Environmental Newsletter: Sample Extract

I recently had to a produce a writing sample of five short stories for an environmental newsletter aimed at Gen Z, as part of the recruitment process for a job I did not get. I enjoyed writing it. So I've decided to post it here!

(Credit: Peter Prato for the New York Times)

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The Big Picture:

1.

Lord of the Manor

Randall Plunkett is more than just an independent horror filmmaker. He is heir to one of the oldest noble titles in Ireland and has “rewilded” the grounds of his home, Dunsany Castle, into a nature reserve. Rewilding is a popular solution to the climate crisis. It involves returning land to nature by letting it grow without interference. This encourages biodiversity and aids in the creation of carbon sinks to absorb greenhouse gasses. Over six years after beginning the project, Plunkett is beginning to see results. Otters have returned to the stream and the area recorded its first woodpecker in 100 years.

2.

Sustainability, But Make It Fashion

What influences you when you shop? For some it’s the price tag, for others it’s brand name recognition. According to a survey by marketplace app Depop, Gen Z shoppers are “strongly influenced” by brands who commit to environmental and social sustainability. 75% of users buy preloved clothing on the platform to reduce their consumption. A further 90% of Gen Z’ers surveyed have made changes to become more sustainable in their day-to-day lives, while 60% are driven by the knowledge of a brand reducing its carbon footprint and 70% are influenced by the payment fair wages to factory workers.

3.

Just Keep Swimming

How long can fish live for? Well, for the coelacanth, a lot longer than scientists initially thought. French researchers have discovered that the mysterious fish can live for 100 years, 5 times longer than was previously estimated. This discovery was made by studying their scales under a polarised light. Coelacanths have been around for 400 million years and are nicknamed, “living fossils” because they spend years in the womb and don’t mature until they’re 45. Their long gestation period “very strange”, says Harold Walker of Scripps Institution of Oceanography in San Diego. Once considered to be extinct, they are now considered an endangered species.

4.

Compost and… Cotton?

Unwanted cotton clothing appears in many places – landfills, charity shops, turned into rags. But what if it was shredded and put back into the earth? Cotton Australia intends to do just that. Cotton products are comprised of natural, usually harmless fibres which break down in soil. Lab tests have shown that shredded cotton increases the fungus and bacteria in soil but doesn’t impact seed germination. In Australia, approximately 780,000 tonnes of textile waste are created annually. Only 7% of it is recycled. “We need to get smarter about how we reduce and manage waste,” says Dr Oliver Knox, who is supervising the trial.

5.

Hulk Smash

Mark Ruffalo is no stranger to supporting environmental causes. So, it comes as little surprise to see him use his social media power to draw attention to protestors in British Columbia, Canada. These activists are blocking logging companies from cutting down old-growth forests. The yellow cedars in the Fairy Creek watershed, where the activists are based, “could very well be approaching 2,000 years in age”, believes Ancient Forest Alliance’s TJ Watt. Days after Ruffalo’s tweet, the Canadian government suspended logging in the area. Proving, in the case of the activists, that not all superheroes wear capes.