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EPISODE 78 FEATURES NATALIE ISAACS
As we gear up to Earth Day on April 22, we're thinking about living more lightly on the planet. This year’s theme is Protect Our Species, and one of the quotes that inspired it is from Rachel Carson, who said, “In nature nothing exists alone.”
Natalie Isaacs is proof of that. The super-inspiring Australian movement builder behind 1 Million Women went from being a one-woman powerhouse to harnessing the collective power of other women - heck, the whole of womankind! - to start a lifestyle revolution to fight climate change.
We discuss connectivity, community and staying focused, plus the fact that the strangest routes can lead you to where you want to be. How did Natalie transition from cosmetics producer (and plastic polluter) to eco warrior? What kickstarted the process, and kept her going? How does she bring others along with her? And how can you?
“We have glorious power to act in our lives and rise above politics, because we cannot just wait for politicians and for governments to put in policies to fight climate change. We can’t wait! We have to get on with it!" - natlie isaacs
WHAT WE TALK ABOUT…
EARTH DAY is April 22nd. This year’s theme is PROTECT OUR SPECIES.
They say: “The unprecedented global destruction and rapid reduction of plant and wildlife populations are directly linked to causes driven by human activity: climate change, deforestation, habitat loss, trafficking and poaching, unsustainable agriculture, pollution and pesticides to name a few. The impacts are far reaching.
“If we do not act now, extinction may be humanity’s most enduring legacy. Here are some quick facts on the current wave of extinction and additional information about this problem here.
“All living things have an intrinsic value, and each plays a unique role in the complex web of life. We must work together to protect endangered and threatened species: bees, coral reefs, elephants, giraffes, insects, whales and more.
“The good news is that the rate of extinctions can still be slowed, and many of our declining, threatened and endangered species can still recover if we work together now to build a united global movement of consumers, voters, educators, faith leaders, and scientists to demand immediate action. Earth Day Network is asking people to join our Protect our Species campaign. Our goals are to:
Educate and raise awareness about the accelerating rate of extinction of millions of species and the causes and consequences of this phenomenon.
Achieve major policy victories that protect broad groups of species as well as individual species and their habitats.
Build and activate a global movement that embraces nature and its values.
Encourage individual actions such as adopting plant based diet and stopping pesticide and herbicide use.”
Via www.earthday.org . FIND OUT WAYS TO ACT HERE.
CLIMATE CHANGE is happening all around us, despite the lies that continue to be disseminated by those who profit from fossil fuels. For a deep dive into the science, the situation, the future and the activist movements for change, you need to read Rise & Resist.
“An Inconvenient Truth really did bring climate change and the issues around it into the mainstream,” says Natalie. “When you don’t know enough about something, it’s easier to do nothing.”
NATALIE’S STORY In 2006, Natalie Isaacs was a successful cosmetics manufacturer. She was starting to question the amount of plastic pollution she was creating, then she found out what was happening with the climate… Al Gore’s film An Inconvenient Truth was her wakeup call. She knew she had to act, but how? She started by trying to reduce her own carbon footprint and household energy use, inspiring hundreds of thousands of others to join her. Read more here.
CONSCIOUS CONSUMERISM There’s plenty of debate over whether it works. Can we really shop our way to a greener future? It’s a familiar topic on this podcast. Certainly it matters where you direct your money. As Natalie says, women make 85% of the consumer decisions that affect household carbon footprints.
SOLAR PANELS Solar power in Australia is a growing industry. As of January 2019, Australia had over 11,085 MW of installed photovoltaic (PV) solar power, of which 3,871 MW were installed in the preceding 12 months. According to the Sydney Morning Herald, “an average six rooftop solar panels are is installed in Australia every minute.”
THE BRISBANE FLOOD of 1974 saw the Brisbane River flood its banks after three weeks of continual rain, killing 16 people and destroying 8000 homes.
THE BODY SHOP and its founder Anita Roddick inspired lots of people. In 1976 when the business was founded, “She painted the shop green because it hid everything, even the damp spots on the walls. She offered discounted refills to customers who brought back their empty containers, and used minimal packaging to keep costs as low as possible. Customers were allowed to choose from an array of perfume oils to scent their purchases (which were fragrance-free) because it was cheaper than adding expensive perfumes to every bottle of shampoo or lotion. And she eschewed advertising, relying instead on well-placed interviews promoting her social causes and in-store pamphlets to sell products.” By 1977, it was such a success she was selling franchises. Via Entrepreneur.com
FOOD WASTE Love Food, Hate Waste is a 1 Million Women campaign to tackle food waste. Did you know 1 in 3 bags of groceries goes to waste on average? They say: “3,800 of you cut your household food waste by 50%! If we keep that up for a year, together we will have stopped 655,500 kg of food from landing in the bin.”
BUY NAT’S NEW BOOK HERE:
A NOTE ON OUR MUSIC: IT IS BY OUR FRIEND MONTAIGNE, WHO SANG A SPECIAL ACOUSTIC VERSION OF "BECAUSE I LOVE YOU" JUST FOR US. IT'S FROM HER ALBUM GLORIOUS HEIGHTS.
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Until next time,
Clare x