaning about a problem that I can help solve is just so unproductive (and annoying). And actually working in the field and seeing how hard my colleagues and peers are trying to change hearts and minds really inspires me everyday to put my best foot forward.
Emily: How do you manage when either working with or simply talking to someone who is pessimistic about sustainability?
Bianca: I used to get really argumentative and abrasive with pessimistic people because they just sounded so selfish. And a lot of them use pessimism to validate their unsustainable behaviors and I think that’s so twisted. They have absolutely no desire (or resolve) to adopt more sustainable habits, but they want to go on and on about how what I do is pointless.
But there are more people like me than there are of them so now, I just say, “Okay” and keep it pushing—I have more important things to worry about.
Only YOU Can Make More Sustainable Changes in Your Own Life
More than just asking Bianca how to stay positive when all of the conversations surrounding climate change and sustainability often feel demoralizing, I wanted to pick her brain about how to implement sustainable practices in everyday life.
We often hear the phrase, “There’s no ethical consumption under capitalism,” and it’s true that real progress in sustainability will come more from large corporations shifting their practices than from individual consumers. When we’re talking about impact on the environment, size really does matter.
Still, just because we do not wake up in the morning and see ExxonMobil looking back at us in the mirror doesn’t mean our small efforts can’t have big impacts. While it is, of course, important to reduce, reuse, and recycle, I believe we could jazz up our efforts a little more. I asked:
Emily: What are a few things you do in your daily life to help the environment?
Bianca:
Using reusable shopping bags when I go shopping/declining a bag when asked
Replace liquid soaps with bar soaps
Unplug electronics when not in use
Change light bulbs to LEDs
Go paperless for all your bills
Use a water bottle instead of plastic bottles
Emily: What are some of your favorite resources about sustainability?
Bianca:
Apps:
Good on You—Lists thousands of clothing, footwear, and accessory brands, and rates them on their impact on labor, the environment and animals.
Ecosia—A search engine that uses 100% of its ad revenue profits to plants trees.
Treecard—A step tracker app that plants a tree for every 10k steps you take! It also has other cool rewards, too.
Too Good To Go—A food waste prevention app that lets you buy unsold food at your favorite restaurants.
Books:
Drawdown: The Most Comprehensive Plan Ever Proposed to Reverse Global Warming by Paul Hawken—Super beginner friendly book on solutions on the climate crisis that range from individual to systemic.
Consumed: The Need for Collective Change: Colonialism, Climate Change, and Consumerism by Aja Barber—A really good book that calls out the collective issue of overconsumption and how we need to challenge the system and our role in it. She shows is that the less you buy into the consumer culture, the more power you have.
The World is on Fire But We’re Still Buying Shoes by Alec Leach—A manifesto on over consumption from a former fashion editor. He maps out the journey towards a better relationship with fashion. The book is filled with infographics, diagrams, and pull quotes on conscious consumption in a easily digestible format.
Emily: Any sustainability takes that are as hot as the last two months have been?
Bianca: You don’t need to be a vegan or vegetarian to be an environmentalist, but I will say that eating less meat is preferred (I’m talking to myself).
Taking a page out of Bianca’s book, I wanted to end today on our most positive note (although by including this, I fear I risk the possibility of a Bianca For President movement and a heated election cycle):
Emily: What would you say to individuals who don't believe their efforts at becoming more sustainable in their daily life will have much of a global impact?
Bianca: You’re not going to single-handedly save the world, but the world needs all the good that you can do.
Thank you so much to Bianca for returning to share all of her expertise and sunny disposition!!!!
Additionally, the Australian government really conveniently explains that
human activity has rapidly increased the emission of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. Since the start of the Industrial Revolution, in about 1750, human activities such as burning fossil fuels, including coal and oil, have increased greenhouse gas concentrations in our atmosphere.
For example, average atmospheric carbon dioxide levels have increased from 280 parts per million to 410 parts per million in the last 150 years. As a result, the amount of heat being lost from the Earth has slowed.
This process is called the 'enhanced' greenhouse effect’, and it is warming our planet. In fact, Earth’s average surface temperature rose about 1.18°C (34.12°F) from the late 1800s to 2020.
There is actually debate over the exact start date of the Industrial Revolution which is why you’ll see both the 1700s and the mid-1800s referenced in my sources.