Personal Journal

A trip to Dublin highlighted the huge increase in unsustainable developments within busy cities which I hadn't seen on this high scale before. When travelling to the city I was shocked to see the large amount of cranes towering over buildings and the huge chimneys shooting up to the sky releasing thick smoke which looked damaging to the planet. This view continued in some areas of the city centre which were very industrialised and there was a constant feeling of change and development throughout the city with cranes and scaffolding being very dominant, this was made very distinctive around older areas of the city which were ruined by the looming modern buildings surrounding them. The city appeared as many capital cities within the world do, as highly populated with limited sustainable housing which creates the urge for quick and unsustainable building.  It is common for a city of its size to have industrial areas but larger cities often make their industrial areas sustainable and a...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p04tjbtx The second instalment of Blue Planet aired last night, this wildlife documentary series opens our eyes and minds to the mysteries of the ocean. It is very common for an individual to be uneducated about what goes on within the deep oceans around the world as there is so much that is yet to be discovered. This episode in the series featured stunning visuals and interesting information which engaged and surprised audiences, alongside these intriguing visuals there was the usual voice over by David Attenborough who audiences adore. Within this voice over he brought the audiences attention to the problems within our seas due to human consumption and use, this was done in a very polite and subtle manner as audiences would expect from Attenborough. He detailed how our waste effects the species and their habitats, by placing this speech over the stunning visuals of the species in their natural habitats and the information coming from an individual as...

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/plum-turner/unnatural-phenomena-three_b_18278038.html?utm_hp_ref=uk-sustainability The word 'weird' in the title really does capture the thought you have when seeing these images. The visible dark blue streak running through a river from denim production within the textile industry is extremely concerning, it is rare that this is visibly seen by individuals on the other side of the world and really opens up your eyes to the huge production for the textile industry china offers. It is unbelievable to comprehend that there are areas of oceans and lakes with no oxygen within the water due to this contamination, after the initial feeling of shock when seeing this there is a suddenly rush of sadness after thinking of all of the living species killed within this "dead zone". To think that lakes half the size of England are disappearing is puzzling to say the least, these lakes were created to support the unsustainable cotton and wheat ind...

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/oct/16/high-street-outlets-move-to-ditch-plastic-amid-environmental-concerns 'Pret A Manger has become the latest to take action,  announcing  that it has installed taps dispensing free filtered water and started selling empty glass bottles in its three vegetarian stores. The scheme is due to be rolled out to branches in Manchester from the end of October.' This is a positive article to read, the beginning of a movement of removing plastic bottles from stores sounds like a very sustainable action. Its great to read until it states that this is only happening in three stores in the beginning and then even when it is spread across more stores, plastic bottles will still be available to buy. Due to our throw away society in the modern day, it is likely that a lot of people will still purchase the plastic bottles, also many people do not like change and will want to stick with what they are used to. The idea behind the movement is re...

https://twitter.com/IAMLenaHeadey Social media often gains a negative reputation, much more than a positive one. It is commonly known to disengage the digital age from the real world, making them more interested in the online world which is full of danger and criticism. Today and in recent weeks this negative reputation has been turned into a platform for individuals to speak out and tell their story in a very brave and public manner, it has allowed them to see that others in the same situation have spoken out and received support from thousands of people online. Tweeting a story makes it possible for millions of users to read it, even more when the individual is on some type of public platform due to their job role.  It was today that Game of Thrones star Lena Headley decided to share her story on the ongoing Harvey Weinstein investigation, 4 sad tweets detailed the story that he made suggestive comments towards her which she shut down and years later he man handled her and be...

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/chicago-climate-change-rahm-emanuel_us_59de80d4e4b0eb18af05fb98?utm_hp_ref=sustainability Its great to see that states within America are being independent and making their own choices thanks to their mayor's who back and stand for the individuals living within the states opinions. Many Americans are angry over having Donald Trump as the countries president and became furious when he pulled America out of the Paris agreement. This bold decision shocked the world and it appears to have created a bigger divide within the country. It is great to see that people are standing up against this unwanted change, not allowing themselves to be tarnished by the same brush and appear dumb to the rest of the world alongside Donald Trump. Chicago is a great state to lead a rebellion against pulling from the agreement as the mayor states that they alone are proof that "you can create jobs while reducing your carbon footprint". Due to the city being ...

https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/oct/11/actor-terry-crews-sexually-assaulted-by-hollywood-executive An article with this issue is very rare as it is unlikely that males speak out on sexual assault which makes Terry Crews very brave and hopefully inspiring to anyone with the fear of speaking out. He is very honest in this telling of the story and even explains why he didn't speak out at the time, his reasoning is sadly related to his race with him saying he would go to jail and " 240 lbs. Black Man stomps out Hollywood Honcho" would be the headline the next day. This is very sad and eye opening to read as he felt the assault would be turned on him just due to the reputation of his race. Free speech is a human right and due to our non modern, modern society in terms of race he didn't feel as though he had any freedom of speech. He states due to the recent allegations against  Harvey Weinstein he wanted to speak out to  “deter a predator and encourage someon...

http://bagsofethics.org/bags-of-talent/ As an owner of one of these bags for around a year, it was not until I recently saw the tag stating 'Bags of Ethics' which I had seen many times before, today I looked at it in a different mindset due to this module. When purchasing the bag it was obvious that it was more sustainable than a plastic carrier bag as it is reusable, when researching into the bag it became clear it was much more than a usual bag for life. The slogan "you are what you carry" opens the mind to thinking about other accessories and how they are not sustainable what so ever, unlike this bag which is 100% cotton and durable. The stylish design offers a fashionable alternative to plastic bags and is a refreshing way to attract consumers to using more sustainable materials rather than bags for life with the shops name printed across it which you wouldn't want to use an accessory. This turns being sustainable into fashion thanks to the collaboration...

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/fashion/it-may-not-be-possible-to-slow-down-fast-fashion-so-can-the-industry-ever-be-sustainable-a7970031.html The title of this article alone is worrying, stating that it may not be possible to slow down fast fashion brings the question to mind of what will happen if they do not find a way make this sustainable? the predictions for 2030 offers statistics on water use, waste and carbon footprint caused by the industry. Although they are making significant progress in being sustainable, the fast demand for fashion makes this effort have a lesser impact as the consumer damage overweights the progress due to the fast increase in consumers buying clothes. As consumers we continue to buy clothes even though " It is estimated there is more than £30bn of clothing sitting in wardrobes across the UK that haven’t been used for over 12 months." This article makes us as consumers appear greedy and is proof of the throw away society we have become...

https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/oct/05/harvey-weinstein-sexual-harassment-allegations-film-industry-response This news article has appeared  due to The New York Times accusing the movie producer of “decades of sexual harassment" which isn't the first time this producer has been linked to such claims. There have been rumours of this behaviour following him throughout his career but the victims have only just brought themselves to speak out, more and more victims have made their story public after hearing of others telling of their situations with the producer. The large amount of people within the industry who have spoken out on this issue makes it appear entirely true when reading the article, with some stating that he and his brothers are bullies. These statements make the film industry appear as even more of a sad state for females to work within as no one should have to put up with this kind of behaviour in their place of work and worry about speakin...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/4-filmmakers-shattering-film-industry-gender-barriers_us_57d6ebbbe4b03d2d459b9935 This article is very refreshing to read, it focuses on gender barriers within the film industry but in a positive view rather than a negative which dwells on the facts and figures of the lack of females within film production this turns the attention to empowering woman. The article gives information on four female film makers including their interesting back story and rise to success and the problems they encountered along the way due to being over powered by men. Although they were working much harder and for longer hours these incredible individuals did not allow the issues get in their way and would not accept being over powered due to their gender, they knew what they wanted to be and achieve and made sure no one could stop them in their path. As a female film maker who wants to be part of the industry myself I find these women and their stories very empowering a...