MyEnviroMind

With COVID-19 tearing apart our social calendar, we look with even more enthusiasm towards what few events remain open for live streaming. One of the UK’s cultural highlights going digital during this pandemic is the BBC Proms, an annual celebration of orchestral music from London’s Royal Albert Hall. However, controversy has been sparked over the BBC’s decision to strip the lyrics from Rule, Britannia! and Land of Hope and Glory , choosing to play orchestral versions instead. Why? Well it has been alleged that the conductor of this year’s finale, Dalia Stasevska, thought COVID-19 restrictions would provide a good opportunity for change. For these songs, with their rousing melodies and rhythmic tunes, contain an uncomfortable message. As the hearty chorus chime together with “Rule, Britannia! Britannia, rule the waves! Britons never, never, never shall be slaves,” audiences resurrect Britain’s defiance to falling under French rule during the Second Hundred Years War during which this s...

Could it actually be happening? Could the government be acting on scientific advice? It seems so!  For in light of growing evidence that obesity increases one's risk of dying after contracting COVID-19, the Prime Minister has unveiled a new strategy to tackle obesity levels in England. On a side note, I think this encouraging in terms of the climate movement, for it means we can continue to hope for stronger climate action so long as activism remains founded on credible scientific knowledge. Nevertheless, the government’s response has not avoided controversy. With plans to use campaigns to encourage people to “eat better” and “live healthier”, I worry that action will paradoxically facilitate the development of eating disorders among the population. Exercise and 'healthy eating' is always promoted as the goal, the yellow brick road to a happier place. Yet there can be too much of a good thing. I have seen far too many people close to me become obsessed by numbers; at first ...

The news headlines on Sunday the 14th June, 2020. Violence and "thuggery" has broken out overnight as far-right "counter-protestors" clashed with police. Meanwhile, #BlackLivesMatter (BLM) protests continue to be largely peaceful throughout the UK, abiding by the principles of civil disobedience.  I'm just going to say it clear and outright - there is no place for the violent behaviour carried out by these self-proclaimed “statue defenders.” Quite frankly, I am ashamed to associate myself with those who raged and pelted and “defended” the colonial histories I share with them as a British citizen. Rather than being defended, Britain's colonial legacy must be acknowledged, taught in schools and countered. Consequently, I will not give ‘counter-protests’ any more acknowledgement in my blog. However, if any individuals from these protests would like to come forward and peacefully discuss their opinions with me, I will gladly engage and try to seek more of a mutu...

The illustrious tail of the Snow Leopard. The ivory tusks of the African Elephant. The fuzz-ball that is the Great Panda. What is it you think of when the the words "endangered" or "extinction" flash red in front of your eyes? For millennia, humans have been fascinated by the mighty beasts with whom they walk alongside. Their grandeur, their stature. The way they stand, ablaze with nature. Indeed, the vibrancy of life is contagious. For us humans, witnessing such wonders both humbles the mind and animates the spirit. We have evolved with nature and it's health is our health; integral to our survival. It is only natural to desire displays of such wild, unrefined colour. Fleeting spectacles of art you can just about comprehend. Perhaps also stemming from our longing to be like them, our love of the big and beautiful creatures of this Earth is concrete. Rock art depicting animal life dating from 6000 BC in Tassili n'Ajjer, Algeria (United ...

Imagine yourself 30 years from now. Imagine yourself looking back, reflecting on your time spent on this Earth. What will you think? "Just look at how far we've come" How far will we go? It's hard to depict what the future will be like. It seems to get harder as the years go on and the potential for technological innovations expand. It's quite possible that technology will have dramatically altered how we look at and experience life. It's likely that the reality (and virtual realities) we shall experience are far from our present imaginations. But how far will we actually go? Two days ago the Collins Dictionary announced their word of the year for 2018: Single-use - made to be used once only. Much of the four-fold increase in the use of the term can be attributed to the moving scenes of BBC's Blue Planet II. Once again the power of the arts shook society from its paralysis, awakening its disconnected environmental consciousne...

Tired of feeling immobile? Frustrated with government inaction? Hungry for a safer world which lies within reach? So was Jamie. Structured by social norms and societal patterns, autonomy, acting independently, is hard to come by. Whilst many academics and public figures refute the existence of a 'society' (to quote Margaret Thatcher (1987), "there's no such thing as a society"), a multitude of others suggest that the existence of a society provides rational to the current environmental crisis. Why can't I seem to reduce my energy consumption? Why can't I realise my goal to eliminate my plastic waste? Why can't I just live sustainably? Dale Southerton, professor at the University of Manchester, and Jo Mylan (2016), research fellow at the same uni, believe that society constrains people's ability to act out of their own will. True? I'd like to open the debate up to you in the comments below. Personally, I feel that such constraints do exi...

I think it is about time to head back to the major subject in hand; that one topic which encompasses and feeds off all of the rest; climate change. For those of us who struggle to stick to our anti-climate change resolutions (it saddens me to say that I quite regularly fall into this category) and those of us who just can't seem to be able to take that one extra step towards sustainability (be it eating less meat & dairy, going zero-waste or switching to commuting by bike) this article unveils some interesting finds about human psychology and the power of society. A study funded by the European Union's Research and Innovation programme, Horizon 2020, the following was discovered and then written in Leo Barasi's recent article for  The Guardian : "In most European countries, about three-quarters of the public say they’re worried about climate change, yet less than a third would accept higher taxes on fossil fuels to cut emissions." Barasi calls this...