Earth Day should be a celebration, an opportunity to marvel at our extraordinary world and all its complexity, colour and variety. Yet, for as long as we can remember the media, educators and corporate narratives have been rolling out worn tropes such as “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle”, blaming individuals, and bombarding us with tales of disaster and doom.
It’s like the climate conversation is in its teenage phase. It’s tired, it’s bored, and it’s anxious.
This series aims to guide environmental reactions away from fatigue and fear, and coax the narrative out of its sulky bedroom, to think about brighter futures.
Welcome to ELL’s Climate Refresh, a series asking the question: how can we move beyond climate paralysis? and answering with honest, innovative and unexpected tales from the eye of the local storm. We’ll be busting myths, challenging mindsets and centering inspiration in all sorts of multi-media forms.
So, as we approach this year’s Earth Day, take our fresh perspective:
Reroot, Resilience, Review and Reassure.
Designs by Pius Bentgens, video editing by Luke Cromhout, music by Bensound
Article links will be updated throughout the series.
Day 1 – 17th April 2024
- The long read – Reroot: Why we must stop the chainsaws and learn to love our gnarled old trees
- The Climate Crossword – Who says the climate can’t be fun?
- The interview – Portrait of resilience #1: meet Hackney’s Daniel Pope
Day 2 – 18th April 2024
- The long read – Reassure: Is too much pressure being put on children to fix the planet?
- The Hotline podcast – Episode 1: Recycling
- The interview – Portrait of resilience #2: meet Tower Hamlets’ Aneeta Patel
Day 3 – 19th April 2024
- The long read – The ELL guide to Earth Day
- The Hotline podcast – Episode 2: Biodiversity and green space
- The interview – Portrait of resilience #3: meet Lewisham’s Madeleine Hamey-Thomas
Day 4: 22nd April 2024
- The long read – Review: Can you spot the greenwashing on your doorstep?
- The Hotline podcast – Episode 3: Campaigning and the council
- The interview – Portrait of resilience #4: meet Croydon’s Rebecca Atherton
