How do we rehabilitate our planet?
A start-up, Manchester-based magazine that focuses on climate change is aiming to simplify what can be a confusing and complex debate around how we can act on matters relating to the changes that are occurring all around the globe. Rehabilitating Earth looks to explore why climate change is the most pressing issue of our time and what we can do to tackle it; both individually and collectively. As regular customers of ours and with a shared passion to do something about the climate crises, we thought we would offer them the opportunity to talk about their vision for the magazine, so we’re handing this page over to them…
My name is Toryn, I am 22 years old and like most people my age I am passionate about climate change. Shock. When I started university in 2017, like most people I knew about climate change, I knew what was happening, but I continued to live my life normally - perhaps I knew, but the full reality of climate change meant had not hit me.
I'm not going to sit here and tell you that one day the penny just dropped. I stopped eating meat, I started shopping plastic-free and I began my new, healthier, more eco-friendly life. This simply is not achievable for everyone, certainly not overnight anyway. No, for me the transition to a more climate-friendly lifestyle was gradual. But as I learnt more and more, I became more invested, more interested and wanted to do more. The problem is when you start trying to be climate-conscious 24/7 it's stressful. Ultimately, there is only so much we as individuals can do, and what each of us are capable of doing is different.
For example, becoming vegetarian is synonymous with someone who is passionate about climate change. However, whilst switching to a vegan diet will reduce your carbon footprint by 0.8 tonnes, there are other ways you can reduce your carbon footprint and these can be more effective. For example, one less long-haul flight per year will reduce your carbon footprint by 1.68 tonnes. I'm not saying going vegetarian is pointless, far from it, but if you do not want to stop eating meat that is also fine. It is not as black and white as people make it. Even just reducing how much meat you eat will make a difference, and as highlighted there are multiple other ways you can reduce your carbon footprint.
REHABILITATING EARTH
This led to me to start Rehabilitating Earth in September 2020. A magazine devoted to climate change and nothing else.
The internet is a scary place. Anyone can post anything and as proven by the rise of Trumpism, anti-vaccine rhetoric and climate change denial, people believe it. Even for those of us who do our best to sift through the fake news stories and read the facts, it can still be hard work. Rehabilitating Earth strives to be a safe space to share facts, not fiction. To tune out from the chaos of social media and focus on an important issue.
Our mission is to help untangle the choices that humanity must navigate regarding climate change. To do this, we aim to expose our readers to a wide range of content from many different perspectives. This diversity in content and perspective is at the core of Rehabilitating Earth's philosophy - driving the magazine to be more successful.
In evolutionary terms, genetic diversity is proven to increase the likelihood of a species surviving. This is because a more genetically diverse species may have alleles that may be valuable in resisting diseases, pests, predators and other stresses. In the same way, I believe that diversity in content (articles, poems, art, zines, short-films) and perspective (not just white middle-class men) is essential to telling the full story of climate change and encouraging more people to engage in content about climate change.
“Believe in the power of your own voice. The more noise you make, the more accountability you demand from your leaders, the more our world will change for the better.”
Al Gore, Former US Vice-President
This is also why Rehabilitating Earth is designed to be a platform for writers with little to no experience of writing before. You should not be discouraged because you have never written an article before, or a poem for that matter! Of course, there is an editing process that all pieces go through, but Rehabilitating Earth aims to be a platform to amplify voices; because we want to hear what you have to say. So, if you have an idea for a piece please get in touch! It would be great to hear from you.
HIGHLIGHT FEATURES ON REHABILITATING EARTH
1. WHY BE A VEGGIE - AN OBVIOUS GUIDE TO BECOMING A VEGETABLE
This satirical zine reviewing the perks of vegetarianism was the first non-article posted on the site. The zine plays on some of the mean remarks our non-veggie friends make. Reclaiming these veggie stereotypes within the zine, whilst treading the fine line between educating but not preaching, and humour without ridicule.
https://rehabilitatingearth.com/2021/02/25/why-be-a-veggie-an-obvious-guide-to-becoming-a-vegetable/
2. NO SPACE FOR FOOD WASTE
This article was one of the first I wrote for Rehabilitating Earth when it was just me. Did you know that if food waste were a country, it would be the third largest emitter of greenhouse gases behind the USA and China? The article explores the problems with food waste and discusses possible solutions such as composting.
https://rehabilitatingearth.com/2020/10/21/food-waste-climate-change/
3. THE ZERO WASTE REBELLION
Last but not least, this article is about Lentils & Lather! I first discovered Lentils and Lather almost a year ago now, and it was certainly love at first sight! The article examines the growing trend of a zero waste lifestyle, drawing comparison between Lentils & Lather and Sainsbury's.
https://rehabilitatingearth.com/2021/02/22/the-zero-waste-rebellion/
Starting Rehabilitating Earth has been exciting to say the least. The team has grown from just me, to 6 people! Hopefully, we can keep growing, spreading climate change cheer and goodwill along the way. If you're interested and want to read more about climate change, please visit our website or social media to find out more.