Beyond that, she recently announced her third album, HIT ME HARD AND SOFT, to be released May 17, 2024. She spent the days leading up to the announcement building excitement by adding all of her Instagram followers to her “Close Friends” list. Eilish had the most Instagram followers in 48 hours…with her count increasing by 7 million followers total.
While her debut album, when we all fall asleep…where do we go?, was a chart-topper in its own right, it landed Billie every GRAMMY it was nominated for at the ripe age of 18…Eilish has solidified herself as one of the most revered and sought-after popstars in the world.
Eilish recently caught media attention for quietly revealing her sexuality. In an interview with Variety, she states that she’s always liked girls…and assumed people always knew that. In a viral snippet from her new song, LUNCH, she details a love affair with a girl.
But people don’t only adore Billie for her catchy tracks that consistently top the charts. It’s not just her songwriting ability and unique vocals that keep us hooked. People love her because she’s unafraid to speak her mind.
Whether it be complaining about too many influencers being at an awards show, or calling out other artists for using unsustainable practices…Billie does not hold back.
Billie Eilish On Sustainability
Eilish home
rethinkingthefuture.com
The Eilish home is iconic for many reasons: it’s where Billie and Finneas recorded her debut album, countless other songs, and EPs, in an effort to conserve water there’s no grass, and the roof is covered in solar panels. And being environmentally conscious extends beyond the four walls of their home.
When the hottest young talent is discovered at such an early age like Eilish, record labels are chomping at the bit to sign them. It’s like when a D1 athlete is ready to commit to college…you have your pick.
But what Eilish and her mom, Maggie Baird, were looking for wasn’t about money or label-perks…they were seeking a solid sustainability program. And while that may seem like standard practice, most labels didn’t bring up environmental policies during these meetings at all.
After signing to The Darkroom via Interscope Records, the struggle didn’t stop there. Billie Eilish and her family have been consistent contributors to the fight against climate change.
Maggie Baird has since started Support + Feed, which focuses on the climate crisis and food insecurity. Support + Feed helped Eilish’s 2022 Happier Than Ever tour save 8.8 million gallons of water through plant-based meal service for the artist and crew members.
During Billie’s 2023 Lollapalooza performance, she aided the launch and funding of REVERB’s Music Decarbonization Project – which guaranteed all battery systems used during her set were solar powered. The MCD’s overall mission is to lower – and eventually eliminate –the music industry’s carbon emissions.
But more recently, Billie Eilish called out other artists for releasing multiple versions of vinyls in order to boost vinyl sales. In an interview with Billboard, she says,
“We live in this day and age where, for some reason, it’s very important to some artists to make all sorts of different vinyl and packaging … which ups the sales and ups the numbers and gets them more money and gets them more…”
Artists convince fans to buy different versions of their albums by offering exclusive features on each vinyl. Take Taylor Swift, for example, who released five separate vinyl versions of Midnights, each with a different deluxe “Vault” track.
While Billie may not have been trying to shade one artist in particular, the point is that she’s fed up. After being the rare artist in the industry who go out of their way to remain environmentally conscious, Eilish sets the bar high.
How Eilish’s New Album Is Sustainable
Billie for "Hit Me Hard and Soft"
William Drumm
Social media users were quick to claim Eilish was hypocritical by announcing that HIT ME HARD AND SOFT will have eight vinyl variations. However, each vinyl is made from recycled materials – either 100% recycled black vinyl or BioVinyl, which replaces petroleum used during manufacturing with recycled cooking oil.
This just illustrates that Eilish wasn’t directing criticism towards other artists for using vinyl variants to gain album sales…but she does think there are better ways to do it that benefit the environment without hurting their sales.
Jadev “Molai” Payeng: The man who built the forest
Forest Man
Jadev Payeng has dedicated his life to bringing back the forests of India and creating wildlife refuges. As a teengaer more than 30 years ago, Payeng planted along sandbanks as a starting point before he became known for bringing back 1,360 acres of dense jungle.
The turning point for Payeng was when he saw a large number of snakes washed up on the shore of a sandbank in 1979: "The snakes died in the heat, without any tree cover. I sat down and wept over their lifeless forms. It was carnage. I alerted the forest department and asked them if they could grow trees there. They said nothing would grow there. Instead, they asked me to try growing bamboo. It was painful, but I did it. There was nobody to help me. Nobody was interested," says Payeng, now 47.
Working alone, Jadev brought the trees back to a barren wasteland. Once there was cover and shelter for the animals, he worked on bringing back ecological balance to the forest. He brought animals back to this newly flourishing environment now called the Molai woods. He has even created territory for animals facing extinction due to habitat loss like rhinos, tigers, and elephants.
If you'd like to know more about his story, the film Forest Man covers Jadev's amazing journey of forest restoration
"Payeng has already shown the example that if one person can, at his own effort, can do this kind of plantation than why not others? If we can have economic value, if it is economically viable, if it gives benefit to the people, if we can plan it in this way, then we can do it for the entire catchment." - Forest Man 12:18
Tim Wong: The man who saved the butterflies
The Butterfly Whisperer
The California Pipevine Swallowtail is a blue glittering butterfly that was suffering at the hands of urbanization in San Francisco. Facing a steady decline in the 19th and 20th century, they became an infrequent sight in San Francisco despite having inhabited the city for centuries. The only food that these butterflies eat, a deciduous vine called pipevine, was becoming increasingly rare across its native region.
Tim Wong helped put a stop to that by collecting pipevine cuttings from the San Francisco Botanical Gardens and making his own backyard butterfly sanctuary. This sheltered space was covered from predators while mimicking their natural habitat. Here he could study the caterpillars that he collected and learn about the Pipevine Swallowtail species. By successfully breeding the adults who matured in his garden sanctuary, he was able to transfer hundreds of their offspring back into nature and the Botanical Gardens in Golden Gate Park.
Hundreds of butterflies were beginning to thrive and return to their natural life cycles. Tim Wong has been praised for his hard work and his triumph shows that anyone with determination and a dream can make some positive change in the world.
Yacouba Sawadogo: The man who stopped the desert
The Man Who Stopped the Desert
The desert of Yacouba's homeland in Burkina Faso was spreading. The poor soil conditions came from years of over-farming, over-grazing, and overpopulation which took its toll on the land. The land began to erode and dry out at a startling rate. People had tried to help stop the process, but the desert was advancing and worsening. This is when Yacouba took matters into his own hands.
In 1980, Yacouba began his seemingly unusual method for bringing back the forest. Using an ancient African farming method called "zai," he began to refresh the land. Zai is the process of digging small holes in the ground which are filled with compost. The seeds are planted in the compost and the holes in the hard ground are filled up with water during the rainy season; they aren't as quickly drying in the dry season. He dug his holes during the dry season, so when the rain came the seeds were ready. Using this method, he brought back a 30-acre forest in 20 years.
This method not only brought back trees but also helped bring nutrition back into the soil and stop the harsh erosion of the desert. Yacouba spreads his teachings to any who would like to learn them, so that everyone can have the chance to bring fertile lands back into their communities.
Yacouba was the focus of a 2010 documentary called The Man Who Stopped the Desert and he's still spreading his techniques hoping to bring back the forests.
Yacouba, Tim, and Jadev's hard work and dedication show that anyone who uses their hearts and minds can make a difference. Individuals like you are bringing positive change into their communities, and they have the power to help change the world.
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