Good Qs with Tolmeia Gregory, Climate Justice Activist
Climate justice activist and artist, Tolmeia Gregory, uses her blog and illustrations to raise awareness about the climate crisis, particularly environmental issues affecting the fashion industry.
Tolmeia's innovative and creative approach to inspiring the next generation to help save the planet, can be an inspiration to us all.
Could you tell us a bit more about your work as a Climate Justice Activist?
Being a climate justice activist means understanding that the climate crisis is more than just an environmental and global warming issue and that it intersects with many existing social justice issues and will be a multiplier of threats that people already face around the world today.
As an activist, I try my best to highlight these issues and inspire people to feel empowered in the actions they can take themselves.
Not only do I work as an activist online using my digital platforms, I also work in a local climate activism group and take part in different forms of direct-action and organising.
What excites you about your work?
Seeing people mobilise excites me. Seeing my community support each other excites me. All of the tangible on the ground efforts are what really excite me because it’s a reminder that there are many people just like me wanting to put in the work.
I’m also excited about creating a newer, just world that everybody can prosper in.
Where do you see the future of climate activism?
I think the more that time goes on, hopefully the bigger our movements become because at the end of the day, the climate crisis affects everybody so we need everybody. I also see it getting a lot more drastic and heated as time continues to run out – people will start to sacrifice more in order to demand change.
What are the small changes we can make to reduce our impact on the planet?
Join your local community group, whether its linked to the climate or something like refugee rights; find a group near you, if you’re able to. I’ll always suggest that over say, becoming zero-waste. We need action, not something that is going to go unseen.
What inspired you to express climate challenges through art?
Necessity? It’s become an outlet for the emotions I have to deal with when digesting the reality of the crisis. It’s therapeutic in that sense and I think it helps to offer other people a way to understand their emotions too, when they see these very deep and painful emotions represented in such a way.
What’s the most exciting thing about your job?
As an illustrator, it’s always nice to work with brands or organisations that really align with my values. It makes me feel seen and makes my work feel a lot more fulfilling!
Do you recycle? Should we recycle?
Yes and yes.
What thoughts do you have on how we can reduce landfill?
Shop less and only buy what you need but also make sure you’re thinking about the systemic issues at play, too. For example, look at the recent report of Amazon dumping hundreds of thousands of brand-new products in landfill. That’s going to have more of an impact than me using single-use plastic in my weekly food shop.
How do you take care of yourself? What are your self-care tips?
Ah, it’s a tricky one. I just very recently had a bit of a realisation that I’m probably more stressed than I realised and I think recent climate news played a part in that. My self-care involves going out into green spaces, making room for joy and silliness and just having a day or two of staying in bed and not doing much. Also, good food helps!
What’s the most interesting thing you learnt this week?
I read this Twitter thread on temperatures and how they affect the human body, which is really relevant to the extreme heat we’ve been seeing globally:
What challenges are obstructing more sustainability in your industry?
Within the arts space and graphic design, I want to see more artists rejecting work from companies that are playing a role in climate devastation or from companies that are complicit in war. I think its really important for us to take a stand and say no, as it sends a strong message.
What is on your must see or must read list right now?
I don’t have a specific book but I really want to read some more cli-fi and more books on utopia.
What is something we should all do more of?
Climate! Action! Less talk about individual changes and more talk about taking direct-action or working with your community. It really is the way forward.
What Good News have you had / heard this week?
The Supreme Court in the UK recently acquitted a group of activists and said that there is sometimes a lawful excuse for blocking roads and causing disruption within protest. It sets a good precedent whilst the Police, Crime, Sentencing & Courts Bill is being proposed.
Learn more about Tolmeia Gregory’s work here.