Citizen science: Monitoring the turtles of the Red Sea
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The Red Sea is a storied body of water that many have heard of, but few are familiar with.
Its history will bring up names like Hatshepsut and Moses, and its present is fraught with tales of piracy and political unrest.
But there’s another side to the Red Sea. As the most northern tropical sea, it boasts an incredible biodiversity that makes it both stunningly beautiful and ecologically vital.
I had the pleasure of spending two weeks with TurtleWatch Egypt 2.0, an organisation dedicated to monitoring the endangered sea turtle populations of Egypt’s Red Sea coast.
They launched as an initiative in 2011, and registered as an NGO in 2022. I was curious to learn more about marine conservation in my home country. To my luck, TurtleWatch was the perfect place to start.
Photo by Raimond Clavins
Based in the small town of Marsa Alam, their day-to-day work may be a dream for many thalassophiles.
Mornings are spent diving in bays rich with seagrass and corals, snapping photos of sea turtles and measuring data like shell length and water temperature.
Of course, their work has less idyllic parts too. Never-ending paperwork, grant applications, and database updates are just as important to the organisation’s functioning.
Photo by Micol Montagna
There’s one other thing that makes TurtleWatch especially unique: citizen science.
They were the first initiative in Egypt aimed at involving divers and snorkelers in marine conservation research.
How? By allowing visitors to the Red Sea to upload their own sightings and pictures of sea turtles, TurtleWatch taps into the potential of everyday people to contribute as citizen scientists.
These contributions help TurtleWatch identify important feeding and gathering sites for sea turtles, and better understand their movements and short-term migrations. It also helps them assess the impacts people have on these endangered animals.
They use this information to not only improve conservation and protection efforts, but to organise training sessions for dive centres and deliver “turtle talks” to young children, students, and tourists.
Photo by Micol Montagna
Citizen science is not a new concept.
It has been used around the world to classify galaxies and track illegal fishing. But in a place like the Red Sea, which is understudied and where data is insufficient, TurtleWatch has managed to greatly extend their eyes and ears beyond their local vicinity.
Sightings come from all over the coast, and in 2023 they received over 1000 sightings.
It makes perfect sense: Egypt’s Red Sea coast is filled with towns and resorts buzzing with snorkelers and divers, so why not involve them in the effort to protect the very marine life they’ve come here to enjoy?
As with everywhere else, the Red Sea hasn’t escaped the destructive impacts of people on the natural world.
Coastal development and tourism are polluting the marine environment and leaving physical scars, while warming waters and acidification are harming the Red Sea’s ability to withstand changes.
The good news is that corals in the Red Sea are some of the most resilient on the planet and could help us protect other corals reefs in the future.
But before that’s possible, we will need better regulations and more marine protected areas to safeguard the Red Sea.
Organisations like TurtleWatch—with the aid of citizen science—are doing their part to provide much-needed data and help protect this beautiful sea for future generations.
Thank you for raising your voice for the Ocean, Serag!
Disclaimer: Ocean Generation has no official affiliation with TurtleWatch. Mention of or reference to TurtleWatch is not an endorsement or sponsorship by Ocean Generation. The views, opinions, and activities of TurtleWatch are independent of Ocean Generation.
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Serag Heiba
Serag is an Ocean advocate and storyteller from Alexandria, Egypt. He recently graduated university in Hong Kong where he studied environmental engineering, and is now working on a magazine about the Red Sea. You can find more of his past work on LinkedIn.
The art of not drifting apart: life lessons from sea otters
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I took pride in my stubbornness as a young child. My family can attest to this.
For many years I used to make a point of objecting whenever museums or art exhibitions were suggested as “fun” family activities.
Wandering around such places for hours on end did not exactly line up with my vision of crafting mud pies in the garden to serve to my siblings.
My exception to this rule was the Seattle Aquarium. Seattle Waterfront’s Pier 59 is home to habitats with names like Life on the Edge, Crashing Waves, and Window on Washington Waters, showcasing the vast diversity of life in the Ocean.
To this day this aquarium remains an established part of the itinerary whenever I’m in Seattle.
Two current aquarium inhabitants are particularly special to me. Mishka and Sekiu are sea otters who I could watch for hours as they effortlessly glide through the water and playfully twist and turn and bump into each other.
I have a soft spot for this species because it was a sea otter poster that first persuaded me to break my previously steadfast no “fun” family activities rule and step foot in the aquarium.
“We hold hands in our sleep, so we never drift apart”.
These were the words written on that poster. I learnt that this phrase describes the way some sea otters have been observed to hold each other’s paws while resting in a group (called a ‘raft’).
Since that first aquarium visit, I have gone on to pursue a degree in biology. My days are now filled with learning about the pressing challenges of global biodiversity loss and climate change, alongside uplifting stories of conservation success and awesome cutting-edge research.
One of my friends asked me recently if I had to choose one takeaway from my degree to share with others, what would it be? Given the breadth of the field of biology I took some time to think about it.
“We hold hands in our sleep, so we never drift apart”
I read these words again, this time printed on a Seattle Aquarium magnet, and now have an answer for her.
As a species, humans have picked up a habit of drifting apart from nature.
Societies across the world have grown, developed, and flourished. But societal complexity has historically come at the cost of increased disconnect from the wild.
Take a moment to consider where the food that you consume comes from. The journey the coffee beans took to give you that morning brew. The origin of the materials in the clothes that you wear.
Nature provides these resources that fuel our lives.
Yet for many products, disconnect from nature is a goal. After all, meat encased in neat plastic packaging is more comfortable to consume than the reminder of its origin in nature.
Humans benefit from the natural biological, chemical, and physical processes, such as nutrient cycles and food webs, that occur within ecosystems. Examples of these benefits, known as ‘ecosystem services’, include resource provision, crop pollination, clean water, and climate regulation.
Recognising ecosystem services is crucial because harm inflicted upon nature diminishes its ability to provide these essential services.
It can be easy to forget that humans are a species too. Our scientific name is Homo sapiens. Humans are an inherent part of nature, and yet we often detach ourselves from it. It’s as if when we walk out of that aquarium we are no longer connected to the Ocean.
This could not be further from the truth.
All our actions, big and small, impact the planet. As is characteristic of human nature, we have the potential for good, bad, and everything in between. For instance, while overconsumption puts pressure on ecosystems and the services that they provide, conservation programs act to preserve and protect the environment.
It is up to us – as imperfect human beings – to try our best, maximise our positive impacts and minimise the negatives.
So, how can we avoid drifting apart from nature?
Reconnect with nature by spending more time outside
Katie is in the final year of her integrated master’s degree in Biology at the University of Oxford. Her master’s research explores how the extraction of construction minerals (such as sand, gravel, and limestone) impacts biodiversity globally. Throughout her undergraduate studies, Katie learnt about the importance of effective science communication, and she is a strong advocate for making science more accessible.
Katie also completed an internship at Ocean Generation; contributing to our Science Team.
Diving into Kalk Bay: Exploring its past, present, future
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My earliest, enduring memory of the Ocean is a stretch of sea rolling away from a vibrant fishing harbour in Kalk Bay, Cape Town.
The harbour’s position along the False Bay Coast, as well as its rich marine life, played a crucial role in the city’s early development and prosperity. Little did I know this place would also play an important role in my own life.
Kalk Bay: A link to my childhood and the last connection to my grandmother.
The colourful fishing boats in the harbour that frame the glorious, shimmering stretch of Ocean in my mind like a postcard, idealised to a point far from reality. Today, with names like Star of the Sea and Lucky Strike, those old wooden boats seem struck in a rapidly receding past.
Change has come in great variety and moved with incredible momentum. All aspects of the scene have been altered – from the oceanography and to the social structures and human dimension surrounding the harbour.
I find it interesting and unsurprising, that when asked to think of a memory about the Ocean, the one I recall is so entangled with the influence of mankind. These two elements – human and Ocean – have been linked for centuries and seem unable to escape one another.
I feel this tension reflected in the complex and often contradictory nature of our social and ecological aims moving forwards as a society.
Progression too often comes at the high cost of our marine health, a lack of respect for our past and insufficient foresight for our future. All of this points to the difficulty in honouring and preserving our collective pasts whilst building future horizons in sustainable ways.
New strategies for managing the natural environment and its resources should include integrated approaches with new frameworks, stakeholders and communities.
Kalk Bay as we see it today
The Kalk Bay area may be reminiscent of the past, but the issues it faces are very much of the present. The harbour is one of the few still in operation, albeit a far cry from its thriving commercial days. Subsistence fishing (the practice of catching fish for personal consumption and not profit) is carried out with a handful of crayfish boats heading out each day.
With reduced operation has come tourism and commercialisation. You will find restaurants, pop up stalls selling gimmicks, and seals, who emboldened and adjusted to the crowds, sunbathe on the jetty.
Just as the Ocean below has been altered by rising sea levels and an increased frequency of extreme temperature events, so too has the harbour. Unsurprisingly, the advancements and demands of modern life have been the indirect driving forces behind this change.
All the usual culprits – overfishing, climate change, overpopulation, and coastal development- are part of this problem. Fish stocks caused by overfishing and the violations of size regulations have impacted marine biodiversity and the livelihoods of local fisherman.
Coastal development have also contributed significantly to these detrimental changes by increasing pollutant runoff and nutrient loading.
This illustrates just how interrelated Ocean and coastal ecosystems are and how integral they are to both human and aquatic life.
Not all hope is lost for Kalk Bay
Thankfully, there’s been a growing awareness of and respect for some of these pressing human-made threats, which has led to the establishment of marine protected areas. Currently, 15 % of South Africa’s total marine areas are protected with 1.7 % of this area fully protected.
Evidently, the South African constitution recognises the need for these conservation efforts and acknowledges the responsibility that the fishing and tourism industries have.
Eco-tourism has emerged as a way of protecting and sustainably using the environment, without negatively impacting economic growth and job security.
We need solutions that engage local communities living in coastal areas. This would encourage the safeguarding of natural resources, improve the quality of people’s lives, and potentially assist in building bridges between sections of South African society that has historically been divided.
Approaches such as these work towards achieving a balance between developmental goals and environmental concerns; it’s of course an ongoing process. Therefore, it’s important to thoroughly research and address the priorities and gaps in this area with input from various stakeholders.
My grandmother’s childhood saw the days when man could still outrun his actions without stopping to catch his breath and consider any of the implications. The harmony between human and Ocean that existed was only ever on a short-term loan, one with dangerously high interest.
The future seemed as it always does to those on the shores of the present: An island far away.
The generation of young people to which I belong to understand that preservation isn’t about merely respecting the present but also about securing the future. Therefore, my faith in the collective creativity and problem-solving abilities of the next generation of changemakers gives me hope for the future of our marine and coastal ecosystems.
Thank you for raising your voice for the Ocean, Katie!
Katie is a part-time writer, full-time Ocean enthusiast and aspiring scientist. The Ocean has always been a place of wonder for her, occupying a special place in her imagination. Currently studying at Cambridge University, Katie explores her passion for environmental advocacy and activism as an ambassador for sustainability within science.
The world was our oyster, when the oysters became our world
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An experience paving the way for community-led marine conservation.
Like many of us, until recently I had only ever associated oysters with gourmet restaurants and fine dining, an out of reach delicacy plucked from some distant, murky seabed.
After working with oysters, they are now a familiar part of the local marine wildlife, and a hugely important component in the global effort to restore and conserve our Ocean.
I spent my summer interning with Seawilding, a community-led marine habitat restoration organisation in Scotland. Their mission is to restore seagrass meadows and native oyster reefs, through planting seagrass, growing oysters to form new reefs, and developing successful methods that others can follow, to enable coastal communities across the UK and further afield to take action.
Photo by Wavemaker Story writer Sophie Coxon.
The seascape of Loch Craignish
Set on the gleaming shores of Loch Craignish, the first time I slipped under the surface was like entering a whole other world.
The salty water enveloped me with an icy embrace, and the seabed materialised below. Vast meadows of seagrass glistened green, with dappled sunlight sparkling through the water column and catching the tails of Goldsinny wrasse and the occasional lonely pipefish.
Snakelock anemones waved like flowers from the grass heads, and red feather stars snaked their arms towards me as I glided past.
The fringes of the meadow gave way to soft mudflats, where sparring crabs and dancing prawns entertained passersby. Gobies and flatfish buried themselves in the sand, and large shoals of herring flicked like glassy shards in the distant blue.
The oyster reef was by far my favourite; thick layers of oyster shells stacked haphazardly covered the seafloor, carpeted by algae, barnacles and clumps of bladderwrack.
Fish darted in and out of crevices, startled by my shadow, and starfish lay clustered on the rocks, arms splayed as if holding hands. The plethora of animals, and the richness of the life surrounding me was quite literally breathtaking, so much so that I almost choked on the seawater a number of times.
It was inspiring to see so much diversity thriving in Scotland’s waters.
The work Seawilding’s team has achieved is clearly doing wonders for the wildlife of Loch Craignish, however this is only the tip of the iceberg in the marine conservation and restoration work we need to undertake, not only here in Scotland but across the Ocean.
Photos by Wavemaker Story writer Sophie Coxon.
The health of the Ocean is essential to us, not only as societies through its cultural significance, but also through its physical services.
Without healthy marine ecosystems, food stability will crumble, coastal erosion will rapidly creep up on communities, and the impacts of climate change will be less cushioned and more sorely felt.
Scotland’s marine wildlife: Then and now
Scotland’s coasts were once prolific with wildlife. Historic records speak of rivers “overflowing with salmon, onto the banks”, estuaries that had seemingly endless shellfish stocks, and open Ocean brimming with endless shoals of fish.
Oysters were once the food of the poor, and lobster was a common centerpiece at every dinner table. Lush seagrass meadows flanked the shorelines and wildlife flourished, everywhere.
Dredging (removing sediments from the seabed), overfishing, and pollution threaten our coastlines more than ever before, and with the pressures of climate change increasing with each day, we must start taking action to prevent further losses.
Seawilding’s work, enthusiasm and passion for the marine environment is a sparkling example of how communities can come together to create real, positive change – something we should all strive towards.
Thank you for raising your voice for the Ocean, Sophie!
Disclaimer: Ocean Generation has no official affiliation with Seawildling. Mention of or reference to Seawildling is not an endorsement or sponsorship by Ocean Generation. The views, opinions, and activities of Seawildling are independent of Ocean Generation.
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Sophie Coxon
Sophie is a final year student studying a BSc in Ecological and Environmental Sciences at the University of Edinburgh. She is a passionate scuba diver, snorkeler and beach-comber, and loves to combine her love of creative and scientific writing with marine research and communication. She hopes to work in reef ecology and restoration, and make a real impact in the marine conservation world.
How to tell the difference between sustainable fashion and false claims like greenwashing
The fashion industry is swept up in buzzwords — especially when marketing sustainable fashion. “Eco-friendly”, “natural”, “green”—the list goes on. But what do they mean? Do they have substance, at all?
Most of them are fluff, jargon to make a brand sound environmentally conscious without any true scientific backing as to their impact on our blue planet. Sustainability is easy to market, but hard to prove.
Saying that, we can welcome our next buzzy term into the mix —greenwashing.
What is greenwashing?
No, greenwashing is not an expensive non-toxic clothing detergent or the latest dry cleaning method.
Greenwashing is “the act or practice of making a product, policy, activity, etc. appear to be more environmentally friendly or less environmentally damaging than it really is”.
What is greenwashing in fashion?
Greenwashing in fashion can range from a fast fashion brand debuting a “sustainable” collection that lacks evidence supporting how it is environmentally conscious, to sprinkling eco-friendly terms into marketing without defining what they mean.
In short, greenwashing is the use of false claims to hop on to the sustainability trend without evidence (if only Legally Blonde had come out now, Elle would be all over this one!).
How can you tell the difference between sustainable fashion and false claims?
5 ways to identify greenwashing in fashion.
If you see these red flags, run!
The use of sustainability jargon, such as “green”, “eco-friendly”, “sustainable”, and “natural” in marketing without a definition explaining what the brand means when using the term.
A fast fashion company that comes out with new items often (think: daily, weekly, monthly, even large numbers released seasonally) markets their new line as “sustainable”.
Releasing large volumes of clothing indicates that the company as a whole is not following an earth-conscious business model and thereby cannot justify one of their lines truly being sustainable.
Claiming fabrics to be “organic” or “non-toxic” without certifications to support (see below for more information on certifications to look for).
The lack of scientific reports exploring their sustainability impact . If a brand has the data to prove how they are sustainable, they will show it.
Using the term “vegan” to make clothing sound like a healthier, cruelty-free alternative , when the fabric is derived from petrochemicals (meaning, they are fossil-fuel derived plastics).
However, some “vegan” fabrics are plant-based materials, which would be a sustainable alternative.
The brand has sustainability reports backed up by data readily available.
Sustainability reports can include their efforts towards lowering carbon footprint, reducing water usage and overall waste, treating and paying garment workers fairly, and outlining future sustainability goals.
How traceable is your clothing?
Clothing is fully traceable back to the source, such as the farm that grew the cotton or the alpaca whose wool you are wearing.
Is your sustainable clothing certified by credible sources?
Fabrics and processes can be certified by credible sources, such as:
➡️ What does a GOTS certification mean? Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) ensures no pesticides or insecticides are used in farming and all chemistry used by the brand in the production of clothing is in alignment with being truly organic.
GOTS-certified facilities also adhere to social criteria based on leading social sustainability standards.
➡️What is OEKO TEX in the fashion world? OEKO-TEX® is all about chemical safety. They have a variety of certifications, but the most popular one is the STANDARD 100 which ensures that the final product was tested to confirm that it is free from over 3,000 different toxic chemicals.
➡️What does bluesign credibility mean? bluesign® approved facilities look at the overall chemistry used by a brand from fiber to finished product to ensure safe chemistry practices are used.
➡️What is Fairtrade? Fairtrade International and Fair Trade USA follow criteria that support ethical working environments for farmers and garment workers, eco-friendly practices and prioritise fair pay.
Are the clothes you’re wearing part of circular fashion?
“Circular” fashion stops the linear “take-make-waste” model of fast fashion and instead closes the loop on production, including responsible manufacturing, use, and recycling for every garment.
Look for brands that have take-back programs to recycle and reuse garments when they are at the end of life.
Is the clothing you’re wearing from small batch production?
A brand launches only a few items at a time in a limited supply to combat waste from the fashion industry, such as increasing landfills.
Now in the know.
Although greenwashing is an indicator that the industry is slowly becoming more conscious of their impact on the environment.
But the only way to truly make a positive difference is to be honest and straightforward in their environmental efforts.
Every decision we make – from what we wear to what we eat and how we move – has an impact on the future health of our Ocean and planet.
With these tips to spot greenwashing, you’re now equipped to decipher the sustainability cons from the true conservationists. Go forth with your newfound skill and tell a friend.
Lydia Dupree is a biochemist and author of peer-reviewed articles in her field. She dives deep into the literature to explore the impact the fashion industry has on our health and environment, and shows how to easily implement sustainable fashion into our lives.
Ocean Generation: Endorsed as a UN Ocean Decade Project
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In 2017, the United Nations General Assembly declared 2021 – 2030 as ‘the Ocean Decade’ (officially: the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development).
What is the goal of the UN’s Ocean Decade?
The Ocean Decade is a global effort to provide “transformative Ocean science solutions for sustainable development, connecting people and our Ocean” endorsed by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO; scientists, resource providers, governments, business and industry, and other stakeholders joining forces to drive solutions.
Their vision? To provide the science we need for the Ocean we want, with the aim of supporting a well-functioning, productive, resilient and sustainable Ocean.
Ocean Generation’s “Ocean Intelligence” approach has been endorsed by the UN Ocean Decade.
What is Ocean Intelligence?
“We are delighted that our unique Ocean Intelligence approach has been endorsed by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO (IOC). Our ‘Ocean Intelligence’ approach uses the power of storytelling to translate complex Ocean science into engaging and practical actions. Through Ocean Intelligence we play a central role in bringing to life the vision of the Ocean Decade by connecting people everywhere to the Ocean and communicating the science we need for the Ocean we want. We are particularly happy to continue our long relationship with the IOC who were early supporters and patrons of our original documentary film ‘A Plastic Ocean’.“
Richard Hill, CEO at Ocean Generation.
We unpack the often jargon-heavy, complicated science behind the human actions that threaten our Ocean.
Ocean Generation uses the power of storytelling to translate environmental science into understandable, practical actions that people, globally, can take to restore a healthy relationship with the Ocean and live more sustainable lifestyles.
Our Ocean Intelligence approach is grounded in four science-based pillars:
Our Ocean: Engaging people in the wonder of our Ocean.
Ocean not Oceans: Sharing the Science behind one interconnected Ocean that humans rely on.
Our Impact: Exploring the 5 human actions that threaten our Ocean.
Our Future: Discovering how we can all take Ocean Action.
These 4 pillars underpin all our Youth Engagement programmes for 3 – 25-year-olds.
How we bring the Ocean to young people
From a toe in the water to a full immersive experience
In partnership with Earth Cubs, we’ve launched a play-based game for 3 – 7-year-olds that aims to engage children on the importance of our Ocean, the harm of plastic pollution, and how they can contribute to creating a healthier planet.
Ocean Academy exists to bring the Ocean to the classroom. It’s an open-source digital education hub designed for 5 – 16-year-olds, providing them with access to the best Ocean education – in easy to understand and engage with formats.
The Wavemaker Programme empowers young adults – 16 – 25 – to make a positive change by providing them with tools and resources. Through our workshops, masterclasses, and personal development programmes, Wavemakers accelerates social action and incubates innovation.
We see a world where the Ocean is freed from human threats within a generation.
To protect Earth’s most precious ecosystem – our Ocean – we must first understand its importance. Our Wavemaker Programme empowers young people between 16 – 25 to use their voice and talents to make a positive impact on our blue planet. This piece was written by one of our Wavemakers. Submit your own story.
Ocean threats don’t just impact the environment and non-human creatures, but our own health and wellbeing too. One key way the environment’s degradation can impact us is through eco-anxiety.
Shrinking ice caps, disappearing biodiversity, fiercer bushfires, heat waves , and flash floods. The effects of climate change are difficult to ignore.
These disasters not only cause immense physical destruction – a growing body of evidence shows they’re also taking a toll on our mental health.
What is eco-anxiety anyway?
Eco-anxiety is extreme worry about current and future harm to the environment caused by human activity and climate change.
Eco-anxiety can be caused by the stressful and frightening experience of “watching the slow and seemingly irrevocable impacts of climate change unfold, and worrying about the future for oneself, children and later generations“, according to a 2018 report.
How do I know if I have eco-anxiety?
Eco-anxiety can feel like feelings of loss, helplessness, frustration, and guilt, as the sufferers feel they are unable to stop climate change.
Feeling this anxiety is an emotionally mature state to be in, which shows that you are aware of the crisis that we are all facing.
So, whilst it can be unpleasant, it can show a willingness to face painful truths and facts, and that should be acknowledged and almost (though not quite as simple as this) be celebrated. But how?
When facing eco-anxiety, remember you’re not alone.
First of all, try to recognise your feelings as completely reasonable and necessary, rather than push them away.
Taking time to acknowledge my feelings helps me maintain a healthy relationship with them, and often motivates my work and activism.
Finding your place in a community can also be a huge help with feelings of despair and anxiety. There are a lot of support and activist groups you can join (read on to the tips section to see some example groups).
Shared belonging and concern can be a great support and working towards tangible solutions can give a much greater sense of control in overwhelming circumstances.
Know when to seek professional help:
If your eco-anxiety is so severe that it causes you to be unable to function, or feels unbearable, you could consider seeking professional help. Try to bring empathetic understanding and connection to, ideally, find meaning in this experience.
It is often the loss of meaning that causes people the most suffering.
Understanding that these feelings have meaning can be comforting. The ideal is to find balance between feeling these emotions, and then using them in different ways to create meaningful change, better relationships with your family and friends, maybe even more meaningful work and activism of some kind.
At least know that you are not alone with your fears.
Eco-Agency: Steps to tackle eco-anxiety
Since 2017, and especially since autumn 2018, there has been increasing coverage about eco-anxiety and climate anxiety in various media.
One focal point in this discussion has been the young climate activist Greta Thunberg, who has openly spoken of her climate change anxiety.
Climate anxiety became perhaps the most discussed form of eco-anxiety, and it was often discussed in relation to the children, youth, and young adults who participated in climate action.
More studies on the mental health impacts of climate change have been published. In 2020, books for the general public began to appear, providing suggestions for self-help and social action in order to alleviate eco-anxiety and especially climate anxiety.
Book recommendations to learn more about eco-anxiety and how to deal with it:
Acknowledging that there are many people feeling this anxiety and looking at options of how you could help yourself and others, helps you move from an eco-anxious mindset to an eco-agent perspective.
Eco-agency is being proactive in looking after yourself and your wellness within your environmental actions.
It means ensuring you are mindful of your mental health and keeping fit and healthy. The next couple of tips are ways I found have helped me move from eco-anxiety to eco-agency.
Tips to deal with eco-anxiety
Here are five steps I find have helped me live, cope with and overcome eco-anxiety.
1. Try and live in alignment with your values
The impact of individual actions can be very small, but psychotherapist Mary-Jayne Rust suggests that changing your lifestyle to be more compatible with your values can help with eco-anxiety.
Researchers from Imperial College London’s Grantham Institute offered several ways to do this: eat less meat and dairy, drive less and stop buying and disposing of so many items.
“My individual actions are not actually capable of solving climate change,” she said.
While changing how you live and travel may help you by letting you live more closely in accordance with your values, you shouldn’t feel ashamed for not being fully able to comply with these.
“The systems in which we are all enmeshed essentially force us to harm the planet, and yet we put all that shame on our own shoulders,” said Marris. “The shame is not helping anybody.”
3. Focus your efforts on changing systems, not yourself
Marris argues that we can’t get where we want to be through individual action, and that accepting this has therapeutic benefits.
“I don’t think a complete narcissistic focus on the self is healthy,” she points out. Instead, Marris suggests you can have a much more meaningful impact by working with others to lobby governments.
The Grantham Institute advises letting your MP, local councillors and mayor know that you think action on climate change is important and writing to your bank or pension provider to ask if you can opt out of funds that invest in fossil fuels.
4. Find like-minded people
Finding a community of like-minded individuals can help you express and share your feelings of eco-anxiety. You can’t solve climate change on your own. Joining a group of some kind will enable you to make friends.
I’m not an expert on mental health but I feel like making friends is helpful – giving you a space to share your thoughts and feelings.
The importance of talking about your experiences – the challenges as well as the positives – and bringing other people along with you.
Talking about the practical things you can do in their day-to-day lives can give you some sense of control back and empowers you to take ownership of your choices and agency.
I’d be lying if I said that there wasn’t a lot of time when you think, ‘Why do we bother?’ But, when you sit down, chat to other activists or advocates and have a bit of a think about it, you realise that there’s a huge amount that we can still do.
Yes, our planet and Ocean are in trouble. But it’s in our power to protect what’s left and make a meaningful difference. And that’s why we do this. That’s why we carry on.
To protect Earth’s most precious ecosystem – our Ocean – we must first understand its importance. Our Wavemaker Programme empowers young people between 16 – 25 to use their voice and talents to make a positive impact on our blue planet. This piece was written by one of our Wavemakers. Submit your own story.
The Ocean is the world’s most shared resource.
Social, economic and environmental sharing is caring
The Ocean is the world’s most shared resource. The vitality of the Ocean is necessary to support and sustain Earth and here’s why.
Covering over 70% of the planet, our Ocean takes responsibility for regulating our climate and weather from the poles to the equator.
As if her generosity wasn’t enough, the Ocean’s environmental benefits have continued to protect and conserve biodiversity and create global sources of natural carbon sinks. It does this by providing services to ecosystems, including coastal wetlands, mangroves and coral reefs.
Human health and Ocean health are connected
The health of our Ocean is intimately tied to our health. No, really…with every breath we take, with every drop we drink, we’re connected to her.
Not just physically, but emotionally. When we take a step back to enjoy the magnificent view of our Ocean (whilst adding her to our IG stories #SoGrateful), it welcomes a sense of calmness, for how life can be so gentle and beautiful.
But to take this mentality forward with how we care for her every day is the next essential step.
Why?
Well for one, the Ocean provides us with over 50% of the world’s oxygen.
No matter her physical forms, whether stormy and rough, warm and clear or frigid and cold, she, the Ocean, has always helped us breathe during our time on Earth and should never be gone unnoticed.
What resources does our Ocean provides us with?
The Ocean continues to provide a vast number of economic and social benefits, including: jobs, food, medicine, recreation and wonderment – to name a few.
Our Ocean boosts sustainable economic growth in some of the world’s poorest countries, which supports the well-being of coastal communities.
“[A healthy Ocean is] critical for combatting rural poverty, ensuring food security, improving nutrition and achieving zero hunger.”
Economically, about 38 million people rely on the fishing and fish-farming industry, 95% of whom live in Asia, Africa and Latin America.
The economic benefits the Ocean provides has sparked several positive domino effects for many communities, including: food security, job security, sustainable trade in Ocean -based goods and services, sustainable shipping, and an attraction to sustainable tourism.
In addition, OECD confirmed that over 90% of the world’s trade uses sea routes thereby making the Ocean a heavily reliant agent to access essential resources and necessities, including food, medical supplies and drugs, and fuel.
It is important that we not only take notice but also speak about how many communities around the world have learnt to grapple and adapt to the Ocean’s gifts – as opposed to altering the Ocean to fit their needs, they learnt to navigate their lifestyles with the Ocean.
The impact of our Ocean on communities:
Sri Lanka’s Ocean wealth
The island we know today as Sri Lanka has thrived on the Ocean’s economic resources as it has made remarkable contributions to the country’s economy.
Sri Lanka’s coastal zone hosts 1/3 of the country’s population, accommodates over 2/3 of all industrial facilities, and over 80% of tourism infrastructure.
As the Ocean provides social benefits for many communities, the wellbeing dependency on the Ocean is clear. These communities have been able to cultivate a sense of stability and economic growth, through fishing and aquatic agriculture. Moreover, the little island is well known for its touristic cities, from mountain tops to the clear, blue Ocean with its golden sand.
The tropical country’s sandy coast lines continue to attract many tourists to the Ocean, to soak in the sunsets and fresh air – reflecting again on the wonder and wellness the Ocean provides us.
Economic exploitation: The new high school bad boy
Unfortunately, utilising the Ocean‘s resources and services have come at a cost – exploitation and economic dominance.
The Blue Economy was a concept initiated with the goal of sustainably sourcing the Ocean’s resources for economic growth, improved livelihoods, and healthy ecosystems.
However, this goal became somewhat of a fever dream when humans started to deteriorate marine ecosystems, resulting in widespread biodiversity loss and habitat damage – sort of like when we were content with the High School Musical trilogy, but Disney thought we needed another version which ended up disappointing us…
Although the exploitation of marine resources was apparent in the 17th-19th century – where the Caribbean coral reefs, faced a massive loss of fish and sharks – the consequences are more distinct now.
How is our Ocean’s health today?
Today, overfishing, destructive fishing practices, and pollution are some of the major enemies facing the long-term nature of our Ocean. To add to the chaos, deep-sea mining is having a detrimental impact on her physical nature, and hindering on the Ocean’s health and societal benefits.
The power of our Ocean only continues to weaken as it loses its harness over the Earth’s environmental and climate systems due to climate change.
A spike in unprecedented environmental conditions, such as acidification, deoxygenation, more frequent marine heat-waves, and El Niño, and La Niña events are predicted to have severe negative impacts on marine ecosystems and species – and we thought the Kardashians carried all the drama.
While these major shifts in Ocean health may appear to feel ‘far off’ and ‘manageable’, our reliability on the Ocean is having greater deep-rooted effects on different demographics and societies than we know.
With over 3 billion livelihoods depending on the Ocean for jobs, 680 million living in low-lying coastal zones, and food security at risk (noticeably after COVID-19 hit), we need to emphasise, now more than ever, that without our Ocean’s wellbeing looked after, our survival is at stake.
Our apology to her will not be enough this time. It is time we take accountability and action to restore our Ocean.
Zayna, from Sri Lanka, is a self-declared super smiler, Wavemaker and freelancer in the film and entertainment industry. She believes raising her voice on the topics she cares about is important because no one carries the same views and perspectives, which means we can inspire one another.
Post by
Zayna Zubair
Zayna, from Sri Lanka, is a self-declared super smiler, Wavemaker and freelancer in the film and entertainment industry. She believes raising her voice on the topics she cares about is important because no one carries the same views and perspectives, which means we can inspire one another.
The fashion industry pushes the idea that more is better — more trends, more products, more shopping; but who benefits from this? Certainly not consumers who feel the pressure to constantly stay on trend, or the environment struggling to keep up with the growing landfills and increased plastic count in our Ocean.
So, how do we break free from this craze? We slow down.
A mindful approach to fashion
What is “slow fashion”?
Slow fashion is a mindful look at clothing from environmental factors to health implications and ethical working conditions for those that make the clothing. It is bringing fashion in harmony with our world.
Five simple ways to transition from fast fashion to a slow fashion wardrobe
When selecting new pieces of clothing, look for products made out of fibers such as cotton or linen .
Many times, brands will claim their items are natural, but in fact are mostly synthetic with only a small percentage of natural fibers.
The tag on the inside of the item is the place to go to confirm what the fabric is made of — think of it as the garment’s ingredient label. Choose pieces that are a majority natural — the closer to 100% the better!
In addition to fabric type, look for GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard), OEKO–TEX®, and bluesign® certifications to be sure that the all-natural clothing is truly organic and not processed with toxic chemicals and dyes.
How to choose clothing created in ethical working environments:
Beyond fabric composition, there are certifications indicative of a sustainable brand.
Fairtrade certified brands follow criteria that create ethical working environments for farmers and garment workers, support eco-friendly practices and prioritise fair pay.
B Corporations adhere to levels of transparency, ensure ethical employee treatment and charitable giving, and demonstrate positive environmental impacts. Look for these when shopping to support brands that support their workers and the environment.
Building a sustainable wardrobe starts with investing in quality pieces for everyday wear based on your style, known as a capsule wardrobe.
Think of the 3–5 items that you wear most often and feel the best in. Then, invest in all-natural items that will complement the staples you already own.
The goal is to have a closet that can be paired countless ways without having to own a lot of clothing.
4. Buy less, wear more
This brings us to the mantra, buy less, wear more. When you need to shop for something new, ask yourself these questions:
Will this pair well with what I already own?
Will I wear this for more than just one occasion?
Sometimes an outfit is specific to an event, such as a party, graduation, or a wedding. But, if more often than not you are making the most of your wardrobe, then you are participating in this more mindful approach to fashion.
When you feel that an item no longer fits in your wardrobe but is still in good shape, donating to a shelter is a great option.
Many brands offer buy-back programs where you can send back your pre-loved item from their brand, and they will recycle it properly for you.
Try thrifting or renting wardrobe items
Thrifting and renting clothing have become popular options, thrifting for its lower cost point and unique finds, and renting for when you need an outfit for a specific occasion.
Do your friends also have clothes they are bored with? Hold a clothes swap where you each bring a few pieces and trade off.
There are endless ways to extend the lifetime of clothing and bring mindfulness into fashion – which all contribute to better caring for our Ocean and planet. Have fun with it!
Lydia Dupree is a biochemist and author of peer-reviewed articles in her field. She dives deep into the literature to explore the impact the fashion industry has on our health and environment, and shows how to easily implement sustainable fashion into our lives.
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