Copywriting

Digital Marketing

Content Strategy

UX Microcopy

Gabriel

Illustrating

Sketching

Storytelling

Video editing

Alexandra

IT Management

DevOps Architect

Embedded Developer

Ethical Hacker

Piotr

Newsletter Automation

Google / FB Ads

Bart

Business Processes

Web App Development

Change Management

UI / UX Design

Digital Craftsman and Founder of the umbrella brand biiird.com

Michal Kuczek

Aisha, a young girl in rural India, wakes before dawn each day to help her family collect water. Their village well has run dry due to prolonged drought, forcing them to walk miles to a distant source. This daily struggle for a necessity is the harsh reality for millions living in poverty around the globe.


<figure class="wp-block-post-featured-image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1365" height="1024" src="https://wordpress-812575-2848721.cloudwaysapps.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/MAN-GLOBE.jpg" class="attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image" alt="Man looking at a painting of planet earth" style="object-fit:cover;" srcset="https://wordpress-812575-2848721.cloudwaysapps.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/MAN-GLOBE.jpg 1365w, https://wordpress-812575-2848721.cloudwaysapps.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/MAN-GLOBE-300x225.jpg 300w, https://wordpress-812575-2848721.cloudwaysapps.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/MAN-GLOBE-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https://wordpress-812575-2848721.cloudwaysapps.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/MAN-GLOBE-768x576.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1365px) 100vw, 1365px" /></figure>


The statement, &#8220;Once people stop fighting for basic household needs, they start caring about the planet,&#8221; often arises in discussions about poverty and environmental concern. While intuitive, this claim paints a simplistic picture of a complex issue. This article goes deeper into the issue. 



Although we focus on one aspect of environmental protection, we will challenge oversimplification and advocate for a broader understanding of the relationship.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="1-direct-threat-to-the-environment-motivates-everyone" class="anchor-offset">Direct threat to the environment motivates everyone</h2>



The title may seem to imply that environmental concern is a luxury reserved for those who have already conquered basic needs, the reality is far more complex. Countless individuals and communities living in poverty demonstrate a deep connection to and care for the environment.



One powerful example is the Chipko movement, which originated in the Himalayan region of India in the 1970s. Faced with government-backed logging threatening their way of life, villagers, especially women, embraced trees (the Hindi word &#8220;chipko&#8221; means &#8220;to hug&#8221;) to prevent their felling. This non-violent protest highlighted the crucial role of forests in their survival and well-being, demonstrating their deep connection to the environment.



Similarly, the Indigenous Environmental Network brings together diverse Indigenous groups across the Americas to fight for environmental justice. Recognizing the intricate link between a healthy environment and their cultural traditions and livelihoods, these communities actively advocate for sustainable practices and oppose environmental degradation.



Environmental concern transcends economic boundaries, communities may actively engage in environmental protection within their <a href="https://learningloop.io/glossary/circles-of-influence" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">circle of influence</a>.. For many, it&#8217;s not a matter of when they start caring, but how they express and advocate for it. Often, environmental protection and poverty alleviation are intertwined, as communities living in poverty directly depend on a healthy environment for their survival. They are the first to experience the negative consequences of environmental degradation, such as deforestation leading to soil erosion and loss of agricultural land. This creates a strong incentive for them to protect the environment and strive for sustainable practices.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="2-factors-influencing-care-for-the-environment" class="anchor-offset">Factors influencing care for the environment</h2>



Although we as humans often reach for simplistic explanations, as they foster a feeling of complete understanding which in turn supports the feeling of safety. A more nuanced understanding reveals the interplay of numerous factors influencing the attitude people feel toward the environment, and its degradation.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Access to education</h3>



Education plays a crucial role in shaping environmental awareness and equipping individuals with the knowledge and skills necessary to advocate for sustainable practices. Research suggests that environmental knowledge and concern tend to increase with educational attainment.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Cultural values</h3>



Cultural traditions and beliefs can significantly influence environmental attitudes and behaviors. Communities with strong connections to the land and a sense of stewardship for nature often prioritize environmental protection, regardless of income levels.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Political systems</h3>



The political landscape also plays a role in shaping the way we treat our environment. Countries with well thought out regulations and strong enforcement mechanisms are better positioned to address environmental challenges. 



Unfortunately, good regulations exist mostly in a couple wealthy countries as of now.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Income inequality</h3>



Research from the World Resources Institute highlights that income inequality, rather than absolute poverty, is a stronger predictor of environmental degradation. This suggests that societies with a high <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gini_coefficient" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Gini coefficient</a> (significant gap between the rich and the poor) tend to experience greater environmental challenges, regardless of overall national wealth.



A recent study on 42 middle-income countries (MICs) sheds further light on this complexity. The study found a trade-off relationship between income inequality and environmental degradation, supporting the marginal propensity to emit (MPE) hypothesis. This hypothesis suggests that as income inequality increases, so do overall levels of emissions. This finding presents a challenge for policymakers in MICs, who may struggle to address both issues simultaneously due to the perceived trade-off.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Basic needs</h3>



It&#8217;s undeniable that individuals with greater resources usually have more capacity for certain environmental actions. This could involve having the financial means to invest in eco-friendly products (which are usually more expensive), the time and energy to participate in environmental volunteer work, or the access to information and education needed to make informed choices.



Research in psychology confirms that when basic needs like food and shelter are not met, the human brain prioritizes focusing cognitive resources on fulfilling those needs. This is an evolutionary adaptation crucial for survival.



Therefore, it&#8217;s important to acknowledge the psychological limitations faced by individuals struggling with poverty. Denying these limitations could lead to unfair judgments and hinder efforts to address both environmental challenges and alleviate poverty.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="3-fighting-poverty-should-come-first" class="anchor-offset">Fighting poverty should come first</h2>



The Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) suggests that as countries experience economic growth, environmental degradation might initially worsen, but eventually levels off and starts to improve in the long run.



It&#8217;s important to also acknowledge other challenges people in poverty may face:



Health:



<ul>
<li>Limited access to healthcare:&nbsp;This includes preventative care, treatment for chronic and infectious diseases, and mental health services.</li>



<li>Poor nutrition:&nbsp;Difficulty accessing nutritious food leads to malnutrition, weakening the immune system and increasing the risk of various health problems.</li>



<li>Unsanitary living conditions:&nbsp;This can contribute to the spread of diseases, respiratory problems, and other health issues.</li>
</ul>



Education:



<ul>
<li>Limited access to quality education:&nbsp;This hinders individuals&#8217; ability to develop skills and knowledge necessary to find good jobs and improve their lives.</li>



<li>Child labor:&nbsp;Children may be forced to work to contribute to the family income, sacrificing their education and future opportunities.</li>
</ul>



Safety and Security:



<ul>
<li>Increased vulnerability to violence and crime:&nbsp;Poverty-stricken communities may have higher crime rates due to lack of opportunities and resources.</li>



<li>Lack of hope:&nbsp;Living in poverty can limit opportunities and create a sense of hopelessness, further hindering individuals&#8217; ability to improve their circumstances.</li>
</ul>



For those and other reasons we believe that the fight for a better environment starts with fighting powerty in a sustainable way.



We focus on supporting communities facing poverty in their fight for a sustainable future. This involves initiatives that:



<ul>
<li>Create opportunities:&nbsp;Through providing access to resources and encourage investments in specific areas,</li>



<li>Fight diseases:&nbsp;Through voluntary healthcare and medication,</li>



<li>Fight hunger: By teaching sustainable agriculture,</li>
</ul>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="208" height="320" src="https://wordpress-812575-2848721.cloudwaysapps.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Screenshot_4.png" alt="Book Cover Progress: Ten Reasons to Look Forward to the Future" class="wp-image-2073" srcset="https://wordpress-812575-2848721.cloudwaysapps.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Screenshot_4.png 208w, https://wordpress-812575-2848721.cloudwaysapps.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Screenshot_4-195x300.png 195w" sizes="(max-width: 208px) 100vw, 208px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Progress: Ten Reasons to Look Forward to the Future by Johan Norberg</figcaption></figure></div>


<ul>
<li>Upgrade sanitary conditions: By providing clean water, sanitation facilities, and hygiene education. As the Author of Progress tells a story of a tribe in a sub-Saharan Africa, where the process of&nbsp;implementing rainwater harvesting and sanitation systems&nbsp;transformed their lives. (side note: they were pooping into plastic bags, and then swinging those bags above their heads to then throw them onto their neighbor&#8217;s land plots which wasn&#8217;t hygiene practice),</li>



<li>Bring education: Through increasing access to quality education, and skills needed to improve lives.</li>
</ul>



By taking an integrated approach that acknowledges the complexities and challenges, we can move towards a future where addressing both environmental concerns and access to opportunities go hand-in-hand.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="4-how-you-can-help" class="anchor-offset">How you can help</h2>



Collaborating with us is a means to support our change projects. You can also find other ways to contribute, here are a couple links to charities we trust:



<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.charitywater.org/">charity: water | Help Bring Clean and Safe Water and Sanitation to Communities (charitywater.org)</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.gatesfoundation.org/">Bill &amp; Melinda Gates Foundation | Bill &amp; Melinda Gates Foundation</a></li>
</ul>

Once People Stop Fighting for Basic Needs, They Start Caring About the Planet

Sometimes we encounter text that is dynamically generated, hence we don&#8217;t know the length of it beforehand. We need to clamp it, or truncate it after a set number of lines. Would it be nice to be able to do it with css only? What If we actually could?



It&#8217;s actually possible and well supported even though relies on a webkit prefix. In the future we will get <code>line-clamp</code> which will make things even easier, but for now you can use the snippet below. 



<pre class="wp-block-code"><code lang="css" class="language-css line-numbers"><code>.clamp-second-line {</code>
	display: -webkit-box; /* You need this, it's an old version of display: flex; */	
	margin: 0 auto;
	-webkit-line-clamp: 2;
	-webkit-box-orient: vertical;
	overflow: hidden;
	text-overflow: ellipsis;

	height: 2em;/* Fallback for non-webkit (for perfect result put your line height in em's multiplied by the numer of lines) */
}</code></pre>

Text Overflow Ellipsis based on lines (Line Clamping)

While coding a theme or a plugin we often need to copy files into a <code>.zip</code> archive in order to upload it to wordpress. What if one command could do it for us?



Everyone uses <code>git</code>, at least for backup. You can configure <code>git</code> in a way that would upload your files to the server every time you wrote <code>git commit</code>. But it isn&#8217;t as straight forward as someone might want. Often we only need to package a <code>.zip</code> archive that would let us upload it in the wordpress admin area.



You can do it with this one simple command:



<pre class="wp-block-code"><code lang="bash" class="language-bash">git archive --format [format] --output [path/to/file] [branch name]</code></pre>



A ready command looks like this:



<pre class="wp-block-code"><code lang="bash" class="language-bash">git archive --format zip --output C:\\Users\\{user_folder_name}\\Desktop\\{theme_or_plugin_name}.zip main</code></pre>



I have put mine in a npm script:



<pre class="wp-block-code"><code lang="bash" class="language-bash">"zip": "git archive --format zip --output C:\\Users\\micha\\Desktop\\biiird.zip main"</code></pre>



Now the only thing I have to do is write <code>npm run zip</code> in the command line and almost instantly I will have a <code>.zip</code> file with my theme on my desktop, ready to be uploaded. The <code>git archive</code> command respects the <code>.gitignore</code> file, so you can easily choose what files/folders you want in your <code>.zip</code> file.

How to package a theme into a zip file using git

Using these three arguments as an addition to your&#8217;s can speed up the query process. Check the comments to be sure you can use them. 



<pre class="wp-block-code"><code lang="php" class="language-php">$args = [
	// Your query arguments here
	'no_found_rows' =&gt; true, // counts posts, remove if you need pagination
	'update_post_term_cache' =&gt; false, // queries terms, remove if you need categories or tags
	'update_post_meta_cache' =&gt; false, // queries post meta, remove if you need post meta
];

$loop = new WP_Query( $args );</code></pre>

Improve performance of WP_Query

Installing Tailwind became a lot easier since this post was first written, so I have rewritten it. It also doesn&#8217;t require webpack now and is dozens times faster! Enjoy.



Before we start you will need:



<ol>
<li>Local server (php, apache and MySQL)</li>



<li>Node.js</li>



<li>WordPress installed</li>
</ol>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="1-setting-up-a-theme" class="anchor-offset">Setting up a theme</h2>



You can use your own theme or go to <a href="https://underscores.me" class="rank-math-link">underscores.me</a> and generate a new one.



<a href="https://developer.wordpress.org/themes/basics/including-css-javascript/" data-type="URL" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Enqueue your CSS</a> in the functions.php file like this:



<pre class="wp-block-code"><code lang="php" class="language-php">add_action(&nbsp;'wp_enqueue_scripts',&nbsp;'enqueue_function',&nbsp;10&nbsp;);
function enqueue_function() {
	$version = ( wp_get_environment_type() === 'development' ) ? time() : BIIIRD_THEME_VERSION;
	wp_enqueue_style(&nbsp;'tailwind',&nbsp;get_template_directory_uri()&nbsp;.&nbsp;'/assets/css/main.css',&nbsp;$version,&nbsp;true&nbsp;);
}</code></pre>



The <code>$version</code> variable is just one very useful trick I use to swap the <code>time()</code> function for the theme version in production environment. To use it you have to define at the top of your functions.php the constant like this: <code>define( 'BIIIRD_THEME_VERSION', '1.0.2' );</code>.



Now in your theme folder create an assets folder, and inside it two folders named <code>src</code> and <code>css</code>. Inside the <code>src</code> folder create your css file and name it: <code>main.css</code>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="2-installing-necessary-packages" class="anchor-offset">Installing necessary packages</h2>



<ul>
<li>Tailwind CSS</li>



<li>Autoprefixer</li>



<li>Postcss and postcss-cli</li>
</ul>



Open your terminal/command prompt and run this: 



<pre class="wp-block-code"><code lang="bash" class="language-bash">npm install -D tailwindcss@latest postcss@latest autoprefixer@latest postcss-cli@latest</code></pre>



At this point you have everything you need installed.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="3-creating-config-files" class="anchor-offset">Creating config files</h2>



Now create a tailwind.config.js file and put this object inside:



<pre class="wp-block-code"><code lang="javascript" class="language-javascript">module.exports&nbsp;=&nbsp;{
	mode: 'jit',
	purge:&nbsp;{
		content: [
			'./src/**/*.php',
			'./template-parts/**/*.php',
			'./*.php',
			'./inc/**/*.php',
			'./inc/*.php',
			'./src/**/*.js',
		],
	},
	darkMode:&nbsp;false, //you can set it to media(uses prefers-color-scheme) or class(better for toggling modes via a button)
	theme:&nbsp;{
		extend:&nbsp;{},
	},
	variants:&nbsp;{},
	plugins:&nbsp;[],
}</code></pre>



This will be the file where you configure your tailwind setup, now that there is a <code>'jit'</code> mode (which means Just-In-Time compilation) you probably won&#8217;t have to make much changes to this file. The <code>purge</code> item says which files should the compiler look for classes, you may have to modify it to fit your theme.



And one last file postcss.config.js, and inside it: 



<pre class="wp-block-code"><code lang="javascript" class="language-javascript">module.exports = {
	plugins: {
		tailwindcss: {},
		autoprefixer: {},
	}
 }</code></pre>



Now in the /assets/src/main.css file put this: (you can ommit the first line if you just want tailwind as an addon to a sass project)



<pre class="wp-block-code"><code lang="css" class="language-css">@tailwind&nbsp;base;
@tailwind&nbsp;components;
@tailwind&nbsp;utilities;</code></pre>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="4-adding-a-start-script-to-npm" class="anchor-offset">Adding a start script to npm</h2>



Open package.json file and modify the scripts object to add a watch script and tell it to run postcss:



<pre class="wp-block-code"><code lang="json" class="language-json">"scripts":&nbsp;{
	"watch": "npx postcss ./assets/src/main.css -o ./assets/css/main.css --watch",
	"zip": "git archive --format zip --output C:\Users\{your_user_name}\Desktop\{your_theme_name}.zip main"
&nbsp;&nbsp;},</code></pre>



At this point make sure you have these two environment variables set correctly, you can set them in the terminal like this: (on Linux, ommit the <code>SET</code> keyword) [thanks Will for the reminder]



<pre class="wp-block-code"><code lang="bash" class="language-bash">SET NODE_ENV="development" ; SET TAILWIND_MODE="watch"</code></pre>



By now everything should be working fine, run this in the terminal to initialize watching of your changes:



<pre class="wp-block-code"><code lang="bash" class="language-bash">npm run watch</code></pre>



Now you can jump into the real fun, start using Tailwind classes wherever you want, the JIT compiler will look which classes you have used and will only put these into the <code>main.css</code> file!

How to set up Tailwind CSS (JIT) for WordPress

I was born in a small village in the midst of Poland. The whole Kuczek&#8217;s family was working in the public field to promote healthy living. My dad was running a printing shop (mainly printing health books and cookbooks) and my mom (a medical doctor) was teaching about health and chronic diseases prevention. Amid all that was I, an evidence for how a child can not only survive but thrive on a vegan diet. That&#8217;s true, to this day I haven&#8217;t eaten any meat in my life. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="1-left-school-yet-finished-school" class="anchor-offset">Left school, yet finished school</h2>



My mom was an advocate of public school system, she has gone through it successfully, whereas my father was rather skeptical of the validity of methods used to teach children, he suggested homeschooling. Eventually my mother pushed her way and I went to the first class of Elementary School. I have enjoyed the contact with other children at school, but my parents soon realized how much time is wasted at school and they took me into homeschooling. 



Family friends argued that to be a very bad decision. How can a child get social other than by going to school? – they said. Time went by and people started to observe a strange thing, not only wasn&#8217;t I anisocial, actually I happened to be the one that always tried to be around other people. So I turned not only to be a proof for a vegan diet, but also for homeschooling. 



Unfortunately my mom wasn&#8217;t so thrilled, I was a very tough student, it wasn&#8217;t easy to make me learn. After the sixth grade she gave up (and right so), she said that I am going to the public school. But this time my dad hold his stance hard and decided that he will be the director of our homeschool. I have to point your eyes to the word &#8220;director&#8221;, because that was exactly what he became. I had no teacher. All I learned was by studying on my own by reading and researching with the help of Google. Throughout all Middle School I did not have any tutor. It&#8217;s needed to add that I was spending around 3 hours daily learning school stuff, not 7 hours that are usual for regular school students. 



After passing a state exam after Middle School with the rating that was better than 95% of all students in Poland that year, it was clear that the public schooling system is a fraud, robbing children from their so valuable time.



Soon afterwards it was time to decide whether I want to go to High School or not. I have decided that I will go, to have an experience of a regular student, so that I could see clearly what is better and why. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="2-getting-to-know-stephen-covey-and-other-business-leaders" class="anchor-offset">Getting to know Stephen Covey and other business leaders</h2>



Although you may have been thinking &#8220;What a child! – doing so well without school or even a tutor.&#8221; – I had my flaws. I didn&#8217;t do chores, I hated going anywhere with my parents, I had been spending some days playing online games and didn&#8217;t exercise enough. 



When 13, my dad gave me a book called &#8220;7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens&#8221; and it has turned my life around. When I got the book I didn&#8217;t want to read it, my dad tried to read it to me but I didn&#8217;t like that either. The book went on a shelf. 



One year later when I was tidying my room and rearranging books on my self this one has opened, it opened in a particular location, where I&#8217;ve read &#8220;This book shouldn&#8217;t be read by parents&#8221;, as you can probably tell, that gripped me, and I read it to the end. I was enlightened. The book showed me how by taking responsibility on myself I can reshape the world around me. As every boy I also liked winning, that&#8217;s why I was playing computer games. But after reading that book my orientation shifted to the real world.



 Soon afterwards my dad has made me an offer I couldn&#8217;t resist – that I could take over his blueberry plantation. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="3-learning-business-through-blueberry-farming" class="anchor-offset">Learning business through blueberry farming</h2>



Blueberry farming is a rewarding job. People love eating blueberries. I haven&#8217;t met a single individual that wouldn&#8217;t like blueberries. In consequence people love you – &#8217;cause you have the berries! 



But as any kind of business farming has it&#8217;s own challenges. You have to find workers – especially during summer, you have to trim the plants, turn watering on and off, fertilize the soil and everything has to be done on a schedule. You also have to find customers to buy your fruits.



So I learned how to find people that would be good to work with, care for them, market the product of our work and give account to my father.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="768" src="https://wordpress-812575-2848721.cloudwaysapps.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/DSCN0168-1024x768-1.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1353" srcset="https://wordpress-812575-2848721.cloudwaysapps.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/DSCN0168-1024x768-1.jpg 1024w, https://wordpress-812575-2848721.cloudwaysapps.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/DSCN0168-1024x768-1-300x225.jpg 300w, https://wordpress-812575-2848721.cloudwaysapps.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/DSCN0168-1024x768-1-768x576.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">My giant no pesticide no herbicide blueberries</figcaption></figure>



While I was learning about management, leadership and farming I also got interested in art, in the next part I go through my struggle for creativity.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="4-crave-for-art" class="anchor-offset">Crave for art</h2>



It&#8217;s highly probable that if you are creative you can&#8217;t focus on anything else than creating. Creativity is a blessing but also a curse. Especially if you have other responsibilities.



I got interested in painting at the age of 15. I wanted to paint things like this:



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="576" src="https://wordpress-812575-2848721.cloudwaysapps.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Bez-nazwy-13-1024x576.png" alt="Hot air balloon in front of a mountain" class="wp-image-1354" srcset="https://wordpress-812575-2848721.cloudwaysapps.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Bez-nazwy-13-1024x576.png 1024w, https://wordpress-812575-2848721.cloudwaysapps.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Bez-nazwy-13-300x169.png 300w, https://wordpress-812575-2848721.cloudwaysapps.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Bez-nazwy-13-768x432.png 768w, https://wordpress-812575-2848721.cloudwaysapps.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Bez-nazwy-13-1536x864.png 1536w, https://wordpress-812575-2848721.cloudwaysapps.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Bez-nazwy-13.png 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Hot air Balloon artwork</figcaption></figure>



I earned some money and bought a Wacom tablet. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="5-why-psychology" class="anchor-offset">Why psychology?</h2>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="6-whats-to-come" class="anchor-offset">What&#8217;s to come?</h2>

Mike’s story

Meet our crew of creators, designers, and world-class problem-solvers

Our People

Gabriel

Alexandra

Piotr

Bart

Michal Kuczek

Founded in Poland, working for the world

Why Biiird?

Self-funded