‘This system cannot be sustained’ (‘This system cannot be sustained’) — High Country News – Know the West

‘Tis the season to be writing your Christmas list, checking it twice and figuring out who’s been naughty or nice. Before you hit the shops this year, take a minute to think about the impact your gifting has on the planet. Australian households generate 30% more waste over the Christmas period. We can all do our bit to help minimise waste and protect our environment by gifting sustainably. Give an experience Instead of giving ‘stuff’, give an experience to remember, like: A voucher for your loved one’s favourite restaurant, a show or workshop. A Groupon, Cudo or RedBalloon voucher will cater to all types of interests – sports, massage or an outdoor adventure. Treat your loved ones to a meal at one of our fabulous local eateries Make something There’s nothing quite like receiving a gift you know has been made just for you: Pot some fresh herbs for cooking. Bake a few treats. If you are super creative – paint, draw or whip-up a Christmas stocking on the Janome. Donate If there is someone in your life who already has everything, do you know if they have a charity or interest you could support? Here are a few ideas: Kids and animal lovers might like to adopt an animal at Taronga Zoo or through the WWF. Support bushfire victims in NSW and QLD or drought affected farmers who are doing it tough this Christmas. Donate to community development organisations like World Vision, or Oxfam and contribute to sustainability programs (tree planting, food production, education etc.) in developing countries. Many environmental charities have donation programs over Christmas, including marine conservation, reforestation to help our koalas or regenerative farming – just to name a few. There are also many charity groups assisting native animals who have been injured during bushfires. Who…

Even if your main mission isn’t environmental, the pressure is on all of us to combat the climate crisis. But it can be challenging to create a positive impact on the planet when you’re already stretched to deliver your primary purpose.  In our next WISE Ways to Lead webinar on Tuesday 22 November from 1-2pm, we’ll be joined by Elaine Brown who is driving forward the concept of re-use and repair through her social enterprise, The Edinburgh Remakery.  Elaine’s in-depth knowledge won her the Environmental Champion title in this year’s WISE100, and she will be sharing her tips and ideas for the small (and bigger) things that can help kick-start your business’s environmental journey.  We’ll also hear from Alison Marjoram of P3 Charity, a social enterprise that supports vulnerable people in England.

Every year, 400 million tons of heavy metal, toxic sludge and industrial waste are dumped into our waterways. At least 8 million tons of plastic end up in our oceans. Some 1.3 billion tons of food — about one-third of all that is produced — is lost or wasted, while hundreds of millions of people go hungry. Our oceans are being overfished, our lands degraded and biodiversity rapidly eroded. Meanwhile, devastating natural disasters — flash floods in Europe and China, forest fires in the United States and locust infestations in Africa and the Middle East — are becoming more frequent. The unsustainability of our linear “take-make-waste” pattern of global production and consumption has never been more obvious. In fact, if we do not abandon it by 2050, we will need the equivalent of almost three Earths to provide enough natural resources to sustain current lifestyles, and annual waste generation will increase by 70%. But there is a better way: We can embrace the circular economy.

Find out how the Terra Sustainability Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai is inspiring visitors to make sustainable change.  Ggreenloop, a new online event taking place 20-21 April, 2021, is the world’s first conference looking specifically at sustainability in visitor attractions.  Our international line-up features speakers leading sustainability programmes at some of the world’s leading visitor attractions, from major museums to theme parks and Expos, who will outline best practice, highlight key initiatives and developments. See our agenda here.