Today is Earth Day.
A day that champions our planet and gets us thinking about how we can protect it.
Making the right choice
Despite our business model being built around sustainability and the protection of our planet, constantly factoring in the environment can be hard. The modern world we live in was not built with the Earth in mind; there are always obstacles in the way and choices that we have to make.
It is easy to choose a cheap, mass-produced item over a vintage, sustainably sourced and more expensive alternative. We often opt for amazon instead of a charity shop. Booking a holiday to Australia - complete with over 9000 air miles! - can be done with just the click of a button.
For centuries the human race has been faced with more and more of these choices. Since the industrial revolution in the eighteenth century, our impact on the planet has simply grown worse and worse.
Greater machinery means air and sea pollution, scientific progress has led to toxic chemicals seeping into our soil, and longer life expectancy and higher affluence just means more people negatively effecting the environment.
For the sake of progress
Somewhat ironically, it is the advances made in the name of progress that have been our downfall. Something that poets were writing about in the 1800s and something that we are still speaking of today.
'The climate crisis is both the easiest and the hardest issue we have ever faced. The easiest because we know what we must do. We must stop the emissions of greenhouse gases. The hardest because our current economics are still totally dependent on burning fossil fuels, and thereby destroying ecosystems in order to create everlasting economic growth' Greta Thunberg - April 2019
'The world is too much with us; late and soon <...> Great God! I'd rather be a Pagan suckled in a creed outworn' William Wordsworth - 1802
In spite of the 200 years between them, both activist and Romantic poet knew that something dreadful was afoot. We have been wary of spoiling the Earth for far too long. Something has to change and the time is now.
Let's start seeing things differently
Thanks to Greta, the Extinction Rebellion army, and their contemporaries, we are amidst a green movement. The youth of today are growing up in an environment more focused on the planet. They are being shown that it is unique, sublime and simply worth cherishing.
People across the globe are growing wiser to the loss of flora and fauna taking place. We are beginning to understand the implications of melting ice caps and subsequent sea level rise. Various leaders and authorities are starting to realise they must act now.
Earth Day is a fantastic opportunity to worship the planet we call home. Whether through scientific advances, conversations with the next generation or creative efforts like those of the film festival below, it all helps.
We must revere our local green spaces, seek out the wildlife on our doorsteps and find ways to make our lifestyles more environmentally conscious.
What have glasses got to do with it?
Earth Day is an excellent reminder for our team at Retrospecced that sustainabilty must be at the forefront of what we do. Yes we sell fab and funky vintage glasses with a story but more importantly we are part of the movement striving for reduced waste within the fashion industry.
Investing in an item for your wardrobe should be an investment in more than just style and fasion. It should be a considered act that regards the environment every step of the way. That is what we are trying to be a part of. Our glasses are recycled, they give back to charity and they represent unique ideas in a world dominated by the mass-produced and mainstream.
And check out the green specs we have on offer!
Think outside the box this Earth Day and go for green!
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