Why We Care

In this week’s episode I’m chatting with Anne Brummer, a wildlife rescuer and CEO of the Save Me Trust. I first heard about her through Dr. Brian May, who you might know as the guitarist of the band Queen. Turns out he is also really interested in animal rights, so much so that in 2009 he joined forces with Anne to set up the Save Me Trust, a nonprofit organisation on a mission to give wild animals a voice.Anne has been rescuing wildlife for over 30 years and currently runs not only the Save Me Trust but also Harper Asprey Wildlife Rescue, an emergency wildlife hospital that works 24/7, 365 days a year. We spoke about the situation of wildlife in the UK and the main threats wild animals such as badgers, foxes, deer, birds and hedgehogs are facing - including habitat loss, lack of access to freshwater and hunting. She also shared a ton of practical advice on how you can help wildlife - from what to do if you find an injured animal, to what you can put in place to support your local wild animals, whether you have a garden or not. I live in a flat in Central London so don’t have a green space of my own that I can turn into a little wildlife haven which breaks my heart - but I will be putting some of her other tips into action, and also having conversations with people around me who do have gardens - including my Dad who I’ll definitely try to convince to make our garden back home more wildlife friendly!Want to dive deeper?Donate to the Save Me Trust - https://savemetrust.co.uk/Take action with the Save Me Trust - https://savemetrust.co.uk/take-action/What 3 Words app Anne mentioned - https://what3words.com/Little linksAnne on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/anneatsaveme/Harper Asprey Wildlife Rescue on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/harperaspreywildliferescue/Why We Care on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/whywecarepodcast/Tiphaine on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/tiphainemarie_/If you enjoyed the episode and want to help the podcast, I would be super grateful if you could leave a little review or share it with a friend who might like it.Thank you for caring and sending you lots of love! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this week’s episode I’m chatting with my friend Jesse Adler, a biomolecular scientist and materials innovation researcher at PANGAIA. Jesse is one of my favourite people - she is one the most enthusiastic, smartest, and overall just wonderful human beings I know. We spoke about materials innovation and what in her view are the most pressing issues in terms of materials that we need to find alternatives for, and about biomimicry and how so much of what we design as humans have been inspired by nature, including for example planes. We also discussed the cyclical nature of the world we live in and how the concept of waste doesn’t exist in nature.Aside from her job at PANGAIA Jesse is also a future materials research fellow at the Jan Van Eyck Academie in the Netherlands. Her research focuses on finding replacements for artificial colorants in fungi. So we spoke about the makeup collection she created using pigments extracted from various types of fungi, and how she approaches this as a collaboration rather than an exploitative extractive practice. She shared her tips for ethical foraging and also how she practices mindfulness to connect with the wider ecosystems we are part of.I’ve had bits of this conversation with Jesse over the past few years and it is so nice to have finally recorded it, I hope you’ll find it as exciting as we did!Want to dive deeper?Jesse’s portfolio - https://www.jadlerdesign.com/Learn more about Alchemical Mycology - https://www.jadlerdesign.com/alchemical-mycologyLearn more about biomimicry - https://biomimicry.org/what-is-biomimicry/Watch Fantastic Fungi on Netflix - https://www.netflix.com/title/81183477Entangled Life by Merlin Sheldrake - https://www.wob.com/en-gb/books/merlin-sheldrake/entangled-life/9780525510321Peace is Every Step by Thich Nhat Hanh - https://www.wob.com/en-gb/books/thich-nhat-hanh/peace-is-every-step/9780712674065The Gene by Siddhartha Mukherjee - https://www.wob.com/en-gb/books/siddhartha-mukherjee/gene/9780099584575Little linksJesse on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jadlerdesignWhy We Care on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/whywecarepodcast/Tiphaine on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/tiphainemarie_/If you enjoyed the episode and want to help the podcast, I would be super grateful if you could leave a little review or share it with a friend who might like it.Thank you for caring and sending you lots of love! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In today’s episode, I’m chatting with Poppy Mason-Watts, one of the founding members of WaterBear Network – a streaming platform where you can watch award-winning environmental and social films and documentaries for free. The first time I heard about WaterBear, it was introduced to me as ‘free environmental Netflix’ - which I think is pretty cool!Poppy and I spoke about the power of storytelling and how WaterBear are bridging the gap between those important stories and clear actions you can take, such as petitions you can sign or nonprofits you can support. She shared examples of the positive impact she’s seen as a result of people watching these films. One of them was when 99% of a group of students said they would be looking to work with leather alternatives after having watched Slay, a documentary about the behind-the-scenes of the fur and leather industries.Want to dive deeper?WaterBear Network - https://join.waterbear.com/Watch Slay - https://www.waterbear.com/watch/feature/62fe1af430a9286bbf6a380dHappiness Spells podcast - https://www.happinessspells.com/Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood - https://www.wob.com/en-gb/books/margaret-atwood/oryx-and-crake/9781844080281Little linksWaterBear on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/waterbearnetwork/Why We Care on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/whywecarepodcast/Tiphaine on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/tiphainemarie_/If you enjoyed the episode and want to help the podcast, I would be super grateful if you could leave a little review or share it with a friend who might like it.Thank you for caring and sending you lots of love! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In today’s episode I’m chatting with Dr. Melanie Joy, a Harvard-educated psychologist specialising in relationships, communication, and social transformation. She’s the author of several books, including the bestselling Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs, and Wear Cows. She’s also the Founding President of Beyond Carnism, an organisation working to expose and transform carnism, the invisible belief system that conditions people to eat certain animals.Want to dive deeper?Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs, and Wear Cows https://www.wob.com/en-gb/books/melanie-joy-melanie-joy/why-we-love-dogs-eat-pigs-and-wear-cows/9781590035016Getting Relationships Right - https://www.wob.com/en-gb/books/melanie-joy/getting-relationships-right/9780369356604Melanie’s other books - https://www.melaniejoy.org/booksMelanie’s podcast ‘Just Beings’ - https://www.instagram.com/justbeingspod/Beyond Carnism - https://carnism.org/Cultivate healthy connections in your life, find your community (in person or online)Be kind to yourself, ask yourself every day ‘do I feel in balance?’Formula for healthy relating: practice integrity + honour dignity = connection and securityMelanie’s book recommendationsWho Cares Wins by Lily Cole - https://www.wob.com/en-gb/books/lily-cole/who-cares-wins/9780241309148Books by Thich Nhat Hanh - https://www.wob.com/en-gb/category/all?search=thich%20nhat%20hanh Us by Terrence Real - https://www.waterstones.com/book/us/terrence-real/9781529906721Animal Liberation by Peter Singer - https://www.wob.com/en-gb/books/peter-singer/animal-liberation/9781847923844A More Just Future by Dolly Chugh - https://www.wob.com/en-gb/books/dolly-chugh/more-just-future/9781982157609Little linksDr. Melanie Joy on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/drmelaniejoy/Beyond Carnism on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/beyondcarnism/Why We Care on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/whywecarepodcast/Tiphaine on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/tiphainemarie_/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In today’s episode I’m chatting with Julia Marsh, the Co-founder and CEO of Sway – a California-based startup making regenerative packaging from seaweed, as an alternative to single-use thin film plastic. A few years ago, Julia and her partner Matt traveled all over the world to visit seaweed farms, explore regions most affected by plastic waste, and meet with biomaterial innovators across borders and backgrounds - with the vision of creating a truly regenerative future. They are now bringing this vision to life with Sway, by developing seaweed replacements for plastics - and have even been selected as finalists of the TOM FORD Plastic Innovation Prize, which is super exciting!Julia and I spoke about the wonderful world of bio-based plastic alternatives (bio-based means that a material is intentionally made from substances derived from living (or once-living) organisms). She told me how Sway’s approach has the potential to positively impact biodiversity in the oceans but also the local communities on land, and the climate. She also shared her recommendation on which types of plastic alternatives to look out for or avoid when shopping in supermarkets, and how she thinks you can help address the plastic problem by bringing it up with your local businesses.Want to dive deeper?Learn more about Sway: https://linktr.ee/swaythefutureSway’s website: https://swaythefuture.com/Engage in local activism, for example: start a conversation with your local businesses on whether they could switch from plastic to paper bagsThe plastic hierarchy:Avoid single-use plastic altogether if you can. If not possible prioritise:Home compostable, ideally 100% bio-based plastic - look for the home compost label and investigate the percentage of bio-based contentIndustrially compostable if you have access to an industrial composting facilityLook at reusable solutions, can it be reused or returned?If there’s a high likelihood that it will be recycled again, recycled plastics can be considered if none of the above are availableJulia’s book recommendationAll We Can Save by Ayana Elizabeth Johnson: https://www.wob.com/en-gb/books/author/ayana-elizabeth-johnsonLittle linksSway on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/swaythefuture/Julia on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/juliajmarsh/Why We Care on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/whywecarepodcast/Tiphaine on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/tiphainemarie_/If you enjoyed the episode and want to help the podcast, I would be super grateful if you could leave a little review or share it with a friend who might like it.Thank you for caring and sending you lots of love! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In today’s episode I’m chatting with Daze Aghaji, a climate justice, regeneration & well-being activist. I met her for the first time last year in Glasgow, when she was working as a Creative Director for Earthrise Studio. She’s now the artist in residence at Phytology, a cultural institute based at the Bethnal Green Nature Reserve in East London - and works with Extinction Rebellion’s strategy team.We spoke about the importance and beauty of reconnecting with the land, about the Right to Roam campaign, and respecting the boundaries of the Earth. Daze is also a historian so she told me all about the Enclosures, which she believes was the starting point for the ecological emergency we find ourselves in now. She also shared her experience living on a boat in Central London - which she said really helps her feel more connected with nature but also serves as a reminder of how we’re impacting nature, as she sometimes spots very random things floating on the river - the most random one being a duvet.Want to dive deeper?Watch Daze’s TED Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwPJSP-Ukgw&ab_channel=TEDxTalksLearn about the past to better understand what’s happening in the presentLearn about your ancestors and how they were connected with the landThe Right to Roam campaign: https://www.righttoroam.org.uk/Find how you want to connect with the land. Maybe learn how to forage, or learn more about the trees in your local parkDaze’s book recommendationsThe Book of Trespass by Nick Hayes https://www.wob.com/en-gb/books/nick-hayes/book-of-trespass/9781526604729Slutever by Karley Sciortino https://www.bookdepository.com/Slutever-Karley-Sciortino/9781478944768From What Is to What If by Rob Hopkins https://www.wob.com/en-gb/books/rob-hopkins/from-what-is-to-what-if/9781645020295Little linksDaze on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/dazeaghaji/Why We Care on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/whywecarepodcast/Tiphaine on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/tiphainemarie_/If you enjoyed the episode and want to help the podcast, I would be super grateful if you could leave a little review or share it with a friend who might like it.Thank you for caring and sending you lots of love! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In today’s episode I’m chatting with Annie Moir, a marine biologist, wildlife filmmaker and impact producer at the BBC. We briefly worked together on a biodiversity project before both moving on to other things - but we stayed in touch and she was one of the first people that came to mind when I started planning this podcast.We spoke about noise pollution in the oceans, how human activity is affecting whales and all other marine animals, and what we could do to reduce that impact. One of my favourite moments was when she said she suggested to a big supermarket chain they might review their entire shipping process to avoid whale migration routes. We also touched on the importance of starting a conversation, and how different approaches to how we tell these stories are needed to reach as many people as possible.Want to dive deeper?Watch A Voice Above Nature, Annie’s documentary on noise pollution https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZ505SSIkHoStart a conversation - tell someone about what you learned in today’s episodeConsider the impact of your travel and holidays, maybe avoid ferries and cruises if you can!Consider how we could go back to living in harmony with the natural world, and remember that there are no straight lines in natureAnnie’s recommendationsMountains of the mind - Robert Macfarlane https://www.wob.com/en-gb/books/robert-macfarlane-y/mountains-of-the-mind/9781783784509Period Power - Maisie Hill https://www.wob.com/en-gb/books/maisie-hill/period-power/9781472963611Little linksAnnie on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/annieemoir/Why We Care on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/whywecarepodcast/Tiphaine on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/tiphainemarie_/If you enjoyed the episode and want to help the podcast, I would be super grateful if you could leave a little review or share it with a friend who might like it.Thank you for caring and sending you lots of love! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In today’s episode, I’m chatting with my friend Juliet Russell, who is the Head of Sustainability at Stella McCartney. I met Juliet a few years ago when we were both working at PANGAIA, and ever since I’ve been learning so much from her on the impact of fashion on the planet, and how we can work towards a less harmful approach to how we produce and consume fashion. We spoke about fashion’s impact on nature, material innovation, and the hope she finds in regenerative agriculture as a solution to both the climate and biodiversity crises. We also touched on how she manages to connect with nature while living in Central London, and what she does to keep her climate anxiety at bay.Want to dive deeper?Learn about regenerative agriculture - I’ve found the Kiss The Ground documentary to be a good place to startLearn about circular business models and circularity within the fashion industry. The Ellen MacArthur Foundation has really good resourcesConsider the impact of what you wear, reflect on all the work and resources that went into the creation of any garment you’re about to purchase (or discard!)Avoid leather and animal products where you can – consider alternatives or second hand Be mindful of your consumption, only buy things that you know you’ll love and wear for a long time, consider second-hand and rentalTake the time to connect with nature in little ways throughout your day eg. go for a walk in the park without your phoneJuliet’s recommendationsThe Power of Now - Eckhart Tolle https://www.wob.com/en-gb/books/eckhart-tolle/power-of-now/9780340733509Little linksJuliet on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/julesarussell/Why We Care on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/whywecarepodcast/Tiphaine on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/tiphainemarie_/If you enjoyed the episode and want to help the podcast, I would be super grateful if you could leave a little review or share it with a friend who might like it.Thank you for caring and sending you lots of love! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When asked how they can help the planet, most people will say things like ‘fly less’ or ‘cycle instead of driving’ – but how many would say ‘let leaves rot in my garden to help the soil’, or ‘buy regenerative instead of conventional cotton’?Most people know how to reduce their carbon footprints, but few know how to directly help protect nature and biodiversity in their everyday lives. Yet I believe what drove most of us to join the climate movement in the first place is witnessing the destruction of the natural world and the suffering it’s causing to all the species we share the planet with. It’s obviously all interlinked but I do believe biodiversity and nature protection should be given more importance in the list of actions we can take to help the planet.In Why We Care activists, scientists, creatives, and change makers are invited to share the story of their relationship with nature, and ways in which they are helping protect biodiversity on our beautiful planet — both through the careers they chose, and in their personal lives. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.