Adam, youth serving the planet.
At the house of COG, our perception of a ethical fashion is inseparable from the people who embody its values. For that, our greatest inspiration is still you! And who is more inspiring than the youth who are actively working to awaken the environmental cause? Today, it's Adam, 19, a recent high school graduate, who shares his views, reflections, and initiatives to defend a a more ecological and responsible lifestyle.
Hello Adam, thank you for giving us some of your time.
We discovered on your Instagram account that the mayor of your town awarded you the civic prize last year for your involvement in defending the environmental cause. Can you tell us more about it?
Yes! Following the numerous litter cleanups and awareness campaigns that Emilie Richard and I organized, representedsentant.e.s From the eco'club of the town of L'Arbresle, the town hall submitted our application for the Civic Award of the National Association of Members of the National Order of Merit (ANMONM), aiming to award medals to miners acteur.rice.s civic actions. The knights of the association, unable to decide between two candidates, decided to create the special Jury prize which was awarded to us in September 2020 at the prefecture of the Rhône (69).
Congratulations to you both for this fantastic involvement! What event(s) led you to want to take action for the planet?
I think it's the fact of having become vegan three years ago, something gradually made me aware not only of the need to protect living things, but also of ecological issues. Veganism and ecology are two closely linked themes., and the breakthroughs happened all by themselves.By questioning my diet, I quickly began to question consumption in a broader sense, and then the actions I could take to make mine more responsible and reduce the impact of my purchases.
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INTERMISSION: THE LINK BETWEEN VEGANISM AND ECOLOGY.
Livestock farming is responsible for a significant environmental impact:
The establishment of pastures and the cultivation of cereals needed to feed the herds require the deforestation and the felling of thousands of hectares of trees.
The cultivation of cereals needed to feed animals, their gastric waste, and the transport related to their raising and slaughter are responsible for 18% of global greenhouse gas emissions .
The spreading and waste specific to livestock farming contribute to the pollution and impoverishment freshwater sources.
Fishing is the source of massive pollution:
The fuels emitted by trawlers are a source of large quantities of greenhouse gases.
Overfishing has the effect of causing the decline in marine biodiversity necessary for CO2 absorption. Overfishing contributes to increased global warming in addition to damaging the seabed.
An average of 640,000 tonnes of fishing gear (mainly plastics) would be lost or abandoned at sea every year.
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Let's get down to brass tacks and talk COG: can we ask why you decided to order from us?
I know COG since your early days on Instagram when you posted current “victories and good news” about animals and the environment.Initially, I was intrigued by the launch of this new Lyon-based brand, and then by the design of the
I hadn't bought shoes for a while because I no longer wanted to spend my money on a product that wasn't designed with care in mind. well-being of the environment and travailleur.euse.s. So, a brand that's ethical, vegan, with all the qualities I was looking for, and moreover, from the Rhône-Alpes region; needless to say, with COG I found myself again. Thank you!
A huge thank you to you, Adam! So, we'll venture to ask you (under the supervision of a bailiff ;)) are you satisfied with your sneakers?
They satisfied my feet, won my heart, and eased my conscience; I'm very happy! ;)
Last year, you rescued an animal in distress, can you tell us about its rescue?
It really wasn't a big deal! While hiking with a friend, we came across a cow chewing on a plastic glove. We simply removed the plastic from its muzzle and put the glove where it should have been from the start: in a trash can.
We often underestimate the impact of discarding seemingly ordinary waste like a plastic bottle or a cigarette butt in nature. Yet the consequences are tragic, both for the environment due to the pollution they emit, and for the danger they pose to all the animal life they harm.
Raising awareness has reduce Reducing our consumption of single-use plastics and being concerned about the end-of-life of our objects has now become imperative for the common good. In that respect, bins remain a perfectly good option :)
Who are your role models, your inspirations?
Many people inspire me! I'm thinking of Martin Skadal in Norway, at Ed Winter in England, to Isra Hirshi in the USA, at Greta Thunberg in Sweden, at Malcolm Ferdinand in France. And all the acteur.rice.s unmediated change.e.s They are also examples to follow!
Do you have any personal tips or approaches you could share with us to better protect the environment on a daily basis?
I think there are as many ways to take action as there are people on the planet. For me, it's essential to constantly to educate oneself, to research, and to ask questions on ethical and environmental issues, but also to share and pass on the fruits of our learning.
Then, I think the changes happen naturally. chacun.e depending on our affinities and resilience. Reduce your consumption of meat products or become vegetarian, vegan, limit polluting transport, consume on a European scale, travel locally, eat organic food, dress ethically, limit the use of single-use plastics; a thousand paths are open to us, we just need to be curious and go and explore them.
My tip: develop your concern for and connection to the environment, to the well-being of humans and animals, to better cope with the efforts, then make the necessary changes to improve conditions for all while listening to each other. Where possible, we have tou.te.s a stone to put into the building, however small it may be.
What is your ethical wish for the future?
There is much to hope for. But my wish would be to see more people care about ethical causes, in the hope of living tou.te.s together in kindness. COG With your feet firmly planted and your head held high ;)
Thank you very much, Adam!
. Thank you for taking the time to answer this short interview, and even more so for dedicating your motivation and energy to defending such worthy causes. We hope your example inspires many people; you've already won the hearts of our team :) We look forward to our next conversation, and thank you for your many expressions of support.
Discover also our other articles and interviews blog.