The Adults in the Room

Growing up in the 1980's and witnessing the looming climate change crisis with both hope and anxiety and feeling powerless. How the choices we make as consumers can make a real and lasting difference.

This is me.

Somewhere in the 1980’s. At a Pontin's holiday camp.
I remember being pretty jealous of the pink jacket the girl behind me was wearing as I stood there in the fancy dress costume my Mum had made for me.

It was a time when the impending climate crisis was starting to make headlines. Back then, it was often referred to as
'eco- warming' or 'global warming'. Predictions of the planet heating up sounded catastrophic and scary...
frequent floods, melting ice caps and rising sea levels seemed to paint a grim picture of the future, but I thought the adults, the ones in charge, the governments, the leaders, would take action to stop it.

As I grew up, I watched, and waited, for all the changes to... well, happen.

I expected the world to react. For big policies and laws to be passed. I imagined there would be bans on dangerous chemicals, plastics, and other pollutants. Complicated things, to do with oil, that I didn’t fully understand at the time, but I knew those in power would eventually act to stop them. I imagined people would accept the inconvenience of shifting away from harmful practices because the alternative - floods, disasters, and perhaps even the destruction of the planet seemed unthinkable. Surely, people wouldn’t prioritise comfort and convenience over the survival of our planet and future generations?

There was a ban on some chemicals that were in canisters, which made people wonder if their hairsprays would still work properly (which was a big deal in the 80’s), but thankfully they still did, and for a time it seemed to me that many people thought that because this ban had apparently helped to heal a big hole in the ‘ozone layer’, then the global warming problem had gone away.

Except it hadn't.

Things just carried on getting slowly worse, but no-one really seemed to panic, so I guess I stopped panicking too. I became a teenager, and although I still felt deep down that something was wrong, I didn’t know how to channel that into meaningful action. I had a vague desire to "save the world" or at least urge people to stop sleepwalking into a future crisis, but I felt powerless to make a difference.

Sadly, I didn't go on to save the world, or anything remotely of the sort. I made some lifestyle changes, like becoming vegetarian (and later vegan), and was an avid recycler, but I also went on to work in one of the most polluting industries on the planet. Fashion, and who can blame me? I mean it was obvious that my talent for putting outfits together had been passed down from my Mum.

Of course, what I now understand is that it’s not all as simple as I used to think it was.

These big problems couldn’t easily be solved, and maybe thats why they weren’t. The industries that caused so much damage were deeply intertwined with the global economy, and many livelihoods depended on them, so things carried on, regardless of the long-term consequences.

Still, in my 40's I hold on to the feeling I’ve always had, that we need to do the right thing. To challenge the status quo, think about our values and habits. One thing I’ve come to realise is that, as consumers, we hold more power than we think.

Amman Accommodation: Kempinski Hotel

To be honest, I wasn’t expecting such a nice hotel to be part of a tour. Kempinski Hotel was in a great location in Amman’s central business district, the service was outstanding, and the rooms were very comfortable with the biggest and best pillows I’ve ever had. The bathroom towels were gigantic and just as luxurious as the fluffy robe. I couldn’t have wished for a more comfortable bed for the 13 hour sleep I had on my first evening - after 30 hours without it.

Spending 15 minutes each day in the complimentary steam and sauna room in the Spa helped me recover from jet lag. The buffet breakfast and dinners were also delicious and full of Jordanian food. Hotel breakfast and dinner buffets are included in the Globus tour. There are local restaurants within walking distance to the hotel if you want to eat out. You will love having 5 Star accommodation at affordable prices on your Escape by Globus tours.

The choices we make with our money can
create ripple effects.

By adopting conscious consumption, championing slow fashion & and thoughtful production, by buying less, choosing better, prioritising purchasing from brands that value sustainable and ethical practices, caring for, and extending the life of our clothes. By educating oursleves, spreading awareness and inspiring others we can make a difference, and through a collective change in behaviours and attitudes we can slowly gather momentum.

I’m not naive enough to think I can save the world any more, not on my own anyway. I don’t harbour the same innocent belief that the people in power will always make the right decisions, but perhaps I’m still idealistic enough to think that we have to try to be the adults in the room.

Sam Willoughby
Founder of Another Now

Hot Tip: My flight was early morning, so I left the resort about 10pm. Had Iknown how great the Dead Sea Resortand Spa was, I would have delaye my flight until the following day and stayed an extra night and morning.

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PageFly

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