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Guest post by Cecily Henderson, eco entrepreneur, founder of PomPom.
Let’s face it, it’s been a rubbish start to the year already and even I can’t sugar coat it. There ain’t nothing dreamy about January 2021. However, while I am no Pollyanna, it’s not all doom and gloom either. There are wonderful things already underway this new year, some of which make headlines while others are anecdotal footnotes you may have missed.
Over the last year we have seen for ourselves the positive environmental effects of a world in lockdown; a rise in Kingfisher sightings in London, swans returning to Venice, a reduction in CO2 global emissions. So what does 2021 hold for us and our environment to date … could there be any good news not swamped by Bella, Christoph and Corona?
Go and get your favourite tipple … it’s still January but I am minutes away from hitting dry Feb (it’s the shortest month, give me a break!) … and settle in and let me cheer up your month. Genuinely, if a newly discovered ginger bat can’t momentarily bring a spark of joy, then you win Voldemort!
Small but mighty
Lizzie, a 9 year old school girl, has gathered 82,000 signatures in a week to ask the UK govt to stop sending plastic waste abroad and start tackling our plastic problem. At the same age, I was more worried about making the netball team!
A batty year
An orange-furred bat. It is nothing short of miraculous that we are still discovering new species. The strikingly ginger bat heralds from the Nimba Mountains in Guinea. The Myotis Nimbaensis is a palm sized moment of light joy in the usually dark sphere of biodiversity.
Parents making change
There is a distinct rise of ethical shopping in families. According to the 2021 BrandBean report, 78% of consumers say being eco-friendly is more important to them than it was a year ago. This is a major shift in attitude that goes far beyond remembering a reusable bag.
It is an important, and hopefully, irreversible change in attitude. Shameless shout out but at PomPom we have seen a 900% rise in sales throughout 2020, as parents are keen to shop more plastic-free for their kids and model a more sustainable lifestyle.
And breathe
A defining moment in which we can start forgetting the 2,102,400 minutes of the Trump administration. 2021 holds Biden’s immediate decision to rejoin the Paris climate treaty and the World Health Organisation, something all member countries, but also the world, can be grateful for.
Plastic fantastic
Boyan Slat, the Dutch teenager who promised the world the technology to gather ocean plastic, using the force of the seas’ currents. With new technology at the ready, he believes 2021 is where it is AT in terms of beginning to tackle the oceans’ plastic problem.
No Planet B
The High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People made the pledge to protect at least 30% of the planet’s land and oceans before the One Planet summit in Paris. Johnson claims that in the UK, of the 11.6bn that we’ve consecrated to climate finance initiatives, we are putting £3bn to protecting nature.
Re-wild-ing – You make my heart sing
The rewilding of white-tailed eagles, the largest bird of prey. Hunted to extinction in England 240 years ago, Norfolk farmers are keen to reintroduce the birds to the coastline to help restore a historic ecosystem. Did you know the eagles mate for life? Touching.
And that my friend are the 7 green linings of 2021 to date. They may not be the wonders of the world but they are each pillars of hope in their own way and keep me looking for the good, the fun and the batty in our world!
About Cecily Henderson
Cecily Henderson is the Co-Founder of PomPom. Proudly plastic-free from product to packaging, PomPom sells unusual and imaginative designs for babies and children from toys, gifts, games and homeware. The 8th Green Lining of January? Get 10% off with code: BEGREEN