Milky Change A band's systemic change towards a better future.

A UK based organisation that’s doing a great job at educating and inspiring action in  the next generation is Action For Conservation. I invited their Communications & Digital Campaigns Officer Hannah to give us a little sneak peek into AFCs program and recap what she talked to Philipp about in their video call the other day. 

In a little scavenger hunt, Hannah asked Philipp to get 3 items from around his house. Below, she will explain how those items are connected to the topic of environmental conservation.
 

​The 3 items were:

1. Your favorite shoes.
2. A packaged food item.
3. Something that reminds you of nature.

So why these three items?

Simply, they all link to environmental and social issues. 

Our shoes and clothes are made from different materials (such as plastic, cotton or leather), these are made, grown or farmed, all coming from raw materials. Our packaged food is manufactured using ingredients imported from across the world, then packaged in plastic or cardboard or plastic coated cardboard! This packaging is often non-recyclable and finds its way into landfill and oceans. Finally things that connect us to nature are personal and important to us, this could be a plant in your home (like Phillip) or the birds that visit your garden, or the greenspace you visit with friends. 

​When working with young people, we explore topics like these and their environmental impacts on land and marine systems, but we also express the importance of thinking about their impacts on people.

For the first two items, when we look at a product we should ask ourselves some questions, how ethical and sustainable is the product? Who made it? Were their working conditions safe? Was the farmer that grew the food paid fairly? Where does our discarded packaging end up? 

For the last item it’s important we think about equality. Do all people have access to beautiful green spaces equally? Do we respect different ways of engaging with nature? 

Social issues and environmental issues go hand in hand, so in order to tackle issues like the climate crisis we must also tackle social issues to create a fairer, greener and more equitable future for people now and for future generations.

So there you have it.

Another great example of how nothing exists alone in nature. 

Organisations like Action For Conservation are doing such important work in order to raise a wiser and more empathic next generation. If you want to learn more about AFCs work, check out their website right here.