Founder Robyn Rosenfeldt: Why I Started Pip Magazine

Pip founder, Robyn Rosenfeldt, reveals how she got involved in the climate action space, why she started Pip Magazine and her advice for those looking to live a more sustainable lifestyle.

Earlier this year, Pip’s founder and publisher Robyn Rosenfeldt spoke to The Guardian as part of their Climate Hero series. 

Here is an excerpt from the interview, where Robyn shares how she got involved in the climate action space, why she started Pip Magazine back in 2014 and her advice for those looking to live a more sustainable lifestyle.

First, how did you first get involved in climate activism? What made you care?

As I child we used to go camping each summer and spend a couple of weeks in the forest by the sea with no power, no flushing toilets and just be in nature. I think this developed my deep connection and love of nature. 

My first involvement with climate activism was in my early 20s in relation to the Jabiluka uranium mine that was being created in Kakadu National Park on the lands of Bininj and the Mungguy Indigenous people. This land is World Heritage listed for both cultural and environmental reasons. I camped up there with hundreds of others and when we peacefully protested and blocked the path for the tractors we were arrested. 

In that moment, when we were asked to leave or be arrested, I realised the importance of standing up for what you believe in.

What pushed you to start Pip? What did you hope to achieve?

I started Pip in the hope to make sustainable living and permaculture ideas more accessible to the average person. I wanted to create a magazine that had integrity and was authentic, but was also beautiful to look at and easy to read, so people would be drawn in to pick it up and then discover new ideas. 

Pip is full of practical ideas people can implement into their lives and inspirational stories of ordinary people doing great things. I wanted to help readers feel more connected with like-minded people and be inspired to either try something new or feel encouraged in what they were already doing.

What successes do you feel you’ve had; what difference do you think you’ve made?

We have created a huge community of readers around the globe who all care about the planet and living more lightly on the earth. Each magazine gives ideas and inspiration to people about simple ways they can make changes in their lives to have less impact on the planet. 

I often get really beautiful emails from people about how much Pip has inspired them and given them hope for the future. People also say that being part of the Pip community, they feel less alone and encouraged to keep up their efforts to live a more planet-friendly life.

What’s next? What are your hopes for the magazine now and in the future?

My hope is for the magazine to reach more and more people worldwide, so that together we can make a difference through our everyday actions. 

What advice might you give to readers who want to make a difference but aren’t sure how?

Don’t try and do everything all at once. Choose the area of climate action you feel most passionate about, whether that be protecting the oceans, caring for our forests, buying local, growing food, supporting the education of women in Third World countries, divesting in fossil fuels. Then choose one achievable action you can do in your life to support that. 

It might be a simple as planting a seed and experiencing the joy of growing your own food, it might be joining a community group that is caring for your local area, or creating a local food swap group, or writing to a politician. Find the thing that you care most about and set a goal of one achievable action. 

Each small change and each small action that you successfully do will inspire you onto the next. It is easy to feel guilty and overwhelmed but by choosing one small action at a time it makes it more doable.

Lastly, how can readers join the Pip community? 

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