Sustainable(ish)

Wow, wow, wow.What a conversation. And what an incredible human being Angus Rose is.Some of you may have seen Angus in the news earlier on this year when he embarked upon a hunger strike to ask that all MPs receive a scientific briefing about the science of climate change and it's impacts on the UK.Angus was on hunger strike for 37 days, and is very clear that he was prepared to die to have his demands met.Now, these might sound like the words of some crazy extremist, but Angus is anything but. And the fact that he had to go to the measures he went to, for what is an eminently reasonable request is staggering. It was hugely humbling to speak to Angus about what led him to decide that this was the path he was going to take, the physical and mental impacts that the hunger strike had, AND super importantly, what we ALL need to do now to ensure that his sacrifice has the greatest impact possible.The briefing that Angus was requesting is now taking place, on the 11th July. And it is imperative that as many MPs as possible attend.This is where we come in.Head over to this link here:- Find out who your MP is (if you don't already know) and how to get in touch with them- Fill out the template letter to send to your MP to let them know about the briefing and asking them, as your political representative to attend- Share the link far and wide, and ask friends, family and colleagues to also contact their MPs - the more letters and e-mails MPs get, the more likely they are to attendSo often, climate action feels overwhelming and in the grand scheme of things, it can often be difficult to feel like we can move the dial enough to have an impact.THIS IS HUGE.If enough MPs attend, it not only sends a very clear signal that this is an issue our politicians are taking seriously, it has enormous potential to impact policy decisions around climate. And it will take 5 minutes.We might not all feel able to move our climate action up to the level of Angus', but we can all show our appreciation for the sacrifices and risks he has taken, with 5 minutes of our time. LISTEN... CHECK OUT...Angus on TwitterThe link to Change.org with all the info and the template letterThe latest IPCC reportGuillermo Fernandez hunger strike in SwitzerlandThe 11 slides that finally convinced Boris Johnson about global warmingExtraordinary temperatures in polar regionsHighest European temperature recorded in ItalyCanadian heat waveKatharine Hayhoe - What's the big deal with a few degreesRadio 4 - How they made us doubt everythingClimate OutreachUK Climate AssemblyOpen letter from healthcare professionals asking for scientific briefingIf you want to find out more about the climate science, the impacts of climate change, and importantly, feel empowered about what we can do about it, do check out the Sustainable(ish) Talking Climate Carbon Literacy  courseThe Sustainable(ish) FB group DO...E-mail your MP asking them to attend the briefingShare the link with friends, family and colleagues asking them to contact their MPS to do the sameFollow up with your MP if you don't hear back, or if they say 'no Have you done it yet?E-mail your MP and let me know if they reply and what they say.Let me know in the comments! KNACKERED BUT WANT TO 'DO SOMETHING'..?Join the Sustainable(ish) e-mail list and kick off your imperfect eco-action with my '5 easy Sustainable(ish) things you can do from your sofa'! By signing up you'll also receive my weekly sustainable(ish) newsletter. You can make use of the unsubscribe link in every e-mail at anytime SIGN UP NOW! […]

Can a travel editor travel flight free?Can they still do their job without setting foot on an aeroplane?And why would they want to?Listen in to this chat with Helen Coffey, travel editor for the Independent newspaper, and author of Zero Altitude to find out the answers!We chat about:Helen's 'ecopiphany' - what was the point for her where she started to worry about the impact of the flights she was taking for her job, and think about whether there might be another way?The carbon impact of flying and why that matters for the planetThe flight free journeys that Helen has embarked on - how she "learned to fly less and travel more" (this is the tagline of Helen's book!)LOADS of top tips for flight-free travel, both within the UK and far beyondWhether Helen managed to still do her job as travel editor for a major national newspaper, and her plans for travel moving forwards LISTEN... CHECK OUT...Helen on TwitterZero Altitude- On World of Books- On Hive- On BookshopThe Man in Seat 61Flight Free UKThe JUMP - Holiday Local[042] - Flight Free 2020[139] - European Rail Adventures with Georgina Wilson PowellTalking Climate Carbon Literacy  courseThe Sustainable(ish) FB group DO...See if you can get hold of a copy of Zero Altitude! Ask your library if they have it, or will order it in for youIf you regularly fly, could you challenge yourself to halve the number of flights you take per year, or to try the next journey flught free?Take the Flight Free pledge and have a go at a year without flying!Share this episode with friends and family and start a gentle conversation about trying to fly less Do you fly?Do you think you could have a go at a Flight Free holiday? Let me know in the comments! KNACKERED BUT WANT TO 'DO SOMETHING'..?Join the Sustainable(ish) e-mail list and kick off your imperfect eco-action with my '5 easy Sustainable(ish) things you can do from your sofa'! By signing up you'll also receive my weekly sustainable(ish) newsletter. You can make use of the unsubscribe link in every e-mail at anytime SIGN UP NOW! […]

Clothes - we all wear them, and we're getting through clothes at a faster rate than ever before. Clothing production has doubled globally between 2000 and 2015, and it's estimated that fashion accounts for around 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions (for context, aviation is around 2-5%). Some of these clothes are only worn a handful of times (some even just once, or maybe even never) before being discarded, contributing to huge amounts of waste.Tune into this chat with Sam Gillick-Daniels - Sustainable Development Researcher and lead analyst at WRAP - a climate action NGO working globally with government, businesses and citizens to tackle the climate crisis.Tune in to find out:What the circular economy is, why we need it, and how that applies to textilesWhat happens to our clothes when we no longer want or need themDifferent models for making the textiles industry less resource intensiveWRAP's plan to halve the environmental impact of our clothes by 2030 How we as citizens and wearers of clothes can help to reduce the footprint of fashion and more Enjoy! LISTEN... CHECK OUT...WRAP- Website- Twitter- Linked In- Recycle Now- Love Food Hate Waste- Love Your Clothes- Textiles 2030Discarded fast fashion piling up in ChileMud JeansLevi's circular modelThe Little Loop- Podcast episode with Charlotte from The Little Loop[076] - Reducing the footprint of your shoeprint with ReVivoFixing Fashion - Environmental Audit Committee reportTalking Climate Carbon Literacy  courseThe Sustainable(ish) FB groupThe Circular Economy ( DO...Have a go at sourcing a percentage of your clothes secondhand - check out this blog post here for some ideasTry a spot of gentle mending to keep your clothes in use for longer Follow and support Fashion Revolution How are you doing with your 'green' habits?Have you tried Ailuna? Let me know in the comments! KNACKERED BUT WANT TO 'DO SOMETHING'..?Join the Sustainable(ish) e-mail list and kick off your imperfect eco-action with my '5 easy Sustainable(ish) things you can do from your sofa'! By signing up you'll also receive my weekly sustainable(ish) newsletter. You can make use of the unsubscribe link in every e-mail at anytime SIGN UP NOW! […]

As individuals, a lot of the changes that we need to make to lower our environmental impact involve behavioural change and developing new habits. Which can be hard!Much of the time we develop habits, good or bad, unintentionally. We do things because they are the quickest, the easiest, the most enjoyable. They become habits as we repeat them, and once they're habits we don't have to think about them.But if we do stop and think about them, we might find that the habits that we've developed aren't actually in line with our values and the things we care about. And might not be the best when it comes to the planet.But anyone who has tried to give up smoking, or coffee, or get fitter, will tell you that breaking old habits and developing new ones can be a *teensy but tricky*.Which is where Ailuna comes in. Ailuna is an app that is backed by behavioural science, aimed at helping us to develop new, greener habits.Tune in to find out:How Ailuna can help you to create new Sustainable(ish) habitsHow you can invite others around you to join in and 'dare' them to make changes tooOpportunities to use Ailuna as a business or a community to help mobilise change on a wider scaleEnjoy!PS. If you're interested in getting your head around the climate science at the same time as learning and practising some tools for getting braver at talking about climate stuff, do check out Talking Climate - the Sustainable(ish) Carbon Literacy course! LISTEN... CHECK OUT...Ailuna- Website- On Facebook- On Instagram- On TwitterWar on PlasticClimate Change - The FactsCouch to 5kAtomic HabitsTalking Climate Carbon Literacy  courseThe Sustainable(ish) FB group DO...Download the Ailuna appPick a 'dare' and complete it!Invite friends and colleagues to join in How are you doing with your 'green' habits?Have you tried Ailuna? Let me know in the comments! KNACKERED BUT WANT TO 'DO SOMETHING'..?Join the Sustainable(ish) e-mail list and kick off your imperfect eco-action with my '5 easy Sustainable(ish) things you can do from your sofa'! By signing up you'll also receive my weekly sustainable(ish) newsletter. You can make use of the unsubscribe link in every e-mail at anytime SIGN UP NOW! […]

I originally got in touch with Cass after signing up for a webinar she did with Creative Mornings called How to talk about the climate crisis without losing your friends, which I thought was such a brilliant title for a session.Cass is a freelance climate communicator and editor of The Green Fix - a weekly newsletter aimed at "bridging the gap between systemic change for a green and just future and citizens who care about sustainability but don't know what they can do to have more of an impact."I wanted to get her on the podcast to share with you some of her brilliant 'nuggets' about how engage others around the climate crisis, but we ended up talking about so much more, diving into all kinds of things, including how we bridge the gap between systemic change and individual action. Tune in to find out:Why individual changes are still important, even though we (also) need big systemic changesWhy you don't have to be an 'expert' and know all the facts and stats to talk about climate-y stuffThe importance of talking about the 'co-benefits' that come with climate action and painting a hopeful vision for the futureTop tips for climate conversations with friends and familyTop tips for engaging around climate stuff on social media and the importance of trying to break out of our eco echo chambersThere's so much good stuff in here - if you're someone (like me!) who struggles to have climate conversations, I really do hope this helps.Enjoy!PS. If you're interested in getting your head around the climate science at the same time as learning and practising some tools for getting braver at talking about climate stuff, do check out Talking Climate - the Sustainable(ish) Carbon Literacy course! LISTEN... CHECK OUT...Cass Hebron- On Twitter- On Linked InThe Green Fix- Sign up to the newsletter- On Twitter[135] - The Local Electricity Bill and how you can help make it happenClimate Shadow articleKatherine Hayhoe TED talk: The most important thing you can do to fight climate change: talk about itClimate OutreachTalking Climate courseThe Knackered Mums Eco ClubThe Sustainable(ish) FB group DO...Sign up to The Green Fix!Think about a change you've made recently, and share it and the benefits you've experienced from it! Take a deep breath and have a climate conversation with a friend or family member Are you feeling a bit braver about having climate conversations now?Let me know in the comments! KNACKERED BUT WANT TO 'DO SOMETHING'..?Join the Sustainable(ish) e-mail list and kick off your imperfect eco-action with my '5 easy Sustainable(ish) things you can do from your sofa'! By signing up you'll also receive my weekly sustainable(ish) newsletter. You can make use of the unsubscribe link in every e-mail at anytime SIGN UP NOW! […]

As Covid restriction ease and borders open up again, many of us are desperate to escape the unpredictability of the British weather and experience some sunnier climes. However travel, or certainly international travel, feels pretty synonymous with flying and with the associated hefty carbon footprint that comes with that.Having resigned myself to damp summer holidays in our caravan in an effort to reduce our carbon footprint, it was brilliant to chat to Georgina Wilson-Powell, all about her new book, The Eco Conscious Travel Guide, about all the amazing adventures on our doorstep, travelling both with the UK, and around Europe via train. After reading the book and after our podcast chat, I’m actually getting really excited the thought of planning a European train adventure with the kids next Summer, one where the travel becomes part of the holiday, and that enables us to really see the countryside we’re passing through and to soak up more of the culture of different countries, rather than simply flying over them.Enjoy! LISTEN... CHECK OUT...Georgina on Twitter- Is it Really Green?- The Eco Conscious Travel Guide- [085] - Is it Really Green?Pebble Magazine- Website- Facebook- Twitter - InstagramThe Man in Seat 61Race Across the World[017] - Sustainable(ish) Travel with Earth Changers (podcast episode)Travel without Plastic (podcast episode)The Knackered Mums Eco ClubThe Sustainable(ish) FB group DO...Check out The Eco Conscious Travel Guide!Plan your rail adventure!Share your plans with friends and family to kick off those gentle conversations about lower carbon travel Are you inspired to have a go at some European train holidays?Let me know in the comments! KNACKERED BUT WANT TO 'DO SOMETHING'..?Join the Sustainable(ish) e-mail list and kick off your imperfect eco-action with my '5 easy Sustainable(ish) things you can do from your sofa'! By signing up you'll also receive my weekly sustainable(ish) newsletter. You can make use of the unsubscribe link in every e-mail at anytime SIGN UP NOW! […]

It's very very easy to feel despondent about the climate crisis and the state of the planet.And it's very very easy (and I think very natural) to feel overwhelmed and powerless to make a difference to such a big and complex issue.Those of you who have been following for a while and paying attention(!) will know that I bang on a LOT about individual actions and the power that we have to make a difference. In a general, we may only be a drop in the ocean, but all those drops make up the ocean type way. But in terms of quantifying how much of a difference we can make, how much of a contribution we can make, as individuals and households, I haven't come across much in the way of science and stats.But now I have!In this episode, I'm chatting to Tom Bailey, the co-founder of an exciting new project called The JUMP - "a grassroots project created by normal people, The JUMP is for anyone worried about the state of nature but are not necessarily ‘environmentalists’."It was created after a a group of organisations got together to research what difference individual actions could make, and which actions would be the most impactful. I love the science and the facts that Tom shares, and I  really really love the approach of The JUMP around making these changes accessible and joyful – something that everyone can get involved in.Listen in to find out:What proportion of the emissions cuts needed by 2030, individual actions can account forThe 6 'shifts' that The JUMP have identified as being the most impactful we can makeOodles of inspiration for how to get involved, and how to get your school/workplace/community on board too! LISTEN... CHECK OUT...The JUMP- Website- Facebook- Twitter- IG- The science behind The JUMP- Sign up to Take The JUMPC40 CitiesSustainable(ish) Carbon Literacy Course#NothingNewIn22World Resources Institute - The Elephant in the BoardroomFairphoneTeracube mobile phone[090] - Mend it, wear it, love it with Zoe Edwards[091] - Make My Pension Matter [129] - Climate Hubs for Community Action with Zero Carbon GuildfordThe Knackered Mums Eco ClubThe Sustainable(ish) FB group DO...Visit The JUMP website and sign up to Take The JUMP!Share this podcast and invite other people to Take The JUMP!Think about how you might be able to get your community, school or workplace involved and Taking the JUMP! Did you enjoy this episode as much as me?Are you inspired?Are you going to Take The JUMP?Let me know in the comments! KNACKERED BUT WANT TO 'DO SOMETHING'..?Join the Sustainable(ish) e-mail list and kick off your imperfect eco-action with my '5 easy Sustainable(ish) things you can do from your sofa'! By signing up you'll also receive my weekly sustainable(ish) newsletter. You can make use of the unsubscribe link in every e-mail at anytime SIGN UP NOW! […]

DID YOU KNOW?We have lost over a million acres of wild landscapes in the UK since the end of WW2The total garden space in the UK is greater than all the nature reserves!Our gardens have huge potential to be havens for wildlife and pollinatorsI'm very much not a gardener, but I'm super aware that our garden could be working harder for nature and wildlife. So it was great to get to chat to Paul Jupp from Meadow in My Garden, all about how to do it!Paul is just brilliant - his passion and enthusiasm for not just wildflowers, but for the power of planting a seed as a hopeful act and a way of helping nature and also communities is infectious! LISTEN... CHECK OUT...Meadow in My Garden- Website- Facebook- Twitter- IG- Choosing the right seed mix - Buy seeds from Meadow in My Garden@ShitLawns on TwitterActive HopeNo Mow MayThe Knackered Mums Eco ClubThe Sustainable(ish) FB group DO...Plant some seeds! Take part in No Mow MayIs there anywhere in your community you could plant some wildflower seeds or bulbs? Or anyone in your community you could rope into a spot of community planting? Will you be planting some wildflower seeds?Or doing something in your community?Let me know in the comments! KNACKERED BUT WANT TO 'DO SOMETHING'..?Join the Sustainable(ish) e-mail list and kick off your imperfect eco-action with my '5 easy Sustainable(ish) things you can do from your sofa'! By signing up you'll also receive my weekly sustainable(ish) newsletter. You can make use of the unsubscribe link in every e-mail at anytime SIGN UP NOW! […]

There's a LOT of information out there isn't there? On the internet, on the radio, in our newspapers, on the tel-box.And a helluva lots of opinions too.About everything, including climate stuff.So how do we know who to trust?How can we tell when we're reading what is essentially an opinion piece from a journalist or a publication with an agenda, and what is actual climate science?It's hard right?That's why it was great to chat to Jack Marley, the Environment and Energy Editor of The Conversation in this episode of the podcast. The Conversation is an online publication with the tagline "Academic rigour, journalistic flair' and they provide a platform for scientists to share their peer -reviewed research findings with a wider more mainstream audience than your average scientific publication might normally get. It aims to re-build trust in journalism, as an independent source of news analysis and informed comment written by academic experts.Jack and I chat about all kinds of things in this episode - frequently both diving off on tangents, but I think that's often how the best conversations (no pun intended..!) happen.Enjoy! LISTEN... CHECK OUT...The Conversation- Website- Facebook- Twitter- IG- 5 key points in the IPCC report on climate change impacts and adaptation - Climate scientists: concept of net zero is a dangerous trap - Climate denial hasn't gone away - here's how to spot arguments for delaying climate action  - Climate change: yes, your individual action does make a differenceIPCC 6th Assessment ReportUK becomes first economy to pass net zero emissions lawAmy Westervelt- Drilled PodcastEdelman Trust BarometerThe Sustainable(ish) FB group DO...Have a 'climate conversation' with friends or familyQuestion what you read or here - Who has written it?  Who has funded it? Do they have an agenda?Share this podcast! What did you learn from this episode?Let me know in the comments! KNACKERED BUT WANT TO 'DO SOMETHING'..?Join the Sustainable(ish) e-mail list and kick off your imperfect eco-action with my '5 easy Sustainable(ish) things you can do from your sofa'! By signing up you'll also receive my weekly sustainable(ish) newsletter. You can make use of the unsubscribe link in every e-mail at anytime SIGN UP NOW! […]

In this episode I'm chatting to Steve Shaw who is the Director of Power for People, a not for profit organisation campaigning for the UK to rapidly transition to 100% clean energy and for this to benefit local communities. Steve has been on the podcast before, way back in Episode 44, talking about how to get your MP to take action on the climate crisis. If you haven't listened to it already, do - it's especially helpful if you're a bit like me and not entirely sure how parliament works and how new policies and laws become a reality.Power for People's latest campaign is called The Local Electricity Bill, and I know that that has the potential to sound a teensy bit dull. BUT IT'S NOT! Local energy production is actually super interesting, and feels really very relevant in the light of the gas price crisis we're currently experiencing. AND this episode gives us all ONE simple easy thing to do: Write to our MPs to ask them to support the bill.I know that sounds super grown up, and it can sometimes feel totally pointless writing to your MP, especially if they're in a safe Tory seat like mine, but it only has to be a couple of lines, and whatever reply you get back from your MP, forward it to People for Power and they'll help you follow up.Here's what I've written to my MP:Dear Dr MurrisonI am one of your Warminster constituents and I'm writing to you to ask you to give your support to The Local Electricity Bill.The bill currently has cross party support from 300 MPs, with David Johnston and Peter Aldous, both Conservative MPs, sponsoring it.Community renewable every schemes have huge potential to enable access to not only lower cost clean energy, but also to create green jobs with local economies. However it is currently hampered by huge costs and unfair regulations, making it very difficult for such schemes to be economically viable.Allowing community energy schemes to start up and run more easily will go a long way to helping us to meet out climate goals, and it feels especially pressing at the moment with the war in Ukraine to do everything we can to help the UK gain as much energy independence as possible.There is an MP briefing provided here which you may have already seen, and which should hopefully answer any questions that you have.This bill really does feel like the proverbial 'no brainer' in terms of climate wins for the government - I would love to know that it has your support.Kind RegardsJen GaleHonestly, this has the potential to be HUGE. So often the climate crisis feels overwhelming, and often it seems like the government are moving in entirely the wrong direction, but we feel very powerless to do anything about it. THIS IS SOMETHING WE CAN DO ABOUT IT!!With the support of just a few more MPs this bill could really get some traction and become a reality, helping to transform the energy landscape across the UK and make it much easier for communities to set up local renewable projects that have benefits for local people in terms of job creation and lower energy bills. Total win win right.Let's make it happen.Please please please do write to your MP after this episode - I think we usually have about 1000 downloads - 1000 letters to MPs would make a HUGE difference. If you're not sure who your MP is, you can find out here.Do leave a comment to let us know if you do write to your MP - and also share that you've done it on social media (do tag me, @sustainableish)  Share this episode with friends, family and colleagues and ask them to write too. Let's do this!! LISTEN... CHECK OUT...Power for People- Website- Facebook- Twitter- IG- Sign up to support the campaignThey Work for You - website to find out who your MP is and how to get in touch[044] - How to get your MP to take action on the climate crisis (podcast)[112] - Community Energy with Brighton Energy Co-operative (podcast)The Sustainable(ish) FB group DO...**WRITE TO YOUR MP TO ASK THEM TO SUPPORT THE BILL!**Share with friends and family and ask them to do the sameSign up to support the campaign on Power for People Have your written yet...?!!Let me know in the comments! KNACKERED BUT WANT TO 'DO SOMETHING'..?Join the Sustainable(ish) e-mail list and kick off your imperfect eco-action with my '5 easy Sustainable(ish) things you can do from your sofa'! By signing up you'll also receive my weekly sustainable(ish) newsletter. You can make use of the unsubscribe link in every e-mail at anytime SIGN UP NOW! […]