ASK AN ECO ACTIVIST
This month Miriam Turner, CO-CEO of Friends of the Earth (FOE)
FOE TURNS 50 THIS MONTH – HOW DOES IT FEEL TO BE IN THE HOT SEAT?
I’ve been interested in nature since primary school pond-dipping days, so this does feel like the dream job. I studied ecology at university, then did a masters in sustainability. I desperately wanted a placement at FOE but didn’t get it. Instead, I worked in business, spending 12 years at Interface, a sustainable manufacturing company, where I was involved in making floor tiles from recycled fishing nets. Four years ago, I joined FOE as co-director of innovation and, last year, got the job as co-executive director.
YOU’RE THE FIRST WOMAN IN THE ROLE…
Yes, but I won’t be the last. According to the UN, 80 per cent of people displaced by climate change are women, so it feels appropriate to have a woman in this post. However, I share the role with Hugh Knowles – we’re also the first job share. We both have young children and wanted to be involved in their lives.
WHAT’S A TYPICAL DAY?
It’s a balance between meeting donors and politicians and running an organisation of 180 people. We’re talking a lot about the future of activism at the moment. It used to be all about live demonstrations. Now it’s moved into the digital realm, with people using social media to promote their message. Still, a huge part of our work is about coming together. Conversation and engagement are what changes hearts and minds.
YOU HAVE QUITE A LEGACY TO FOLLOW…
Yes, not many people realise FOE was the group who kickstarted the whole recycling revolution. Our first campaign, in 1971, was to return thousands of empty bottles to Schweppes to encourage reuse – and we’ve been campaigning for better use of the earth’s resources ever since. In 2003, we lobbied the government to provide every UK household with a way to recycle rubbish from their doorstep; now 45 per cent of our waste is recycled. We also founded the Great British Bee Count, helped put an end to fracking and recently saved Northumberland’s coastline from a coal mine.
IS THE WORLD READY FOR CHANGE?
Environmentalism is much more mainstream than it was in the 1970s. Today, we get a lot of support from people spanning all ages and professions. The school strikers and Extinction Rebellion have helped raise awareness. We now need action.
WHAT’S ON YOUR TO-DO LIST FOR 2021?
This year is firmly about climate, leading up to the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in November, which is being held in the UK. Every local council can help to cut emissions, so we’re working with our grassroots groups to put pressure on those in power. The pandemic has taught us all the importance of kindness, community and conversation
– and they’re our values, too: people coming together and working for something bigger than themselves.
IF YOU COULD HELP FOE ACHIEVE ONE THING THIS YEAR, WHAT WOULD IT BE?
I’d like us to make sure the government puts consistent policies in place. Now is not the time to be building roads, expanding Heathrow or approving a new coal-fired power station in Cumbria. We need to show leadership on the things that matter.