Regener8: Unveiling Environmental Issues and Inspiring Sustainable Change
Welcome to Regener8, a place to discover the pressing environmental issues, debunk myths and to point your environmental compass towards a brighter future for the next generation.
Before we begin, I’d like to introduce myself. I’m John Wozniak, no relation to Steve, the co-founder of Apple. I’m a sustainability consultant, and writing is my passion. It’s my aim to bring some of the globe’s pressing issues to the surface, and to spark meaningful conversations about our planet. I don’t walk around wrapped in seaweed, and I like many others I am doing my best to make small changes to the way I live, such unplugging the TV at night and avoiding taking 5-minute showers. After all, water is a scarce commodity.
I grew up in South Yorkshire, a place historically known for its mining community. My grandfather was the deputy at Elsecar Colliery, one of 16 active coal mines within a 10 mile radius of our little part of England. One of the National Coal Board mantras was “people will always need coal.” This is an example of a short sighted industry.
Elsecar colliery closed in 1983, before finally being demolished in 1987. The Miners’ Strike of 1984 divided communities, some of which haven’t recovered, 40 years on. Although I didn’t follow my grandfather’s footsteps, you could say I was born to have some involvement in the sustainability sphere.
The main event
OK, enough of me. What I am about to write is from the heart, the mind, and from experience. It’s quick-paced so you’re going to have to keep up. I live and breathe this stuff, why, because it’s complex, interesting and vital for the future of our planet. I’ll have time to explain all the juicy jargon in later editions. Are you ready to go?
A lack of government direction
We’re f*****! On one hand, the World Green Building Council is working fastidiously with 70+ partner councils to deliver green buildings and to reduce carbon emissions. Verified data, and transparency of supply chains are the order of the day. That’s the space I operate in.
On the other hand, governments allow imports of cheap cement, they allow domestic house builders to construct meccano sets, fit for a lifetime (60 years WTF), they dilly and dally with energy security, and tell porkie pies about the validity of heat source pumps. If you’re living in a relatively new build, try observing the heat leaking out of your walls during the cold mornings. That’s your hard earned cash literally going up in smoke.
There are many reasons why first world governments don’t take sustainability seriously, because the view crime prevention, education, health and tax as a priority. Ironically, the golden thread that runs through them is sustainability. Let’s take an example of the illegal bushmeat trade. Because the rich aren’t content with eating beef, lamb or pork, they want something that others can’t get, like great apes. Think about all the illegal fishing that’s conducted all in the name of shark fin soup. You get the point.
The big EV debate
The world is waking up to the fact that there aren’t an infinite number of resources needed to build all the unaffordable electric cars that governments want us to drive. We now find ourselves in a situation where mining giants are eager to exploit the deep sea to extract minerals essential for boosting semiconductor production. You can hear the chatter across the car industry’s board members. “I know, let’s help them to reduce their emissions — but we’ll destroy a fragile eco-system while we’re at it.” Genius. Remember devastation creates opportunities to make a nice profit.
Local Governments Authorities (LGA) advocate the spraying of weeds, which incidentally kicks the shit out of bio-diversity. Why hasn’t Whitehall, and every town hall across the globe dishing out copies of Silent Spring? If you don’t know what that book is about, google it. We’ve got to keep moving.
LGAs would rather send mattresses to landfill than come up with simple solutions, such as filleting them, and recycling what’s left! I know, because I’ve written that business case. Of course it was R E J E C T E D on the grounds it wasn’t the boss’s idea!
Nan and grandad are trying to set an example to their grandchildren by recycling, but nobody has got an effin clue what’s supposed to go in the black bin, or the blue bin. Hang on, maybe you’ve got an orange bin? Is that for oranges? Answer me this. How the hell have we reached 2024 without a national waste strategy?
It’s ok, we’ll send all the rubbish to our neighbours, a place where we like to go on holiday. Lets spend £6,500 for the privilege of swimming in the warm deep blue seas with all the un-recycled washing up bottles.
High demand low price
Speaking of washing up bottles. The Amazon driver is here with our cleaning product subscription. I know it’s him, because of all the shit coming out of his exhaust. I wonder if he’s delivered the 25 pairs of jeans, for my Insta wardrobe shoot. I don’t want to lose out to Cheryl, she’s on 450 followers, I’ve told Emma I’ll beat her to 1,000 by next week. Speaking of textiles…..
The Global South, left to fend for itself, must tackle textile mountains that would dwarf a city tower block. Hello, H&M.
The second-largest fashion retailer in the world, H&M, contributes to monumental amounts of textile waste and churns out millions of clothing items and designs every year. With more than 5,000 stores worldwide, H&M is one of the many fast fashion companies known for copying high-end fashion, rapid clothing turnover, unsustainable practices including the use of harmful chemicals in its products, as well as inhumane working conditions. Earth.org
Now we’re flying
Passengers are paying for the cost of Sustainable Aviation Fuel, because the airline industry is under pressure to reduce emissions, whist trying to balance their books. The planet is warming, and communities in high risk areas are praying for sunshine everytime it rains. The situation has got scientists rethinking the Saffir-Simpson model (keep up). Meanwhile, golden boots from FC Making-a-load-of-Money is flying up and down the country on a private jet. Another genius at work!
May of us love an overseas holiday, including me, but it’s my opinion that the airline industry has been too slow to press for ubiquitous development and availability of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). I’ll be writing more on this topic.
Never mind. The clever people will sort it out. You know, those people with the really expensive watches. Oh, you mean the global leaders, convening in countries with appalling human rights records, often on private planes. The annual COP meetings are an oddity in itself, especially in the age of digital technology. It’s like the bigwigs haven’t heard of Zoom, or Teams.
I’m now imaging to COP delegats sat on a private jet, flying somewhere over the Arctic Circle.
“ Oh look! There’s a Polar bear swimming out in the ocean.”
“What? He’s about 20 miles from land. He’ll never make it.”
“I’m sure he’ll find some food. There’s bound to be a 7–11 somewhere out there. Speaking of food, I’ve booked a table at one of those bush meat restaurants. You know, the ones where you can order giraffe and gorilla.”
“Hey.” Mr Switcheroo has launched a new green energy company. Maybe it’s powering the illegal restaurant we’re going to visit.”
“Yeah. Mr Switcheroo is paying farmers to grow grass for those fancy biomass boilers.”
‘So?”
“There’s less land to grow crops on. My Weetabix will cost a fortune, and I’ll only be able to eat 2 a day.”
The rise of the unregulated e-waste problem
There’s no point in blaming the government, big pharma, the oil giants, or big tech. Everyone has to take responsibility for their own actions. How many gadgets have you bought in recent years? The question is a Segway to my next point, which has huge social value implications.
It’s important to discuss the global e-waste problem, which government seems to want to discuss. An estimated 18–30 million women and children deal with e-waste by burning circuit boards. To be clear, exposure to fumes from burning polyvinyl chloride insulation (widely used in applications such as pipes, medical devices, and wire & cable insulation) causes a range of respiratory ailments. I wonder if images of children burning e-waste should be plastered on technology packaging? That’s one for the comments section.
Sustainability doesn’t need to be complex
Do you see my point? Whatever your view is on sustainability, it affects us all. There’s a good chance that if you’re reading this, you’re an advocate of change. You don’t need to be a sustainability ninja to make small changes to help you, your family and future generations.
In the next weeks, months, and hopefully, years, I’ll be having one or two difficult conversations about the way ‘we’ live our lives. I’ll be talking you through some of the technical aspects of sustainability, often referred to in the finance industry as Environment, Social and Governance (ESG). So when you see the term ESG, I’m referring to sustainability.
Recapping a whirlwind tour of sustainability
There you have it. Now you know a little bit more about me. There are a thousand things I haven’t discussed. Remember, I don’t hug trees, I don’t wrap myself in seaweed, and I am far from perfect. I have made small changes to my lifestyle. Ditching meat (if I can do it, anyone can) and turning off those vampire devices, and planting a few extra pollinators are just a few measures I’ve taken. It all helps, and that’s the point. My aim is exchange knowledge and look at the bigger picture. My favourite aspect of all is dealing with the supply chain. Hey Mr Supplier, have you been greenwashing again? Hmmmmmmmm.
So, how do we address the Smorgasbord of issues? Through education, collaboration and listening to science. I’ll leave Mr. Trump to have the last word.
“So I said, ‘Let me ask you a question, and [the guy who makes boats in South Carolina] said, ‘Nobody ever asked this question,’ and it must be because of MIT, my relationship to MIT — very smart. He goes, I say, ‘What would happen if the boat sank from its weight? And you’re in the boat and you have this tremendously powerful battery and the battery is now underwater and there’s a shark that’s approximately 10 yards over there?” Via ESG Nerd.
Research challenge
One last thought before I sign off. The European football championships is underway in Germany.
Research
Read UEFA’s circular economy charter, and comment below on three observations. You can’t however, use my first observation of UEFA’s chargeter, that it’s weaker than a bridge made out of chocolate biscuits.
Don’t forget to get involved in the comments section. After all, I’m here to spark debate, not kill it.
Regener8 is written by John Wozniak, a sustainability guy, who wants to leave the world in a better place for our kids and their kids.
