By now you, should all be well aware of the masterful songwriting of Hazel Mei.
Earlier this month, the musician shared her latest single Don’t Trust Them, which oscillates between charm and sarcasm for an incisive takedown of the duality of power. To squeeze such topical musings into an otherwise-upbeat single is no small feat, but it’s simply par for the course for the lyrical powerhouse that is Hazel Mei.
So powerful is the commentary of Mei’s work that she was named as a finalist for this year’s Environmental Music Prize. Achieving the accolade with her 2021 track Golden Chains, Mei is shortlisted alongside the likes of Flume, Tash Sultana and King Stingray.
In that spirit of environmentalism, we caught up with Mei for a crash course on the manageable ways we can all take action on climate change.
Below, Hazel Mei runs through her five tips for meaningful climate action. Scroll down for the singer-songwriter’s complete crash course, and head here to listen to her latest single Don’t Trust Them.
The Power We Hold: 5 Climate Positive Actions.
The climate crisis is complicated and whilst climate action absolutely shouldn’t fall solely on the individual (ahem, I’m looking at you big corporations), it is still amazing the power we can hold as a consumer. So, I thought I’d share a few ways I’ve made changes in my day to day life to help propel Climate Action.
Switching your bank and superannuation away from fossil fuel supporters.
Okay I know this topic is boring and overwhelming. It took me months to finally make a switch, but aligning your bank and superannuation with your values can make a big impact. Unfortunately, these corporations are still some of the biggest supporters of fossil fuels companies.
Work For Climate has an awesome article about your super’s impact as well as some ethical super fund choices. Market Forces has a helpful comparison for Australian banks (in relation to a bank’s stance on fossil fuels) and 1 Million Women has a list of international options.
Conscious buying.
Money rules the modern world, so why not put your hard earned cash towards the change you want to see in the world? We hold so much power in the choices we make, if a great percentage of us gear towards ethical products .Sites like Good For You or Ethical Fashion Guide help you navigate fashion, buying produce locally is powerful, as is buying second hand/ mending what you have.
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Switching to renewable energy.
I’ve recently moved house and wanted to make sure my new home is powered by renewables. GreenPeace has an awesome guide for Australian power companies and made finding the right option easy peasy lemon squeezy!
Cut down on food waste.
Food waste accounts for 8-10% of global greenhouse gas emissions (UNEP Food Waste Index 2021). This aspect is one that I’ve struggled with for a while. Personally, my eating habits can be heavily influenced by emotion and cravings. If it’s midnight and I want cake, you better believe I’m going to stay up baking.
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So, I buy my groceries for 2 days at a time, or for my specific craving. I’ve also seen awesome accounts on Instagram like @plantyou who’s Scrappy Cooking series is an uplifting snapshot of how you can reuse commonly thrown out cooking scraps. Then of course, there’s the good old composting. In Meanjin, City Council will even reimburse you for a composting unit if your house doesn’t already have one!
Be aware of greenwashing.
As we become more aware of the environmental issues across many industries, businesses are getting creative with language to buy the trust conscious buyers without necessarily making the right changes. The Washington Post has a helpful article about spotting greenwashing.
