Hailey Cho

The team of sculptors at Ocean Sole in Nairobi, Kenya carves the most common footwear on the planet – flip flops, into hippos, giraffes, whales, and more. Flip-flops make up nearly a quarter of ocean plastic. ‘The flip flop cost is really low, like 1 dollar, so the problem is that they break very easily. What you have is a huge menace of flip-flops everywhere’ (Joe Mwakiremba, Head of Sales). This concept is something that inspires me as I believe cheap disposable products used in luxury fashion events should be replaced by something that can be repurposed or reused. This will mean that less waste is generated. 

Background: Climate change has significant implications for the health and futures of children and young people, yet they have little power to limit its harm, making them vulnerable to increased climate anxiety. Qualitative studies show climate anxiety is associated with perceptions of inadequate action by adults and governments, feelings of betrayal, abandonment and moral injury. This study offers the first large-scale investigation of climate anxiety in children and young people globally and its relationship to government response. 

Methods: We surveyed 10,000 young people (aged 16-25 years) in ten countries. Data were collected on their thoughts and feelings about climate change, and government response.  

Findings: Respondents were worried about climate change (59% very or extremely worried, 84% at least moderately worried). Over 50% felt sad, anxious, angry, powerless, helpless, and guilty. Over 45% said their feelings about climate change negatively affected their daily life and functioning, and many reported a high number of negative thoughts about climate change. Respondents rated the governmental response to climate change negatively and reported greater feelings of betrayal than of reassurance. Correlations indicated that climate anxiety and distress were significantly related to perceived inadequate government response and associated feelings of betrayal.  

Interpretation: Climate change and inadequate governmental responses are associated with climate anxiety and distress in many children and young people globally. These psychological stressors threaten health and wellbeing, and could be construed as morally injurious and unjust. There is an urgent need for increases in both research and government responsiveness. 

Brands can connect on a deeper level with new and existing audiences by investing in long-term strategies for care, whether it be through supporting the mental health of athletes and other public advocates, or aligning with the rise of the ethical sharing economy.

And now so can you. The technology to create “deepfakes” — videos of people doing things that never really happened — has arrived on smartphones. It’s simple, fun … and also troubling.

And MyHeritage, a genealogy website, lets anyone use deepfake tech to bring old still photos to life. Upload a shot of a long-lost relative or friend, and it produces a remarkably convincing short video of them looking around and smiling. Even the little wrinkles around the eyes look real. They call it “Deep Nostalgia” and have reanimated more than 65 million photos of people in the past four weeks.

These deepfakes may not fool everyone, but it’s still a cultural tipping point we aren’t ready for. Forget laws to keep fakes from running amok, we hardly even have social norms for this stuff.

All three of the latest free services say they’re mostly being used for positive purposes: satire, entertainment and historical re-creations. The problem is, we already know there are plenty of bad uses for deepfakes, too.

“You must make sure that the audience is aware this is synthetic media,” says Gil Perry, the CEO of D-ID, the tech company that powers MyHeritage’s deepfakes. “We have to set the guidelines, the frameworks and the policies for the world to know what is good and what is bad.”

The technology to digitally alter still images — Adobe’s Photoshop editing software — has been around for decades. But deepfake videos pose new problems, like being weaponized, particularly against women, to create humiliating, nonconsensual fake pornography.

According to our survey, 46% of consumers somewhat agree and 38% strongly agree their consumption habits impact climate change, though 52.5% believe that brands and governments should bear responsibility for sustainability practices. Amazon and Target have announced ambitious energy targets, aiming to be net-zero (using less energy than they produce) by 2040. Focusing on store design, both US retailers are using CO2-based refrigeration, while Target will focus on solar energy and Amazon will implement low-carbon concrete flooring.

“Overconsumption and mindless consumption is killing the planet. I know that my actions alone will not have an impact on the state of global warming, but I believe that if consumers change behaviours en masse, then brands and businesses will have no choice but to comply.”Elizabeth, 37, New Jersey

“I need to know for my own sake (and for future generations’ sake, like my hypothetical children) that I have done everything possible personally to avoid an irreversible situation. It may be a long time in the future or I may not even be here, but I need to know that I at least tried to do something rather than let it happen.”Alistair, 29, London

The distinction between digital and physical is becoming less and less important to consumers, and for some, digital feels more real. Explore ‘deep reality’ to develop immersive experiences that activate all the senses

After COVID rules have relaxed, people are starting to go out more. With the lock down, many people were stuck inside, experiencing digital over stimulation. Being stuck in their house and lack of socialising took a toll on everyone. This is especially the case with the younger generation as physical interaction is fundamental in their development. Having digital events may not create as deep of a community as opposed to physical events.

As a result, I believe the younger generation will appreciate physical attendance of luxury fashion events and will be more encouraged to participate in an eco-friendly lifestyle. I will test this by asking the younger asian population on their thoughts of digital or physical events. I will also ask their current knowledge of environmental problems and what is being done at the moment. Furthermore, attempt to contact luxury fashion brands and ask their opinion regarding eco-friendly events and younger generation education.

My intervention now will be to ask the younger asian generation about their knowledge of sustainability and ask what ideas they might have that will encourage others to be more eco-friendly. I will also contact luxury brands and discuss with them ideas regarding more eco-friendly events and what will be realistically possible.

I have attend an exhibition in Edinburgh, and it gives me some inspiration of how to combine survey with event.