Name

Elizabeth Farrell

Location

London, UK

What was your ‘eureka’ moment for getting into sustainability?

It was less of a moment, more of a process but I think the main trigger point was watching the documentary ‘Chasing Ice’ with James Balog by Jeff Orlwaski. It was presented to me almost as a diary of the glacier’s existence and a documentation of their disappearance. I began to start linking my daily life and mundane surroundings to the glaciers/ the environment in general. My school art project was based on visualising the link between mass consumption, capitalist society and the environment. It wasn’t until I’d finished school that I came across Naomi Klein’s book This Changes Everything Capitalism Vs The Climate. All my previous work was based primarily on observation but reading this book was just having all my thoughts articulated in the best way possible. My realisation developed along with my work.

What have you been doing on sustainability since?

Speaking in Paris at Parely for the Oceans for COP21 was probably the biggest event in my activist journey. It was such an honor to be invited to speak alongside amazing people doing amazing things. I talked about my project and explained the importance of education on climate change particularly for young people. It was pretty overwhelming but an incredible experience. I hope to be able to do more of this in the near future. My project Remember The Glaciers aims to raise awareness about climate change, adapting the aesthetic of eco- friendly to appeal to the igeneration. Also taking away the stigma by creating relatable visual content.

What’s your vision for reaching a sustainable future?

I want to see a shift in the idea of ‘growth’ from economic to ecological. By making this transition we will finally gain a more realistic outlook on the word and understanding our place in it rather than the illusion of domination over it. I guess the biggest obstacle is the denial of the reality we face and attachment to material goods.

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