Coffee Starts Revolutions

On a cycling adventure through West Bengal, I learnt about the history and importance of Indian coffee houses. Locals explained that the coffee houses were the go-to meeting places for worker independence movements. 

The Albert Coffee Hall in Kolkata is one such place. With it’s high ceilings and long wooden floors, The Albert was a home for artists, writers and political activists to debate dangerous ideas and to discuss how colonial institutions could be dismantled. Many other 20th century revolutions are said to have been concocted from the tables of community cafes throughout the world. 

“When social spaces were created outside the direct control of the state (including commercial ones, run for profit), civil society could start to flourish in unexpected ways.” Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker 

I took this idea from my travels home, and once even asked my local cafe to participate in a fundraising campaign for climate action. The cafe knocked me back because they preferred not to be political. That was a couple of years ago now, and businesses are no longer sitting on the fence in respect to global warming. 

This Friday’s Global Climate Strike is a huge opportunity for workers and businesses to join the School Strikers for Climate Action at huge rallies across the continent. It’s been exciting to see collectives of all sizes - from small cafes through to big tech companies like Atlassian - come together to say that in lieu of the current climate emergency, there’s no such thing as “business as usual.” 

Whether you’re a pilot, nurse, firefighter, farmer or designer like me, all of our trades and businesses are impacted by the climate crisis. As experts in our chosen field we can all play a role in facilitating change. For me that’s choosing not to work with polluting fossil fuel companies, taking video calls instead of flying to meetings, and volunteering my design and video services to climate groups.

There are many simple actions we can all take. If you’re just getting started, why not invite your boss to a Climate Strike event on Friday? Or simply shout them a coffee, and have a chat about how your business can help create a safe climate future. 

Learn more at NotBusinessAsUsual.co, an alliance organised by Future Super.

The Day I Heard My Boss Cry Through A Snorkel

It was my dream gig. 

I was on the remote island Dyiigurra, 150 miles north-east off the coast of Cairns in Queensland, filming marine scientists researching on the Great Barrier Reef with several colleagues. The weather was perfect and underwater visibility was crystal clear. Four days in paradise doing what I love. 

We packed our lunch and cameras and set off in a dinghy with two Swiss marine scientists. They were working with the Australian Museum to document the behaviours of bottom feeder fish. Our job was to document the scientists’ experiences with coral bleaching. 

While the scientists began setting up for the day, they suggested we take the time to go for a snorkel. This would allow us to get some b-roll footage of the coral and critters. Then we could do interviews at morning tea. 

I asked them if they knew any parts of the reef with bleached coral. They looked at me with blank faces. “It’s everywhere,” one of them said. 

We’d chosen to film on Dyiigurra because of reports that two cyclones and seasonal bleaching had severely damaged the Island’s reef. So I was prepared for the worst. But what I witnessed that day blew my mind.

It was a disaster. Dead, broken, algae-ridden coral layered the ocean floor. The spookiest thing of all was that there were very few fish. You didn’t have to be a scientist to realise that there was something desperately wrong with the reef.

After several minutes snorkelling about, I felt the need to compose myself before I began filming the destruction. Upon surfacing I heard hollowed whimpering. It was my boss crying through their snorkel. Another colleague was floating on her back, face to the sky, silently processing the scene she’d just witnessed. 

We counselled one another throughout the day. Seeing such mass devastation first hand had a numbing effect. It was unspoken, but we were all thinking the same thing; “How can we make a difference when it’s so far gone?” 

Instead of wallowing in despair, we made a conscious effort to focus on small glimmers of hope. A scientist on Dyiigurra had taken us to a dive site where young corals appeared to be regenerating. This story of recovery brought hope, and hope is always worth sharing.  

Fast forward two years. The mining and burning of fossil fuels in Australia is on the rise. While the Great Barrier Reef, supposedly a national icon, remains in peril from the actions of big polluters. 

How do storytellers share the harrowing impacts of coral bleaching, bush fires, floods, droughts and heatwaves whilst also generating enough hope to compel people to act?  For me, the answer lies in shared values. Clean air, safe jobs, sustainable living or the simple love of music.

Many media outlets continue to practice a “if it bleeds, it leads” mentality when it comes to sharing disaster stories. This fear-based storytelling is effective, because it provokes an emotional response. 

Don’t get me wrong, emotional connection is incredibly important. Hearing my boss cry through their snorkel was a blessing to know that others feel exactly the same way as me. But in order to facilitate positive change, we need stories that couple emotions with solutions based on shared values, as this will hopefully galvanise people to take action.  

For some excellent examples of solutions-based journalism check out the Solutions Journalism Network.

Why I cut my bank cards into hundreds of little pieces

I cut up my bank cards into hundreds of little pieces on the weekend and it felt awesome! I was a customer with Bankwest a subsidiary of CommBank since I got my first pay cheque so it was a pretty big deal for me to switch banks. Actually people are more likely to end their marriage than switch banks so it’s a pretty big deal for everyone.

I made a change because I was just fed up with the Commonwealth Bank Group’s continued investments in polluting fossil fuel projects causing dangerous global warming. Since the Paris Climate agreement where the world agreed to keep global warming below 2 degrees and rapidly transition out of burning fossil fuels for energy, the Commonwealth bank group has continued investing $2.2 billion in fossil fuels.

Yup, $2.2 BILLION! 💵  💵  💵

Just to put that in context, Royal Adelaide hospital, ranked the world’s third most expensive building in the world cost about US$2.1 billion. Instead of investing more in clean energy and other healthy community focused projects, they’re blatantly risking young people’s future by investing in coal, oil and gas projects that cause global warming.

Life seems kinda easy banking with the big banks like Commbank because their rates are pretty good and their ATMs are on every street corner but actually, if you shop around, you’ll find ethical banks have these benefits too.

If you’re concerned about the dangerous impacts of global warming on people and places, then switching to a bank that doesn’t invest in fossil fuels can be more powerful than planting trees and driving your car less.

You’ll be joining a growing divestment movement of people breaking the hold that the fossil fuel industry has on our banks, economy and our governments.

I love a good quote, so let me end with this one from Bill McKibben, founder of 350.org

“If it is wrong to wreck the planet then it is wrong to profit from that wreckage."

If you’re keen to cut up your bank cards into hundreds of little pieces too, then here’s all the info you need to get it done.

Happy divesting, Luke 😀

DISCLAIMER: The information provided here does not constitute financial product advice. The information is of a general nature only and does not take into account your individual objectives, financial situation or needs. It should not be used, relied upon, or treated as a substitute for specific professional advice. It is recommended that you obtain your own independent professional advice before making any decision in relation to your particular requirements or circumstances.