Food for thought on the day the Global Climate Strike begins

Today, following many marches and Greta Thunberg’s inspiring, awareness-raising activism, students around the world will be striking in an act of defiance and support for our environment. To put a global, vocal and united foot forward, they’ve asked everyone to join them, and so we’ve taken the decision to close the It’s Nice That office for the day, so that we can participate.

We believe that creative projects have the power to shape the world for the better. In recent months, we’ve made an effort to use our small corner of the internet to share projects by designers creating a more ecological creative environment for us to work and live in. From large projects by top designers to a group of creatives getting together in Barcelona or south London, we’ve learned how creativity can make this issue more comprehensible and easier to support. A collection of these stories can be found below.

We appreciate that we’re in a fortunate position to be able to put down our tools and join the strike today. If you want to show support but for whatever reason are unable to join in, there are several initiatives you can easily get behind. One is switching your internet browser to Ecosia, a search engine that uses its profits to plant trees. Another could be utilising Nice and Serious’ map of London’s zero-waste stores, or you could even begin to support initiatives such as Offset, where for as little as £4.50 a month you can aid the planting of trees and offset 14 tonnes of CO2. Most simply, find a petition about climate change globally or in your local area, sign and share it.

As Extinction Rebellion member Clive Russell told us recently: “Designers have the power to change minds.” Today we’ll be attempting to do just that.