tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17088813239426835362024-03-14T17:15:07.279+11:00Lisa Heinze : Sustainability with Stylea collection of stories as I learn to live sustainably with styleLisa Heinzehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15549340948793105392noreply@blogger.comBlogger252125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1708881323942683536.post-3968480063087715902021-07-23T14:01:00.000+10:002021-07-23T14:01:24.441+10:00AFC Responsible Industry Toolkit: Ethical Sourcing<p> I recently authored a module on ethical sourcing for the <b><a href="https://ausfashioncouncil.com/responsible-industry-toolkit/" target="_blank">Australian Fashion Council's new Responsible Industry Toolkit</a></b>. Free for all members of the AFC, and designed to support all fashion brands - large or small - as they start or continue their sustainable fashion journey. If you're already a member, check it out! And as always, <b><a href="mailto:lisa@lisaheinze.com">drop me a line</a></b> if you'd like any help transitioning your business to be more sustainable.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFnm0x15lsW0Aak7j5l9V9Ur1umMVe6VtkECfTyfLxS8-6k7CzeBzUitM_zCaIT-3xXGa2ufK-bedAFGO3SfeQ5HvXJfuoNfg11VZKw8L7gZf48El0LViNgnmyu2lfQYOYOBEFi2QGpCCk/s724/AFC+image1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="625" data-original-width="724" height="345" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFnm0x15lsW0Aak7j5l9V9Ur1umMVe6VtkECfTyfLxS8-6k7CzeBzUitM_zCaIT-3xXGa2ufK-bedAFGO3SfeQ5HvXJfuoNfg11VZKw8L7gZf48El0LViNgnmyu2lfQYOYOBEFi2QGpCCk/w400-h345/AFC+image1.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizv-6R5SepiwVGiaNhNOQOS8b4nhYlKGaAMktQEQ3aY-KtQOKcBaxlL7T4rRahMwiwQ5rEd9AxpPME0uJU23qr8fMEWXfcJCVBQ3LArX74qnnr39wgHJ3_o9DSVTjE_R6EHlQMwN0VVdXl/s792/AFC+image2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="626" data-original-width="792" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizv-6R5SepiwVGiaNhNOQOS8b4nhYlKGaAMktQEQ3aY-KtQOKcBaxlL7T4rRahMwiwQ5rEd9AxpPME0uJU23qr8fMEWXfcJCVBQ3LArX74qnnr39wgHJ3_o9DSVTjE_R6EHlQMwN0VVdXl/w400-h316/AFC+image2.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>Thank you to Valentina Zarew at<b> <a href="https://www.newromantic.com.au/" target="_blank">New Romantic</a></b> for bringing me into this very exciting and important collaboration. Together, we are changing the industry.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Lisa Heinzehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15549340948793105392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1708881323942683536.post-32895574629961095862021-07-23T10:43:00.000+10:002021-07-23T10:43:18.887+10:00pure pod collaboration: the juggle is real<p>I've recently started a new writing collaboration with my friend, Kelli, from sustainable fashion label Pure Pod. Here's a little bit of my first blog post - hope you enjoy!</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #685855; font-family: "Century Gothic", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: 0.375px; margin: 0px 0px 25px;">Nearly ten years ago I published a book, <span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com.au/Sustainability-Style-Lisa-Heinze/dp/0992454212/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1399702243&sr=8-1" style="background: 0px 0px; border-bottom: 2px solid rgba(104, 88, 85, 0.2); box-sizing: border-box; color: #685855; display: inline-block; position: relative; text-decoration-line: none;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Sustainability with Style</em></a></span>, about my personal journey into environmentalism. It was an eco-memoir of sorts, where I documented how I learned to live more lightly on the planet while I maintained a sense of my personal identity and style. It was the early 2010s, the term ‘sustainable fashion’ was nearly unheard of and it was hard to find quality, stylish, environmentally sustainable clothing (except among the earliest pioneers like Pure Pod).</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #685855; font-family: "Century Gothic", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: 0.375px; margin: 0px 0px 25px;"> <img alt="" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1485/6344/files/Lisa_8ea3642a-0b49-4e15-ae6e-df14a32970d1_480x480.jpg?v=1626063788" style="border: 0px none; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%;" /></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #685855; font-family: "Century Gothic", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: 0.375px; margin: 0px 0px 25px;">Since that time I’ve continued my journey into sustainable living, completed a PhD on sustainable fashion, and worked as a sustainability professional. Sustainable fashion has come a long way, too, with more sustainable labels being launched and mainstream labels adjusting their methods. I could write for days about the benefits and complexities of sustainable fashion – and I promise a more detailed article on fashion in coming months. For now I will state that the connections between fashion and creativity, comfort, pleasure and identity are incredibly important for transitioning fashion toward sustainability. And while there are heated debates about which fabrics are ‘most’ sustainable, and where it is ‘most’ ethical to produce clothing, one thing nearly all sustainable fashion advocates agree upon is the importance of <span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">loving your clothes</span>.</p><div><b><a href="https://purepod.com.au/blogs/news/introducing-our-new-blog-partner-and-phd-sustainability-writer-and-professional-lisa-heinze" target="_blank">Read the full post here on the Pure Pod website.</a></b></div>Lisa Heinzehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15549340948793105392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1708881323942683536.post-45169235286237429782021-03-26T15:53:00.006+11:002021-03-26T15:53:59.399+11:00about last night<p> Last night I attended a reunion for staff members from the <b><a href="https://new.gbca.org.au/" target="_blank">Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA)</a></b> - it also marked my first outing in the city since COVID and the new baby (yew!), but I digress. </p><p>It is so hard to express the role GBCA has played in my life. It was the first job I had in the environmental sector after what I like to call my 'green awakening', and it challenged me, supported me, and helped me grow into the woman I am today. From my first day working at GBCA in 2009, I felt I had found a home of kindred spirits; people who were not only committed to helping halt the environmental crises we find ourselves hurtling toward, but also wanted to connect with others, have fun, and form relationships that would last beyond our days working in the same office, the Greenhouse (complete with worm farms, compost, stunning balcony plants, and many <i>many </i>more technical green features than I'll explain here). </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO8fWxI43Kz2bMWWdrn0vzIEVkkMqwm944g_XL9wUscH1oOor414WOt6I3pxM25-AyvW3bbDCYKvBTINDfD5OJ7H72CfwgDiKRjEmvnaaQekRlHAUhrtkUpS-qmN5EpwFwLRRn1rhvKJJf/s2048/Lisa+Rom.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Photo of Lisa with Romilly Madew" border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO8fWxI43Kz2bMWWdrn0vzIEVkkMqwm944g_XL9wUscH1oOor414WOt6I3pxM25-AyvW3bbDCYKvBTINDfD5OJ7H72CfwgDiKRjEmvnaaQekRlHAUhrtkUpS-qmN5EpwFwLRRn1rhvKJJf/w400-h300/Lisa+Rom.JPG" title="With my former boss, always mentor, Romilly Madew AO FTSE" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With my former boss, always mentor, Romilly Madew AO FTSE</td></tr></tbody></table><p><br />It is also the time when I wrote my book, with incredible thanks the support of then-CEO <b><a href="https://www.infrastructureaustralia.gov.au/about/ceo" target="_blank">Romilly Madew AO FTSE</a> </b>(now CEO of Infrastructure Australia). She supported my move to part-time so I could write, suggesting we turn my role into a job share because she wanted to support women achieve their career aspirations. I used the offices for my <b><a href="http://www.lisaheinze.com/2012/04/green-party-fling-follow-up.html" target="_blank">book launch party</a></b>. I returned to the GBCA for a contract after my failed move back to the US, a haven amidst my emotional turmoil. Rom also supported the launch of <b><a href="http://www.cleancutfashion.com/" target="_blank">Clean Cut Fashion</a></b>, as our key speaker at our first presence at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week in Sydney in 2014. And even I rented a desk in the Greenhouse for a few months while writing my PhD thesis, craving the energy of other environmentalists (over the years GBCA shared offices with the <b><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_Institute_of_Australia" target="_blank">Climate Institute</a></b>, <b><a href="https://www.aycc.org.au/">Australian Youth Climate Coalition</a></b>, and <b><a href="https://www.1millionwomen.com.au/" target="_blank">1 Million Women</a></b>).</p><p>Friendships I have made at GBCA continue, though with less catch-ups in person because of life - you know, changing jobs, moving to new cities or countries, having children. But I'm proud to say that much of my professional network is built around this powerhouse of Australia's sustainable development professionals. Though there were many beloved faces missing last night, their presences were felt in the flood of memories that accompanied the evening.</p><p>So, thank you for joining me on my quick trip down memory lane. It can be so easy to overlook significant places and people in your life, and it was a real gift to be tossed into the mix last night with this brilliant, funny and determined group. A special thanks to Rom, Suzie and Robin for making it all happen, I'm already looking forward to the next time.</p><p>xxLisa</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaBbgYbR7kZ1QLBnU_LL-U364-m5V0-WDzpOw4RP9vaLyvRxxZoUo9tkxE7KS8r38iyRD8LijvW2G15uUMIPD4aOfSzkVIL4Mt2AZeyMIqeo5MrbndSjL0X8UHWLcAhebBKujXhxYYlKAm/s2048/Lisa+Suze.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaBbgYbR7kZ1QLBnU_LL-U364-m5V0-WDzpOw4RP9vaLyvRxxZoUo9tkxE7KS8r38iyRD8LijvW2G15uUMIPD4aOfSzkVIL4Mt2AZeyMIqeo5MrbndSjL0X8UHWLcAhebBKujXhxYYlKAm/w300-h400/Lisa+Suze.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oh the hilarity! And fabulousness! Suzie and I<br />wore the same One Dress by <b><a href="https://everbyx.com/" target="_blank">Ever By X</a></b>!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>PS - Robin, no photo with you! The one person I see the most in real life - hugs</p>Lisa Heinzehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15549340948793105392noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1708881323942683536.post-47439992666040571002020-08-24T20:55:00.000+10:002020-08-24T20:55:06.533+10:00between the bushfires and the pandemic, hope springs<h3 style="text-align: left;">An Environmentalist on Having Children</h3><div>A recent article in <b><i><a href="https://theconversation.com/covid-19-could-see-thousands-of-women-miss-out-on-having-kids-creating-a-demographic-disaster-for-australia-142174" target="_blank">The Conversation</a></i></b> suggests there will be no Covid Baby Boom in Australia, despite many lucky couples celebrating more adventurous sex lives during the pandemic. It cites reasons such as economic uncertainty, relationships being more strained by forced togetherness (highlighted by the horrific statistics of increased domestic violence during lockdown), and the postponement of elective medical procedures, including IVF. Other <b><a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2020/06/24/882953643/survey-women-are-rethinking-having-kids-as-they-face-pandemic-challenges">research from the US </a></b>shows 34% of surveyed women said the pandemic was stopping them from getting pregnant or having another child, primarily due to the uncertainty of the future in terms of jobs, healthcare and childcare. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8K73ogqIt-FMw7m3UsOhZUaxjJCt5-_xYI6TbqXiGYpilxS0qbLFqLW_wfppotCz-OA9Dx4WlrCd_fHgKWNmSZ4uNIJKqM7QBT-zN755ByEL1xlM_z0bUATk0UrlTanqHVK9SM3WA9si-/s2048/IMG_8818.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8K73ogqIt-FMw7m3UsOhZUaxjJCt5-_xYI6TbqXiGYpilxS0qbLFqLW_wfppotCz-OA9Dx4WlrCd_fHgKWNmSZ4uNIJKqM7QBT-zN755ByEL1xlM_z0bUATk0UrlTanqHVK9SM3WA9si-/s640/IMG_8818.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>These stories have reminded me of the growing group of environmentalists who are remaining child-free by choice*. In the UK, the <b><a href="https://birthstrike.tumblr.com/" target="_blank">Birthstrike</a> </b>movement demands system change and shares personal, often heartbreaking, stories from its members on how they decided to not have children in relation to the planet's ecological destruction. There is a similar movement in the US called <b><a href="https://conceivablefuture.org/mission" target="_blank">Conceivable Future</a> </b>that includes video testimonials. I greatly appreciate that both these movements give people the opportunity to share their personal stories and speak their truth, even if that truth remains in the "I'm still undecided" category. Many environmental <b><a href="https://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/2019-6-november-december/feature/have-or-not-have-children-age-climate-change">campaigners</a></b> and <b><a href="https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2020/04/how-should-a-climate-change-reporter-think-about-having-children" target="_blank">journalists</a></b> have also shared their thoughts and anxieties around the choice to have children (or not).</div><div><br /></div><div>As someone entrenched in the environmental movement I completely relate to those who share their thoughts on the taboo subject to be child-free by choice in a world that celebrates reproduction. One of the most common reasons discussed is the morality of bringing children into a world that will be largely uninhabitable by the end of the century if radical climate action does not occur within the next decade. When Australia was experiencing the devastating bushfires this past summer, I was <b><a href="http://www.lisaheinze.com/2020/02/fire-feels.html" target="_blank">consumed with anxiety and sadness</a></b> at the world that awaits my son, who is now just 2 1/2 years old. I don't think I will ever forget the particular evening we watched ash falling like black snow against a fire-tinged orange sky. And I hope I don't forget it, such a powerful reminder that the climate has already changed, and urgent action is required to halt its progress toward even more devastating ends.</div><div><br /></div><div>Another common reason for choosing to be child-free is to avoid bringing another "superconsumer" into the world, particularly the industrialised nations where these movements are most vocal. I write this from the comfort of my first world home complete with WiFi, lighting, heaters, devices, furniture and so much <i>stuff</i>. Even as a climate activist my lifestyle has a heavy footprint, and the last time I measured it would take 1.7 Earths to sustain my lifestyle (<b><a href="https://ecowarriorprincess.net/2018/02/earth-overshoot-day-consumed-12-months-earths-resources/" target="_blank">the average Australian lifestyle uses 5.2 Earths</a></b> - meaning, if everyone on the planet lived like Aussies we'd need 5.2 planet earths to sustain us). Bringing another western "superconsumer" into the world is hardly a pro-environmental act. </div><div><br /></div><div>And yet, despite these very valid concerns, I never considered not having a child for environmental reasons. In fact, I actively pursued reproduction. My first child was conceived via IVF after years of "unexplained infertility", multiple tests and treatments. And last year I had two surgeries to address complications from my son's birth because without doing so I would never be able to have another child. Even after the devastation and resulting fear from the summer's bushfires, I scheduled an appointment with my fertility specialist to start another round of IVF to try for Baby #2 in February of this year.</div><div><br /></div><div>And then 2020 continued to unfold in surprising ways. </div><div><br /></div><div>Somewhere between the bushfires and the pandemic, and before my IVF cycle could begin, I became unexpectedly pregnant.** </div><div><br /></div><div>I view this surprising, joyful, twist of fate emblematic of the way I view parenthood in the time of climate change - a brazen sign, or act, of hope. Even though the familiar climate horror stories initially inspired my involvement as an activist, I have never once thought we couldn't solve the problem. Never.</div><div><br /></div><div>This doesn't mean I think everything is solved, or that we can afford to be personally or politically complacent. But that I know collectively humans have the knowledge, willpower and tenacity to overcome the climate crisis. I know, I know, I hear your concerns...</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>There are conservative and corrupt governments to overcome.</li><li>There are covert corporate interests that interfere with our governments that also attempt to greenwash us with beautiful climate commitment statements.</li><li>We continue to emit dangerous levels of greenhouse gases, even during the pandemic.</li><li>There are countless issues of biodiversity loss, drought, and planetary health to address.</li></ul><div>But, we also have:</div></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>A growing, powerful youth climate movement.</li><li>A robust Indigenous climate movement.</li><li>Growing awareness of the many effective grassroots environmental justice programs led by BIPOC.</li><li>Thousands (or is it millions?) of scientists, engineerings, social scientists, writers, and other experts and activists finding solutions all across the globe.</li></ul><div>As a result, the culture is changing.</div></div><div><br /></div><div>I've said it before, but one of the great privileges of my work is meeting with people who are actively improving the world. Often quietly, behind the scenes, no fanfare (no Instagram!), just hard work, often unpaid and voluntary. So in addition to my naturally optimistic view of the world, I am lucky to be surrounded by signs of hope (as long as I don't linger on social media or the news for too long). I don't mean to discount the feelings or fears of others who have chosen the alternate view, and of course there's a chance I could be wrong, but I genuinely feel the best is yet to come for humanity. You can feel change in the air (even amongst a global pandemic, or perhaps it's enhanced because of it).</div><div><br /></div><div>I yearned for a family for a myriad of reasons, not at all connected to the environment (except, perhaps, wanting to share the love I have for the natural world with the next generation). But I do consider the fact that I am an active environmentalist having a second child to be an act of hopeful rebellion. I refuse to accept we have lost. I remain ever hopeful that we are pulling ourselves toward a cleaner, safer future. And now I will have one more reason to continue dedicating my life to the cause. And just maybe, if I do my parenting job correctly, I'll have the privilege of raising two humans with a generous, selfless, compassionate, collaborative, justice-oriented worldview (no pressure, kids).</div><div><br /></div><div>xx Lisa</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>* Please note, I am writing specifically about people who actively choose to be child-free, and I am deeply sorry if this post triggers difficult emotions for anyone experiencing infertility or being child-free for any other reason.</div><div><br /></div><div>**My intention here is not to provide any false hope to anyone experiencing infertility, or to offer one of those stories we're so often told to try and give us hope that miracles can happen. My heart truly goes out to anyone who has ever dealt with the emotional reality of infertility. I merely aim to tell my full story here.</div>Lisa Heinzehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15549340948793105392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1708881323942683536.post-59657229667824964982020-07-31T16:31:00.002+10:002020-07-31T16:31:41.730+10:00fashion with heartI'm so excited to share the news that my first academic publication is finally complete! Only 3 years since I submitted my PhD thesis, but whatever. Parenthood and a non-academic job certainly get in the way of those publications. Despite the time lag, there is nothing like finally seeing some of my very own peer-reviewed research out in the world.<div><br /></div><div>Below is an abstract and a link to the full article. Note, you'll need a University library account to access, or you'll have to purchase access, I'm afraid it's not open source at this time.</div><div><br /></div><div><h1 class="citation__title" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1c1d1e; font-family: "Open Sans", icomoon, sans-serif; font-size: 1.375rem; line-height: 30px; margin: 8px 0px;">Fashion with heart: Sustainable fashion entrepreneurs, emotional labour and implications for a sustainable fashion system</h1></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #1c1d1e; font-family: "Open Sans", icomoon, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Recent years have seen a rise in the number of fashion entrepreneurs who practise sustainable fashion design, including the use of environmentally friendly materials and transparent supply chains. However, mainstream fashion practises remain unsustainable and the pathway to a sustainable fashion system is not yet clear. Using qualitative data gathered from in‐depth interviews with sustainable fashion entrepreneurs, this article examines the practise of sustainable fashion design to understand the industry's transition towards sustainability. Building upon social practise theory, the management of emotional labour is identified as a key element in sustainable fashion design as indicated by the pro‐social motives of the entrepreneurs, financial precarity, entrepreneurial risk and the management of ethical complexities in sustainable fashion businesses. I argue that the element of managing emotional labour limits the reproduction potential of sustainable fashion design by other practitioners, thus slowing the transition to a sustainable fashion system.</span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #1c1d1e; font-family: "Open Sans", icomoon, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span></div><div><b><a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/sd.2104" target="_blank">Link to the complete article in <i>Sustainable Development </i>here.</a></b></div><div><br /></div><div>A special thanks to the amazing sustainable fashion entrepreneurs who gifted me their time during my research, and who have gifted the world with their compassion and innovation. You continue to amaze and inspire me to this day, and my work would not have been possible without you. I only hope to add a bit more to the dialogue to help this speed up this transition to a sustainable fashion system.</div><div><br /></div><div>xLisa</div>Lisa Heinzehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15549340948793105392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1708881323942683536.post-57531727901270141532020-02-20T21:20:00.000+11:002020-02-20T21:26:46.691+11:00fire feels <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Recently I contributed to a new website, <b style="font-style: italic;"><a href="https://firefeels.org/" target="_blank">Fire Feels: Telling politicians how we feel about the 2019/2020 bushfires</a> </b>I heard about the site from one of the founders (and my colleague!) who led a climate grief workshop last month.<br />
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This important site was created in the wake of this summer's horrific fires as a means of communicating your grief, rage, horror and shock to our politicians. It actually originated between two friends writing to one another about how they were feeling, and then realising that our politicians - the ones who have the power to make the dramatic, systemic changes we need to decarbonise and to value nature - should hear how we feel. Instead of 'staying calm', we should tell them how we feel.<br />
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You can contribute, too, just <b><a href="https://firefeels.org/contact/" target="_blank">visit the site for instructions</a></b>. Importantly, if you need further support, please seek professional support - <b><a href="https://firefeels.org/need-proper-help/" target="_blank">find more information here</a></b>.<br />
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So without further ado, below is the letter I wrote to my MP, Zali Steggall<br />
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To Zali Steggall: I had hoped never to experience this fear and grief</h1>
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<div style="background-color: #f6f6f6; color: #383838; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 19px; margin-bottom: 0.875em;">
I have been a climate activist and working in sustainable development for over a decade. The scenes from the bush fires have brought out fear and grief that I had been hoping never to experience – and fighting for others not to experience – for so many years. I attended a climate grief workshop to help me start to address these feelings, during which I drew the following two pictures.</div>
<div style="background-color: #f6f6f6; color: #383838; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 19px; margin-bottom: 0.875em;">
<br />
One is the scene I just can’t get out of my head of standing on a fairly isolated beach in Broken Bay with my two year-old son as the sky was golden-orange and ash-flakes snowed down upon us. There were children in the water who were laughing and playing, trying to catch the ashes with a goal of catching the biggest one possible. Did they know what it was? It was a very apocalyptic scene. It was very hard to accept that it was really happening, and we were not even in the worst of the fire zones.</div>
<br />
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large" style="background-color: #f6f6f6; color: #383838; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 19px; margin: 0px 0px 1em;"><img alt="" class="wp-image-168" data-attachment-id="168" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="thumbnail_img_8818" data-large-file="https://firefeels.files.wordpress.com/2020/01/thumbnail_img_8818.jpg?w=768" data-medium-file="https://firefeels.files.wordpress.com/2020/01/thumbnail_img_8818.jpg?w=225" data-orig-file="https://firefeels.files.wordpress.com/2020/01/thumbnail_img_8818.jpg" data-orig-size="960,1280" data-permalink="https://firefeels.org/thumbnail_img_8818/" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" src="https://firefeels.files.wordpress.com/2020/01/thumbnail_img_8818.jpg?w=768" srcset="https://firefeels.files.wordpress.com/2020/01/thumbnail_img_8818.jpg?w=768 768w, https://firefeels.files.wordpress.com/2020/01/thumbnail_img_8818.jpg?w=113 113w, https://firefeels.files.wordpress.com/2020/01/thumbnail_img_8818.jpg?w=225 225w, https://firefeels.files.wordpress.com/2020/01/thumbnail_img_8818.jpg 960w" style="border-radius: 3px; border: 0px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" /><figcaption style="color: inherit; font-size: 14.25px; font-style: italic; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 0.5em;"><a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/" style="background-color: transparent; color: #cc1919; text-decoration-line: none;">CC-BY-NC-SA</a> Lisa Heinze</figcaption></figure><br />
<div style="background-color: #f6f6f6; color: #383838; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 19px; margin-bottom: 0.875em;">
<br />
The other is a representation of how I feel – sad and frozen, but also angry. I’m just waiting for that anger to thaw me out of my frozen state so I can start flowing and acting (and activisting!) again.</div>
<br />
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large" style="background-color: #f6f6f6; color: #383838; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 19px; margin: 0px 0px 1em;"><img alt="" class="wp-image-166" data-attachment-id="166" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="thumbnail_img_8817" data-large-file="https://firefeels.files.wordpress.com/2020/01/thumbnail_img_8817.jpg?w=768" data-medium-file="https://firefeels.files.wordpress.com/2020/01/thumbnail_img_8817.jpg?w=225" data-orig-file="https://firefeels.files.wordpress.com/2020/01/thumbnail_img_8817.jpg" data-orig-size="960,1280" data-permalink="https://firefeels.org/thumbnail_img_8817/" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" src="https://firefeels.files.wordpress.com/2020/01/thumbnail_img_8817.jpg?w=768" srcset="https://firefeels.files.wordpress.com/2020/01/thumbnail_img_8817.jpg?w=768 768w, https://firefeels.files.wordpress.com/2020/01/thumbnail_img_8817.jpg?w=113 113w, https://firefeels.files.wordpress.com/2020/01/thumbnail_img_8817.jpg?w=225 225w, https://firefeels.files.wordpress.com/2020/01/thumbnail_img_8817.jpg 960w" style="border-radius: 3px; border: 0px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" /><figcaption style="color: inherit; font-size: 14.25px; font-style: italic; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 0.5em;"><a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/" style="background-color: transparent; color: #cc1919; text-decoration-line: none;">CC-BY-NC-SA</a> Lisa Heinze</figcaption></figure><br />
<div style="background-color: #f6f6f6; color: #383838; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 19px; margin-bottom: 0.875em;">
<br />
I know that you are committed to climate action, I voted and campaigned for you because of it. I am writing to remind you of how urgently Australia needs to take bold action. I will stand behind your climate efforts, but also push you for more brave and robust efforts for the sake of the future and younger generations.</div>
<div style="background-color: #f6f6f6; color: #383838; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 19px; margin-bottom: 0.875em;">
<br />
From Lisa Heinze</div>
</div>
Lisa Heinzehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15549340948793105392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1708881323942683536.post-51623510761217675242020-01-10T12:11:00.001+11:002020-01-10T12:17:52.361+11:00and the fires rage on<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "garamond";">The Australian bushfires have left a
wake of devastation across the country, and the fires blaze on. Greater
Sydney has experienced numerous apocalyptic days over the past few months but –
aside from people with respiratory and cardiovascular issues – we are the lucky
ones. Our homes still stand. Our businesses and jobs are in tact. We even had
(nearly) blue skies over the Christmas break, making it possible to momentarily
forget about the destruction of our beautiful country. But one whiff of smoky
haze or quick social media check wrenches us back to reality. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Image result for australian bushfire photo"" height="319" src="https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn%3AANd9GcRzh9lriOwsLPXqw9tChVMrJOG_u_XPhe6_osAAGFpfT_N-ZnnO" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://www.wwf.org.au/get-involved/bushfire-emergency#gs.qw6s9l" target="_blank">Image source: WWF</a></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "garamond";">Sometimes I think, “Well, soon
all of the national parkland will be burnt and so at least the fires will
stop.” Some sort of twisted rationale my mind has come up with to help deal
with what is happening. Willing the smoke, the haze, the ash, the constant
reminders that our nation burns as the climate fiercely changes, willing all of it, to stop. But I know it
won’t, not yet, this is early bushfire season in Australia.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "garamond";">In actual fact, </span><span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/jan/07/record-breaking-49m-hectares-of-land-burned-in-nsw-this-bushfire-season"><span style="font-family: "garamond";">estimates suggest</span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "garamond";"> nearly half of all the country’s
forests will have burnt by the time this bushfire season is over. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Half.</i></b>
How do we even wrap our heads around what this means in terms of habitat and
wildlife loss? Greenhouse gas emissions? People’s livelihoods? The Australian
bush is varied, diverse, and so incredibly beautiful. Although I grew up in
another incredibly beautiful part of the world (hello Rocky Mountains!), it
wasn’t until I moved to Australia that I truly fell in love with the natural
world. The bush is a place of magic and wonder, and I crave immersing myself in
the forests on a regular basis. I haven’t yet ventured toward any burnt areas, safe in my urban
beachside bubble, but accounts from people flying over the smouldering land and
driving through the scorched earth are bracing me for a barren and blackened
landscape, unrecognizable from the bush I know and love.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "garamond";">It’s near impossible, to
imagine what the people who live in these areas of the country and have lost
everything – their homes, businesses, possessions, even loved ones – are
experiencing. There are beautiful and powerful written accounts, like this one
by author Jackie French <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/culture/books/from-fire-evacuation-rooms-diary-of-a-wombat-author-pens-her-message-to-australia-20200107-p53piv.html?fbclid=IwAR0vaxUlgsqA77MKsAzdzz70RkPeQv6-UtFvLNTwV68SBA_sUUBcuIE2-IE">who
praises the leaders</a> who have emerged in place of our nation’s so-called
leaders, that start to put into perspective what life has been like these past
couple of months. And many others who highlight the very long, unknown, road to recovery for so many of these communities that have been decimated by the fires.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "garamond";">Like so many Australians, I’ve felt
powerless in terms of what I can do to help. I have gladly donated
money, knowing that is what is most needed right now, but it can feel like it’s
not enough. There’s an ache to get out and be useful, and yet how can I be
useful in a time like this? It’s dangerous. Fires still blaze. I have zero
emergency skills, unlike the firefighters* and other first responders who are
(as they so often are) the saviours of the nation. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "garamond";">There are, however, many clearheaded
people who have already sprung into action and offer ways to be
involved. </span><span style="font-family: "garamond"; font-size: 12pt;">Some of the initiatives that have
caught my attention include:</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="line-height: 150%; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "garamond";"><b><a href="https://10daily.com.au/news/a200107szpkb/the-world-is-knitting-clothes-for-australias-injured-wildlife-and-darn-the-pics-are-cute-20200107" target="_blank">Knitting and sewing for wildlife</a></b> – mittens, pouches, possum boxes, nests, and more. Thousands of people from around the world are putting their knitting and sewing skills to help injured and orphaned animals recover. <b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/arfsncrafts/" target="_blank">The Animal Rescue Craft Guild</a></b> has more information on what is needed and patterns to help you create the needed items.</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "garamond";"><b><a href="https://www.threadtogether.org/donate" target="_blank">ThreadTogether</a></b> is an initiative that collects unworn/unsold items from retailers to distribute to people in need. They have ramped up their efforts in the wake of the crisis to collect even more for those communities impacted directly. If you are a designer or retailer with unsold items, <b><a href="https://www.threadtogether.org/donate" target="_blank">get in touch with them ASAP</a></b>.</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "garamond";">Go with Empty Eskies campaign, a viral facebook post by Tegan Webber that urges us to head to the regions as soon as its safe and buy all the food and drinks (and everything!) we need from those communities.</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "garamond";"><b><a href="https://www.instagram.com/spendwiththem/" target="_blank">Spend with Them</a></b> Instagram campaign, partly inspired by the Empty Eskies campaign, which highlights businesses in effected areas that need our dollars to keep afloat. If you are in the market for something, why not start there?</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "garamond";">Carlie Ballard and Linda Tahija teamed up to sell <b><a href="https://carlieballard.com/products/raffle-ticket-600-gift-voucher-up-for-grabs" target="_blank">raffle tickets to give away a $600 voucher </a></b>for their beautiful fashion and jewellery brands - ends tonight!</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><b><a href="https://authorsforfireys.wixsite.com/website" target="_blank">Authors for Fireys</a></b> is a Twitter auction that channels funds directly to the firefighters with authors from around the world auctioning signed books, character namings, lunch dates, workshops and more. I haven’t put my hand up for this only because my book is old
news, but I'll try and get myself organised (it ends tomorrow!) to offer a sustainable fashion workshop in exchange for donations.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><b><a href="https://www.instagram.com/hearts_on_fire_x/" target="_blank">Hearts on Fire</a></b> instagram auction of experiences from fashion, food, travel and the arts to raise money. Incredible things up for auction here!</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Yesterday more than 45 Australian retailers participated in the <b><a href="https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/big-name-retailers-band-together-to-direct-profits-to-bushfire-appeal-20200108-p53prw.html" target="_blank">"All In" campaign</a></b>, donating 100% of their profits to the Red Cross bushfire campaign. It was good timing for me - I needed some new work clothing so spent it all with the Iconic (which is also going to be offering its warehouse to store donated items over coming months to assist the charities that have been inundated with goods).</li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "garamond";">It’s hard to know what to write, and
how to respond, except to say that I’m heartbroken, saddened, frightened and
angry. I’ll continue to do what I can, to act thoughtfully yet forcefully for
change. I’ll be at the protests today in Sydney, hope to see some of you there,
too.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "garamond";">xLisa<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<!--EndFragment--><br /></div>
Lisa Heinzehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15549340948793105392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1708881323942683536.post-86909189543237361022019-12-11T22:24:00.000+11:002019-12-11T22:24:05.853+11:00tis the season for a revolution<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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In previous years I've <b><a href="http://www.lisaheinze.com/2013/12/holiday-shopping-guide-part-one.html" target="_blank">written guides</a></b> and given advice about <b><a href="http://sydney.edu.au/environment-institute/news/a-sustainable-sei-christmas/" target="_blank">choosing sustainable holiday gifts</a></b>. You know, <b><a href="http://sydney.edu.au/environment-institute/blog/its-the-thought-that-counts-for-sustainable-gift-giving/" target="_blank">buy from ethical, local, Fair trade suppliers and artists</a></b>. Choose pre-loved items. Give someone an experience instead of an object. Cook a meal, babysit kids, plant a tree, <b><a href="http://www.lisaheinze.com/2015/12/diy-gift-idea-coconut-lime-sugar-scrub.html" target="_blank">make organic body scrub</a></b>. And wrap it all in <b><a href="http://www.lisaheinze.com/2013/12/a-green-wrapping-fling.html" target="_blank">sustainable gift wrap</a></b>.<br />
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I still wholeheartedly believe in those options. And - despite what the rest of this post may suggest - I really do love the holiday season. Love it. There is nothing better than enjoying delicious food and the company of loved ones under the twinkle of fairy lights. As an added bonus, living in Sydney means that Christmas is the perfect excuse for an extended summer break at the beach. Bring. It. On.<br />
<br />
But this year, instead of hoping santa brings me a gorgeous sustainable frock and fretting over the 'perfect' gift for my loved ones, I want something bigger. I want a revolution. I want a seismic cultural and political shift to address the growing climate crisis. It's not too much to ask, is it?<br />
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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B4E4VCxHfHr/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank">Fires continue to burn out of control. Brothers stand together. #fujifilmx_au #fujifilm @fujifilmx_au @greatlakesadvocate @nbnnews @nbcnews @cbsnews @barringtoncoast @abcaustralia @nbnnews @cbsnews @nbcnews @9newsofficial @9newsgoldcoast @ninenewsillawarra @channeltennews @tennewsperth @sevennewsaustralia @abc.tv @sbs_australia @newscorpaus @sydneymorningherald @dailytelegraph @couriermail @newscomauhq @the.australian @natgeo</a></div>
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A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/stoll_photography/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" target="_blank"> Martin Von Stoll</a> (@stoll_photography) on <time datetime="2019-10-26T09:23:29+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Oct 26, 2019 at 2:23am PDT</time></div>
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My state is literally on fire. Look at these photos. That extended summer break I mentioned before will likely be spent indoors to escape the hazardous smoke pollution which periodically blankets the city. The fires have come so early and so fiercely that fire chiefs are making public declarations about climate change and begging the government to address the climate crisis. And what does our Prime Minister do? Offers platitudes, thoughts & prayers, naively comments that volunteer firefighters don't need to be paid because<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/dec/10/scott-morrison-rejects-calls-for-more-help-saying-volunteer-firefighters-want-to-be-there" target="_blank"> <b>they "want to be there"</b></a> and uses the opportunity of our nationwide distraction to <b><a href="https://www.sbs.com.au/news/government-defends-axing-arts-department-as-a-good-opportunity-for-artists" target="_blank">axe the federal arts department</a></b> and <b><a href="https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/concerns-for-environment-as-morrison-merges-government-departments-20191205-p53h7h.html" target="_blank">splitting the energy and environment portfolios into other, larger, portfolios</a></b>, all but ensuring climate change doesn't get a look in. Shame.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="The Currowan bushfire has been raging for days in a national park near Ulladulla, burning almost 50,000 hectares as of Wednesday, the RFS said." height="266" src="https://static.ffx.io/images/$zoom_0.173%2C$multiply_0.4431%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_0/t_crop_custom/q_86%2Cf_auto/c267f8539b6b0f490d2f177d7c3e8f0c3ca704ea" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo: <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/environment/conservation/unprecedented-bushfires-in-nsw-prompt-call-for-more-firefighters-20191204-p53guj.html" target="_blank">AAP via SMH</a></td></tr>
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Halfway around the world other world leaders are meeting for the annual COP climate talks. I freely admit to being particularly ambivalent about the talks this year. Which is unfair - many people work tirelessly in the lead up and throughout the talks to convince nations to make binding agreements to emissions reductions. But from my perspective (<b><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/dec/08/un-climate-talks-are-failing-to-see-urgency-of-crisis-says-scientist" target="_blank">and at least one top scientist</a></b>) it just looks like we've had these talks for over 20 years and global emissions are rising year on year. Countries including Australia and the United States shirk responsibility and forfeit the opportunity to become climate leaders. And remind me, how many people took an international flight (and how many business class, or private planes) to attend the talks? Not Greta, obviously, and though it doesn't make a dent in the grand scheme of greenhouse gas emissions, <b><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/jeffmcmahon/2019/11/19/greta-is-right-study-shows-individual-climate-action-boosts-systemic-change/#57ff9a034a54" target="_blank">it does have an impact</a></b> on the power of one's activism and leads to systemic change.<br />
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So needless to say, this holiday season I'm distracted. Instead of teaching my toddler about the magic of the season I'm fretting about his future. I don't want the champagne and baubles and bonbons - well, not as much as I usually do, anyway. I don't have the energy to handcraft gifts and I don't feel the same joy listening to Mariah Carey's "Merry Christmas" album as in previous years. I want global leaders to act just as that - leaders - and to take the bold actions necessary to halt the worst of the project climate disasters. We are seeing too frequent glimpses of them already, and frankly, it's terrifying.<br />
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But I hear you. You want a list. You want a guide for an ethical holiday season, so here it is:<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Change your household energy to 100% renewable energy. There are multiple affordable options available making this option more attainable than ever.</li>
<li>Divest your retirement/superannuation. There are a variety of funds options that do not invest in fossil fuel companies but do have competitive returns. Make your money work for the future you want.</li>
<li>Ask your workplace about their own energy and investment plans, and work with them to make the necessary changes if not enough is being done.</li>
<li>Contact your politicians. Relentlessly. Let them know the climate is a top concern of yours, and if it's not theirs they will not get your vote.</li>
<li>Volunteer your time.</li>
<li>Donate your money. This year there are a variety of bushfire appeals including for Fire Services and wildlife rehabilitation. If any of my loved ones want to know what to get me, please do this for me.</li>
<li>Connect with others. Build your community and look after those who need some extra care.</li>
<li>Rest as much as you can, we have a lot of work to do in 2020.</li>
</ul>
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Until then, fellow Revolutionaries, </div>
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xoLisa<br />
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Lisa Heinzehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15549340948793105392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1708881323942683536.post-58002557203555851592019-10-18T16:14:00.000+11:002019-10-18T16:31:45.203+11:00sustainable fashion is so hot right now<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
For a long time the uptake of sustainable fashion could best be described as a slow burn. There was a constant increase in interest, but it moved at a snail's pace. Sustainable fashion designers struggled to make ends meet, with many working for the passion they felt as activists rather than for the money. And on a personal level, many people raised an eyebrow at my research and questioned whether it was really worth investigating.<br />
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Fast forward to 2019 and sustainability is trending, and it's making me worried.<br />
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Sustainability and climate change were key features at the recently-wrapped Fashion Weeks (including some fabulous disruption from <b><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/06/fashion/extinction-rebellion-fashion-protest.html" target="_blank">Extinction Rebellion</a></b> in London and New York), <a href="https://medium.com/@orimpex/5-celebs-who-support-the-sustainable-fashion-movement-527ec49255c" target="_blank"><b>celebrity endorsements and labels</b></a> are constantly popping up, the <a href="https://www.townandcountrymag.com/style/fashion-trends/a28198319/meghan-markle-outland-denim-jeans-interview/" target="_blank"><b>Duchess of Sussex wore Outland Denim</b></a> and changed the face of sustainable fashion, The Iconic launched their ethical edit, <b><a href="https://www.theiconic.com.au/discover-considered/" target="_blank">'Considered'</a></b>, and I feel like I'm seeing nearly as many <b><a href="https://www.veja-store.com/en/" target="_blank">Vejas</a></b> as <b><a href="https://www.adidas.com.au/stan_smith" target="_blank">Stan Smiths</a></b> these days.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvcJIuF74XXdhA2wH1KQ-Ds8R97eQGaxm90LuQJIRsSioSh1l7gdg8OA5RDddnrrcvdMrIASjDEOqw28J_fp6zgD9XBzRMYB_KPY_SqpJzKVgFhRQoLmIPO0JvMMwJhH5vg65FTEUYoK7f/s1600/Screen+Shot+2019-10-11+at+2.49.38+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="475" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvcJIuF74XXdhA2wH1KQ-Ds8R97eQGaxm90LuQJIRsSioSh1l7gdg8OA5RDddnrrcvdMrIASjDEOqw28J_fp6zgD9XBzRMYB_KPY_SqpJzKVgFhRQoLmIPO0JvMMwJhH5vg65FTEUYoK7f/s320/Screen+Shot+2019-10-11+at+2.49.38+PM.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image via<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B1tq7RigAcQ/" target="_blank"> Instagram</a></td></tr>
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In fact it was a Veja-spotting that inspired me to write today.<br />
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I was on the bus home from work this week, holding onto the swinging handle for dear life as the bus took a sharp turn, when I spotted a pair of Vejas on a young woman seated near me. A quick scan and I saw she'd paired those white sneakers with some jeans, a <a href="https://www.gucci.com/au/en_au/ca/women/handbags/womens-crossbody-bags-c-women-handbags-crossbody?gclid=EAIaIQobChMItNSqiauT5QIVzI6PCh0J3wM-EAAYASAAEgKuv_D_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Gucci crossbody handbag</a>, a white <b><a href="https://au.tommy.com/tommy-classic-t-shirt-classic-white-dw0dw07036100" target="_blank">Tommy Hilfiger tee</a> </b>and some lovely large gold hoop earrings. A few days later I saw another chic woman wearing Vejas with a long silk skirt and tee and a stunning oversized <a href="https://www.dior.com/en_us/products/couture-M1286ZRPG_M911-dior-book-tote-bag-in-embroidered-canvas" target="_blank"><b>Dior tote</b></a>. For all I know these designer additions were quality vintage or
consignment pieces, but I'm going to make the assumption based on their
pristine appearances that they were not. <br />
<br />
I've read plenty of articles - scholarly and mass media - talking about sustainable fashion being a status symbol. And there is a lot of weight to the argument that sustainable fashion is primarily available for the upper middle class. These young women personified these criticisms in a way I hadn't yet seen in person.<br />
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I don't mean to point fingers at these ladies and blame them for the state of fashion today. However, seeing these bright young things wearing some of the world's most sustainable sneakers with trendy designer pieces demonstrated something I've been suspecting and fearing for awhile...we may be raising general awareness, but nothing is really changing.<br />
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Sure, sustainable fashion is so hot right now. More and more people actually know what it is. It's being written about in the pages of <i>Vogue </i>on a regular basis. There are podcasts, blogs, websites, online shops and sustainable stylists and designers all working to raise awareness of the issues and shed light on alternatives. But the fact that designer labels decided to adopt it for their latest runway shows makes me feel we are just swimming in circles, so does seeing a stylish woman who is matching sustainable sneakers with designer labels.<br />
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<br />
Fashion Editor Vanessa Friedman has an <b><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/10/style/fashion-lvmh-kering-sustainability-competition.html" target="_blank">incredible critique in the <i>New York Times</i></a></b><i> </i>about this current turn toward sustainability during the most recent Fashion Weeks. Of her many compelling arguments one that stood out to me was the fact that just last year the brands were addressing the repercussions from the #MeToo movement, and this year some models are reporting it's worse than ever.<br />
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In addition, fast fashion continues to pervail, despite some
positive signs it was crumbling (like Forever21 filing for bankruptcy,
mainly due to not being able to compete on style with H&M and Zara).
Zara profits remain high and growing, with plans for <a href="https://www.themds.com/companies/zara-owner-inditex-sales-rise-7-and-profit-jumps-10-in-first-half.html" target="_blank"><b>worldwide online sales</b></a> from next year. H&M recently announced its first increase in profits in two years and continue grow their store numbers to <a href="https://about.hm.com/content/dam/hmgroup/groupsite/documents/masterlanguage/Annual%20Report/Annual%20Report%202018.pdf" target="_blank"><b>more than 5,000</b></a> around the world - it also has plans for further online reach in the years to come. More garments will be produced this year than last, and the same thing will happen next year again.<br />
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The fashion system is broken, and has been
for a long time. It relies on constant renewal to survive, and it relies
on us buying into new styles season after season, year after year, and
so it injects billions of dollars into marketing to ensure that we make
those purchases. In
other words, just because people know about something - even the fast
fashion companies themselves, which are making promises toward
sustainable fabrics and transparent processes - doesn't mean the problem
is solved. As long as clothes continue to be designed and produced at these fast rates in vast quantities, it cannot be sustainable. As long as labels want me to buy their new collection each season, or even each year, it cannot be sustainable. Until we can curtail this system that generates constant desire, it cannot be sustainable.<br />
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So there, I've said it. I've been thinking it for awhile, and there it is. For all the incredible work my fellow sustainable fashion activists have done over the past decade, particularly the past five or six years, the system remains firmly in tact. I know that progress has been made and I don't want sustainable fashion designers or activists to feel like their work has been for nothing, because it has undoubtedly shifted the conversation. But I feel an increased sense of urgency that just isn't being addressed but the launches of new sustainable fashion lines and the embrace of sustainability on major Fashion Week catwalks. It all feels like more greenwashing to me.<br />
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A few years ago, seeing two pair of Vejas in one week would have filled me with glee. Unfortunately, knowing what I know now, it fills me with dread. It appears they are being used as a status symbol, a recognisable and coveted name brand, that may even assuage guilt of some people about the dismal state of the climate and the planet.<br />
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So yeah, sustainable fashion is so hot right now. What will be so hot next year? (besides the planet, obvs).</div>
Lisa Heinzehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15549340948793105392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1708881323942683536.post-54464304407655558472019-09-05T14:37:00.001+10:002019-09-05T14:37:27.839+10:00sustainable work life<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Hello!<br />
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It's been awhile, and I'm just going to level with you - this working parent business is hard! I feel like calling every parent I have ever worked with to say, "I'm sorry if I ever gave you the side-eye for leaving work on time! And please tell me how you managed to be so put together for work while wrangling a small child at home." </div>
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Though they probably wouldn't have even noticed my side-eye if they are like me, one eye on my work and another on the clock to ensure I time my commute-daycare-dinner-bath-bedtime routine just perfectly to minimise the likelihood of a meltdown from my mini-one.</div>
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I am managing to complete (and enjoy!) my paid work each week, but my labours of love (like this blog and other sustainable fashion activism) have taken a backseat. As so many women have experienced before me, I'm learning firsthand that you can't "have it all", at least not at the same time.</div>
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Lucky for me my paid work is incredible. I have the opportunity to meet and work with dedicated, passionate and clever people, including bringing people together with various backgrounds and ideas, all in the name of sustainability. And I was able to write a blog post about it for the <a href="http://sydney.edu.au/environment-institute" target="_blank">Sydney Environment Institute</a>. Here's a sneak peek, and head over their website to learn more.<br />
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Living Lab Series: Sustainability Across Campus, From Wave Flumes to Waste Fighters</h2>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="200" src="http://sydney.edu.au/environment-institute/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/lab-1000x500-c-center.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #999999; font-family: aktiv-grotesk, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; orphans: 2; text-align: start; widows: 2;">Image by Vital Sinkevich, via Unsplash</span></td></tr>
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Did you know that the University of Sydney has a wind tunnel and wave flume in its <a href="https://sydney.edu.au/engineering/our-research/energy-resources-and-the-environment/wind-waves-and-water-centre.html" style="-webkit-transition: color 0.5s ease-in-out 0s; background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; cursor: pointer; line-height: inherit; text-overflow: ellipsis; transition: color 0.5s ease-in-out 0s;">Centre for Wind, Waves and Water</a>? Or that students can take units titled <a href="https://sydney.edu.au/courses/units-of-study/2019/engd/engd1000.html" style="-webkit-transition: color 0.5s ease-in-out 0s; background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; cursor: pointer; line-height: inherit; text-overflow: ellipsis; transition: color 0.5s ease-in-out 0s;">“Building a Sustainable World”</a> or <a href="https://sydney.edu.au/courses/units-of-study/2019/cems/cems6005.html" style="-webkit-transition: color 0.5s ease-in-out 0s; background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; cursor: pointer; line-height: inherit; text-overflow: ellipsis; transition: color 0.5s ease-in-out 0s;">“Poverty Alleviation and Profitability”</a>? Or that we have both a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/594864013930362/" style="-webkit-transition: color 0.5s ease-in-out 0s; background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; cursor: pointer; line-height: inherit; text-overflow: ellipsis; transition: color 0.5s ease-in-out 0s;">community garden</a> and a <a href="https://www.usydfoodcoop.org/" style="-webkit-transition: color 0.5s ease-in-out 0s; background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; cursor: pointer; line-height: inherit; text-overflow: ellipsis; transition: color 0.5s ease-in-out 0s;">food co-op</a>right here on campus?</div>
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Over the past few months, I have had the great pleasure of getting to know some of the people behind these initiatives as part of the University’s sustainability strategy development project. The Sydney Environment Institute has been supporting the <a href="https://unisyd.sharepoint.com/sites/CPMO/Project/CPMO-259/SitePages/SSD.aspx?CT=1566525978721&OR=OWA-NT&CID=8f61e4f7-5dee-eff1-5d24-a10c2f6c532c" style="-webkit-transition: color 0.5s ease-in-out 0s; background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; cursor: pointer; line-height: inherit; text-overflow: ellipsis; transition: color 0.5s ease-in-out 0s;">development of the University’s new strategy</a>, and I have the lucky job of connecting with people who are working hard to make a difference through their research, teaching and actions at the University. In particular, the SEI has been responsible for creating an Advisory Group consisting of staff and students from across the University, and overseen the development of over a dozen sub-groups, to help establish a sustainability vision, identify priorities, and determine guiding principles across a range of sustainability issues at the University.</div>
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So what exactly does this mean? And what does it look like on a daily basis? I began by poring over faculty websites and staff profiles, seeking sustainability connections through research or teaching, and sending inquisitive, hopeful emails, asking for participation in the project. I’ve had my fair share of coffees, meeting people to find out more about their work and interests, sharing details about how the working groups’ insights will feed into development of the strategy, and connecting people into various groups to focus on categories like Energy & Emissions, Social & Culture, Water, Built Environment, Landscapes & Biodiversity, and more.</div>
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I’ve had the distinct feeling I was standing inside the (thankfully idle) engine of an Airbus A380 as I stood inside the awe-inspiring Boundary Layer Wind Tunnel at the Centre for Wind, Waves and Water...</div>
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<b><a href="http://sydney.edu.au/environment-institute/blog/living-lab-series-sustainability-across-campus-wave-flumes-waste-fighters/" target="_blank">Read the entire article here.</a></b></div>
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Lisa Heinzehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15549340948793105392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1708881323942683536.post-49014167476524105092019-06-25T22:38:00.000+10:002019-06-28T11:47:39.291+10:00recycle your clothes<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Over the years as I've taught lectures on fashion and sustainability I've shown my students the below ad from H&M about recycling your clothes.<br />
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<b><a href="http://www.lisaheinze.com/2015/08/closed-loop-fast-fashion.html" target="_blank">I haven't always had kind things to say about H&M</a></b>, but I love this ad from 2015. It's provocative, has great imagery, promotes body and cultural diversity, and whoever is doing the voiceover is mesmerising.<br />
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<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/s4xnyr2mCuI" width="560"></iframe>
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Typically the ad generates a lot of discussion from students. Fashion or clothing is something most people feel comfortable talking about, and H&M elicits a range of responses and emotions from different students. There's always a lot of support for the diversity shown in the ad, though it's often tempered by criticisms of overconsumption (this is a fast fashion company, after all), and there is always discussion about the role fast fashion companies play in providing fashionable clothing at a low cost for those with those on constrained incomes. But the message about recycling is what really gets people fired up. (Watch it and let me know what you think!)<br />
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So here's the deal - you can <b><a href="https://www2.hm.com/en_gb/ladies/shop-by-feature/16r-garment-collecting.html#modal-1" target="_blank">take any of your used clothing and textiles to H&M</a></b> and they will recycle it for you. There is a range of things that may happen to the items. If they are good quality, they may resell or donate them. If not, they may be recycled into their base fibres to be remade into fabric again, or perhaps ragged and used in various industries. This is a global campaign, so no matter where you live, you can take things to any H&M store for recycling. And (naturally) they give you a discount for your next purchase.<br />
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Despite seeing this ad dozens of times, I've never taken my used clothing to H&M, mostly because I don't usually shop there. I appreciate the strides they have taken toward sustainability through research and innovation, but I don't like to support their overall fast fashion business model. Then last week I found myself with a number of used garments that just did not feel good enough to donate to a charity shop - and some items that are not meant to go to charity shops (hello used bras!) - so I thought I'd take them to H&M since I knew they would not end up in landfill this way, or cost a charity money to dispose of properly on my behalf.<br />
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It was very easy. There was a huge sign behind the counter, and the cashier kindly helped me put my bag of donations in the very large (and empty!) bin. She then handed me a coupon for 15% off one item from the store.<br />
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And, you know, since I was there...I shopped. Actually I had planned on picking up some long sleeve tops for my son now that winter has finally set in. I know that H&M have a decent range of Conscious Collection basics for babies made from 100% organic cotton. I've <b><a href="http://www.lisaheinze.com/2018/08/sustainable-fashion-baby.html" target="_blank">written before about building a sustainable baby wardrobe</a> </b>mostly using secondhand items and special pieces from small businesses, but I tell you what, now that he's eating and walking and going to daycare - the mess! Multiple outfit changes are not unheard of in a given day, and I'm getting a glimpse into the rips and stains that will surely mark my 'parent of a toddler' years. My early supply of hand-me-downs have slowed (probably because everyone else's children are wearing out their clothing), so affordable sustainable basics are a good way to add to his wardrobe. (In other words - I finally really understand what people who have attended my workshops in the past have been talking about when they talk of the difficulty in sourcing sustainable children's clothing.)<br />
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I bought some long sleeve tops, which were all on a "Buy 3 for the Price of 2" promotion and seemed like a money-losing deal to me since the full price was already so low. I briefly hesitated. Even with all the work H&M claim to be doing to improve working conditions and transparency, how can a garment be made for such a cheap price? And out of organic cotton? <b><a href="https://www.fashionrevolution.org/" target="_blank">Who made those clothes?</a></b> How much were they paid to sew these adorable nautical-themed onesies?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="2-pack long-sleeved bodysuits - Dark blue/Anchors - Kids | H&M CN 1" height="400" src="https://lp2.hm.com/hmgoepprod?set=source[/f5/fe/f5fe7b04b02cdc57a1ee728a20cc516a31a9367c.jpg],origin[dam],category[kids_newborn_bodies],type[DESCRIPTIVESTILLLIFE],res[m],res[s],hmver[1]&call=url[file:/product/main]" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="266" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I really am a sucker for stripes.</td></tr>
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And yet, I bought them all the same.<br />
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And then I made an impulse purchase of an item that I didn't even know that I needed until I saw it - an adorable shoe organiser that hangs on the back of my son's door and has a bear face. His shoes had been making clutter and driving me crazy, so perhaps I subconsciously was looking for a solution, but it was definitely an impulse purchase. No denying the fact. Since this was the highest-priced item in my basket (at a whopping $25), it was the recipient of my 15% discount.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Image result for hm wall tidy bear motif grey" height="400" src="https://lp2.hm.com/hmgoepprod?set=source[/4c/3a/4c3a8e25fadc7d8a354dafc66a9b8e3ff91e8035.jpg],origin[dam],category[],type[DESCRIPTIVESTILLLIFE],res[s],hmver[1]&call=url[file:/product/main]" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="266" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I mean, c'mon, the adorableness of being tidy!</td></tr>
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And so, to sum up, I've basically been putty in the hands of H&M's marketing geniuses - they've received my used clothes, from which they will make money through recycling, and they've also received more of my dollars from buying brand new items.<br />
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Some sustainable lifestyle guru I am! I literally have a PhD on the topic, teach university students to think critically about the offer, and yet take me to a well-presented retail space and I get blinded by the lights.<br />
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At least I followed the one unbreakable fashion rule - I recycled my clothes.<br />
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Lisa Heinzehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15549340948793105392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1708881323942683536.post-32213223958427408342019-04-23T09:00:00.000+10:002019-04-23T09:00:02.198+10:00fashion revolution 2019<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
It's hard to believe it's been six years since the deadly Rana Plaza collapse in Dhaka, Bangladesh, claimed the lives of 1,138 garment workers, most of them young women.<br />
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On the one hand, the perils (and realities) of garment production are incredibly well known. It's not uncommon for people to joke about their clothing "probably being made in a sweatshop", followed by uncomfortable laughter. Whether the Nike scandal of the 1990s springs to mind, images of scruffy children working in the first textile factories of the Industrial Revolution, or the below image of Rana Plaza, somehow we have come to accept that our clothing is made under terrible conditions.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2hsS1zpY7mIM2rkvEB4HPH4CaIt6TgG0WyGCDK1ZOGauUYomRVqtxbmNcYw2a3JW8Kg0VWi9tW3t-kx3lwW6hCAZmYp91435zkFPHQgopmP3hkZhldIyll-EPdNxdlWRbs6MwsBUbxwYe/s1600/Dhaka_Savar_Building_Collapse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="683" data-original-width="1024" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2hsS1zpY7mIM2rkvEB4HPH4CaIt6TgG0WyGCDK1ZOGauUYomRVqtxbmNcYw2a3JW8Kg0VWi9tW3t-kx3lwW6hCAZmYp91435zkFPHQgopmP3hkZhldIyll-EPdNxdlWRbs6MwsBUbxwYe/s400/Dhaka_Savar_Building_Collapse.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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There are so many reasons why this has come to be. The physical and (often) cultural disconnect between the people who make our clothes and ourselves is a primary reason why we can push these images out of our minds when buying new clothing. Not to mention the impact of advertising, fashion promotion, and the mode and speed of consumption which is completely ingrained in our culture and provides further reason to disconnect.<br />
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But...things are changing.<br />
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This is Fashion Revolution Week, a time to reflect on who makes our clothes, question brands on their production methods, and learn new ways of using and consuming clothing (which are often old ways!). The Fashion Revolution campaign started on the one-year anniversary of the Rana Plaza collapse, and since then has grown into an international phenomenon (so much so that I am giving a lecture on its impact as part of a "Hashtag Activism" class at Sydney Uni next month).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzcwwm7J8ziZx5FkP-FJsV6AIkaxSEpX4DEZ5wpMDBlVv-Shyphenhyphen6vP3riONTJi7ILcJaR4BSlMebXY9zSVNef43298_QbHfEqu4uhVgDK4oH7m7k4teAily9qaYKOPb-x_zszHWvEHLnWc5s/s1600/Fash+Rev.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="215" data-original-width="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzcwwm7J8ziZx5FkP-FJsV6AIkaxSEpX4DEZ5wpMDBlVv-Shyphenhyphen6vP3riONTJi7ILcJaR4BSlMebXY9zSVNef43298_QbHfEqu4uhVgDK4oH7m7k4teAily9qaYKOPb-x_zszHWvEHLnWc5s/s1600/Fash+Rev.jpeg" /></a></div>
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Since the campaign launched in 2014 countless events and activities have occurred that are shaking up the fashion industry. Alongside the #WhoMadeMyClothes social media campaign have been clothes swaps, film screenings, clothing repair workshops, panel discussions, op shop tours and more. And the industry is taking note. There is increasing transparency from fashion brands worldwide, particularly at the final stage of production (this is the location that is noted on your clothing tag as the "Made In" country).<br />
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Look, as Fashion Revolution points out, the industry is far from transparent. In their first Transparency Index in 2017 the average level of transparency was 21% (<a href="https://www.fashionrevolution.org/about/transparency/" target="_blank"><b>see all the details and methodology on their website</b></a>). But in 2018 when they measured again, there had been a 5% improvement, which is fantastic.<br />
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Similarly, the <a href="https://baptistworldaid.org.au/resources/2019-ethical-fashion-report/" target="_blank"><b>Ethical Fashion Report</b></a> by Baptist World Aid has demonstrated some movement in the industry. While there is vast room for improvement, as <a href="https://peppermintmag.com/2019-ethical-fashion-report/" target="_blank"><b>this article by </b></a><i><a href="https://peppermintmag.com/2019-ethical-fashion-report/" target="_blank"><b>Peppermint</b></a> </i>highlights, the pressure put on fashion brands by consumers and the media is having a positive impact.<br />
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But this progress will only continue if we continue to agitate. We can't stop asking #WhoMadeMyClothes? We can't stop thinking about our clothing consumption choices, and wondering why we are buying what we buy. We can't become complacent about what materials are used in our clothing, or under what conditions they are created. As I mentioned to my students last week, changing this industry is like turning a giant boat - progress may feel slow, but continued effort is genuinely having an impact, so we have to keep pushing.<br />
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<a href="https://www.fashionrevolution.org/about/get-involved/" target="_blank">So what can you do?</a></h3>
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<li>Engage with brands on social media by taking a photo of your clothing, tag the brands you are wearing and ask them "#WhoMadeMyClothes?</li>
<li>Write a letter to a brand asking them about production, and what changes they are making for worker safety & pay, as well as environmental improvements.</li>
<li>Write to a policy maker asking for stronger support of ethical fashion production.</li>
<li>Write a love story to one of your pieces of clothing and share it online.</li>
<li>Participate in a #haulternative by swapping, op shopping or repairing your clothing. </li>
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There are tips and tools for all of the above on the <a href="https://www.fashionrevolution.org/about/get-involved/" target="_blank"><b>Fashion Revolution website</b></a>.<br />
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If you are local in Australia (or New Zealand!) check out all the events happening in our region on the local <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pg/FashionRevolutionDay/events/" target="_blank"><b>Facebook Page</b></a>.<br />
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I'll be participating at a panel on the 4th of May called <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/335374817003999/" target="_blank"><b>"Rethink your wardrobe" </b></a>(a bit after Fash Rev week, but let's keep this Revolution going, right?!) at Petersham Town Hall - looks like quite a line up and will be a fabulous swap!<br />
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What are you going to do for Fashion Revolution Week?<br />
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xxLisa</div>
Lisa Heinzehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15549340948793105392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1708881323942683536.post-68631332191593341232019-04-11T20:46:00.001+10:002019-04-11T20:46:40.623+10:00progress<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Instead of bringing you Part Two of<b><a href="http://www.lisaheinze.com/2019/03/environmental-melancholia-part-one.html" target="_blank"> Environmental Melancholia</a> </b>today I decided to share a quick story of sustainable fashion progress instead.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8DB3CQA2O_HKbacKzyteNavpTuHCcsAsQn0n_7Q0cabAQTA8NiiN73gAWMh0Lal_ZXhblvmdKWa-fi_rtsPddxq7LJiCbQ1LIdmPPGz0Nh89r6Z0w8H4D3ZyulCG1m49BVXvT8fk9mMRM/s1600/erwan-hesry-739762-unsplash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8DB3CQA2O_HKbacKzyteNavpTuHCcsAsQn0n_7Q0cabAQTA8NiiN73gAWMh0Lal_ZXhblvmdKWa-fi_rtsPddxq7LJiCbQ1LIdmPPGz0Nh89r6Z0w8H4D3ZyulCG1m49BVXvT8fk9mMRM/s400/erwan-hesry-739762-unsplash.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: whitesmoke; color: #111111; font-family: , , "san francisco" , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "ubuntu" , "roboto" , "noto" , "segoe ui" , "arial" , sans-serif; white-space: nowrap;">Photo by </span><a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/WPTHZkA-M4I?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText" style="-webkit-transition: color 0.2s ease-in-out 0s, opacity 0.2s ease-in-out 0s; background-color: whitesmoke; box-sizing: border-box; color: #999999; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, 'San Francisco', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, 'Segoe UI', Arial, sans-serif; orphans: 2; text-align: start; transition: color 0.2s ease-in-out 0s, opacity 0.2s ease-in-out 0s; white-space: nowrap; widows: 2;">Erwan Hesry</a><span style="background-color: whitesmoke; color: #111111; font-family: , , "san francisco" , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "ubuntu" , "roboto" , "noto" , "segoe ui" , "arial" , sans-serif; white-space: nowrap;"> on </span><a href="https://unsplash.com/search/photos/firework?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText" style="-webkit-transition: color 0.2s ease-in-out 0s, opacity 0.2s ease-in-out 0s; background-color: whitesmoke; box-sizing: border-box; color: #999999; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, 'San Francisco', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, 'Segoe UI', Arial, sans-serif; orphans: 2; text-align: start; transition: color 0.2s ease-in-out 0s, opacity 0.2s ease-in-out 0s; white-space: nowrap; widows: 2;">Unsplash</a></span></td></tr>
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I was at the hairdresser last week getting a delicious hair treatment (don't worry, the salon is accredited with <b><a href="http://sustainablesalons.org/" target="_blank">Sustainable Salons</a></b>), and while relaxing in the shampoo chair I overhead another salon patron talking about her current craft project. Sitting on her lap was a a bag bursting with strips of cloth that she was braiding into long ropes. She proceeded to explain to her stylist that she was meeting up with friends later to sew them into baskets.<br />
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I was already pleased to hear about her project, as I was reminded of my own (now defunct) secondhand denim rug project. Then my sustainable fashion activist heart leapt when I heard what she said next:<br />
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We're trying to make something useful with these old clothes. You know, there is <b><i>so much</i></b> clothing waste because of fast fashion.</blockquote>
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You can't make this stuff up!<br />
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Okay, I know it's not like the entire salon was sitting there upcycling used clothing. But compared to when I started working in this space, to hear a stranger start talking about clothing waste and fast fashion in this way felt revolutionary. And when coupled with the information my students at the University of Sydney already know about the perils of fast fashion, I can feel the tide is turning.<br />
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Do we have more work to do?<br />
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Absolutely.<br />
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But I will forever believe in the power of celebrating these wins - we can push for more progress tomorrow.<br />
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Where are you overhearing people talk about fashion and sustainability?<br />
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xxLisa</div>
Lisa Heinzehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15549340948793105392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1708881323942683536.post-73951863960324794182019-03-29T17:24:00.001+11:002019-03-29T17:24:42.941+11:00environmental melancholia: part one<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I'm taking a serious turn in this blog post to talk about the grief, anxiety and apathy that can accompany environmentalism. It can come about from working in the area or as a result of hearing endless news reports about the climate, drought, rising sea levels, deforestation, you name it. It is sometimes referred to as ecological grief or environmental melancholia.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTBALHQ7idraYXHgSlE25cI7KmnDnWwCLdSqebxqSbFlYLNSieGCqJj-pdHO4aDMuf8R-pNlI4Kp4IuuE3zA_Ssti7c39pm2pQb9DXjX-0z-oLIo6zkk8y11SZE9hwGi755Tk13m9_Cvol/s1600/Screen+Shot+2019-03-29+at+5.19.11+pm.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="598" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTBALHQ7idraYXHgSlE25cI7KmnDnWwCLdSqebxqSbFlYLNSieGCqJj-pdHO4aDMuf8R-pNlI4Kp4IuuE3zA_Ssti7c39pm2pQb9DXjX-0z-oLIo6zkk8y11SZE9hwGi755Tk13m9_Cvol/s400/Screen+Shot+2019-03-29+at+5.19.11+pm.png" width="397" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Good times at the beach?</td></tr>
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This post has been on my mind for awhile, and though I'm sure I won't communicate everything I want to about it, I figured I may as well just dive in and get the conversation moving.<br />
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For example, I started writing a post in January (and because of working-motherhood never returned to), and it included the following:<br />
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As I've awakened on another steamy Sydney morning, during this summer of <b><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/jan/16/australia-weather-record-breaking-heatwave-enters-third-day-as-temperatures-soar" target="_blank">record-breaking heatwaves</a></b>, I find myself thinking about the future. As a climate activist it's hard not to make the connection between these extreme weather events and our changing climate. Not to sound too apocalyptic or anything, but the early stages that climate experts have been warning about for decades are starting to occur. </blockquote>
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<b><a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-46859000" target="_blank">One-third of Australia's flying fox population died</a></b> in a two-day heatwave last November. In addition there has been the <b><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/jan/24/murray-darling-fish-kill-extreme-weather-and-low-river-flow-led-to-drop-in-oxygen-levels" target="_blank">mass death of hundreds of thousands of fish</a></b> in the Darling River due to extreme heat and low river flow, and <b><a href="https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/j57qdy/australias-extreme-heatwaves-have-killed-a-million-fish-dozens-of-horses" target="_blank">over 100 wild horses perished</a></b> in extreme South Australian heat this past week. This is what biodiversity loss as a result of climate change looks like. I'm not going to sugar coat it, it is bleak.</blockquote>
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Uplifting stuff, right?<br />
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Ugh.<br />
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I've also started working on a new project with the <b><a href="http://sydney.edu.au/environment-institute/" target="_blank">Sydney Environment Institute</a></b> and speaking with a number of sustainability researchers from all faculties on campus. Normally talking to brilliant minds who are furiously working on climate and environmental issues energises me. But every now and then I realise, some of these people have been working on this stuff <b><i>for decades.</i> </b>And we are still in a global political stalemate over concrete and revolutionary action (and it's only revolutionary because we have waited for decades to extricate our lifestyles from fossil fuels after learning of their impact - don't even get me started on <i>that </i>issue).<br />
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Oh yeah, the latest <b><a href="https://www.ipcc.ch/2018/10/08/summary-for-policymakers-of-ipcc-special-report-on-global-warming-of-1-5c-approved-by-governments/" target="_blank">UN IPCC report</a></b> was a real doozy, too. Did you miss it? The key takeaway is that we need to enact swift and immediate action to avoid catastrophe. We will reach a world of 1.5 degrees warming in 12 years (we've already reached 1 degree), at which point several hundred million human lives are at stake. I've taken the following from <b><a href="https://grist.org/article/scientists-calmly-explain-that-civilization-is-at-stake-if-we-dont-act-now/" target="_blank">Grist</a></b>:<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #09222b; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, "Droid Serif", Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 16px;">We only have a decade left to </span><em style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #09222b; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, "Droid Serif", Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: inherit;">finish</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #09222b; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, "Droid Serif", Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 16px;"> our initial coordinated retooling of society to tackle this challenge. The scientists were quite clear about this. By 2030, we’ll need to have already cut global emissions in half (45 percent below 2010 levels, according to the report), which (again, according to the IPCC) would require “rapid and far-reaching transitions” in “all aspects of society.”</span></blockquote>
The language in this report is markedly more urgent than anything they've published before, which should highlight the gravity of the issues.<br />
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And then last night I was playing with my son at the beach, and as he was being adorable, crawling about on the sand, exploring the seashore, he made his way to give me something - a little styrofoam ball. How depressing. Is it human nature to clean up the planet? Or, more likely, he's watched his dad and I religiously <b><a href="https://www.take3.org/" target="_blank">take 3 (or 12) for the sea</a></b> every time we are at the beach. This is something I wish I didn't <i>have </i>to teach my son, to clean up polluting litter from the beach and oceans. Let alone what's to come as the climate continues to change throughout his life (I must blog another time about the decision to procreate in a time of climate crisis).<br />
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So there you have it. Some of the causes of my current state of environmental melancholia. I have started reading a book <b><a href="https://reneelertzman.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/A-Review-of-Environmental-Melancholia.pdf" target="_blank">of that same title</a></b> by the very clever psychologist Renee Lertzman, and will give you a mini book review in the next post. I'll also share insights from other experts in the area, in case you have also experienced similar feelings of grief or anxiety.<br />
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As environmentalists or activists or simply humans living in this changing world, it is important to look after ourselves, acknowledge our emotions, and learn how to help each other move forward, don't you think?<br />
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More soon,<br />
xLisa</div>
Lisa Heinzehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15549340948793105392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1708881323942683536.post-88933921635280944562018-10-11T10:44:00.000+11:002018-10-11T10:44:10.972+11:00eco nursery style<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , , "segoe ui" , "roboto" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">It’s official - my baby’s bed is better than mine...</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD1NDJqZbeiW24HPFH4VThzF6EzPv7OzJ_PrxgpkJkSy679e8N6ZeHWGzqc242u1wNI7dOqjOJZk4sNxu-v8k9rUW1EDASYKElrXzgxpmBskTT4_D_BjN7ftV6HJR2wjUrw_PDYabvuwya/s1600/IMG_3159.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD1NDJqZbeiW24HPFH4VThzF6EzPv7OzJ_PrxgpkJkSy679e8N6ZeHWGzqc242u1wNI7dOqjOJZk4sNxu-v8k9rUW1EDASYKElrXzgxpmBskTT4_D_BjN7ftV6HJR2wjUrw_PDYabvuwya/s400/IMG_3159.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , , "segoe ui" , "roboto" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">My favourite part is his lovingly handmade quilt, created by his great Aunt in Indiana. It’s just gorgeous - thank you Sharon!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , , "segoe ui" , "roboto" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Coming in a close second is his luxurious cot sheet set. Yes that’s right, luxurious. We were gifted a set of <b><a href="https://www.elkieark.com/" target="_blank">Elkie & Ark</a></b> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: , , "segoe ui" , "roboto" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Fairtrade and organic cotton sheets, they are seriously silky smooth, and I will be buying myself a grown up set soon. See the following photos to see them without the quilt (though not too close up as they are slightly wrinkled from the laundry - busy Mama, not gonna iron sheets for an Instagram post 😂).</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh34nz-gVg8Exo-xTIfSuyEmA7kTWpd2X9w8C_RFLt8L_0UZs5P1ETVsG6yySMFSQsa_J6M6j8HiV6qFpEVXCxxxORUHcd4t0u67moANAclySHh_JaMMQXP-n9jl1eF2MFJCnj0rukRd0N5/s1600/IMG_3160.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh34nz-gVg8Exo-xTIfSuyEmA7kTWpd2X9w8C_RFLt8L_0UZs5P1ETVsG6yySMFSQsa_J6M6j8HiV6qFpEVXCxxxORUHcd4t0u67moANAclySHh_JaMMQXP-n9jl1eF2MFJCnj0rukRd0N5/s400/IMG_3160.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , , "segoe ui" , "roboto" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Of course he has a little lovey in his bed, also made with organic Fairtrade cotton, <b><a href="https://kippins.co/" target="_blank">Kippins </a></b></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: , , "segoe ui" , "roboto" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">bunny named River - he was a lifesaver when we moved him into his own room a couple months ago!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , , "segoe ui" , "roboto" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Hidden from view is a wool mattress protector and a 100% natural latex mattress - both purchased from <b><a href="https://www.naturebaby.com.au/" target="_blank">Nature Baby</a></b>.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , , "segoe ui" , "roboto" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">And you can see the top of his <b><a href="https://oeufnyc.com/" target="_blank">Oeuf </a></b></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: , , "segoe ui" , "roboto" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">cot, which will transform into a toddler bed, that I found secondhand from <b><a href="https://www.gumtree.com.au/" target="_blank">Gumtree</a></b>.</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: , , "segoe ui" , "roboto" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"> So great to be able to find sustainable wood products secondhand.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwMg-O6LscJuRnuGZSOQ-QADuRwuEz7f5Ma_m5UwMsITAX5BPg4xtCp_AuHl3GvFk3V-eo4Gtbse-UqJkARDS03dPjtY117_4e9HpvusDcyXxP5jTVAFW9ihkz3PnR8JDKbvyAaXsF5Iwf/s1600/IMG_3158.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwMg-O6LscJuRnuGZSOQ-QADuRwuEz7f5Ma_m5UwMsITAX5BPg4xtCp_AuHl3GvFk3V-eo4Gtbse-UqJkARDS03dPjtY117_4e9HpvusDcyXxP5jTVAFW9ihkz3PnR8JDKbvyAaXsF5Iwf/s400/IMG_3158.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , , "segoe ui" , "roboto" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">I created the artwork on the walls, and framed them in frames made of reclaimed timber from <b><a href="https://www.mulbury.com.au/" target="_blank">Mulbury</a></b></span>.</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , , "segoe ui" , "roboto" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Oh yeah- and the paint on the walls is <b><a href="http://www.bioproducts.com.au/" target="_blank">Bio Natural Paints</a></b></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: , , "segoe ui" , "roboto" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"> that I bought from <b><a href="https://www.ecoathome.com.au/" target="_blank">Eco at Home</a></b> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: , , "segoe ui" , "roboto" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">last year - the walls used to be a bright yellow - yikes! It’s now a soothing grey. I was so happy to be able to create exactly the colour I wanted from a natural, VOC-free paint, thanks to the colour-mixing experts at Eco at Home.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , , "segoe ui" , "roboto" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">I did the best I could to create a sustainable nursery, this is just a snapshot from one corner. </span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">I’ll show you another corner another day, this nap time is almost over and I'll be chasing my little explorer all over the place before I know it!</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">Have a fabulous day!</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">xxLisa</span></span></div>
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Lisa Heinzehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15549340948793105392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1708881323942683536.post-67035804490412718682018-08-23T22:10:00.002+10:002018-08-23T22:10:55.247+10:00sustainable fashion baby<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="orphans: 2; widows: 2;">I love dressing my baby everyday (surprise, surprise). I'd change his outfit multiple times a day if he didn't scream bloody murder every time I pulled sleeves on or off him (it's been a looonnnng winter, folks). And I'm happy to say that I have found it super easy to dress him sustainably - much easier than I find dressing myself, even. </span><br />
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Since I've decided not to show his crazy adorable face on public websites or social media outlets I haven't been posting photos of his looks as often as I'd like, but then I realised, I can just use the magic of cropping to chop that cute mug out of the photos (baby brain is real...). So here are a few photos, but more importantly, my tips on dressing the crazy adorable little ones in your life.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Love pre-loved</b></span></div>
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This is by far the best and easiest way to dress a baby sustainably. Before my little guy was born I was gifted four huge bags of gender neutral baby clothes from a friend whose two little ones had outgrown them. Once he was here, a couple other friends gifted me their sons' clothing. These bundles, in particular the large number of basic singlets, onesies and tees, were by and far the best gift I could have received. THANK YOU dear friends, you know who you are.</div>
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I've also topped up his secondhand stash with some fabulous purchases from:</div>
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<ul>
<li><b><a href="https://www.ebay.com.au/" target="_blank">eBay</a></b> - including a few "bundles" and specific searches for a winter coat and pants</li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.mykidsmarketnsw.com.au/" target="_blank">My Kids Market NSW</a></b> - I have been twice now and picked up quality pre-loved clothing for a bargain, but you can also find prams, furniture, car seats and lots of toys</li>
<li><b>Op Shops</b> - though I admit I haven't found much in the local Op Shops, they seem to be filled with girls' clothes</li>
<li><b>Clothes Swaps</b> - there are plenty of kids clothing swaps popping up, there have been two in my general neighbourhood over the past month alone!</li>
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Because babies grow so quickly, you are likely to find near-new (and often never worn!) clothing in these places, so keep your eye out for the great bargains to be had, and avoid buying new from the shops as much as possible.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4pgr1IzUDbBhm-3wRy-5XSQpLrSsx9jos8_CYMbAIM4oseiQvZbFFF_tITT-3TKr65v1wW2oxgLu4zcBgYcfz_JWs6Euj7SRau_z6wGS0q-CAyoYPhVNYIvSDxIsWitC1EjQ1iUe7kM07/s1600/IMG_1237+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4pgr1IzUDbBhm-3wRy-5XSQpLrSsx9jos8_CYMbAIM4oseiQvZbFFF_tITT-3TKr65v1wW2oxgLu4zcBgYcfz_JWs6Euj7SRau_z6wGS0q-CAyoYPhVNYIvSDxIsWitC1EjQ1iUe7kM07/s400/IMG_1237+2.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Both of us in our secondhand fashion enjoying a winter day at the beach.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Score from the My Mids NSW markets!</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ2WEy8mXNoFWigkTZEPylBwmIXBm_Bt5OP15diKUpBDKz0SEGXrN-zbXBCIisloxSM0RU6-uqEMKXeM02zaU1elGLDnld1xzfy03cbBJYyx7UeBHTPwP-U78mK5XBYhye5MCJbl2-OmEQ/s1600/IMG_0844.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1314" data-original-width="1600" height="327" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ2WEy8mXNoFWigkTZEPylBwmIXBm_Bt5OP15diKUpBDKz0SEGXrN-zbXBCIisloxSM0RU6-uqEMKXeM02zaU1elGLDnld1xzfy03cbBJYyx7UeBHTPwP-U78mK5XBYhye5MCJbl2-OmEQ/s400/IMG_0844.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Sweet Nature Baby cardi with secondhand tops and pants</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwXf6haT1eXUKWGcDxhfxGfz5DzOtELJFGK6GNMDVPgneOyWaF2AgJ_ALWpt_98cli8PHDVB1XMnsEz-g2q19rCrCW1iaPwX-VEOY7xVwGad1cpm3NHoOL0V9rIfNWC7Cn3rSt1yDBqXf6/s1600/IMG_0900+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1557" data-original-width="1600" height="388" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwXf6haT1eXUKWGcDxhfxGfz5DzOtELJFGK6GNMDVPgneOyWaF2AgJ_ALWpt_98cli8PHDVB1XMnsEz-g2q19rCrCW1iaPwX-VEOY7xVwGad1cpm3NHoOL0V9rIfNWC7Cn3rSt1yDBqXf6/s400/IMG_0900+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Clothes from an eBay Baby Boy Bundle</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8ZVVx9643HsokkmQjaA_PE6MNDLquAcYE_hOCWCJSqnxw4Us2aWJ3ExCMOkrxj27EIBhQc8IziWOqIbjGQGjxifJsCeu_n58qx8f9zmBL-YxTVHZ401IZFExh-2Zz8fIfWiAveQQoGTpB/s1600/IMG_1327+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8ZVVx9643HsokkmQjaA_PE6MNDLquAcYE_hOCWCJSqnxw4Us2aWJ3ExCMOkrxj27EIBhQc8IziWOqIbjGQGjxifJsCeu_n58qx8f9zmBL-YxTVHZ401IZFExh-2Zz8fIfWiAveQQoGTpB/s400/IMG_1327+2.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Chats with his Kenana Down Under fair trade bear<br />in his secondhand clothes<br />(on a preloved playmat with a preloved ball)</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Made with Love</b></span></div>
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If you're as lucky as I am, you will receive some items that were lovingly handcrafted. Many of my son's socks were made by his grandma, my mother-in-law, as well as some jumpers and overalls. A neighbour's mother also knit him a gorgeous cardigan, and used naturally dyed yarn and coconut shell buttons because she knew my passion for sustainable fashion. These are all treasured heirlooms and I'm so happy to be able to include these in his wardrobe.</div>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvKHYK-lHw86uRFqc7MLDaezmNKxBqMaC8yWb6Qvvkd3nxhFekOovfwzo5ti1N-5YBzRIUnBQ6E2s7Pw953MR1-fkBKOS14SfSFbPs4LTWtBxnnaaNA-dUkLyJNjlgssSFmzqSahaZBoMG/s1600/IMG_1042.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1283" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvKHYK-lHw86uRFqc7MLDaezmNKxBqMaC8yWb6Qvvkd3nxhFekOovfwzo5ti1N-5YBzRIUnBQ6E2s7Pw953MR1-fkBKOS14SfSFbPs4LTWtBxnnaaNA-dUkLyJNjlgssSFmzqSahaZBoMG/s400/IMG_1042.JPEG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Created with Love by his Lolly! (aka, grandma)</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNPoxCcHX9bb8K40o4vwuF179duiU2lJggg9ZPWrhKZul_qZmCcbxccrafct1VBlq0D8YhQcgWyLLWN5b7sKjSp9yfmPBnEr3CvHPeG7d0EPwkjnzxFu0-b6VsgYoxW4BL-AgyiSOqMtaX/s1600/IMG_1785.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1385" data-original-width="1600" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNPoxCcHX9bb8K40o4vwuF179duiU2lJggg9ZPWrhKZul_qZmCcbxccrafct1VBlq0D8YhQcgWyLLWN5b7sKjSp9yfmPBnEr3CvHPeG7d0EPwkjnzxFu0-b6VsgYoxW4BL-AgyiSOqMtaX/s320/IMG_1785.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Preloved bib, top and pants with hand made booties<br />(they are little elephants - thanks Lolly!) and preloved toys on<br />his organic cotton playmat, found on Etsy</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPIhEga_foC8t5HFF4aF78KcPWejRBqYPzMzfD0Op3ygz5lzqpjZ2q5qck982il5JG6kYFHqGSUiM8pqLRu5mQyM_9MCc31ZzM7JkgncXC2rHHiwJu3QlYWHlqdTg2ICrl5FWynKP5m_tn/s1600/IMG_0824.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1586" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPIhEga_foC8t5HFF4aF78KcPWejRBqYPzMzfD0Op3ygz5lzqpjZ2q5qck982il5JG6kYFHqGSUiM8pqLRu5mQyM_9MCc31ZzM7JkgncXC2rHHiwJu3QlYWHlqdTg2ICrl5FWynKP5m_tn/s320/IMG_0824.jpg" width="317" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">This sweet cardigan was made by our neighbour's mother<br />(and is paired with all secondhand clothes).</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Sustainable labels & shops</b></span></div>
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Thank goodness for internet search engines, because this is how I've found some truly beautiful baby clothing made of organic cotton, wool and natural dyes. Some of my favourite labels so far include:</div>
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<li><b><a href="https://www.asterandoak.com.au/" target="_blank">Aster & Oak</a></b> - local Australian label creating funky baby clothes from organic cotton</li>
<li><b><a href="https://carlieballard.com/collections/baby" target="_blank">Carlie Ballard</a></b> - that's right, our favourite ikat designer has baby wear, including nappy covers, harem pants, and gorgeous dresses made of the same beautiful, handwoven fabrics</li>
<li><b><a href="https://au.saplingchild.com/" target="_blank">Sapling</a></b> - the first piece of baby clothing I bought was from Sapling, just divine little pieces</li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.finnandemma.com/" target="_blank">Finn & Emma</a></b> - this is a US-based label and I received a number of lovely gifts from friends and family from this heavenly label</li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.neverworkingmondays.com/" target="_blank">Never Working Mondays</a></b> - adorable (and cool!) swim nappies/swimsuits made from wetsuit/rash guard offcuts</li>
<li><b><a href="http://store.toshi.com.au/organic/" target="_blank">Toshi Organic</a></b> - Toshi are well known in my mother's group for their hats, but did you know they have an organic range? Hats, cardigans, mittens, booties, blankets and overalls, too, in luxurious organic cotton</li>
<li><b><a href="https://weaveandwing.com.au/collections/frontpage" target="_blank">Weave & Wing</a></b> - created the cutest overalls out of soft cotton, made to last a long time and produced ethically in small batches</li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.ergopouch.com.au/" target="_blank">Ergopouch</a></b> - a fabulous label that makes pyjamas, sleepsuits and sleeping bags with organic cotton</li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.target.com.au/c/baby/babywear/baby-organic-cotton/W1075332" target="_blank">Target</a></b> - a woman from my mother's group let me in on the secret of Target selling affordable organic cotton baby clothes - yes, Target!</li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.burtsbeesbaby.com/" target="_blank">Burts Bees Baby</a></b> - another one from the US, my mother has bought some delightful pieces from Burts Bees, pioneers in low-tox living</li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.naturebaby.com.au/" target="_blank">Nature Baby</a></b> - this online store has fantastic organic cotton clothing as well as a range of other eco-friendly and non-toxic goodies for mums and bubs (plus a gift registry!)</li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.ecochild.com.au/" target="_blank">Eco Child</a></b> - another delightful online shop with a fantastic collection of clothes, toys and more</li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.etsy.com/au/shop/BelleBirdyDesign" target="_blank">Etsy</a></b> - it's always great to support handmade pieces, and I found a fantastic beanie from <b><a href="https://www.etsy.com/au/shop/BelleBirdyDesign" target="_blank">Belle Birdy Design</a></b> on Etsy, which allowed me to choose the yarn colour and bobble colour to get my little one a unique winter head piece (I love it so much that when we lost it on holiday I ordered another one to be made exactly as before!)</li>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaHxasPIWY74UdisXuC37j8ubyCT7rpc8qvt61UVD5MkTBn63hc0-j8KM0DuUB3iQ7WRVsPn0dlonNLgyrH9ygrw_p73vGZu9myLTuBxPPG7MtrT3GMR-77b7SRtpv0WMMRUN8kBVk-YKg/s1600/IMG_1256+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1593" data-original-width="1600" height="397" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaHxasPIWY74UdisXuC37j8ubyCT7rpc8qvt61UVD5MkTBn63hc0-j8KM0DuUB3iQ7WRVsPn0dlonNLgyrH9ygrw_p73vGZu9myLTuBxPPG7MtrT3GMR-77b7SRtpv0WMMRUN8kBVk-YKg/s400/IMG_1256+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Aster & Oak onesie, and bright organic cotton bib from eBay</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixkoS5FmldP_4nzCMdn4COyv_AyaPPr6MF5tTDKL-m2pUi8_BpYGSCgPw9_6Nb__O2nfE3fn4ho3ttjHbNZ-lUAs-EJ56BfBHnMYZYD9CrpjfDHrDAD8VBqQ-rSq4Oy4RPAcVBCKgBPFpx/s1600/IMG_2064.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1355" data-original-width="1600" height="338" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixkoS5FmldP_4nzCMdn4COyv_AyaPPr6MF5tTDKL-m2pUi8_BpYGSCgPw9_6Nb__O2nfE3fn4ho3ttjHbNZ-lUAs-EJ56BfBHnMYZYD9CrpjfDHrDAD8VBqQ-rSq4Oy4RPAcVBCKgBPFpx/s400/IMG_2064.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Carlie Ballard pants with Target shirt</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2WrF18BREWqrQblQc8t049IwSrwVwljXy883lcKGNPfj8MG0mKSINTBo2JWasMSTRCgepP_g3bH1UV39u2cZ43sXA3Ie9mjjG95ulSbjAcnrwDFZFt2A91cQ3rVzc0auqk5IyzAn1OdJv/s1600/IMG_1887.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2WrF18BREWqrQblQc8t049IwSrwVwljXy883lcKGNPfj8MG0mKSINTBo2JWasMSTRCgepP_g3bH1UV39u2cZ43sXA3Ie9mjjG95ulSbjAcnrwDFZFt2A91cQ3rVzc0auqk5IyzAn1OdJv/s400/IMG_1887.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Weave & Wing overalls</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUordaT9bCz2fTTVQ4Bm39QelmGblyAugNrBCP3D-sxTAg8FTRAFMHDuH1EeQtQqbADSAVvgxMm_Pw0G661MO00lK3YVGd7BqSAUqKnUA_r2-aUNCo5FlDKLaeIklJBd2h1JjoTcPRUtfB/s1600/IMG_1734.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1390" data-original-width="1600" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUordaT9bCz2fTTVQ4Bm39QelmGblyAugNrBCP3D-sxTAg8FTRAFMHDuH1EeQtQqbADSAVvgxMm_Pw0G661MO00lK3YVGd7BqSAUqKnUA_r2-aUNCo5FlDKLaeIklJBd2h1JjoTcPRUtfB/s320/IMG_1734.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Ergopouch PJs</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfkTZsBRRyiQIw2mRBgvtlKl2feRUPV58Bzgu4aAuvmk7YsxjAkIwVNRpd9eZqHM0a3kAX8sh8BnVxBP2AqGg2v2kKOIA1E1WpMOuMz_WedqTxcomwDr-ToOTHWXNFYfj_QZ1bk2-__hAf/s1600/IMG_0962+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1203" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfkTZsBRRyiQIw2mRBgvtlKl2feRUPV58Bzgu4aAuvmk7YsxjAkIwVNRpd9eZqHM0a3kAX8sh8BnVxBP2AqGg2v2kKOIA1E1WpMOuMz_WedqTxcomwDr-ToOTHWXNFYfj_QZ1bk2-__hAf/s400/IMG_0962+2.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In his Belle Birdy Designs hat (the original, haha)</td></tr>
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<div style="orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
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<div style="orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Ask the questions</span></div>
<div style="orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
I know it's not always possible to buy from a sustainable clothing label or find what you need secondhand - especially when you're adjusting to new parenthood! (And I suspect even when you've been a parent for a few years, I'm quickly learning that time disappears with this little creatures in your life). So if you need to buy something and can't find it secondhand or via a speciality eco-label, keep these questions in mind:</div>
<div style="orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<ul>
<li><b>How will it wear?</b> As in, is it made of good quality fabrics and stitched well? You don't need to be an expert to look at the seams, check for loose threads or feel for overly thin fabric. Although kids grow quickly, they are also messy little things and you want items that will wash and wear well.</li>
<li><b>Will Bubba wear this enough to make it worthwhile?</b> I know those adorable rompers with dragon spikes or bunny ears are super cute, and who doesn't love a baby in a suit vest and bow tie? But ask yourself how often you will dress your little one in any outfit before buying new. </li>
<li><b>Do the colours suit my little one?</b> Yes, even babies have certain colours that look better on them based on their skin tone and hair and eye colour. Make sure the colours bring out the best in your little one, or put it back on the rack.</li>
<li><b>What is the material, and who made this garment?</b> Check out the tags to see what fabrics are used - with children's clothing it is often cotton, but there are some poly-blends out there you may wish to avoid (to steer clear of those pesky microfibres). See what information you can find online about the working conditions of who made the clothing, and if you don't see any information, email or social media message the brand to ask them for the details. It's your right to know what you are buying.</li>
</ul>
</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Have fun!</span></div>
<div style="orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
The old adage is true, kids grow up fast, so enjoy this time when you still have some element of control in what they wear (before identity and peer pressure start to take over!), and who knows, you may even instil some ethical consumption habits into them from an early age.</div>
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Do you have any questions or brands you'd like me to follow up on? Leave a comment here or message me on any of my social media accounts and I'll get back to you. Or, do you have any suggestions for great sustainable kids labels or other secondhand shops to share?</div>
<div style="orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<br /></div>
<div style="orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
xLisa</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: large;">PS</span> A follow up to the the cloth nappy conundrum: </div>
<div style="orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
We have continued our subscription with Lavenderia for the time being, and are very happy with this decision. Overnight we use a disposable nappy (Tooshies) to avoid leaks and nappy rash.</div>
<div style="orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<br /></div>
<div style="orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
We have also started slowly toilet training our baby using elimination communication. We have a teeny tiny eco baby loo and have had great success with his poos (yay!). The idea is to learn your baby's cues about when they need to go to the bathroom - poos are easier to tell than wees - and simply take them to the toilet and use sounds to encourage them to go. We are going on 7 days straight of all poos in the toilet, and about two wees per day in the toilet. There are some great resources at <b><a href="http://ecobabyloo.com/" target="_blank">Nurturer's Care </a></b>if you want to learn more or buy an eco baby loo (this is the one we have!). I have friends who had great sucess with this method and I hope to report back the same next year!</div>
</div>
Lisa Heinzehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15549340948793105392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1708881323942683536.post-73864096795654445962018-06-02T13:31:00.001+10:002018-06-02T13:31:12.959+10:00adventures in baby wholefoods<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I simply cannot believe my little one is 5 months old - where has the time gone?! (Utters every parent around the globe...)<br />
<br />
I've been very lucky that breastfeeding has gone so well and my little guy has packed on the pounds quite well, and quite quickly. But lately he's been showing signs that he may be ready for more variety in his diet, so today he had first taste of food. Exciting!<br />
<br />
So I turned to this book, "Wholefood for Children," which a friend gave me a couple of months ago. I have a feeling this book will be a treasured resource for years to come.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXjBjblwePKAt-AlZ0mhdPV8RtUS71TK5a905FnUhVhyphenhyphen0FHvnbbI0u_IEjEo3_Kx6AHceuOjC1F7eTnYly_O34yLKVddr7jhz3mp72Yqdh9M-TAs5gxyDLEsMiD0oKZbR6wM1933-h2hdH/s1600/IMG_0815.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXjBjblwePKAt-AlZ0mhdPV8RtUS71TK5a905FnUhVhyphenhyphen0FHvnbbI0u_IEjEo3_Kx6AHceuOjC1F7eTnYly_O34yLKVddr7jhz3mp72Yqdh9M-TAs5gxyDLEsMiD0oKZbR6wM1933-h2hdH/s400/IMG_0815.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
It has a chapter on first foods and gives great insights into the importance of cooking as much of the baby's food as possible, the types of foods to start feeding to baby, why we should use the oven or steamer as opposed to the microwave, and includes many recipes to keep things interesting as well as healthy for the bub. The book also suggests some of the best nutrient-dense first foods are egg yolk, liver and lamb's brains (!). I love that throughout this chapter are ideas for how to make food for baby out of what you are cooking for yourself so you don't have to double up on cooking.<br />
<br />
As the book (and the Early Childhood Centre) suggest, my son's first food was a root vegetable. I decided to start with sweet potato because, hello, sweet potatoes are amazing. But assuming he continues to enjoy his first veggies I'll work some egg yolk into the veggies soon.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh245DJw2wQXnIcA-cAGGPubVFCMy6h1tmXZZx0hUXfQEI8nRZW6JcEy32yPhelmA-ZsaDu06Ye0SiDBM3ufKwbT391X2lFBhiOdC7tca_naFc1N6IO2EEEt5e6Piw5itDp_OFdPVxaEb4e/s1600/IMG_0808.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh245DJw2wQXnIcA-cAGGPubVFCMy6h1tmXZZx0hUXfQEI8nRZW6JcEy32yPhelmA-ZsaDu06Ye0SiDBM3ufKwbT391X2lFBhiOdC7tca_naFc1N6IO2EEEt5e6Piw5itDp_OFdPVxaEb4e/s400/IMG_0808.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Picking up sweet potato from the <b><a href="http://manlyfoodcoop.org/" target="_blank">Manly Food Co-op</a>.</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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The author also suggests enriching the foods with ghee or coconut oil in order for the baby to better assimilate the vitamins and minerals. I opted for just a tiny amount of coconut oil so as not to worry about dairy for now.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHSHU_2sibT841v0ibST1J6HqUmUWoPSr5BswihInCXRkS4XfYu5kPQQ0gD99f4utZG5HdACofxMzidLY7VKA00ZORbafBwuyNdelkh-1dsQWcQLyX5fYBGEZxOupHv5ZMTxUTF9BoXLvd/s1600/IMG_0810.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHSHU_2sibT841v0ibST1J6HqUmUWoPSr5BswihInCXRkS4XfYu5kPQQ0gD99f4utZG5HdACofxMzidLY7VKA00ZORbafBwuyNdelkh-1dsQWcQLyX5fYBGEZxOupHv5ZMTxUTF9BoXLvd/s400/IMG_0810.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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I roasted a sweet potato rubbed with coconut oil (both from the <b><a href="http://manlyfoodcoop.org/" target="_blank">Manly Food Co-op</a></b>) in the oven until a fork went easily through it. After it was cooled I scooped the flesh into a small saucepan (and ate the delicious skins myself - yum!) and pureed with a drop of coconut oil and a bit of cooled boiled water using a stick blender.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeCUoX479mpDCssnuBMXWGsfS9JkP2sqLpqbF0IJvy4NkMABTj1sS3heUL7LcVCTlLb7DRzRndfZbvXmsj3MRPb-m1-gGFfN6FDxGSTYT1f6DXVxlM9_Q8ClM-NqEZtDFg_hSxMBaNNoXW/s1600/IMG_0814.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeCUoX479mpDCssnuBMXWGsfS9JkP2sqLpqbF0IJvy4NkMABTj1sS3heUL7LcVCTlLb7DRzRndfZbvXmsj3MRPb-m1-gGFfN6FDxGSTYT1f6DXVxlM9_Q8ClM-NqEZtDFg_hSxMBaNNoXW/s400/IMG_0814.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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By all accounts I'd call it a success. He certainly made the initial, "What is this?!" face of confusion-slash-disgust, but soon enough was grabbing for the spoon to chew on and lick himself.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjabca8PnWg_KmRW0IV31Hdw6-FeR2-EgqbfdhwKkfdkxnnjL4IcV5BssvnI-31tJePXiBo58aSvT1o4pm_0liPlfkDK9uQTpwR31jRUCpukrkzrnHbQ2FzgwtJitTVfU5mznSdNSrKX6xl/s1600/IMG_0816.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1218" data-original-width="1600" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjabca8PnWg_KmRW0IV31Hdw6-FeR2-EgqbfdhwKkfdkxnnjL4IcV5BssvnI-31tJePXiBo58aSvT1o4pm_0liPlfkDK9uQTpwR31jRUCpukrkzrnHbQ2FzgwtJitTVfU5mznSdNSrKX6xl/s400/IMG_0816.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The experience was as delightfully messy as you could imagine!<br />
Though you can't see it all that well, he is wearing a cardigan that was<br />
hand-knit by our neighbour's mother - so kind and gorgeous and warm!<br />
And his bib is a fabulous secondhand item from our dear friends. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Only time will tell if I continue to make all his meals - I quickly learned how full my days are caring for this little munchkin - but I certainly think this book will give me the necessary guidance and recipes as I get started.<br />
<br />
Does your little one have any favourite foods that I should try?<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGI1v2cpMnanjWipZqDn3wM5lpTEcZ9efNjJTtq4mBjVAiqitCXAwypdKrF4ga-SLrR3dEveFRi6KewjFpOsc3mXl-g9Wyx0J8RgxoTXjmp-ZcXJjdGUkB0m-rl_XCqiWvJa2iIec1w9YF/s1600/IMG_0823.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGI1v2cpMnanjWipZqDn3wM5lpTEcZ9efNjJTtq4mBjVAiqitCXAwypdKrF4ga-SLrR3dEveFRi6KewjFpOsc3mXl-g9Wyx0J8RgxoTXjmp-ZcXJjdGUkB0m-rl_XCqiWvJa2iIec1w9YF/s400/IMG_0823.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In my excitement I forgot to photograph this with the food in it - part of<br />
the adorable <b><a href="https://www.lovemae.com.au/" target="_blank">Love Mae</a></b> bamboo dining set that hubby bought when I was <br />
pregnant. I cannot believe we are already using it.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
xxLisa</div>
Lisa Heinzehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15549340948793105392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1708881323942683536.post-35729193157929903802018-04-13T14:59:00.000+10:002018-04-13T14:59:16.924+10:00cloth nappy conundrum<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Today's blog post is not so much a lesson on the ins and outs of cloth nappies, but a tale of my experience learning the ropes of a new eco-habit.<br />
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When I last wrote I had a big belly full of baby. I welcomed my beautiful son into the world on Boxing Day: as a colleague of mine so eloquently put it, life with a newborn is full and exhausting. Now that I have rounded the corner on my son's first three months of life I feel I can finally come up for air (from time to time, anyway).<br />
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Before I had my baby I assumed I'd use cloth nappies (that's diapers for my American readers!). Why in the world would I, a so-called sustainable living expert, even <i>consider</i> using disposables? A friend gave me her collection of cloth nappies so I didn't have to fork out the cash for new ones, and then my husband's colleagues gifted us a month of a cloth nappy service so we wouldn't have to deal with the laundry as we adjusted to life with a newborn. Too easy!<br />
<br />
Then baby arrived.<br />
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The adjustment to being a parent was larger than I ever could have imagined. Besides my own physical recovery (which was longer and harder than I realised it would be), and the all encompassing exhaustion in the earliest weeks, there was so much to do, learn and understand. When he first came home my son's meals needed to be supplemented by formula and I had to connect myself to a breast pump after each feeding to get my supply up. This meant lots of time washing and sterilising bottles and pump equipment on top of the feeding time itself, which was nearly an hour when he was brand new. Then an endless stream of questions and decisions arose: why is he crying? How is best to bathe him? How to dress him in the stinking hot Sydney summer? How can I help his reflux? Is it too hot to go for a walk? Is he overstimulated? Is he under stimulated? How can I help him sleep?! Etc, etc, etc.<br />
<br />
As it turns out I couldn't even fathom cloth nappies for the first couple weeks of his life. We have, however, used reusable cloth wipes his entire life - just small cotton or bamboo clothes and water, soak the used ones in a bucket of pre-soak, and wash a bundle once a week. They always come clean (somehow!) without bleach, and dry quickly on the line. Super easy.<br />
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Then we started using the gifted nappy service - <b><a href="http://www.lavenderia.com.au/" target="_blank">Lavenderia</a></b>. It's a cloth nappy system consisting of cloth inserts and a (mostly) waterproof outer cover. When my son was tiny, though, there were a number of leaks, even on the smallest sizing of the cover, and he got nappy rash quite quickly. After a few leaks that led to changing bassinet sheets at 2 in the morning and a persistent nappy rash, I told my hubby I needed a break until I at least felt more confident in other areas of being a mum. I was surprised that I gave up so quickly given my passion for the environment, but it seemed like one of the quickest changes to make my life as a new mum a bit easier (and I am one of the incredibly lucky ones who had a lot of support from my husband and relatives who visited from the US.).<br />
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So, fast forward to the 3 month stage, my beautiful boy has some seriously healthy (read: chubby) thighs so leaks should not be an issue, and so we started up with Lavenderia again. The kind owner of the business has been incredibly helpful at showing us how to adjust the snaps to get the right size for our son (key tip here, make the leg and waist holes even smaller than you may think). I was impressed with the personal attention and felt grateful for the support.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxMBSsR__P4PTJjW7XA_aLs-Oo15aSeg7cW_1wAVsWztQmXp1sxOC6Kxe9LcQ-B1nvAC3WY8rw2Rbja0QfgUiPo8988nGAyJBvY0floXq_EGfJPoJ-rk7zza2ePK4yL3eZdxu4cXQrt8ai/s1600/cloth+nappy+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1533" data-original-width="1600" height="382" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxMBSsR__P4PTJjW7XA_aLs-Oo15aSeg7cW_1wAVsWztQmXp1sxOC6Kxe9LcQ-B1nvAC3WY8rw2Rbja0QfgUiPo8988nGAyJBvY0floXq_EGfJPoJ-rk7zza2ePK4yL3eZdxu4cXQrt8ai/s400/cloth+nappy+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Look at those gorgeous chubby legs!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Now my main gripe with cloth nappies is aesthetic. They are very bulky in comparison to disposables (I have been using <b><a href="https://thetomco.com/our-brands/tooshies/" target="_blank">Tooshies by TOM</a></b> as an environmentally-friendly version of disposables) and look enormous. I don't love the look of just having the cloth outer covers as his bottoms (hello, fashion lover here!) and they do not fit well under most of the 3-6 month clothes I have for my little guy. I tried using just one cloth insert to make them less bulky, but it wasn't enough to absorb all the wee from my wee little boy and I had some leakage through the outer cover.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWKcpWqldOroZ-o1NvpRgjZY7MsQNULedO56-RM2CF3DhSBKMQNhN9Vkn0NBCY6HntQ2XxsP5TDpYh9ukaLa7Lr19OSQr921AS5xg4y2WM9HOZtntnGslkkrP_T0FJpkB4MwkILF3gmn96/s1600/cloth+nappy+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWKcpWqldOroZ-o1NvpRgjZY7MsQNULedO56-RM2CF3DhSBKMQNhN9Vkn0NBCY6HntQ2XxsP5TDpYh9ukaLa7Lr19OSQr921AS5xg4y2WM9HOZtntnGslkkrP_T0FJpkB4MwkILF3gmn96/s400/cloth+nappy+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">I have managed to squeeze them under this adorable <b><a href="https://carlieballard.com/collections/baby" target="_blank">Carlie Ballard</a></b> nappy cover.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I am also dealing with nappy rash again. He hasn't had it using the disposables, but now is getting a little bit now that we're on the cloth. Lavenderia suggest changing the nappy every 2-3 hours to prevent it, but (blissfully) I have a great nighttime sleeper on my hands and he is wearing the nappy for long stretches at night.<br />
<br />
And, finally, they are less convenient than disposables. There's no denying it. Even with this easiest introduction into cloth nappies with the use of a service, it takes just a little bit longer to change him than using disposables, and requires a little bit more organisation if you're going to be out and about (not to mention space), and time is severely limited with a new bub (and not something you want to squander at that 3am feed and nappy change).<br />
<br />
So between the bulkiness, the occasional leak, the nappy rash and (slight) inconvenience, I'm questioning the use of cloth nappies. And I am not even doing the laundry! I have even found myself researching life cycle analysis of cloth versus disposable nappies (there are many conflicting reports, so I am going to keep researching, but common sense suggests reusable is always better than a single-use disposable item, right?).<br />
<br />
Once again I am surprised at how quick I am to consider giving up cloth nappies. I don't want to beat myself up - adjusting to being a full time mum is major, and there are so many new aspects to my life that take up time and energy - and yet, what kind of environmentalist am I if I am willing to ditch the cloth nappies so easily? I feel incredibly conflicted, and yet still find myself drawn to the ease of disposables (even as I picture overflowing landfills and depleting natural resources).<br />
<br />
I love to write blog posts that give my readers advice or expertise, but for this first post of my new role as a mum, I thought I'd just be honest about an environmental dilemma I am facing. It's an important reminder to me (and other environmentalists) about the significance of individuals' everyday realities when it comes to adopting pro-environmental behaviour. Of course it all sounds so straightforward - here, use this cloth nappy service, it's better for the environment (or recycle, avoid fast fashion, buy organic food, use renewable energy, etc). But in reality, there are multiple facets to everyone's lives that either support or preclude pro-environmental behaviour. And it turns out that even I am not immune.<br />
<br />
I will stick with Lavenderia for now, except on days when I am out and about (they really are bulky and would take up a lot of room in the nappy bag!). And I may move over to DIY-laundry cloth nappies in the future. But I'm not loving the experience or finding it as easy as I thought I would, and I'm seriously not happy about them not fitting under most of his clothes (the majority of which are secondhand, but more on that in a later post). I have always tried to be honest with my readers about my adoption of sustainable lifestyle activities, so I thank you for indulging me in this rant.<br />
<br />
Have you used cloth nappies? Do you have tips for me?<br />
<br />
Take care until next time.<br />
xxLisa<br />
<br />
PS - my husband and I also had a lesson in toileting your baby, as in toilet-training from infancy, to avoid this whole conundrum altogether. Sounding like a pretty great idea to me right now....</div>
Lisa Heinzehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15549340948793105392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1708881323942683536.post-88830408887208464642017-12-17T10:45:00.001+11:002017-12-17T10:45:43.687+11:00book review : slow clothing<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Did you know there is a new Australian sustainable fashion book on the market? <i><b><a href="https://textilebeat.com/product/slow-clothing-book-jane-milburn/" target="_blank">Slow Clothing</a></b> </i>by Jane Milburn of <b><a href="https://textilebeat.com/" target="_blank">Textile Beat</a></b>. Could be the perfect holiday gift for that fashion lover in your life...<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLlXWumUttsP9lIsXY5Yd_9h1s5ighafE0jqxj3ZabIcNy_C47Jz9Bwqidb2Q9FIldQwO0hkIl6x-hQK1nXVwpH14sggx3lGARAMFq-noe5bSDsqR5oFjW_ufVEAHRCc9dhZNss_U2TXy2/s1600/Slow-Clothing-front-cover-final-web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="642" height="373" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLlXWumUttsP9lIsXY5Yd_9h1s5ighafE0jqxj3ZabIcNy_C47Jz9Bwqidb2Q9FIldQwO0hkIl6x-hQK1nXVwpH14sggx3lGARAMFq-noe5bSDsqR5oFjW_ufVEAHRCc9dhZNss_U2TXy2/s400/Slow-Clothing-front-cover-final-web.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love this beautiful, calming cover, which features the author's own creations.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The full title is <i>Slow Clothing: Finding meaning in what we wear</i>, and is Milburn's attempt to do for fashion what the slow food movement has done for the food and agriculture industries. I was lucky enough to be given a copy for review and wanted to share my initial thoughts with you before "baby brain" kicks in (though, in all honesty, baby brain may have arrived before Baby!)<br />
<br />
One of my first thoughts when I saw the title was how much I <i>love </i>the subtitle. I wholeheartedly agree with the idea of injecting more meaning in our clothing. In my own work I've seen firsthand the difference between people who value their clothing and those who don't. While this book has a particular emphasis on making and upcycling your own clothing, I've seen the importance of value and meaning in purchased garments as well - the intention and thought going into what we wear has a strong influence on how much we buy, how well we take care of garments, and how long we hold onto clothing before donating and/or disposing of it.<br />
<br />
But I digress...<br />
<br />
Milburn has a wealth of knowledge on issues of fashion and sustainability, and her passion for clothing and textiles is undeniable. The book is broken into six chapters detailing Milburn's purpose, journey, Sew it Again and Slow Clothing projects, slow clothing manifesto, DIY techniques and final reflections about the future from various community leaders.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZR8FBdRXQHiJCsbV11LrUyyDYMkOlPp9Gg1e22F7BxboPdx3lu3BYp5p2tFNt9Vo-_iDrSg1NyBkBl5J-qItpSHydXSERVSAzECYyxwa0o8EQwQzyUHPpFpRt_41cFajB23EwoyORoEz5/s1600/Slow+clothing+manifesto.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZR8FBdRXQHiJCsbV11LrUyyDYMkOlPp9Gg1e22F7BxboPdx3lu3BYp5p2tFNt9Vo-_iDrSg1NyBkBl5J-qItpSHydXSERVSAzECYyxwa0o8EQwQzyUHPpFpRt_41cFajB23EwoyORoEz5/s400/Slow+clothing+manifesto.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Milburn's <b><a href="https://textilebeat.com/slow-clothing-manifesto/" target="_blank">Slow Clothing Manifesto</a></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
My favourite chapter of the book is Chapter 2, 'Authenticity', when Jane shares her journey to slow clothing. It's probably the social researcher in me, but I absolutely love learning about individuals' stories, especially when they are stories that have led to a sustainable transformation of sorts. Jane's story is a reminder that each of us have unique experiences that provide us with specific skills and interests to change the world around us. In her case, there are the sewing skills learned early in life, her role as a journalist, working and living in rural communities, hands-on environmental and leadership projects, and an ability to connect with people across each of these various roles and locales.<br />
<br />
Jane also shares very personal experiences dealing with loss, addiction and depression, and how these impacted her journey to slow fashion. It is rare in the realm of clothing and fashion writing to find this type of vulnerability - no sugar-coating, no glamour, no jokes - and it greatly added to the message of the book about finding meaning in our clothing. It's only when we are honest and open with ourselves that we can find meaning in life, including having the ability to connect with our clothing in a valuable and meaningful way, and a way that impacts more than our own self-image but also the planet, our communities, and even people working in the global garment industry.<br />
<br />
Other highlights include Jane's life lessons/insights that she sprinkles throughout the book, including these gems:<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Making clothes to suit oneself is satisfying (I'd add that, if you're not a sewer yourself, altering and/or having clothes made to measure is also satisfying and confidence-boosting).</li>
<li>Being sustainable may cost more, but is worth it in the long run.</li>
<li>Embrace imperfection. Being perfect is impossible to maintain.</li>
<li>[When it comes to sewing a garment], just give it a go. Learning comes from doing. </li>
</ul>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM75sCANRUk3V65xy_VrxtuY17848HVpQHP4bb0YT63FIIVkODwa20BjI_CIApwX3KgJkr6nIzrtWFAlJx5bWYlVeHgwKC77mGjq8cHw5HX4JSMLP7_cegE_WZuQ_YT8oFLgjTCf_kfG_x/s1600/Slow+Clothing+example.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM75sCANRUk3V65xy_VrxtuY17848HVpQHP4bb0YT63FIIVkODwa20BjI_CIApwX3KgJkr6nIzrtWFAlJx5bWYlVeHgwKC77mGjq8cHw5HX4JSMLP7_cegE_WZuQ_YT8oFLgjTCf_kfG_x/s400/Slow+Clothing+example.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One example from The Slow Clothing Project - Emma Williamson<br />
made this gown from a cotton sheet left behind by a former tenant<br />
and a length of elastic - made with only two seams sewn!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
And for sewing novices like me, Chapter 5 provides some extremely useful DIY techniques you can use to either mend your favourite garments or to get creative with upcycling of preloved clothing (whether your own or those you've found in op shops or markets).<br />
<br />
I've had the pleasure of meeting dozens of sustainable fashion entrepreneurs in Australia. This book of Jane's experiences is yet another reminder of the progress that can be made by an individual with a passion, and the importance of sharing this passion with others to change the face of fashion. We may all come from different backgrounds, have different aesthetic preferences in clothing, and have different skills, but as Jane highlights in her book (as spoken by her colleague), "Leadership is an action you take, not a position you hold." In Jane's words:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>"You don't need a title or a badge to be a leader, you can just step up."</b></blockquote>
As we wrap up another year, I think this is a wonderful notion to reflect upon. How can you step up to make the world a better place? No need for accolades or the spotlight, but just taking action for the sake of making a positive contribution. What experiences and skills enable you to offer something unique to the various issues and causes that need attention? We all have the ability to make a positive impact, if we just take the leap.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpKFAw4kZzR1nZMrVedv0ouRM8Ay_90FeVFPx_lgsDDZtfJqCtIj5392w58RU-RoB4Ga3yexX2KbUFCdiLWsCY-SH8dhSN7D-6AQDCATW_UXQM7olUQVnpAvCeSenIa756WQbHyNenprhL/s1600/Slow+clothing+quote.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpKFAw4kZzR1nZMrVedv0ouRM8Ay_90FeVFPx_lgsDDZtfJqCtIj5392w58RU-RoB4Ga3yexX2KbUFCdiLWsCY-SH8dhSN7D-6AQDCATW_UXQM7olUQVnpAvCeSenIa756WQbHyNenprhL/s400/Slow+clothing+quote.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love this take on the famous fishing quote - nice one, Jane!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
On that note, I'd like to wish you and yours a joyous holiday season. Thank you for another wonderful year of sharing sustainability ideas. I'm signing off the blog now to enjoy the holidays, family, friends, and welcoming new Baby into the world.<br />
<br />
See you all in 2018!<br />
xxLisa</div>
Lisa Heinzehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15549340948793105392noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1708881323942683536.post-88226145856851619932017-12-06T17:13:00.000+11:002017-12-06T17:13:01.684+11:00ugly christmas sweaters<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I'm sure you've heard of the "revival" of ugly Christmas sweaters.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglz3CJDn_nMEEc1K0JXYzVVoVNXdQFX9k5EQvfp7NCG0aHWRYOeO5rp_oO_Ip8YHV5JkIByZhYW5Dvz-wwCZwsxoY3raoc8bkFBpC2DFcm34pU0bEwUAoMe8N0I5jyK3bc-kkScJpBd_l9/s1600/o-UGLY-CHRISTMAS-SWEATER-facebook.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="1569" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglz3CJDn_nMEEc1K0JXYzVVoVNXdQFX9k5EQvfp7NCG0aHWRYOeO5rp_oO_Ip8YHV5JkIByZhYW5Dvz-wwCZwsxoY3raoc8bkFBpC2DFcm34pU0bEwUAoMe8N0I5jyK3bc-kkScJpBd_l9/s320/o-UGLY-CHRISTMAS-SWEATER-facebook.jpg" width="313" /></a></div>
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A few years back some hipsters thought it would be <i>hysterical </i>to rummage through op shops and their parents' closets to find the ugliest holiday sweaters to wear - ironically, of course. Then ugly Christmas sweater parties surfaced all over the place, including Sydney's sweltering silly season. Now there is even an <b><a href="http://www.nationaluglychristmassweaterday.org/" target="_blank">ugly Christmas sweater day</a> </b>in the US.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNuoZ1WbvPp1Rl0n9XIymxu5zlOtNewig9tUcgjTLfhNuzO8CYKgK7ynQPwiJNRI8B4t5OmuBBRhnkDN3L70RASrYPi1LUFKSrER9udlEXyXi8cbkrIfivgbCpJCe3pYd1g-MEoNHzBbkq/s1600/ugly-sweater-party.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="424" data-original-width="600" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNuoZ1WbvPp1Rl0n9XIymxu5zlOtNewig9tUcgjTLfhNuzO8CYKgK7ynQPwiJNRI8B4t5OmuBBRhnkDN3L70RASrYPi1LUFKSrER9udlEXyXi8cbkrIfivgbCpJCe3pYd1g-MEoNHzBbkq/s400/ugly-sweater-party.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #545353; font-family: Lora; font-size: 18px; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">Ugly Christmas Sweater Party via </span><a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/cat.mhtml?lang=en&search_source=search_form&version=llv1&anyorall=all&safesearch=1&searchterm=christmas+&search_group=&orient=&search_cat=&searchtermx=&photographer_name=&people_gender=&people_age=&people_ethnicity=&people_number=&commercial_ok=&color=&show_color_wheel=1#page=3" style="-webkit-transition: all 1s cubic-bezier(0.165, 0.84, 0.44, 1); background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0a0a0a; font-family: Lora; font-size: 18px; line-height: inherit; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; transition: all 1s cubic-bezier(0.165, 0.84, 0.44, 1); widows: 2;" target="_blank">Flickr/Ramseymohsen</a></td></tr>
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I'm not opposed to the idea of mocking the Christmas sweaters of yesteryear - there are some real doozies out there. Growing up I vividly remember a sweatshirt with a puff paint Rudolph (remember puff paint?!) and another with a Christmas tree strung with tiny ornaments hanging off the front. I was definitely a child of the '80s.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj73YTk9nDgCE0f1LtMoEu6Ss5Lsjt7CjOlp0SV15KOtUhNVUegSeEG6d4tkz2ReEAyXLVLVVbHNXC-ahg9ByjRggOlDK64Hz4MQ0V681ZLtmubWfCpbLK2rzxN9I1sYs6mdzWAyFCnfrhk/s1600/ugly-christmas-sweater-50239.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj73YTk9nDgCE0f1LtMoEu6Ss5Lsjt7CjOlp0SV15KOtUhNVUegSeEG6d4tkz2ReEAyXLVLVVbHNXC-ahg9ByjRggOlDK64Hz4MQ0V681ZLtmubWfCpbLK2rzxN9I1sYs6mdzWAyFCnfrhk/s320/ugly-christmas-sweater-50239.jpg" width="213" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDetltC_j_LdfVTTfgJ8ylxCw2H37DahzwIw15uFBg_wRj256jc8LWXbOzToWES6Mtpy9Jbp74TkjX7JQiOnBlaXkFA_wi9rQWGAxeULZ4Glnge_4oEJy0bADBRdcKT-M_iltcyRVAeqvS/s1600/ugly-christmas-sweater-50013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDetltC_j_LdfVTTfgJ8ylxCw2H37DahzwIw15uFBg_wRj256jc8LWXbOzToWES6Mtpy9Jbp74TkjX7JQiOnBlaXkFA_wi9rQWGAxeULZ4Glnge_4oEJy0bADBRdcKT-M_iltcyRVAeqvS/s320/ugly-christmas-sweater-50013.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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Honestly, I don't want to be the fun police. By all means, have a laugh at these sartorially questionable jumpers. But can you do me (and the planet and garment workers a favour) and please not buy a <i><b>new</b> </i>ugly Christmas sweater?<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf6n137DdP3vKVtB4cO8YM371VhlX2CbhIEHLILwBXd0gsQKF8z8MIwvYZa7Au0kfraEioQtMPxLWR0z7JbJxX9q5LGGg-d9npo8LPUk8AB-2lmEFcIn7Xs8_0sGuKhEsj8X9EBoBHf65d/s1600/ugly-christmas-sweater-50019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="800" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf6n137DdP3vKVtB4cO8YM371VhlX2CbhIEHLILwBXd0gsQKF8z8MIwvYZa7Au0kfraEioQtMPxLWR0z7JbJxX9q5LGGg-d9npo8LPUk8AB-2lmEFcIn7Xs8_0sGuKhEsj8X9EBoBHf65d/s400/ugly-christmas-sweater-50019.jpg" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Why buy a new sweater when this vintage <br />beauty is available from Ragstock?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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There are now companies that specialise in new ugly Christmas sweaters like Tipsy Elves and Ugly Christmas Sweater, capitalising on this bit of holiday fun. Plus the likes of ASOS and Target also have ranges of ugly Christmas sweaters. Many of these are more "funny" than "ugly", but the they are all taking advantage of this recent holiday trend.<br />
<br />
You know where I'm going with this, right?<br />
<br />
<b>This is a completely unsustainable mode of fashion consumption.</b><br />
<br />
That's right, <b>I used bold</b>, that's how irritated I am at the concept of new ugly sweaters.<br />
<br />
First of all, the origin of the ugly Christmas sweater revival was to find a genuinely used, pre-worn sweater and laugh at the original wearer of it - "Can you believe my Dad actually wore this monstrosity?!" And if you were willing to wear it out and about in Fitzroy or Williamsburg you'd have the additional glow from the knowledge that you paid as little as possible and didn't contribute to corporate greed by buying secondhand.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkbRAWaO7Fuy5mbEB7UXAwbb4JZrPXdD2_LMGVUSwYQjsa1IrVH5yX6ThPxlEKWCdWZ4OmyAT5EFNaHtran_5DkQYmEQx21dO_WzyDaqJ55dI_rsfzACbYk_yTCWzJi2fyJq9zaqlKkW4w/s1600/Vintage-Ugly-Christmas-Sweater-Knit-Sparkle-Ornament-Explosion-667x1004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1004" data-original-width="667" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkbRAWaO7Fuy5mbEB7UXAwbb4JZrPXdD2_LMGVUSwYQjsa1IrVH5yX6ThPxlEKWCdWZ4OmyAT5EFNaHtran_5DkQYmEQx21dO_WzyDaqJ55dI_rsfzACbYk_yTCWzJi2fyJq9zaqlKkW4w/s400/Vintage-Ugly-Christmas-Sweater-Knit-Sparkle-Ornament-Explosion-667x1004.jpg" width="265" /></a></div>
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Which brings me to my second point:<br />
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Buying a new ugly Christmas sweater is essentially the same as buying into the fast fashion mentality - "I'll buy this ugly sweater to wear ironically or to a fancy dress party and then get rid of it after one or two wears."<br />
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And though the sweaters are not all cheap (retailing between US$30-$80), they are made of poor materials. Mostly made of acrylic, though sometimes with a little bit of cotton and/or polyester thrown in the mix. I've written before about the problems with <b><a href="http://www.lisaheinze.com/2017/07/plastic-microfibre-pollution.html" target="_blank">microfibre pollution </a></b>associated with acrylic and polyester fibres, and the amount of <b><a href="http://www.lisaheinze.com/2015/08/" target="_blank">textile waste from consumers</a></b> is staggering. These specialty brands do not rate anywhere on any of the garment labour standards schemes, and their supply chains are completely opaque, meaning the company either has no idea, or isn't sharing openly, who makes their (ugly) clothes.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwmzlEzxx1ckUWHZMALwYvJo4WVz5A4s-zNH2rOy42f9PtqKj59w89y1-dJ3wd2q7J_vfSuOJY3Rv0tz1SFgLx6t93VTGzoBI5Sj4oi7S4eZkfaqXfEpxfoB2w33tiUF71wf18exSywgIB/s1600/ugly-christmas-sweater-49907.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwmzlEzxx1ckUWHZMALwYvJo4WVz5A4s-zNH2rOy42f9PtqKj59w89y1-dJ3wd2q7J_vfSuOJY3Rv0tz1SFgLx6t93VTGzoBI5Sj4oi7S4eZkfaqXfEpxfoB2w33tiUF71wf18exSywgIB/s320/ugly-christmas-sweater-49907.jpg" width="213" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWEN9TStNvPgVSpimSefi2rWkJYgXcNQVJaJhlXz1aQEq1N3RP29cLvqzu9jBwmPZcVbLv-vQbO62wEYbTPXKcSO8mootfmfLm5QuBD-xOY0jxyQNvHZ9vhnCZ9tqJiG_0KRuoGKmBaui6/s1600/ugly-christmas-sweater-49830.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWEN9TStNvPgVSpimSefi2rWkJYgXcNQVJaJhlXz1aQEq1N3RP29cLvqzu9jBwmPZcVbLv-vQbO62wEYbTPXKcSO8mootfmfLm5QuBD-xOY0jxyQNvHZ9vhnCZ9tqJiG_0KRuoGKmBaui6/s320/ugly-christmas-sweater-49830.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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And for those Aussies reading this who are tempted to buy an ugly Christmas rashie for their Christmas morning surf, consider this message is for you, too. Unless you are going to wear that tacky holiday rashie until it is threadbare, put it back on the rack and just wear a Santa hat like the rest of the Christmas Day surfers, okay? (Try the same one you wore last year, it'll probably still do the trick.)<br />
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Those brands of new sweaters that partner with Ugly Christmas Sweater Day ask you to make a donation to a children's charity - fabulous idea! But no need to buy a new ugly sweater from these shady businesses. Be like the cool kids - find a vintage one in an op shop, eBay, <b><a href="http://www.rustyzipper.com/" target="_blank">Rusty Zipper</a></b> or <b><a href="https://ragstock.com/" target="_blank">Ragstock</a></b> (or your Mum's wardrobe!) then take the money you would have spent on a new ugly sweater and donate the full amount to charity.<br />
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Then you'll definitely make Santa's "Nice" list.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEnNAc-7WX0s7dloje7SZ5C6fin-l0lsjHTlg-BgQcR4fis598WPWtEYliNt4rhcmGRh9u6rao_hwK2BWmqdo3cjLRXBClv6J86jEC7pj4917nxbRBGSB3XVKeJqh9sDt2d055z4biE36N/s1600/IMG_8808.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEnNAc-7WX0s7dloje7SZ5C6fin-l0lsjHTlg-BgQcR4fis598WPWtEYliNt4rhcmGRh9u6rao_hwK2BWmqdo3cjLRXBClv6J86jEC7pj4917nxbRBGSB3XVKeJqh9sDt2d055z4biE36N/s400/IMG_8808.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I spotted this charming piece at Lifeline in Manly this morning. I suspect it's<br />pretty new, as it's quite cute, but at least you can rescue it from being<br />ragged or sent offshore if you are heading to an ugly Christmas sweater party.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Happy Holidays!<br />
xx<br />
<br />
PS - shout out to my clever environmentalist hubby who first pointed out to me the new ugly Christmas sweater websites and suggested I write a blog post.</div>
Lisa Heinzehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15549340948793105392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1708881323942683536.post-5230104654985754032017-12-01T12:50:00.003+11:002017-12-01T16:15:27.618+11:00sustainable maternity fashion<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
If you follow me on <b><a href="https://www.instagram.com/lisa_heinze/" target="_blank">Instagram</a></b> you'll have been seeing some of my maternity fashion looks over the past few months. I thought it was about time I compiled a list of shopping sites and labels that have helped me feel stylish without sacrificing my environmental and ethical values. But you'll also notice that I tried my best to wear things already in my wardrobe as much as possible - it's been a fascinating journey for this sustainable fashionista!<br />
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<a href="http://www.bellybelt.com.au/" target="_blank"><b>Belly Belt</b></a><br />
One of the first things I bought was a Belly Belt, which let me keep wearing my favourite <a href="https://www.agolde.com/" target="_blank"><b>Agolde</b></a> jeans for months. There are two different sized belts, both with multiple hooks/button holes, to keep you in your favourite clothes throughout your pregnancy. You just need to make sure you have shirts that hang low enough to cover the belt. Designed by an Aussie - nice! - but also available in the US and the UK.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdYM0MdCYeHsAFM_YkIX02QOXmNpTszhMNHPTg8SblWyiXISzPsh-g5kbuMe0bepreI8UAPfgV_GqYBZ98lgslovfsPiV14fTdRx3ZWxfbducrH9otFfYhDJyjLBz8awGqjLFs95uXaIG2/s1600/BellyBelt_How+it+works.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="251" data-original-width="592" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdYM0MdCYeHsAFM_YkIX02QOXmNpTszhMNHPTg8SblWyiXISzPsh-g5kbuMe0bepreI8UAPfgV_GqYBZ98lgslovfsPiV14fTdRx3ZWxfbducrH9otFfYhDJyjLBz8awGqjLFs95uXaIG2/s400/BellyBelt_How+it+works.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcGV2GmEMJa3dZeHAR_UEFzYRC6nCWsPksW_HpsdLy4IOYj7coUB2g7Lp5jxPxgX8U9rDE39zVlDGgKU05RKHD6qOHcpmVSKJVLLPejDnNEo7TD0E07NyV9ytjYKJD5F3m9DkLzrzRmtw6/s1600/Belly+Belt+in+action.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="608" height="393" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcGV2GmEMJa3dZeHAR_UEFzYRC6nCWsPksW_HpsdLy4IOYj7coUB2g7Lp5jxPxgX8U9rDE39zVlDGgKU05RKHD6qOHcpmVSKJVLLPejDnNEo7TD0E07NyV9ytjYKJD5F3m9DkLzrzRmtw6/s400/Belly+Belt+in+action.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Here you can see how I've used the Belly Belt for months. In the photo on the left I'm wearing my perfect white shirt from slow fashionistas <a href="https://www.gooddaygirl.com.au/" target="_blank"><b>Good Day Girl</b></a>, layered with a long tee by <a href="https://amourvert.com/" target="_blank"><b>Amour Vert</b></a>. On the right, I've paired my Belly Belted jeans with a wrap dress I've owned for over a decade and my fave black <a href="https://kitx.com.au/" target="_blank"><b>KITX</b></a> blazer.<br />
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<a href="http://www.bamboobody.com.au/" target="_blank"><b>Bamboo Body</b></a><br />
No fabric is perfect, but I typically avoid bamboo because often the process of turning hard bamboo into soft fabric uses a large amount of chemicals and the production often isn't highly regulated (and don't believe those "anti-bacterial" claims of this fabric, either). However, there are many sustainable benefits to the fabric, like using significantly less water than cotton, requiring no pesticides and being fast growing compared to the other trees often used to create viscose (bamboo fabric is technically viscose). And for anyone who has ever worn it, you know how comfortable, soft and breathable bamboo feels on your body. So...I have made some exceptions for my maternity wardrobe, as this seems to be a "sustainable" fabric of choice in this market.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFxn1ORXANXVJHARbJ16RjmAqrHANXR5lKbbmtlqGMm99sjPyKOp0Br4MjDEfTOi6pk68Zyx4aQIDpm-loyzrIE78lR9RK70amgnJCybhfVEu4nAuOQyBU9nq3-y03M7kMnKy6nb6WIhEI/s1600/bamboo-body-ruched-tank-dress+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFxn1ORXANXVJHARbJ16RjmAqrHANXR5lKbbmtlqGMm99sjPyKOp0Br4MjDEfTOi6pk68Zyx4aQIDpm-loyzrIE78lR9RK70amgnJCybhfVEu4nAuOQyBU9nq3-y03M7kMnKy6nb6WIhEI/s400/bamboo-body-ruched-tank-dress+copy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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This ruched, bodycon dress was one of the first pieces I bought (purchased from <a href="https://www.glowmama.com.au/" target="_blank"><b>Glow Mama</b></a>) and has lovingly stretched along with my growing bump. And I guarantee I will keep wearing it post-pregnancy, it's just so comfortable and easy, definitely going to hit at least <a href="https://medium.com/@melanie_48688/what-is-the-30-wears-challenge-36113fbf5e5d" target="_blank"><b>30 wears</b></a>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKjIOrZvp6wdL0bge3yFdeioXzR-cwRT7A2j6Tj6fiSHYnlloZyGudaAOB-1fL7U0-jz4INR6EeaSUTg0TSd4kvAnWDG8kPJZcy3t93bKKKsS_3OLI6cwwQ6PIFY9IXqR8RwzS7OKQlSTe/s1600/grey+long+sleeve+linen+shorts.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="420" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKjIOrZvp6wdL0bge3yFdeioXzR-cwRT7A2j6Tj6fiSHYnlloZyGudaAOB-1fL7U0-jz4INR6EeaSUTg0TSd4kvAnWDG8kPJZcy3t93bKKKsS_3OLI6cwwQ6PIFY9IXqR8RwzS7OKQlSTe/s400/grey+long+sleeve+linen+shorts.png" width="280" /></a></div>
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I also bought this Bamboo Body long-sleeve top at the same time, and again, I'm sure I'll keep wearing it. The shorts were purchased from online shop <a href="https://www.milkandlove.com.au/" target="_blank"><b>Milk & Love</b></a>, and are 100% linen - heaven! Accessorised with <a href="http://www.veja-store.com/en/17-women" target="_blank"><b>Veja</b></a> sneakers, <a href="https://ssekodesigns.com/leather-bags/shoulder-bags.html" target="_blank"><b>Sseko</b></a> natural leather tote ethically made in Africa, <a href="http://www.toms.com/women/womens-sunglasses" target="_blank"><b>Toms</b></a> one-for-one sunglasses and a necklace made from an upcycled skateboard deck.<br />
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<a href="https://sorellaorganics.com.au/" target="_blank"><b>Sorella Organics</b></a><br />
I already knew about Sorella because they offer a range of beautiful organic cotton pajamas and lingerie, and they also have a maternity line. I bought myself this beautiful lavender nightie, which will be great for nursing, too.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipH2YIFPU72LGD5ZjCVkswePHG2s_pJ0smSx66-PWdTK4QLrmqJ1hR_DocTE3zqaoLYWLYBZoZIbtWrRr1BT3T3PFgmmvhMl6UYo4If_MANLana31gBFTY1ePATuPZ4yV8UsGHBkLP-WUl/s1600/FINAL-nursing_nightie_in_evening_sky-300x400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="300" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipH2YIFPU72LGD5ZjCVkswePHG2s_pJ0smSx66-PWdTK4QLrmqJ1hR_DocTE3zqaoLYWLYBZoZIbtWrRr1BT3T3PFgmmvhMl6UYo4If_MANLana31gBFTY1ePATuPZ4yV8UsGHBkLP-WUl/s320/FINAL-nursing_nightie_in_evening_sky-300x400.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://amourvert.com/" target="_blank"><b>Amour Vert</b></a><br />
Not technically a maternity label, but one of my favourite ethical labels, and many of the items I already had in my wardrobe by Amour Vert helped me look and feel like myself as my belly grew.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm8oC4rwREl6B-Kt8fhW6-VepEfgUMLGmldx6-TT0HxyisMiVjysLoULYg3MEkChcmoW7mRcxkJIuEXKBYA5nj9nM7RP6Qyggo93ble8TOE4godzj7wJevgq8HuXVnmsTOideYFM-LFlSF/s1600/Amour+dress.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm8oC4rwREl6B-Kt8fhW6-VepEfgUMLGmldx6-TT0HxyisMiVjysLoULYg3MEkChcmoW7mRcxkJIuEXKBYA5nj9nM7RP6Qyggo93ble8TOE4godzj7wJevgq8HuXVnmsTOideYFM-LFlSF/s400/Amour+dress.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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This navy and white striped dress has been in my wardrobe for about four years now, and was the perfect dress for warm winter days and worked well into spring.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXIs7qKKqvcjpsMgRp9TS44Wt2PNNlWJXm3cv0fjXUHqgvSLfiZsVFU3zx8c9LCyDdUGQRvVsyh3l3NP7Z08IMXoF5j5aPmY1SgM9RcmK9CVl98yLgVzKcFnCofmT1WPiAezroZnfRXA-j/s1600/Amour+sweater.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="510" data-original-width="473" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXIs7qKKqvcjpsMgRp9TS44Wt2PNNlWJXm3cv0fjXUHqgvSLfiZsVFU3zx8c9LCyDdUGQRvVsyh3l3NP7Z08IMXoF5j5aPmY1SgM9RcmK9CVl98yLgVzKcFnCofmT1WPiAezroZnfRXA-j/s400/Amour+sweater.PNG" width="370" /></a></div>
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This sweater/jumper was a great option for early pregnancy days, as it allowed my little growing bump the space it needed to grow without showing it off too much (this photo was taken for a University of Sydney marketing campaign when I was about 4-5 months pregnant - great fun to walk through the mall having my photo taken, with shoppers looking at me intently like, "Is she famous?!" Nope - just passionate about sustainable fashion).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTCU2tCwDRx6c_wIQjkrujVZTEKdrWWSnAChbG_M6FWNIF2d8v72QtJXySigigcCVoTpvVExXMaElH5D-DP9ekZ5fhkmioDGXHxOjS6XDpJQR-q7fT-akVbfDslZzflCyM75wK87xkbi0h/s1600/Overalls+Amour+Vert+top.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="526" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTCU2tCwDRx6c_wIQjkrujVZTEKdrWWSnAChbG_M6FWNIF2d8v72QtJXySigigcCVoTpvVExXMaElH5D-DP9ekZ5fhkmioDGXHxOjS6XDpJQR-q7fT-akVbfDslZzflCyM75wK87xkbi0h/s320/Overalls+Amour+Vert+top.png" width="280" /></a></div>
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And this off-the-shoulder top is made of linen and is keeping me cool as the days heat up (though is just about too small to fit over my 8 month (plus!) bump). Incidentally, this photo was taken before I'd fully turned my office into a nursery - another blog post coming once that project is done.<br />
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The overalls were a specific maternity purchase, and I fully admit there is nothing inherently sustainable about them. However, I have definitely worn them at least 30 times already, and hope to sell them/pass them along to another mumma-to-be when I'm done.<br />
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<a href="https://allthewildroses.com/" target="_blank"><b>All the Wild Roses</b></a><br />
I have practically lived in this dress from All the Wild Roses, and cannot believe I have ZERO pregnant photos of me in it - so instead I'll show you the non-pregnant version and you can use your imagination. Perfect empire-waist, boho-inspired, airy for summer and easily layered for winter. I am so in love with dress, and confident it's well-beyond 30 wears since I bought it last summer, and is still going very strong.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4FaJmt8iD2fZSp58ViRFdshGakjh17uarpHaWCFHEs0fR2ogAuM53xE9yrWrk6l63gSTp3QcoRmCCwsHVDkM4Bi9lG62SYsdL6fZ2yVUx35sKzDtlv1lsuX0A_aqoMcZOtxRgDFabuSiG/s1600/All+the+Wild+Roses.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4FaJmt8iD2fZSp58ViRFdshGakjh17uarpHaWCFHEs0fR2ogAuM53xE9yrWrk6l63gSTp3QcoRmCCwsHVDkM4Bi9lG62SYsdL6fZ2yVUx35sKzDtlv1lsuX0A_aqoMcZOtxRgDFabuSiG/s320/All+the+Wild+Roses.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.queenbee.com.au/" target="_blank"><b>Queen Bee Maternity</b></a><br />
I have enjoyed this website for buying a number of items like a belly support band made of organic cotton, bamboo maternity and nursing sleep bras, organic tanks and tees. Not everything on the site is sustainable, but I was able to find a number of small essential pieces, which made me happy.<b> </b><br />
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<b><a href="https://www.thetenactive.com.au/" target="_blank">The Ten Active</a></b><br />
Though not strictly "sustainable", these Made in Australia leggings from The Ten Active have been a saviour for my yoga practice. I kept wearing my usual leggings as long as possible, but as soon as I slipped on this pair of leggings I was in heaven. I felt at once supported and free to move in all the positions my body is craving. I have practiced yoga for almost two decades (wow!) and having comfortable yoga wear is essential. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjArAK975Aknn86BPCNfa8qzEuMld4rZ1z6205bIIHcLTGprTAgQxFIuSggipvaD2i54slBFYCISTArUxTZL3HGbI2WMIL__FvGG-CFwxaaiA36fmreHr4sWLNdivCtUvHgU_sxyRhDOCPl/s1600/The+Ten+Active+2+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="440" data-original-width="594" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjArAK975Aknn86BPCNfa8qzEuMld4rZ1z6205bIIHcLTGprTAgQxFIuSggipvaD2i54slBFYCISTArUxTZL3HGbI2WMIL__FvGG-CFwxaaiA36fmreHr4sWLNdivCtUvHgU_sxyRhDOCPl/s400/The+Ten+Active+2+copy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I'll probably keep wearing them afterward because you can easily fold down the maternity support top, they are incredibly high quality, extremely comfortable, and I love the colour. Each purchase also supports the <a href="https://www.humpty.com.au/" target="_blank"><b>Humpty Dumpty Foundation</b></a>, a children's hospital charity.<br />
<b> </b><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.hm.com/au/" target="_blank"><b>H&M</b></a><br />
OMG - I can't believe it, but I admit I bought some items from H&M. They have a "Mama" range, and I bought a couple organic tees that had a bit of stretch to go over my bump, too. I have such <a href="http://www.lisaheinze.com/2015/08/closed-loop-fast-fashion.html" target="_blank"><b>mixed feelings about H&M's sustainability claims</b></a>, but I wanted to be honest with you all and let you know I did enjoy being able to buy organic cotton maternity tops for a reasonable price from this fast fashion behemoth. I'm wearing a 3/4-length sleeve black top with my overalls in the photo below, and paired with a vintage head scarf and my favourite <b><a href="https://www.birkenstock.com.au/" target="_blank">Birkenstocks</a></b>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW06fi8CKOMYmq4sLg1wBy8r_Hpi80lPTMM3nMVUX2m7ofcyLW9_tUIrmZAKIZfM42IfJ2lsFhUJOm1b0-nO4J6IEY748xPgc7YXzYV_-oTxMiWjK8ejxq9YeqA9OJ-1SCqPf9ajbUDSn-/s1600/Overalls.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1229" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW06fi8CKOMYmq4sLg1wBy8r_Hpi80lPTMM3nMVUX2m7ofcyLW9_tUIrmZAKIZfM42IfJ2lsFhUJOm1b0-nO4J6IEY748xPgc7YXzYV_-oTxMiWjK8ejxq9YeqA9OJ-1SCqPf9ajbUDSn-/s400/Overalls.JPG" width="306" /></a></div>
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<b>* * * * </b></div>
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Secondhand clothing has also been essential in this journey. I relied on secondhand clothing from a dear friend, who gave me three pair of maternity pants that were so helpful in the winter months, as well as some extra t-shirts and a dress. My mother-in-law kindly bought me a few pieces from a secondhand maternity clothes sale in her hometown. I bought a dress for my baby shower from eBay (see below), and a pair of dress maternity pants from <a href="https://www.thredup.com/" target="_blank"><b>ThredUp</b></a>. Overall this maternity wardrobe of mine is a real mishmash of new sustainable items, pre-loved items, some pieces from my own wardrobe, and a few non-sustainable items.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga70AsNMVSRMlkiPOf6W1a-tHXbtLnGpD6wYXeFy5Fu75T28781nUqqN9HSx0_IwaCaM4fzW3jXE70pua5fQ7GVZFwGV_hlbXEfCs9qQhef-xkCb9mSqQ6iSxwBUUeL5U8ISAuLHioQ_qH/s1600/Shower+dress.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1584" data-original-width="1600" height="395" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga70AsNMVSRMlkiPOf6W1a-tHXbtLnGpD6wYXeFy5Fu75T28781nUqqN9HSx0_IwaCaM4fzW3jXE70pua5fQ7GVZFwGV_hlbXEfCs9qQhef-xkCb9mSqQ6iSxwBUUeL5U8ISAuLHioQ_qH/s400/Shower+dress.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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As many of you would know, dressing your pregnant body is an unusual experience. You are constantly growing, but slowly so you don't realise how much your body really is going to change. I thought I'd be able to get away with a lot more clothes from my wardrobe, but I really couldn't as my body changed over the past 8 months. It's not just the bump, but my breasts have grown, my hips and thighs, too, and certain dresses I thought would <i>definitely </i>last throughout my pregnancy were outgrown months ago. It's an excellent practice in letting go of control, especially for someone like me, who likes to have full control of not just the style of my clothing but the sustainability credentials, too. I think I've done pretty well, though there were certainly a few early purchases that were not right (hello see-through leggings and non-supportive sports bra!), but I've also had a lot of fun dressing this version of myself.</div>
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<b> </b></div>
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If you have any other tips for sustainable mamas-to-be, please share! My number one tip - when in doubt, ask Google, and you'll be led to some incredible online shops.</div>
</div>
Lisa Heinzehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15549340948793105392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1708881323942683536.post-40554396094530745882017-11-07T08:54:00.000+11:002017-11-07T08:54:47.234+11:00sustainable shopping: how to rock white sneakers in The Conversation<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
G'day!<br />
<br />
I was asked to write <b><a href="https://theconversation.com/sustainable-shopping-how-to-rock-white-sneakers-without-eco-guilt-85989" target="_blank">this article for The Conversation</a></b>, one of my favourite news websites because, as its tagline suggests, the articles are written with "academic rigour & journalistic flair".<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOLw4m3LM4c_AO93S3ASHlaLMfqQ73KncW31vduGsQgWgAd0rpwOqIkgmuzyoYLn9aAbBPZnOCayAUkOabKMi-iJFux-y8ap_uBeJOUt5WcxfNfCGnGMM7ZyhHCJf3Xfj7i5j8tGV2T3HT/s1600/Conversation.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="375" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOLw4m3LM4c_AO93S3ASHlaLMfqQ73KncW31vduGsQgWgAd0rpwOqIkgmuzyoYLn9aAbBPZnOCayAUkOabKMi-iJFux-y8ap_uBeJOUt5WcxfNfCGnGMM7ZyhHCJf3Xfj7i5j8tGV2T3HT/s400/Conversation.JPG" width="500" /></a></div>
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<br />
So many articles floating around our social media newsfeeds (even from so-called "news" websites) are filled with opinion or hearsay rather than research. I'm not claiming to be a perfect researcher or writer, even I occasionally fall into the habit of making generalisations and assumptions based on things I read years ago. But the team at The Conversation are incredibly dedicated to having references for every claim, making its articles richly researched and backed up with fact. (They came back to me with <i>plenty</i> of questions and requests for sources/references backing up everything I wrote in my first draft of this article - they kept me on my toes!)<br />
<br />
It's wonderful to know there are people dedicated to understanding the truth and not just opinion, don't you think? Here's the beginning of the article and link to the complete article on their website - enjoy! And please ask any questions or make any requests in these comments or on <b><a href="https://theconversation.com/sustainable-shopping-how-to-rock-white-sneakers-without-eco-guilt-85989" target="_blank">The Conversation's</a></b> website.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
* * * *</div>
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<div style="border: 0px; color: #383838; font-family: 'Libre Baskerville', Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 28px; margin-bottom: 18px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
White sneakers look great with nearly everything on nearly everybody, so it’s no surprise they’re having a fashion moment. Adidas sold <a href="https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/news-analysis/adidas-hits-marketing-gold-with-stan-smith-shoes" style="color: #557585; outline: none; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;">eight million pairs</a> of their iconic Stan Smiths in 2015 (and that doesn’t include the lookalikes).</div>
<div style="border: 0px; color: #383838; font-family: 'Libre Baskerville', Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 28px; margin-bottom: 18px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Nearly <a href="http://www.roymorgan.com/findings/6764-shopping-for-mens-sports-shoes-201604192346" style="color: #557585; outline: none; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;">800,000 Australians</a> buy a pair of sporting shoes in any four-week period. This amounts to a staggering <a href="http://www.roymorgan.com/findings/6764-shopping-for-mens-sports-shoes-201604192346" style="color: #557585; outline: none; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;">10.4 million pairs sold every year</a>. Globally, Nike sells <a href="https://www.gq.com/story/nike-business-how-many-sneakers-per-second" style="color: #557585; outline: none; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;">25 pairs of sneakers every second</a>.</div>
<div style="border: 0px; color: #383838; font-family: 'Libre Baskerville', Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 28px; margin-bottom: 18px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
But have you ever considered the environmental impact of your favourite sneakers? From materials to manufacturing, they have a hidden cost – but it is possible to find shoes that don’t cost the Earth.</div>
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A pair of runners produces 13kg of CO₂</h2>
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While little research has been done on the environmental impact of fashion, one study has found that the production of a pair of running shoes emits <a href="http://news.mit.edu/2013/footwear-carbon-footprint-0522" style="color: #557585; outline: none; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;">13kg of carbon dioxide</a>. The production of the materials involved, including <a href="http://publications.lib.chalmers.se/records/fulltext/218968/218968.pdf" style="color: #557585; outline: none; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;">leather, nylon, synthetic rubber, plastic and viscose</a>, also takes an environmental toll.</div>
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<b><a href="https://theconversation.com/sustainable-shopping-how-to-rock-white-sneakers-without-eco-guilt-85989" target="_blank">Link to the full article</a></b><br />
<br />
The only caveat I will add here about my admiration of The Conversation, is that I was disappointed they took out my comments regarding Adidas. Of course I love supporting small, independent, change-making brands (I'm sure you know that by now!), but Adidas has not been resting on its laurels. The company is taking strides toward sustainable material production and ethical labour practices. They are not perfect, but they are <b><a href="https://www.adidas-group.com/en/sustainability/managing-sustainability/general-approach/" target="_blank">making a start</a></b>, and I think that deserves some recognition.<br />
<br />
xLisa</div>
Lisa Heinzehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15549340948793105392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1708881323942683536.post-63533708488918080542017-10-24T10:18:00.001+11:002017-10-24T10:24:14.375+11:00fashioning sustainability<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
sharing research insights</h3>
<br />
I submitted my PhD thesis just over a month ago (insert happy dance here). After working on the project full time since 2014, it's hard to believe it is over. Well, nearly. It is with three readers, various experts in their fields around the world, who will provide reports and probably some suggestions to strengthen the analysis. So you can't call me "Dr" just yet, but you can bet I'll let you know when you can!<br />
<br />
It's an odd in-between feeling, and yet when I hit that "submit" button I did feel an incredible sense of relief and pride at having completed this research.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFz3Onku6CcMR3I56k5TFaByzZSCIirls1QTp3BogM1asx74NpfLsQQSQWffajzagZJ6LO3BwO0PgbHOg4lGmvsYMD3jsoR-js2_O8l0wXbYl4iK9yYyhhkhBYC9-OUtMYWwfWoDTtxaWc/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-10-24+at+9.54.44+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="556" data-original-width="556" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFz3Onku6CcMR3I56k5TFaByzZSCIirls1QTp3BogM1asx74NpfLsQQSQWffajzagZJ6LO3BwO0PgbHOg4lGmvsYMD3jsoR-js2_O8l0wXbYl4iK9yYyhhkhBYC9-OUtMYWwfWoDTtxaWc/s400/Screen+Shot+2017-10-24+at+9.54.44+AM.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
The cover page, featuring a gorgeous illustration by my talented<br />
friend Natalie Boog - thanks Nat!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Now that I've had some time to breathe I'm working on an Executive Summary to share with the industry, NGO and activist research participants. To say it is a challenge to distill 300+ pages into bite size data that will be interesting and useful to others feels like the understatement of the century. But why did I do this research if it wasn't to support a transition toward sustainable fashion practices, right?<br />
<br />
I plan on publishing the research more widely in academic journals and a book (or two!), but all that will take time. In the meantime I thought I'd also share some of the interesting tidbits that came to light during my research here on the blog. Over the next few weeks I'll share some insights into sustainable fashion in Australia including:<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>consumer awareness </li>
<li>entrepreneurial leadership </li>
<li>industry action and limits</li>
<li>social movement progress and pitfalls</li>
<li>shopping habits</li>
<li>the connections among all of the above</li>
</ul>
Ultimately my thesis puts forward a new approach to sustainable fashion activism that can apply to other sectors and has ramifications for how we address the wider climate crisis.<br />
<br />
Thanks to all of you for being on this journey with me over the past 5 years when I first published <a href="http://www.lisaheinze.com/p/book-sustainability-with-style.html"><b><i>Sustainability with Style</i></b></a> and realised just how much work needed to be done on sustainable fashion.<br />
<br />
I look forward to sharing more info with you all on my research, but in the meantime if you have any requests for blog posts, please let me know in the comments below.<br />
<br />
xxLisa<br />
<br /></div>
Lisa Heinzehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15549340948793105392noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1708881323942683536.post-43407986198983330312017-09-23T08:39:00.000+10:002017-09-23T08:44:52.753+10:00climate optimist<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
This week I saw a new campaign floating around on social media asking people to pledge to be a <b><a href="https://www.climateoptimist.org/" target="_blank">#climateoptimist</a></b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpk-PvVF6vBERi5BOmO39lDi6turM83X5QVvzvHWfMLY_opFkHk4ucliXE56lo1V2WbB8E8gl2HxH7VDp64MRvFLzkCD_8Bz9qcHHUKtKBoKluOh4NteniuT2Xlx3NZh2xzn1FWEi4vvDV/s1600/Climate+optimist+Lisa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpk-PvVF6vBERi5BOmO39lDi6turM83X5QVvzvHWfMLY_opFkHk4ucliXE56lo1V2WbB8E8gl2HxH7VDp64MRvFLzkCD_8Bz9qcHHUKtKBoKluOh4NteniuT2Xlx3NZh2xzn1FWEi4vvDV/s400/Climate+optimist+Lisa.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br />
Now, I didn't need any urging to be optimistic about climate change. Despite all the bad news that surrounds climate change, including the impacts already happening like <b><a href="https://www.climatecouncil.org.au/cranking-intensity-report" target="_blank">increased extreme weather events</a></b> around the world and <b><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/dec/01/climate-change-trigger-unimaginable-refugee-crisis-senior-military" target="_blank">climate refugees</a></b>, I've been an optimist ever since I became an environmentalist.<br />
<br />
Actually, I think that it's <i>because </i>I'm an active environmentalist that I am an optimist. I feel incredibly privileged to have met countless innovators and changemakers through my work, including through the green building industry, the sustainable fashion movement, and the many climate and renewable activists I've met along the way. I know people who have launched social enterprises that recycle used <b><a href="https://bureo.co/" target="_blank">fishing nets into skateboards and sunglasses</a></b>, created transparent and ethical <b><a href="http://www.chetnaorganic.org.in/" target="_blank">supply chains for textiles</a></b>, made <b><a href="https://goodonyou.eco/" target="_blank">apps to help people shop more ethically</a></b>, invented sustainability roles for themselves, and worked with big business and government to address larger systems and institutions. Simply put, there is so much activity, and so many people working on solving the climate (and other environmental) crisis, that there is no reason <i>not</i> to be an optimist.<br />
<br />
I know not everyone can meet these people in their day jobs and hear about the latest innovations as they are being created and tested, so I thought I'd share some of the reasons why I feel so optimistic:<br />
<br />
<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Global energy-related carbon emissions have been <b><a href="https://www.iea.org/newsroom/news/2017/march/iea-finds-co2-emissions-flat-for-third-straight-year-even-as-global-economy-grew.html" target="_blank">flat for three years in a row</a></b>, even as the global economy grew by 3.1%. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a proponent for endless growth economics, but it's promising to see that we don't have to totally overthrow capitalism to address climate change (not right away, anyway...)</li>
<br />
<li>Australia's energy-related emissions decreased 2.3% in the year to June 2017, this brings us to 9.1% below 2005 emissions and 0.8% below 2000 emissions. Furthermore, emissions per capita are at the lowest level in 27 years, down 34.2% since 1990. Read all the details on the <b><a href="http://www.environment.gov.au/climate-change/climate-science-data/greenhouse-gas-measurement/publications/quarterly-update-australias-national-greenhouse-gas-inventory-mar-2017" target="_blank">Australian Department of Environment and Energy</a></b> website.</li>
<br />
<li>A <b><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/jun/06/spectacular-drop-in-renewable-energy-costs-leads-to-record-global-boost" target="_blank">global energy transition is underway</a></b>. Renewable energy has grown by record levels once again in 2016, up 10% from the 2015 record to 161GW, and costs less each year, 23% reduction in investment compared to 2015. There is more investment in renewables than any other energy form. </li>
<br />
<li>In the US, after Donald Trump announced pulling out of the Paris Climate Accord, a number of <b><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/01/climate/american-cities-climate-standards.html?mcubz=0" target="_blank">cities and businesses pledged to meet the commitments</a></b>.</li>
<br />
<li>Australian researchers have identified <b><a href="https://theconversation.com/want-energy-storage-here-are-22-000-sites-for-pumped-hydro-across-australia-84275" target="_blank">22,000 sites for pumped hydro energy storage</a></b> to address renewable energy storage concerns.</li>
<br />
<li>The <b><a href="https://www.leonardodicaprio.org/leonardo-dicaprio-foundation-awards-20-million-in-environmental-grants/" target="_blank">Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation</a></b> just awarded $20 million in environmental grants (as if I needed another reason to love Leo).</li>
<br />
<li>Fossil fuel companies are being taken to court by <b><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/10/climate/climate-change-lawsuits-courts.html?mcubz=0" target="_blank">children, cities and states</a></b> to pay the damages of climate change because the industry knew about the link between fossil fuels and climate change and failed to act (similar to the tobacco industry cases).</li>
<br />
<li>The Australian green building sector has <b><a href="http://www.worldgbc.org/benefits-green-buildings" target="_blank">decreased emissions by 62% and potable water use by 51%</a></b> (compared to traditional building standards).</li>
<br />
<li>Interest in sustainable fashion is rapidly growing. I don't have any quantitative stats to share on this, however, given my own involvement in the movement (and my recently completely PhD research) I can attest to the increased interest from consumers, governments, industry and educational institutions. While not directly connected to climate change (though the production, use and disposal of clothing certainly adds to emissions), this growing interest in sustainable fashion signals growing concern and awareness of all environmental issues, and shows that a broad range of individuals care about these issues and want to play a part in the solution.</li>
</ul>
<div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
In short - passion and innovation change the world, and I see no shortage of either. </blockquote>
</div>
<div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9xgippgkH__McMtsbDL_ZNIYc0YeMKoIjuWM22xTFL6ouq_EHRH_eva1n6q-Hf-J-KlKAwcJMlcagUMTX6UWTCnWt6pyMg3cJVxAfLpms7eGkFGtcc1ZY7B5WyrbEpbdagaptUlb4k0cE/s1600/CO_MyBecause_WeKnowHowToFixIt-02.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9xgippgkH__McMtsbDL_ZNIYc0YeMKoIjuWM22xTFL6ouq_EHRH_eva1n6q-Hf-J-KlKAwcJMlcagUMTX6UWTCnWt6pyMg3cJVxAfLpms7eGkFGtcc1ZY7B5WyrbEpbdagaptUlb4k0cE/s400/CO_MyBecause_WeKnowHowToFixIt-02.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the main reason I'm a <b><a href="https://www.climateoptimist.org/" target="_blank">climate optimist,</a></b><br />
but there are too many to list.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
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I wouldn't be true to my activist self if I didn't add a final caveat: just because I am optimistic does not mean we can be complacent. We have a lot of work to do, and we need all hands on deck - citizens, businesses and governments. So while I am optimistic - and I hope you feel optimistic, too - I don't want to give the impression our work here is done.</div>
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What do you think? Are you a climate optimist? Why? Why not? I'd love to hear from you, so let's keep this important discussion moving.</div>
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xxLisa</div>
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Lisa Heinzehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15549340948793105392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1708881323942683536.post-83043136449248975842017-09-19T10:07:00.001+10:002017-09-19T10:07:27.680+10:00i heart nudie<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Do you have items in your wardrobe that haven't fit for years? And you keep thinking, "maybe one day?"<br />
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Normally I get rid of those items - no need to not love everything in your wardrobe, I always say. But I've had a hard time saying goodbye to these black skinny Nudie jeans. Probably because I just LOVE <b><a href="https://www.nudiejeans.com/page/this-is-nudie-jeans" target="_blank">Nudie</a></b>. They have been committed to organic cotton for years, offer free repairs for the life of your denim, sell pre-loved jeans in their stores, recycle denim that's beyond repair, and have embraced sustainability long before it became trendy.<br />
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But, I bought the wrong size. Well, I think I'd hoped they would stretch a bit with wear, and they certainly did not. So - off to eBay for these beauties! They are barely worn, hence the sale rather than donation. Waist 29, length 30, high waisted, skinny High Kai denim.<br />
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If that happens to be your size, <b><a href="http://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/e12000.m43.l1123/7?euid=c3bc65175c4841539fcd929b986fcb19&loc=http%3A%2F%2Fcgi.ebay.com.au%2Fws%2FeBayISAPI.dll%3FViewItem%26item%3D222649728728%26ssPageName%3DADME%3AL%3ALCA%3AAU%3A1123" target="_blank">check them out on eBay.</a></b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFeBtEIxRRTItfwFFX0m_xR6tpRKszfoo_yYUDiiH4xZDvq7-rOxi50TWrKpCITSlWbA4kC51WGxSFnIhayyiiiTmq3pw0NjPglvZZrch0ZKdxOQQcJAVfcauAzgLNdlwNRc5tdNA_l4mz/s1600/IMG_8408.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFeBtEIxRRTItfwFFX0m_xR6tpRKszfoo_yYUDiiH4xZDvq7-rOxi50TWrKpCITSlWbA4kC51WGxSFnIhayyiiiTmq3pw0NjPglvZZrch0ZKdxOQQcJAVfcauAzgLNdlwNRc5tdNA_l4mz/s320/IMG_8408.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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Otherwise, next time you're in the market for new denim, <b><a href="https://www.nudiejeans.com/page/this-is-nudie-jeans" target="_blank">check out Nudie</a></b> and enjoy wearing high quality, organic cotton denim.<br />
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As proof of their commitment to repair - here are a couple snaps of my husband's Nudies, repaired twice now (and another pair is currently being repaired as I type).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8tKiSl1vcKFe8JagSd5714rzZ6yMHe-yAGYcXOaLmQEuG5Fta7NP4QF9414qzCzTKXnMdOsRwmCTxYg6I6CWSyXIfA_rVh9FJDx4WYBBTakJTrRmq5SX707xNqQrKjYVv5oWBXZbCyJk3/s1600/IMG_8413.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8tKiSl1vcKFe8JagSd5714rzZ6yMHe-yAGYcXOaLmQEuG5Fta7NP4QF9414qzCzTKXnMdOsRwmCTxYg6I6CWSyXIfA_rVh9FJDx4WYBBTakJTrRmq5SX707xNqQrKjYVv5oWBXZbCyJk3/s320/IMG_8413.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBd9MzvCCbSbnF7TXtbuswlGiwQbcaO7x6TuPEpz7gF5Rv__BZqz4zITBmFZc5UjixUvUGVZE75s6BcRfus5m79SY0OFfuttkN2fsgeCNp7E-MpPsXg1R5fOO4ys4-vKP-8dNIHlv1nj-j/s1600/IMG_8414.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBd9MzvCCbSbnF7TXtbuswlGiwQbcaO7x6TuPEpz7gF5Rv__BZqz4zITBmFZc5UjixUvUGVZE75s6BcRfus5m79SY0OFfuttkN2fsgeCNp7E-MpPsXg1R5fOO4ys4-vKP-8dNIHlv1nj-j/s320/IMG_8414.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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Thanks, Nudie, for your complete embrace of sustainable values throughout the life of your products.</div>
Lisa Heinzehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15549340948793105392noreply@blogger.com0