- Hello, my dudes, my name is Tiffany. Welcome back to my series,
"Internet Analysis," where I like to research
and discuss things relevant to social issues and media. Today we're gonna discuss sustainability. I'm super happy to see sustainability being discussed more and more, but I do feel like we
kind of hear about a lot of the same few topics. So in today's video, I want to bring up some issues
related to sustainability that I feel like haven't
gotten enough coverage yet, specifically, intersectionality
in the sustainability and environmentalist movements. But first, I want to
give a quick explanation of what sustainability is and how I've seen the movement portrayed, especially on social media so far. So sustainability is the avoidance of the depletion of natural resources in order to maintain
an ecological balance. It generally refers to the
capacity for the biosphere and human civilization to coexist. Basically, we have been
depleting resources at an extremely unsustainable rate, and especially thanks to capitalism, we have been harming the
planet, animals, and people. In recent years, the
general public has become a lot more aware of climate change and the fact that our consumption
is a big factor in that, but let's not forget that 100 companies have been responsible for 71%
of global emissions, great. But still, individual
consumption is significant. There's a great quiz that you can take that will basically tell you
how many earths it would take if everyone consumed at
the same level as you. Definitely recommend it. So yes, most of the media and discussion about sustainability
does typically involve individual lifestyle choices, which actually I think is pretty good because thinking about and
talking about climate change can be very upsetting, and I think knowing that our
individual consumption matters can make us kind of feel empowered knowing that we can make a
difference in our own footprint. We talk a lot about cutting
down on single-use plastic, replacing disposable
items with reusable items, and then, there's the whole
low to zero-waste movement. We've also seen a huge increase in demand for sustainable fashion, and I'm really glad to see
us discussing, you know, the impacts of the clothing industry more in terms of resource
usage environmentally, but also in terms of labor because most clothing is made by people who are low paid and often work in pretty terrible conditions. And I have made a couple videos kind of loosely related
to that topic in the past. I made a video about fast fashion. I made a video about minimalism and Marie Kondo-ing your closet. But if you would like to learn more about the fashion industry, I would definitely recommend my friend Kristin Leo's channel. She makes really, really
great informative videos. But anyway, out of everything, I think that shopping secondhand is one of the most accessible ways to become more sustainable,
to live more sustainably. So that brings me to today's sponsor. I am so happy to be working
with thredUP on today's video. thredUP is the world's
largest online thrift store where you can find clothes
from your favorite brands at up to 90% off. I have always been a fan
of shopping secondhand, but in recent years, I have really been trying more and more to minimize the amount of
clothing that I buy new and instead search secondhand first whenever I need anything. Shopping secondhand is almost always going to be more sustainable and more affordable than buying new. thredUP is offering my viewers
30% off your first order. Just click the link in the description, and you can use my code TIFFANY. thredUP is super convenient. You can use their website or the app, and you can sort by size. And then I also like to add
filters for specific brands or specific colors. This time, I was mainly looking for basics that'll be good for fall layering, and I also like rather simple tops because it makes it easier to read text on screen for videos, so practical. So thredUP order came in one of these adorable polka dot boxes, and I'm going to show
you a couple of items that I am most excited about. Wow, you guys never see me standing. This is an LA Hearts pullover. I believe it's a brand from
PacSun, so this was $18.99. Estimated original price was $48, and obviously, if you've
watched my videos a lot, you know I don't wear
a lot of bright colors. I had nothing this color, and I don't have any cropped, cute, tieable pullovers like this. This has definitely been a good addition to my cold weather wardrobe, and I have been so comfy wearing this literally every night since I got it. And then I got this black Madewell top which was $22.99, estimated
original price $89. I love Madewell, so I was searching for
their items specifically. I usually prefer a higher
neckline, so this is nice, but it gives you that
little cold shoulder. And it's a good length
with my high-waisted pants. And then we've got this
Brandy Melville top which was $9.99, estimated
original price, $27. I don't care that I'm not a teenager and I don't fit into most
of their clothes anymore. I will always like Brandy Melville, at least for their tops. But I love this one. I'm a big fan of, like,
button-up type of tops even though this is not a button-up. But this length is just perfect. And my last two items. You may recognize this
top from my last video, My Floors are So Squeaky. This is actually a bodysuit
from BCB Generation. It was $9.99, estimated
original price, $34. And then this is an Eddie Bauer skirt that was $14.99, estimated
original price, $60. I've been wanting a skirt
this length for a while, and I feel like this look together is just like like a dark
holiday party look, even. Like if I had a regular job, this would be my, like,
corporate Christmas party outfit. Can you tell I don't have a corporate job? Once again, thank you,
thredUP, let's continue. Shopping secondhand is awesome, and buying from ethical,
sustainable brands, if you can afford to, is also awesome. But probably the most important thing that you would need to
do to shop sustainably is just to buy only what you need. We all need clothing, of course, and we often have to buy new things when seasons change,
or if our sizes change, or for specific occasions. But always, it is super important to still be mindful about our consumption, especially with fast fashion becoming such a big part
of the fashion industry. I think we've gotten used to buying a lot of cheap things and
getting as much as possible just 'cause it's exciting to get a deal. And we need to step away from that mindset of, like, hoarding as
much clothing as possible so even when you do find really good deals shopping secondhand, just make sure that you
are still buying things that you need. Do not over consume. So with all this stress
on individual consumption, we often hear people say things like, "Everyone can do these
easy things to improve," but we need to acknowledge that
buying sustainable products or trying to be zero waste definitely requires a level of privilege, which is something I'm gonna
talk about in this video. It's great to educate others and encourage people to make steps toward being more sustainable, but we need to recognize that everyone has different abilities to be able to make these changes. It is not as easy as
just buy these things. A lot of factors come into play, including a person's budget, the affordability of an item or service, their location, their access. So that is our segue
into intersectionality. Intersectionality argues that
there are multiple aspects to humanity including race, gender, class, sexual orientation,
age, body type, and many more. And these aspects don't exist separately from each other. They're inextricably linked, meaning that individuals
whose identities overlap with a number of these minority classes will face many more
threats of discrimination in their life. And specifically in this video, I want to introduce ideas
of why intersectionality is important in environmental activism. You may have heard of
intersectional feminism in comparison to white feminism, and white feminism
doesn't necessarily mean that all white people who are feminists are white feminists. But rather, it refers
to a type of feminism that kind of ignores the
discrimination, oppression, and needs of people who basically are not
CIS, white, middle class, non-disabled women. In order to be inclusive and effective, movements have to be intersectional. So in terms of sustainability and the environmental movement, those need to be intersectional, as well. Let's start with class and status. You've probably already noticed this. To be sustainable, you may have this idea that you need to buy specific items based on maybe some
sustainable influencers that you've seen. You know, fancy zero-waste
kits, bamboo toothbrushes, hemp clothing, reusable
swaps for everything, local, organic, handmade items, which are all great and nice, and a lot of them probably
are more sustainable. But also a lot of products that are marketed as sustainable can also be very, very expensive and, therefore, not accessible
to the general public. Environmentalism has kind of become a status symbol in itself. You know things like the success of Tesla, which has become a very, very popular car. Driving a Tesla signifies two things. One, you can afford a Tesla, and two, you're an environmentalist. Bottom line, a lot of
sustainable products are trendy, so we get this combination of capitalism, marketing, and greenwashing
in a lot of cases. Basically, sustainability is on the rise. It's getting more popular. Companies want to capitalize on the trend of
sustainability, which is ironic because ideally, sustainability would be more about kind of
a lifestyle and a mindset rather than this checklist of items that you need to buy. Like, please do not be fooled. You do not need a fancy hydro flask or a swell water bottle. Any reusable bottle will do. Again, let's be real. A lot of these, you know,
luxury sustainable items are expensive and inaccessible, and honestly, not necessary. We have to remember that sometimes cheap disposable products are all that a person can afford, and we should not shame people for that. That does nothing to
advance this movement. And also, in reality, being frugal is probably one of the easiest ways to be more sustainable. You do not have to buy things in order to be sustainable. You need to make use of what you have, and probably buy less in general. If you want to buy reusable swaps, if you can afford to, make sure you do that after
you have already run out of the products that
they would be replacing. It would be wasteful if
you just throw them out and then go buy a bunch of
sustainable products, you know? Also, you can reuse and repurpose items that you already own
because DIYing something, making use of things
that you already have, is also one of the most
sustainable options. Anyway, this video's purpose is not to teach you how
to be more sustainable or have sustainable swaps. There are plenty of better creators who can explain these concepts and ideas way better than I ever could. For example, I want to give a shout-out to my friend here on
YouTube, Meghan Hughes. She's been making a lot of videos related to sustainability and
how she has been lower waste and making a lot of things herself, so check out her videos. My friend Zoe also runs an Instagram called Zero Waste East Tennessee, and she's always sharing tips about sustainable living,
lower waste living, vegan food, great stuff. Love hearing the rumbling clouds. We have a natural
ambiance in today's video. Time to get into the nitty gritty. I want to discuss the
ableism that sometimes exists within sustainability movements. So in recent years,
single-use plastic items have become a lot less popular. First, we were tackling plastic bags. That's great, and then the
target became plastic straws. Really quickly, people
hated plastic straws, and called for them to be banned. You know, we don't need straws. Maybe you could use
these little sippy lids, or maybe you just drink out of a cup. And if you really need a straw, just use the little paper
ones which never fall apart, we love them, or a metal straw. Problem solved, right? No, not exactly. Banning straws might be a
win for environmentalists, but it ignores us disabled people. Many disabled people need
plastic straws to drink, eat, take medications, et cetera. Here's how current
alternative reusable options are a harm to us. The good thing is, I think this issue has actually been pretty widespread, and that is all due to the
work of disabled people, and disability activists who have been spreading this information to kind of correct the record. So when people are saying
nobody needs straws, there is no use for them, just ban them, that's not true, there are people who still need plastic
straws, specifically. But even other than plastic straws, there are a lot of other convenience items that some people might look at as wasteful and unnecessary, or even worse, as an item for lazy people. As-seen-on-TV products
aren't for lazy people. They make disabled people's lives easier. So for example, this sock
slider was called lazy. My disabled kid could use this. It's for when you can't
physically bend over. Disabled people exist. Many of these products, even if they're not marketed specifically to disabled people, are incredibly helpful for people with disabilities, whether they have chronic
pain, low mobility, tremors, or other conditions that non-disabled people are
rarely asked to think about. And I'll be honest, I didn't really know much about this aside from the straw issue, but that's because that has been discussed and brought to the
mainstream conversation. I was actually watching a
Shelbizleee video recently, and she mentioned this,
like, egg boiler tool and how she thought it
was, like, unnecessary, and some people in the
comments were letting her know that that tool would actually be useful for disabled people. And by the way, I do not
blame Shelbi for not knowing because I didn't know, either. By the way, she makes really great videos about sustainability and low
to zero waste living and swaps, so I definitely recommend her channel. I feel bad for using her for this example. But it's helpful. It goes to show how
often non-disabled people aren't aware of or don't
really consider, like, the needs of disabled people. So in the sustainability movement, it's very important for us to be aware of what we're saying, and we don't wanna make generalizations that exclude the needs of disabled people. By the way, if at any point in this video I need to be corrected because I'm not explaining
things well enough, please, please let me know. I'm here to learn. And if you have any other
useful examples, please share. I tried to finish filming this before I have to go to class, but I have ran out of time, so I'll see you in a couple of hours. And I'm back. The next topic I wanna touch
on is environmental racism. Unfortunately, my last
video was demonetized, probably because I said that word. So I'm trying to avoid that
this time, I apologize. Apparently, we can't say certain words on this website anymore, love that. It seems that almost
anywhere researchers look, there is more evidence of
deep racial disparities in exposure to environment hazards. Environmental risks are
allocated disproportionately along the lines of race, often without the input of the affected communities of color. - More than half of all
people who live close to hazardous waste are people of color. Flood plains nationwide have high populations
of blacks and Hispanics. Black children are twice as likely to suffer lead poisoning
as white children. This inequality is no accident. Pollution and the risk
of disaster are assigned to black and brown communities through generations of
discrimination and political neglect. It's no wonder that black
and Hispanic children have the highest rates of asthma, or that hurricanes like
Katrina, Sandy, and Matthew did their worst damage
in communities of color. - When it comes to environmental issues and especially climate change, a lot of us tend to think
about it as a future issue, or we've only become really
personally aware of it recently because of, say, record heat waves. If climate change has not already had a drastic impact on your life, you're probably in a
very privileged position. The reality is that the poorest people and countries are the most vulnerable, and many of them are
already facing and feeling the consequences of climate change. Globally poorer nations that don't have the
infrastructure in place to protect themselves
against natural disasters are often the worst hit by climate change's disastrous effects. Take Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans or Hurricane Maria in
Puerto Rico, for example. The people with the means
to were able to evacuate. They had access to a vehicle,
they had a place to go, or they could afford to stay at a hotel. The poorest residents
did not have those means, so they stayed behind. By the way, more than 44% of
the population of Puerto Rico lives in poverty, and the national U.S.
mainland average is about 12%. And that's why, especially for
Puerto Ricans on the island, Hurricane Maria was
absolutely devastating. And honestly, it's been over two years, and they are still trying
to recover in a lot of ways. Again, regarding infrastructure, lower income Americans are more likely to live in neighborhoods or buildings more susceptible to storm shocks. Substandard infrastructure
in affordable housing units and low-income communities
placed residents at greater risk to the effects of a severe storm. In the wake of Hurricane Harvey, low-income neighborhoods
were more affected than wealthier ones. As poor families were more concentrated in flood-prone parts of Houston, and as I touched on a few minutes ago, low-income and minority
families are also more likely to live closer to noxious
industrial facilities and thus more at risk to chemical spills and toxic leaks resulting
from storm damage. Want another example of
environmental injustice? I'm giving you one anyway. Do you guys remember the
Dakota Access Pipeline? Basically, an oil pipeline was proposed, and it was originally supposed to run through or near Bismarck, North Dakota, which, by the way, is about
90% white, which is relevant. And that was rejected
because it ran too close to the city's water supply. So then they rerouted it to
flow under the Missouri River near the Standing Rock Indian Reservation, directly putting their water at risk, and this pipeline violated
a treaty from 1851. I mean, the thing about oil pipelines is that they will break. It's, like, certain, they
will break at some point. It's just a matter of when. This little bit of
information doesn't even begin to touch on, you know,
the entire NODAPL protest and the Water Protectors at Standing Rock. Overall, I was just so inspired following along with
that as it was happening. And that was just such a striking example of the love and passion
within native communities. Unfortunately, there are
way too many examples of a similar kind of situation like that where indigenous communities are targeted and taken advantage of, especially in terms of
environmental justice or injustice. So I found this piece from "The Guardian" from UC San Diego, "Green for Whom, Injustice
in Environmentalism," and it talks about lithium. And lithium is used in
rechargeable batteries such as the one in Tesla cars. So with the rise in popularity of Tesla, whose mission is to accelerate
the world's transition to sustainable energy, they have been sourcing
lithium from the Holy Trinity, which is Bolivia, Argentina, and Chile. And they're attempting
to buy property rights to lithium-rich lands
from those governments. Colonialist implications aside, this poses a considerable
environmental problem. The lithium deposits are in lake beds, accessible only by
evaporating whole lakes. And the racism problem,
indigenous communities have lived off the land for generations, relying on those lithium-rich
lakes for water supply. The true cost of
environmentalism comes out. In Tesla's journey to transition
rich environmentalists to sustainable energy, they have trampled the
lives of innocent people. So that brings me to the last subtopic that I wanted to discuss in this video, which is indigenous sovereignty in the environmentalist and
sustainability movements. So as we saw in a lot of these examples including the Dakota Access Pipeline, decisions are not focused on what is best for the people at all. It is what is best for business. If an oil company wants
to build a pipeline, they're gonna be able to do it because of the power
structures and capitalism. Anyway, there is a huge need
for indigenous communities to be able to not only protect their lands but to be able to make decisions about how to deal with
climate change for themselves. Instead of having the government try to control what they do as
they have since they colonized, indigenous communities
deserve these rights. And they should be leaders
in the climate movement. This is what indigenous
energy sovereignty looks like. As the people of the
land, air, and waters, indigenous nations have been
the first to feel the impacts of climate change. Just as we are at the front
line of climate impacts, we must also be at the
forefront of climate solutions. Energy sovereignty means
enabling indigenous communities to own and operate our own energy systems, to use renewable and locally
available energy sources like wind and solar, and to
stop burning fossil fuels and stop relying on
corporations for energy. These kinds of democratic energy systems are aligned with indigenous cultures, knowledge, and land rights, and they increase the resiliency
of indigenous communities that have been negatively
impacted by colonialism and capitalist resource extraction. I feel like I'm kinda
losing my voice here. Anyway, this is now the end of the video. I hope you guys enjoyed the topics that I decided to discuss today. I, in these videos, like
to learn something new, and that's usually when
I enjoy the process of making a video the most. And I definitely learned a lot more about these specific topics
in working on this video. Obviously, there are,
like, infinite other topics to discuss in regard to the
need for intersectionality in the environmentalist movements. And even with the topics I mentioned, I probably barely scratched the surface. But I just like, I like
to introduce you guys to ideas that maybe you haven't heard of or don't know much about, either, or maybe you know a lot, and you can teach us in the comments. We're all here to learn
and share knowledge, and hopefully save this planet. Let's get this bread,
let's get this oxygen. The last thing I want
to say is this quote: Most of the responsibility
of ethical living has to the the responsibility
of the global 1% because there are a
whole variety of people who are just living paycheck to paycheck, struggling to get by day by day, often due to a combination of factors like race, gender, and class. These things are linked, and not everyone is able to
participate as fully as others. Basically, what that means to me is if you have the means to do so, if you in any ways can
become more sustainable in your individual
consumption, do what you can. But also, activism is really important, getting involved politically is important because we need to elect people who believe in climate
change, first of all, and who are going to be
as aggressive as possible in finding solutions and
getting them instated as soon as possible. Also a quick reminder
that being sustainable is not a competition, and we should never,
you know, shame people if they are imperfect, because I think we are all imperfect. It's so not necessary to attack people for why they're not sustainable. It is much more productive to just, again, continue educating ourselves and others, spread these messages, and do what you can
personally in your own life if you would like to be more sustainable, which, hopefully, you do. Once again, thank you so much to thredUP for sponsoring today's video. If you guys are interested
in checking them out, please click the link in the description. You can get 30% off your
first order with code TIFFANY. Also, you guys can follow me on Instagram for some mediocre pics, and you can follow me on Twitter
for some political tweets and memes, you know,
it's not all political. It's a lot, though. And of course, subscribe
if you enjoyed this video, and stay tuned for a future
"Internet Analysis" episode, kthanksbai. (jaunty music)
Need to watch it, I really like Tiffany
Why doesn't this channel have more subs???
Excellent video!
:)