BÜCHER | 01.07.2020Martin Dorey
im Interview über Umweltschutz, Kinderbücher und die ErdeEnde Mai veröffentlichte der Schriftsteller und Umweltaktivist Martin Dorey sein hochgelobtes und vielbeachtetes Kinderbuch „#umweltheld in 2 minuten: 50 tolle Tricks, wie du die Welt rettest!“. Martin Dorey lebt in Cornwall und ist in seiner Freizeit pasionierter Surfer und Strand-Liebhaber. Er gründete das "Beach Clean Network" und rief #2minutebeachclean ins Leben: User in auf der ganzen Welt sammeln für 2 Minuten am Strand Müll, posten ein Foto davon und entsorgen ihn dann. #2minutesolution ist die Fortsetzung des Kampfes gegen das Plastik im Alltag. Und nun also ein Kinderbuch, um kindgerecht für diese wichtigen Themen zu werben.
von Eve Pohl
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Martin Dorey
How did you get the idea to write this book?
Martin Dorey: I was asked if I wanted to discuss the idea by my editor Daisy at Walker Books. I was very happy to write it as I had just published No. More. Plastic., a book for adults about plastic. And that came from years of anti-plastic campaigning in the UK through my charity, The 2 Minute Foundation, which was then known as the Beach Clean Network. My writing style is very simple – which comes from writing copy – and I loved writing it. It was so much fun and just a natural part of everything I had been doing.
What do you think about the current developments regarding environmental protection?
Martin Dorey: I worry greatly that we won’t use COVID-19 as the catalyst for more change. Business as usual has been the problem and I am concerned that we will roll back the protections and focus on economics instead of the planet. The virus has given us an amazing opportunity to see nature, live quietly and not be distracted by vapid consumerism. I hope it will inspire more people to live simpler, better, cleaner lives.
Are there any interesting projects related to plastic reduction that our readers should look at?
Martin Dorey: Surfers Against Sewage are doing interesting things, as are the MCS. There are lots of new anti-plastic groups and campaigns and lots is happening, which is exciting. The EU is doing great stuff on a legislative level too. But we still need to do more.
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Martin Dorey
Can you describe what the Beach Clean Network is all about?
Martin Dorey: It is about inspiring people to make a difference 2 minutes at a time. We started off doing beach cleans and then began the #2minutebeachclean campaign in 2013 after bad storms at the coast in the UK. We try to inspire everyone everywhere to take 2 minutes to do something good, like pick up beach litter or think about new ways of cutting out plastic. That’s the start. Afterwards we hope they will go on to do even bigger, better things.
How satisfied are you with the # 2minutebeachclean project?
Martin Dorey: We started with 1 beach clean station and 1 hashtagged post on Instagram. Today there are 136,000 of them. Each one is 2 minutes (at least) of time spent by someone, wherever they are in the world, doing something good for the planet. That’s incredible. We also look after 800 beach cleaning stations all over the UK and Ireland. So, yes, I am quite pleased.
What will be # 2minutesolution?
Martin Dorey: This is the upstream version of the #2minutebeachclean. This is the prevention. If people take 2 minutes out of their day to find ways around using plastic then they will stop people like me from having to pick it up off the beach later. So, if you give up straws, or use a reusable water bottle instead of buying a plastic bottle every day, they won’t kill wildlife. Simple. The less plastic we use the less pollution.
Why are there only ideas for plastic reduction in the book and not other things such as ideas for saving electricity or vacationing without an airplane?
Martin Dorey: You’ll have to read Kids Fight Climate Change (which comes out soon) to get that answer. Kids Fight Plastic is about plastic. While plastic is a small part of the environmental picture and contributes to climate change, my campaign is primarily about plastic, so that’s what I have written about first. In the second book we talk about flying, turning off the TV, shopping, food miles, saving energy, walking, cycling and all those vital things we all need to do as a natural part of our environmental battles. Plastic is the gateway to bigger environmental thinking because it’s tangible. You can see it and understand it. Climate change is bigger and less solid.
Are you planning another book on this topic?
Martin Dorey: Not at the moment, although ideas flash across my mind all the time. We’ll see!!! Kids Fight Injustice?