Episode 2

Eco-Stories: Mel Smith

00:00:00
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00:46:53

January 17th, 2020

46 mins 53 secs

Your Host

About this Episode

Mel lives in Somerset UK with her husband and 2 young children. Mel first became interested in the environment and sustainability in October 2018 following the release of the IPCC report. As the mother of two young children, she felt compelled to action and co-founded the Facebook group “Taunton Green Parents”. It began as a group to support families to live in a more sustainable way, but quickly gained momentum and now boasts over 800 members. With a self-organized group of 4 admins, Mel finds herself and colleagues lobbying, giving media interviews, connecting group members with psychologist to address eco-anxiety, organizing a march in solidarity with the Mothers Rise Up movement, and promoting nature and sustainability events for parents and children. On top of all of this, Mel is now studying for an MSc in Sustainable Development in Practice at the University of the West of England.

In this interview, we talk about building a community around eco-awareness, experiencing eco-anxiety, being driven to action, and all that entails.