Another world *is* possible

There are so many reasons to be cheerful – ten years ago, barely anybody had heard of Fairtrade, now goods bearing its marks are all over the supermarket. Vegetarianism used to be really weird, now it’s considered a fairly normal lifestyle choice. In the last year four people I know have gone vegan since finding out the environmental benefits of doing so. The British government have woken up to the fact that the climate change is important and created a new department to deal with it.

Most people do care, as shown by the number of text messages I get sent asking where the most ethical place to buy clothes/shoes/a wallet is. The other week my mum rang to ask who the most environmental energy company is. Campaigners are needed to give people the facts, and to persuade people that what they are advocating is the right thing to do. Of course you will encounter sceptics, but it’s easy to remain optimistic. If people really weren’t prepared to do the right thing there would still be a legal slave trade.

It’s becoming increasingly fashionable to be green. Not so long ago environmentalism was the domain of the hemp-wearers and the dreadlocked, but now even Marie Claire are publishing eco-specials. Canvas bags are in, plastic is out and we need to build on this momentum to promote real change. Not by telling people how awful they are, but how easy it is to be better. It might be happening slowly - nobody said building a social movement would be easy - but it’s certainly happening. Who knows if it will be enough, but we can never give up hope.

On another note - it’s been a while since you’ve had any actual lifestyle tips so here’s a few websites you might find interesting:

Online - Swapping

Careers

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