I’ve always been obsessed with design and interiors, and as I’ve moved between different houseshares, the styling of my bedroom has become a paramount project. It’s a form of self-expression, and creating an enjoyable intimate space feels like a small victory in an era that can often feel so tumultuous and disempowering, especially concerning Covid-19, the climate crisis, and more recently, the rising cost of living. But an important question, in the face of the current climate crises, is how can we minimise material waste and think more consciously about sustainable living practices?

Researchers at the University of Nairobi have found that we are seeing a societal shift to integrate environmentally sustainable practices as people are starting to recognize the link between “spaces, people and the community.” 

This thinking inspires us to hold big business and industry accountable for environmental harm and challenges the misconception that public behaviour is solely responsible for the polluted built environments we inhabit. While we can all make differences in adopting greener behaviours, change fundamentally happens in the macro fields of environmental damage as opposed to micro ones.

This is where mushrooms make another compelling case. Mycelium, an offshoot of fungus, has gained traction in recent years as a sustainable material and is being used in the construction, architecture, and interior design industries. The construction industry is developing science-led innovations that will enable the roots of mushrooms, which consist of minuscule threads called hyphae, to become adopted and widespread in building initiatives.

The key reason for this technological drive is that mushrooms are sustainable. If we grow our bricks and boards from mycelium and fill it with agricultural waste, it takes days for the mushroom spores to absorb the organic matter into a viable solid, a process that is affordable and efficient. Mycelium is highly versatile and helps replace the use of harmful plastics. Researchers with Scientific American argue that biological technology is the most persuasive direction we must take to harmonize our built relationship with Earth.

The architectural firm The Living broke new ground with their sustainably made mushroom brick tower the “Hy-Fi”, which debuted at MoMA’s courtyard space in Manhattan in 2014. When the tower was dismantled two months later, each brick was taken to compost.

Architects were first inspired to use mushroom roots by biodegradable waste packaging initiatives that used mycelium. The drawback of using mushroom root in construction is the strength of the material. Although its function is proven in interior design fields and as an insulation material, it falls short in areas where structural proficiency is the end goal. Researchers are currently refining products to enable the material to be weight-bearing, which will diversify its use. The construction industries currently contribute to around a tenth of global carbon dioxide emissions and this isn’t improving without the integration of unconventional and grown materials which will steer industries away from factory-made fossil resources.

Additional work has been done exploring the benefit of mycelium in performing health and safety roles in buildings for its natural fire retardant properties. After the tragedy of the Grenfell Tower fire in 2017, fire cladding entered public discourse for important reasons highlighting both government and construction failures. The subsequent inquiry concluded that the use of polymers such as polyethene incorporated aluminium composite in panels resulted in hazardous smoke inhalation that was mostly responsible for the 72 lives lost. Reports and quality laboratory testing proceed to strengthen the case of mycelium as a new sustainable and fire-impeding biomaterial, which is carbon-negative, meaning it confiscates more atmospheric carbon than it releases over its lifecycle.

In the spheres of our built world, mycelium provides hope and solutions to our pressing climate concerns. Through harnessing the powerful relationship between bioscience, innovation and design researchers and practitioners are showcasing what’s possible if we invest time and money into sustainable alternatives.

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A 70% decrease in the world’s wildlife since 1970 was reported this week. Research into animal populations revealed how numbers have plummeted due to human-led behaviours. Revelations such as these are heartbreaking for humanity for we navigate the emotions of loss and guilt while looking for villains to blame.

The LPI condemns the loss of wildlife to common practices of deforestation, consumption beyond limits and pollution on an industrial scale. The Living Planet Index is conducted by a collaboration between the WWF and Zoological Society of London (ZSL). Two years ago the biennial Living Planet Report showed that the figure stood at 68 percent and in 2019 it was at 60 percent.

An extract from the report outlines the delicate tipping point between nature’s decline and climate change. The loss of biodiversity, according to the World Health Organization, has a direct impact on human health. Our ecosystems are unable to function in symbiosis with human needs, which affects livelihoods, economic income, and displacement of people that may result in further political antagonism.

The report confirms that the most dramatic decrease in average population size was in Latin America, the Caribbean and the vital Amazon region. This area saw a 94 percent drop in 48 years. Africa had the second largest fall at 66 percent, followed by Asia and the Pacific at 55 percent, and North America at 20 percent. The least amount of population decrease was seen in Europe and Central Asia with 18 percent.

In a recent statement, the chief executive at WWF-UK Tanya Steele drove home to audiences the consequences of wildlife decrease in the context of the Amazon rainforest. Disruption to the harmonious relationship between vital forestry and the increasingly vulnerable wildlife is dissolving the Amazon’s ability to “act as one of our greatest allies in the fight against climate change.”

Statistics confirm that nations that contribute the least amount of emissions feel the negative immediate effects of climate change on their natural habitats and species first. Populations are grappling with volatile food systems due to over-fishing and land removal. Those nations who are able to turn a blind eye concurrently will future be forced to reconcile with similar uncertainty in the near future.

To quote political activist and writer Angela Y. Davis  “If they come for me in the morning, they will come for you in the night.” Although some of these issues don’t impose on our day-to-day lives, if we continue to ignore social issues such as this prevalent decrease of animals and nature on earth, there will come a day that it is our livelihoods at stake.

Positive change-making, however, is being done, and the 2022 Living Planet report proposes a return to indigenous leadership in conservation and a reframing of global responsibility to a nature-positive society. While implementing persistent conservation policies will help us urgently preserve what wildlife remains.

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The umami texture of mushrooms has become kindred with the meat substitute market. Think mushroom steaks, their chewy texture and porous properties allow flavours to be absorbed by these natural delights. Whilst long a staple in home cooking, mushrooms as a dynamic food source are on the rise.

Plant-based brands such as Meati, a Colorado-based company founded in 2019 have pioneered the field of innovation using mushroom root, a superfood blend based on the chemical structure of mushrooms to design a protein-dense and highly nutritious meat alternative. Meati’s mission statement is “Starting With Nature. Always.”

They use the compound of mushroom spores or filaments as the vital ingredient which makes up 95% of their available products. Let’s take their Meati Classic Cutlet as an example, this finished product has 17 grams of complete protein, a key nutrient in our diets allowing us to absorb the molecules in amino acids, vital to bodily functions and most commonly associated with animal products like eggs, meat, dairy and seafood.

Protein has become a nutritional obsession in recent years, but not without reason, as muscle growth and recovery are dependent on an adequate intake of this macronutrient. Happy minds and bodies require movement and our tissue repair essentially depends on getting your daily dose of protein.

Mushroom root otherwise known as mycelium has a long heritage in sustainable crop cultivation and has helped feed human populations for centuries and plays an important role in indigenous conservation leadership. A regenerative crop, this highly resilient biodynamic plant can be found growing naturally in cool damp woodlands where they provide water to plants and improve aeration, mushrooms have even been found in the burned areas left in the wake of wildfires. 

Regenerative agriculture counteracts the harmful impact of industrial farming by working with the land to increase biodiversity and enrich soil sources and ecosystems. The main aim of regenerative agriculture is to seize carbon in both soil areas and atmospheric biomass, in turn counteracting global trends of atmospheric warming.

Cultivating mushrooms works in natural symbiosis to recycle organic matter and support plant growth. Networks of fungi are responsible for converting dead matter into nutrients for the soil. Therefore fungi and plants reciprocate a natural balance and promote rather than deplete vital soil reserves. Mushrooms are also natural carbon dioxide warriors, absorbing C02 from the atmosphere.

Mushrooms are miraculous. As plant-based companies like Meati highlight they offer us an alternative sustainable and nourishing food source to animal products, especially for those who value a clean complete-protein source. Fungi properties operate as natural allies to flourishing soil and forestries supporting a shift towards more regenerative agricultural practices.

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The opposite of fast fashion is the design and creation of fashion pieces by artisans who choose minimal and quality-based practices over excessive production. Their objective is to unite maker and purchaser through mindful consumption to sustain an industry that values the natural world. The European slow fashion industry has exploded in recent years, so here are five brands to check out.

SIZ

Two sisters founded SIZ, drawing inspiration from the mountains and coasts of Portugal, mixing natural hues and dyes and sewing pieces with care and love. The latest fall/winter drop ‘beneath the canopy’ is a beautiful example of how SIZ incorporate ecological research into their design and production pieces.

COLD LAUNDRY

UK based Cold Laundry is a gender-neutral brand formed by husband and wife Ola and Cerise Alabi, who describe their love-hate relationship with fashion as the driver behind the brand. The products are minimal, with clean-cut lines and warm, earthy tones inspired by time spent in Korea, and a commitment to “putting people of colour at the forefront and a message of unity and diversity in the fashion community ”.

BUG CLOTHING

This adorable brand was founded in East London by designer and seamstress Amy Ward, who sought to “create garments by hand that reflects the ideology that we should all buy less and admire quality and consideration over quantity”. Pieces are made with natural fibres by hand on a minimal scale that creates unique items. Materials are recycled from dead-stock factory waste meaning BUG items run through a circular production process. Since Amy has become a mother, BUG has expanded into designing cute and functional sustainable items for children.

HIUT DENIM CO

The Welsh denim company’s ethos is “do one thing well”, which for HIUT means making only the best jeans for people and the planet. Unfortunately denim gets a bad rep, with fast production promoting poor working environments and releasing toxic chemicals. HIUT’s ingenious response to the water-waste involved in denim production is addressed by their NO WASH CLUB, which promotes abstinence from denim washing. They also created the Breaker Club initiative, which sees people paid to wear jeans for six months, only to return them to be sold on the market.

MIREIA PLAYÀ

“Life is our reason to exist”, explains the founder of MIREIA, the Spanish Vegan shoe company that manufactures their charming and modern footwear in Alicante. PETA approved MIREIA PLAYÀ offers a diverse range of organic, sustainable and animal-friendly shoe products, from long-lasting winter boots and comfortable city-street sneakers to breathable spring and summer sandals.

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Men tend to dominate political policy and climate change spaces, so it is promising to see two female leaders Mia Mottley, the Prime Minister of Barbados, and Sheik Hasina, prime minister of Bangladesh, as the voices leading change for their respective countries global South.

Both women are active figures working to bridge the political gender gap with climate action and highlight the vital intersection between gender equality and the climate crisis on the global political stage and at the decentralised community levels.

The so-called progressive cabinets of the UK are haunted by the lack of female diversity and perspective. The 2020 campaigners She Changes Climate who call for equal gender representation in climate talks, revealed that men took up 10 of the 12 UK leadership team positions during the COP26 conference in Glasgow this month. This erasure of women is pivotal as research has shown how vital the thinking and actions undertaken by women to confront the climate crisis is for their countries and communities.

Both Mottley and Hasina have been outspoken in the media following COP26. They have publicly criticised the failures and hypocrisies of other global leaders in making decisive and fair decisions to address climate change. Hasina knows that her people and her country are at the mercy of the emissions from other nations, and she brings this urgency and honesty to her public communications, whilst her government’s climate prosperity plan formed under the Vulnerable Economies group V20 should be an inspiration to developed countries as legislation that calls for collective responsibility and collaboration.

However, it was Mottley’s speech at COP26 that gave me goosebumps. I felt her love for her country and the realities of what it means when she said 1.5c “is measured in lives and livelihoods in our community.” She gave me a new word association for what it means to be on the frontline of a climate war, and we are not fighting invisible and unknown temperatures or storms. We are fighting the invisible borders of nations and states that allow the lives of some to be deemed less worthy than others.

Hasina and Mottley are more than female leaders; they represent women across diverse developing nations at the forefront of the climate crisis. Hasina has seen the warming ice fields in North Bangladesh destabilise the homes of millions of people. Across the Caribbean, Mottley knows the cost of drought, tropical storms, heatwave, heavy rainfall, hurricanes & catastrophic wildfires mean for her country. Yet, despite their countries being disproportionally smaller and poorer, they speak out with courage and eloquence onto the closed ears of more prosperous nations whose individualistic populism allows them to pretend to drive change whilst wasting time that no one has to spare. Human displacement and loss of life will hit the personal worlds of politicians, sisters, wives and mothers like Hasina and Mottley living in these vulnerable areas before they impact those hiding in the hypocritical glasshouses of the global North. Ironically, women have always been categorised as too emotional for politics when in reality, the fear and grief that the climate crisis imposes upon us all is emotional. We live in a time of collective trauma as we recover from the Covid-19 pandemic. Still, for Hasina and Mottley’s people, the devastation to their lands and livelihoods are different emotional experiences. If it has ever been the time for politics to meet emotions, it’s now because our shared humanity depends on it.

Female parliamentarians like Hasina and Mottley are fighting for stringent climate change policies for their countries on the frontline. Whether or not gender determines attitudes towards climate issues which has been a hot topic recently with women supposedly being more concerned and ready to take action, they show us that whilst we’ve been told to believe in their disempowerment through tales of little women and minor countries, they give us strength to imagine better futures.

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Picture this, it’s 1902, a warm evening during the British Empire’s grasp on the Raj. A Boris Johnsonesque Colonial official reprimands an Indian child for not appropriating white behaviours quickly enough. Fast forward to November 12th 2021, and you can see the exact archetypal figures spitting vehemently at Indian delegates, but this time it’s the words coal is wrong; you’re wrong.

There is a lot to unpack in these interactions, from the evident bullying to the more subtle but equally insidious patronising and paternalistic attitudes of wealthier countries who believe they have the authority to reprimand the same countries they have historically exploited and whose energy trajectory they have been entirely implicit.

Coal, for example, is out of fashion in the West and has been for some time. Whilst I don’t advocate coal as a sustainable energy form, I support global equality and truth. We must then acknowledge the historical power imbalances which have resulted in the timeline of coal’s decline in the West, whilst the Global South has been left dependent on nonrenewable energy sources like coal and other fossil fuels out of necessity.

It is not unusual for the Western capitalist supernations to deflect blame onto the Eastern countries of the world. This power imbalance which Edward Said coined in his pivotal book Orientalism, published in 1978, is evident in the scapegoating of Eastern countries India and China as the ‘bad guys’ in the aftermath of the disappointing COP26 climate deal.

Asad Rehman, executive director of War on Want, the anti-poverty London Based charity which challenges the root causes of inequality and injustice through partnerships with social movements in the global South and campaigns in the UK, described the deal as;

“a betrayal in which only the fossil fuel industries will be celebrating.”—Asad Rehman

It is a deal where global sized countries received the blame, whilst the richest countries, the United Kingdom, the USA and the European Union (also the countries most accountable for the violence and destruction of imperialism) bullied the smaller and poorer nations through treacherous omissions, and by controlling the venue and negotiating rooms by barring members of civil society whilst those big business lobbying corporations had no issue accessing platforms both digital and in person.

The guilty three also blocked progress on promises of loss and damage demanded by the Global South who make up 80% of the world’s population and whose inhabitants have already seen and lived through the threats imposed by the climate crisis, which intersects across the board of political and health inequity with which these countries are relentlessly battling against.

The colonial perception continues to manifest in the UK’s hosting of such a problematic COP and the Western media’s shameless and unoriginal portrayal of the East as the binary of bad and backward to the West, which heralds change and progress. Consequently, I’m reading Black Gold by British journalist Jeremy Paxman who celebrates the classic British mentality: the UK’s deeply connected social and economic history with coal, describing it as essentially the vehicle which birthed the British Nation as a major modern economic power. Whilst Alok Sharma may be ‘deeply frustrated’ by India and China over coal, as it stands, India’s green energy policies have increased five-fold in the last ten years. Whilst the innovative Bhadla Solar Park is evidence of the country’s commitment to investing in renewable energy (often done through private finance) to decarbonise the power industries and make the country a cleaner and more stable home for its vast population. India then represents, in truth, not frustration but hope.

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