Sustainable(ish)

Now this is a cracker of an episode...I ummed and ahhed about whether to publish  this one now (in the run up to Christmas), or to wait until the New Year, but decided to go with now. Because this episode is all about shopping, or rather stopping shopping, and it feels like now might be a time when we’re all perhaps uber aware of just how much extra we’re buying at the moment. The intention is not to make you feel guilty in the run up to Christmas, but just to start the conversation and the thought processes – please don’t hate me!Consumption has overtaken population as the number one driver of the climate and ecological crisis, and has actually sky rocketed in just the last 20 years. We’re consuming more than we ever have before, quicker than ever before. And it’s having a profound impact on the planet’s health and our own health, both physical and mental.So what would happen if we just stopped shopping?This is the question posed by environmental  journalist and author J.B. Mackinnon his new book The Day the World Stops Shopping . And this is what JB and I dive into in this episode.Enjoy! LISTEN... CHECK OUT...J.B. Mackinnon- Website- TwitterThe Day the World Stops Shopping - Bookshop- Hive- World of BooksRight to Repair websiteBuy Me Once - website of goods curated for longevity and repairabilityWhy buy nothing new? (blog post)10 top tips for buying nothing new (blog post)The Sustainable(ish) FB group DO...It feels really wrong saying this after an episode proposing stopping shopping, but do bag yourself a copy of The Day the World Stops Shopping - ask your library if they have a copy, or use one of the links above for more ethical alternatives to AmazonSlow down your own consumption - could you cut your spending by 4% in 2022...?Share your outfit repeats, your secondhand finds, your mends, your battered old mobile phone on your social media feeds - start a conversation about consumption and slowing downIf you have something that breaks, and can't get parts or spares, e-mail the manufacturer and ask why Were you surprised to hear about how much consumption has sky rocketed?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 talk a lot on this podcast about changes that we can make as individuals, and as households but possibly don’t talk enough about the other spheres of influence we have where we can create change. Businesses and government have big roles to play too, but whilst most of us are unlikely to have the ear of our MP or the PM, the majority of us have some kind of connection with businesses – whether we work for them, run them, or simply buy from them.Earlier on this year, Boris called on small and medium businesses to ‘lead the charge’ in the race to net zero, which I remember thinking at the time felt a little unfair. I would imagine that most small business owners want to do the right thing and make their businesses more sustainable, but there doesn’t seem to be a whole lot of information out there about quite what they can do.This is why it was brilliant to be able to chat to April Sotomayor from Investors in the Environment in the this episode, for some really down to earth and practical advice for anyone wanting to start to work on their business footprint. Now I’m taking a wild guess that most people listening probably aren’t CEO’s of businesses, and are statistically more likely to be employees, but remember the power that you have as an employee, as a part of the business, to be asking questions, and encouraging positive change -  this is a huge sphere of influence that many of us have that we often forget and is actually somewhere we might even see a bigger impact than with our individual changes.So listen in, check out some of the links below, and then have a little think about where your power lies in the business you work in. And if you don’t feel like you have any, then who does? And how might you be able to start a conversation with themLet me know how you get on! LISTEN... CHECK OUT...Investors in the Environment- Website- Twitter- Linked In[101] - The Power of You (podcast)The Power of You (blog post)Katharine Hayhoe's TED talkThe Sustainable(ish) FB group DO...Brainstorm your 'spheres of influence'  where you workThink about how you might introduce a 'climate conversation' with your line manager or senior management teamBe brave! Would/could you speak to your business about making a climate action plan?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! […]

So then.....COP26 is all done and dusted, and the circus has moved on out of town.There was a LOT of coverage (at least there was in my little social media bubble!) and it was amazing to see climate issues as headline news nearly every day through out the fortnight.And there were a helluva a lot of opinion pieces written, tweeted and spoken - many of them contradictory, and at times (all the time?) it felt hard to really get a sense of what happened and where that leaves us.Luckily for us, the amazing Laura Young (aka Less Waste Laura) who came and gave us a Beginner's Guide to COP26 just a few short weeks ago, and who was actually there in the flesh and in the Blue Zone (where all the negotiations were happening) to give us her take on the good bits, the bad bits, and everything in between.I think for me, the take home is that progress was made, not enough, and not fast enough, but progress nonetheless. And that actually, in so much of this stuff, governments will always be the slowest and last to react (super frustrating when they should the quickest and first..), and the fact that they are now reacting and taking is positive. But importantly, as Greta says, we don't need to wait for them. We are the ones with (a lot of) the power. We can act without them. We can create change in our own homes, communities, and workplaces. And that is huge.Enjoy! LISTEN... CHECK OUT...COP26 websiteLess Waste Laura- Website- Instagram- TwitterTearfund[118] - A Beginner's Guide to COP26 (podcast)[101] - The Power of You (podcast)The Power of You (blog post)Katharine Hayhoe's TED talkThe Sustainable(ish) FB group DO...Make a 'ta-da!' list of all the climate actions and changes you've already made - share it on social mediaBrainstorm your 'spheres of influence' Write to your MP, local council, school headmaster, boss - let them know that this is an issue that is important to you and ask what their climate plans are Do you feel a bit more informed about COP26 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! […]

At first glance, healthcare and the NHS might not seem to be linked to the climate crisis. And doesn't the NHS have enough on it's plate at the moment without being expected to 'green' itself?Tune in to this great episode with GPs Dr Fran Cundill and Dr Matthew Sawyer discussing how sustainability and healthcare and inter-linked and how they impact each other, with climate action leading to healthier people and better health outcomes, and also how the healthcare system impacts on the climate.We can prevent 125,000 deaths (a quarter of all UK deaths) a year by meeting current climate goals13% of asthma cases globally are a result of traffic fumesAir pollution is also a significant contributor to heart disease, and also affects children's ability to learnA hotter, dirtier planet leads to poorer health outcomes and more deathsThe NHS has 1.3 million employees, making it the biggest employer in the UKThe NHS emits about 25 million tonnes of CO2e a year, which is about 4% of the UK's total emissionsPrimary care (GPs) is about 25% of the NHS, making GPs responsible for about 5.75 million tonnes CO2eAbout 60% of General Practice emissions are from medicines, the rest is from energy usage in buildings, other supplies needed etc.30-40% of medications prescribed aren't takenOne traditional inhaler has the equivalent footprint of driving 175 miles. Newer 'dry powder' inhalers are easier to use, as effective and have the equivalent footprint of driving just 4miles! (If you use an inhaler, keep taking it as prescribed, and if you're interested in exploring other options book an appointment to see your GP!)Dr Fran CundillDr Matthew Sawyer LISTEN... CHECK OUT...Greener NHSGreener Practice- Green Impact for Health Toolkit- Greener Practice Guide to Inhaler PrescribingCentre for Sustainable Healthcare- Courses for healthcare professionalsSEE SustainabilityGeneral practice non-clinical carbon calculatorAsthma UK websiteCarbon Literacy Toolkits for HealthcareThere is no Planet B - Mike Berners-LeeHow Bad are Bananas - Mike Berners-LeeThe Power of You (blog post)The Power of You (podcast)Katharine Hayhoe TED talk The Sustainable(ish) FB group DO...Keep yourself healthy! - Eat well, exercise, spend time in natureIf you have regular repeat medications, only order what you need, and if necessary ask your GP for a reviewMake sure you return any unused medications, and empty inhalers to the pharmacy for correct disposalLobby your MP and local politicians to push for greener healthcareAsk your local GP practice if they are part of the Greener Practice group, and signpost them in the right directionAsk about patient participation groups, and if there is any way to feedback and make suggestions to your GP's practiceSee if there are any social prescribing groups or projects you can volunteer to a be a part of Had you given much thought to the impact of healthcare on the planet?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! […]

So then. How are you feeling?It’s coming up to the end of COP and two weeks of intense negotiation and shenanigans. Someone asked me this morning how I was feeling about it all, and my answer was confused. Or should that be COPfused – see what I did there…And I get a sense that I’m not the only one. My social media feeds have been full of posts – lots of them contradicting each other. On the one hand we’ve got the governments spin on things, which all sounds marvellous. And on the other, we’ve got the youth activists telling us it’s all been a massive exercise in corporate greenwashing and yet more blah blah blah. I don’t know what to think but I suspect the reality lies, as ever, somewhere between the two extremes. But it all feels a bit overwhelming. Really seeing, just how complicated and difficult getting any kind of international consensus is. And that’s just on the intention to do stuff, not actually doing it. It feels like the system is broken. Even COP, the system for changing the systems has felt a bit broken with lots of countries and people excluded, and stories that the biggest contingent there is from the fossil fuel lobby.So I wanted to share with you something I posted on social media around system change last week that seemed to strike a chord. Apologies if you’ve already seen it, but I feel like it bears repeating. LISTEN... CHECK OUT...The power of you (blog post)A beginners guide to COP26 (podcast)The Sustainable(ish) FB group DO...Cut open your toothpaste tubes, body lotion, make up etc and scrape out what's inside!Think about the small ways you can 'embody' a mindset of slower, more conscious consumptionShare your changes, talk about your fears, have more climate conversations Does this resonate with you?How are you shaking the system?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! […]

Here in the UK we get through around 2.5 BILLION disposable cups a year – 1 million trees are felled just for coffee cups, and a typical cup uses around 05 litre of water in being made.And sadly, disposable coffee cups are very hard to recycle – a 2017 study found that only around 1:400 are recycled – due to the difficulty in recycling the plastic coated paper, and also I would imagine to the large amount of contamination that must occur when trying to collect them as a waste stream.The billions of coffee cups that are ending up in landfill every year are responsible for around 152,000 tonnes of CO2 which is equivalent to the emissions of 33, 300 cars. And it’s only going to get worse – WWF predict that our coffee cup usage will increase by 33% by 2030!So what’s the answer?Reusables I hear you cry! Well done, bonus points for you.And I’m sure that most of us have got at least one reusable cup kicking around at home. But how many of us remember to take them out with us every time. Be honest? Research from environmental charity Hubbub found that while 69% of us own a reusable cup, only around 1 in 6 of them remembered to use it every single time. Enter the Shrewsbury Cup – a simply brilliant project, the brain child of Ali Thomas and Sophie Peach, who both wanted to do something to reduce single use plastic usage where they live in Shrewsbury, and created this wonderful scheme that has been replicated many times, and if I’m not mistaken, might even be being used at COP26 as we speak LISTEN... CHECK OUT...Shrewsbury Cup- Website- Twitter- InstagramCanCan - reusable cup scheme being trialled in BristolThe Sustainable(ish) FB group DO...Grab yourself a reusable cup if you haven't already got one!Suggest the scheme to your school, community group if they regularly use disposable cups Adding this to the list of projects I would love to run if/when I have time... How about you?!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! […]

COP 26. You can’t fail to have heard about it – my social media feeds are full of it, and even though these are very definitely skewed for eco stuff, it’s been all over the mainstream news and there’s been lots of great TV programming around it. But, erm, what is it?Hopefully I’m not alone in not really knowing – or having a kind of idea, but not really feeling like I could explain it very well to my kids, or my nan. And why all this fuss about it this time around? And what, if anything, will come of it?I was delighted to get the chance to put all these questions and more to someone who will be there in the flesh and on the ground. Laura Young, aka Less Waste Laura, is a climate activist, environmental scientist, public speaker and all round awesome human being, who will be in the Blue Zone (she explains what the Blue Zone is during the podcast!) for the whole of COP26 with Tearfund, the international development charity that she works for.So sit back, relax, and listen in to this beginners guide to Cop 26.Enjoy!  LISTEN... CHECK OUT...COP26 websiteLess Waste Laura- Website- Instagram- TwitterTearfundGlobal Day of Action (6th November) - see if there is a climate march near youClimate FringeKatharine Hayhoe's TED talkThey Work for You (find out who your MP is if you don't know)The Sustainable(ish) FB group DO...See if there is a climate march happening locally to you on the 6th NovemberCheck out and sign up for the 'virtual march' if there isn't one local to you and/or marching isn't your thing!See if there are any live streams or virtual events you can attendAsk your school or workplace if there is anything you can do - it's not too late to get something organised! Do you feel a bit more informed about COP26 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! […]

Today we’re talking education, specifically eco-education. For me it feels like schools are a really big part of the jigsaw when it comes to changing hearts and minds, and to educating and empowering us all around the changes that we can make, both individually and collectively. More and more schools are running eco clubs, and hosting Green Days or Green Weeks, but ‘sustainability’ is a huge topic, and there is a very strong argument for making it the mainstay of the curriculum around which all the other topics hang. But how do we do this? When schools and teachers are already on their knees after 18months+ of Covid, alongside the ever changing goalposts of Department for Education, and ensuring that our children have those most of vital of all skills - the ability to recognise a fronted adverbial. Nope, no clue here either. And I’ve written two books!Today’s guest is here to help! Paul Turner is a geography teacher and education lead at the Ministry of Eco Education – "a collaboration of teachers working together to put sustainability at the heart of education."Hear all about the project, their ambition to have half of all primary schools on board by 2025, and importantly, how you can persuade the schools you have connections with to get involved.Enjoy! LISTEN... CHECK OUT...Ministry of Eco Education- Website- Twitter- Webinar - How to put sustainability at the heart of education (25th Oct '21)Paul Turner on Twitter[098] - Eco Schools (podcast)The Sustainable(ish) FB group DO...Sign up for the webinar on the 25th Oct, or pass on the details to your schoolAsk your school/your children's school/schools in your local area what their plans are for bringing sustainability into the curriculum - the more parents that ask, the more likely the schools are to act!Signpost your school to the Ministry of Eco Education website Anyone else hugely excited by this?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! […]

Gas prices are going through the roof, energy bills are soaring, and energy companies are dropping like flies.Why is this happening, and what is the best thing for us to do as consumers, for our household budget and for the planet?Tune in to this episode with Jon Fletcher from green energy comparison site Big Clean Switch, where I ask him 'all the questions' about exactly what is happening, and where this leaves us, as people wanting to do our bit for the planet.I hope this is helpful - let me know in the comments! LISTEN... CHECK OUT...Big Clean Switch - Website- Newsletter- Facebook- Twitter[045]- How to switch to a renewable energy tariff with confidence, with Big Clean SwitchA beginners guide to switching to a renewable energy tariff The Sustainable(ish) FB group DO...Sit tight for the moment! (Unless you've got stacks of money and can absorb the price increases, in which case switch away!)Sign up to the Big Clean Switch newsletter so you can keep up to date with the latest advice, and be ready to switch when they adviseTake steps to save energy at homeSpeak to your employer about whether your company/organisation could switch to a renewable tariff Has this helped you to understand what's happening and why with energy prices?Let me know! 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! […]

Strap yourself in, this episode is all about emotions and feelings - specifically emotions and feelings related to the climate crisis and the teensy matter of the planet burning and us all going to hell in a handcart. That kind of stuff.Before we dive in, hopefully it goes without saying that I’m not a therapist, or a psychologist, or in any way qualified to give actual advice about any of this stuff – this is in effect, me having a bit of a rant and verbalising some of the stuff spinning round my head. In the hopes that maybe it will resonate, and if you’re also feeling like this, then you’ll know that you’re not alone.These are BIG emotions. BIG feelings. Overwhelming feelings. And whilst we need to sit with them, and acknowledge them, if you feel like they’re getting on top of you and are starting to interfere with your daily life and your enjoyment of things you would ordinarily enjoy doing, please do seek professional help. I will pop some links below for anyone who might find them helpful.Do let me know your thoughts (and feelings) on this one. LISTEN... CHECK OUT...The SamaritansClimate PsychologistsClimate Psychology AllianceHope is a Verb - wonderfully uplifting, and beautiful book, from Emily Ehlers (aka EcoEm on social media)The Knackered Mums Eco ClubThe Sustainable(ish) FB group DO...Grab a piece of paper and have a brain dump - don't censor it, write down anything that comes to mind. No one is going to read it.Pick a time when you're feeling resilient and in a pretty positive frame of mind. Pick a person who you trust, and who you think would be a good first person to chat to about this. And then ask the question: "Do you ever worry about the climate crisis?" and see where the conversation goes.Do one thing. No matter how small. A litter pick is brilliant as it's outside, there's some activity involved, you get to see a difference and there's a very good chance someone will tell you what a wonderful person you are. But anything counts.If you're really struggling, talk to someone - my inbox is always open, and there are lots of people out there who can help.  How was this one for you?Have I just over-shared? Or has it been helpful to hear someone else talk about this stuff? 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! […]