eco stuff

I have a longer post than usual for you today. I hope that you can read it if you have the time, because it is something that I care about very deeply. I really love that the blog world I partake in is a truly inspiring place, filled with happy and positive posts about fashion and creativity and the things we love. I think it's ok though too, important even, to sometimes talk about the things that move us in other arenas of life. For me, one of these things is the environment and sustainability.

You may be aware that since I started Frances Baker, I have been making efforts to try and ensure it is an environmentally responsible venture. Sustainable fashion is something I am really passionate about, and the more I learn, the more inspired I am to make changes!

There are obviously lots of reasons why we should be mindful of our consumption habits and the ways in which our lifestyles affect our planet. However for me, right now, it all boils down to this: I am truly and deeply concerned about climate change. It's not just that I am concerned what might happen to future generations, or to the beautiful planet that I love; there is every likelihood that a lot of really upsetting and horrible things will happen in my own lifetime. Some already are. (The UK Met Office has a very informative resource about the current and future effects of climate change here if you're interested.)

Don't worry though, this is not intended to be a depressing post by any means! I like to think that while I am a bit of a realist, I am also a pretty positive person. I decided recently rather than just having this constant nagging sense of worry in the back of my brain about climate change, that maybe I should make an effort to learn a bit more about it, and what can be done to stop it. Sam and I have been watching a bunch of documentaries on the subject, and I have been doing some reading.

Most of the various documentaries I have watched and articles I have read seem to think that we have, give or take, maybe five years to turn things around before we reach the point of no return. Some studies suggest, very scarily, that we have just two years left! I personally am not a scientist, nor am I a fortune teller. I am not smart enough to know when the tipping point may or may not be. I do know however that if the tipping point does come and I haven't done anything to try and stop it, I will not be able to live with myself.

For some time now, Sam and I have been making efforts here and there to be more conscious of our lifestyles. We have been trying to change our behaviours to reduce our carbon emissions, and lower our impact on the environment. I decided though that I wanted to put this down here, in a public setting, as a way to hold myself accountable and challenge myself to do better.

So, in the name of accountability, here are some of the ways so far that I can think of that I have been trying to eco-friendlify my home and business (which are really one and the same since I work from home!)

Power Consumption: A pretty obvious place to start. Sam and I are renters and financially solar panels seem pretty unattainable to us right now, so unfortunately our only option for the time being is to try and be really careful of our power usage: turning off the TV and all other electrical appliances at the power point, changing over our lightbulbs, having shorter showers, etc. It has been getting pretty chilly in Melbourne this week, but we are trying to do without the heating as much as possible, and living up the multiple layers, wooly cardigans and slippers! When we do turn on the heater, we keep the thermostat low. I am definitely looking forward to seeing a difference in our power bills, that's for sure.

Transport: Working from home is obviously pretty awesome for lowering your transport needs! I do take the train to my other job though, as does Sam. I also prefer to ride my bike when I'm running errands up to the post office or to pick up sewing supplies. We unfortunately do own a car, but I am glad to say that it is an efficient little two door, and it hardly gets used. We have considered selling it, but it does still come in handy for picking up groceries when it's raining or there's too many items for the bike basket.

Food: Speaking of shopping, we have recently changed our ways! We now get all our vegetables from Ceres Fair Food, a non profit organic food delivery system that is designed to provide access to local, fresh, organic and fairly priced produce. Fellow Melbournians, this thing is seriously awesome, I wish I had heard of it earlier! You help your wallet, your health, the local farming community and your planet all in one go! I definitely recommend checking it out. Oh yeah, we have also started a little veggie patch in the backyard. So far we have some beetroots, spinach, carrots and a bunch of herbs on the go. I am seriously excited to be eating our own home grown veg in the near future! We have started a compost bin as well, and I can't believe how much less waste we are sending to landfill each week.
*Edit: I forgot to mention that I am vegetarian, and Sam has cut right back on his meat consumption. You can read about the environmental benefits of eating less meat here and here and here for a start.

Clothing: I think I will have to do a separate post on this one, seeing as it is a personal interest of mine and  I have lots of ideas about things to do here! I do highly recommend reading "Green is the New Black" by Tamsin Blanchard. It is a few years old now but it is still a really great resource.

Paper usage: This one is super important, because re-forestation, and protecting our existing forests are obviously a key part of cooling the earth's climate. Since my business is conducted entirely online, I am lucky that I don't need too much paper to go about my day to day work. When I do have to print an occasional invoice, I use 100% recycled printer paper (totally looks like normal office paper too, though I personally think that the 'recycled' look is actually far nicer). I draft my patterns on rolls of 100% recycled 'kraft' paper. One thing I am super embarrassed about is the fact that when Sarah and I got my beautiful new business cards she designed for me printed up, we didn't get recycled paper. I don't know why! We were totally going to, but then the time came and we just.. didn't! Ugh. If you get some, please don't throw them out! Or if you do, recycle them. I promise any future cards will be recycled. 

My new business cards and postcards designed by the amazing miss Sarah Adkins! Watch out for this girl, she is a graphic design superstar <3

I have another paper issue, and that is that I have a slight magazine addiction. It's not too bad, but I do buy maybe one every month or two. I am trying to reduce this to maybe just Lula or something equally as special, and the occasional other purchase. I just find magazines so inspiring, and I do love the beauty of print! I really hope that we can find a truly sustainable way to make printed products in the future, but until then I will try and stick to e-magazines when I can bear it.

Shipping: I really love buying things on etsy and other handmade sites from all over the world. Buying vintage and recycling is just so much better for the planet than buying anything new. Buying handmade is also so important, I feel it's so great to buy items with some transparency about where they were made and in what conditions. Handmade items have had thought put into their manufacture, and should hopefully last you and be well cared for. I do sometimes feel guilty though about all the planes flying around the globe taking my dresses to others and bringing me other handmade goodies back. While I still think this is probably a better option than buying factory made goods that likely have a lot more carbon miles behind them, I am at least trying to support local sales by offering free shipping to Australian customers. I would actually be really interested though to know your thoughts on this one, cos I am at a bit of a loss! 

Politics: I am not talking about party politics or voting etc. I am simply talking about empowering our governments to make changes by making our voices heard, because if we don't get some renewable energy happening here soon we are going to have some serious problems! For fellow Victorians, this site has some pretty good petitions to add your name to should you feel so inclined.

If anyone has any other suggestions for me, or thoughts, or ideas about things you are doing to change your own lifestyle, I would love to hear!

I know that climate change is a scary subject, and I know that in putting myself out there on such a controversial and upsetting matter I am probably going to get some nasty comments. So be it. I would rather that than sit back and be silent when I care so much. I am no extremist, I just love our planet the way it is, and I know you do too! I love the changing of seasons, rain on the window, crisp Autumn mornings, bright green Springs with a good mix of sun and rain, and beautiful warm Summers that only last as long as they're supposed to, however much we might not want those sunny days to end! When I've been in countries that get snowy winters, I've been filled with joy at such a beautiful thing. And there are still so many other countries, with other amazing climates, flora and fauna that I have seen only on film and in images. The diversity of the natural wonders of our planet are so amazing, I don't even want to do them the injustice of trying to describe their beauty.

Like I said, I'm not a scientist and I'm not smart enough to know how this is going to go down or when. Nevertheless, to quote one interviewee from this excellent documentary: "I am alive now and I can do something today. I can't in good conscience wait for somebody else to do it. For me the time is now. It's the only time we have, it's the only time anybody has."