Newsletter #47
“Do we truly cherish life?” The simplicity of the question belies its complexity. An earnest affirmation would necessitate transformative changes- in how we live, perceive nature...
and interact with it; in our production and consumption patterns. Such a change would demand genuine, climate-focused actions, “reflecting the collective of humanity.”
~ Yann Arthus-Bertrand
Hello Friends!
In my final newsletter of this year, I express deep gratitude for your unwavering support and the many heartwarming messages I’ve received. I truly hope that you gain something from reading my newsletters. My aim is for each newsletter to be a shared learning experience, as I too continue to learn how to be a responsible citizen of the world, and a less wasteful and more mindful consumer. I hold a profound appreciation for life, trying every day to steer my actions towards climate-conscious decisions, both big and small.
Issue 47 closes this year with a story about Wild Harvests; enlightening Ozone facts; the remarkable Suay Sew Shop; the advantages of Artisanal Fishing and a trio of captivating films- two shorts and a feature. I eagerly look forward to the New Year and the continued growth of my work, aspiring for global peace. Thank you for being part of this meaningful journey. Onwards!
#1- Wild Harvest
-another way to use our buying power to inspire change-
Did you know that many of the wild plants that go into lots of everyday products, often have a human and ecological cost. Brazil nuts, frankincense, goldenseal, gum arabic, and licorice are just a few that are threatened with extinction from over-harvesting, disease, invasive pests, climate change, and habitat loss. Furthermore, the workers are often poor, female, and from marginalized rural areas.
Brazil nuts from my pantry…
Brazil nuts are harvested deep in the Amazon rainforest from tall trees. Once the shell is removed, the nuts are eaten whole as a snack or made into an ingredient for skin-care products. (I have some incredible images I saved somewhere, of the women harvesting the nuts, which I will share on my Instagram page as soon as I find them).
Frankincense found in a drawer in my studio…
Frankincense is an aromatic resin that leaks from cuts made in the African Boswellia trees. After the sap hardens, it’s scraped off and processed for use in perfumes, lotions, incense, and cosmetics; it can also treat inflammation.
Goldenseal is a slow-growing, vulnerable plant native to North America. It’s used in medicines that help infected mucous membranes, such as those of the mouth and respiratory tract.
Gum arabic is a sap of the African shrub. Used as a stabilizing agent in edible items, including icing, soda and marshmallows. It’s added to essential oils and has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties.
Licorice is often gathered by hand in rural areas of Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan. The root of the licorice herb flavors tobacco, candy, and beverages. It’s also used in skin-care products and essential oils and as a supplement.
The trade in wild plants for aromatherapy, natural medicine, food supplements, and natural beauty products is booming. Since most of us have no idea where these products originate from, we should check them for organic and fair trade certifications. There are programs that evaluate wild-plant supply chains for sustainability and employment conditions, such as: Fairwild, the Forest Stewardship Council, the Rainforest Alliance, Fair for Life, and the Union for Ethical Biotrade.
If certification is missing, we should challenge companies to do better. Also, use the contact information on the company’s website to pose questions: Do you source organic and fair-trade ingredients? Do you or your suppliers make site visits to the communities where your products are grown?
Just think about the ghastly story in the news recently about how garlic is grown in China. We can do better just by knowing where things are grown and how.
We all need to do our due diligence as consumers, and invest our money in trusted, mindful, planet caring companies that provide products that not only benefit us but the communities the wild plants and other foods comes from.
#2-Ozone and Air Quality
-pay attention to the AQI-
We all know that ozone is a strong respiratory irritant, which occurs when ozone is formed through a reaction triggered by sunlight and chemicals associated with, for example, oil and gas development. High ozone levels in the air climb during hot, sunny days but can also happen in winter months.
Ozone has been linked to many health issues causing an increase in hospital admissions, emergency room visits and possible long-term damage to the lungs.
Here is what we can do to to help decrease ozone levels:
-Use public transportation as often as possible instead of your car
-Conserve energy in your home by setting your thermostat a little higher in the summer and lower in the winter.
-Demand clean energy that does not contribute to ozone pollution (from your local representative).
-Demand regulations that cut emissions from pollutants that make ozone worse (from your local representative).
-Check your current ozone air quality at AirNow.gov online or get a free app for your phone here - I use the weather app on my phone, which includes a daily Air Quality report.
-Join momscleanairforce.org
Air Quality Index (AQI) & Health:
The EPA developed the Air Quality Index, or AQI, to make information available about the health effects of the five most common air pollutants, and how to avoid those effects.
#3- Suay Sew Shop
-inspiring business model-
Suay is a Los Angeles based 100% vertical sewing and production shop founded in 2017. Pioneering the clean up economy, Suay products are created from a combination of post-consumer waste, deadstock and domestically, organically grown fibers. Operating out of a 5,000 sq. ft sew shop and retail space in Northeast L.A., Suay is cultivating a new workforce of textile recyclers within the garment industry dedicated to eradicating the massive amount of destructive waste from the fashion industry.
In 2019, Suay diverted over 250,000 lbs of garments from landfills! Founded on the vanguard ethos of true progressive circularity, 'Know your grower, know your sew-er', Suay has continued to support garment workers' rights and policy reform for fair wages, highlighting the numerous systemic injustices within the fashion industry.
In the spring of 2020, in the midst of the pandemic, Suay expanded its activist arm to include weekly food distribution to garment workers, solidified long term partnerships with national organizations to support indigenous communities and launched their nationwide textile donation recycling program, Suay SOS. Suay remains determined to create a culture of community and reuse. Their dedication to design, coupled with a drive for activism, is putting reclaimed products at the center of a social, economic and environmental revolution.
And don’t miss the community dye bath! Learn more here
#4- Artisanal Fishing
If only Artisanal fishing methods could replace environmentally destructive industrial fishing practices…
Artisanal fishing consists of various small-scale, low-technology, low-capital, fishing practices undertaken by individual fishing households (as opposed to commercial fishing).
Stilts fishermen in Sri Lanka
Many of these households are of coastal or island ethnic groups. These households make short (rarely overnight) fishing trips close to the shore. Their produce is usually not processed and is mainly for local consumption.
Traditional fish traps, Hà Tây, Vietnam
Artisanal fishing uses traditional fishing techniques such as rod and tackle, fishing arrows and harpoons, cast nets, and small (if any) traditional fishing boats. For that reason, socio-economic status of artisanal fishing community has become an interest of the authorities in recent years.
Shrimpers on horseback, Oostduinkerke, Belgium
Artisanal fishing may be undertaken for both commercial and subsistence reasons. It contrasts with large-scale modern commercial fishing practices in that it is often less wasteful and less stressful on fish populations than modern industrial fishing.
Fisherman landing his catch in the Seychelles
#5- Movie 1- Gardening in a War Zone
Brought to us by Erin Benzakein of Floret, this beautiful piece, Gardening in a War Zone, tells the story of Alla Olkhovska, a specialty seed grower living in Kharkiv, Ukraine. Erin first learned of Alla from a mutual flower friend, purchased her seeds, and started following her journey from afar. But as she got to know Alla better she realized just how special her story was, and she knew it needed to be shared with the world.
A documentary in 3 parts:
Watch the short film
Read the interview
Watch the short video, where Erin shares. the backstory on how she came to know Alla.
#6-Movie 2- Time-Lapse with Louie Schwartzberg
Go behind the scenes with filmmaker Louie Schwartzberg, as he explains how he films time-lapse. It’s fascinating.
He used time-lapse in his film Fantastic Fungi, a consciousness-shifting film that takes us on an immersive journey through time and scale into the magical earth beneath our feet, an underground network that can heal and save our planet.
The film is available on Netflix.
#7-Movie 3- Daniel
This third recommended film, is about a young man I knew when I lived in Los Angeles. He was a very special person and I miss him hugely.
HBO has announced a December 20 release date for Daniel, the remarkable first-person story of filmmaker Daniel Northcott, who documented his travels around the world, including a visit to a mysterious Mayan cave that may have precipitated his death.
Daniel, produced by a team that features Adam McKay and Kevin Messick, will be available on Max as well as the HBO platform. Daniel Northcott is the director of the film that was assembled from 1,400 hours of footage he shot in locations across the globe; his older sister Erin finished the film after his passing.
“Growing up, he focused his lens on his family and close friends, and as a young man, he recorded precious moments with the people and places he encountered on his travels, striving to live a life of love and seek out universal human connection.”
Watch the trailer
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Thank you to all of you who have subscribed to my newsletter and a special big thank you to all paid subscribers!
I will see you in the New Year! Until then, enjoy the holiday season and if you want to keep in touch with my latest news, follow me on Instagram.
All the very best to you,
Priscilla