Green space in a concrete jungle
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Our customers are some of the greenest people around, and Daniel Raven-Ellison is certainly no exception. As well as doing everything he can in his own life to promote sustainability, he coordinates the campaign to make London the world’s first National Park City in 2019. This ambitious project promotes a city where people and nature are better connected, which is no bad thing for the future of our planet. We asked him about the campaign, how he’s green at home and why he loves Ecotricity.
Why are you an Ecotricity customer?
Why wouldn't I be? The costs of not taking action on climate change and improving our energy security are too high. By using Ecotricity, my family is investing in renewable energy that helps to tackle both of these challenges and more. I am also proud to support a business that is willing to stick its neck out and use its resources to create space for nature and reduce harmful meat consumption. All of these problems are interrelated, and being with Ecotricity is one way in which I can’t just do less harm, but more good.
How long have you been a customer for?
Nearly a decade.
Tell us more about National Park City.
Four years ago, I started a campaign to make London the world's first National Park City. It's a big idea that's about celebrating everything that's been done to make London's urban landscape the most biologically diverse region of the UK, while recognising the problems we face and challenging all Londoners to make the city greener, healthier and wilder.
While many people may think that homo sapiens – just one of the 14,000 species living in London – are a barrier to London becoming this new kind of national park, I see Londoners as one of the National Park City's greatest assets. All 9 million Londoners have the potential to not just enjoy the city's landscape more, but to actually transform it. They can not only protect nature, but actually create space for it. If everyone turned 1m2 of concrete into green space or blue space by planting wildflowers or creating a pond, we would make the majority of the city physically green and blue. Perhaps a greener and wilder city would also help to encourage more people to consume things in more nature and environmentally friendly ways too.
While there are urban national parks inside and beside cities around the world, London would be the first that includes the entire conurbation. We are not just picking out the green and blue bits, the grey bits are important too. Peregrine falcons and freerunners (who climb, jump and run between, over and under buildings) embody its spirit, but prefer to navigate and enjoy the city’s rock and metal.
With the support of the Mayor of London and the majority of the capital’s elected politicians, London will become a National Park City during Spring 2019. Ultimately, it’s culture-makers and shifts in culture that will make the National Park City a success.
What do you do to be sustainable at home?
I dislike it when people who are doing their best and are doing what they can, when they can, are shut down. At one end of the spectrum, there are people who make no effort to be more sustainable and taunt those that may not be perfect, but try. At the other end, there are environmentalists who do their cause no good by slamming people who try, but are not perfect. On an everyday level, we need to find a new way of communicating that acknowledges every well-meaning action as progress.
To answer the question, we do what we can when we can. Our biggest contributions are almost certainly being vegan, not owning a car, using Ecotricity, recycling, walking as much as we can and not buying too much stuff. Not necessarily in that order.
How do you encourage others to be sustainable?
In my work, I use exploration to communicate challenging and complex ideas. I’ve walked 1,700km across all of the UK’s national parks and cities whilst recording my emotions. I’ve also completed a walk to demonstrate the size of Salisbury’s ecological footprint - to show the amount of space that is needed to sustain the city.
This summer I’m planning a mini-expedition to reveal how land is used in the UK and how little is protected for wildlife. Fundamentally, this is about creating story and film that demonstrates that the way we use and share land in the UK is unsustainable and unjust. I don’t have the solutions, but I’m going to be raising some big questions this summer.
What one piece of advice you would give to somebody looking to be more sustainable?
Eat less meat. Ideally none.
Daniel certainly does a lot, but as he says it’s about making any differences you can in your own life. No change is too small and one often leads to another, so all the more reason to get started. Ask yourself, what one thing could you change today? It may just be the start of a sustainable adventure. Your first step could be huge, just by choosing a green energy supplier – join the green revolution and switch to Ecotricity.
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