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^{Tanja Wessels walking and wearing her TEDxTinHau Countdown talk ‘Why I dress like an apple’. Photo by Alex Macro.}

Colleen Galbraith reflects on watching Tanja Wessels’s TEDxTinHau Coundown talk.

Why does fruit need clothing? Spoiler alert: it doesn’t, but this is how content creator and environmental advocate, Tanja Wessels, opened her TEDxTinHau Countdown Talk in Hong Kong, part of Countdown, the global initiative to champion and accelerate solutions to the climate crisis, launched in 2020.

When planning for the event, the first question Tanja asked herself (like most fashion fans) was “what am I going to wear?”. Her striking style evoked Patricia Field’s timeless look for Carrie Bradshaw in Sex and the City’s finale in 2004, with a conscious 2020 update – the wasteful wrappers that adorn so many apples in Hong Kong supermarkets were carefully collected and upcycled to create her tulle effect skirt.

Tanja is celebrating four years of not buying any new clothes. This may not seem like much if you aren’t into fashion, but Tanja walks, talks and wears sustainable fashion with passion. What started out as a one year experiment after a period of eco-anxiety, led her to change her relationship with an industry whose products mostly end up in a landfill. 

The fashion industry accounts for 10% of the world’s carbon emissions and around 20% of wastewater, inspiring Tanja to share her three ideas to change perceptions of fashion and help us all respect the planet. 

One: shopping for fast fashion can’t fix us.

Feeling the need to belong, combined with the availability of cheap clothing, leads us to buying clothes unnecessarily. This resonated with me, thinking of my wardrobe full of unworn clothes after ten months of COVID-19 social restrictions in Hong Kong. Tanja talked honestly of the links between our addiction to fast fashion and the mental lows which follow the ever-shortening highs of a new purchase. Tanja spoke of the fear of rejection, vulnerability and shame associated with needing to keep up in the conventional fashion game. After four years of no buying, she reasoned that she cannot lose a game she no longer plays, as her experience has made her feel more powerful in her clothing choices.

Two: if we stopped using plastic straws, why are we still wearing plastic clothes?

While it is obvious there is plastic in Tanja’s upcycled skirt, many of us don’t realise how much plastic there is in the clothes we wear. With the increasing popularity of athleisure during the pandemic for namaste and Netflix binges, the sector is set to grow 7% in the next three years. Most items of sportswear contain plastic (polyester, acrylic or nylon) because it is lightweight and cheap. But every time they’re washed, microplastics are released into the water system, polluting the planet’s water. There are around 700 marine organisms that consume microplastics and I didn’t feel very zen as Tanja reminded us that the plastic from our socks ends up in the sushi we eat.

Three: second-hand needs a rebrand.

As someone who has been known to store a new-for-me vintage bag overnight in the freezer to freshen the leather, I was not surprised to hear that Tanja has been asked by fast fashion fans whether she ever thought that shopping for second-hand clothes was “dirty”. We know that fast fashion is dirtier. Growing conventional cotton relies on pesticides and these chemicals make their way into the fibres of our clothing, before being absorbed into our skin. In the next stage of the lifecycle of your crisp white t-shirt, that “just off the rack” feeling may be down to a toxic finish of formaldehyde, a known carcinogen. Buying second-hand clothing decreases the amount of chemicals you’re likely to come into contact with and saves the clothes from landfill, while balancing the use of water and energy expended in creating them. 

Tanja left us with three other creative ideas for change:

1. Don’t forget about your accessories – consider switching from mass produced leather made with pollutants to planet-friendly alternatives;
2. Slow down and embrace the repair culture for your clothes. Nothing is ever truly broken in the Japanese art of Kintsugi, where damaged pieces are repaired with gold to enhance their beauty; and
3. Finally, ideas begin with us, and each of us has the power to develop more creative and meaningful relationships with the clothes we wear and the materials we use.

The latest looks can be found away from the chain stores of Causeway Bay. We can all be inspired by Tanja and the ways fashion is changing in our home of Hong Kong, from pre-loved luxury at HULA to restyling with Redress. Whether you are organising clothes swaps with friends, working with one of Tsim Sha Tsui’s traditional tailors for style crafted to last or supporting a small local business like Beam Bold’s adjustable pieces in natural fabrics, I know I’d choose planet-friendly over fast fashion any season.

You can #JoinTheCountdown and make your actions count with the Count Us In aggregator. Commit to buy fewer new clothes and wear them for longer at Count-Us-In.org

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Our speakers and support team take the TEDx tradition of ‘ideas worth spreading’ very seriously, what you see on stage is the product of hundreds of hours of preparation. Here’s the story of the five TEDxTinHau Countdown talks…

On Saturday October 17^th the TEDxTinHau Countdown speakers presented five talks, sharing their ideas on how to build a better, greener, healthier Hong Kong.

The talks were insightful, inspiring and thought-provoking. They were also the result of hundreds of  hours of work by the speakers and the TEDxTinHau coaches, buddies and curation team.

It was back in August when our speakers were selected for TEDxTinHau Countdown and the preparations began. Each speaker had a team that worked with them to bring shape and structure to their ideas and present them in ways that would resonate with the audience. “There was so many things that I wanted to share and so many things I wanted to talk about,” recalled sustainable food systems chef-consultant Peggy Chan at one rehearsal, “and the coaches really helped guide us in the right direction so that the audience can absorb it better.”

Historical and marine ecologist Jonathan Cybulski added, “When I was nominated, I was pitched as a scientist, which I am, but working through my ideas with the team, I was really happy to have a chance to bring this alternative angle, the fitness angle. This talk allowed me to hone into who I am and it makes it feel really personal in what I am able to contribute to climate solutions, which I think is what everyone wants to do – contribute in their own way.”

“I’ve done public speaking in the past, but I’ve never had a team supporting me telling me what parts of my scripts suck and what parts are great. It’s an eye-opening experience,” said writer, content-creator and artist Tanja Wessels, “Here is a really well-crafted, well thought-out procedure, and consequently, as a speaker, it’s very exciting.”

A new part of the support team this year was Chan Wai, aka Inkagrm, whose illustrations were projected on screen after each of the talks providing a powerful reminder of the key points that the speakers have made.  

“My illustrations are graphic recordings. I am always aware that what I do is not about art but about visual communication, memory retention and a good start to discussions and dialogue,” said Inkagrm.

“This was my first time working with a TEDx event while the speeches were being developed and it was super interesting. Not only because the speakers talked about so many things that I was not aware of –  like microplastics, electric planes, and an 11-year old climate activist in Hong Kong –  but particularly because I had the privilege to watch the voice and body coaches go through the talks with the speakers. I learned so much and it was so good to see behind the scenes – it was an awesome experience!”

“It really does take a village,” said Ollie Haas, designer and engineer, “at every step of the process people have been there helping the speakers perfect our talks and get them to a point where they really are ideas worth spreading. The amazing illustrations from Inkagrm are fabulous reminders of our ideas and will encourage people to share the TEDxTinHau Countdown ideas even further.”

“There is a magic that happens in this process every time we do it,” says Treena Nairne, Head of Curation for TEDxTinHau Countdown, “We start in a certain place, when we first meet, and everyone comes with their idea. The final speeches may not be what the speakers envisaged; they might not have had any idea where it would end up. And none of the support team ever does either. But we trust the process. It is magic. And I love it every year.”

Ultimately, everyone at TEDxTinHau Countdown hopes that you enjoyed the talks and are inspired to #JoinTheCountdown and take climate action.

“What is different about this TEDx is the focus on action,” said community environmental advocate, Keilem Ng, “I would like to see more action from this community beyond the day of the event.” Youth climate activist Lance Lau agrees, “We need more action in general and we need to keep spreading the message. I hope that we have planted the seed of climate action in people’s minds and that they water it.”

So, what are you waiting for?  #JoinTheCountdown by making a pledge on the Count Us In website.

TEDxTinHau Countdown would like to thank everyone who joined in taking action to help climate change on October 17th 2020. We’re still buzzing from the excitement and positive energy from our TEDxTinHau Countdown event this past weekend. Across Hong Kong, people tuned in from their homes and from our sponsored venues (many thanks to WeWork, Banyan and Explorium) to watch six of our brilliant speakers share their ideas on sustainability. 

We are still in awe to see the support from the entire community to come together to participate in full day of sustainability-driven activities and talks. Starting with morning beach clean ups, getting creative –– from upcycling and diy workshops, to vegan cooking classes and supporting local restaurant’s planet friendly lunches.

Countdown is TED’s global initiative to champion and accelerate solutions to the climate crisis, turning ideas into action. The goal to build a better future by cutting greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030 in the race to a zero-carbon world – a world that is safer, cleaner and fairer for everyone. On 10.10.2020, Countdown launched globally with a virtual event and over 600 TEDx Countdown events around the world. (watch the Countdown online here).

Here are some of our key takeaways for the day:
We kicked off with Ollie Haas –– inspired by his love for aviation and remaining positive about the industry’s sustainable future. Today we can buy carbon offsets and aim to fly less. In the future, perhaps we will fly on battery powered planes that emit close to zero emissions. We indeed have a long way to go, but we mustn’t give up on making our dreams a reality.

Lance Lau, Hong Kong’s youth climate activist, has been on a climate strike for 57 weeks. At the young age of 11, he captivated the audience with his sheer courage to take rejection and stand up for what he believes in. Accompanied by Keilem Ng, founder of NGO EcoMarine, focused towards raising awareness of local marine issues like beach and underwater cleanups. She has generously and kindly extended her hand to guide him, and take small yet important steps forward together. Keilem sees herself as a starter (a bit like a sourdough starter), who helps others kick-start their ideas to help our climate. This humble, down-to-earth duo inspired us to see that making a difference is also about helping one another so that together, we can make a bigger impact.

Tanja Wessels took the stage with her beautifully crafted skirt made of fruit packaging. The fashion industry has massively sped up plastic production and waste, and 35% of microplastics in our oceans comes from synthetic textiles. Tanja shared ideas on sustainable materials such as cactus leather replacing cow hide. How can we imagine a better relationship with materials? How can we take what’s normally perceived as “trash” and turn them into treasure?

Peggy Chan of plant-based restaurants Grassroots Pantry and Nectar called out for the need for fundamental reform in food education. 37% of global greenhouse gas comes from the food industry. At the same time, people are dining out more. Globally, Chef Activists are taking matters in their own hands, one example being Jamie Oilver’s mission to halve childhood obesity in the UK by 2030. What more could leaders in this industry do to guide the next generation of chefs to cook more responsibly and source more sustainably?

Historical and marine ecologist Jonathan Cybulski poses the question : “Why aren’t we taking enough action yet?”. The problem is, we don’t understand what a healthy climate can achieve and how it can save lives. But we can do it. We just have to start. “Big goals are built by small wins. When we start to think like that, when we build our climate fitness’ mentality, then we’ll be in a position to create long-term climate wins.” By identifying one goal, breaking it down into actionable steps, we too can start on our personal journey to help change climate change.

Thank you to our speakers, who have shown us that making a change starts with just one decision. It doesn’t have to be complicated. There are so many ways we can all contribute before it’s too late. From rethinking materials, to organising a local beach clean-up, to taking action to visit your local farmer’s market instead of the neighbourhood supermarket. What decision will you make today to change climate change?

We’re in! Are you? 

What if we told you that we have the power to protect what we love from the impacts of climate change?

Whatever it is that you love ❤️, Count Us In has made it easy for you to have a real impact on climate change. With 16 steps, you can choose what works for you and track your progress alongside the rest of us on their platform.

Check out @countusinsocial to take a step and join us!

#countusin

Thank you

Together we can change climate change

#JoinTheCountdown #CountdownHK

Watch this space for more information about TEDxTinHau Countdown. For more behind the scene fun, follow us on Facebook @TEDxTinHau Countdown | Instagram @TEDxTinHauWomen | Twitter @TEDxTinHau

TEDxTinHau Countdown is hosting events throughout Hong Kong on Saturday October 17th. Our community workshops, planet-friendly lunches and inspiring TEDxTinHau Countdown Talks take place a mix of online and in-person event. Find out what is happening and how you can book at TEDxTinHauWomen/JoinTheCountdown.

If you’re heading to an in-person event, a little planning can be a positive climate action. The following list is the TEDxTinHau Countdown Team’s essentials for attending any event sustainably. 

Make sure that you have:

• Your confirmation email/digital ticket on your phone
• Reuseable water bottle/coffee cup
• Upcycled or unbleached cotton spare bag
• Reuseable cutlery
• Reusable face mask
• Refilled hand sanitiser (and a temperature check before leaving home)
• Octopus card to travel by public transport
• Virtual business card and QR code to LinkedIn ready to share
• Fully charged phone to take notes and photos and spread the word on social media (using #JoinTheCountdown #CountdownHK)
• Healthy appetite – drink/eat everything or bring a container, ensuring you don’t leave food waste behind!

Got more tips and ideas? Share them with us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn using #JoinTheCountdown #CountdownHK.

by Victoria Gilbert, TEDxTinHau Countdown co-lead

It may seem that the world has spent a lot of time standing still this year. That we have been on a collective pause.

As factories suspended production, and transportation of people and goods was reduced to a bare minimum, there were noticeable, and much reported, changes in the natural world. While some stories were revealed to be flights of fantasy (dolphins in Venice – really?), others were grounded in real science.

• air pollution was much improved in the world’s major cities
• carbon emissions fell dramatically – China’s CO₂ was cut by a quarter to a new four-year low in the first four weeks after Lunar New Year
• animals, like the deer in Nara, Japan, began to explore the urban spaces that people had stopped occupying.

Sadly, but predictably, these results were all too temporary with carbon emissions and air pollution heading back in a direction that is unhealthy for people and planet. We saw clear evidence of this in Hong Kong as health risks due to air pollution hit the highest level on the city’s scale at the beginning of September.

Yet, the beautiful blue skies that Hong Kong and much of the rest of the world enjoyed over the summer months show what can be achieved. They also serve as a sombre reminder of the scale of change that is required from us if we are to make the difference we need to.

So how do we bring about the change we need to make? Where do those ideas start?

For me, that is the power of TED, and its mission to share “ideas worth spreading.” Since the first TEDx event I attended in Shanghai in 2014, I was gripped by the dedication of the volunteer committees to find, coach and support amazing people to tell their stories in a way that is deeply personal and also sparks a connection with their audience. Sometimes that spark is so vivid you can almost see it in the air, and from that spark, comes a new way of thinking or doing.

New ideas, thoughts, and better solutions – what we know as ‘innovation’ – are at the heart of sustainability efforts. In many ways, sustainability is innovation. Sustainability is always forward-thinking, identifying what we really want, what we need to achieve, and asking how can we do that better? And cleaner? And fairer – for both people and planet.

A couple of my favourite examples of the intersection of sustainability and innovation are right here in Hong Kong.

• This summer, a research team at the University of Hong Kong created and planted the world’s first 3D-printed terracotta “reef tiles” to help restore eroding coral communities on Hong Kong seabeds.
• Asia is set to be home to 5 billion people by 2050, and its alternative protein industry is expanding rapidly to feed the increased population with a much-reduced carbon footprint too. New research by Green Queen Media identifies Asia as the alternative-protein industry’s fastest growing region in the world, with vegan and vegetarian product launches in Southeast Asia increasing 440% since 2016.
• The rapid expansion of electric vehicles in Hong Kong from 100 in 2010 to over 15,300 by summer 2020 helps in the battle against roadside emissions and pollution. It has been encouraged by generous tax incentives on car registration and charging points and complemented by trials for electric light buses and ferries.

These ideas are important. This year, August 22^nd marked Earth Overshoot Day – the day when humanity’s use of the planet’s resources exceeds what Earth can regenerate in that year. We know our consumption behaviours have to change; we know we need to invest in regeneration; and we know there are solutions out there. 

TEDxTinHau Countdown could not have come at a more pivotal moment. Though unsettling, the world has had a glimpse of what can be done when people work together across seas and borders, when they identify and focus action on an idea that has benefit to all.  As Einstein wrote: “We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.” In 2020 we are not paused, we’re poised and ready to jump into a better world, where sustainability and innovation are hand in hand. We have an amazing day planned for Saturday October 17^th and whether you join a community activity, a planet-friendly lunch or join us to listen to our incredible speakers please do #JoinTheCountdown #CountdownHK. I look forward to seeing you there.

By TEDxTinHauWomen Co-Founders, Jen Flowers & Daniella Lopez 

Hong Kong is home to us (Jen – she grew up here! and Daniella) for some years now. We love the energy and innovation that a city of such diversity delivers. Our famously cosmopolitan home is where east meets west, old meets new, and where people of all nationalities connect with each other. 

The city’s natural diversity sometimes surprises people – the shimmering high-rise superstructures of the Hong Kong skyline sit in a region that is actually 70% green spaces^[1]; and our mountains, valleys, islands and seas are home to a huge diversity of plants and wildlife and offer spectacular views when hiking.

There was no question that we wanted to bring Countdown and the pressing issue of climate change to Hong Kong. And we are thrilled to be your hosts for our city.

Countdown is a TED global initiative to champion and accelerate solutions to the climate crisis, turning ideas into action. Communities around the world are coming together to build a better future and a world that is safer, cleaner and fairer for everyone.

Through TEDxTinHauWomen we’ve had an amazing platform to showcase some of the most passionate speakers and inspiring ideas. This year we are doing things a bit differently. Our annual women’s event will be postponed to 2021. Instead, Jen Flowers and Victoria Gilbert will lead a new event – TEDxTinHau Countdown – which will focus on the most pressing issue of our time, climate change. 

Hong Kongers love to be outdoors, and this access to nature perhaps underlies recent survey results that revealed that 84% of Hong Kongers believe the impact of climate change would be big to their children and grandchildren^[2]. And while this statistic is encouraging, it shows that we should be doing more now. 

The way that humans have been using the planet’s resources to live and work is causing unprecedented rises in temperature of the Earth’s surface and oceans. This climate change has wide-ranging effects on the planet’s ice, oceans, ecosystems, and biodiversity – basically, it impacts everything for humans and other beings that call the Earth home. 

“We are the first generation to feel the impact of climate change and the last generation that can do something about it.” 

This quote, cited by Barack Obama^[3] and resonating with people around the world, demonstrates why Countdown is so important, so needed and so urgent. It is a motivating catalyst to the amazing team of volunteers who are planning TEDxTinHau Countdown.

To make the difference the world needs, everyone needs to be involved. We invite you to be a part of change with us this year. 

TEDxTinHau Countdown will take place in Hong Kong on Saturday, October 17^th 2020. It will be a day of community activities, practical workshops and inspiring speakers with powerful messages about climate change.  More details on tickets and viewing to come later.

Mark your calendars, follow our dedicated TEDxTinHau Countdown Facebook account as well as the TEDxTinHauWomen Instagam, Twitter and Facebook accounts, sign up for the TEDxTinHauWomen email updates and #JoinTheCountdown #CountdownHK. 

Together, we can change climate change.  

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Thank you,

TEDxTinHauWomen Co-Founders and Co-Chairs, Jen and Daniella 

TEDxTinHau Countdown Co-Chairs, Jen and Victoria 

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^[1] https://www.greening.gov.hk/en/departments_greening_efforts/parks.html

^[2] https://www.pori.hk/research-reports/2020/peoples-attitudes-towards-climate-change-eng

^[3] Although it is often attributed to Obama, he was actually quoting someone else ‘As one of America’s governors has said, …’  https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2014/09/23/remarks-president-un-climate-change-summit

Thank you to everyone that attended the 2019 annual TEDxTinHauWomen Bold & Brilliant event on December 6th. We always hope to find Hong Kong-based speakers covering a range of topics so that everyone that attends feels as though they connected with at least some of the stories and messages. And this year we think we got it right!

We hope you left the annual event feeling inspired by this community of Hong Kongers that worked closely with professional coaches and buddies over months leading up their own moment on stage to share their very own TEDx talk with you.

We’ve selected a few soundbites from each of the talks. Enjoy!

Chi Chi Cheng – How I question my identity with a fortune cookie

“This tiny little cookie, shook me to my core. It made me ask some of the most fundamental questions in life: who am I? Where do I come from? What is my identity? What does it mean to be Chinese? Or a Hong Konger?”

“What are the key ingredients that construct an identity?”

Watch Chi Chi’s talk here: https://www.ted.com/talks/chi_chi_cheng_how_i_question_my_identity_with_a_fortune_cookie

Gigi Chao – How I Found The Meaning of Fortune Through Art

“Most of us live in the closet and go to work and go home each day never letting our parents know. But imagine what it would be like if there was marriage equality in Hong Kong.”

“I am a lesbian. I am who I am, and that’s okay because I also deserve to be loved and I am committed and determined and I have so much to give to society.”

Watch Gigi’s Talk here: hhttps://www.ted.com/talks/gigi_chao_a_billion_dollar_dowry_and_a_love_that_cannot_be_celebrated

Ritu Hemnani – An Inheritance Worth Sharing

“My true inheritance is the resilience my people had when hope seemed impossible.”

“By telling my family’s story, it encouraged others to share theirs and created a safe space for re-living lost lives.”

Watch Ritu’s talk here: https://www.ted.com/talks/ritu_hemnani_an_inheritance_worth_sharing

Jesamine Dyus – The poet in all of us – reimagining the classic fairy tale (special performance)

“Be seen, not heard,  Now is not time to play.  Just smile with your eyes, You can you be the prize, Look the part, Chocolate hearts, Hershey’s kiss,Be a Little Miss Prim- always proper, Keep your baggage in your locker,Jezzy D, who is she?Chatter boxer, someone stop her.”

“I feel the pain, I know it’s hard, I know you’re hurt. I’ve been there, done that,Got the shirt. So I smashed the glass slipper, So I smashed the glass slipper, Turned everything to glitter, Flipped a new chapter, Wrote my own ever after.”

Watch Jesamine’s performance here: https://www.ted.com/talks/jesamine_dyus_the_poet_in_all_of_us_reimagining_the_classic_fairy_tale

Valentina Tudose – Embracing Unconditional Love

“You know nothing about selfless love until the person in your care literally cannot eat, shower, dress, walk without you. Until you wake up every few minutes to check they are still breathing.”

“Love is a lot more than we think it is. Not a Disney movie, but exactly what we make of it.”

Watch Valentina’s talk here: https://www.ted.com/talks/valentina_tudose_embracing_unconditional_love

Brenda Scofield – Old & Bold- An Alternative Journey Through Life

“I grieved the memory of a moment when, at 60, in a silk purple dress I passed a man in the street who said, “Woman you look good.” No more. I became invisible.”

“Being different can be hard. We search for connection, fearing that we are alone in our differences while others are together in their similarities.”

Watch Brenda’s talk here: https://www.ted.com/talks/brenda_scofield_old_bold_an_alternative_journey_through_life

Dr. Angélica Anglés – In the search of Life on Mars

“I´ve been told, many times, I look more like a hair stylist rather than a scientist and that I didn’t fit in the field I was studying.”

“Now is the best time to be a Mars explorer, because what seemed like science fiction decades ago is now our reality.”

Watch Angelica’s talk here: https://www.ted.com/talks/angelica_angles_in_the_search_of_life_on_mars

For more information on future events, watch this space! To join an informal community event, please follow our IG or FB @TEDxTinHauWomen