SurfGirl Magazine 127MY SOLUTION
Admittedly I haven’t stopped air-travel (yet). But
I am always looking for harmony between my
politics and my lifestyle: I’m trying to manage
when and why I fl y.
For instance, I justifi ed a recent trip to New
York and an upcoming trip to Brazil because,
in both cases, I’m researching and discussing
sustainable fashion solutions. To me this is
valuable work and, given my audience, I hope
the air miles will be metaphorically off set by the
messages and information I can spread. What’s
more, I have begun to literally off set my air miles
by planting native trees back in West Ireland. I
know it’s not much, but it’s a start.
At the end of the day, I’m a fi rm believer that
we can all be a part of the solution even if we
are not entirely perfect in our actions. The world
doesn’t need a handful of people doing zero
waste perfectly, it needs millions of people doing
it imperfectly. Because saving the environment is
about being aware of what you’re doing, being
conscious of your impact and being optimistic
that you can help. It’s not about shaming people
or blaming people; it’s about off ering alternatives
and being open to change.
When I’m walking through the Amazon jungle
next month – seeing fi rst-hand the beauty of
our planet and the damage we are causing
to it – I hope it will reaffi rm my values and my
commitment to saving the environment in
whatever way I can.
And this time I promise I’ll document each step
of my journey, even the fl ight.
NICK PUMPHREYSophie hitting the surf.