Summer is slowly coming to an end and most of us are going back to work, university or school. It's a good time to update your reading list and discover some new podcasts and documentaries about important topics such as sustainability and inclusivity. To make it a bit easier for you, we've put together a list of our favourites - perfect for your coffee break, daily commute, or moments in between. Whether you prefer reading, listening or watching, this list contains something for everyone.
Read
Climate Justice: Hope, Resilience, and the Fight for a Sustainable Future by Mary Robinson
Climate Justice, written by the former President of Ireland, is an insightful and optimistic book for anyone in need of an antidote for climate change paralysis. Each chapter tells the powerful stories of individuals who have experienced environmental and human rights injustices and how they turned their suffering into positive action.
Loved Clothes Last by Orsola de Castro
This book is a good starting point for anyone interested in learning how to practice a more sustainable approach to fashion. Alongside facts and figures about the garment industry, Loved Clothes Last will equip you with plenty of ways to mend, rewear and breathe new life into your wardrobe while helping you make more informed and conscious purchases in the future.
Disability Visibility
Disability Visibility is a collection of essays, testimonies, and blog posts by more than thirty disabled authors. It details, celebrates and educates readers on the experiences of an often intersectional and underserved community and invites them to question their own understandings.
Consumed by Aja Barber (Pre-Order)
Consumed, written by the personal stylist, fashion consultant and writer Aja Barber, is divided into two parts; Learning and Unlearning. While the first half exposes the reader to the endemic injustices in our consumer industries and the history of the textile industry, the second half will help you understand the uncomfortable truth behind why you consume the way you do. You can pre-order the book here.
The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
Looking well beyond issues of race, The Vanishing Half considers the lasting influence of the past as it shapes a person's decisions, desires, and expectations, and explores some of the multiple reasons why people sometimes feel drawn to live as something other than their true selves.
The Good Trade
The Good Trade is an online journal and community with a focus on sustainability, slow living, and self-love. For example, have a look at these articles on How to manage sentimental clutter or How to find (and curate) your personal aesthetic.
Listen
In this podcast, MUD Jeans, the circular denim brand, discusses circularity and sustainability to promote positive change in the fashion industry. For instance, listen to this insightful episode on How technology can push circularity and responsible consumption.
How to Be a Better Human
Not just your average self-improvement podcast. From your work to your home and your head to your heart, discover how to become your best self, while also having a positive impact on the planet and the people around you. For example, check out these episode on What happens to the plastic you throw away? or How to become a better ally.
Wardrobe Crisis
A fashion podcast about sustainability, ethical fashion and making a difference in the world. Each week, host Clare Press, who was the first VOGUE sustainability editor, interviews international guests about the big issues facing the fashion industry. For example, have a listen to this interesting episode: How eco-friendly is fashion rental, really?
Watch
Kiss the Ground (2020) - available on Netflix
This optimistic climate documentary narrated by Woody Harrelson makes a case for the healing power of soil, arguing that its capacity to capture and store carbon could potentially be the key to reversing the effects of climate change.
Breaking Boundaries - The Science of our Planet (2021) - available on Netflix
In this documentary, David Attenborough and scientist Johan Rockström examine Earth's biodiversity collapse and how this crisis can still be averted. At the core of Breaking Boundaries lies a key message of action to help inspire us all: stay innovative, cooperate, and help create a future where nature and people thrive.
Riverblue (2016) - available to rent
Riverblue examines the destruction of some of the world’s most vital rivers through the manufacturing of our clothing, its effect on humanity, and the solutions that inspire hope for a sustainable future.
Have you read/watched/listened to anything mentioned on this list? Or do you have other recommendations about where and how to get informed about topics around sustainability and inclusivity? Let us know in the comments!
