Ryan McClure

Neaho was born out of personal struggles, societal frustrations, and shared experiences around climate action. I see this project as a starting point for going deeper into what makes people tick about caring for the environment - where sustainability can be a natural by-product of doing something we love. There is massive potential for developing a whole new range of innovative consumer products for environmental change - perhaps replacing existing product lines entirely as we try and map our value systems, behaviours and relationships with the natural world.

It had always been a massive frustration of mine in that so much culpability for anthropogenic catalysts and problems leading to climate change have been put onto the individual or consumer, when in matter of fact it is large multi-national co-operations who tarnish Earth with their dirty, laden and worn brushes. Consumerism has devoured everything and everyone in its wake, but what if there could be an idea of ‘Regenerative Consumerism’ - a new way of using a very powerful force to combat the degradation of our planet and also understand it better? I’ve always been keen on tipping ideas on their heads as a provocation into new ways of perceiving, understanding and doing - this is one example.

As we collectively become climate aware, there is a degree of willingness to shed light on harsh truths, but bond together to know what else we can do. As I look to the future, I truly believe that creating paradigm shifts in activism and citizen science coupled with new types of consumer products that help connect us to our natural environments better - could be a solution. Technology is becoming ever more widely accessible alongside the knowledge needed to use it which makes this a very exciting space.

I was so lost and depressed before I came to IDE but now I feel somewhat found with 'Neaho'. It helped me answer many questions about the integration of people, product and planet - which if balanced correctly, could be completely transformational.