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Industries and sectors driving deforestation: what you need to know

We recently had a deep-dive into the industries and sectors driving deforestation. We were curious: do all sectors contribute to deforestation? And which industries have the biggest impact? 
We learned that<a href="https://forest500.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> every six seconds</a>, an area of forest the size of a football pitch is destroyed to make way for the production of commodities such as soy, beef, timber and palm oil. Here’s the full scoop:

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Forests cover <a href="http://www.fao.org/3/ca8753en/CA8753EN.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">31% </a>of the land on our planet and they are critically important for stabilising our climate. They regulate ecosystems, protect biodiversity, support livelihoods, and play an important part in taking carbon dioxide out of our atmosphere. Approximately <a href="https://www.iucn.org/resources/issues-briefs/forests-and-climate-change#:~:text=Approximately%202.6%20billion%20tonnes%20of,America%20%E2%80%93%20offer%20opportunities%20for%20restoration.">2.6 billion tonnes of CO2</a>, one third of the CO­2 released from burning fossil fuels, is absorbed by forests every year and the <a href="https://www.ipcc.ch/srccl/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2019 IPCC special report of Climate Change and Land</a> stated that planting forests and protecting existing forests is key to all pathways for limiting global warming to 1.5°C.  
Forests are also home to <a href="https://www.iucn.org/resources/issues-briefs/forests-and-climate-change#:~:text=Approximately%202.6%20billion%20tonnes%20of,America%20%E2%80%93%20offer%20opportunities%20for%20restoration." target="_blank" rel="noopener">80% </a>of the world&#8217;s terrestrial biodiversity and provide critical ecosystem services that are important to both people and the planet, such as healthy soil, clean water sources, habitats, erosion control, crop pollination and  flood control.
Globally about <a href="https://www.un.org/esa/forests/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/UNFF13_BkgdStudy_ForestsSCP.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">1.6 billion people</a> (nearly 25% of the world’s population) rely on forests for their livelihoods, many of whom are among the world’s poorest. Over<a href="https://www.un.org/esa/forests/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/UNFF13_BkgdStudy_ForestsSCP.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> 200 million people</a>, including many indigenous people, directly depend on forests for their survival. Forests produce more than 5,000 types of wood-based products and generate an annual gross value add of just over<a href="https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/forests" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> $600 billion</a>.

Forests are critically important and must be protected. However, they are being cleared and degraded at a rapid rate, causing carbon loss as well as negative impacts on ecosystem services. Deforestation is the second largest source of anthropogenic emissions on the planet, causing <a href="https://www.cdp.net/en/forests" target="_blank" rel="noopener">15% of global greenhouse gas emissions</a>. 
The clearing of forests also leads to the loss of habitat and brings humans and wildlife into closer contact, increasing the risk of spill over of infectious diseases such as COVID-19, Ebola and HIV from animals to humans as they come in closer contact. 
Global forest loss continues at a rate of five million hectares a year. This is an extremely alarming rate, and studies have found that even with all other anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions phased out, ‘business as usual’ deforestation alone could still drive global heating above <a href="https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/aa836d" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2°C by 2100</a>.

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Globally the loss of tropical forests has continued to increase. This is largely driven by the commercial production of the four forest-risk commodities: cattle, soy, palm oil and timber. 
Cattle ranching to produce beef, leather, gelatine and tallow is the leading driver of deforestation in Latin America and is responsible for destroying an average of <a href="https://www.cdp.net/en/forests" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2.71 million hectares</a> of forests a year (equivalent to 3.25 million football pitches).  Soy production is another of the key drivers of deforestation in Latin America. This soy is used for personal care and medical products, fuel and food and most significantly as animal feed.
 Palm oil is a vegetable oil that is derived from the fruit on the African oil palm tree. The production of palm oil is linked to deforestation and climate changes as well as other issues such as habitat degradation, animal cruelty and indigenous rights abuses. Palm oil production is the largest cause of deforestation in SouthEast Asia and other tropical regions, and is used in a wide range of food, personal care, and household products, as well as to produce biofuel. A recent study found that palm oil contributed to more than <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0264837717301552" target="_blank" rel="noopener">14% of forest loss</a> over 2005-2015. 
The production of timber is another major driver of deforestation and forest degradation across the globe and is used for a variety of products from construction and furnishing, to paper and fabric goods.

The problem is that often people only associate deforestation with agriculture or food production. However, the four forest-risk commodities described above are found in many value chains covering a large number of sectors. The average company has <a href="https://www.cdp.net/en/research/global-reports/global-forests-report-2016">24%</a> of its revenue dependent on these four forest-risk commodities.  
These products are used as key ingredients across a range of products from burgers to lipsticks, to construction materials and car seats. However, the link between deforestation and the goods we buy are often hidden by the structure of global supply chains. 
A recent report by CDP (a charity that runs the global disclosure system, allowing companies to report and manage their environmental impacts) found that some companies report they are still unaware of the presence of the four main forest commodities in their supply chain or operations, or they are unaware of their impact. Below we highlight a number of sectors, and how they use these products.

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Agriculture 
The single largest causes of deforestation and forest degradation globally is agriculture, with large-scale commercial agriculture accounting for <a href="http://www.fao.org/state-of-forests/en/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">40% </a>of tropical deforestation, and local subsistence agriculture for another <a href="http://www.fao.org/state-of-forests/en/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">33%</a>. 
Forest is cleared at alarming rates to grow crops, particularly soy and palm, and to provide grazing land for livestock, especially cattle. Agriculture is the clear cause of deforestation to produce the four forest risk commodities. However, the sectors where these commodities are used is often less clear.
Both export-driven, large-scale agriculture and small-scale agriculture have impacts on deforestation. If you take the Amazon as an example, commercial, large-scale agriculture, particularly for animal feed, and biofuels using soy and palm oil, is a key pressure that has been responsible for the <a href="https://wwfeu.awsassets.panda.org/downloads/wwf_living_amazon__report_2016_mid_res_spreads_1.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">largest losses of natural habitat</a> in the Amazon in recent decades. However, small-scale agriculture and legal and illegal settlement of small-scale farmers is expanding and is also impacting on forest loss.

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Food and beverage
The majority of deforestation in this sector is linked to meat, soy, and palm oil. Meat production is the most significant driver of deforestation, because as well as the vast clearance of land for grazing livestock (particularly cattle), huge amounts of forests are removed so that the land can be used to grow soy to feed the pigs and chickens that we eat. 
Soy is one of the four major forest risk commodities, and more than <a href="https://www.wwf.org.uk/sites/default/files/2017-10/Risky%20Business%20-%20October%202017.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">80%</a> of soy grown globally is used to feed animals- particularly poultry, pigs and dairy cows.  Therefore, deforestation is often rife in the animal products that we consume: meat, dairy and eggs.
Soybeans also contain approximately <a href="https://www.bothends.org/uploaded_files/document/Soy_Barometer2014_ENG.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">18%</a> oil which is refined and used as vegetable oil for cooking in a wide variety of processed food. A valuable by-product from crushing soy is lecithin. This is an emulsifying agent in food products such as chocolate, cookies, peanut butter, and coffee creamers. About<a href="https://www.bothends.org/uploaded_files/document/Soy_Barometer2014_ENG.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> 6%</a> of the global soy production is directly used in food products, predominantly in Asia: soy sauce, tempeh, tofu, soy flour, soy milk, textured vegetable protein and edamame. 
The most well known cause of deforestation within the food sector is palm oil. This is the most widely consumed vegetable oil on the planet and found in margarine, chocolate, pizza dough, instant noodles, ice cream, cookies, packaged bread and many more!
Food packaging is also a culprit, as pulp and paper used to make them come from timber. Not all items appear on the shelf in cardboard packaging, but almost all would have arrived at the supermarket packed in a cardboard box. Wood is also used in the processing of some foods, for example smoking.
Automobile
Leather for cars comes from cattle. The non-profit organisation <a href="https://phys.org/news/2020-09-european-carmakers-leather-fuelling-deforestation.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Earthsight</a> have revealed that some of Europe’s biggest car makers, including BMW and Jaguar Land Rover use leather linked to deforestation in South America. These automakers buy leather for vehicle industries that is originally sourced from cattle ranching on illegally razed land in Paraguay. 
The automotive and tyre industry is also the biggest consumer of rubber. Almost <a href="https://www.cdp.net/en/forests" target="_blank" rel="noopener">90%</a> of natural rubber is produced in South East Asia, where it has become a leading driver of deforestation.

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Textile
The leather from our shoes, bags and belts comes from cattle. Often the word ‘cattle’ is synonymised with ‘beef’, leaving leather to be labelled as just a by-product of the meat industry and meaning that the environmental impacts of the leather industry avoid scrutiny.
 A report from <a href="https://forest500.org/sites/default/files/forest500_annualreport2019_final_0.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Forest 500 </a>in 2019, found that 81% of the 64 most influential companies assessed for leather had no commitment to source deforestation-free leather, including Prada, Zara and Michael Kors.
Deforestation is also present in the supply chain of materials made from plant-based cellulose, such as viscose, rayon, bamboo and lyocell fibres. These fibres are made from timber, by processing wood until it forms pulp, adding inorganic fibres and spinning it until it forms fibres. Over <a href="https://forest500.org/analysis/insights/hidden-deforestation-fashion-industry-how-sustainable-sustainable-fabric" target="_blank" rel="noopener">150 million trees </a>are logged annually for cellulose fibres for clothing.
Chemical
Many perfumes and flavourings, drugs, cleaning products etc contain palm oil or soy. A valuable by-product from crushing soy is lecithin. This is an effective emulsifying agent used in paints, coatings, and waxes.  Palm kernel oil is also used in many chemicals for industrial use.  
Personal care
Many personal care products such as toothpaste, soap, and lipstick contain soy or palm oil. A valuable by-product from crushing soy is lecithin. This is an emulsifying agent that is used in cosmetics. Palm kernel oil is also used for making soap, toiletries, and cosmetics. Tissues, toilet paper, sanitary towels, tampons, and diapers are all made from wood.

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Retailers
Most retailers will sell items that have some of the four forest-risk commodities within them, whether that is furnishings, clothes, noodles, meat, dairy or confectionary. 
An example is retailers that sell furniture. Most furniture is made from timber, varying from softwood furniture (e.g. pine) and plywood/laminate flat pack furniture to luxury hardwood (e.g. mahogany). These all have the potential to include damaging deforestation in their supply chain, unless it is ensured that they are sustainably sourced. 
The same goes for leather furniture, sourced from cattle. Timber is also used to make musical instruments, tool handles, decorative items and for the packaging that most products will come in (e.g. pallets, cardboard boxes).
Forestry
Perhaps the most iconic symbol of forest destruction is wood production. Products made from wood can be divided into two categories: pulp and timber. Pulp is made from tree fibres and used to produce paper and related products. This is particularly an issue in Indonesia, where native forests are cut down for monoculture plantations of fast-growing tree species. 
Timber is used for construction or high end-products like furniture and is linked to forest degradation, where valuable tree species are harvested, and the rest are left. These degraded forests are then <a href="https://conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1523-1739.2009.01338.x" target="_blank" rel="noopener">more likely</a> to be targeted for deforestation and conversion to other land use.

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Print Publishing
The print publishing industry uses paper made from timber in newspapers, books, magazines, office paper, packaging tissues and labels. Timber is also often used to create advertising billboards.
Construction
The construction industry uses timber for both interior and exterior materials including timber frames for houses. Timber is also widely used as a construction material in flooring (solid wood; laminate or parquet blocks), window frames, doors and doorframes, skirting, decking, garden buildings, telegraph poles, fencing, boat building, railway sleepers etc
Energy
Worldwide, <a href="https://wwf.panda.org/our_work/our_focus/forests_practice/forest_publications_news_and_reports/living_forests_report/energy_forests/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2.6 billion people </a>use traditional biomass, mainly wood and charcoal, as a source of energy. Most wood fuel is used in its country of production, particularly in rural areas and in developing countries, for heating and cooking, usually on open fires or in simple cookstoves. In recent years, there has been an expansion of ‘bioenergy’ in industrialized countries, where biomass such as timber is burnt to generate energy.
Finance
Many investments within the finance industry involve financing forest clearance. Data from the latest <a href="https://forest500.org/sites/default/files/forest500_annualreport2019_final_0.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Forest 500 assessment</a> of the 150 biggest financial institutions investing in companies in forest-risk supply chains shows that two thirds do not have policies in place to address this risk. 
Fuel
Biofuels are fuels that can be used to drive our cars and other forms of transport, that are made from biomass. This has the benefits of reducing emissions associated with fossil fuels, however there are associated risks, including the effects on the world’s forests.  Biodiesel is a type of vegetable oil that is produced from crops. Most biofuel is made from soy or palm oil, both of which are leading causes of deforestation.
Pharma
Soy, palm oil and even timber are found in a number of medical products. An example is aspirin, which is made from the bark of the white willow tree. The pharmaceutical industry is also an industry that is likely to be affected by deforestation. Of the 50,000 known medicinal plants, which are the basis of more than<a href="https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2015/01/13/la-deforestacion-un-dolor-de-cabeza-para-la-medicina-natural" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> 50% </a>of all medications, up to a fifth are at risk of extinction at the local, national, regional, or global level due to deforestation.

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Deforestation is a corporate responsibility issue that companies must address. The first step is to understand the risks in their supply chain. Could their suppliers be linked to deforestation? Companies need to be more transparent about how they are using cattle, soy, palm oil and timber to enable the deforestation embedded in global supply chains to be publicly tracked. They can address these risks by working with their direct and indirect suppliers to ensure they are not driving deforestation and to promote sustainable production.
The Paris Agreement states that since companies are responsible for such a large percentage of emissions, they are also responsible for delivering the necessary reductions. By eliminating deforestation, the business community can deliver emissions reductions equivalent to <a href="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/575ecca7b654f9dd886dec23/t/576c39fdd2b857d28be73608/1466710526653/The+Business+End+of+Climate+Change.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">0.5-1.2 billion </a>metric tonnes.

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Deforestation is a global problem; and its reach extends far and wide into many sectors and industries. However, by recognising this issue and working with suppliers, businesses can ensure that they are promoting sustainable production. 
We also need to work to restore the forests that have been degraded and destroyed. Ecologi is a subscription service that is focused on planting trees to restore forests worldwide, as well as investing in <a href="https://ecologi.com/about">certified carbon reduction projects</a>, and we have already planted over 5 million trees!  Our goal is to avoid 50% of all global greenhouse gases by 2040, through tree planting and carbon reduction Gold Standard climate solutions. Learn more about <a href="https://ecologi.com/business">carbon offsetting for business.</a>

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UK Overshoot Day 2022

This year’s 2022 UK Overshoot Day falls on 19th May. Here’s a look at what<a href="https://www.overshootday.org/newsroom/country-overshoot-days/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Earth Overshoot Day</a> is, what it means for our environment and how we can help.

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Earth Overshoot Day marks the date in the calendar when the human demand for Earth’s natural resources exceeds what the planet can generate within a year. Put simply, once we’ve passed Earth Overshoot Day, it’s a clear indication that we are using the Earth’s resources at an unsustainable rate.  
A country’s overshoot day is determined by working out whether its Ecological Footprint per person is less than the global biocapacity per person, which is 1.6 global hectares. If a country exceeds its allowance, it’s using resources the Earth can’t replace quickly enough.

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Who’s responsible for Earth Overshoot Day?

Every nation on the planet is responsible for Earth Overshoot Day. Each individual country’s Overshoot Day is based on their demand and use, with some nations being bigger culprits than others. 
No two countries consume natural resources in the same way, so it stands to reason that Earth Overshoot Day will be different for many countries &#8211; some countries don’t have a determined Overshoot Day if their Ecological Footprint per person is less than the global biocapacity per person. Let’s be clear though – while an Overshoot Day later in the year may seem like a good indication, a country’s goal should be to have no determined Overshoot Day at all. Having a later Overshoot Day just means that these nations don’t take as long to exceed their allowance. 
It’s key to remember that while each country may have a determined Overshoot Day, global warming knows no borders. Regardless of the country, it’s vital to raise awareness about the unsustainable use of resources so that people from every nation are aware of what they’re consuming.

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What does Earth Overshoot Day mean for our environment?

There are many contributing factors from different industries and activities that influence Earth Overshoot Day, but some of the biggest culprits are:
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<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">The amount of energy we consume, specifically non-renewables, like coal and oil. <a href="https://www.overshootday.org/solutions/energy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">We need to be investing and using renewable energy</a>, like solar and wind power and reducing our reliance on our cars.</li>
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<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Resources required to feed the human population, and the amount of food that goes to waste. Not only does it take a lot of energy to grow the crops that feed our feed, but the cost of transporting goods from one place to another also consumes dirty energy that’s negatively impacting the environment. </li>
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Being responsible for Earth Overshoot Day doesn’t solely lie with politicians. Every day people can do their bit to reduce the demand for Earth’s natural resources. It starts with small changes to your lifestyle and spreading the word.
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<h3>Change your eating habits</h3>
Vegan and vegetarian diets are less resource intensive. Consuming less meat and animal products, particularly beef and dairy products, and switching to plant-based alternatives can go a long way to helping. 
For example, China’s government has committed to reducing half of its meat consumption by 2030, which would shrink humanity’s Ecological Footprint by 377 million global hectares, and move the date of Earth Overshoot Day back 5 days. This figure also includes methane emissions from cow flatulence. 
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<h3>Waste not, want not</h3>
Some 1.3 billion tonnes of food is wasted every year, which equates to about a third of all food produced to feed humans. What’s more, roughly 40% of the food goes to waste in the United States. According to the UN, cutting the world’s food waste by half would move Overshoot Day by nearly two weeks.
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<h3>Rethink your energy consumption</h3>
57% of humanity’s Ecological Footprint comes from carbon. By reducing carbon from humanity’s Ecological Footprint in half changes our consumption of 1.6 of Earth’s resources, right down to 1.1 and moves the date of Overshoot Day by nearly three months.

The key to success is using the Earth’s resources effectively and sustainably, and the good news is that simple changes to our lifestyles can make a huge difference in eradicating the concept of  Earth Overshoot Day.
We all have a part to play in collectively ensuring a sustainable  future.
<a href="https://ecologi.com/plan">Sign up today to take climate action with Ecologi</a>.

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Beyond eco-anxiety: How climate change affects your mental health

The climate crisis is arguably the greatest threat to life on our planet. It is a threat that we have met with astonishingly inadequate action. Climate change is a perfect storm &#8211; because it is often invisible and seen as a future problem, our psychological reaction often doesn’t match the urgency of the crisis. 
 
Social scientists have termed climate change a “<a href="https://www.stonybrook.edu/commcms/wicked-problem/about/What-is-a-wicked-problem" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wicked issue</a>” for its tendency to result in people avoiding concrete action because it appears distant to so many of us, predominantly in nations in the Global North which have been least impacted from the most direct impacts of climate change so far. There is no denying that the climate crisis is a highly complex issue, and this is reflected in the diverse ways in which we must respond to it.
Our physical and psychological reactions to climate change are rooted in our very biological make-up: whenever we perceive a threat we exhibit a fight, flight or freeze response. These reactions developed as a survival mechanism when we still had to face predators, but have persisted because evolution moves at a much slower pace than human civilisations. Someone who is predisposed to a flight response may be a climate denier or refuse to engage with the topic, while a fight response can manifest as activism to the point of burnout. The freeze response to the climate crisis is often termed eco-paralysis, which can lead to a variety of outcomes &#8211; avoidance of the issue, but also depression and despair.
In experiencing climate-related mental health issues, the first step is to recognise that they are a healthy response to the crisis we find ourselves in. The highly dysfunctional systems of racial capitalism, oppression and <a href="https://bricksmagazine.co.uk/2021/08/10/racism-extractivism-and-capitalism/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">extractivism</a> that permeate most aspects of our lives have rendered many of us numb to the reality of human and ecological devastation. We must actively seek to regain our agency as empathetic, ecological beings. The first step towards doing this is acknowledging our very much justified emotions concerning climate change.

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Eco-anxiety can be broadly described as a form of existential dread, which results in often continuous feelings of negativity, stress, or even panic. It can be triggered in a variety of ways and relate to both experienced or observed impacts of climate change, as well as anticipated events. In extreme cases, anxiety can lead to physical illness through over-exposure to stress chemicals. 
Eco-anxiety must be taken seriously. At a climate protest a few years ago, I met someone who had tragically lost their child to suicide after grappling with debilitating eco-anxiety for months. The current state of the world can be all-consuming, and it is important to recognise when professional or even medical support is needed &#8211; with organisations such as <a href="https://www.climatepsychologyalliance.org/support/indsupport" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Climate Psychology Alliance</a> leading the way in addressing climate-related mental health issues.
Eco-anxiety is a global phenomenon affecting many people, including <a href="https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3918955" target="_blank" rel="noopener">young people</a>. Accounts of eco-anxiety that we hear about in the UK have predominantly stemmed from the Global North, with a focus on observed rather than experienced events, and anticipated rather than experienced environmental degradation and catastrophe. It is, however, anything but a phenomenon solely of the Global North; anxiety rooted in environmental damage has been experienced in Indigenous and Global South populations for many years, with academics such as Ashlee Cunsolo having established a <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/340880861_Indigenous_mental_health_in_a_changing_climate_A_systematic_scoping_review_of_the_global_literature" target="_blank" rel="noopener">global perspective</a> on the topic. For Indigenous populations, both eco-anxiety and climate grief are the result of painfully real, physical losses felt by those at the frontline of climate impacts, which lead to the loss of traditional knowledge and place-based identity. It is essential, therefore, that we make our advocacy around eco-anxiety <a href="https://www.badactivistcollective.com/the-bad-book/eco-anxiety" target="_blank" rel="noopener">intersectional</a>.

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Losing home, one day at a time: Solastalgia

Another phenomenon growing in significance globally is solastalgia &#8211; the distress of seeing our home environment degraded or destroyed, or anticipating further damage. It is a homesickness that is felt without leaving one’s doorstep, an amalgamation of complicated place-based grief and nostalgia. The growing school of Ecopsychology, which recognises the interconnectedness of people and their surrounding ecosystems, is a much-needed criticism of Western psychology’s inability to explain mental health phenomena outside the context of our urban-industrial society. Environmental change affects us, on a very visceral level. The causal relationships between access to nature and mental and physical health are well-established and should not be ignored.
My experience with solastalgia is a very personal one. I grew up in a bleak tower block in a largely undeveloped area, surrounded by wetlands. Those natural habitats were a lifeline for me &#8211; for many hours each day, I would roam the fields, collecting nature memorabilia, identifying species, and playing with my friends. We were economically poor, but as long as we were outside, we were happy. Over the years, more and more of the wetland was drained and built up to create housing for the emerging middle class &#8211; most of them employed in the local chemical industry. My friends and I found ourselves more and more confined to indoor spaces, watching our beloved playing fields being chipped away at, bit by bit. My sister, who is ten years younger, never experienced those wetlands. There are times when I wonder how many generations we have left before natural spaces completely disappear from our childhoods.

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Between loss and acceptance: Climate grief

A lot of my academic work focuses on the relationship between people and nature, and their inextricable interdependence. Climate grief is a stark example of this connection. Similar to the loss of a loved one, people can grieve for the loss of natural habitats, whether they are present in their own lives or not. In my own research on the topic, I interviewed climate activists from around the world experiencing climate grief (also called ecological or environmental grief). The results were surprising. People could be immensely affected by witnessing destruction with their own eyes, but also by watching a news piece on bushfires in Australia for example, or the destruction of the Amazon rainforest &#8211; a phenomenon called vicarious trauma. After an initial period of shock and outrage following the realisation of the extent of the climate crisis, many would fall into a state of depression, with little to no capacity for action. This is followed by acceptance, from which constructive action could follow. 
Rather than denying our feelings, climate grief can be tackled by embracing difficult emotions. As Leslie Davenport writes in Emotional Resiliency in the Era of Climate Change, “as we begin to express our thoughts, feelings and behaviour in alignment with our deepest values, we build tremendous strength and resiliency.” Observing our ‘emotional visitors’ without judgement is an essential part of that, she stresses and is the first step towards conscious adaptation to our lived realities. Rather than letting our grief become despair, we can use it as a tool to push for change.

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Cultivating resilience in the age of climate chaos

While the above serves as a brief introduction to different (environ)mental health phenomena, I want to stress that it is impossible to put these into strict categories. Many experiences of eco-anxiety, solastalgia, climate grief and eco-paralysis overlap, and the lines between them are often blurred. Insisting on strict definitions and categorisations would not do justice to the diversity of human experience with regard to the climate crisis, and would make a cross-cultural, intersectional approach to the topic impossible. The boon and bane of eco-anxiety and Co are that they do not fit into our institutionalised models of mental health &#8211; which on the one hand complicates access to professional services, but on the other hand, transcends the binary lens through which Western academia views mental health.

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So, how do we cultivate resilience in the face of perpetual crisis? 

On an individual level, the first step is to actively cherish what we still have. Time in nature is a powerful antidote to negative emotions. Research has found that spending just <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-44097-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">120 minutes a week</a> in nature can seriously improve our mental health. 
However, to truly fight the intersecting crises of climate and mental health, we need other people. My own research showed that people drew the most strength from being in the community and realising that they’re not alone with their feelings. Community is where the spark of resistance is born, where movements are built. As someone who has experienced depression and anxiety from the state of the world, activism has often been a lifeline for me &#8211; given that it is <a href="https://shesapiens.com/mental-health-as-an-activist/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">balanced</a> with periods of rest, regeneration and active <a href="https://repeller.com/what-is-pleasure-activism/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">joy</a>. 
The intimate relationship between climate and mental health highlights the interdependence of all things, where one action influences all others. To quote <a href="https://sarahjaquetteray.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sarah Jaquette Ray</a> in A field guide to climate anxiety, “in our Western culture, which prioritises reason over feeling, emotional intelligence is a radical concept.” It is time to reclaim that awareness and take action rooted in radical acceptance of our hurt, anger, fear and fierce love for the planet. And we must reclaim it collectively. Because politics won’t save us &#8211; only our communities can.

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Jessica Kleczka is a climate activist, social scientist and writer. With a background in Psychology and Environmental Science, she currently works in climate policy and as a freelance journalist, with a focus on amplifying grassroots movements around the world. She is passionate about mental health awareness and advocates for a just transition away from fossil fuels. Learn more about Jessica’s work <a href="https://www.jessicakleczka.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">on her website</a>.

A note from Ecologi 
 
In facing the climate crisis, we need all of us to be resilient. Resilience doesn’t mean never feeling sad or angry about climate change – it means taking steps to securing long term wellbeing and agency in the face of the challenges we face.
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If you are feeling burned out, overwhelmed, or in despair, we’ve collected some resources from organisations doing amazing work on eco-anxiety, which we hope might help.
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">The <a href="https://www.allwecansave.earth/project" target="_blank" rel="noopener">All We Can Save Project</a> is an amazing resource for community building and sharing deeper dialogue about the climate crisis. There’s a book, All We Can Save, to read – or you could <a href="https://www.allwecansave.earth/circles" target="_blank" rel="noopener">start an All We Can Save Circle</a> which you could start with your friends or in your workplace. The Project also lists resources for <a href="https://www.allwecansave.earth/emotions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">working with climate emotions</a>.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Force of Nature runs <a href="https://www.forceofnature.xyz/podcast" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a thought-provoking podcast</a> centred around eco-anxiety and how to turn eco-anxiety into agency, as well as <a href="https://www.forceofnature.xyz/the-bloom" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a media platform called The Bloom</a> for young voices to express their feelings, thoughts and actions in the face of the climate crisis.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.theresilienceproject.org.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Resilience Project</a> trains young people to run peer-to-peer support circles based on the latest insights from psychology and neuroscience to <a href="https://www.theresilienceproject.org.uk/our-work" target="_blank" rel="noopener">build a resilient generation of youth</a>.</li>
</ul>
<a href="https://www.climatepsychologyalliance.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Climate Psychology Alliance</a> holds regular online ‘<a href="https://www.climatepsychologyalliance.org/events/500-climate-cafe-jan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Climate Cafes’</a> which you can attend to discuss fears &amp; uncertainties about our climate &amp; ecological crisis, all while in a safe and empathetic space with others who feel the same.

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The Impact of the Internet: risks of the digital era

The last Blockbuster store remains in Oregon as of 2022, symbolising how we have truly shifted into a new era of digital transformation. And as many opt for alternatives in this hyper-digital world, we must also acknowledge the somewhat surprising effect that the internet has on the environment and whether the risks outweigh the positives.

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How much is the internet contributing to carbon emissions?

With streaming services, innovative technology and even a global pandemic, the demand for digital technology continues to be on the rise. According to the <a href="https://www.itu.int/en/ITU-D/Statistics/Pages/stat/default.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ITU</a> (International Telecommunication Union), <a href="https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20200305-why-your-internet-habits-are-not-as-clean-as-you-think" target="_blank" rel="noopener">4.1 billion people or 56.6%</a> of the world now uses the internet. The entire internet infrastructure (including the systems that enable it to exist and operate and the gadgets we use to connect to it) is responsible for approximately <a href="https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20200305-why-your-internet-habits-are-not-as-clean-as-you-think" target="_blank" rel="noopener">3.7%</a> of global greenhouse gas emissions. Data centres in the US alone are responsible for <a href="https://www.energy.gov/eere/buildings/data-centers-and-servers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2% of the country’s electricity use</a>.
Around a decade ago, Alex Wissner-Gross, an environmental fellow at Harvard University claimed that<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/ethicallivingblog/2009/jan/12/carbon-emissions-google" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> two Google searches produces as much carbon dioxide as boiling the kettle for a cup of tea</a>. Wissner-Gross highlighted that by Google fulfilling its primary aim to provide <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/ethicallivingblog/2009/jan/12/carbon-emissions-google" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fast internet searches</a>, it ultimately placed a burden on the amount of energy that is required. The Guardian interpreted this claim by Wissner-Gross to say that it would mean <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/ethicallivingblog/2009/jan/12/carbon-emissions-google" target="_blank" rel="noopener">3,500 tonnes of CO2 is released daily (or 1.28 million tonnes per year)</a> just by using the infamous search engine. To allow more of a visual representation, they compared this to the carbon emissions produced by Laos, a country home to over <a href="https://worldpopulationreview.com/countries/laos-population#:~:text=The%20current%20population%20of%20Laos,1%2C%202022%20population%20at%207%2C481%2C023." target="_blank" rel="noopener">7 million citizens</a>. Therefore, claiming that the digital era is ‘less energy-hungry’ may be a pretence as it could actually consume as much as it did <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2010/aug/12/carbon-footprint-internet" target="_blank" rel="noopener">around 20 years ago</a>. However, in the past 10 years or so, some companies operating in this space have realised the need to meet their huge energy demands by using <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/jan/28/google-tech-giants-spark-record-rise-in-sales-of-renewable-energy">energy from renewable source</a>s rather than fossil fuels, reducing the greenhouse gas emissions they are responsible for. Carbon offsetting has also been funded by some of these corporations in order to reduce the impact on the planet of the emissions they are responsible for. What hasn&#8217;t changed though, and is in fact still increasing, is the huge amount of energy consumed by their activities, and consequently by our usage of the internet.

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Web hosting can be described as a <a href="https://medium.com/wedonthavetime/guest-blog-post-the-alarming-environmental-impact-of-the-internet-and-how-you-can-help-6ff892b8730d" target="_blank" rel="noopener">‘rented home that a website lives in’</a>, and being a carbon-neutral web host means making sustainable choices to safeguard the environment.   Thus, for activity on the website to be seen as sustainable, the ‘house’ the search is conducted in, the files are accessed from, and the data is stored in, must also follow sustainable practices. 
Data centres can be interpreted as one of the core issues of how the internet is contributing to the current climate crisis, as they account for <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2010/aug/12/carbon-footprint-internet" target="_blank" rel="noopener">around half a percent of global CO2 emissions</a>. According to The Shift Project, data centres contribute up to <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/c719f655-149c-4ce0-a7a5-18527c7776cf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">15% of the IT sector’s digital footprint</a>. Furthermore, statistics show that Google has emitted <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/c719f655-149c-4ce0-a7a5-18527c7776cf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">1.5 million tonnes</a> of greenhouse gases in 2020, Microsoft emitted around <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/c719f655-149c-4ce0-a7a5-18527c7776cf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">16 million tonnes</a>, and Amazon emitted a whopping <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/c719f655-149c-4ce0-a7a5-18527c7776cf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">44 million tonnes</a>. With more than <a href="https://www.bigcommerce.com/blog/amazon-statistics/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">197 million</a> people searching products on Amazon everyday (which is about 98.5 million cups of tea, I might add), carbon-neutral web hosting may be a solution to this rising issue.
Krystal hosting has responsibly planted over 1 million trees with Ecologi and were recently presented with a sustainable award to celebrate this special milestone. Krystal uses <a href="https://krystal.uk/green" target="_blank" rel="noopener">100% renewable electricity</a> from sources like the sun, wind and sea, as opposed to non-renewable sources like coal, oil, and natural gas. In 2017, Krystal became one of the first hosts to be run wholly on renewable energy and each and every one of their data centres has also achieved a PUE (Power Usage Effectiveness) <a href="https://krystal.uk/green" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rating of at least 1.2</a>, which is regarded as ‘very efficient’. Krystal will also be offsetting lifetime carbon emissions of their employees, which is approximately around 20,420 tonnes of CO2e.  
Simon Blackler, Krystal CEO and Founder, said that “Last year we co-founded <a href="https://www.milliontreepledge.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MillionTreePledge.org</a> and after planting 1.2 million trees via Ecologi in 9 months, we completed the first part of the pledge. We’ve now set our sights on protecting or planting 1 billion trees by 2030.” 
Simon went further to explain the impact of <a href="https://ecologi.com/collective-action" target="_blank" rel="noopener">collective action</a> and how “combined efforts of many businesses of all sizes, can and will, make the impact our planet so desperately needs.” 
 
Ecologi readers wishing to use Krystal Hosting will be offered a 50% discount with code EcologiEarthDay22 during checkout, until the end of May. (T&amp;C’s apply).

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With <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2009/may/03/internet-carbon-footprint" target="_blank" rel="noopener">1.5 billion people </a>using the net, it is no surprise that experts have estimated an annual <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2009/may/03/internet-carbon-footprint" target="_blank" rel="noopener">growth of 10%</a> in total energy footprints. 
A researcher at <a href="https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20200305-why-your-internet-habits-are-not-as-clean-as-you-think" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lancaster university</a> compared the use of the internet to the airline industry, stating that they both emitted ‘similar levels’ of carbon emissions. To put that in context, the aviation industry is responsible for <a href="https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20200218-climate-change-how-to-cut-your-carbon-emissions-when-flying" target="_blank" rel="noopener">5% of global warming</a>, accumulating around <a href="https://www.carbonbrief.org/guest-post-calculating-the-true-climate-impact-of-aviation-emissions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">32.6 billion tonnes of CO2e since 1940</a>. To make matters worse, it is predicted that these emissions will <a href="https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20200305-why-your-internet-habits-are-not-as-clean-as-you-think" target="_blank" rel="noopener">double by 2025</a>. Some predictions are indicative of the fact that the internet will actually contribute to <a href="https://royalsociety.org/blog/2020/05/internet-emissions-whats-the-issue/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">23% of global carbon emissions by 2030</a>. 
<a href="https://www.clientearth.org/latest/latest-updates/stories/fossil-fuels-and-climate-change-the-facts/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">80% of energy</a> used worldwide is dependent on non-renewable energy sources, and so are the most searched websites. A study conducted at Yale identified how internet usage increased by up to <a href="https://news.yale.edu/2021/01/27/surge-digital-activity-has-hidden-environmental-costs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">40% since lockdown occurred</a> in 2020, and that the environmental implications from this may have been overlooked. The study mentions how a <a href="https://news.yale.edu/2021/01/27/surge-digital-activity-has-hidden-environmental-costs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">forest twice the size of Portugal</a> would be required just to offset the emissions that occurred from 2020 to 2021, as a result of staying at home. In some way, the pandemic acted as a control variable, allowing experts to measure the impact that excess use of the internet has on the climate. 
<a href="https://www.websitecarbon.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Website Carbon</a> can help you identify and measure how much carbon a website emits each time its <a href="https://medium.com/wedonthavetime/guest-blog-post-the-alarming-environmental-impact-of-the-internet-and-how-you-can-help-6ff892b8730d" target="_blank" rel="noopener">homepage is visited.</a> 
Changes made now are crucial to moving away from high levels of risk that the internet poses for the environment and prospective climate initiatives. Simple actions can help, such as carbon-neutral web hosting, avoiding the urge to send unnecessary emails or limiting the number of files we save but don&#8217;t necessarily need. Of course, these feel rather insignificant, but collectively they lead to large-scale impact. It’s mind-boggling to think that if everyone in the <a href="https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20200305-why-your-internet-habits-are-not-as-clean-as-you-think" target="_blank" rel="noopener">UK sent one less ‘thank you’ email, 16,433 tonnes of carbon</a> could be saved in just one year. On top of that, did you know that the quality of streaming videos also affects the level of carbon emissions emitted? This means that if <a href="https://news.yale.edu/2021/01/27/surge-digital-activity-has-hidden-environmental-costs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">70 million streaming subscribers </a>reduced the quality of their video, <a href="https://news.yale.edu/2021/01/27/surge-digital-activity-has-hidden-environmental-costs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">3.5 million tonnes of emissions</a> could be avoided from entering our atmosphere.

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How can the internet help raise awareness?

It&#8217;s not all sombre clouds and weeping willows when it comes to the internet! In fact, in many ways the internet has helped introduce the concept of sustainability to the wider population. Be it by blogs, websites, digital news outlets or social media platforms, the world today provides endless means to accessing information relating to climate change. In other words, the internet has <a href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/social-media-and-saving-t_b_9100362" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reshaped our communication</a> and the way that we connect environmental challenges with feasible solutions. 
The director of Yale’s climate change communications program, said that the percentage of Americans who now viewed global warming as important was a <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/climate-change-awareness-polls-show-rising-concern-for-global-warming" target="_blank" rel="noopener">record-high 72% since 2018</a>. Meanwhile, in 2020, it was reported that around <a href="https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/wellbeing/articles/threequartersofadultsingreatbritainworryaboutclimatechange/2021-11-05" target="_blank" rel="noopener">three-quarters (76%) of adults living in the UK</a> were worried about climate change. 
The concept of ‘<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamesellsmoor/2019/08/25/environmental-education-will-shape-a-new-generation-of-decision-makers/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">conservation starts with education</a>’ relays the importance of acknowledging the role that the internet plays in building environmental awareness. In fact, a study conducted by Southern Cross University revealed that <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamesellsmoor/2019/07/23/77-of-people-want-to-learn-how-to-live-more-sustainably/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">77%</a> of individuals were eager to learn about living a sustainable lifestyle. Whilst, an incredible <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamesellsmoor/2019/07/23/77-of-people-want-to-learn-how-to-live-more-sustainably/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">93%</a> voiced concerns about the future of the planet.

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We can visibly measure the impact that digital communication has on the environment from turnouts for World Cleanup days, protests, and demonstrations continuing to increase exponentially. This influx of support has been thought to be generated predominantly by Gen Z, who appear to have a huge impact on leading brands due to their <a href="https://medium.com/@percevalroger_16306/how-social-media-helps-increasing-environmental-awareness-22daa21cbf8d" target="_blank" rel="noopener">high purchasing power</a>. 
Not just that, the surge of young climate activists who appear on social media has captivated the attention of millions around the world. According to the UNFCCC, ‘<a href="https://www.un.org/youthenvoy/environment-climate-change/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Young people are key actors in raising awareness</a>’. These individuals make appearances at major climate events, such as <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2021/11/09/meet-the-youth-activists-fighting-for-climate-action-at-cop26.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">COP26</a> and are involved in discussions with world leaders to make a real change to their future. By gaining momentum on their following, these young activists have been able to pressure governments and businesses into meeting their environmental targets and agreements. 
Recently, two sisters were able to convince Kellogs, a multinational company dominating <a href="https://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/analysis-change-kelloggs-top-table-kellogg-quick-answer-departure-its-marketing-chief-new-appointment-tania-mason-asks-changes-top-will-impact-cereals/149661#:~:text=Kellogg%20is%20unrivalled%20in%20terms,of%20the%20top%2015%20brands." target="_blank" rel="noopener">over 30%</a> of the market share for breakfast cereals, to halt their use of <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-51551431" target="_blank" rel="noopener">unsustainable palm oil</a>. This occurred as a result of a petition they started online, which was inspired by a documentary the girls had previously watched. Therefore, the internet has not only played a massive role in educating younger generations about the dangers of unsustainable practices, but has also provided them with a platform to voice their concerns.

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There is no doubt that the internet has helped connect us to the bigger picture and offered opportunities to make a real change. However, there’s also no denying the negative impact that the internet continues to have on the climate. Technology is only expanding, individuals are looking for newer and better digital designs and businesses are seeking ways in which they can increase their efficiency. All this places a huge amount of pressure on our planet and moving forward, this must be accounted for. 
We cannot stop anyone from using the internet, that is a given, but we can all be more responsible in how we send emails, save files, or watch videos. In the same way we replaced plastic straws and bags with reusable materials, let’s do our best to make our use of the internet a sustainable one.
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<a href="https://ecologi.com/plan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sign up today to take climate action with Ecologi</a>.

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