Every year, we humans consume the amount of resources that the world is able to replenish by August. That means for the rest of the year, our booming global population is taking away from future generations. So how do we reduce the pressure of a booming population on our planet? The evidence is clear that empowering women and girls with education, access to reproductive health services and work opportunities can give them a better quality of life and have an enormous impact on the planet.

If you have one or more hour(s) a week to spare, you can sign up with The Smith Family's online mentoring program. Mentoring disadvantaged children across Australia means you can help them get the most out of their education. Empowering a girl helps her to understand the impact she can have in the world.

Our oceans absorb almost all of the excess heat in the atmosphere - about 90% of it - and this means they too are warming rapidly. They are also becoming more acidic because they also absorb excess carbon dioxide. Ocean heating is causing mass coral bleaching and threatening marine ecosystems. Even if we stopped pumping more carbon into the atmosphere, the oceans are already too warm and are in need of an innovative solution. Luckily, there is one incredible organism that can change all of this - seaweed! Growing up to half a meter a day, seaweed removes carbon dioxide from the water, restoring the alkaline balance. It can draw down huge amounts of carbon from the atmosphere and help restore marine ecosystems (Plus it has so many uses!).

We have teamed up with the Intrepid Foundation and the University of Tasmania to launch Australia's first seaweed platform in Storm Bay near Hobart. We have set up a crowdfunding page where every dollar you donate will be matched by the Intrepid Foundation. This is a great way to join the Regeneration and bring the vision of 2040 into reality. Click the donate button to take action.

The economy has delivered so many benefits to society and people, but no matter what side of the discussion you're on, we need to talk about the impact on the environment and how it’s holding us back from achieving real change. If we put the health and wellbeing of ourselves and the planet at the heart of our economic system, we can radically pivot towards a safer and brighter future for all.

Here are some references if you are interested in exploring our sources further:
1) World Economic Review, "Global Growth, Inequality and Poverty Eradication in a Carbon-Constrained World" || https://bit.ly/2WH47SW
2) ABC, "ISDS: The devil in the trade deal" || https://ab.co/2WJxE37
3) A Doughnut for the Anthropocene: humanity’s compass in the 21st century || https://bit.ly/2F625Gc
4) Ellen MacArthur Foundation, What is a circular economy? || https://bit.ly/2C0BGJd

These days our news feeds are filled with images and stories of a bleak future. This may be why many of us feel paralysed when it comes to taking action on solutions to save our planet. Environmental psychologist, Dr Renee Lertzman, explains that when we receive information charged with fear, dread or anxiety, the limbic system in our brain can be activated, which can override the prefrontal cortex, an area of the brain associated with creative thinking and problem solving.

The more that we can acknowledge openly and explicitly how we're feeling about what's going on, the more quickly we can free up our energy to be strategic and creative. By opening up a dialogue, we can empower all voices to join the conversation, connect through shared values, and create a shared vision for a new story for our planet. In this way, the climate crisis can be viewed as an enormous opportunity to unify, collaborate, step up, and activate our influence and agency. The climate movement is evolving and we understand more about creativity, resilience, and problem-solving than ever before. Join the conversation by using the hashtag #WhatsYour2040