Hi, my name is Hele. I’m one of the founders of 9plus1, a mother of three, and a passionate feminist from Norway. That’s how I usually introduce myself to people. But there’s more to my story that I don’t often share.
Living most of my life in Norway usually sparks conversations about the weather, the stunning fjords, and, yes, even polar bears. (Spoiler alert: No, they don’t live on the mainland of Norway. And yes, our nature is as magical as it looks in the pictures!) Sometimes, people are surprised to learn I have three children, with an 11-year gap between my first and second. It makes me the mom of a beautiful young woman who’s already in university—though it’s hard to believe I could be old enough for that!
Then there’s the fact that I’m a proud feminist, always ready to talk about equal rights, opportunities, and the harsh realities many women face. I never hold back when it comes to discussing violence against women. It’s a topic I believe should be talked about more.
But here’s the thing: what really catches people off guard isn’t my feminist views or my beautiful Norwegian background. It’s what I did before founding 9plus1.
I often try to dodge the question with a vague, “Oh, I was an engineer,” hoping to steer the conversation back to my current passion—sustainability in fashion, especially in kids fashion. But let’s be real for a moment. It’s time to stop dancing around it and tell you directly: I was a strategic project engineer in oil and gas.
Yes, Oil and Gas!
I know what you’re thinking. In today’s world, oil and gas are often seen as the ultimate villains, so admitting my past sometimes feels like confessing a crime. As soon as people hear “oil and gas,” it’s like my right to talk about climate change and sustainability gets snatched away. But here’s the thing: yes, I worked in oil and gas, and now I’m talking about saving the planet and how the fashion industry is harming it. It sounds contradictory, doesn’t it?
Honestly, I’m not sure which industry is worse—oil and gas or fashion. For CO2 emissions, oil and gas are the clear offenders. But if I’m being completely honest, I believe the fashion industry’s environmental damage is much more hidden and often overlooked. In fact, there’s more greenwashing in fashion than I ever saw in oil and gas.
Don’t get me wrong—the oil and gas industry does serious harm to the environment and people’s lives. But in all my years working there, I saw a bit less of the misleading marketing (although there is a lot of that as well) that I now see so much of in clothing businesses.
These two industries are more connected than we realize. Fast fashion relies heavily on oil to produce cheap materials, which are then turned into clothes that are quickly discarded. Every time we wear or wash these clothes, they shed microplastics, contributing to pollution—and those microplastics are now even found in breast milk!
In oil and gas, everyone knew the industry’s reputation for being unethical and harmful. It was an accepted reality. But when I talk about the need for change in the fashion industry and how damaging it truly is, people are always surprised. They don’t expect it to be as harmful as it is.
In my time in oil and gas, I was lucky to work on projects that aimed to make drilling safer for the environment. One of the most fascinating projects I was involved in could prevent accidents like the Deepwater Horizon disaster from happening again. I saw a bit of real progress in technology and laws aimed at reducing harm.
But now, after spending years in the baby fashion industry, I’ve come to realise that much of what we see is greenwashing and very little real change. While small brands are passionately advocating for change, many large brands are still predominantly engaged in greenwashing and hiding the reality.
I want to be transparent about my past. I’ve witnessed the challenges in both industries, and I believe it's crucial to have an open discussion about their impacts. You will never hear me claim that the oil and gas industry is clean, ethical, or without harm. However, my experience in oil and gas has given me a clearer perspective on the severity of the issues within the clothing industry. Ultimately, it’s not about placing blame—it’s about making a meaningful difference, and that’s what I am here to do.
