Sustainable(ish)

[186] The National Emergency Briefing with Nick Oldridge

Jen Gale — Sat, 24 Jan 2026 12:25:19 GMT

In this episode, I'm chatting to Nick Oldridge, founder of Climate Science Breakthrough, and co-founder of the National Emergency Briefing. What Nick has done with both of those projects, as you will here, is incredible, but I'm also really fascinated in his back story and his journey to where he is now (side note, really think I need to do an episode on insurance as a lever for climate action!).I ummed and ahhed about whether to publish this episode so early in the re-launch, as (spoiler alert) some of it is pretty bleak, almost right out of the gate. I'm a big fan of focussing on action and the things that we can do, and I'm very aware that confronting the reality of where we are can be overwhelming and paralysing. However, as Nick says, I think it's important that we don't hide from that reality, and that we find a way to channel our anxiety into action, and use it as motivation to keep taking the next steps.

The Climate Science Breakthrough videos are brilliant - I've linked to them all below. They're all just 4 or 5 minutes long, and do that really clever thing where they're delivering a pretty brutal message, but somehow making you laugh at the same time. The National Emergency Briefing videos are now all online - I'm working up the courage to watch them if I'm totally honest, and trying to figure out a way to maybe host a 'watch party' so we can all be in it together. If you're interested in that, let me know!I do think it's important that the videos are watched and shared and that we all understand quite what is at stake. But even more important I think, is that the Briefings result in action, ideally from the Government, but we 'ordinary people' will need to take action to make that happen. I've linked below to the Take Action page, the good news is that all of them can be done from the sofa!

In the first episode of this podcast reboot, I dived in a little bit into the individual change vs system change debate. And as an individual, system change often feels like this nebulous thing that we agree needs to happen, but that we're not quite sure how that happens, or the role that we can play. The National Emergency Briefing is a route to system change, and gives us really clear ways that we as individuals can get involved. And as I said, they're not big asks, doing all of them would take less than 10 minutes and you don't even need to leave your house. And in the podcast, Nick shares that apparently once MPs receive around 20 emails (from different people!) on the same subject, it makes them start to sit up and pay a bit more attention. That number feels do-able - how many people do you know local to you, who you might be able to encourage to send your MP an email? Finally, a quick mention of the Crowdfunder, which at the time of this podcast dropping, is at over £70,000 and nearly halfway to the target. Frustratingly (but good news for the crowdfunder!) the cheaper rewards have all sold out, but that doesn't mean you still can't donate whatever amount you might feel able to. And as Nick says in the podcast, times are tight, and if you aren't able to donate, please do share it on your social feeds.

Nick Oldridge

LISTEN... USEFUL LINKS:

Climate Science Breakthrough- Kiri Pritchard-McLean meets Prof Bill McGuire- Jonathon Pie meets Prof Joanna Haigh- Nish Kumar meets Prof Fredi Otto- Jo Brand meets Prof Mark Maslin- US version - David Cross meets Prof Michael Oppenheimer
Naturesave
Heat by George Monbiot
The Stern Review - the Economics of Climate Change
Planet solvency: study by reseachers at the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries (IFoA) and the University of Exeter
The Utopia Bureau
Angus Rose podcast
Zero Hour
MP Watch
National Emergency Briefing- Take action- The videos on You Tube
Climate Outreach
Liquefied natural gas footprint is worse than coal
The People V Climate Change - doesn't seem to be currently available on iPlayer
Your Brain on Climate - how to talk about the climate emergency
MPs underestimate support for climate policies - Guardian
Climate Change: The Facts - David Attenborough documentary
Rutger Bregman - Reith Lectures 2025

Have you watched any of the videos - either the Climate Science Breakthrough ones, or the National Emergency Briefing ones? What do you think of my idea of online watch parties. And most importantly, have you done any of the 5 things on the Take Action page of the National Emergency Briefing website? Do it now! […]

[105] THE INTENTION TO ACTION GAP…

Jen Gale — Fri, 18 Jun 2021 12:39:16 GMT

We all often have the very best intentions – whether it’s getting fitter, losing weight, saving money, or being a bit greener. We have all the good intentions, but they don’t always translate into action.There’s often a gap, or a mis-match, between our intentions and our actions.We might watch the latest David Attenborough and be brimming over with motivation and determination to do our bit, but then we get up the next morning and life happens, and nothing changes.Or we see a load of litter at our local park and tut loudly in true British style and vow to get a litter picker and come back to sort it out. But then you get home and the kids are hot and tired and don’t want to go out again. And actually, now you mention it, you’re hot and tired and don’t want to go out again, and the washing needs hanging out and no one has even thought about what’s for tea, so nothing happens.

Or you decide that yes, you really will finally pluck up the courage to visit your local refill shop, but then you’re just not sure how it all works, and if it’s ok to take your tatty Tupperware to a plastic-free shop, so you don’t go.

I hear you. I’m there with you. I can procrastinate with the best of them, and have the attention span of a distracted gnat, meaning I often forget what 5 minutes ago I was so passionate about changing.That’s ok. And please rest assured that this isn’t about turning every intention into instantaneous, effective and impactful action, this is just about narrowing the gap. Making it easier for action to happen, and giving ourselves the best chances of funnelling some of our brilliant intentions into imperfect action.

Listen in to this solo episode from me, sharing some ideas and tips to help you narrow that gap.

Enjoy!

LISTEN... CHECK OUT...

DO...

Spend a few minutes thinking about your values, the things that are important to you, and the world you want for your kids and grandkids. And then look for mis-matches between what you want and where your actions are leading. Pick ONE thing to change, and do it!

Do you like these solo episodes?Let me know! AVAILABLE ONLINE AND IN ALL GOOD BOOK SHOPS NOW!

"Easily the most family friendly way to do your bit"The Sunday Times

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12 DAYS OF SUSTAINABLE(ISH) – DAY 7 SUSTAINABLE(ISH) HOME

Jen Gale — Fri, 03 Jan 2020 07:00:00 GMT

OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG....!It is with HUGE excitement that I bring you this very special mini-series of the Sustainable(ish) podcast to celebrate, and to count down to, the launch of The Sustainable(ish) Living Guide - everything you need to know to make small changes that make a big difference.This book is pretty much the distillation of the Sustainable(ish) ethos and is being published by Bloomsbury on January 9th 2020 , and to mark such an auspicious occasion I've put together 12 shortish episodes of the podcast, one for each chapter of the book, where I have a good old chinwag with someone relevant to that chapter.We’re onto Day 7 of our 12 Days of Sustainable(ish) which is all about Sustainable(ish) Homes. It’s very fitting then that today I’m taking to Angela Terry who is an environmental scientist and the founder and CEO of One Home where you'll find a wealth of information and support about the choices we can make at home to cut our carbon emissions.None of the actions that Angela and I talk about today are especially exciting – in fact, it could be said that they fall very squarely into the sensible and grown up camp – they have none of the IG appeal of beach cleans, or sexy alternatives to single use plastic, but actually, although it pains my inner rebellious child to say it, it’s these possibly slightly dull grown up things that can actually make a big difference when it comes of our personal carbon footprints.So big girl (or boy) pants at the ready – here we go.

Enjoy!

Useful links

How's your insulation looking..?!What small changes can you make to mean that the heat you're paying for stays IN your home?Let me know in the comments! AVAILABLE 9th JAN 2020 PRE-ORDER NOW!! "The most eco-common sense thing I've read!" […]

[094] A CUP OF TEA WITH…ELLIE JACKSON

Jen Gale — Mon, 15 Mar 2021 11:24:33 GMT

To celebrate and mark the launch of The Sustainable(ish) Guide to Green Parenting, my new book, coming out this week, there's a little flurry of five parenting(ish) podcasts coming your way this week!Kicking off with this chat with Ellie Jackson, who is the author of The Wild Tribe Heroes series of children’s books. I’ve been a huge admirer of Ellie and her books for a long time, but hadn’t realised just how much amazing stuff Ellie is doing, and how her books aren’t just gorgeously illustrated and nice stories, they’re actually being used as a tool for real action on the ground, and that children around the world are being inspired to make positive changes because of them. We chat about:

Ellie’s home life and the challenges of home schooling 4 kids whilst running a business and writing a new book
What inspired her to get get started
Where she gets her story ideas from
How we can talk to our kids about the climate crisis and the state of the planet without overwhelming and scaring them
The impact that Ellie's books have had
How schools and parents can use the books to start these gentle conversations with our kids, and empower them to take action.

Enjoy!

Useful links

Wild Tribe Heroes- Website- Buy the Books- Teaching resources- Books into schools project- How to do a beach clean- Facebook- Twitter- Instagram
The Sustainable(ish) Guide to Green Parenting- On Hive- On Bookshop- On Waterstones - On Amazon- It should also be available as an audio book but I can't see a link yet!

Isn't Ellie amazing?!Have you read any of the Wild Tribe Heroes books?Are you inspired to get some now for your kids and/or school?Let me know ! AVAILABLE ONLINE AND IN ALL GOOD BOOK SHOPS NOW!

"Easily the most family friendly way to do your bit"The Sunday Times

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[071] A BEGINNERS GUIDE TO CARBON FOOTPRINTS WITH JO HAND AT GIKI ZERO

Jen Gale — Tue, 08 Sep 2020 07:00:20 GMT

Carbon footprints - we've probably all heard the term, but what exactly is a carbon footprint? And why does it matter?Do I have a carbon footprint?How do I know what it is?How do I reduce it?What do I need to reduce it to?ALL the questions about carbon footprints!Luckily in this episode I'm chatting to Jo Hand, co-founder of Giki Zero, an app and website that allows you to easily measure and track your individual carbon footprint.Because I'm a bit of an eco geek, I've tried out a few different carbon footprint calculators, and whilst they're great for giving a ballpark figure, they don't allow for much nuance, and the only way to really see it come down is to do something really drastic, like go car-free, or move to a smaller house - neither of which are hugely practical right now.So when I tried out Giki Zero I was geekily excited to see that this is a calculator that does allow us to factor in many of the smaller changes we're making day to day, and to see our footprint shrink!Jo answers all of the questions above, and many many more, including sharing her top tips for the big impact things we can do to reduce our footprints.Listen in, then go and check out Giki Zero! Let me know what your score and your footprint are!

Useful links

Giki Zero- Website- Facebook- Instagram- Twitter
[046] - Sustainable(ish) supermarket shopping with Giki Badges (podcast)
Carbon footprints and off-setting (festival session)
How Bad are Bananas? - great book by Mike Berners-Lees that looks at 'the carbon footprint of everything.'
Ecosia - a greener alternative to Google!- The search engine that plants trees (and how to install it) (blog post)
The World Land Trust
[068] - How to waste less at work with Livvy Drake (podcast)
Big Clean Switch* (green energy comparison site)*if you use this link and switch I get a small commission at no extra cost to you
A beginners guide to switching to a renewable energy supplier (blog post)
Make My Money Matter
Switch It
How to make sure your money is doing as much good as you are (festival session)
2040 film
Fashion's Dirty Secrets - fast fashion doc by Stacey Dooley
The Knackered Mums Eco Club - come and join us!
Sustainable(ish) Facebook group

My carbon footprint...!

Have you measured your footprint..?What is it?Let me know in the comments! AVAILABLE ONLINE AND IN ALL GOOD BOOK SHOPS NOW!

"Easily the most family friendly way to do your bit"The Sunday Times

"Absolutely love this book - should be mandatory reading"Online review

[…]

[021] – 5(ISH) MINUTE GUIDE – OVERCOMING OVERWHELM

Jen Gale — Tue, 29 Jan 2019 07:00:46 GMT

Welcome back to the Sustainable(ish) podcast and to Season 2!This season I've got some cracking guest lined up to inspire us all as well as some bite sized "5(ish) minute guides" where I'll try and to help you out with a sustainable(ish) problem in just 5(ish) minutes (the 'ish' is important here, as I'm discovering I'm not that good at not rambling and therefore keeping to time..!).For the first episode of this new season, we're tackling overwhelm - I've been hearing a lot from members of my new FB group (this one is aimed at beginners and those just dipping their toes into all things sustainable(ish) ) that they often feel overwhelmed by all the things they feel like they should be doing, and then end up doing none of them. And I totally get that sometimes too - I think we all do.So here's my 5(ish) minute guide to overcoming overwhelm when it comes to all things sustainable(ish):

[…]

[198] How to reduce your pet’s carbon pawprint – with sustainable vet Laura Binnie

Jen Gale — Fri, 10 Apr 2026 07:26:55 GMT

Pets can bring a huge amount of joy into our lives, but as with everything, they have an environmental impact, and in this episode we're going to dive into where that impact comes from and what we can do to reduce it.Now I'm very aware that 'sustainability' can sometimes look like being told that all of the things that you love doing, or having, are bad, and that to be truly 'sustainable' you have to stop doing all those things, and suck all the joy and happiness out of your life.That is absolutely not the case, and it's absolutely not the case for pets. This episode isn't about not having pets, it's about (as I hope all the episodes are!) understanding where the impacts are, and making 'better choices more of the time'. I've got a dog, she adds to our family's carbon footprint, but she also brings a huge amount of joy, and she gets me outside every single day.I really hope you enjoy this chat with the brilliant Laura Binnie, who is a small animal vet based in Cumbria who has been at the forefront of the sustainability movement in the veterinary profession. It's packed with hints and tips, I've summarised them all in a blog post which I've linked to in the show notes, so hopefully you'll feel more informed about the things you can do to reduce your pets carbon pawprint - enjoy!

Laura Binnie

LISTEN... USEFUL LINKS:

[022] – STYLISH SUSTAINABLE LIVING WITH PEBBLE MAGAZINE

Jen Gale — Tue, 05 Feb 2019 14:41:00 GMT

Georgina Wilson-Powell is the founder and editor of Pebble - an online magazine and brand for 'stylish, sustainable living' that aims to empower people to make more ethical everyday decisions. In this episode I chat to her about all things sustainable (including finding a more exciting word for 'sustainable'!), hear about the projects that Pebble involved in, and about the personal sustainable(ish) steps that Georgina is taking.This episode is packed full of ideas and inspiration and Georgina talks very openly and honestly about the challenges she faces, and some of the things that she's changed, which will hopefully inspire you to think about the changes YOU can make too.

[…]

[075] HOW ORGANIC SYSTEMS CAN HELP THE CLIMATE CRISIS

Jen Gale — Thu, 01 Oct 2020 13:10:25 GMT

Now I’ve been buying organic food for a while now – we get a weekly Riverford veg box, and I seek out organic products in the supermarket whenever I can. But until recording this series I wasn’t really that aware of the huge potential impact that organic systems can have on the climate crisis.Agriculture and food production get a bad rap when it comes to the climate – agriculture is responsible for 9% of all Greenhouse Gas emissions in the UK. Together with related emissions from changing land use and cutting down forests, it accounts for around 30% of greenhouse gas emissions globally. BUT research by the The Soil Association shows that if Europe’s farmland all followed organic principles, agricultural emissions could drop by 40-50% by 2050. That's a massive chunk of carbon saved right there.So how does this work? What is it about organic practices that means they pump out so much less carbon?Well I’m glad you asked!

In this episode I’ve got a two parter for you – in the first part I’m chatting to the wonderful Anna de la Vega from The Urban Worm who some of you may remember from episode 38 where she answered all my questions about wormeries. In this episode she’s sharing her knowledge about soil health, why it’s so vital to the planet, why modern agriculture is so bad for it, and how organic systems can help to replenish it.And then in Part 2 I’m chatting to Tim Mead, dairy farmer and owner of Yeo Valley, about how organic and regenerative agriculture works in practice on their farm and what they’ve achieved in terms of reducing their carbon footprint.It’s a fascinating episode, a total eye opener for me – I think I say the words ‘mind blown' at least 57 times…Enjoy!

* This is a paid partnership with Organic UK.

This episode was edited by Emily Crosby Media

Useful links

Organic UK- Website- Facebook- Instagram- Twitter
Organic September
The Urban Worm - Website- Facebook- Instagram
Yeo Valley- Website- Facebook- Instagram- Twitter
The other episodes and blog posts in the Organic mini-series- [072] - The plight of the bumble bee- [073] - Organic 101- A beginners guide to organic- [074] - Eating sustainably- A beginners guide to sustainable eating
[038] - Everything you ever wanted to know about wormeries with The Urban Worm
Kiss The Ground - documentary on Netflix about soil - it's fascinating, do have a watch if you can!
Elaine Ingham - Soil Food Web
"If Europe’s farmland all followed organic principles, agricultural emissions could drop by 40-50% by 2050",
The Knepp Estate - Rewilding in West Sussex
The Sustainable(ish) Facebook group

The Power of One Challenge!

As with all things Sustainable(ish), organic doesn't have to be 'all or nothing'. No-one is expecting you to covert to 100% organic, and as Harriet points out in the podcast, you'd struggle even if you wanted to, as there are some products that there aren't organic versions of. But I hope after listening to this episode, and to the others in the Organic September mini-series, you'll be a convert (if you weren't already) to the power that organic farming has to help us to pass on a healthy planet to our kids and grandkids. As consumers we have a lot of power to amplify the impact of organic by making some simple swaps. Next time you're shopping, can you swap one of your regular products for an organic one? Just imagine the surge in demand if everyone who was able to do this, did it!

Had you heard of 'regenerative agriculture'?Is your mind as blown as mine..?!!Let me know in the comments! AVAILABLE ONLINE AND IN ALL GOOD BOOK SHOPS NOW!

"Easily the most family friendly way to do your bit"The Sunday Times

"Absolutely love this book - should be mandatory reading"Online review

[…]

[169] How Green is Your Money? With Dan Sherrard-Smith from MotherTree

Jen Gale — Fri, 20 Oct 2023 16:16:42 GMT

In this episode we’re talking money, and how we can make our money a bit greener.I’m chatting to Dan Sherrard-Smith, who is the founder and CEO of MotherTree – a platform that helps us all to get better informed about the impact of our money when it’s in our current accounts, savings, and pensions, and even when it comes to things like mortgages, insurance and broadband too.We’ve got a few episodes in the archive diving into money, and I’ve linked to them below if you want to go back and have a listen, so I felt like I was pretty on top of all things green money, but I hadn’t even considered things like insurance, and had firmly put ‘mortgage’ into the 'too hard' box! It was a real eye opener to chat to Dan about what they’re doing at MotherTree to help individuals, but also the work that they’re doing with businesses to not only help them to make their business accounts and investments greener, but to help them help their employees too.Do go and check out the website , there’s so much on there, including a money carbon calculator where you can fill in a few details and get an idea of the carbon impact of your financial choices!Also, I was listening back to this episode to edit it, and realised that we spent at least the first fifteen minutes talking about talking about climate change, rather than money stuff. I hope you find it as interesting as I did, hearing about how Dan went about setting up MotherTree and the hugely important role that having climacte conversations played in that. As well as all of the juicy money stuff, I would love one of the takeaways from this episode to be us all trying to be a bit braver and have a few more climate conversations – there's a super helpful video here that I use during Carbon Literacy training – let me know if it’s helpful!

Dan Sherrard-Smith - CEO and founder of MotherTree

GOOD NEWS!In the new Good News section after the main interview, I share some of the good climate news happening (because there is some, I promise!). Here's this weeks pick:

Stockholm to ban petrol and diesel cars from centre from 2025 (The Guardian)
Hull approves a 'right to grow' scheme (Positive News)
In The Sustainable(ish) Clubhouse we had a thread sharing the joy that comes with so many of the changes we make to our lives to live more sustainably. Ruth said “The more I live out my values, the better I feel about myself." And went on to talk about the buzz she gets from cycling, the warm glow from spending money at ethical businesses, and the 'free pass' she feels she has when buying secondhand clothes.And Julia said "I love hanging the washing out on a sunny day, finding a book I wanted to read in the library or second hand, having chats with the lovely ladies in the farm shop, knowing that I'm making things a little bit better just buy shopping in a small local shop"

LISTEN... USEFUL LINKS:

What were your takeaways from this episode? Any lightbulb moments? What are you going to go out and DO as a result of this episode? What are your moments of joy that living more sustainably brings?Do share in a comment below! […]

[025] A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO GROW YOUR OWN – WITH SARA VENN

Jen Gale — Thu, 28 Feb 2019 14:49:19 GMT

Today’s episode is all about Growing Your Own. It’s the stereotypical image of sustainable living isn’t it? The kind of Good Life image of being self sufficient in veg, and the temptation is to go all out right from the start, take on a huge allotment plot, and then before we know it it’s taken over our lives. Sara Venn has been on the show before back in Episode 4 where we talked about the power of community gardening and projects like Incredible Edible and she got in touch me a the start of this year to ask if I’d be interested in doing an episode on Grow Your Own Lite, or maybe Grow your Own(ish).

This episode is for you if you love the idea of growing some of your own fruit and veg this year, but you’re not sure if you’ve got the time or space, or what you should be growing.And it’s for you if you’ve tried before and failed.It’s packed full of really practical tips for those ordinary mortals amongst us with busy lives, and families, but who want to work out some ways to incorporate a little but of grow your own activism and pleasure into your routine.As ever, if you enjoy this episode, please do share it with your friedsn and family, and on social media and let’s spread the sustainable(ish) word!Enjoy.

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[034] #NONEWJUNE WITH MCR LOVE YOUR CLOTHES

Jen Gale — Wed, 29 May 2019 08:52:34 GMT

Every year an estimated 300,000 tonnes of used clothing goes to landfill in the UK.In the UK we buy more clothes per person than any other country in Europe.It takes over 2000 litres of water to make one single cotton t-shirt.17% of young people said they wouldn’t wear an outfit again if it had been on IG.These are shocking stats aren't they? I’ve heard most of them before, but that still doesn’t detract from the shock value. However the one that was new to me was the IG one – I’m a bit too old and uncool to really care what outfit I’m wearing on IG, if indeed I share any pictures of myself at all. And it really hadn’t occurred to me that it would be a thing. That you wouldn’t want to be seen in the same outfit twice on social media. I wear the same outfits ALL the time. I figure that if I can’t remember what anyone else was wearing on the school run yesterday, then chances are they won’t have noticed what I’m wearing. But I guess for younger people, people far cooler than me, who do share their outfits and what they’re wearing, then maybe there is this pressure to be constantly refreshing your wardrobe? Clothes are cheaper now than at any other time, to the point that they are sometimes seen as 'disposable' - worm a handful of times and then simply discarded. Most of us give very little thought to the resources that will have gone into those clothes and the people who have made them.So what can we do about it?Well this is where #nonewjune comes in – a campaign being run by three friends at MCR Love Your Clothes encouraging us all to shop secondhand for our clothes in June. Prolonging the active life of our clothes by just 9 months can reduce their carbon, water, and land footprints by 20-30%. We can do that by wearing our own clothes for longer and also by donating the clothes we no longer love and wear to charity shops AND by buying new to us clothes secondhand. There are no real rules for #nonewjune other than not buying brand new clothes. You can buy secondhand clothes, you can swap clothes with friends, you can still have 'new to you' clothes, just not brand new ones! You can find MCR Love Your Clothes here on IG and here on FB. You can sign up here, and when you sign up you will get content into your inbox that will help you during your #nonewjune. Things like where to shop secondhand, how to look after your clothes and more. If you need an extra incentive I think I’m right in remembering that one of the stats shared was that by buying no new clothes for a month, the average shopper could save around 38kg of C02. So how about it? Are you in? Let’s see if we can make a difference with this one simple action during June!

Useful links

MCR Love Your Clothes- Facebook- Instagram- The link to sign up for #nonewjune
Uprising
5 Ways to Get Your Fashion Fix (without Trashing the Planet) (blog post)
Easy Sustainable Alternatives to Fast Fashion (blog post)
Top Tips Tips for Charity Shop Shopping (blog post)
Fashion Revolution
Love Your Clothes

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[081] MAKE A START ON A SUSTAINABLE(ISH) CHRISTMAS

Jen Gale — Fri, 20 Nov 2020 13:24:33 GMT

Today I’ve got a solo episode for you – I’d like to try and pretend it was planned, but the reality is obviously that I failed spectacularly to plan ahead enough to have a guest for this week.

Sooooooooo, I’m diving right on into the C-word.No, not corona virus. No, not that one, go and wash your moth out.I’m talking Christmas. Of course I am.There will be some of you who are saying "Why the hell are you talking about Christmas, it’s November” and there will be others saying “Well you’re a bit late love, I’m all done and dusted and the tree’s going up this weekend”. So essentially I’ve just realised that this is probably an episode that is going to please no-one but I’m going to plod on because as I said, I haven’t got a guest for you this week. Sorry about that.

Right then. Christmas. It can indeed be the most wonderful time of year. Especially if you’re under the age of about twelve, but it can also be hugely stressful, and one of the most wasteful times of the year.

Join me as I share some thoughts around how to make a start making Christmas this year a bit more sustainable(ish).Enjoy!

Useful links

How many have you already done?Which ones can you commit to?Do let me know in the comments! AVAILABLE ONLINE AND IN ALL GOOD BOOK SHOPS NOW!

"Easily the most family friendly way to do your bit"The Sunday Times

"Absolutely love this book - should be mandatory reading"Online review

[…]

[145] HOW CAR SHARING CAN HELP FIGHT THE CLIMATE CRISIS – WITH ANDY HIBBERT FROM KARSHARE

Jen Gale — Fri, 08 Jul 2022 16:13:26 GMT

DID YOU KNOW..?

There are over 40 million cars parked on our roads and driveways in the UK
On average, vehicles in the UK sit idle 96% of the time
For every 1 car shared, we can take 14 off the road
A 2% switch to car sharing could see CO₂ emissions drop by 620,000 tonnes

Which all sounds awesome, and even the big car manufacturers are gearing themselves up for a shift towards a more shared ownership for cars in the future.But it might feel like a pretty daunting thing to do right?If I rent my car out, how do I know someone isn't going to just run off with it? Or bring it back trashed and scratched? If I give up my car and look to rent a car as and when I need it, how can I make sure I get the right car at the right time? What if it's filthy and covered in dog hair with empty crisp packets in the footwell?

In this episode of the podcast, I'm chatting to Andy Hibbert, who is the CEO and founder of Karshare, an app which "makes it easy to discover, book and unlock affordable vehicles from owners in your area." And I basically ask him all of the questions above, and more.I really enjoyed Andy's story of how he arrived at the idea, and it was staggering to hear about just how impactful car sharing is and could be, when it comes to reducing the UK's transport emissions.

LISTEN... CHECK OUT...

Karshare- Website- Twitter- Facebook- Instagram
The Sustainable(ish) FB group

Have you ever tried out car sharing?Are you tempted to give it a go?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! […]

[148] Re-run the fun…With Episode 010 – #2MinuteBeachClean

Jen Gale — Sat, 30 Jul 2022 13:10:58 GMT

The podcast is having a break over the summer, so I thought it would be a good opportunity to re-visit some of my favourite episodes from the archives.I thought this episode was a good one to listen again to over the summer, as in it I'm chatting to Martin Dorey, founder of the #2MinuteBeachClean and the #2MinuteFoundation. I figured lots of us might be visiting beaches over the holidays, and this is a great reminder to do little spot of beach cleaning while you're there. As Martin says, the aim should no longer be simply to leave no trace, but to actually leave a place a little bit better than when you arrived.And in fact, it doesn't even need to be a beach clean, a #2MinuteParkClean, #2MinuteStreetClean, or #2MinuteLitterPick all count!

Pop a plastic bag and some hand sanitiser into your rucksack, changing bag, handbag, picnic bag, and you'll be ready to go, wherever you are!If you are visiting the coast, then keep your eyes peeled for #2MinuteBeachClean boards, designed to raise awareness, and encourage people to get litter picking - there are 100's around the country - check out the map!

Martin is also the author of several brilliant books, including No More Plastic, No More Rubbish Excuses, Kids Fight Plastic, and Kids Fight Climate Change.

LISTEN... CHECK OUT...

The #2MinuteFoundation- Website- On Facebook- On Instagram- On Twitter
Martin Dorey- Website- Twitter- Instagram- No More Plastic- No More Rubbish Excuses- Kids Fight Plastic- Kids Fight Climate Change
The original podcast episode
The Sustainable(ish) Facebook group

Did you listen to this one first time round, or is it fresh to your ears?What are your favourite episodes that you'd love to listen again to over the summer?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! […]

[147] Re-run the fun…With Episode 002 – Edinburgh Tool Library

Jen Gale — Fri, 22 Jul 2022 21:01:57 GMT

The podcast is having a break over the summer, so I thought it would be a good opportunity to re-visit some of my favourite episodes from the archives.This episode with Chris Hellawell from The Edinburgh Tool Library was one of the very first episodes published, but that's not the only reason I love it so much. What Chris and his team have achieved up in Edinburgh is just brilliant. Tool Libraries are a fabulous concept - they work like libraries, but for tools. But what Chris has created is so much more than simply a place to borrow tools (although their members saved over £875,000 from borrowing rather than buying tools in the projects first five years). It's a real community, with regular workshops and events, as well as their brilliant 'Tools for Life' programme, which provides expert advice, practical workshops, and employment support to young trainees who are currently facing barriers to employment, pairing mentors and trainees who then work together on projects that benefit local communities.

Edinburgh Tool Library has also served as inspiration for people wanting to set up similar projects around the country, as well as advice based on their own journey and experience s - wouldn't it be amazing to have a Tool Library in every community?

LISTEN... CHECK OUT...

The Edinburgh Tool Library- Website- On Facebook- On Instagram- On Twitter
The original podcast episode
The Sustainable(ish) Facebook group

[119] SHREWSBURY CUP

Jen Gale — Fri, 05 Nov 2021 12:55:10 GMT

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- Instagram
CanCan - reusable cup scheme being trialled in Bristol
The 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! […]

[089] SHOW THE LOVE

Jen Gale — Fri, 12 Feb 2021 16:54:57 GMT

Another solo episode from me this week, as I haven’t been able to conjure up any extra time or headspace for getting guests organised – I’ve been super busy getting ready for The Knackered Mums heading back on out on Eco Tour – this is my FREE 5 day eco challenge that’s kicking off on Monday 15th Feb. Do come and join us – it’s probably the most fun you’re going to be able to have in half-term. AND you get to slash your carbon footprint at the same time as whinge about how tired you are and how hard it is to get your kids off their screens, with a bunch of similarly knackered types. Excited to say that I have not one but TWO interviews in the diary for next week, so we should be back on a roll with some fabulous guests from next week!It’s Valentines Day in just a couple of days time, and I’m well aware that if you do celebrate it, then this episode may well be too late if you’re an organised type.Bear it in mind for next year if that’s the case, and don’t stop listening if you don’t celebrate Valentines Day (we gave up on it years ago!) because I’m going to be sharing some fascinating stats and some alternative gifts that are a great way to say ‘I love you” or “thank you” or “you’re really rather brilliant” at any time of the year.Giving ‘stuff’ has become our way of saying I love you hasn’t it? And who doesn’t love a present?But the problem with Valentines’ gifts, and indeed most gifts is that that although they might say “I love you” to the recipient they aren’t usually saying “I love you’ to either the people who made the gift, or to the planet.We are at peak stuff, we are using up resources at an astonishing rate, the people who make much of our stuff are being exploited, and most of us are struggling to find anywhere to put anymore stuff in our homes. Oh, and our landfills are full to bursting.God I’m SUCH a party pooper aren’t I?Never fear – this isn’t a whole episode about how terrible everything is, there is some good news –there ARE some fabulous ways we can do Valentines (and indeed other gifts) that don’t cost the earth (see what I did there).

Enjoy...!

Useful links

The Knackered Mums (Eco) Tour5 days of easy eco-action, a LOT of fun, and endless GIFs - come and join us!
[069] - Say it with British Flowers (podcast)
Tony's Chocoloney Sweet Solution campaign
Ethical Consumer ethical chocolate guide
TED IDEAS: The steep price we pay for cheap chocolate
George Monbiot: The Gift of Death
Arbikie Nadar climate positive gin
The Climate Coalition Show the Love Campaign
Sustainable(ish) Facebook group

Do you Valentine?What are your thoughts on some of those stats?Do let me know in the comments! AVAILABLE ONLINE AND IN ALL GOOD BOOK SHOPS NOW!

"Easily the most family friendly way to do your bit"The Sunday Times

"Absolutely love this book - should be mandatory reading"Online review

[…]

[087] THE CRAP ACTIVIST – A YEAR OF IMPERFECT ECO-ACTION

Jen Gale — Fri, 29 Jan 2021 16:36:49 GMT

In this episode I have a treat in store for you if you're looking around the world and feeling a little....erm....despairing?! If you're looking at your kids and wondering what their future will hold, and worried that when they're old enough to understand what's going on that they'll be viewing their own futures with trepidation and despondency rather than the excitement that we probably felt as we embarked on our adult lives.

Rachel (aka The Crap Activist on Instagram) in an inspiration. She told me she had massive imposter syndrome coming on the podcast following on from last week's episode with Sian Berry, but genuinely what she has done and been doing has inspired me, and I'm pretty sure it will inspire you too.She was worried about the future her kids were facing, and how that potentially affected their mental health. So she went a step beyond worrying, and decided to spend a year doing one thing a day to make the world a better place. To be a better citizen of the world.And she's only gone and bloody well done it (we recorded this episode on day 365 of her year!), during a pandemic, she's managed to bring the rest of the family along for the ride too. She's shown her kids that she thinks their future is worth fighting for. That it's worth making some changes, and maybe some sacrifices for. She's shown them that we can all be activists. That we don't have to simply put up with, and despair about, the status quo, but that we can take steps to empower ourselves and to create positive change.And she's done it with humour and honesty about the good bits AND the not-so good bits - it's not a curated Insta perfect story, thank goodness...It's so important that the stories we share, the people we celebrate, the people we admire, aren't just the Greta's and David Attenborough's (although clearly they're doing amazing stuff). There are millions of awesome crap activists out there, having a go, getting it wrong, trying again. Who are changing the world without the recognition and accolades and applause. Enjoy this episode, let me know what you think and if you're inspired to take action and indulge in a little everyday activism, crap or otherwise..!

Useful links

Wow! Are you inspired to indulge in a spot of imperfect eco-action after listening?Do let me know in the comments! AVAILABLE ONLINE AND IN ALL GOOD BOOK SHOPS NOW!

"Easily the most family friendly way to do your bit"The Sunday Times

"Absolutely love this book - should be mandatory reading"Online review

[…]

[090] MEND IT, WEAR IT, LOVE IT – WITH ZOE EDWARDS

Jen Gale — Fri, 19 Feb 2021 08:08:00 GMT

You'll be relived to hear we have a guest! So you don’t have to listen to me rambling on endlessly. And it’s a cracker of a guest!I’ve been stalking Zoe on line for years, after first coming across her annual Me Made May challenge online, and I was SO excited to find out that she’s written an actual book! All about mending and loving our clothes, a subject very close to my heart as a reformed mender who never even thought she would be able to sew on a button!We chat about...

Making your own clothes
Why making your own clothes might not necessarily be the most sustainable option
The problems with fast fashion, including Zoe's own experiences of working within the fast fashion industry
Zoe's brilliant book - Mend It, Wear It, Love It - available now!!
The importance of caring for the clothes we already own
What equipment you need to get started mending (you don't need a sewing machine!)
How to get started
Whether there's any kind of stigma around wearing mended clothes
And lots more...!

Screenshot of Zoe during our Zoom - wearing clothes she's made herself!

Useful links

Zoe's blog and social media- So... Zo, what do you know? blog- Me Made May- Zoe on Instagram
Zoe's book: Mend it, Wear it, Love it
TRAID
Wardrobe Architect
Rana Plaza
Fashion Revolution
[079] Repair what you wear
Repair what you wear website
The Knackered Mums Eco Club

Do you mend?Are you tempted to have a go?Do let me know in the comments! AVAILABLE ONLINE AND IN ALL GOOD BOOK SHOPS NOW!

"Easily the most family friendly way to do your bit"The Sunday Times

"Absolutely love this book - should be mandatory reading"Online review

[…]

[091] MAKE YOUR PENSION MATTER (NOT AS BORING AS IT SOUNDS!)

Jen Gale — Fri, 26 Feb 2021 16:52:36 GMT

We’re talking pensions! I know! Exciting stuff right!!I never imagined that I would get excited about pensions but this episode has proved me wrong. Don’t get me wrong, pensions are still pretty high up on the boring adult-ing scale of things but the potential that our pensions have to create a better world has blown me away a little!Because did you know, that your pension, that you probably think very little about, other than when you see the section on your pay slip each month telling you how much has been taken out for it, could be investing your hard earned money in fossil fuels?So we’re busting our guts trying to make the world a better place with the choices that we’re making, and all the while our pension money could be working directly against us. See! Now you’re getting interested right? And maybe not a little enraged!The good news is that change is afoot. I’m chatting to Henna and Kenneth from an organisation called Make My Money Matter – a people-powered campaign fighting for a world where we all know where our pension money goes, and where we can demand it’s invested to build a better future.

We chat about...

The $2.5 hole in funding for the UN SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals)
The £3 TRILLION sat in the UK's pension pots and what they might be funding
What Make My Money Matter does and the impact it's having and wants to have
How to find out who your pension is with and where it might be invested
How we can influence investors and pension providers to divest their investments from fossil fuels
The power of 'activism', 'clicktivism', and template letters
And lots more...!

Useful links

Make My Money Matter- Website- Facebook- Instagram- Twitter- Sign the petition- Be a Net Zero Hero - find out where your pension provider are investing your money (and then take action!)
UN SDGs
Pension Tracing Service
The Good Pensions Guide from Good with Money
Ethical Consumer guide to ethical pensions
[013] - Be good and do good with your money (podcast episode)
The Knackered Mums Eco Club
The Sustainable(ish) Guide to Green Parenting

Wow!!Where is your pension? Do you know?Are you off to find out?Let me know how you get on! AVAILABLE ONLINE AND IN ALL GOOD BOOK SHOPS NOW!

"Easily the most family friendly way to do your bit"The Sunday Times

"Absolutely love this book - should be mandatory reading"Online review

[…]

[088] HOPE VS ACTION

Jen Gale — Sat, 06 Feb 2021 17:20:39 GMT

Episode 88 of the podcast is a solo episode!I’d love to pretend that this was planned, but the reality is that my already poor organisational and forwards planning skills have taken a bit of a battering whilst attempting the home schooling/keeping a business afloat/saving the planet juggle and I’m not going to lie, I failed miserably to get a guest organised for this week.Hence also why this is going out a day later than usual – apologies to the many thousands of you that I know will have been obsessively hitting ‘refresh’ on your podcast app waiting for a new episode to drop (in case you can’t detect the irony in that sentence, please note that was said very tongue in cheek…!)

In this episode I share with you one of my favourite Greta quotes:"Of course we need hope. But the one thing we need more than hope is action. Because once we start to act, hope is everywhere."OMG, she's so eloquent and generally amazing isn't she?So in this episode I dive on into the taking action bit - because it sounds super simple doesn't it? Take action, but anyone who has ever tried to get fit, or change any kind of habit, will tell you, just because it's simple doesn't mean it's easy.How can we make it as easy as possible to take action?

Useful links

The Knackered Mums (Eco) Tour5 days of easy eco-action, a LOT of fun, and endless GIFs - come and join us!
Sustainable(ish) Facebook groupIf the Knackered Mums Tour isn't your thing, but you'd love a friendly supportive online space to help keep nudging you to take action, do come and check out the FB group.

What sort of action taker are you?How can you make it easier for yourself?Do let me know in the comments! AVAILABLE ONLINE AND IN ALL GOOD BOOK SHOPS NOW!

"Easily the most family friendly way to do your bit"The Sunday Times

"Absolutely love this book - should be mandatory reading"Online review

[…]

[077] HOW YOUR FREEZER CAN HELP FIGHT FOOD WASTE WITH KATE FROM THE FULL FREEZER

Jen Gale — Fri, 16 Oct 2020 11:34:43 GMT

If you’ve been listening along for a little while, you might have heard me banging on about food waste in previous episodes – I talk to Ann Storr about meal planning in Episode 66, to Tessa from Olio, the food sharing app, in Episode 47 and to Ivor from CozZo which is a food inventory app in Episode 41.

So it’s fair to say I’m a big advocate of taking action to reduce food waste. And that’s because food waste is a Big Deal when it comes to the climate crisis. I’ve shared these stats before but I make no apologies for doing so again:

If food waste were a country, it would be the 3rd biggest emitter of global greenhouse gases after the USA and China
50% of food waste occurs in the home. In my home, your home, all of our homes.

One of the best ways to reduce is to meal-plan and I refer you again to my chat with the brilliant Ann from the Storr Cupboard in Episode 66, but today I’m chatting all things freezing with Kate from The Full Freezer. I hope Kate doesn’t mind me saying this, but she is a full on freezer geek – I have never known anyone so excited and so knowledgeable about the humble freezer – how to organise, what we can freeze, how to safely defrost food and much much more.So grab a cuppa, or an ice cream (see what I did there) and settle down for some fascinating freezer chat. Enjoy!

Image from The Full Freezer

Useful links

Kate's freezer - anyone else having freezer envy..?!!

How is your freezer looking?Did you learn anything new about what you can freeze?Let me know in the comments! AVAILABLE ONLINE AND IN ALL GOOD BOOK SHOPS NOW!

"Easily the most family friendly way to do your bit"The Sunday Times

"Absolutely love this book - should be mandatory reading"Online review

[…]

12 DAYS OF SUSTAINABLE(ISH) – DAY 11 SUSTAINABLE(ISH) CELEBRATIONS

Jen Gale — Tue, 07 Jan 2020 10:28:01 GMT

Useful links

Do you have a party kit near you?Let me know in the comments! AVAILABLE 9th JAN 2020 PRE-ORDER NOW!! "The most eco-common sense thing I've read!" […]

DAYS OF SUSTAINABLE(ISH) – DAY 12 ACTIVISM(ISH)

Jen Gale — Wed, 08 Jan 2020 12:23:15 GMT

OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG....!It is with HUGE excitement that I bring you this very special mini-series of the Sustainable(ish) podcast to celebrate, and to count down to, the launch of The Sustainable(ish) Living Guide - everything you need to know to make small changes that make a big difference.This book is pretty much the distillation of the Sustainable(ish) ethos and is being published by Bloomsbury on January 9th 2020 , and to mark such an auspicious occasion I've put together 12 shortish episodes of the podcast, one for each chapter of the book, where I have a good old chinwag with someone relevant to that chapter.Day 12! We made it!My goodness me, suddenly writing a 300+ page book feels like a walk in the park after 12 podcast episodes on the trot, mostly edited (and some recorded!) over the Christmas period - I need a lie down...But not before I introduce this last episode in the series, Activism(ish).Now I'm pretty confident saying that I think for lots of us when I say the words "Activism" and "Activist" can be a bit off-putting. A bit aggressive. I would never describe myself as an activist, but actually, when it comes down to it, we ALL have the potential to be activists just by making some different choices every day, and by taking action. In this episode I'm chatting to Jo Moseley, who @healthyhappy50 on Instagram, and is like a ray of sunshine to follow. She's another person who wouldn't describe herself as an activist, by my goodness she takes action! When she was facing an 'empty nest' as her youngest left home, she decided to set herself a challenge of paddleboarding across from coast to coast across the north of England, along canals, picking up litter as she went and raising funds for two great charities: 2 Minute Beach Clean, and Wave Project. Her enthusiasm and her passion is contagious, and if you want to brighten up what is a pretty dull grey January day as I'm sat here writing, I can't think of many better ways to do it than listen to Jo!Enjoy!

Useful links

How do you feel about 'activism'?Will you join me in the quiet rebellion of 'everyday activism'?Let me know in the comments! AVAILABLE 9th JAN 2020 PRE-ORDER NOW!! "The most eco-common sense thing I've read!" […]

[065] ‘PERIODICAL’ WITH LAUREN FROM WEAR ‘EM OUT PADS

Jen Gale — Tue, 10 Mar 2020 19:47:35 GMT

Yay! The podcast is BACK for series FOUR!!I intended to only take a short break in the New Year and now suddenly it's March - I'd like to say I have no idea how that happened, but the reality is that it turns out launching a book into the world is quite time consuming, and as ever I massively over-estimated what I'd be able to get done each day...!Right then, this week's podcast is with the wonderful Lauren Derrett, founder of Wear 'em Out, a new brand of reusable pad. We chat all things periods, obviously, but also lots of chat around taking the plunge and starting your own product based business, some of the barriers in the way of 'green living' and why lots of us might not necessarily resonate with, or aspire to 'green living' stereotypes.We recorded this episode way back in October last year, when Lauren had a brand, prototype pads and some great feedback from testers but was waiting for the first delivery of pads. Since that time, their first order arrived, the website crashed with the demand, they sold out, re-stocked and haves sold out again! Lauren posted today on Instagram that they've had 542 orders so far, meaning that over the next three years, 429,264 disposable pads will be saved from landfill (based on the average use of 22 pads per cycle). WOW!! This is where we quickly and easily see impact of individual action, collectively.Quick word of warning that Lauren is a self-confessed 'potty mouth' and I think drops the 'f-bomb' at one point - my suggestion would be not to listen to this one with the kids in earshot, or if you're not a fan of the odd expletive, to give this one a miss (although you'll be missing out on a great episode!).Enjoy!!

Useful links

Wear 'em Out - Website- Facebook- Instagram
The introverts guide to climate marches (blog post)
A beginners guide to eco-friendly and plastic-free periods (blog post)
[031] - Plastic free periods and wipes with Natracare (podcast)
[035] - #bleedredthinkgreen - the world's first reusable tampon applicator with DAME (podcast)
[040] Pants for your period with WUKA (podcast)
A beginners guide to period pants (blog post)
Guppyfriend microfibre bag
7 easy ways to reduce microfibre pollution (blog post)

Have you made the switch to reusables for your period yet?Let me know in the comments! AVAILABLE ONLINE AND IN ALL GOOD BOOK SHOPS NOW!

"Easily the most family friendly way to do your bit"The Sunday Times

"Absolutely love this book - should be mandatory reading"Online review

[…]

[066] – MEAL PLANNING MAGIC, OR HOW TO MAKE THE FOOD YOU’VE GOT GO FURTHER WITH ANN FROM STORR CUPBOARD

Jen Gale — Thu, 19 Mar 2020 19:11:50 GMT

Well.... What can I say?We are living in unprecedented times - it feels surreal, scary, overwhelming, all of the emotions. And this is going out the day after the UK government announced that schools will be closed until further notice. I'm not going to dwell here on the c-word - I think we're all probably getting about as much as we can take right now, so how about a coronavirus free hour?

In today's episode I'm chatting to Ann Storr, from the Storr Cupboard (do you see what she's done there? I do love a play on words) all about food waste. And specifically how to use meal planning to reduce it. We recorded this episode many moons (a few weeks) ago, and there isn't even a mention of the c-word (yay!) but listening back to it in the context of current events, it's actually a really timely episode. With pictures on social media of supermarket shelves stripped bare, we're all starting to think about food in a slightly different way - instead of seeing it as this plentiful and never-ending resource, some people are, for possibly the first time, really waking up to the idea that they need to make the very most out of every scrap of food in the house. With regards to the climate crisis, food waste is a huge issue, and c-word or not, we all need to get better at using up the food we buy. Listen in for some brilliant tips around meal planning, food storage, and clever ideas around using up leftovers, and then head on over to Ann's website to check out all the brilliant resources she has on offer there.Stay safe and well and sane(ish), wherever you are.Enjoy.

Useful links

Storr Cupboard- Website- Facebook- Instagram- Leftover busting recipes- "Best before bullshit"
[047] - Fighting food waste with Olio (podcast)
[041] - Use your phone to fight food waste with CozZo (podcast)
3 apps to help you fight food waste (blog post)
Sustainable(ish) ideas for food (blog post)
CozZo food management app

How are you with food waste?Do you meal plan?Let me know in the comments! AVAILABLE ONLINE AND IN ALL GOOD BOOK SHOPS NOW!

"Easily the most family friendly way to do your bit"The Sunday Times

"Absolutely love this book - should be mandatory reading"Online review

[…]

[042] FLIGHT FREE 2020

Jen Gale — Tue, 23 Jul 2019 10:48:22 GMT

It seems somewhat fitting as we approach August, the traditional holiday month here in the UK, to have a little look at flying…DID YOU KNOW:

2-5 % of global greenhouse gas emissions are a result of aviation
Yet only around 5% of the global population actually use aeroplanes
Meaning that as consumers, a plane ticket is about the most carbon intensive thing you can buy
If you are one of the 5% of the global population who fly, flying will be the single biggest contributor to your carbon footprint
Flying is the fastest growing cause of climate change
If aviation was a country, it would be the 7th worst polluter globally
Brits already fly more than the people of any other nation - twice as much as Americans
Even if we take other steps to be environmentally friendly, one flight can completely wipe out all the other savings

In this episode I’m chatting to Anna Hughes, author, crazy cyclist, all round sustainability good egg, and founder of the Flight Free UK 2020 campaign – she shares with us the inspiration behind the campaign, why it’s so important, and how we can get involved.

I love Anna’s down to earth approach – although she is a hardened non flyer herself she’s really aware of the fact that for lots of us, giving up flying is a big ask. And that’s why the campaign is to have a flight free 2020 and isn’t asking us to give up flying forever, although obviously the idea is that having managed for a year, we will have re-assessed our relationship with aviation, and might choose to travel differently at least some of the time moving forwards.

So fasten your seatbelts, stow your laptops and make sure your seat is in the upright position (sorry couldn’t resist!) as we prepare to not take off

Enjoy!

A little heads up before you dive on in to this episode - there's a little bit of background noise at various points, please just ignore and continue to enjoy the podcast

Useful links

Flight Free UK - Website- Pledge page- Facebook- Twitter
A Free Ride - campaign for a frequent flyer levy
Climate Perks - works with employers to reward employees who choose to travel by road or rail with paid 'journey days'
The Man in Seat 61 - great site covering all things train travel!
LOCO2 - a website that helps you to buy train and bus tickets around the UK and Europe in one place without having to visit multiple different sites!
Flixbus - for bus/coach travel
[017] Sustainable(ish) travel with Earth Changers (podcast)

[…]

[043] – 5(ISH) MINUTE GUIDE TO #SWITCHTEMBER

Jen Gale — Tue, 03 Sep 2019 13:12:55 GMT

DID YOU KNOW...?

Buying green energy for your home or business is one of THE most impactful things we can all do to help the climate crisis?
Switching to a renewable tariff for electricity and carbon offset gas could save up to 3.5tonnes CO2 per year
The average person's carbon footprint living in the UK is around 13.5 tonnes CO2 per year, so you could slash your footprint by a quarter with this one simple switch
It's super easy and takes less than 10 minutes (probably less than 5mins - you could feasibly do it in a TV ad break)
You could save up to £270 a year!

INTRODUCING #SWITCHTEMBER

During September #Switchtember the focus here at Sustainable(ish) is to get as many people as possible to switch to a renewable supplier.

THE GOAL IS 1000 SWITCHES

- which would collectively save up to 3,500 tonnes of CO2 per year - the same as taking around 750 cars off the road.

Listen in to this quick 5(ish) minute guide to #Switchtember, and how to switch as easily and painlessly as possible!

HERE'S HOW TO SWITCH:

1. Grab a recent energy bill.

2. Click on this link here.Enter your details, and then click on the 'how did you hear about us' box.Scroll down to find Sustainable(ish) at the bottom, and click Start My Quote!

3. Answer the questions (they're easy if you've got your bill in front of you!)Click through and you'll get to your quotes - click on each link to find out more about the tariff and the company. When you find the one you're happy with, click SWITCH!

GET INVOLVED!

Getting involved is easy peasy.First up, SWITCH following the link above - not only does this mean that Sustainable(ish) earns a small commission (at no extra cost to you!) but it also means we can track the numbers on our way to our goal of 1000 switches!

Once you've switched, or if you're already on a renewable tariff, SHARE! Share with your friends and family, and on social media - remember to ask them to use the partners link

Keep up to date with the campaign on social media - there'll be all kinds of motivating stats and facts to share, answers to FAQs, and lots more. Find Sustainable(ish) on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Are you in?Let me know when you've switched! JOIN THE SUSTAINABLE(ISH) REVOLUTION

Join us at BASE CAMP to find free resources and receive my weekly guide to reducing your impact on the planet... one simple step at a time.

I take your privacy seriously. You can unsubscribe at any time. JOIN THE SUSTAINABLE(ISH) REVOLUTION!

[044] – HOW TO GET YOUR MP TO TAKE ACTION ON THE CLIMATE CRISIS

Jen Gale — Wed, 11 Sep 2019 13:21:31 GMT

When we see lists of things we can do to help the planet, one of the most important is often missing, and it's this - campaign. Make your voice heard. It's one of the most powerful things we can do, but I think for lots of us (myself included), the idea of 'campaigning' sounds a bit intimidating. The dictionary definition of activism is:"the policy or action of using vigorous campaigning to bring about political or social change".And I don't know about you, but the phrase 'vigorous campaigning' leaves me feeling a little bit lacking. I mean, I bang on a LOT about all things Sustainable(ish) but do I 'campaign vigorously'? I'm not so sure.However, the good news is, for those of us who find the thought of 'vigorous campaigning' a bit too much, we can still have an impact. In this episode I'm chatting to Steve Shaw from Power for People, a campaigning organisation that "run grass-roots mobilisation campaigns, engaging and involving citizens and local communities and calling on them to lobby their elected representatives for changes in the law or in government policy."So instead of simply writing to your MP letting them know you're scared shitless about the climate crisis and asking them what they're doing about, and probably getting a stock response back full of political waffle (the equivalent of a pat on the head and being told to run along), you join in with one of their campaigns. Basically, they come up with a bill (their current campaign is around renewable energy) and then ask people to lobby their MPs to support the bill. If enough MPs support it, it gets debated, and then hopefully made law. It's a long old process, but the beauty of it is, is that your asking your MP to do something really specific, and that your letter/tweet/e-mail is part of a bigger campaign, and if your MP gets lots of constituents writing and asking them to do that one same thing, they're much more likely to do it. AND it results in a concrete tangible change. Possibly, hopefully, a change in law.If you're like me and more than a little politically naive and unsure of what really happens behind all the smoke and mirrors and the braying of Prime Ministers Question Time, this will be a fascinating episode. And it's packed with practical advice about what to write and how to start building up a relationship with your MP and get them on your (the planet's) side.

Find out more about Power for People's local electricity campaign

Useful links

Power for People- Website- Facebook- Twitter- Instagram- The Local Electricity Bill- Guidance on writing to your MP
Hope for the Future - UK specialists in training citizens to work with MPs on climate change
They Work for You - find out who your MP is and how they've voted on issues in the past
[032] - The introverts guide to climate marches (podcast)
Four things you can so if you can't/don't want to climate strike (blog post)
Global Climate Strike locations (20th Sept 2019)

Ouch! But when you put it like that, suddenly writing a letter or an e-mail doesn't seem quite so hard....

[…]

[024] – 5(ISH) MINUTE GUIDE – SUSTAINABLE(ISH) DAYS OUT

Jen Gale — Tue, 19 Feb 2019 11:58:55 GMT

It's half-term here in my corner of the UK, so I'm sharing with you some ideas for easy swaps and tips to help make your days out more sustainable(fish). Please do still listen if you're kid free, as most of the tips apply to grown ups too (maybe not the tantrums in the gift shop. Hopefully.)

[…]

[018] – THE ONE THING YOU NEED TO DO TO TAKE ACTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE

Jen Gale — Wed, 24 Oct 2018 14:56:50 GMT

Wednesday 24th October is International Climate Action Day - Yay!But wait, hold on. What the hell is climate action? And what does it mean to regular people like you and me?Surely 'climate action' is something for governments and big business to be concerned with? Not for me to have to worry about in between school runs and work, and refereeing the kids.After all, what kind of impact can we have as individuals?A lot as it turns out!

A study on 2016 found that household consumption (of everything from food to electricity) is responsible for more than 60% of global greenhouse gas emissions and 50—80% of total land, resource and water use.

So our actions count - they count for more than 60% of global greenhouse emissions.Wow!The key, the ONE thing we can ALL do to take climate action TODAY is simply this: BUY LESS, BUY BETTER

It works for pretty much everything:- Buy fewer clothes, and when you do buy, buy ethically produced. - Eat less meat, and when you do buy meat go for local, organic free range meat.- Use less energy in your homes - switch to LED lighbulbs, turn the lights off etc etc, and switch to better energy ie renewables.

USEFUL LINKS:

[008] - Renewable Energy with Good Energy
The link to get Sustainable(ish) 101 - 101 simple sustainable(ish) actions
The Sustainable(ish) FB group - come and find your tribe!

What will you NOT buy today?What better buying choices will you make?Do let me know - leave a comment or come and find me on social media (@sustainableish) FEELING INSPIRED TOTAKE MORE SUSTAINABLE(ISH) STEPS? Get Sustainable(ish) 101My FREE download of 101 easy, do-able ideas and tips to help you make sustainable(ish) changes for you and your family! 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 GET YOUR FREE COPY NOW!

[014] – PUTTING THE (ISH) INTO SUSTAINABLE

Jen Gale — Fri, 14 Sep 2018 11:21:35 GMT

I don't know about you but when I think about a 'green family' or a family living 'sustainably', I would expect to see lots of muted colours, wooden toys, maybe one of those bikes with a trailer, and the odd dreadlock or two. I know, I like to buy into stereotypes...But do you know what? My family is so NOT like that. The kids wear the same jeans and hoodies as their mates (although most of my kids is second-hand!), we have ALL the plastic toys in our house (the people at Lego appear to have asked if they can use us a depot unbeknown to me...), and we are a two car family.So on many levels I feel like a failed eco-warrior.But that's the point. You don't need to be an eco-warrior hippy family to make a difference.This is stuff we can ALL do. And we can do it without needing to radically overhaul our lives and make them any busier or crazier than they already are. The secret is...the 'ish'.Listen in!

[…]

[008] – RENEWABLE ENERGY WITH GOOD ENERGY

Jen Gale — Tue, 19 Jun 2018 12:17:04 GMT

Renewable energy seems to really have the bit between it's teeth now, which is fabulous news. It has gone from contributing 9% of our electricity mix in 2009, to 25% in 2018 and in 2017 more renewable energy was added to the 'global grid' than energy from fossil fuels.In this episode I'm chatting to Tom Steward who is one of the energy boffins (and very lovely with it!) at Good Energy. It's a fascinating conversation about the renewable energy sector in general, and about Good Energy and their 'good approach' to energy, business and everything that they do.

[…]

[009] – 4 EASY WAYS TO REDUCE YOUR PLASTIC FOOTPRINT TODAY!

Jen Gale — Tue, 10 Jul 2018 11:01:10 GMT

Plastic is big news right now as we are waking up to the environmental impact of plastic pollution and our addiction to single use plastics. In this episode we're looking at ‘The Big 4’ plastic polluters: water bottles; coffee cups; plastic bags; and straws, and the impact YOU can make by choosing to refuse single use and going with the re-usable versions of each!

Useful links

Plastic Free July

Refill app

Keep Cups

Stojo collapsible coffee cups

Rcup - Re-usable leak-proof coffee cup made from recycled disposable cups

Onya - lightweight re-usable mesh bags for loose fruit and veg

Blog post: 5 of the best re-usable water bottles

Blog post: Sustainable alternatives to disposable coffee cups

Podcast: Episode 7 - Getting starting with Plastic Free Living with Anne Marie Bonneau, the Zero Waste Chef

Podcast: Episode 8 - Shopping plastic free without a local zero waste store

The Sustainable Living Hub

ACTION YOU CAN TAKE AFTER LISTENINGSOURCE RE-USABLE VERSIONS OF THE BIG 4:

Water bottles for all the family
check-square-o Coffee cups for those that use them
check-square-o Shopping bags: For the weekly shop; for those odd times when you just pop into the shops; and lightweight bags for loose fruit and veg
Re-usable straws if you feel the need/have small people

REMEMBER TO TAKE THEM WITH YOU!

Think about ways you can make it a new habit to take these things with you
Keep you shopping bags in the car
Attach a small bag to your keyring
check-square-o Keep your coffee cup in your bag or your car

GET THE FAMILY ON BOARD..!

Have a chat with the rest of the family about the changes you are making, and why they are important.
check-square-o Get the kids to pick their own water bottle - there is such a great range now!
check-square-o Ask other family members how you can all help each other to remember your re-usables - harness the 'pester power' in a constructive way!

How are you doing with The Big 4?Do comment below and let me know! FEELING INSPIRED TOLIVE MORE SUSTAINABLY?Join my Sustainable Living Hub and discover practical ways to reduce your impact on the planet. JOIN NOW GET MY WEEKLY NEWSLETTER SIGN UP

[200] 200th episode celebration, reflections, and ripples!

Jen Gale — Fri, 24 Apr 2026 00:52:00 GMT

Welcome to Episode 200!200 episodes feels a little bit mad! A LOT has happened: globally, in the sustainability space, and for Sustainable(ish).In this solo episode, I take a little trip down memory lane, share the Top 5 episodes by download numbers, and share your podcast ripples ie the things that you've gone and done, the changes you've made, after listening to an episode.

I'm going to be having a break for a couple of weeks, but in the meantime I will republish some of the episodes that are mentioned in this one, as having inspired action!

LISTEN... USEFUL LINKS:

The Sustainable(ish) Living GuideAvailable at online bookstores - my fave is World of Books(or ask your library if they have a copy, or can get one in!)
The Sustainable(ish) Guide to Green Parenting
Sustainable(ish) Festival - links to all the sessions on You Tube
Carbon Literacy info and waiting list - there's a box at the bottom of the page to sign up to the waiting list, and I'll be in touch when I've got some dates in the diary
The Sustainable(ish) Clubhouse -doors will be opening in June!Sign up to the waiting list here
Top 5 podcast episodes by downloads:1) [164] Your Council and Climate Action with Annie Pickering from Climate Emergency UK2) [138] How much difference can individuals actually make with Tom from Take The Jump3) [124] The Day the World Stops Shopping with JB McKinnon (the book of the same name is here on World of Books)4) [134] How eating seasonally can help reduce your carbon footprint with Veg Power5) [137] Wildflower meadows and how to create (a mini!) one in your garden with Paul Jupp from Meadow in My Garden
Sustainable(ish) on Podlink - a great space to find all the episodes in one place, with links out to all the popular podcast platforms so you can listen.
The Nothing New in '22 podcast (episode 126) that inspired Sam to set up her Swap Shops
The original podcast episode with Tillie at Frome Eco Party Kit (epsiode 38) that inspired Isabel to set up the Party Kit Network

[179] Climate Comedy with Stuart Goldsmith

Jen Gale — Fri, 08 Mar 2024 08:09:37 GMT

In this week's episode I'm chatting to comedian Stuart Goldsmith. I'm a bit of a comedy fan, so I listen to Stuart's podcast, the Comedian's Comedian where he interviews other comedians about their work and he seems to pretty much be BFFs with everyone on the comedy circuit. It might seem a bit random to be interviewing a comedian on the podcast, but as you will hear, in the last few years Stuart has been 'bitten by the sustainability bug' and has started to explore how he can use his skillset as a comedian and a speaker to help tackle the climate crisis. And oh my goodness, I can't tell you how much I love this!I think that one of the big problems we have when it comes to engaging people in all things climate and sustainability is that as human beings we love to put each other into boxes. So I'm assuming that in the eyes of my friends and family I'm very firmly in the crusty green box. Despite my lack of yoghurt weaving skills. And everyone else kind of feels like the greenies are over there doing their fun green hobby, but it's nothing to do with me. They know what they're expecting to hear from us, and probably in many cases, either avoid conversations with us, or start to zone out a little. So when someone 'normal', a non greenie comedian, starts to talk about climate it somehow has much more impact, as it's not the usual suspects talking about this stuff - and that's hugely powerful.

We didn't talk about even half of the things I wanted to dive into. I omitted the most obvious question - how do you make the climate crisis funny? But I really hope that you enjoy this conversation. Right at the very end, Stuart talks about how stepping into the climate space, and starting to talk about climate in his work, wasn't as scary as he thought it would be! Which I would love to be the take home message from this episode. We might not all be stand up comedians, or confident public speakers, but we do all have something we can do, a particular skill set, a superpower that we might not even realise we have, that we can use, to play our part in the tackling the climate crisis.

What's yours...?

Stuart Goldsmith

Stuart's climate comedy show Spoilers

LISTEN... USEFUL LINKS:

Stuart Goldsmith- Website- Climate stuff- Spoilers - dates and tickets for Stuart's climate comedy show- Podcast - The Comedian's Comedian- I Need You Alive - You Tube Special - Speaking- Facebook- Instagram- Twitter/X- Linked In
The Ministry for the Future - Kim Stanley Robinson
Matt Winning - Climate scientist and comedian- Hot Mess (a brilliant, and funny! climate book)
Oblivia Coalmine - Olivia Coleman starring in a Make My Money Matter clip
Climate Science Breakthrough
Climate Fresk
En-ROADS
Sustainable(ish) Corporate Talks and Workshops
Carbon Literacy training
The Sustainable(ish) Clubhouse

What's your superpower? How can you use it help tackle the climate crisis?Let me know in the comments! […]

[178] Small but mighty projects (and how to fund them!) with Misha Dhanak from Spacehive

Jen Gale — Fri, 01 Mar 2024 12:59:45 GMT

In this week's episode I'm chatting to Misha Dhanak, CEO of Spacehive, the home of community fundraising. We're probably all familiar with the concept of crowdfunding and may have even funded products and projects on platforms like Kickstarter. Well Spacehive is a similar concept, it's a crowdfunding platform, but it's for community projects - so on there you will find things like a cricket club raising funds for new kit, or a town looking to create a rural arts hub. And as we will hear from Misha, there are a huge number of nature and climate projects too. Many of us might have ideas for projects that we would love to see happening in our local community - whether that's something like a regular repair cafe, solar panels on your kid's school, transforming a derelict bit of land into community garden, or something else entirely. But for most of us, those ideas stay in our heads as dreams, when the reality of trying to find the money to get it off the ground. This is where Spacehive comes in - they have helped to fund over 2000 projects, and raised over £30million for local projects, and they have they highest success rate of any crowdfunding platform with over 85% of their projects getting funded. Misha talks in the podcast about 'small but mighty' projects and you will probably be able to tell from my reaction that I just love this! Many of the projects on Spacehive are small, they're not going to change the world, but they are going to change their local community. And with governments around the world failing to take the ambitious actions that we need to protect nature and the climate, community action is vital. And so many of the projects come with additional co-benefits, so the original intention might be supporting wildlife, or installing solar panels, but the ripple effects might be improved physical and mental health, or financial savings, and all of them will be bringing people in the local community together, to make where they live a little bit better.I would love to hear if you have any ideas for local sustainable(ish) projects you'd love to get off the ground, and if this episode has made you feel a little bit braver about it, and possibly even launch your project on Spacehive! Enjoy!

Misha Dhanak

LISTEN... USEFUL LINKS:

What 'small but mighty' project would you love to see happening in your local community?Could you make it happen with Spacehive? Let me know in the comments! […]

[183] Climate Comms that Lead to Action with Frank Holleman from Fork Ranger

Jen Gale — Fri, 05 Apr 2024 12:49:09 GMT

In the spirit of London buses, ie nothing for ages and then two come along in close succession, this week’s episode is another foodie one, hot on the heels of Episode 180 - Food and climate change without the hot air with Professor Sarah Bridle. I’m chatting to Frank Holleman who is the co-founder of Fork Ranger, a platform and app that aims to help us to explore how to eat for the climate. I was super aware of the recent food episode, and wanted to avoid simply repeating the same messages from that, so alongside diving into what Fork Ranger does, we also talked about climate communications, story telling and messaging, all of which Fork Ranger does incredibly well, and hopefully there’s a lot in this episode for all of us around how we talk about food and climate with friends, family and colleagues.Enjoy!

Frank Holleman

LISTEN... USEFUL LINKS:

I’d love to hear how you get on with the Fork Ranger app, any new facts you’ve learned, if you’ve tried out the recipes etc etc - do let me know below! […]

[189] – Climate Fresk (and friends) with Ash Goddard

Jen Gale — Fri, 06 Feb 2026 01:01:00 GMT

Could you really explain climate change to your kids, or to your nana if you needed to?By and large, I think the vast majority of people are aware of climate change, understand that it means the planet is warming and that it's bad, but if pushed for detail beyond that, we might struggle. Climate Fresk is an interactive card based workshop that invites participants to uncover the science of climate change and it's impacts, by working together, and then holds a space to unpack some of the emotions that might come with this new understanding, and then moving on to look at solutions and things we can do. It's a concept that started in France, and has now had over 2.3million participants worldwide, and what I really like about it is that we can all get involved. You can join a workshop online, or there might be one happening in person locally to you, and then you can quickly move on to becoming a facilitator and delivering the workshop in your own community or workplace.In today’s episode I’m chatting to Ash Goddard from Climate Clarity who is one of the most experienced Fresk facilitators in the UK, who also facilitates a whole host of related workshops such as the Biodiversity Collage, and the Adapting to Climate Change workshop. I've been lucky enough to attend a couple of Ash's workshops, and he is a brilliant facilitator -who makes it look easy. And while we might not all be able to be as good as Ash, at least not straightaway, I love the fact that anyone can start to deliver the Fresk in their own communities, schools or workplaces pretty quickly, and I hope that maybe a few people who listen in to this episode might be tempted to join a Climate Fresk, and then even take the next steps to spread the knowledge to people they know.

Ash Goddard

LISTEN... USEFUL LINKS:

Climate Clarity- Website- Workshops- Events- Facebook- Instagram
Climate Fresk- Website- Find a workshop- Become a facilitator- Facebook- Instagram
IPCC reports
Digital Collage
Biodiversity Collage
Adapting to climate change Collage
Planetary Boundaries Fresco
Find a Fresk
Workshops for the planet

Are you going to do a bit of investigating into your money, and your current accounts and savings after listening? Or have you already moved your money? Do let me know! […]

[176] Badvertising – with Leo Murray

Jen Gale — Sat, 09 Dec 2023 12:12:18 GMT

Advertising.It's all around us. Persuading us to buy stuff we didn't know we wanted, telling us how much happier/more popular/better our lives will be with the latest/newest whatever it is.Most of think that we're immune to it, but studies show just how insidious and manipulative it is, and how it influences our brains at a deep level. Which perhaps wouldn't really matter if we weren't in the grips of climate and ecological emergencies driven by our consumption of the very stuff being advertised to us. Leo Murray is the co-founder and director of innovation at climate charity Possible, and the co-author of Badvertising - a book that is "raising the alarm on an industry that is making us both unhealthy and unhappy, and that is driving the planet to the precipice of environmental collapse in the process."I've only read the first chapter of the book but already it's eye opening and shocking - Jeremy Vine's review of the book says "..if you thought your brain was being gently warmed by the advertising industry, read this book and you'll realise it's being fried'.Leo is amazing and there is so much I wanted to chat to him about, as you can probably tell from the interview! We veered from chatting about some of the work that Possible is doing, to Badvertising and back again, so apologies in advance for my inability to keep on track - I hope you'll find it all interesting stuff!

Leo Murray

GOOD NEWS!In the new Good News section after the main interview, I share some of the good climate news happening (because there is some, I promise!). Here's this weeks pick:

The USA (finally) agreed to quit coal (Positive News)
Wales puts bugs on the map (Positive News)
And much closer to home...I spent Monday in Weston-Super-Mare with 200 other people at the biggest ever in-person Carbon Literacy training. The day was organised by North Somerset Council, and I was blown away not only by their ambition to do it, AND their ability to pull it off! I was asked to do a guest speaker slot and it was an amazing experience, seeing so many people in one place, from all kinds of different businesses and organisations of all sizes, gathered together to learn and to take action. And this training was part of a wider 'Carbon Literacy Action Day' which saw over 1000 people taking part in Carbon Literacy training all around the world. It was incredible to be a part of, and a reminder that there are so many people and businesses out there taking really positive steps to reduce their emissions and be part of the solution!(If you're interested in Carbon Literacy training for 2024 - there are dates on the website here)

LISTEN... USEFUL LINKS:

Leo Murray- On Twitter- On Linked In
Possible- Website- Facebook- Instagram- Twitter- Frequent flyer levy campaign
Badvertising- Website- Book (shown on Wob as a more ethical alternative to Amazon!)- Write to your local council
First transatlantic flight using 100% sustainable aviation fuel
Nearly half the flights we take are unnecessary
Climate equality: A planet for the 99%
Advertising Standards Authority Green Claims Code
SUV ad banned
Bite Back
Ad Free Cities
Carbon Literacy training
The Sustainable(ish) Clubhouse
Crap-free Christmas course

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this one.Has this made you more aware of the advertising around you and how it might be affecting you, your family and community, and the wider world?Will you be signing the Frequent Flyer Levy petition, or e-mailing your council?Do let me know in the comments! […]

[162] COP27 Explainer – what happened, what didn’t happen, and why? With Laura Young

Jen Gale — Fri, 25 Nov 2022 15:33:26 GMT

COP 27...What happened?What didn't happen?And why?For those of us in the UK, COP26 in Glasgow last year felt like a BIG deal - it was everywhere in the media while it was running, and schools, businesses and organisations were all keen to get involved.This year's COP (COP27) has felt very different. And I found myself struggling to follow what was going on, and getting a handle on any outcomes.I'm so delighted that the brilliant Laura Young was able to make some time to come back on and chat to us all about it. Laura was at COP26 last year, and did a brilliant Beginner's Guide to COP26 episode for us, followed up by a debrief afterwards. And it was fabulous to chat to her about what happened at COP27. SO MUCH to take away from this episode - I feel so much more informed after chatting to Laura, I hope you do too!And of course, I LOVED Laura's call to action at the end - to make our voices heard not just about the stuff we DON'T want to be happening in our local area (eg fracking) but super importantly to make our voices heard around the stuff we DO want to see happening (eg cycle lanes, onshore wind etc).What positive stuff has happened near you? Or is in the pipeline? Who can you contact to let them know that they have your support?Enjoy this episode!

LISTEN... CHECK OUT...

Let me know your thoughts on this one!And if you enjoyed this episode, please do leave a review and/or comment wherever you get your podcasts! […]

[159] Carbon Literacy – with Phil Korbel

Jen Gale — Fri, 28 Oct 2022 06:56:00 GMT

Awareness of the climate crisis feels like it is at an all-time high. All the studies tell us that 75-80% of people are worried about it, but we're still not really talking about it, and lots of people aren't really sure what they can do about it. There are lots of reasons behind this, but sometimes feeling like we don't have the knowledge or expertise to start conversations, and like we don't know enough. Many of us might feel like we kind of understand what's going on, and what's causing the problems, but possibly we wouldn't be able to explain it to our kids.Which is where Carbon Literacy comes in.

You might have heard me banging on about Talking Climate - the Sustainable(ish) Carbon Literacy course in the last few months. So I thought it was probably a good idea for an episode all about Carbon Literacy - what it is, how it works, and how to get involved. And who better to hear from, than one of the co-founders of the Carbon Literacy Project, Phil Korbel.

I first heard about Carbon Literacy during the first Covid lockdown, when I took a course delivered online by Pete Watkins from Speak Carbon. Inevitably it then took me a while (about a year!) to get my act together and create my own course for individuals and households, but in March this year I launched it, and since then have trained over 130 people. And those 130 people add to the 42,000 people worldwide that have also done the course and gained their carbon literacy certificate.It's been amazing to run this course - seeing lightbulbs go off, and seeing people's confidence grow in the science, the impact and their agency to create positive change is HUGE. Everyone has to create two pledges at the end of the course, and reading these pledges as they come in makes me smile from ear to ear. Listen in to hear more about the project, the courses and how to get involved. Enjoy!

LISTEN... CHECK OUT...

Let me know your thoughts on this one!And if you enjoyed this episode, please do leave a review and/or comment wherever you get your podcasts! […]

[157] Creating a Greener and Cleaner future – with Parisa Wright

Jen Gale — Fri, 14 Oct 2022 15:57:41 GMT

In this episode I’m chatting to Parisa Wright, who is an absolute powerhouse of positive change – to the extent that I felt the need for a nap after speaking to her! I am in absolute awe of her passion, her energy and her absolute commitment to creating a greener and cleaner world for all our of children and for future generations. Parisa’s journey starts in the same way that many of ours will have done – looking at the changes she can make in her own life and home. She then started to think about how she could get others involved in her local community and created a local FB group and started running regular events. Not content with that she went to a fully fledged charity and raise hundreds of thousands of pounds to open an eco hub in a large shopping centre in London. And even then she’s not content and is involved in research into how we engage people with the behaviour changes needed, and is looking at how the charity can support other towns and cities to create eco hubs.

As I said, Parisa is an absolute powerhouse, and for anyone who ever says ‘but what difference can one person actually make’ I will certainly be pointing them in her direction! I think you’re going to love this episode – please do let me know!Enjoy!

LISTEN... CHECK OUT...

Let me know your thoughts on this one!And if you enjoyed this episode, please do leave a review and/or comment wherever you get your podcasts! […]

[155] Donating money to climate charities – how do we work out which ones to choose? With Olly Tapper at the Global Returns Project

Jen Gale — Fri, 23 Sep 2022 07:00:00 GMT

What's the best climate charity to donate to?How do I know that my money is actually being used for good stuff and not swallowed up in admin?What sorts of things might charities be funding when it comes to helping the climate crisis?When I think about donating to a climate charity, whether that's a personal donation, or if I'm thinking about running some kind of fundraiser, I find it hard to know which charity I should donate to. Organisations like Greenpeace, World Wildlife Fund, and Friends of the Earth spring to mind, but other than that I'm a bit stumped.And it seems I'm not the only one. Apparently only 2% of philanthropy is currently going to climate mitigation. And it turns out there are some amazing organisations doing brilliant stuff to help to fight the climate crisis.In this episode I'm chatting to Olly Tapper, who is the Development Manager at the Global Returns Project - a UK based climate change charity. The Global Returns Project have done all the research and identified what they feel to be six of the most impactful charities and not for profits working on climate solutions, and created a Global Returns Portfolio.The charities in the portfolio (listed below) might surprise you and it was fascinating to hear about these brilliant projects, that we might not automatically think of as being a really key part in working to solve the climate crisis.

The six charities are:

Ashden - finds, funds and supports organizations delivering new, affordable and sustainable energy solutions around the world.
Client Earth - a team of lawyers ensuring existing environmental laws are respected and helping governments develop effective environmental policies.
Global Canopy - targets the market forces driving the Climate Crisis and the destruction of nature. Its data platforms enable and increase pressure on companies, investors and governments to halt their impacts on tropical forests and other vital ecosystems.
Rainforest Trust - safeguarding existing rainforests is one of the most effective ways to fight climate change. Every donation will be matched by a generous supporter, doubling the impact.
Trillion Trees - will ensure one trillion trees have been re-grown, saved from loss, and better protected around the world by 2050.
Whale and Dolphin Conservation - a global champion for whale and ocean-based solutions to the Climate Crisis. Whales play an important role in maintaining a healthy ocean and planet by accumulating carbon and fertilising carbon-sequestering phytoplankton.

LISTEN... CHECK OUT...

Let me know your thoughts on this one!And if you enjoyed this episode, please do leave a review and/or comment wherever you get your podcasts! […]

[156] Harnessing the power of football – with Rich Holmes at Planet League

Jen Gale — Fri, 30 Sep 2022 17:51:34 GMT

Football – I have to confess I’m not really a fan, and it’s certainly not an area I would usually associate with sustainability. And if we’re not afraid of stereotyping, then I wouldn’t have pegged football fans as big eco types either.Today’s guest is part of an organisation looking to change that , and to harness the power of sport in general, and football in particular to drive sustainable change.Rich Holmes is part of Planet League, a frankly brilliant idea, that encourages football fans to sign up for their favourite team, and then score goals for them by doing some simple eco actions. I can’t tell you how much I love it!Sport is a huge unifier, and as we’ll discuss in the podcast, it has ‘permission’ to engage fans in their everyday lives, as if we’re an avid fan, it can feel part of our identity.And it’s not just fans that they influencing, Planet League is working with many of the country's top clubs to support them to go greener too.This really is a fascinating episode – I hope you enjoy it. And please do share it with any schools, local football clubs, or football fans in your life – the next Planet League Cup is kicking off of the 10th Oct – I’m going to see if I can get my husband and son to sign up!

LISTEN... CHECK OUT...

Let me know your thoughts on this one!And if you enjoyed this episode, please do leave a review and/or comment wherever you get your podcasts! […]

[154] Leading by example – does it work? With Steve Westlake

Jen Gale — Fri, 16 Sep 2022 16:13:29 GMT

I know that I’m not alone in occasionally feeling a little bit "what’s the point?" Do my actions really make a difference? Will it really make any odds in the grand scheme of things if I take recycle this bottle, buy this new pair of jeans, or even take that flight?

Our individual actions can feel inconsequential in the face of the overwhelming enormity of the climate crisis and the scales of the changes that need to happen. Which is my attention was caught by a sentence in a book I read recently (Zero Altitude by Helen Coffey – you can listen to my chat with Helen in Episode 143) about individual action having a ripple effect that can start a public conversation (I bang on endlessly about the ripple effect of our actions in the Sustainable(ish) Clubhouse, and once you start to notice it, you really do see it in action!). The book then referred to a study by Steve Westlake, where he looked at the impact it has when one person tells their family and friends that they’re giving up flying for climate reasons. Steve found in his study that half of respondent who knew someone who had given up flying because of climate change, said that they flew less because of their example!I was fascinated by this and promptly did a quick Ecosia search (top tip - swap your search engine for Ecosia - they use their ad revenue to plant trees!) for Steve Westlake. It turns out that he’s a PhD student at Cardiff University exploring how leading by example can influence behaviours and attitudes towards climate change. Which I totally wanted to hear more about, so in my usual slightly over-excited way, I got in touch with Steve and invited him on the podcast to talk about his research. And I’m delighted to say that he accepted, and that this is our chat – enjoy!

LISTEN... CHECK OUT...

Let me know your thoughts on this one!And if you enjoyed this episode, please do leave a review and/or comment wherever you get your podcasts! […]

[144] HUNGER STRIKE FOR CLIMATE (AND HOW WE CAN PLAY OUR PART) WITH ANGUS ROSE

Jen Gale — Fri, 01 Jul 2022 16:38:21 GMT

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 attend

So 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 Twitter
The link to Change.org with all the info and the template letter
The latest IPCC report
Guillermo Fernandez hunger strike in Switzerland
The 11 slides that finally convinced Boris Johnson about global warming
Extraordinary temperatures in polar regions
Highest European temperature recorded in Italy
Canadian heat wave
Katharine Hayhoe - What's the big deal with a few degrees
Radio 4 - How they made us doubt everything
Climate Outreach
UK Climate Assembly
Open letter from healthcare professionals asking for scientific briefing
If 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 course
The Sustainable(ish) FB group

DO...

E-mail your MP asking them to attend the briefing
Share the link with friends, family and colleagues asking them to contact their MPS to do the same
Follow 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! […]

[143] CAN A TRAVEL EDITOR TRAVEL FLIGHT-FREE? WITH HELEN COFFEY

Jen Gale — Sat, 11 Jun 2022 10:18:16 GMT

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 planet
The 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 beyond
Whether 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...

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 you
If 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! […]

[141] HABITS WITH IMPACT – WITH AILUNA

Jen Gale — Fri, 20 May 2022 10:53:44 GMT

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) habits
How you can invite others around you to join in and 'dare' them to make changes too
Opportunities to use Ailuna as a business or a community to help mobilise change on a wider scale

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...

DO...

Download the Ailuna app
Pick 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! […]

[142] THE IMPACT OF FASHION AND PLANS TO HALVE IT – WITH WRAP

Jen Gale — Fri, 27 May 2022 13:43:01 GMT

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 textiles
What happens to our clothes when we no longer want or need them
Different models for making the textiles industry less resource intensive
WRAP'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...

The Circular Economy (

DO...

Have a go at sourcing a percentage of your clothes secondhand - check out this blog post here for some ideas
Try a spot of gentle mending to keep your clothes in use for longer
Follow and support Fashion Revolution

[133] YOUTH CLIMATE ACTION WITH THE UK SCHOOLS SUSTAINABILITY NETWORK

Jen Gale — Mon, 07 Mar 2022 11:34:46 GMT

We've had a few episodes on the podcast exploring 'climate education' where I've chatted to various people about the brilliant projects they're involved in to encourage and facilitate education around climate issues in schools. But we haven't heard from any of the young people currently in the education system! This episode hopefully helps to rectify that as I'm chatting to not just one young person but four, all from the UK Schools Sustainability Network, along with Dr Jess Tipton, head of Youth Networks at Global Action Plan, the charity who are hosting the project.The UKSSN was created in Spring 2021 as an umbrella organisation for the regional student sustainability networks that were starting up around the country. It provides students and staff with a way to connect with peers, share ideas and resources, collaborate on local, national and international initiatives, and develop personal, social and workplace skills. They have quickly become a force to be reckoned with and are actively involved in talks with the Department for Education about their review of, and plans for, climate education in schools, and had a team of representatives at COP26 in Glasgow at the end of last year.

I am in absolutely in awe of these young people and their passion, eloquence, resilience and determination. At the same age, I was in no way engaged with the world in the same way that these students are - my main concern was getting home in time to watch the Home and Away/Neighbours double bill. I am hugely inspired by them, but at the same time find myself feeling guilty and so incredibly sad that this is something that is a part of their lives and their consciousness. That they have this huge, complex, terrifying issue looming over their lives, when they should be thinking about going out with their mates, studying for exams, and looking forwards to an exciting future.

I'm very aware of not falling into the narrative that says "Hurray for the young people, for they will save us!", because that's not fair. It's our generation and those before us that have created this crisis, and it's very much on us to do everything we can to cut carbon and sustain a liveable planet for future generations, but I don't think you can listen to this episode and not feel inspired and hopeful that these young people are part of the conversation, and are helping to create solutions. Enjoy!

LISTEN... CHECK OUT...

DO...

Share this episode with any young people you know who might be looking to connect with people on the same journey as them
Ask your local school if they're aware of UKSSN and/or want to join
Let the young people you know who are engaged with climate action that you're very much with them, are supporting them, and importantly taking action to help

How engaged or otherwise were you when you were younger?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! […]

[140] HOW TO TALK ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE WITHOUT EVERYONE HATING YOU WITH CASS HEBRON

Jen Gale — Fri, 13 May 2022 09:20:33 GMT

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 changes
Why you don't have to be an 'expert' and know all the facts and stats to talk about climate-y stuff
The importance of talking about the 'co-benefits' that come with climate action and painting a hopeful vision for the future
Top tips for climate conversations with friends and family
Top tips for engaging around climate stuff on social media and the importance of trying to break out of our eco echo chambers

There'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!

LISTEN... CHECK OUT...

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! […]

[139] EUROPEAN RAIL ADVENTURES WITH GEORGINA WILSON-POWELL

Jen Gale — Fri, 29 Apr 2022 15:41:34 GMT

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 - Instagram
The Man in Seat 61
Race Across the World
[017] - Sustainable(ish) Travel with Earth Changers (podcast episode)
Travel without Plastic (podcast episode)
The Knackered Mums Eco Club
The 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! […]

[129] CLIMATE HUBS FOR COMMUNITY ACTION – WITH ZERO CARBON GUILDFORD

Jen Gale — Fri, 04 Feb 2022 19:20:14 GMT

In this episode I’m chatting to Ben and Petra who are both trustees of Zero Carbon Guildford which is one of a growing number of Climate Emergency Centres that are starting up all over the UK.

Zero has an amazing community space in the centre of Guildford where they have a zero waste shop and a vegan café , and and also host a brilliant array of projects from a baby clothes library through to climate cinema and a community fridge. And super importantly they are working to bring local community groups together around a shared goal of by 2030 by developing a community-led climate action plan.

This is yet another super inspiring episode, and I have my sneaking suspicions that many of you will listen to this and think “Yes! I want one of those where I live” so I tried to ask as many questions as possible about the logistics of getting something like off the ground. For any of you who are interested in finding out more, Zero Carbon Guildford are running an event on the 10th Feb both in person and live streamed, in conjunction with the Surrey Climate Commission sharing how they have created climate hubs in Surrey, with tips for how you can do the same where you live.

It goes without saying that I love, love, love what these guys are doing – I hope you’re as inspired as I am, and it would be amazing to think that maybe someone listening to this podcast now has the spark of an idea for creating something similar where they live – do get in touch and let me know if that’s you!

Enjoy this episode, and as ever, please do leave a rating and review wherever you get your podcasts – this is how we get more ears on the podcast and more people hearing about brilliant projects like Zero Carbon Guildford.Enjoy!

LISTEN... CHECK OUT...

Zero Carbon Guildford- Website- Facebook- Instagram- Twitter- Events
10th Feb - Creating a Community-Led Climate Hub - in-person and livestreamed
Climate Emergency Centres website
The Knackered Mums Eco Club
The Sustainable(ish) FB group

DO...

Listen and get inspired!
Look and see what local climate-y community groups there are near you
Pick a project to trial that you think would bring people together (Repair Cafes and swishes tend to go down well!)

Would you love a Climate Hub in your town?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! […]

[132] URGENCY, OPTIMISM AND ACTION WITH JONNIE HUGHES AND THE EARTHSHOT PRIZE

Jen Gale — Fri, 25 Feb 2022 20:11:40 GMT

I was very excited towards the end of last year asking if I would like to chat to anyone about Earthshot - a book that addresses the challenges facing the planet and that explores some of the best solutions that exist to turn the tide on the environmental crisis. Many of you might have heard of the Earthshot Prize - which is an idea that came from Prince William, to encourage innovation and funding of climate solution. Here in the UK, there has been an accompanying TV series, as well as a series on Radio 4, and there was a very glitzy 'green carpet' event to announce the winners for this year that gained lots of media coverage. The book has been co-authored by Colin Butfield and Jonnie Hughes, who are both superstars in the fields of wildlife documentary making and whose studio has produced the likes of Our Planet and A Life on our Planet with Sir David Attenborough. I jumped at the chance to chat to Jonnie, and confess I was a little starstruck to be attempting a sensible conversation with someone who regularly chats to the likes of Prince William and David Attenborough - I hope I didn't embarrass myself too much...Do have a listen, check out the book and the series, which is still on i-player (and hopefully will stay on there!). I made a point of encouraging the kids to watch this series, as I think it's so important foe them to see the hope. To see the solutions that exist and are in progress, and the army of people who are devoting their lives to finding solutions and creating a brighter future - a lot of climate programming can be overwhelming and anxiety inducing, but this was the opposite.Enjoy!

LISTEN... CHECK OUT...

Earthshot- The book (I've linked to it on World of Books, but it's available anywhere you can buy books, and do ask your library if they have a copy!)- Website- TV series on i-player- Radio series on BBC Radio 4- 2021 winners
Studio Silverback
The Sustainable(ish) FB group

DO...

Read the book/watch the TV series/listen to the radio series, and get inspired by all the amazing projects out there!
Use the book or series as a springboard for an optimistic climate conversation with friends and/or family
If you've got kids of school age, how about suggesting a school-wide 'Earthshot Prize' competition..!

Did you watch the series when it was out? 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! […]

[128] TURN THE TIDE ON CLIMATE ANXIETY

Jen Gale — Fri, 28 Jan 2022 17:03:44 GMT

Today is another cracker of an episode and is about something that we haven’t really dived into before on the podcast – eco anxiety.I’m chatting to Megan Kennedy Woodard, a coaching psychologist, and one half of Climate Psychologists, alongside her husband Patrick. Together they have co-authored Turn the Tide on Climate Anxiety, a brilliant book wth the tagline “Sustainable action for your mental health and the planet”It’s a pretty safe bet that if you’re listening to this podcast then you will probably have run the full gamut of all the climate feels – from anxiety, to rage, to despair, and everything in between. In this book Megan and Patrick explore the science behind climate anxiety, the whole range of emotions we might be feeling, and crucially, what we can do about it. It’s more than simply a book about climate anxiety, it’s kind of a workbook to help you to explore, and identify your emotions related to climate stuff, and then it’s packed with tools, tips and ideas to help move you from climate anxiety to climate action.

I think this is a super important episode – we see more and more studies saying that more and more of us are feeling anxious about the state of the planet, and that can leave us in a state of overwhelm and despair – and it’s very hard to take action from that place. Please do share with family and friends – this, as with all climate stuff, is something we need to talk about more. And As ever, if you enjoy this episode, and the podcast in general, please do leave and rating and a review wherever you get your podcasts.

Enjoy!

LISTEN... CHECK OUT...

Climate Psychologists- Website- Facebook- Instagram- Twitter
Turn the Tide on Climate Anxiety- Please do support your local independent bookshop! Or see if you can get a copy from your local library- Or you can buy it direct from the publishers here- Find it here on World of Books- Or here on Hive
The Knackered Mums Eco Club
The Sustainable(ish) FB group

DO...

See if you can get hold of a copy of the book! Ask your local library if they have a copy - if they don't, they will often order new books in
See if you can start a conversation about your climate feelings with a friend or family member
Remember this phrase from the book: "Perfect gets nothing done"

How are your levels of climate anxiety?Do you have any coping strategies?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! […]

[120] TOOTHPASTE AND SYSTEM CHANGE…

Jen Gale — Fri, 12 Nov 2021 21:38:23 GMT

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...

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 consumption
Share 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! […]

[122] COP26 – WHAT HAPPENED AND WHAT NOW?

Jen Gale — Fri, 26 Nov 2021 09:44:41 GMT

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...

DO...

Make a 'ta-da!' list of all the climate actions and changes you've already made - share it on social media
Brainstorm 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! […]

[115] ALL THE CLIMATE FEELS…

Jen Gale — Fri, 08 Oct 2021 12:33:42 GMT

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 Samaritans
Climate Psychologists
Climate Psychology Alliance
Hope is a Verb - wonderfully uplifting, and beautiful book, from Emily Ehlers (aka EcoEm on social media)
The Knackered Mums Eco Club
The 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! […]

[118] A BEGINNERS GUIDE TO COP26

Jen Gale — Fri, 29 Oct 2021 09:22:17 GMT

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 website
Less Waste Laura- Website- Instagram- Twitter
Tearfund
Global Day of Action (6th November) - see if there is a climate march near you
Climate Fringe
Katharine Hayhoe's TED talk
They 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 November
Check 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 attend
Ask your school or workplace if there is anything you can do - it's not too late to get something organised!

[116] WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING TO ENERGY PRICES AND SHOULD I STILL SWITCH TO A RENEWABLE TARIFF..?

Jen Gale — Fri, 15 Oct 2021 12:05:59 GMT

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...

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 advise
Take steps to save energy at home
Speak 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! […]

[117] TRANSFORMING EDUCATION WITH THE MINISTRY OF ECO EDUCATION

Jen Gale — Fri, 22 Oct 2021 13:53:18 GMT

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 school
Ask 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! […]

[109] TOP TIPS FOR BRAVING YOUR FIRST VISIT TO A ZERO WASTE SHOP

Jen Gale — Fri, 16 Jul 2021 11:54:15 GMT

While we're all hopefully pretty on top of using our own water bottles now, the next step if you're looking to increase your refill repertoire (do you like that?!) is to check out your local refill shop for all kinds of things from washing up liquid and shampoo, through to pasta and chocolate covered raisins (one of my faves).

Which sounds easy peasy - we're all grown ups right?But I think for lots of us it can feel pretty scary - I know I had a degree of anxiety my 'first time'.- What if I haven't got the right sized pots?- Can I take plastic pots into a plastic-free shop?- What if I spill anything?- What if it's really quiet and the owner is watching me and it's all really awkward?- What if I get to the till and I've inadvertently spent £48.76 when my budget was £20?

Please know if you're feeling nervous about visiting a refill shop, you're not alone!So I thought it might be helpful to share some top tips in this episode of the podcast.Do let me know if it's helpful and if it's helped you to pluck up the courage to make a visit. And if you've got any of your own top tips to add!Enjoy!

LISTEN... CHECK OUT...

Plastic Free July
[107] - Busting some big plastic-free living myths (podcast)
Map of Zero Waste Shops (not 100% complete, but might give you an idea!)
The Sustainable(ish) FB group
The Knackered Mums Eco Club - come and join us for a month of plastic-free(ish) action in July!

DO...

Ask around locally or have a search online to find out where your nearest zero waste shop is
Pick one or two things that you'd like to try first - washing up liquid is a great one and you can simply take along your old (rinsed out) bottle
Take a deep breath and go for it!

Are you an old hand at shopping in zero waste stores?Or have you yet to 'pop your cherry'..?!Do share any of your own top tips in the comments! AVAILABLE ONLINE AND IN ALL GOOD BOOK SHOPS NOW!

"Easily the most family friendly way to do your bit"The Sunday Times

[…]

[107] BUSTING SOME PLASTIC-FREE LIVING MYTHS

Jen Gale — Fri, 02 Jul 2021 14:33:49 GMT

Plastic free July is a campaign that started in Australia as small, local campaign – the brain child of Rebecca Prince-Ruiz. Now in it’s 10th year it is a truly global and hugely impactful campaign, - in July 2020 over 300 million people took part in the challenge from over 170 different countries. If this doesn’t demonstrate the power of just one person wanting to make a difference, I'm not sure what does.

I wanted to do a little solo episode to kick of Plastic Free July, and was trying to think about what I could do – simply listing off a list of swaps might be vaguely helpful but probably isn’t the most exciting listen.So what I’m going to do instead is to bust a few of the myths that I think exist around this term plastic-free, in case you’re like me and find it a little off-putting and daunting and like you’re never going to be plastic-free so it all feels a bit pointless even trying.Enjoy!

LISTEN... CHECK OUT...

Plastic Free July- Website- Facebook- Instagram- Twitter- You Tube
The Sustainable(ish) FB group
The Knackered Mums Eco Club - come and join us for a month of plastic-free(ish) action in July!

DO...

Pick ONE single use plastic item that making a regular appearance in your bin, and see what reusable/refillable/recyclable options there are

Are you joining in with Plastic-free July?What ONE change will you make this month?Let me know in the comments! AVAILABLE ONLINE AND IN ALL GOOD BOOK SHOPS NOW!

"Easily the most family friendly way to do your bit"The Sunday Times

[…]

[110] WEIRD WEATHER AND OUR DISAPPEARING SEASONS WITH JOE SHUTE

Jen Gale — Fri, 23 Jul 2021 13:18:41 GMT

Weird weather.We’re all feeling it aren’t we?We've had some of the hottest temperatures recorded in the UK, on the back of a cold cold May. And do you remember the really hot spring we had the year before? And a couple of years ago when it hit 20C in February and everyone was wondering around in t-shirts eating ice creams?

I think most people have noticed the weird weather, but maybe not everyone has joined the dots just yet and realised that this is it – this is the climate changing. We can no longer expect the defined and reasonable reliable seasonal changes of previous generations. We are now living with a very changeable and unpredictable climate – the implications of which go way beyond us wanting to put the heating back on in May.Listen in to this chat with Joe Shute, journalist and author of Forecast: A diary of the lost seasons where we do that most British of all things and discuss the weather..

Enjoy

LISTEN... CHECK OUT...

Joe Shute- Twitter
Forecast: A Diary of the Lost Seasons
A Shadow Above: The Fall and Rise of the Raven
Nature's Calendar
New Year Plant Hunt
Great Green Wall
Big Garden Bird Watch
Every Flower Counts
Big Butterfly Count
The Sustainable(ish) FB group
The Knackered Mums Eco Club - come and join us for a month of plastic-free(ish) action in July!

DO...

Start your own weather and nature diary, and submit your data to Nature's Calendar
Talk about the changing seasons and weather with your kids

Have you noticed the changing seasons?How does it make you feel? AVAILABLE ONLINE AND IN ALL GOOD BOOK SHOPS NOW!

"Easily the most family friendly way to do your bit"The Sunday Times

[…]

[102] PALM OIL 101

Jen Gale — Fri, 21 May 2021 15:54:33 GMT

Today we're talking palm oil...

The viral banned (too political apparently!) Iceland advert of Christmas 2018 highlighting the impact of palm oil on rainforests and the wildlife that live there really thrust palm oil into the spotlight, and I think we’re all aware now of the issue, but knowing what’s the best thing to do is another kettle of fish entirely. Should we be trying to avoid it? Or look for sustainably sourced palm oil? Or is there no such thing? Can we trust the certifications? It’s a minefield and one that quite often makes me want to hide under the duvet with a bar of palm oil free chocolate although I would just worry that that wasn’t the right type of chocolate to choose.

Luckily today I got a belter of an episode, with Cat Barton and Faye Sherlock from Chester Zoo. Naively it never really occurred to me that zoos would have people working at them other than the staff on the ground at the zoo, so it was fab to hear about Cat’s role as a Field Conservation Manager working with communities in Sumatra and Borneo around palm oil, and Faye's job at the Sustainable Cities Project Officer.It’s safe to say that they’re both pretty clued up about the impact of palm oil on rainforest regions, and then importantly, what we can do as individuals and communities at home to help.I’d love to hear your thoughts on this one. Has it changed your mind about how you approach palm oil? Are you inspired to look into becoming a sustainable community, workplace or school?Let me know in the comments!Enjoy!

Useful links

Chester Zoo- Palm Oil info page- Sustainable palm oil communities- Sustainable palm oil shopping list- Wildlife Connections campaign
RSPO certification scheme
Ethical Consumer - palm oil labelling
Ethical Consumer - info on RSPO certification
Giki badges - app that allows you to scan barcodes on products to see what ethical criteria they meet
The Sustainable(ish) FB group
The Knackered Mums Eco Club

Did you learn anything new about palm oil? Has it changed your thoughts/how you might approach the issue?Let me know in the comments! AVAILABLE ONLINE AND IN ALL GOOD BOOK SHOPS NOW!

"Easily the most family friendly way to do your bit"The Sunday Times

[…]

[097] REUSABLE NAPPIES 101

Jen Gale — Thu, 18 Mar 2021 13:49:22 GMT

Check out episode 93 for some more info about the book, Monday's episode with Ellie Jackson from Wild Tribe Heroes, and Tuesday's episode with Rachel Boyett from Little Veggie Eats, and yesterday's episode about renting our kids clothes with Charlotte from thelittleloop.I can't quite believe we've got this far into a week of sustainable(ish) parenting podcasts without mentioning nappies! So I'm correcting that today with a 'reusable nappies 101' from the brilliant Laura Tweedale, author of The Joy of Reusable Nappies. This episode is very much NOT to bash anyone over the head with the big green bashy stick if you use disposable nappies - we did at the start with our eldest, and continued to do so at night and on holiday with both of them. As with all things Sustainable(ish) this is about finding what works for YOU and your family. The reason I wanted to do this episode (and the reason there's a big section on nappies in the book) is that I know from my own experience that there are probably people out there who might want to give reusable nappies a go, but who feel overwhelmed and a bit daunted when they start looking into it. Hopefully this episode, and Laura's great book, might help to overcome some of that overwhelm and make it all feel that little bit more do-able.Enjoy!

Useful links

Laura Tweedale- Website- Instagram- The Joy of Reusable Nappies
A beginners guide to reusable nappies - Sustainable(ish) Festival session
Episode 93 - The Sustainable(ish) Living Guide - Your questions answered
Episode 94 - A cup of tea with Ellie Jackson
Episode 95 - How to make veggie meals our kids might actually eat with Rachel Boyett
Episode 96 - Kids clothes - why buy when you can rent?
The Sustainable(ish) Guide to Green Parenting- On Hive- On Bookshop- On Waterstones - On Amazon- On Audible

Where are you at with reusable nappies? Love 'em? 50:50? Wondering if you could get started?Let me know ! AVAILABLE ONLINE AND IN ALL GOOD BOOK SHOPS NOW!

"Easily the most family friendly way to do your bit"The Sunday Times

[…]

[093] THE SUSTAINABLE(ISH) GUIDE TO GREEN PARENTING – YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED!

Jen Gale — Fri, 12 Mar 2021 16:37:46 GMT

GAH! I think this episode might actually be one of the most terrifying ones (for me!) yet...What could be so terrifying?Am I interviewing Greta? Or Sir David Attenborough?Sadly no. I'm actually interviewing myself. About book number two - The Sustainable(ish) Guide to Green Parenting - which is out on March 18th. I was going to say that I'm equal parts terrified and excited, but that would be a lie. I'm 100% terrified..!

Putting your heart and soul into something and then letting the whole world 'mark your homework' feels pretty uncomfortable. And to add to that, I decided that in this episode I wanted to answer your questions about the book, and I am now feeling horribly self-indulgent and narcissistic making this episode all about me and my book.These are all genuine questions sent in on social media, here goes...

Is it aimed at parents with kids of a certain age, or is it applicable from birth? (Gina)Parents of what age kids? (Sylvia)Is the guide aimed at new parents or can parents with kids of any age find good point to dive in and get some tips and ideas? (Claire)
Can I ask who is it aimed at, parents who currently don't do any kind of green parenting, or those who already walk/bike, reuse, use cloth nappies etc. (Fran)
Is is a similar format to your first book? (Suz)How much overlap is there with your first book - will those who've read that still find more in this book? (Mareli)What's the difference between this book and your last? (Rachel)
How on earth did you manage to write a book in the middle of lockdown whilst homeshooling and providing 574 sustainable(ish) snacks a day? (Ida)How on earth did you write a book during lockdown with 2 kids at home??? (Tamasin)
I'd love to know the basic things like the topics of the chapters ad how easy it is to pick actions that work for the age of our child? Also does it include ideas or tips for how to give appropriate messaging to different ages, as well as the people that help you raise your child such as a partner, grandparent, teacher etc.? (Sarah)
What has this book got that others haven't? (Debs)

Tune in for the answers...!

Useful links

The Sustainable(ish) Guide to Green Parenting- On Hive- On Bookshop- On Waterstones - On Amazon- It should also be available as an audio book but I can't see a link yet!
The Sustainable(ish) Living Guide (book 1!)- On Hive- On Bookshop- On Waterstones- On Amazon

What other questions have you got?Let me know ! AVAILABLE ONLINE AND IN ALL GOOD BOOK SHOPS NOW!

"Easily the most family friendly way to do your bit"The Sunday Times

[…]

[072] THE PLIGHT OF THE HUMBLE BEE

Jen Gale — Mon, 14 Sep 2020 15:42:40 GMT

I'm delighted to be working with Organic UK* for a mini-series of podcast episodes to mark Organic September - an annual month long awareness campaign by the Soil Association In collaboration with the Organic Trade Board.We'll be diving into all things organic - what the term actually means, how we know if something is organic, AND crucially, the impact that organic food and farming has on the planet. We're kicking off with the brilliant episode with David and Emma Buckley from Buckleys Bees. Talking, unsurprisingly given the name of their business, about bees! DID YOU KNOW?

Bees and insects are essential pollinators of our food - It's estimated that it would cost UK farmers £1.8 billion a year to pollinate their crops manually if wild bees disappeared
Bee and insect populations are crashing - every square kilometre in the UK has lost an average of 11 species of bee and hoverfly, between 1980 and 2013
In the UK at present there are around 270,000 active honeybee hives, compared to a million in 1900
98% of natural wildflower meadows have been lost in the UK since the early 1900s
Plant, insect and bird life is 50% more abundant on organic farms

Tune in to learn more about the wonderful work of bees, why they's so vital, how organic farming can help to support them, AND how we can help them in our own gardens too.Enjoy!(Heads up on the sound quality - it's pretty rubbish at the start of the podcast, but improves quickly, so please do bear with!!)* This is a paid partnership with Organic UK.

This episode was edited by Emily Crosby Media

Useful links

Organic UK
Organic September
Buckleys Bees- Website- Facebook- Instagram- Twitter
Soil Association - Bee Organic article
Soil Association article: "Why Bees are Important"
Plant Life - "How to get 10 times more bees on your lawns"
The Sustainable(ish) Facebook group

David and Emma inspecting some of their hives

Top tips to help the bees!

Plant bee friendly seeds and flowers
Let your lawn and hedges flower - mow less!
Avoid 'blended honey' and look out for UK and local honey
Leave out a shallow dish filled with marbles and water for the bees to take a drink
Buy organic fruit and veg if you can

Pic credit: Buckleys Bees

How are you getting on with your bee-friendly gardens and window-boxes?Let me know in the comments! AVAILABLE ONLINE AND IN ALL GOOD BOOK SHOPS NOW!

"Easily the most family friendly way to do your bit"The Sunday Times

"Absolutely love this book - should be mandatory reading"Online review

[…]

[068] HOW TO WASTE LESS AT WORK WITH LIVVY DRAKE

Jen Gale — Tue, 30 Jun 2020 07:00:00 GMT

This episode is going out at the start of July, and in the eco world, July is all about plastic, thanks to the brilliant Plastic Free July campaign that started in Australia and has since gained traction all over the globe.It’s also a time when more of us might be contemplating a return to work as coronavirus restrictions lift a little more here in the UK. So I figured it might be a good time to speak to someone about what we can do reduce the amount of waste that is produced at work – whether we work from home, in a traditional office environment, or somewhere a bit different, it can be easy to feel like any efforts we ‘re making at home are cancelled out by the waste produced at work, and also to feel like maybe it’s not our place to be asking questions about work waste.So it’s great to be chatting to the wonderful Livvy Drake from Sustainable Sidekicks , who took part in two brilliant panels for us during the Sustainable(ish) festival, and who is helping us to feel more confident about some of the simple changes that can be made at work to reduce the waste that’s being produced, and how we can be a part of the solution at work as well as at homeEnjoy!

Useful links

Sustainable Sidekicks - Website- Facebook- Instagram- Twitter- Waste and Recycling Mastermind
Livvy on Linked In
Livvy's sessions at the Sustainable(ish) Festival- Plastic not so fantastic- Behaviour change in ourselves and others
Guardian article about safety of reusables
Scientists statement regarding safety of reusables
City to Sea- Contactless Coffee campaign- Reusable mask instructions
Shrewsbury Cup
Terracycle disposable glove recycling

TOP TIPS FOR REDUCING WASTE AT WORK

Do an audit of what you're buyingWhat is currently being spent on disposables?
Do a bin auditLooks at what bins you already have, what is being thrown away, and how much your rubbish collections cost
Create a recycling stationMultiple bins for different waste streams, clearly signed, and with reduced apertures
Remove desk side bins
Look in to the possibility of having a food waste collection added to your recycling collection

How empowered (or otherwise!) do you feel about tackling waste at work?Let me know in the comments! AVAILABLE ONLINE AND IN ALL GOOD BOOK SHOPS NOW!

"Easily the most family friendly way to do your bit"The Sunday Times

"Absolutely love this book - should be mandatory reading"Online review

[…]

[052] CONSCIOUS GIFTING WITH BUY ME ONCE

Jen Gale — Wed, 04 Dec 2019 20:57:29 GMT

This episode is going out in the 1st week of December - the Christmas songs are on the radio, the shops are rammed with All The Things, and the pressure is on buy presents for friends and family. And not just to buy presents, to buy the right presents - we all love to gift, and we all love seeing people's faces when they open the gifts we've carefully chosen. But only if we've got it right! And that can be the tricky thing can't it? Finding the right present for the right person, and in budget to boot. It's the Holy Grail of gifting!Apparently around £2.4 BILLION are spent on unwanted gifts each year at Christmas, and that figure is from 2011, so I can only imagine it's actually higher now. £2.4 BILLION!! Just think of all the good that could be done in the world with that money, instead of giving people stuff they don't need or want, because you feel like you should.In this episode I'm chatting to Tara Button from Buy Me Once, who is a huge fan of conscious, thoughtful gifting. Giving gifts that people will want. That will last. And she's sharing some of her top tips for how to do just that.Enjoy!

Useful links

What are your strategies for 'conscious gifting' this year?Let me know in the comments!GET YOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO A CRAP-FREE CHRISTMAS!

Grab a copy of my digital e-guide tackling the big issues around Christmas waste in the home:

Advent Calendars & Christmas Cards
Food & Nibbles
Gifts, Alternatives & Tricky Conversations
Festive Family Guilt

Let's take out the plastic and waste from Christmas

Grab your copy now!
Instant download
check Stacks of ideas, suggestions and clickable resources

BUY NOW FOR JUST £6! […]

[041] USE YOUR PHONE TO FIGHT FOOD WASTE WITH COZZO

Jen Gale — Wed, 17 Jul 2019 19:29:14 GMT

This episode is published in collaboration with CozZo*

There’s a BIG focus at the moment on plastic pollution isn’t there?Since Blue Planet II aired it feels like it’s an issue that has really caught people’s attention and is something that we’re all wanting to do something about. Which is obviously great, but plastic pollution is just none part of the bigger issue of the climate crisis. And actually, I would say that attempting to tackle the amount of single use plastic we bring home each week after a supermarket shop is right up there in terms of difficulty. We need big changes in the way our supermarkets package our foods and all the infrastructure that supports that.So sometimes, when I’m helping people to take sustainable(ish) steps and can see that they’re getting frustrated and feel like they’re not really making much progress when it comes to plastic in the kitchen, I suggest a little re-focus. You see for a lot less effort, I reckon you can actually have a bigger impact on the climate crisis by tackling food waste.Here are some stats to back up my bold statement:

If food waste were a country it would be the third biggest emitter of greenhouse gases after the USA and China
50% of all food waste occurs in the home. So of all the food that is wasted, from the farm, through the supermarkets, and then on to us, half of that occurs in our homes.

So just from those two stats, we can see that if we can reduce or even eliminate food waste in our homes, we can have a massive impact on greenhouse gas emissions. It’s not often that as individuals and families we have the opportunity to have such a direct impact, and it’s actually a relatively easy thing to tackle, AND something that we have complete control over. We don’t need to wait for supermarkets to change their ways, or for governments to get off their butts and legislate. How awesome is that?!

Now I’m sure as avid listeners to this podcast you’re probably sat there feeling a little smug and thinking that you don’t waste any food. And if that’s true, than I want to give you a massive high five. But I think if we’re really honest with ourselves, even the best intentioned amongst us will forget about the odd tupperware pot of leftovers tucked at the back of the fridge, or a packet of ham or fish that doesn’t get eaten in time because plans change. Which is why I was really excited to be approached by CozZo to help to promote their food inventory app. It’s really super easy to use, and they have found that users have reduced their food waste by between 50 and 70%, which is pretty mind blowing!

So grab a cuppa, sit back and relax and listen in to how your phone can help you fight food waste.

Useful links

CozZo- Website- Facebook- Instagram- Twitter
Olio - food sharing app
Too Good to Go - app helping cafes and restaurants distribute their leftovers at the end of the day
Easy ways to eat sustainably (blog post)
Sustainable(ish) Tips and Ideas for food (blog post)

* A note on ads, sponsored posts and collaborations on Sustainable(ish):I only work with brands and companies that I strongly feel fit with the sustainable(ish) ethos. That is, companies that have people and planet at their heart, and have rigorous environmental and ethical credentials and that are general Good Eggs.

[…]

[036] HOW TO TALK TO OUR KIDS ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE

Jen Gale — Wed, 12 Jun 2019 19:42:27 GMT

Today I’m chatting to Helen and Joe, co-founders of EcoTales, who have been friends since meeting each other at school at the age of 12. EcoTales is a podcast for primary school children that aims to share nature knowledge and inspire future generations to love and defend the planet. And it does it brilliantly through stories and songs helped by a cast of 26 animated alphabet characters. There’s PolyPlastic and Willow Water and Etta Earth, who alongside all their friends, tell Eco-Tales to not only engage children but also to help us to start having some of these conversataions with our own kids about some of the big issues we’re facing.In this episode we dig into how to talk to talk to our kids about the climate crisis without freaking them out, how to get older kids on board, what role schools should be playing in educating children about the future they might be facing and a whole host of other stuff. Now if that all sounds a bit heavy and hardcore, please don’t worry, it’s honestly not. It’s more a light hearted chin-wag over a cuppa, sharing our experiences with our own kids - things that have worked and some things that haven’t - when it comes to talking to them about the planet and the choices we're making.Enjoy!

Key Takeaways:

Children inherently care about nature
Be as open as you can, and explain why you're making the choices you're making - obviously in an age appropriate way, and at a time when they're open to what you're saying (i.e. not in the middle of a meltdown in the supermarket about magazines/Kinder eggs/other assorted plastic crap)
Encourage connections with nature
Have the conversations naturally as they come up
Older children/teenagers can be more difficult to engage but we can also be more open and honest with them about the impacts of our actions
Easy actions include growing veg, feeding the birds, 'seed bombing', picking up litter, remembering to use reusable water bottles - all of these actions help our children to feel empowered rather than overwhelmed
Join in with the #ecotalespromise - make a simple promise for the planetwith your kids and share on social media using the #ecotalespromise hashtag

'Poly Plastic' was made by professor Leo at Rock Laboratory and although she is useful, this cheeky superhero misfit must be handled with care! Her unique superpowers make her indestructible and able to mould herself into any shape or object she wants. However, it is these very qualities that make her adventures into the wild so dangerous. The question is, where will she end up next?

Useful links

EcoTales- Website- Facebook- Instagram- Twitter
"Gloop" - the award winning 'twisted fairytale' about the meteoric rise of plastic that Joe worked on
Plastic-free(ish) party bags (blog post)
"Beebombs" Seedbombs
EcoTales Warrior Project on the TES site
Achieving Greenness - Joe and Helen's recommendation for a future guest

[…]

[035] #BLEEDREDTHINKGREEN – THE WORLD’S FIRST REUSABLE TAMPON APPLICATOR

Jen Gale — Tue, 04 Jun 2019 16:32:40 GMT

In this episode I’m chatting to Celia Pool one of the co-founders of DAME – a sustainable self-care brand on a mission to turn our bathrooms green.Did you know that globally we throw away 100 billion sanitary products every year? Which is enough to circle the globe 250 times. Plastic tampon applicators are a big part of the problem –being used for just seconds but taking hundreds of years to degrade. Even cardboard applicators are often lined with plastic. Here in the UK we throw away 13 billion aplicators every single year, and in a recent UK beach clean nine tampon applicators were found washed up on beaches for every kilometre of shoreline.There are loads of great reusable menstrual products out there like cups and washable pads but what Celia and Alex realised was that one of the reasons that more women weren’t making the switch to reusables was that it was too big a habit change to switch away from a product like tampons that worked for them. Hence their first product is the world’s first reusable tampon applicator along with organic cotton tampons It’s a brilliant story and DAME are a company who really are pulling out all the stops to do things right – from actively seeking out female engineers ands specialists to help develop their produts, through to designing a poduct that can be used with any size tampon and any brand, and re-using existing packaging to send out their products. In fact, on the website they describe themselves as a “consumer goods company that belives in less consumption” (and we dive into that oxymoron in the podcast!).

Whether you’re already a dedicated cup or reusable pads type, or in fact you don’t have periods at all, this episode still has something for you – it’s a brilliant example of a brand on a mission and it’s hugely inspiring to see how creating and selling stuff can be good for people and planet when it’s done right. Enjoy!

Useful links

DAME- Website- Facebook- Instagram- Twitter
A Beginners Guide to Eco-friendly and Plastic-free Periods (blog post)
[031] - Plastic-free Periods and Wipes with Natracare (podcast)
[028] Buy Less Buy Better with Buy Me Once (podcast)
B-Corp
Oddbox
Skipping Rocks Labs
Rubies in the Rubble

[…]

HOW TO SET UP A REUSABLE PARTY PACKAGE FOR KIDS BIRTHDAY PARTIES IN YOUR TOWN

Jen Gale — Tue, 18 Jun 2019 15:29:26 GMT

I had the great pleasure of chatting to Tillie Mabbutt recently for Episode 37 of the Sustainable(ish) podcast, where she shared with us her amazing business Frome Eco Party Packages, and her top tips for anyone wanting to start up a similar thing near them. She's very kindly helped me to collate this little "How to.." guide with all the info in one place to make it super easy.

Why you might want to:

I'm sure any parent will tell you that kids birthday parties are massively wasteful - and that's before we even get started on presents and party bags. Many of us will resort to paper plates and cups to lighten the load a little but all of this ends up in our black bins and the more aware we become about plastic and rubbish, the more we’re realising that there is no simple magic land of ‘away' where the fairies take our rubbish and turn it into unicorns and flowers. It all has to go somewhere, and if it’s in our black bins it’s going to landfill or incineration – neither of which are great (to say the least) for the environment. Most paper plates aren't recyclable so we can't use recycling to ease our consciences, and so-called compostable plates and cups are only truly compostable under industrial conditions, which are only available in a few selected sites around the country.The ideal scenario is to use reusable party ware, but how many of have enough in our cupboards at home to deal with a whole party?More and more people are wanting to do the right thing by the planet, but it makes no sense at all for each of to buy (and then store for most of the year) enough reusable plates and cups. Having a service that allows these things to be hired out to families as and when they need them makes perfect sense.

It sounds like a great project for a school PTA?

Yes and no. In fact, the inspiration for Frome Eco Party Packages came from an article Tillie read about a PTA in Wales doing exactly this. But as Tillie points out it seems ridiculous for every school in a town to buy the stuff and set up a scheme, when it would be much more sensible (and indeed more eco-friendly) to just have one central service for the whole town.If you still love the idea of being able to fundraise for PTAs you can do as Tillie does and donate a percentage of the fee to the child's school's PTA (Tillie donates 15%).

What do I need?

Tillie has bought enought for two 'Ultimate party packs' which include:

20 plates
20 cups
4 food trays
2 water jugs
10 bowls for snacks and crisps
1 birthday bunting
2 compostable food waste bags

Optional add ons

Depending on how involved you want to make it, other ideas for additional extras you could offer include:

Cutlery
Eco-friendly/plastic-free party bags (there are ideas for these here) or you could hook up with an existing eco party bag business
Additional bunting
Pompoms/balloon alternatives
Washable tableclothes
Washable napkins
Cakes/cupcakes

Should I use plastic? Aren't we trying to avoid plastic?

The main issue with plastic is single use plastic. Plastic in itself is actually a really useful material, especially for situations like kids parties where breakages are a possibility. Plus it's super easy to clean and can ultimately be recycled.Bamboo picninc ware tends to still be mixed with some kind of resin or plastic polymers making it difficult to recyle at the end of it's life and is also prone to breaking if it's dropped. The plates etc that Tillie has found are BPA free, and dishwasher safe - so if you don't use the links below, do look for these two things.

Where to buy?

In an ideal world we'd try and pool together things from friends and neighbours, which can be a great idea if you're just doing it for your own use, but if people are paying for a service you may find that they're happier with something that all matches and isn't already looking too worn.

Ikea plates - £1.20 for 6
Ikea bowls - £1.20 for 6
Ikea cups - £1.20 for 6
Ikea plastic cutlery - £1.20 for six sets of knife/fork/spoon
Colourful serving platters
Jugs - Tillie says she got theirs from Sainsburys but I can't find a link at the moment!
Bunting - obviously if you can make your own, or know someone who would be willing, that's awesome. A great idea is to reuse old fabric, so look out for colourful bed sheets etc in charity shops. Failing that a quick 'Ecosia search' led me to this company that make bunting from upcycled fabric.

How/where to store it all

Ikea do a range of various plastic boxes with lids - this one here looks like it would do the job .Or there's these ones with castors that also have lids available. Try and find something that will stack well so you can pop a couple on top of each other. If you've got a garage or a shed then you can store it there (make sure the kid is on to prevent dust etc) or failing that find a corner of your home to squeeze it in! Make sure it's easily accessible thought otherwise it will become a total nightmare trying to heft it out each time it's needed.

Total start-up costs

This obviously depends on how many setting you buy - if you buy 60 plates and cups you will have enough for 3 x 20, or 2 x 20 with spares for people to hire as add-ons

60 plates = £12
60 cups = £12
12 food trays = £23.25
6 water jugs = £12
30 bowls for snacks and crisps = £6
1 birthday bunting - price will vary or you can make your own
2 compostable food waste bags - a pack is around £5 or £6
2 x storage boxes (obviouls you could use something you already have) = £14
Total cost around £80 excluding bunting

How much should I charge?

This is obviously entirely up to you, but as a guide Tillie charges £10 for their 'Ultimate Party Package' (see above for contents) and then £1.50 for every additional 5 childrens place settings.Tillie charges a £5 refundable depost payable when the booking is made and refunded when the package is returned.Tillie also offers an optional washing up service for anyone who really can't be bothered with it, and in this case she simply keeps the £5 deposit.

Do I need a website and loads of techie knowledge?

No! Keep it simple - at least to start with. If you go on to decide you want to create an all singing all dancing business and website to match, then go for it, but I think for most, this will be a lovely community side project rather than a money making business. This is what you'll need:

A Facebook page - you can see the Frome Eco Party Package FB page here
Frome Eco Party Packages also has an Instagram page (optional)
Some way of taking payment - this can be Paypal or a bank transfer
A diary to keep track of who has placed orders

Anything else?

At Frome Eco Party Packages Tillie pops a little info sheet in the box with info on about cleaning and using the bunting etc which also has a mini inventory of what's in the box so people know what they should be returning.

[…]

[033] ECOBRICKS – ALL YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED!

Jen Gale — Wed, 22 May 2019 20:27:30 GMT

If you've not got time to listen to the podcast or read the whole post, scroll to the end for the 'take home' points!

Ecobricks. Plastic bottles packed with clean and dry plastic that can then be used literally as building bricks for a whole variety of structures. They seem to the the marmite of the plastic pollution fight with advocates citing them as a great way to keep plastic out of the biosphere (whilst we work on drastically reducing the mind boggling-ly enormous amount of plastic that we have come to depend on) and for the plastic that we would otherwise throw 'away' (altogether now "but we know there is no 'away'") to be turned into something of value. Meanwhile opponents argue that by having a nice neat end point for our plastic somehow legitimises it's use and prevents us tackling the real issues around reducing the amount that we're using. I've been intrigued by Ecobricks for a year or two now, and have been trying to get Lucie on the podcast for the last six months or so. Lucie is the UK's Ecobrick Queen, the 1st UK certified trainer, and all round wonder-woman. And she steadfastly refused to come on the podcast until I had made my very own Ecobrick. And I procrastinated, and faffed, until eventually Lucie sent me a 'make your own Ecobrick kit' to make it as easy as possible for me. And even then it still took me a good couple of months to get round to it. But at last it was done, and it was a really useful experience to make one.In this podcast we dive into everything Ecobricks - what they are, why they came into being, what we can do with them, and how to make them. I also asked on my FB page what people wanted to know about them, and posed several of those questions to Lucie, especially regarding the issues around whether they actually encourage plastic use, and any damage they might do the environment as and when they degrade.

It was a really interesting chat (I hope you agree) and it was great to be able to cut through some of the hype and hysteria that sometimes surrounds them, and speak to someone who lives and breathes Ecobricks and is truly passionate about the positive impact they can have, not just on the sheer volume of plastic we're pumping out, but on communities and individuals as well. Be prepared, this is a slightly longer episode than normal, but with half-term coming up I figured you might be looking for something to keep you (and the kids!) entertained on long car journeys if you're off on your hols

Useful links

Ecobricks International- Website- Catalyst programme for businesses- Facebook- Instagram
Ecobricks UK - Facebook group
New Forest Aquaponics - Lucie's website with all the UK ecobrick info on- Lucie's Facebook page which has lots of info on ecobricks and workshops etc- Lucie's next Ecobrick workshop - 1st June near Southampton
The link to the post detailing how to make your very own Ecobrick tablelamp
The link to sign up for the Sustainable(ish) Sunday newsletter

TLDL?

This is internet speak for "Too long, didn't listen" (it's usually TLDR - too long didn't read). I had to look it up.In my mind you all eagerly await each new episode of the podcast and sit down in your favourite chair with a cuppa and a piece of cake in blissful peach and quiet to listen, or you're listening while you're out striding around some rugged landscape or other with your photogenic dog running along at your side. In reality, we're all time poor and I concede that you might not have a free hour+ without extraneous noise at any point other than when you're asleep. So here are the take home nuggets:

- Ecobricks are plastic bottles packed with clean, dry, shredded plastic to create a dense 'brick like' structure.- They can be used to create whole buildings when covered with 'cob' in the wattle and daub style that we might all remember learning about in history classes in school, and in the developing world schools and houses have indeed been made from them.- Ecobricks made in the UK stay in the UK, and are used as close to where they are made as possible.- If you want to use the Ecobricks that you've made in your home, a great project is an Ecobrick stool.- If you have no use for your Ecobricks personally, you can find a local project that will use them, or start your own community project (things like friendship benches and raised beds for gardening are popular).- The process of making an Ecobrick is not a 'get out of jail free card' that absolves you of any need to think about and reduce your plastic consumption. Partly because it's actually bloody hard work making one and not for the faint hearted. And partly because the sheer act of collecting all your plastic to go into your Ecobrick will horrify you and is pretty much guaranteed to see you committing to changes to reduce it. - Ecobricking is not a substitute for applying our old fave the Waste Hierarchy and looking to REFUSE, REDUCE and REUSE plastic before we resort to Ecobricking it.

[…]

[031] PLASTIC FREE PERIODS AND WIPES WITH SUSIE HEWSON FROM NATRACARE

Jen Gale — Wed, 08 May 2019 06:30:05 GMT

If you've not got time to listen to the podcast or read the whole post, scroll to the end for the 'take home' points!

When I was first approached to ask if I would be interested in interviewing the Susie Hewson, the founder of Natracare about their new safe to flush wipes my instant response was a resounding "No".I felt quite strongly that we should be discouraging the use of single use wipes, and also that marketing a flushable wipe would confuse the message that is starting to filter down that wipes should very definitely NOT be flushed. But I decided to do a bit of digging and a bit of research and it dawned on me that if I’m going to brand and label myself as ‘sustainanble(ish)' then these wipes are probably a very good example of that sustainable(ish) approach.

We went cold turkey on baby wipes during our year buying nothing new and I haven’t used them for at least 6 years, so it can be done, and it can be done with young children in tow. The answer is reusable wipes and companies like Cheeky Wipes make it super easy now for people to make the switch. And remember that we’re not just talking baby wipes here, we’re talking make up wipes, cleaning wipes, pet wipes, you name it, there’s probably a wipe for it. And for each of those scenarios, reusables will work just as well and in an ideal world disposable wipes wouldn’t be needed.But I’m also a realist and I know that my little social media bubble, my FB group, is not representative of the vast majority of society and that the wipe genie is not going to go back into the bottle anytime soon. So actually, maybe there is a need for a better type of wipe – a wipe that doesn’t contain plastic (as all other wipes do) and that has been through a rigorous certification process and independently deemed by the water authorities to be safe to flush.I would always encourage the use of reusable products over single use, but I also know that none of us is perfect. That there might be the odd occasion when we need to reach for a packet of wipes, whether we’re at a festival (if you’re much hipper and cooler than me), if you’re on holiday without any washing facilities and young messy kids, or maybe you're just getting started, you're a new mum and while you can just about get your head around resusable wipes at home, it all becomes a bit much when you start to think about leaving the house. Now at least there's a choice and a wipe that gives you an option other than to add another piece of plastic into the environment. I’m fully expecting a bit of a backlash from putting this out there. To maybe be accused of not being ‘green enough'. For advocating disposable products. But please, before you write me an angry e-mail or leave a disparaging comment on social emdia, listen right to the end. I came away from my conversation with Susie with a changed mind and a respect for her and her brand and what they are tring to achieve. As Susie says, she set up Natracare to be a campaigning brand, one that drives standards up, shows what can be done and invites the rest of the industry to step up and do the same. We need more brands like this. Who are looking beyond profit and thinking carefully about their impact on the planet, and thinking about how to create better products for people are starting to think about sustainable(ish) changes they can make. So please do take a listen, with an open mind, and ideally a cuppa and a piece of cake. Enjoy.

Useful links

TLDL?

This is internet speak for "Too long, didn't listen" (it's usually TLDR - too long didn't read). I had to look it up.In my mind you all eagerly await each new episode of the podcast and sit down in your favourite chair with a cuppa and a piece of cake in blissful peach and quiet to listen, or you're listening while you're out striding around some rugged landscape or other with your photogenic dog running along at your side. In reality, we're all time poor and I concede that you might not have a free 45 minutes without extraneous noise at any point other than when you're asleep. So here are the take home nuggets:

- Conventional period products contain plastic - a typical sanitary towel can be up to 90% plastic, and a standard pack of sanitary towels contains the same amount of plastic as 4 carrier bags.- Each DAY 700k panty liners, 2.5 million tampons and 1.4 million sanitary towels are flushed down the loo in the UK. This is bad.It costs the water companies millions of pounds each year to clear them from the water treatement plants and causes sewerage blockages. They can also end up being washed out to sea and cause problems for marine life, as well as being hugely unpleasant when one floats past you when you're paddling at the beach.- Conventional wipes are made of plastic. They will not biodegrade or break downing the sewerage system. - The only things that should be flushed down the loo are the '3 Ps' - pee, poo and paper- Early in 2019 Water UK introduced a new 'fine to flush' standard that has been developed by the water industry (who have a vested interest in these things as they are the ones forking out the cash to clear up the blockages) - the wipes industry had a bit of a paddy and said it would be impossible to create a wipe that would pass.- Natracare's Safe to Flush wipes are the first (and only so far) wipes to pass this new standard - the wipes are made from paper and will break down fully in the sewerage system and are home compostable.- I'm not on commission (as someone on FB suggested!) I just think that we need to provide people with choices. If people aren't ready for, or able to use, reusable wipes 100% of the time for whatever reason, up until now they had no choice but to reach for a plastic based wipe and add to the plastic pollution issues. Now there is a choice, and Natracare's aim is that it forces up the standards within the whole wipes industry.That might have been TLDR but hopefully you get the essence!

[…]

[030] SISTERS AGAINST PLASTIC

Jen Gale — Wed, 01 May 2019 09:27:49 GMT

How do you feel when you open your bin to throw something away? Or after you've done your weekly shop? Smug and self-congratulatory at just how little single use plastic there is? Or like most of us, guilty and overwhelmed by quite how much there is?Teresa Walters was faced with a whole bin full of unrecyclable plastic after Christmas in 2017 and decided that enough was enough and that she was going to do something about it. She roped in her sister Mary, and together they embarked on a competition between the two families to see who could reduce their plastic waste by the most over the course of 2018. This episode is packed with loads of really actionable tips and if it doesn’t inspire you to make a start on reducing your single use plastic, then I'm genuinely not sure what will! The energy that Teresa and Mary have really comes across during our chat, and I love the way that they’ve teamed up (albeit in competition) to make change happen, and I think it’s easy to see how by working together they’ve been able to bouy each other up and achieve far more than either of them probably would have been able to on their own. So grab and pencil and a piece of scrap paper to make some notes and then sit back and enjoy!

Useful links

Sisters Against Plastic- Facebook page- On Twitter- Buying Group
Plastic Free July
Faith in Nature
Ecoegg
Wyatt and Jack - inflatable amnesty
Clean Bin Project film
Sodastream (I got ours secondhand from eBay so do take a look for a 'preloved' one first!
[009] - 4 easy ways to reduce your plastic footprint (podcast)
[007] - Shopping plastic-free without a local zero waste store (podcast)
[006] - Plastic-free living with the Zero Waste Chef (podcast)
Plastic-free(ish) party bags (blog post)
9 top tips for shopping plastic- free(ish) at the supermarket (blog post)
Plastic-free(ish) pets (blog post)
Re-usable alternatives to clingfilm (blog post)
The Essential Guide to a Plastic-free(ish) Home (e-guide)
The link to sign up for the Sustainable(ish) Sunday newsletter

HOW TO MAKE LIQUID SOAP FROM A BAR (from the Sisters Against Plastic FB page)1: Pop 2.5 litres of water with 1 table spoon of coconut oil on the hob to boil. 2: Grate one bar of ordinary soap (don’t use Dove) and add it to water. Gently heat whilst stirring and bring to the boil. 3: You can add a tablespoon of glycerine at this point if you would like your soap to be thicker than we have made ours. 3: Customise your soap with food colourings / essential oils / honey (great to add moisturiser) 4: Pour into bottles and let cool overnight.

[…]

[032] – THE INTROVERTS GUIDE TO CLIMATE MARCHES (OR HOW TO GO ON A PROTEST MARCH IF MARCHING REALLY ISN’T YOUR THING)

Jen Gale — Wed, 15 May 2019 10:23:00 GMT

I'm not sure about you, but I've sat behind my phone or my laptop on social media watching the youth climate marches, and the Extinction Rebellion protests with a mixture of gratitude, and awe, maybe a little bit of envy. And I've also curled up inside at the thought of going along myself. I feel like this stuff NEEDS to happen, that it's so important that we stand up and show the world, the government, business leaders and our friends and family that this matters. That this matters enough for us to get off our butts and take time out of our busy lives to literally stand up and be counted. But I've always felt like marching, and protesting, and waving placards was for other people. People braver than me, more extroverted, more out spoken. And I've felt a little bit ashamed that I haven't joined in.

When I heard about the Mothers Rise Up climate march, organised by an 'ordinary group of scared mums' I felt like maybe this was something I could join in with. Even as as someone who's not mad keen on crowds and hordes of strangers. Even if I had to go on my own.So this Sunday I went. And now obviously feel suitably qualified to put together a little round up of tips for other first time introverts scared of the thought of marches too.Enjoy!

TOP TIPS...

Go with a friend or try to arrange to meet someone there - it's honestly not horrendous if you do end up going on your own, but for a first time a friend is definitely helpful!
Make a placard - my friend was right. It does give you something to do with your hands, and it makes you feel part of of the march. AND it's a great conversation starter - several people commented on mine and we'd then chat for a few minutes together.
Make your banner foldable/roll-able if you don't want to have to carry it on the train/tube and feel like a knob. Having said that, it is a good way for other people to recognise fellow marchers, and a good way to start conversations with others not aware of the march taking place.
Wear comfy shoes - you'll be on your feet for a LONG time.
Smile at people and make eye contact. This is sometimes easier if they've got young kids with them as you can congratulate the kids on their banners/t-shirts/just being there, and then it's an easy 'in' into a conversation with their parents.
Set yourself a goal of talking to at least one stranger. Or two. Or however many feels ok(ish).
You're under no obligation to shout/chant/sing, so if this is going to make you feel even more awkward either move away from the shouting/chanting/singing types or do like most of us do in church/school assemblies and mouth the words whilst smiling maniacally.
Look around. Soak up the atmosphere. Feel a part of something bigger.
And at the end of the day, if it all gets a bit much - a bit too overwhelming, a bit too people-y, head for home. You made it. You took a massive step out of your comfort zone. Next time maybe you'll stay longer. Next time, maybe a friend will come with you, or one of your kids.
Take snacks. And drinks. And try to wee before you arrive at the start point. Oh, and suncream if it's going to be sunny.
Be proud of yourself for what you're doing. For stepping up. For standing up. For being part of democracy and making your voice heard. You rock.

Useful links

4 things you can do to support the climate strike (if you're not the striking type) - blog post
A beginners guide to plastic-free and eco-friendly periods - blog post
Mothers Rise up
Youth Climate Strike UK
Extinction Rebellion
The Sutainable(ish) FB group - your online tribe and a great place to find like-minded souls
The link to sign up for the Sustainable(ish) Sunday newsletter

[…]

[017] – SUSTAINABLE(ISH) TRAVEL WITH EARTH CHANGERS

Jen Gale — Wed, 17 Oct 2018 10:16:47 GMT

Travel.We all want to do it- whether it's to experience the world and different cultures, or simply to get some R&R in the sunshine away from the gloom of the British winter or the fickle nature of English summers.But for most of us on the sustainable(ish) spectrum, it probably comes with a good smattering of guilt layered in - worrying about the carbon footprint of our flight, or wincing at the volume of single use plastic that aeroplane travel seems to generate. So are you condemned to spending our holidays in cold damp caravan parks in North Wales (as an aside I love caravan parks, and I'm sure North Wales is lovely. And not always damp.)?Does climate change and our desire to not exacerbate it mean that foreign travel is off the cards, and our kids will only ever see foreign climes on the tele-box?Thankfully not, according to the lovely and supremely knowledgable Vicky Smith - founder of sustainable travel company Earth Changers.Apparently, and this blew my mind, it is possible to travel not only in a way that is LESS negative, but for our travel to have a net POSITIVE impact on both people and planet. I genuinely had no idea - to my mind prior to this chat, air travel was bad, end of. I hadn't really given much (any) thought to the impact that tourism can have at the end destinations, and as it turns out, with a little bit of thought and research, this can be a really positive thing all round.Hurray!But before you start dragging your suitcases down from the loft and contemplate shaving your legs, listen in to find out how you can make your holiday and your travel as sustainable(ish) as poss.

ENJOY.

[…]

[003] – A SUSTAINABLE LIFE – START WITH WHY

Jen Gale — Fri, 11 May 2018 13:06:56 GMT

In this episode, I share why I think it’s so important for us all to get really clear on WHY it’s so important to us that we make sustainable changes in our lives.It may well be something you’ve never really thought about, but if you can spend a few minutes giving your ‘why’ some thought, it can be a really powerful motivator to keep you taking those all important steps forwards on your sustainable living journey.

[…]

[001] – A SUSTAINABLE LIFE – THE PODCAST!

Jen Gale — Fri, 11 May 2018 13:04:17 GMT

Yes, that’s right, a podcast!I’m SO excited to get this out there – it feels like this podcast been a long time coming, and I can’t wait to get on some of my sustainable living heroes as guests, and to chat with you each week about all things sustainable living and hopefully inspire and motivate you to think about the small changes YOU could make that would make a big difference.

Hear more about my ‘sustainability journey’ – what got me started, and how I ended up here, in this inaugural episode of A Sustainable Life!

[…]

[111] EARTH OVERSHOOT DAY – WHAT IS IT AND WHY DOES IT MATTER?

Jen Gale — Fri, 30 Jul 2021 18:49:01 GMT

Earth Overshoot DayHave you heard of it?

You may have seen a post or two on social media telling you that today is Earth Overshoot Day, and you may well be wondering what on earth that is! Which is a great question.

Here's the official definition:"Earth Overshoot Day marks the date when humanity’s demand for ecological resources and services in a given year exceeds what Earth can regenerate in that year."

Any clearer? Me neither.Tune in as I explain a little more, about what Earth Overshoot Day is, why it matters, and what we can do about it.Enjoy!

LISTEN... CHECK OUT...

Earth Overshoot Day
Conscious Consumption (podcast)
Sustainable(ish) Guardian Masterclass
The Sustainable(ish) FB group
The Knackered Mums Eco Club - come and join us for a month of plastic-free(ish) action in July!

DO...

Slow down your consumption- could you commit to buying a percentage of clothes secondhand?- could you walk or bike journeys under a mile?- could you reduce your meat consumption by 50%
Have a conversation with a friend or colleague about Earth Overshoot Day, or post something on social media (you could even share this podcast... )

Had you already heard of Earth Overshoot Day?Do you find it a useful visual/conversation starter? AVAILABLE ONLINE AND IN ALL GOOD BOOK SHOPS NOW!

"Easily the most family friendly way to do your bit"The Sunday Times

[…]

[180] Food and Climate Change without the Hot Air with Sarah Bridle

Jen Gale — Fri, 15 Mar 2024 08:48:39 GMT

In this week's episode I'm chatting to Sarah Bridle, who is possibly our first Professor on the podcast! Professor Sarah Bridle is Chair in Food, Climate and Society at the University of York, researching environmental impacts of the food system and potential impacts of the environment on food availability. She is also the author of Food and Climate Change - Without the Hot Air, an accessible guide to how different foods contribute to climate change, a brilliant book which I would highly recommend!Food is a big part of all of our lives. And it's a big part of the climate crisis too - around a third of all greenhouse gas emissions come from food. When it comes to 'sustainable food' it very quickly gets very complicated - there are so many different things to think about, and often it feels very difficult to make the 'right' decision.

I loved hearing Sarah's personal story around her career pivot from Astrophysics to food and climate change, and how she has also had to navigate the difficulties of trying to change family diets and habits in her own household, so understands that what can sound like straightforward swaps on paper, are often more challenging!We cover a LOT in the episode, and I'm very aware that we might have simply opened a whole can of worms and raised even more questions - do let me know if there's bits that you would love to hear more about and dive into a little more detail!

Sarah Bridle

LISTEN... USEFUL LINKS:

Any clearer about food and climate impacts? Or have we left you with even more questions?!Let me know in the comments! […]

[100] ASK ME ANYTHING

Jen Gale — Fri, 02 Apr 2021 11:27:26 GMT

Episode 100!How did that happen?I’m the least planny ahead planning type person, so it only occurred to me to start thinking about what to do for this episode a week or so ago. Short of having Greta or Sir David Attenborough on, I was short on ideas for what I could do to mark the occasion. So I asked the audience. Or more specifically, my audience, you guys, on social media.And you all said that you wanted to hear from me. Actually, that’s a lie, several people did indeed suggest Greta and Sir David, along with Chris Packham and a few others, but given the timeframe and my lack of celebrity contacts, I went with the next most popular suggestion which was to hear from. Which feels pretty excruciating if I’m honest.So I asked for questions that you wanted to ask, and then decided that rather than listen to me drone on asking myself questions and then answering them, it might be more interesting if we had a couple of guest presenters.Enter Kate (who runs The Full Freezer - check out our podcast chat here) and Laura (who blogs at Eco'ish Laura), recruited from the Knackered Mums Eco Club, who gamely jumped on Zoom and did a brilliant job of sifting through the questions and asking them.I find the concept of an episode all about me toe curlingly awful, so I really hope that this is interesting for you guys to listen to – do let me know, and let me know what other questions, if any, you’ve got for me and I can save them up for the 200th episode!A massive thank you to each and every one of you, for tuning in , for sharing the podcast, for rating and reviewing it, and most of all for listening and getting in touch to share the actions that you’ve been inspired to take after listening – it really does make it all worthwhile. I’m taking a short break now over Easter, but will be back in a few weeks time to make a start on a whole new centenary of episodes.Here's the questions:

How did the first book come about?
What do you find hardest about living sustainably and how do you tackle it?
What keeps you going?
How do you deal with any criticism around the 'ish' not being enough?
What do I think about the ripples I create, and what's the biggest one?
When did you know that The Knackered Mums Eco Club was a 'thing'?
How do you feel about reaching 100 podcast episodes?
What are your top tips for speaking to others and getting them engaged?
What are my favourite 'non-individual' projects I've seen?
What do my kids think of my job?
Who do I want to talk in the next 100 episodes and if money and footprint were no object who would I want to have on?
What is your biggest 'ish'?

Useful links

Gah! Was that as toe-curling for you as it was for me?What other questions have you got?Let me know! AVAILABLE ONLINE AND IN ALL GOOD BOOK SHOPS NOW!

"Easily the most family friendly way to do your bit"The Sunday Times

[…]

[047] FIGHTING FOOD WASTE – WHY IT’S IMPORTANT AND HOW TO MAKE IT EASIER WITH OLIO

Jen Gale — Wed, 02 Oct 2019 19:05:34 GMT

DID YOU KNOW?

A land mass larger than China is used to grow food that is never eaten
25% of humanity's water is used on food that is never eaten
Food waste accounts for around 7% of global greenhouse gas emissions (2-4x greater than aviation)
If food waste were a country it would be the third biggest emitter of greenhouse gases after the USA and China
50% of food waste occurs in the home

All of those stats are pretty shocking, but the one that always gets me is the food waste in the home one. It's easy to blame farmers, or supermarkets for food waste, but actually the biggest culprits are us - you and me - with the brown bananas we ditch, or that pot of hummus at the back of fridge that we forgot about. And no matter how anal we might be about food waste, it's always going to occur -there's always going to be that kids party where they were all too hyped up to eat the carefully prepared sandwiches, party rings, crisps and the token carrot sticks you put on the table to make yourself feel slightly better about the rest of it; or the food left in the fridge before we go on holiday; or that unexpected work meeting. And this is where Olio comes in - it's a food sharing app that makes it easy for us to share food we don't want or need with neighbours living nearby who would like it.

Listen in to my chat with Tessa Clarke, joint founder and CEO of Olio. Hear how Tessa and her business partner got started with just a handful of people in a What’s App group, and how they grew that to an app that has amassed a million users. AND their plans to grow it to over a billion users in the coming years. It's an inspiring call to action for all of us to join the food waste revolution.Enjoy!

Useful links

Olio- Website- Facebook- Twitter- Instagram- Olio volunteer roles
[041] U se your phone to fight food waste with CozZo (podcast)
The Sustainable(ish) Big Six (blog post)
Fight food waste with your phone (blog post)
Sustainable(ish) online community FB group

[…]

12 DAYS OF SUSTAINABLE(ISH) – DAY 8 SUSTAINABLE(ISH) WORK

Jen Gale — Sat, 04 Jan 2020 07:00:00 GMT

Useful links

All the places you can buy The Sustainable(ish) Living Guide online..!
Cat Fletcher- Twitter
Freegle - Website- Facebook- Twitter
Brighton Waste House
Warp-it
Tech Take Back - BBC coverage- London events
Julies Bicycle
The Sustainable Restaurant Association
Climate Change Coalition
Green Alliance
Ellen MacArthur Foundation

How sustainable(ish) is your work place?What changes would you love to see implemented?Let me know in the comments! AVAILABLE 9th JAN 2020 PRE-ORDER NOW!! "The most eco-common sense thing I've read!" […]

[040] PANTS FOR YOUR PERIOD WITH WUKA

Jen Gale — Wed, 10 Jul 2019 09:19:53 GMT

So today’s episode is all about period pants. "What are period pants?" I hear you ask! Well, they do exactly what they say on the tin – they’re pants you wear when you’re on your period – they have an absorbent gusset (I'm totally still immature enough to snigger at the word 'gusset' #sorrynotsorry) and soak up and lock away the blood. So all you have to do is pull on your pants, no pads shifting around and giving you a wedgie, or any of that nonsense. I think they’re a brilliant option for teenage girls starting their periods, as they’re less daunting than being faced with a menstrual cup, and they can also be used for bleeding after you’ve given birth or if you suffer from stress incontinence (listen in to hear about my mild trauma going trampolining with the kids..!)I feel like we’ve done quite a bit of period talk in the iseason of the podcast – we’ve had Susie Hewson from Natracare talking about plastic in period products and wipes in Episode 31 and a fab chat with Celia, one of the co-founders of DAME, the first reusable tampon applicator (not as grim as it sounds!) in Episode 35.But there’s still so much of a taboo around periods, when half of the population has/will have/or has had them, so I figure the more we talk about it the better. And given that in the UK 4.6 million single use tampon and pads are flushed away every single day, I think the more we talk about reusable options for our periods, the better too.In this episode I’m chatting to Ruby Raut, founder of WUKA (which stands for Wake Up Kick Ass just in case you were wondering!) a UK brand of period pants – she tells us her powerful story behind starting the company, and some of the bigger issues that WUKA is helping to tackle with regards to period taboos and ocean plastic.Listen in, and do let me know your thoughts. If you’ve got two minutes it would be AMAZING if you could show the podcast some love over on itunes by leaving a rating and a review, and of course, tell all your friends.Enjoy!

Useful links

WUKA- Website- Facebook- Instagram- Twitter- WUKA's works with Plastic Oceans
Plastic Oceans UK
A beginners guide to period pants (blog post)
[031] - Plastic-free periods and wipes with Natracare (podcast)
[035] - #BleedRedThinkGreen - The world's first reusable tampon applicator with DAME (podcast)
A beginners guide to plastic-free and eco-friendly periods (blog post)

WASHING

Wash at 40C or below
Hand washing is ideal
Simply rinse and then chuck in the wash with other dark coloured items
DO NOT TUMBLE DRY
Rubber rings
Trampoline canvas

FAQs

How many pairs would I need?If you bleed for the 'average' 4-5 day period, then you'll need around 7 pairs - 5 heavy, and 2 light
How do I know when I need to change?Ordinarily the pants should feel dry, as the blood is locked away. once they reach 'peak absorbency' you'll start to notice them feeling a bit wet - this is the time to change
What do I do when I'm out and about? Simply carry a 'wet bag' with you with a clean pair in, pop your dirty pants in there, and your clean ones on. Then when you get back rinse and wash the dirty ones
How long does a pair last? The 'light flow' pants should last several years. The 'heavy flow' ones will start to lose absorbency after about 2 years, at which point you can relegate them to lighter flow days.

[…]

[150] Re-run the fun…With Episode 050 – Everything Electric Cars

Jen Gale — Fri, 12 Aug 2022 14:53:41 GMT

The podcast is having a bit of a break over the summer, so we’re re-running some of the fun and I’m picking some of my fave episodes from the last 140 odd. It’s been a tough job choosing, but also really lovely to browse through the back catalogue and remember all the wonderful people and organisations I’ve been lucky enough to get to chat to!Today’s ‘re-run the fun’ episode is Episode 50 – Everything Electric Cars with James and Kate. I’ve chosen this one because it possibly feels even more relevant now than it did a few years ago when it was first released.The speed of the rise in uptake of electrics cars has taken everyone by surprise and I’m sure I’m not alone in delighting in seeing so many of them out and about day to day. But lots of people still have lots of questions about them, and this episode with James and Kate, who have a brilliant EV You Tube channel which I’ve linked to in the show notes, should hopefully help answer lots of them.EVs aren’t a magic bullet for de-carbonising our transport systems – we need lots more and lots better public transport, and we need to help encourage active travel, but they are a big part of the jigsaw.

Do let me know if you listened to this one the first time around, if this is all new to you, and if you’ve still got any questions about electric vehicles! LISTEN... CHECK OUT...

[112] SUSTAINABLE(ISH) LIVE AT TIMBER FESTIVAL – COMMUNITY ENERGY WITH BRIGHTON ENERGY CO-OPERATIVE

Jen Gale — Tue, 21 Sep 2021 14:42:41 GMT

This episode was recorded live at Timber Festival over the summer and was my first every experience of a live podcast recording - I think it went ok!

Timber Festival is an annual festival in the National Forest in the middle of England, that this year happened at the beginning of July - there was a brilliant line up of talks, music, food and everything else you would expect from a festival (including rain..!). Because I'm a total geek I was particularly excited by the reusable cups, reusable wristbands and the compost loos!

I'm chatting to Will Cottrell, Chair and Co-Founder of Brighton Energy Co-operative, about all things Community Energy - what it is, how it works, and how we as individuals, households, and businesses can get involved.

LISTEN... CHECK OUT...

DO...

Get in touch with your MP about the Local Electricity Bill
Find out if you have a community energy group near you
Write to your local council asking if they have ever considered community energy on their buildings

Let me know your thoughts about community energy! 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! […]

[173] Digital footprints and carbon fingerprints – with Matt and Will from Carbon Fingerprint

Jen Gale — Fri, 17 Nov 2023 14:27:18 GMT

This week we’re diving into all things digital with Matt and Will from an organisation called Carbon Fingerprint.For many of us, the planetary impact of our online lives maybe isn’t something that we give much thought to – the cloud is this ethereal thing that none of us quite understand, and I personally can’t even begin to get my head around how the internet works, so have to assume it’s some kind of magic. And surely magic can’t be bad for the planet right?Wrong. Sadly. Again.‘The internet’ – all of our devices and computers; the infrastructure, so the cables, the data centres etc; and the combined energy usage of all of that already has a carbon footprint greater than that of the aviation industry (which for reference is around 2-5% of global emissions) and that is set to at least double in the next 10 years!If pushed, most of us might think about the electricity that’s used when we charge our phones and laptops, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg – did you know it takes 800kg of resources to make a 2kg laptop. I learned that on a Digital Collage workshop a couple of weeks ago and it absolutely blew my mind! And it’s not just the planetary impacts of our internet usage that we need to be aware of , there are other impacts on our mental health, our physical health, and our connectedness with people and nature. Many of us use our phones more than we actually want to, and are aware that we can spend hours of our days doom scrolling, ending up feeling worse. Social media is deliberately designed to be addictive and has done a very good job of keeping us hooked, and indeed polarising society. That all sounds very doom and gloom, and as someone who runs an online business and uses the internet to hopefully try and spread some good around the world, I’m aware that there are also huge benefits to it, so as with everything, I guess it’s around making sure that we use it more thoughtfully and consciously, being mindful of it’s impact both on the planet and on our own well-being.Matt, Will and two other friends have set up Carbon fingerprint with this exact dual purpose – they want to raise awareness of the impact of our internet usage, provide tips, ideas and resources for us all to help us to use it more mindfully, and provide a way for anyone who wants to, to meaningfully remove the carbon emissions produced by our internet usage from the atmosphere.If you’re anything like me, this might be an area of your life you haven’t given much thought to before, but once you start digging, it’s fascinating and terrifying! We’ve been doing a ‘digital detox’ in The Sustainable(ish) Clubhouse, with people committing to simple but impactful things like swapping the 10 mins (and it’s never just 10mins is it?!) doom scroll before bed for reading, or going for a walk without their phone!I’d love to know your thoughts on this one, and on your own relationship to your phone – do you often find yourself doom scrolling? Are you concerned about how much time your or your kids spend online? Is this additional knowledge about the planetary impact of that time spent an added incentive to try and take back control?!Let me know!

Matt Bird - Carbon fingerprint co-founder

Will Owen - Carbon fingerprint co-founder

GOOD NEWS!In the new Good News section after the main interview, I share some of the good climate news happening (because there is some, I promise!). Here's this weeks pick:

The world's biggest polluter neared peak emissions (Positive News)
The circular economy is coming to Europe (Positive News)
And much closer to home, I wanted to share this from Rachel who is signed up to the Crap-free Christmas course – she shared this in the course FB group:"First result! I started a WhatsApp conversation with my brothers on Monday about streamlining the presents this year (I have three brothers and we all have children). We have done secret Santa amongst the adults a few times and I was up for that again, but we have actually gone further and are now saying no presents for the adults this year! The exceptions are you are allowed to give someone something if you’ve seen something specific you really want to get them, or passing on a book you’ve read and enjoyed.I’ve also started some good conversations with people about which bits of Christmas we actually like and which we can do without. And I’ve done a lot of soul searching within myself, with the result I think I’m going to actually enjoy Christmas a lot more this year.All prompted by signing up to this group so thanks Jen!"

LISTEN... USEFUL LINKS:

What do you think?Had you thought about your carbon fingerprint before?What are you going to do after listening?Delete duplicate photos? Turn down the brightness on your screen or switch to dark mode?Are you going to swap your bedtime doom scroll for a nice book?! Could you manage a screen-free day?! Or simply just do something without your phone…!And super importantly, how long could you keep your current phone in use for?!Do let me know in the comments! […]

12 DAYS OF SUSTAINABLE(ISH) – DAY 10 SUSTAINABLE(ISH) TRAVEL & TRANSPORT

Jen Gale — Mon, 06 Jan 2020 07:00:11 GMT

OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG....!It is with HUGE excitement that I bring you this very special mini-series of the Sustainable(ish) podcast to celebrate, and to count down to, the launch of The Sustainable(ish) Living Guide - everything you need to know to make small changes that make a big difference.This book is pretty much the distillation of the Sustainable(ish) ethos and is being published by Bloomsbury on January 9th 2020 , and to mark such an auspicious occasion I've put together 12 shortish episodes of the podcast, one for each chapter of the book, where I have a good old chinwag with someone relevant to that chapter.Day 10 - just 2 days left to go...!Chapter 10 in the book is dedicated to travel and transport - both things that on the face of it, aren't particularly sustainable. But as always, there's lots of options for changing what we do, in big and little ways, to make it more sustainable(ish).In this episode of the podcast, I'm chatting to Jo Hendrickx who is the founder of an amazing organisation called Travel without Plastic, which works to reduce unnecessary single use plastic in the tourist sector. Probably because the vast majority of our holidays are now spent in our caravan with the kids, I simply hadn't really thought about the vast amounts of single use plastic that the tourism sector gets through, from single use plastic glasses at the poolside, to the free mini bottles of toiletries in the bathroom. Tune in to hear about Jo's work with hotels to help them to reduce this, and also what we as travellers can do to help.Enjoy!

Useful links

All the places you can buy The Sustainable(ish) Living Guide online..!
Travel Without Plastic- Website- Facebook- Twitter - Instagram
Wyatt & Jack
[039] - Recycle your paddling pool with Wyatt & Jack - my podcast interview with Wyatt & Jack founder
[017] - Sustainable(ish) Travel with Earth Changers
Refill app
Water to go bottle
Water at airports

Have you been horrified at the amount of single use plastic you've seen on holiday?Do you feel a little bit braver now about asking hotels to change?Let me know in the comments! AVAILABLE 9th JAN 2020 PRE-ORDER NOW!! "The most eco-common sense thing I've read!" […]

[181] The Party Kit Network (ripples in action!) with Isabel Mack

Jen Gale — Fri, 22 Mar 2024 07:35:25 GMT

This week’s episode feels a little bit liking coming full circle on an episode from nearly 5 years ago! If you’re a long-time listener, and have an excellent memory, you might remember, way back in 2019, I interviewed the wonderful Tillie Mabbutt who runs Frome Eco Party Kit, renting out a party kit of reusable plates, cups and bowls to avoid the waste associated with disposable partyware. At the time, Tillie was one of the first people in the UK to be running a reusable party kit and we dived into the idea, how it works, and how she got started. Well… today’s guest Isabel was listenting to that episode, and not only started her own Party Kit off the back of it, but went on to create the Party Kit Network, which now has 360 kits listed in the UK, over 100 in Australia and is starting to branch out into North America too.I Could. Not. Love. This. More!In this episode we dive into party kits, what they are, how they work, how to find one, as well as how to start one if you’d love to have near you and there isn’t one. We also talk more broadly about the sharing economy – so this is the idea of an economy based on renting and sharing things rather than the linear buy, use, dispose model we currently have. We explore some of the difficulties around trying to do business in a different and lets face it, conter cultural way and Isabel’s ambitions for the Party Kit Network.I hope you enjoy listening to this one as much as I enjoyed recording it!

Isabel Mack

Check out Isabel's Party Kits stacked up behind her!

A party kit complete with decorations and Pass the Parcel bags! Image: Party Kit Network

Re-usable Pass the Parcel bags (these are genius!) Image: Party Kit Network

Re-usable paper pompoms Image: Party Kit Network

LISTEN... USEFUL LINKS:

The Party Kit Global Map!

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this one Had you heard of Party Kits before? Have you got one near you? Are you now going to rent one for your next party? Or are you tempted to start one if there isn’t one available locally? I would love the ripples to carry on and more party kits to pop up on the map after this episode.Let me know in the comments! […]

[149] Re-run the fun…With Episode 037 – Reusable Party Kits

Jen Gale — Sat, 06 Aug 2022 11:21:32 GMT

The podcast is having a break over the summer, so I thought it would be a good opportunity to re-visit some of my favourite episodes from the archives.A few years ago there was an article on the BBC website about a school PTA who had set up a reusable party kit to rent out for kid's parties and to raise some funds for the school. The idea was super simple - provide an affordable reusable alternative to the disposable plates and cups that are the usual fare at kids (and grown ups!) parties up and down the country.Tillie Mabbut read the article and instead of thinking "That's a great idea, someone should really do that round here", she decided that she was that someone and set up Frome Eco Party Kit. In this episode I interviewed Tillie about what she was doing and why, and asked her to share her top tips for anyone wanting to do something similar local to them.And I never could have anticipated the chain of events that then followed leading to a whole Party Kit Network set up by the wonderful Isabel Murch, providing support, resources and promo for reusable party kits. Thanks to pioneers like Tillie, and the amazing work of Isabel and others, there are now over 500 party kits, in 9 different countries with nearly 400 in the UK alone. Isabel does a yearly audit to get an idea of the impact of the network and last year's audit revealed that the members of the Party Kit Network had helped to save 115,000 single use items from landfill!

I hope that re-running this episode helps to bring the idea to yet more people, and maybe inspires a few more to either use or set up a reusable party kit!Tune in to listen to the original episode with Tillie, and check out all the links with loads of resources below.

Pic from Frome Eco Party Kit

LISTEN... CHECK OUT...

The Party Kit Network- Website- Find a party kit near you- Set up a new party kit- On Facebook- On Instagram- On Twitter
Frome Eco Party Kit- Website- Facebook- Instagram
The original podcast episode
The Sustainable(ish) Facebook group

[177] The power of your vote – with William Eccles from The Commitment

Jen Gale — Fri, 15 Dec 2023 13:03:04 GMT

In this week's episode I'm chatting to William Eccles from The Commitment. The Commitment is a campaign asking us to commit to voting for a healthy planet. You do this by heading to their website, hitting the "make the commitment" button, and ticking the box that says “ I commit to vote only for politicians who work for urgent action on the climate and nature.”. We discuss in the episode just why that is so important, and the really clever ways that they’re using your commitment to engage with MPs and give them a mandate to be braver in their calls and support for action on climate and nature. As you’ll hear in the episode, when I came across the Commitment earlier this year, I stopped what I was doing and did just that. And then I shared it on social media asking other people to do the same. And the team at the Commitment were able to track the fact that me sharing meant other people stopped what they were doing and made their own commitment. But they know that lots of people get distracted in between hearing about something and actually doing it, so that number could have been so much higher. I would LOVE it if this episode resulted in another 'mini surge' of commitments. There’s a point in the podcast where William invites you to pause the podcast and go and do it. Last time I shared they had 27 people sign up – let’s see if we can smash that!Enjoy!

William Eccles

GOOD NEWS!In the new Good News section after the main interview, I share some of the good climate news happening (because there is some, I promise!). Here's this weeks pick:

EVs have outsold diesel cars in the EU for the first time (Positive News on Instagram)
More UK universities cutting ties with fossil fuel industry (The Guardian)
And much closer to home... Libby in The Sustainable(ish) Clubhouse shared what she described as ‘not a big win', but I would beg to differ! Libby says: "Yesterday a local business offered out 3 bike racks on my Freecycle site and I quickly bagsied them (I assume they were replacing them with something better). A few messages and emails later and 2 local businesses will have these new (old) bike racks allowing their staff and customers cycle to them instead of driving." Absolutely loving this Libby!

LISTEN... USEFUL LINKS:

The Commitment

Have you done it, have you done it, have you done it?!!Do let me know in the comments! […]

[172] The forgotten joy of sharing – with Rebecca Heaps from Tentshare

Jen Gale — Fri, 10 Nov 2023 07:00:00 GMT

"If you own a tent you can be a member of Tentshare. If you don't own a tent, you can be a member of Tentshare."Love this quote from Rebecca Heaps, founder of Tentshare -'the Air BnB for tents'!

On the surface, camping feels like a pretty eco-friendly option for a cheaper holiday. And it is. However it does involved quite a lot of 'stuff' - the tent, the sleeping mats, the sleeping bags, the camping stove, and on the list goes. All of this stuff might only be used once a year and the rest of the time it sits in our sheds or garages gathering dust. And for anyone who wants to have a go at camping, all of that stuff is a big outlay when you're not even sure if you're going to like it and want to do it again.

Which is where Tentshare comes in! Tentshare matches up people with tents, with people who want them. Not only is this such a brilliantly simple idea for camping, but also for festivals. Figures from 2018 estimate that 250,000 tents go into landfill each year in the UK, which is a LOT of resources and energy going to waste. Rebecca shares the story of how she got started, and some of positive benefits of sharing camping equipment above and beyond the environmental ones - the connection, the joy, getting people outdoors appreciating nature, to name a few!I hope you enjoy this episode! Do go and check out the Tentshare website - if you own a tent, popping it on Tentshare is a great way to support the sharing economy and contribute a mini nudge towards a less capitalist society! And if you're thinking of having a go at camping for the first time, save yourself a heap of money, and get yourself some great camping advice by using Tentshare!

Rebecca Heaps - Tentshare founder

GOOD NEWS!In the new Good News section after the main interview, I share some of the good climate news happening (because there is some, I promise!). Here's this weeks pick:

Solar will soon eclipse all forms of energy (Positive News)
UK musuems agree to collective action to tackle the climate crisis (The Guardian)
Much closer to home, I had a couple of e-mails that really made me smile this week, both from participants on recent Carbon Literacy course. Sullie got in touch to say that Being carbon literate has helped his secure a dream job working with a climate organisation! And Inga e-mailed to let me know that she had fulfilled her pledge of signing up with a climate education programme that provides training to schools in London, and they have already matched her with a nearby school where she'll be delivering a programme of 5 workshops in the Spring term. There's more info and dates for Carbon Literacy training here if this is something you're interested in!

LISTEN... USEFUL LINKS:

Tentshare- Website- Facebook- Twitter/X- Instagram- Linked In- You Tube - some great videos from Tentshare for repairing and cleaning your tents
Rebecca on Linked In
Party Kit Network
[037] - How and why to set up a reusable party package for kids parties with Frome Eco Party Kit
The Lean Marketplace
Share Tribe
OLPRO tents
Know Carbon
Camp Light - pre-pitched tents at festivals
Medicine Festival
Shambala Festival
Little Recreations
Eco Bunting
Doodles.one
[039] - Recycle your paddling pool with Wyatt and Jack
[047] - Fighting food waste with Olio
Blue Earth Summit
My Green Pod
[168] - Keeping outdoor gear in action for longer with Re-action
Giki Zero
Carbon Literacy training
The Sustainable(ish) Clubhouse
Crap-free Christmas course
FREE! Crap-free Christmas webinar

Awful screengrab of me showing my mended gloves!

What do you think?Would you rent out your tent? Would you borrow a tent?Are you going to put your tent on Tentshare?Do let me know- I would be SO happy to hear of tents popping up on Tentshare as a direct result of this episode! […]

[106] CLEAN AND GREEN WITH NANCY BIRTWHISTLE

Jen Gale — Fri, 25 Jun 2021 10:42:46 GMT

I’m still having to pinch myself a little but I got to spend an hour hanging out and having a chinwag with a past winer of the Great British Bake Off! I met Nancy Birtwhistle, the 2014 winner of my very favourite TV show, virtually, for an event we did together for Glasgow's Aye Write Festival earlier on this year. Nancy has got a book out called Clean and Green, and we were paired up for a talk on Eco Tips for your Home and Family.I wanted to chat more to Nancy about her book, and about all things 'green cleaning' so I pulled on my big girl pants and plucked up the courage to send her an e-mail after the event inviting her on the podcast.To my surprise and delight, she said yes!Now I’m very much not one of life’s clean freaks. I find cleaning thoroughly soul destroying and perhaps because of my lacklustre approach to it, my attempts at home made cleaning products have never been resounding successes. But Nancy’s approach is really refreshing, and even I have been tempted to have another go, and I was more than a little over-excited to whup up a batch of Nancy’s toilet magic at the weekend and have been delightedly spraying it willy nilly around our looks all this week. It was super easy and seems to be coping with my kids spraying something else willy nilly around our loos well.I hope you enjoy listening to this as much as I enjoyed recording it – do let me know if you’re tempted to have a go at some homemade cleaning products, or if you’re now going to make the switch to an eco version of one your usual products!As ever, please do leave a rating and review wherever you get your podcasts – it helps it to climb the charts and more importantly boosts my poor fragile ego no end….

Enjoy!

LISTEN... CHECK OUT...

Nancy Birtwhistle- Website- Instagram- Twitter- You Tube
Wilton reusable piping bags!
A beginners guide to reusable baby wipes (blog post)
Peace with the Wild
Big Green Smile
Dri-Pak liquid soap
The Sustainable(ish) FB group
The Knackered Mums Eco Club - come and join us for a month of plastic-free(ish) action in July!

DO...

Swap out one regular product for an eco-friendly version and see how you get on!

Have you ever tried making your own cleaning products?How did it go?Let me know in the comments! AVAILABLE ONLINE AND IN ALL GOOD BOOK SHOPS NOW!

"Easily the most family friendly way to do your bit"The Sunday Times

[…]

[108] REDUCING PLASTIC IN OUR SEAS WITH JO ROYLE FROM COMMON SEAS

Jen Gale — Fri, 09 Jul 2021 12:57:24 GMT

In this episode I’m chatting to Jo Royle, founder and CEO of Common Seas – an organisation on a mission to quickly and significantly reduce the amount of plastic produced and stop it polluting our rivers and seas. As a former sailor Jo was very aware of the issues that plastic is causing to our marine environments, and is the world record holder for the longest voyage made out of a boat made from plastic bottles!As well as being an advocate of personal changes, she’s also focussed on the big system and policy changes we need to see to make it easier for all of us to use less single use plastic, and it's hugely inspiring to hear about the projects that Common Seas are running.Enjoy.

LISTEN... CHECK OUT...

Common Seas- Website- Instagram- Twitter- Healthy Me Healthy Sea- Ocean Plastics Academy
The Plastiki
Jo's TEDx talk
The Story of Plastic
The UK's Plastic Pact
The Ellen McArthur Foundation
Could you be eating a credit card of plastic every week?
Microplastic monitoring in BBC One's War on Plastic
Re-Rooted
The Sustainable(ish) FB group
The Knackered Mums Eco Club - come and join us for a month of plastic-free(ish) action in July!

DO...

Have a look in your bin and pick ONE thing you might be able to change for a plastic-free(ISH) version
Contact your local supermarket and ask what their plans are for introducing refill options
Contact your local supermarket to ask them if they will sign up as a collection point for flexible plastic
Follow Common Seas on Instagram

How are you feeling about all things plastic pollution?Has Jo inspired you to take some small steps and to make your voice heard? AVAILABLE ONLINE AND IN ALL GOOD BOOK SHOPS NOW!

"Easily the most family friendly way to do your bit"The Sunday Times

[…]

[174] Climate action help (and hand holding!)for schools – with Jo Pettifer from Let’s Go Zero

Jen Gale — Fri, 24 Nov 2023 16:12:02 GMT

This week we're talking schools and climate action!I'm chatting to Jo Pettifer who part of a growing team of Climate Action Advisors from climate charity Let's Go Zero, which is working to help schools in the UK to take climate action, with the ambitious goal of becoming carbon zero by 2030.Jo shares in our chat that apparently around 45% of UK household's have a school aged person within them, meaning that there's huge scope for schools to not only educate our young people about how the world around them is changing around them and why, along with inspiring them about the roles they play in transitioning to a greener, cleaner, fairer future, schools are also able to have a much wider influence on parents and carers and on their local communities. There are a LOT of resources out there for schools wanting to start to take climate action - I've linked in the shownotes to episodes of the podcast with Eco-Schools, the Ministry of Eco Education and Energy Sparks, and that really is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to brilliant resources and initiatives providing schools with the information that they need. What I love about this new project from Let's Go Zero with the Climate Action Advisors, is that they've recognised that schools don't need more info, they need help putting that information into action in their particular setting. The Climate Action Advisors are being rolled out across the country with the aim of being able to provide much needed 1:1 support for school leaders and sustainability leads, to start to take action, from helping them to figure out where they should start through to identifying funding sources, they're hopefully going to be able to help schools move from good intentions to a clear, well-structured plan and the all important actions that then follow on!

Jo Pettifer- Climate Action Advisor at Let's Go Zero

GOOD NEWS!In the new Good News section after the main interview, I share some of the good climate news happening (because there is some, I promise!). Here's this weeks pick:

EU criminalises environmental damages 'comparable to ecocide' (The Guardian)
Tax on period pants abolished in Autumn Statement (BBC)
And even closer to home, from my e-mail inbox just this morning. In response to my NOT another Black Friday e-mail, Elspeth got in touch to say : The Eco Church group I lead here, in Hampshire, runs a Toy Bonanza three times a year & at this time of year, it is aimed at Christmas gifting. We ask for donations of toys, books, puzzles and games suitable for giving and they are taken away for free at an event tomorrow. We have been inundated with donations which is wonderful! Anything not taken is given to charity shops and books go to school libraries etc. The aim is to save stuff going to landfill and to help when people are still faced with the cost of living crisis". I absolutely love this Elspeth! And I hope that by sharing it here it might spark some ideas for other people too!

LISTEN... USEFUL LINKS:

Image credit: Joel Pett

What do you think?Let me know if you’re going to get in touch with your local school to flag this to them, or indeed if you’re thinking about applying for one the roles!Do let me know in the comments! […]

12 DAYS OF SUSTAINABLE(ISH) – DAY 9 SUSTAINABLE(ISH) AT SCHOOL

Jen Gale — Sun, 05 Jan 2020 12:25:52 GMT

Useful links

All the places you can buy The Sustainable(ish) Living Guide online..!
Damers First School- Website- Eco Schools section- Damers First School Eco News - check out all their awards!- Damers Eco Crew on Facebook
Surfers Against Sewage Plastic Free Awards
Cool Milk
Eco Schools - there's a TON of info on here to help you get started!
Terracycle schemes

How sustainable(ish) is your school?Would you love to help it be a bit more sustainable(ish)? Has this episode inspired/empowered you to do that?Let me know in the comments! AVAILABLE 9th JAN 2020 PRE-ORDER NOW!! "The most eco-common sense thing I've read!" […]

[170] Active(ish) for Earth – With Tash Acres from Earth Runs

Jen Gale — Fri, 27 Oct 2023 12:07:35 GMT

Tash Acres is the founder of Earth Runs, an organistaion that rewards activity by planting trees! As you will hear, Tash’s approach to running and physical activity is so similar to my approach to sustainability – anything is better than nothing, it all counts, celebrating the successes no matter how small, and so much more! Now if you're sat there thinking "I’m not into running, this episode isn’t for me", don’t switch off! This episode is for everyone! Tash shared a couple of really startling stats during the episode – apparently inactivity is the 4th biggest killer of people in the UK, and being active for just 10 minutes a day can reduce your risk of premature death by 10%. Tash’s definition of ‘activity’ is super broad – anything that gets you moving, just for a bit. Anything that gets you up from the sofa, or your office chair, ideally outdoors, because of all the additional mental health benefits that that brings, but she’s not fussy – she talks about doing just 10 squats last week and how that was better than nothing. Somewhat unsurprisingly I love Tash’s approach, and I love what she’s doing – there are virtual races and challenges you can get involved in, you can join me in the 1% Club, which plants a tree for every day you’re active (and active can be anything, you absolutely don’t need to be running if you don’t want to!), or you can find plantable medals for your school or community fun run. Enjoy!

Tash Acres - founder of Earth Runs

GOOD NEWS!In the new Good News section after the main interview, I share some of the good climate news happening (because there is some, I promise!). Here's this weeks pick:

Deforestation rates in Brazil's Amazon have plummeted (The Progress Network)
Community solar is set to surge in the UK (Positive News)
Much closer to home, in The Sustainable(ish) Clubhouse we’ve had a fashion focus for this half-term, which is now coming to a close. As part of the theme, we’ve had a mending thread in the Facebook community where people have come and added to the tally with items that they’ve mended – we’re up to 151 items at the last count! Obviously this has saved all of these items from landfill, and saved the expense of having to buy new items to replace them, but I wanted to try and get a rough idea of the carbon savings, so I headed over to a new set of comparison calculators from Giki and used the ‘new clothes’ calculator – very roughly, mending these 150+ items have saved over 1 tonne of greenhouse gas emissions and 359,992 litres of water. That's the equivalent of driving nearly 4000 miles in a Ford Focus and enough water for 143 months of showers!

LISTEN... USEFUL LINKS:

What were your takeaways from this episode? Any lightbulb moments? What are you going to go out and DO as a result of this episode? What's the thing that YOU can do, no matter how small or imperfectly? And can you get up and out of the house for just 10 minutes..?!Do share in a comment below! […]

12 DAYS OF SUSTAINABLE(ISH) – DAY 3 – PLASTIC-FREE(ISH)

Jen Gale — Mon, 30 Dec 2019 07:00:00 GMT

Today we're onto day 3, chapter 3, which is plastic-free(ish).I’ve been internet stalking (in a non creepy way) my guest today for the last couple of years and have been wanting to have her on the podcast for as long as it’s existed, so to get the chance to chat with her for this book launch mini-series feels very special. Cal Major is an ocean advocate, veterinary surgeon and world record stand up paddle boarder who has done huge amounts to raise awareness around plastic pollution with her paddle boarding adventures around the UK and is a total inspiration. You’ll have to forgive ma little with this episode – I had every intention of keeping all the episodes for this mini series to around 20 minutes, but I knew right from the start that was going to be a challenge when chatting to Cal as she has SO much good stuff to share. So grab a cuppa, or pop this one on if you’ve got a car journey ahead of you, and settle in to enjoy some inspiration and the tale of one incredible woman’s paddle against plastic. Enjoy!

Useful links

What's your 'takeaway' from this episode?Let me know in the comments! AVAILABLE 9th JAN 2020 PRE-ORDER NOW!! "The most eco-common sense thing I've read!" […]

12 DAYS OF SUSTAINABLE(ISH) – DAY 4 – SUSTAINABLE(ISH) FOOD

Jen Gale — Tue, 31 Dec 2019 07:00:00 GMT

OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG....!It is with HUGE excitement that I bring you this very special mini-series of the Sustainable(ish) podcast to celebrate, and to count down to, the launch of The Sustainable(ish) Living Guide - everything you need to know to make small changes that make a big difference.This book is pretty much the distillation of the Sustainable(ish) ethos and is being published by Bloomsbury on January 9th 2020 , and to mark such an auspicious occasion I've put together 12 shortish episodes of the podcast, one for each chapter of the book, where I have a good old chinwag with someone relevant to that chapter.Wow Day 4 already of The 12 Days of Sustainable(ish) which means we’re onto Chapter 4, Sustainable(ish) Food. I wasn’t really sure where to go with this episode – when it comes to sustainable food there are so many different areas to explore. I’m really passionate about food waste, which is a massive contributor to the climate crisis and something we can all take steps to reduce, but I feel a bit like I’ve covered food waste quite a bit already on the podcast with interviews with Olio and CozZo, both brilliant apps that help us all to reduce the amount of edible food hitting the bin. So I was really pleased when I stumbled across Annabelle’s website, The Flexitarian, because it seems like the flexitarian approach, eating more plant-based foods, but not excluding meat and diary, fits in very nicely with the the whole ‘ish’ bit of sustainable(ish).So settle in and listen to Annabelle’s story of how she’s slowly making the switch from the traditionally meat heavy diet of her native France, to a much healthier diet, for both her family and the planet. Enjoy!

Useful links

All the places you can buy The Sustainable(ish) Living Guide online..!

What's your approach to food - would a 'flexitarian' diet work for you?Let me know in the comments! AVAILABLE 9th JAN 2020 PRE-ORDER NOW!! "The most eco-common sense thing I've read!" […]

[167] Debunking (some) climate myths with Dr Ella Gilbert

Jen Gale — Fri, 06 Oct 2023 12:25:49 GMT

Following on from last week's episode looking into some of the basics of climate science with Dr Adam Levy, this week I'm chatting to another climate scientist, Dr Ella Gilbert, and this time we're diving into the murky world of climate denial!Here's some of the misinformation that Ella addresses for us, using actual science:

Climate scientists cherry pick the data and make it all up
Global temperature stations are now located in next to airports and in built up regions which is why recorded temperatures are hotter
How come it felt relatively colder in the UK this summer?
The wildfires that happened globally over the summer were started by arsonists
In the 1970's scientists were predicting an ice age
Climate scientists are part of a global conspiracy
What about the Roman or Medieval Warm Periods and the Little Ice Age?
30 years ago we were told to panic about the hole in the ozone layer - that was all the rage for a season or two, now we're told to panic about global warming
Temperature records began at the end of the Little Ice Age so of course temperatures have increased
There are no temperature measurements from thousands of years ago, so you're just making that data up
More carbon dioxide is better for plants
What about China? No point us doing anything when China are such big emitters

Dr Ella Gilbert

Image credit: Joel Pett

GOOD NEWS!In the new Good News section after the main interview, I share some of the good climate news happening (because there is some, I promise!). Here's this weeks pick:

The BBC Green Sport's Awards announced their winners (BBC)
Ban on single use plastic cutlery comes into force in England (BBC)
Kate and Libby in The Sustainable(ish) Clubhouse both shared great examples of 'ripples':- Kate said "I met up with a lovely friend last night who is a huge fan of fast fashion and fast homewares, and she said that some of my social posts about “you don’t need to buy storage containers, you can reuse what you’ve got” has properly stopped her from buying loads of those kinds of things"- Libby shared "I just noticed that a few years ago, I was the only one on the street walking my kids to school. Now, there are normally 4 other families also walking their kids to school who used to drive every day. One of them commented a while back that she saw us walking and thought she should too."

LISTEN... USEFUL LINKS:

What were your takeaways from this episode? Any lightbulb moments? What are you going to go out and DO as a result of this episode? And what's your good climate news?Do share in a comment below! […]

[123] HOW TO GREEN YOUR BUSINESS (EVEN IF IT’S NOT YOUR BUSINESS…)

Jen Gale — Fri, 03 Dec 2021 14:39:46 GMT

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 talk
The Sustainable(ish) FB group

DO...

Brainstorm your 'spheres of influence' where you work

Think about how you might introduce a 'climate conversation' with your line manager or senior management team
Be 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! […]

[002] – MEET THE FOUNDER OF THE UK’S FIRST TOOL LIBRARY

Jen Gale — Fri, 11 May 2018 13:05:20 GMT

Tool libraries are a brilliantly simple concept, and are a pretty popular thing over in North America, but up until a couple of years ago, we didn’t have even one here in the UK.All that changed in 2015 when Chris Hellawell started up The Edinburgh Tool Library. It’s an inspirational story of one man with a vision, who is creating huge positive change in his community and showing the Sharing Economy is about far more than simply ‘stuff’.

[…]

[010] #2MINUTESOLUTIONS TO PLASTIC POLLUTION WITH MARTIN DOREY FROM #2MINUTEBEACHCLEAN

Jen Gale — Tue, 17 Jul 2018 21:54:28 GMT

As this episode goes live, we're right in the middle of Plastic Free July, a global movement to encourage people to reduce their consumption of single use plastics. Since Blue Planet II it feels like the world is finally waking up to the impact of plastic pollution on our planet, which is fabulous, but it can also feel really overwhelming.In this episode I'm chatting to Martin Dorey, founder of the #2minutebeachclean campaign. Martin is a writer, surfer and activist, who wanted to take action to help to clean up the beaches near him in Cornwall. In 2013 he took a picture of the litter he had collected and shared it on social media with the #2minutebeachclean hashtag, thinking that if just one person joined in, that would double his beach cleaning efforts.Since then over 79,000 posts have been shared on IG using the hashtag, and the latest estimate is that at least 130 tonnes of plastic has been picked!Martin has now taken the next logical step, and created the #2minutesolution - small, easy things we can ALL do to reduce the amount of plastic ending up in the oceans.

[…]

[082] SECRET SUPERHEROES

Jen Gale — Fri, 27 Nov 2020 07:00:00 GMT

After last week's solo episode, I've got something a little different for you again this week! Because more change and uncertainty is what we all need right now yes..?!!This week’s episode is a live recording done from the virtual podcast stage at Future Fest, an amazing online event from Pebble Magazine that happened at the beginning of November about the solutions and the people who are going to drive the change to net zero.It took me a while to work out what I wanted to talk about, and who I wanted to chat too, but then in an actual (low carbon LED) lightbulb moment, I realised it was you guys.It can be all too easy to feel like the solutions and the people who are going to drive the change to net zero are somehow super human people – those who are setting up amazing circular fashion businesses, or pioneering new technology. It’s very easy to over-look the fact that you and me, ordinary knackered people, juggling ordinary jobs, and kids and laundry and cooking endless meals, that we also play a huge role in creating a different future.

So I put a post in the Knackered Mums Eco Clubhouse (my annual membership) asking for volunteers to come and chat with me about their experiences of getting started with Sustainable(ish) changes, their successes and their failures. I wanted it to feel like we were sitting around my kitchen table (albeit via Zoom and with people watching!) with a cuppa and sharing our stories, our challenges, having a laugh, and hopefully inspiring some other people to get started too.Because it’s so important that we recognise that we are part of the solution. That people making changes are ordinary people like us. There’s no secret superhero breed that are secretly wearing special green pants that give them extraordinary powers. There’s just normal people, who’ve dared to care, who are bumbling along like the rest of us, making one change at a time. And that we can learn from each other, and we can inspire each other. And that that matters.

Enjoy.

Useful links

Pebble Magazine
Future Fest
The Knackered Mums Eco Club- On Facebook- On Instagram- Details of the Clubhouse (membership)
[065] - Periodical with Lauren Derrett from Wear 'em out pads (podcast episode)
Kind 2 shampoo bars
Who Gives a Crap loo roll
Uranus Wiper loo roll
A beginners guide to switching to a renewable energy provider (blog post)
Make your money matter (all about moving your money to ethical providers) (blog post)
Good With Money - guide to good pensions
Terracycle toothbrush recycling scheme
Georganics electric toothbrush
Yaweco - regular toothbrush with removable head
Sky diamonds
A greener life by B
Giki Zero
My Green Pod
Ethical Consumer
Sustainable(ish) Facebook group

So what do you think? Did you enjoy this episode/format?What was your eco-piphany?Do let me know in the comments! AVAILABLE ONLINE AND IN ALL GOOD BOOK SHOPS NOW!

"Easily the most family friendly way to do your bit"The Sunday Times

"Absolutely love this book - should be mandatory reading"Online review

[…]

[007] – SHOPPING PLASTIC FREE WITHOUT A LOCAL ZERO WASTE SHOP

Jen Gale — Tue, 19 Jun 2018 11:18:09 GMT

In this episode of the Sustainable Life podcast I’m chatting to Kim Tew, the founder of Plastic Free Pantry which is the UK’s first plastic free online food shop.

[…]

[067] LOCKDOWN GUILT

Jen Gale — Fri, 26 Jun 2020 15:01:57 GMT

Welcome back to the Sustainable(ish) podcast!My goodness it’s been a while! I thought I’d have a little break after doing 12 podcasts in 12 days for the book launch, and then a month or two passed, and then a global pandemic hit. And now here we are 6 months down the line!How are you? How is life treating you? How has lockdown been for you?It’s a strange old time isn’t it?When lockdown started I descended into a massive funk. My husband was furloughed for the first four weeks, and it turns out he’s someone who likes to get on and do things, and was very productive in a tidying the house and doing all those jobs we never get round to type way. Me, not so much. I just wanted to lie on the sofa and read trashy novels, in between random bouts of tears and attempting to get my head around home schooling the kids.But today I want to talk a little bit about ‘lockdown guilt’.I’ve spoken to so many people, online, via e-mail, on webinars I’ve run, and in my six week coaching group, who are feeling really guilty that they’re not able to make some of the changes that they want to because of the circumstances we find ourselves in in lockdown.Enjoy...!

Useful links

The Sustainable(ish) Online Festival
Find me on Sustainable(ish) on social media:- Facebook- Facebook group - Instagram- Twitter

Have you been feeling any lockdown guilt?Let me know in the comments! JOIN THE SUSTAINABLE(ISH) REVOLUTION

Join us at BASE CAMP to find free resources and receive a weekly guide to reducing your impact on the planet... one simple step at a time.

I take your privacy seriously. You can unsubscribe at any time. JOIN THE SUSTAINABLE(ISH) REVOLUTION! […]

[099] COMPOSTING 101

Jen Gale — Fri, 26 Mar 2021 11:35:37 GMT

Episode 99! How did that happen? And what on earth should I do to celebrate/mark the occasion? Get in touch to let me know what you’d love to hear for the big 100 – drop me an e-mail on jen@sustainableish.co.uk

Today’s episode is an absolute cracker. Whoever knew composting could be so interesting?!It’s genuinely like magic. I still don’t really understand how it works (it genuinely is magic) but after chatting with the amazing Catherine Howells from Barefoot Kitchen I now feel a little less like it’s this kind of dark art full of smoke and mirrors. And importantly, less like I’m cocking it all up. Or at least, if I do cock it up then it’s really not the end of the world.I thin I could easily become a composting geek (although in reality I’m probably way too lazy) and I can see why people can become obsessed with their compost – Tyson who is in the Knackered Mums has even named hers – I love it!In my head it was this really complicated process, and there seemed to be lots of different types and methods of composting, but Catherine is so practical and down to earth and cuts through all the unnecessary BS and takes us back to basics, making it feel very very do-able for even the least green fingered of us.Enjoy!PS. Using all of Catherine's brilliant info, I've put together a beginners guide to composting which you can find here.

Useful links

Barefoot Kitchen- Website- Facebook- Instagram
The absolute beginners guide to composting (blog post)
A beginners guide to wormeries (blog post)
Everything you ever wanted to know about wormeries (podcast)
The Urban Worm
How to garden the low carbon way (podcast)

Do you compost?Does it feel a bit more do-able after listening to Catherine?Let me know ! AVAILABLE ONLINE AND IN ALL GOOD BOOK SHOPS NOW!

"Easily the most family friendly way to do your bit"The Sunday Times

[…]

[125] SUSTAINABLE(ISH) CHRISTMAS CONFESSIONS…!

Jen Gale — Fri, 17 Dec 2021 17:16:43 GMT

In today’s episode we’re discussing 'IRL' (in real life!) Sustainable(ish) Christmas’s in all their glorious imperfections and with all the compromises that come with trying to keep everyone happy whilst trying to simultaneously save the planet.With this episode I wanted to hear from real people, people like you and me, who are trying really hard to do the right thing, but at the same time feel that push pull of consumerism and family and societal demands at this time of the year. To hopefully alleviate any guilt you might be feeling and to share the idea that this is a tricky time of year for lots of us. I recognise at the same time how privileged we are to be able to have these conversations about being overwhelmed by too much stuff, and too much food, when there are so many struggling with the exact opposite.

I hope it’s helpful to hear a few other experiences of attempting sustainable(ish) Christmas’s – have a good one, stay safe, and I will catch you in the New Year! LISTEN... CHECK OUT...

DO...

Enjoy your Christmas!
Meet me back here in the New Year for a sparkly new series of episodes - I've got some great guests lined up

What's your easiest switch been for a more Sustainable(ish) Christmas?And what's your Christmas confession..?!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! […]

[016] – WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT…CLIMATE CHANGE

Jen Gale — Wed, 10 Oct 2018 16:21:01 GMT

This is the first in a new series for the podcast of commentary type episodes, some might even say rants, about some of the big sustainable issues we're facing right now.I hope you enjoy!

I couldn't sleep last night, and I got to thinking, and then to worrying, and then to freaking out, about climate change.The latest IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel of Climate Change) report said that we need to limit global temperature rises to 1.5C and highlights the differences we might see with a 1.5C rise versus a 2C increase. And it turns out that that 0.5C is pretty critical.And even more worryingly, the report states that we now have just 12 years to take action to prevent a climate crisis.12 years.That's 2030 - which sounds an age away, but it's not. It's 12 years. I've been with my husband for longer than that (he may argue that it feels way longer...). In 12 years time my kids will be 22 and 19. They should have the world at their feet. But if nothing changes they might well be looking at us in disbelief and disgust that we didn't act when we still could.This matters. This matters so much it physically hurts me to think about it.And time is running out if we want to create a better, truly more sustainable future. If we want to mitigate the worst effects of the climatic changes we have already created.In a recent study into how MPs understand and respond to climate change, one of the findings was that "politicians speaking and acting on climate change must construct a ‘representative claim’ to justify their proposed actions, and to show why and how they are in the interests of the represented." And that our MPs don't feel like they have that justification as they aren't hearing from us, their constituents, that climate change is an issue we want them to take action on.We can change that.Very quickly we can change that.So today, after listening to this, I want you to tweet your MP, or send an e-mail, or write them a good old-fashioned hand-written letter (or all 3).

Ask them what they are doing on climate change
Ask them what their party is doing in response to the latest IPCC report
Ask them how they intend to make that the government take the 'unprecedented' action necessary to secure the future for our kids

Don't be fobbed off with politicians bullshit answers - keep asking - channel your inner John Humphrys.Make your voice heard.

PS. There's a blog post here with another 4 easy things you can do TODAY that will have a big impact on your carbon footprint PPS. If you're not sure who your MP is, you can find out here.

12 DAYS OF SUSTAINABLE(ISH) – DAY 5 SUSTAINABLE(ISH) FASHION

Jen Gale — Wed, 01 Jan 2020 07:00:00 GMT

OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG....!It is with HUGE excitement that I bring you this very special mini-series of the Sustainable(ish) podcast to celebrate, and to count down to, the launch of The Sustainable(ish) Living Guide - everything you need to know to make small changes that make a big difference.This book is pretty much the distillation of the Sustainable(ish) ethos and is being published by Bloomsbury on January 9th 2020 , and to mark such an auspicious occasion I've put together 12 shortish episodes of the podcast, one for each chapter of the book, where I have a good old chinwag with someone relevant to that chapter.Day 5 of The Sustainable(ish) Living Guide, and we're onto Sustainable(ish) Fashion.I talked in the Plastic-free(ish) episode with Cal Major on Day 3 about plastic being almost a kind of 'gateway drug' into a more wider awareness of sustainability, and I think fashion can be the same. We all wear clothes, so beginning to think a little bit differently about what we wear can be a real eye opener, and a brilliant place to start.In this episode I'm chatting to Jade Doherty, a teacher who has been on her own slow fashion journey since the summer of 2018. Along the way she's amassed over 33k IG followers as she shares pictures of her inventive styling. Don't be put off by the beautiful IG aesthetic, Jade talks a LOT of sense, and in this episode shares a TON of brilliant tips for anyone looking in despair (and maybe a bit of embarrassment - there's no shame here!) at their bulging drawers and wardrobe, and wondering where and how to start. Enjoy!

Useful links

How do you feel about your wardrobe? Would fashion be a good place for you to make a Sustainable(ish) start?Let me know in the comments! AVAILABLE 9th JAN 2020 PRE-ORDER NOW!! "The most eco-common sense thing I've read!" […]

[197] Part 2 – Home retrofit. With Sara Grimes from Bath and West Community Energy

Jen Gale — Thu, 02 Apr 2026 16:40:01 GMT

This is Part 2, or a 'double header' episode with the brilliant Sara Grimes from Bath and West Community Energy. Part 1 is all about community energy, and takes a bit of a dive into solar and heat pumps, as well as things like the governments's Warm Homes Plan (it's honestly more fun than it sounds if you haven't already listened to it!)And this is Part 2, where we talking about all things home retrofit, and looking at some of the less technical , perhaps more affordable options for making our homes more efficient, more comfortable, and cheaper to run.Enjoy!

Sara Grimes

LISTEN... USEFUL LINKS:

Sara Grimes- Linked In
Bath and West Community Energy (BWCE)- Website- Community benefit- BWCE home energy plans and surveys (for people in the Bath area)- Green Heritage Homes- Linked In- Facebook- Instagram
Community Energy England
Community Energy Scotland
Community Energy Wales
Community Energy Northern Ireland
[112] - Community Energy with Brighton Energy Co-op
[135 ] - The local electricity bill with Steve Shaw (lots of community energy chat in this episode!)
Green Open Homes network
Visit a Heat Pump
Warm Homes Plan- On the UK government website- Which explainer article
Find energy grants for your home (UK gov)
Energy grant helpline: 0800 0987950
Boiler upgrade scheme (for heat pumps)
Find an energy certificate (EPC)
Historic England - Energy efficiency and retrofit in historic buildings
Heat Geek
Energy Saving Trust
Centre for Sustainable Energy
Sustainable(ish) Clubhouse - doors opening again soon!
Carbon Literacy- Carbon Literacy with me!

[095] HOW TO MAKE VEGGIE MEALS OUR KIDS MIGHT ACTUALLY EAT WITH RACHEL BOYETT

Jen Gale — Tue, 16 Mar 2021 09:34:19 GMT

Check out episode 93 for some more info about the book, and yesterday's episode with Ellie Jackson from Wild Tribe Heroes.Today I’m delighted to be chatting to Rachel Boyett aka @littleveggieeats of IG. Rachel is a mum of 3, lifelong vegetarian and author of the book Little Veggie Eats – which is pitched as a baby weaning book, but I’ve got a copy and there are SO many brilliant veggie meals and snack ideas in there for the whole family, I would 100% recommend it. We’re all used now to the message that we need to be eating less meat, and whilst we might be keen to do that ourselves, getting the rest of the family on board can sometimes feels a little erm... challenging!We chat about:

- what it was like growing up vegetarian in the 1980s- how her kids react to being bought up vegetarian- how we can get our kids eating more veggies meals- and lots more!

Enjoy!

Useful links

Little Veggie Eats- Website- Instagram- Facebook- The book
Episode 93 - The Sustainable(ish) Living Guide - Your questions answered
Episode 94 - A cup of tea with Ellie Jackson
The Sustainable(ish) Guide to Green Parenting- On Hive- On Bookshop- On Waterstones - On Amazon- On Audible

How do you do with your kids and veggie/vegan meals?Let me know ! AVAILABLE ONLINE AND IN ALL GOOD BOOK SHOPS NOW!

"Easily the most family friendly way to do your bit"The Sunday Times

[…]

[096] KIDS CLOTHES – WHY BUY WHEN YOU CAN RENT?!

Jen Gale — Wed, 17 Mar 2021 08:30:00 GMT

Check out episode 93 for some more info about the book, Monday's episode with Ellie Jackson from Wild Tribe Heroes, and yesterday's episode with Rachel Boyett from Little Veggie Eats.Today we're onto clothes! Despite a tendency amongst some kids to want to run around starkers, kids need to wear clothes and given how quickly they grow, our kids will get through a startling amount of clothes. Wouldn't it be great if we could rent our kids clothes for them to wear, and then send them back for the next size up once they've grown out of them?Well now we can!Today I’m excited to be chatting to Charlotte Morley, founder of thelittleloop – the UK’s first rental marketplace for kids clothes. DID YOU KNOW..?

Renting your children's clothes reduces their water and carbon footprint by around 3/4
Research has shown that if we extend the life of clothes by just 3 months it could reduce the UK’s carbon footprint by around 10.
Renting smashes this out of the park. Children's clothes have the potential to be rented out 4 or 5 times. That's another 9-12 months of wear than they'd normally get and it reduces their production footprint by 75%, and their overall carbon footprint (including washing, shipping and disposal) by 63%.
AND it can save us time, money and all that storage space that our kids clothes take up!

We chat about the impact that our kids clothes are having on the planet, how renting them works, AND charlotte shares some great tips for stain removal and repair!Enjoy!

Useful links

thelittleloop- Website- Instagram- Facebook- Twitter
Episode 93 - The Sustainable(ish) Living Guide - Your questions answered
Episode 94 - A cup of tea with Ellie Jackson
Episode 95 - How to make veggie meals our kids might actually eat with Rachel Boyett
The Sustainable(ish) Guide to Green Parenting- On Hive- On Bookshop- On Waterstones - On Amazon- On Audible

How do you do with your kids and veggie/vegan meals?Let me know ! AVAILABLE ONLINE AND IN ALL GOOD BOOK SHOPS NOW!

"Easily the most family friendly way to do your bit"The Sunday Times

[…]

[138] HOW MUCH DIFFERENCE CAN INDIVIDUALS ACTUALLY MAKE?

Jen Gale — Fri, 22 Apr 2022 12:08:42 GMT

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 for
The 6 'shifts' that The JUMP have identified as being the most impactful we can make
Oodles of inspiration for how to get involved, and how to get your school/workplace/community on board too!

LISTEN... CHECK OUT...

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! […]

[135] THE LOCAL ELECTRICITY BILL AND HOW YOU CAN MAKE IT HAPPEN!

Jen Gale — Fri, 18 Mar 2022 13:14:01 GMT

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 Gale

Honestly, 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 campaign
They 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 same
Sign 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! […]

[023] – 5(ISH) MINUTE GUIDE – CREATING NEW SUSTAINABLE HABITS

Jen Gale — Wed, 13 Feb 2019 11:31:48 GMT

In this episode of the podcast I've got another 5(ish) minute guide for you - this time with some tips and ideas creating new, more sustainable(ish) habits. It's very easy to have all good intentions, and to WANT to do things differently, but when we're busy and frazzled, those good intentions can all too easily fall by the wayside. Whether you want to finally remember your reusable coffee cup when you race out of the house for work each morning, or you want to stop impulse shopping fast fashion, or whatever it might be, I've got some tips and ideas to help.

[…]

[080] COUNT US IN – CLIMATE ACTION FOR A BILLION PEOPLE

Jen Gale — Fri, 13 Nov 2020 12:05:17 GMT

I am SO excited for this episode! Last month I was aimlessly scrolling through Twitter waiting for the kettle to boil and stumbled across a tweet about a project called Count Us In - which is aiming to get a BILLION people taking climate action!!

DID YOU KNOW:

Individual lifestyles actually make up more than 65% of the total global carbon pollution
The world's wealthiest 10% are responsible for just over 50% of global greenhouse gas emissions
You are part of the world's wealthiest 10% if your salary is above £27k a year. The average salary in the UK is somewhere around £30k.

These stats aren't to make you feel guilty, I'm sharing them to empower you and to help you to recognise the enormous power we hold to create change.

Count Us In have got the experts to pull together 16 steps that they agree are some of the most impactful things we can do an individuals, and now they want us to pledge to do them! We don't have to do all of them, we might already be doing some of them. But according to their website:"If 1 billion people made changes in how they travel, the energy they use and the food they eat, this could directly reduce carbon pollution by almost 1/5 of the total reduction needed."

And the beauty of Count Us In is that they've joined forces with so many of the other existing platforms and campaigns out there to provide one place, one voice, one carbon counter, that brings together all of our climate actions under one umbrella.Today I'm chatting to Angela Terry, founder and CEO of One Home, who is also one of the founding partners of Count Us In, all about the project - how it came about, what it's hoping to achieve, and really importantly, how WE can get involved.Enjoy!

Useful links

Count Us In- Website- Facebook- Instagram- Twitter
One Home
COP 26
The Paris Agreement
IPCC report 201 8
Green Homes Grant
I've put together a blog post with the 16 Count Us In actions, and Sustainable(ish) resources from the archives to help - you can find it here
Sustainable(ish) Facebook group

How many have you already done?Which ones can you commit to?Do let me know in the comments! AVAILABLE ONLINE AND IN ALL GOOD BOOK SHOPS NOW!

"Easily the most family friendly way to do your bit"The Sunday Times

"Absolutely love this book - should be mandatory reading"Online review

[…]

[015] – MONEY AS A FORCE FOR GOOD WITH TRIODOS BANK

Jen Gale — Fri, 28 Sep 2018 11:13:20 GMT

In this episode I'm chatting to Amy Robinson who is the business development manager at Triodos bank.For those of you who haven’t heard of them, Triodos are the UK’s most ethical bank and have a tagline that is “money as a force for good" which I totally love!The banking industry as a whole isn’t one that I think would be seen as ‘ethical’ – we all have images of rich nanker types making their fortunes and only really caring about the financial bottom line.At Triodos they do it diferently, and as well as making sure they are making sound financial investements they look very carefully a the impact of the projects and organistions they are funding on both people and planet too. Duing this podcast I talk about how I have long recognised the power of my money in terms of using it to cast a vote for the kind of world I want with my buying deciosns, but how I hadn’t really joined up the dots to wonder about what my money might be funding when it was locked away in the bank, and I think that that’s probably pretty common. Find out more about the power of your money in this episode and the things that you can do to ensure that it’s being used as a force for good – enjoy!

[…]

[012] ZERO WASTE WEEK WITH RACHELLE STRAUSS

Jen Gale — Fri, 31 Aug 2018 16:39:52 GMT

This is an interview I recorded with Rachelle, the founder of Zero Waste Week in 2017, just before the 10th annual Zero Waste Week. In it Rachelle shares how she got started on her own zero waste journey, as well as 'fessing up to the fact that her own bin is possibly not be as "zero waste" as we might expect! There's so much great stuff in here, that it seemed ridiculous to keep it gathering dust on my computer rather than being out there in the world inspiring people. So I'm re-publishing it here on the new site and the new podcast just in time for the 2018 Zero Waste Week campaign (3rd-7th September 2018).Enjoy!

[…]

[168] Keeping outdoor kit in action for longer with Re-action

Jen Gale — Fri, 13 Oct 2023 11:20:17 GMT

This week’s episode starts with a confession!This episode was recorded a whole year ago, it was edited, intros were put onto it, it was all ready to go, and I somehow failed miserably to hit publish! I genuinely even thought I had published it until I had an e-mail from Heather earlier on this year asking when I thought it might be published. And I'm so glad she did, otherwise this brilliant interview would never have seen the light of day!

I'm chatting to Gavin Fernie-Jones and Heather Davies, founders of Re-Action, a social enterprise with the aim of keeping outdoor kit in action for longer.We hear about the inspiration behind the organisation, some of the brilliant stuff that they're doing, not only to keep kit in use for longer, but to gently challenge mindsets around consumption, re-use and repair, and to create alternative business models for retail that incorporate the circular economy.There's so much to take away from this episode, from big picture stuff like how our economy is set up to require us to consume more and more, through to the really practical stuff that we can do to reduce our own impact with regard to keeping our own stuff in use for longer. Let me know your thoughts!Are you going to be checking out the Re-Action website to see if there are any collective members near you? Are you an outdoor sports enthusiast who is now going to contact race organisers to ask them what they’re doing to reduce the impact of their event? Do let me know!

Heather and Gavin surrounded by just some of the clothes they're helping to re-home!

GOOD NEWS!In the new Good News section after the main interview, I share some of the good climate news happening (because there is some, I promise!). Here's this weeks pick:

Sport England tells its sports: funding will depend on fighting the climate crisis (The Guardian)
Ocean 'superheroes' given a new home (Positive News)
Fran in The Sustainable(ish) Clubhouse shared a brilliant sounding fundraiser that the school one her of children attends are trying out. It's a 'Pre-loved Christmas Decorations Pop-up' where people are invited to donate any Christmas decorations that they no longer want or need, to be sold at a pop up stall at the school's Christmas fair. I LOVE this idea and it seems very 'replicable', so definitely worth a mention to your kids school if you've got school aged kids, or maybe even as a workplace initiative.

LISTEN... USEFUL LINKS:

[114] HOW TO RAISE A GLOBAL CITIZEN

Jen Gale — Fri, 01 Oct 2021 10:28:25 GMT

In this episode I’m chatting to James Murray, editor of Business Green, and contributor to a recently publish book How to raise a global citizen – a book with the tagline "For the parents of the children who will save the world".We chat about why we’re both not really very keen on that tagline, the pressure that is on parents in our rapidly changing world, what it means to raise a global citizen, and share some thoughts and ideas for how we might start to do just that.As always, if you enjoy the show, please do leave a rating and a review wherever you get your podcasts – it helps get more ears on the podcast, which in turn hopefully inspires more people to take imperfect eco action.

Enjoy!

LISTEN... CHECK OUT...

How to raise a global citizen- On Hive- On Bookshop
Business Green
James Murray on Twitter
James' blog posts about parenting in a climate crisis- The joy and the fear- Fear and loathing on the climate beat- Noah's rainbow - raising children in an age of climate crisis
A beginners guide to switching to a renewable energy tariff
Make your money matter
[044] - How to get your MP to take action on the climate crisis
Katherine Hayhoe TED talk - The most important thing you can do to fight climate change: talk about it
The Sustainable(ish) FB group

DO...

James' top tips!- Change your energy provider to a renewable tariff- Eat a bit less meat- Fly a bit less- Change your pension to a sustainable fund- If you are in a position to, think about an EV as your next car. And think about how you might be able to drive less and walk/cycle more- Talk about climate!

How do you feel about 'raising a global citizen'?It sounds pretty full on to me - but remember intention and imperfect action is a great starting place! 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! […]

[045] HOW TO SWITCH TO A RENEWABLE ENERGY TARIFF WITH CONFIDENCE

Jen Gale — Wed, 18 Sep 2019 13:42:03 GMT

Of the six highest impact things we can do as individuals and households, switching to a renewable energy tariff comes in at number four, behind have one less child (I am unclear how this actually works..), going entirely car-free, or taking one less transatlantic flight. And ahead of going vegan or switching to an electric car.It is hands down, the easiest high impact environmental action you can take.But lots of us put it off. Because lets face it, it's dull, it and feels like it will be hard work and that we'll have to do lots of research to make sure we're not being greenwashed.Which is where today's podcast comes in...Here at Sustainable(ish) we're on a mission to get as many people as possible to switch their energy supplier to a renewable tariff and we’ve teamed up with Big Clean Switch, who are an energy comparison site whose goal it is to "make it easy to switch to clean energy suppliers you can trust". They do all the research and checking so that you don’t have to. You can visit Big Clean Switch, get a quote and switch, knowing that your money is genuinely funding the renewable sector in the UK, AND that you should get great customer service (this is another criteria that Big Clean Switch stipulate for the companies on their site)

In today’s episode, I’m chatting to Jon, the founder of Big Clean Switch, and hopefully answering all your questions about why you should switch, and how to do it.Here are some of the questions we discuss:

What is renewable energy and why is it important that we switch?
What are the benefits of switching?
Will it be more expensive?
How do I know that the company is doing what they say they're doing (ie sourcing renewable energy)?
Talk to us about REGOs (if you have no idea what a REGO is, we explain it in the podcast!)- are they just another form of greenwashing?
What happens to smart meters when you switch?
Are any renewable tariffs eligible for Warm Homes Discount?
What happens if you're in a rental property
And much much more...! Enjoy!

Useful links

Big Clean Switch- Website- Get a quote and support Sustainable(ish) all at the same time with this link here - Big Clean Switch's criteria for listing energy companies on their site- Facebook- Twitter

[…]

[171] Your Council and Climate Action – an update! With Annie Pickering from Climate Emergency UK

Jen Gale — Fri, 03 Nov 2023 07:00:00 GMT

Podcast episode wise it was only 7 episodes ago, but time wise, almost a year has passed since I chatted to Annie Pickering from Climate Emergency UK about their Council Climate Scorecards.In that chat we talked about why climate action from Local Authorities are important,. The operational carbon footprint of most local authroties might not be huge, but their sphere of influence over their local area is pretty big, and in fact of up to around a third of the UK’s emissions are under the influence of local authorities.For most of us, we probably only interact with our local authority when we pay our council tax or we want to complain about bins or potholes, but there’s a whole lot more we can do to encourage and support our councils taking climate action. When I spoke to Annie last year, we discussed the Plan scorecards, which were published in 2022 and looked at Local Authorities Climate Action Plans. We also started to talk about the plans that Climate Emergency UK had to produce a whole new set of scorecards for Actions. And this is what we’re talking about today! We dive into how the new scorecards were produced, how the results differ for councils from their plans to their actions, and the role of the scorecards in driving further action from local authorities and how we can use them to help us engage with our local councils.There’s also a shout out for the Climate Emergency crowdfunder which is live at the moment, which is raising funds to help them get the scorecards out there being used in the most effective way possible, supporting the team at Climate Emergency to work with campaigners, councils and other organisations to use the Scorecards as an effective campaign tool to push for change, and to track this progress over time by publishing future editions of the Action Scorecards. Aviva Community Fun are providing match funding for the campaign until the 22nd November, which means that any donation you make until then will be matched by Aviva. I know that times are tough right now, and that the expense of Christmas is looming, but if you do have any spare pennies, this is a great climate cause to donate to!I thought this episode was fascinating. Let’s face it, Local Authorities are never going to be the sexy and exciting end of climate action, but they have huge scope for really positive impact, not just in terms of emissions reductions, but also in terms of engagement from local communities. I really hope you enjoy it – do let me know if you go and check out the scorecards, if they prompt you to get in touch with your local authority or to think about what’s happening and what could be happening in your local area!

Annie Pickering - Co-Director Climate Emergency UK

GOOD NEWS!In the new Good News section after the main interview, I share some of the good climate news happening (because there is some, I promise!). Here's this weeks pick:

Uruguay's National Grid is powered by 98% green energy (NPR)
Europe's disused coal mines are successfully heating our homes (Euronews.com)
Much closer to home, I’ve just sent out 24 shiny Carbon Literacy certificates to successful participants of September’s Carbon Literacy courses – I ran one open course, one for the brilliant team at Everyday Plastic and one Carbon Literacy course for Veterinary Professionals which I run with Vet Sustain.To get their certificate, participants have to make two carbon saving pledges and there were some fabulous ones! Here are a few examples:- "I will commit to changing my investments and pension to sustainable choices" (if you're intrigued by this, do check out Episode 169 with Dan from Mother Tree!)- "I am going to design a Carbon Literacy training session to provide for my team. I will also put together a sustainability group with members from each department."- "I am going to commit to buying nothing new (as an individual) for the next three months. As someone with a bit of an Amazon habit, this will be a challenge."All of the pledges are great individually, but you really start to see the power of collective action when you add them up! So when I send out the certificates, I attach an infographic showing a conservative estimate for the emissions savings of their cohort's pledges. The total across all three groups for September comes in at a whopping 23,430kg CO2e - the equivalent of 6.7 return flights from London to Hong Kong! A huge thank you to all of the September learners for stepping up for the planet and coming on the course. There's more info and dates for Carbon Literacy training here if this is something you're interested in!

LISTEN... USEFUL LINKS:

Climate Emergency UK- Website- Facebook- Twitter/X- Instagram- Linked In- Council Climate Scorecards - Crowdfunder- Methodology- How to use the scorecards- How to use the scorecards training sessions:Weds 15th Nov 12pm (GMT)Thurs 7th Dec 5.30pm (GMT)- Campaigners guide to the Climate Action scorecards- 15 ways to improve your council's climate action
Ashden
Pesticide Action Network
CoMo UK - bike lanes, active travel
[164] - Your council and climate action - my chat from last year with Annie
Carbon Literacy training
The Sustainable(ish) Clubhouse
Crap-free Christmas course
FREE! Crap-free Christmas webinar

What were your takeaways from this episode? Any lightbulb moments? What are you going to go out and DO as a result of this episode?Have you checked out the scorecards? How are your local authority doing?Will you get in touch with your local authority? Do share in a comment below! […]

[121] CLIMATE AND HEALTH – A WIN-WIN SITUATION

Jen Gale — Fri, 19 Nov 2021 14:31:09 GMT

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 goals
13% of asthma cases globally are a result of traffic fumes
Air pollution is also a significant contributor to heart disease, and also affects children's ability to learn
A hotter, dirtier planet leads to poorer health outcomes and more deaths
The NHS has 1.3 million employees, making it the biggest employer in the UK
The NHS emits about 25 million tonnes of CO2e a year, which is about 4% of the UK's total emissions
Primary care (GPs) is about 25% of the NHS, making GPs responsible for about 5.75 million tonnes CO2e
About 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 taken
One 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 Cundill

Dr Matthew Sawyer

LISTEN... CHECK OUT...

DO...

Keep yourself healthy! - Eat well, exercise, spend time in nature
If you have regular repeat medications, only order what you need, and if necessary ask your GP for a review
Make sure you return any unused medications, and empty inhalers to the pharmacy for correct disposal
Lobby your MP and local politicians to push for greener healthcare
Ask your local GP practice if they are part of the Greener Practice group, and signpost them in the right direction
Ask about patient participation groups, and if there is any way to feedback and make suggestions to your GP's practice
See 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! […]

[124] THE DAY THE WORLD STOPS SHOPPING – WITH J.B. MACKINNON

Jen Gale — Fri, 10 Dec 2021 14:17:14 GMT

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- Twitter
The Day the World Stops Shopping - Bookshop- Hive- World of Books
Right to Repair website
Buy Me Once - website of goods curated for longevity and repairability
Why 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 Amazon
Slow 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 down
If 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! […]

[083] THINK GLOBAL ACT LOCAL

Jen Gale — Fri, 04 Dec 2020 12:32:47 GMT

This week’s episode is a great chat with Ric Casale from Carbon Copy, an online hub that connects local communities, councils and companies who share the goal of a carbon zero future. Their aim is to help more people in taking local climate action and collectively in building something better.Now, I don’t know about you, but when I hear the words Climate Action, there’s a part of me that starts to shrink. A part of me that associates climate action with getting shouty with a placard, and that associates local climate action with dreary meetings in cold church halls where everyone has a good old whinge but nothing much actually happens. Thankfully this isn’t the case!Climate action will mean different things to different people, and that’s ok. Your climate action might be reducing your plastic, or your meat consumption, or your general consumption, or something else entirely. And local climate action can look different in different places, or even different action in the same place!Local climate action is all about getting together with the people in your local area to take ACTION. And it’s that action that is important. You could set up a Repair Café, of a secondhand school uniform service, or a plastic-free buying group. Or you could get involved with something more technical like a local energy co-operative. It doesn’t really matter what it it – what matters is thinking about your skill set and how you might be able to contribute towards to making something bigger happen.There are so many benefits, as you’ll hear Ric and I discuss in this episode, and coming together with others is a great way not only to amplify your individual actions or take them to the next level, but also to meet others and to know that you’re not alone in your quest to make the world, both globally and locally, a better place.Enjoy.

Useful links

So what is your local action?What skills, resources and time do you have to take action where you live?Do let me know in the comments! AVAILABLE ONLINE AND IN ALL GOOD BOOK SHOPS NOW!

"Easily the most family friendly way to do your bit"The Sunday Times

"Absolutely love this book - should be mandatory reading"Online review

[…]

[084] THE CARBON FOOTPRINT OF CHRISTMAS (AND WHAT WE CAN DO ABOUT IT)

Jen Gale — Fri, 11 Dec 2020 14:46:31 GMT

Christmas is coming! In fact, it's kind of here as we're currently just two weeks away from 'the Big Day'...There’s a lot to think about Christmas isn’t there? The food, the gifts, the cards, the wrapping paper, the relatives, the stockings – it goes on and on. And while some of us might be giving a little more thought to the waste and plastic mountains that can result at this time of year, how many of us give much thought to the carbon footprint of our Christmas?I have to say that I hadn’t really. I mean, it sounds like the ultimate party pooper buzzkill doesn’t it? To be thinking about the carbon impact of our Christmas. I think we can all guess that it’s pretty bad right? But just how bad? And what can we do about it? And can we get rid of it without getting rid of Christmas?Lots of questions about this which is why it was great to chat to Luke Gaydon, one of the co-founders of Terra Neutra – an organisation that has the aim of creating a carbon positive world that provide guidance, services and tech in support of that vision.I’ve chatted to Luke before about carbon footprints and off-setting more generally during the Sustainable(ish) online festival that happened during lockdown in May this year and I’ll link to that below for anyone who wants to have a watch/listen. Luke is a great guest and I hope that our chat leaves you feeling inspired and informed about some of the things you can do to cut the carbon this Christmas!Enjoy!

Useful links

Had you thought about the carbon footprint of your Christmas?What are you doing to reduce yours?Would you offset?Do let me know in the comments! AVAILABLE ONLINE AND IN ALL GOOD BOOK SHOPS NOW!

"Easily the most family friendly way to do your bit"The Sunday Times

"Absolutely love this book - should be mandatory reading"Online review

[…]

[098] ECO SCHOOLS

Jen Gale — Fri, 19 Mar 2021 11:40:00 GMT

Check out episode 93 for some more info about the book, Monday's episode with Ellie Jackson from Wild Tribe Heroes, and Tuesday's episode with Rachel Boyett from Little Veggie Eats, Wednesday's episode with Charlotte from thelittleloop explaining how clothes rental for kids works, and yesterday's episode on all things reusable nappies with Laura Tweedale!So here we are them day 5! It’s been a real blast, and we haven’t even skimmed the surface of a LOT of sustainable(ish) parenting, bit I hope you’ve enjoyed the episodes this week – parent or not, these women are all hugely inspiring and so brilliantly demonstrate the power we all have to create positive change.To round off the week we’re heading back to school!Unless you homeschool (and the last year has demonstrated to me that I am really not cut out of homeschooling and I take my hat off to those of you who choose to do that) our kids will (Covid permitting) spend a lot of their time at school. Schools can have a huge impact, not only in teaching our kids about the planet and the climate crisis, but in connecting with the wider school community and making wider change happen as well.I LOVED this chat with Lee Wray Davies, who is the Eco Schools Manager for England, about the Eco Schools programme, what it is, how it works, the impact it has, and how we can get our own schools involved. Enjoy!

Check out Lee, hanging out with Sir David Attenborough!

And here she is with Steve Backshall! Anyone else want Lee's job..?!!

Useful links

Are your school on board with all things eco?Are you tempted to put out a few feelers to see if they might like some help getting something off the ground?Let me know ! AVAILABLE ONLINE AND IN ALL GOOD BOOK SHOPS NOW!

"Easily the most family friendly way to do your bit"The Sunday Times

[…]

[136] CLIMATE NEWS – HOW DO WE KNOW WHAT’S TRUE? – WITH JACK MARLEY

Jen Gale — Fri, 25 Mar 2022 14:50:39 GMT

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...

DO...

Have a 'climate conversation' with friends or family
Question 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! […]

[076] REDUCING THE FOOTPRINT OF YOUR SHOEPRINT WITH REVIVO

Jen Gale — Mon, 12 Oct 2020 13:58:39 GMT

Lots of us are becoming increasingly aware of some the many issues for both people and planet that are created by the fast fashion industry. But how many of us think much about the impact of our shoes?

DID YOU KNOW?

25 BILLION pairs of shoes are made globally each year
90% of them will end up in landfill, often within 12 months
An average shoe can have 50-60 different components, making it's manufacture complicated and carbon intensive
The carbon footprint of an average pair of shoes is around 13kg CO2

Clearly the shoe industry needs to clean up it's act - but what are the options? How can the shoe industry become more circular? (If you're wondering what the hell the 'circular economy' is, then check out this great page here from the Ellen McArthur Foundation). Listen in to this episode with Emma Foster-Geering, Head of Sustainabilty at Vivobarefoot, as we chat about all things sustainability in shoes, and Emma shares news of ReVivo - a new project from Vivobarefoot which aims to drastically reduce the numbers of pairs of their shoes that end up in landfill.

Image from the Ellen McArthur Foundation

Useful links

ReVivo- Website- Instagram
Vivobarefoot- Website- Facebook- Instagram- Twitter- Sustain This Podcast
Boot Repair Company
Sustainable(ish) Fashion podcast episode
Tansy Hoskins - Footwork book
Sustainable(ish) Facebook group

Have you thought about your carbon 'shoeprint' before?How do you feel about secondhand shoes?Let me know in the comments! AVAILABLE ONLINE AND IN ALL GOOD BOOK SHOPS NOW!

"Easily the most family friendly way to do your bit"The Sunday Times

"Absolutely love this book - should be mandatory reading"Online review

[…]

[188] Money, money, money! With Lisa Stanley-Mann

Jen Gale — Fri, 30 Jan 2026 06:00:00 GMT

Money makes the world go around, or so the saying goes. But did you know that YOUR money, might be making fossil fuel companies go round (aka fund them!), without you knowing?Do you want a few bonkers stats?- The “Big 5” UK high-street banks – Barclays, HSBC, Santander, Lloyds andNatWest – have financed the fossil fuel industry with more than $556 billion between 2016 and 2023 (1)- In 2023 alone, they provided $55 billion to fossil fuel companies (1).- For every £10 you put into your pension, £2 is invested in deforestation (2).In today’s episode I’m chatting to Lisa Stanley-Mann, from Good with Money. We dive into all things money, and more specifically, the power of our money, and what it might be being used for when we think it’s all tucked up nice and safe and innocently in our bank accounts or pensions.I was convinced that Lisa had been on the podcast before, but I scrolled back through the archives and couldn’t see an episode, someone please correct me if I’m wrong! But Lisa and I have previously chatted ‘off air’ quite some time ago as it turns out, when I hosted some podcasts for Good With Money – we got chatting about the 2016 craze that is/was sweeping the internet at the time of recording, and that I was blissfully unwaware of as I’m not cool enough! Inevitably I hopped straight onto the bandwagon pretty much as soon as my call with Lisa ended, and if you’re in any way interested (it’s genuinely not that interesting, so I won’t be offended if you’re not!), I did my own 2016 post – I’ll pop a link to it below if you want to have a nose.PS. We should have said this in the chat, but hopefully it's blindingly obvious that I'm not a financial advisor, and Lisa isn't either! Do take proper professional advice before moving your money.References:(1) https://makemymoneymatter.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Banking-Guide-2025.pdf(2) https://makemymoneymatter.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Green-Pensions-Guide-2025.pdf

Lisa Stanley-Mann

LISTEN... USEFUL LINKS:

Good With Money- Website- Instagram- Facebook- The Good Egg accreditation- The Good Guides- The Good Lists
Make My Money Matter- E-mail template to email your employer about their pension provider
Bank Track
Pension Bee
Zero
Related podcast episodes from the archives:- [015] - Money as a Force for Good with Triodos Bank- [091] - Make My Pension Matter - with Make My Money Matter- [169] - How green is your money - with Dan Sherrard-Smith from Mothertree
Bank.Green
Ethical Consumer
B-Corp
Naturesave
My 2016 post on Instagram

Are you going to do a bit of investigating into your money, and your current accounts and savings after listening? Or have you already moved your money? Do let me know! […]

[029] THE END OF TOYBOX CLUTTER? WITH NIGEL PHAN FROM WHIRLI

Jen Gale — Wed, 27 Mar 2019 07:30:02 GMT

Did you know that on average kids in the UK receive around £350 of toys a year? I was pretty shocked when I read this, and indignantly though to the myself "there’s no way that applies to my kids", especially as we buy the vast majority of their toys secondhand. But when I stopped and thought about Christmas and birthdays and those times when they drag me into the toy shop and my resistance levels are at an all time low, then it’s easy to see how it can all add up. And when I look around the clutter and the mess in my kid's rooms (actually more accurately spread around their floors waiting to trip me up) and the toys abandoned halfway up the stairs, in the kitchen, in the lounge… I start to feel a little bit overwhelmed. I try my best to keep on top of it, and have recently instigated a 'one in, one out' policy, but as any parent of small kids will tell you, the instant you put a long forgotten toy into the charity shop box it becomes their favourite toy ever that they could never even consider parting with, and you’re a heartless meanbag for even thinking about it. All of which is why I’m so excited about today’s episode. I’m chatting to Nigel Phan, founder of a website and start up called Whirli. Whirli is an online toy subcscription service where your kids can literally swap til they drop!There’s a brilliant range of stuff on there, from rattles for babies through to nerf guns for bigger kids. And larger items too like ride on toys for toddlers through to scooters and balance bikes – a great way to see if your kids likes and/or gets on with a toy before making a bigger investment. And actually if they really like it, you have the option to keep any of the toys!So settle back, ingmore the messy bedrooms and playroom for a minute, grab a cuppa and listen in.Enjoy.

Useful links

Whirli- Website- Facebook- Instagram
The link to sign up for the Sustainable(ish) Sunday newsletter

[…]

[086] ALL THINGS POLITICS WITH SIAN BERRY – CO-LEADER OF THE GREEN PARTY

Jen Gale — Sat, 23 Jan 2021 08:56:08 GMT

Hmmm politics....I don't know about you but I think it's pretty easy to feel disengaged from politics - lots of (mostly) white, (mostly) men, working things for their own advantage and dragging their heels on stuff that would and could make a real difference. When it comes to the climate especially it feels like there's a lot of hot air and not a lot of action.Which is why it was so refreshing to chat in this episode to Sian Berry, co-leader of The Green Party. The Knackered Mums in the Knackered Mums Eco Club get to come along to listen in to the podcast recordings live, and then ask a few questions at the end. I LOVED this comment after the event “she was human and encouraging and passionate and that gave me hope.”Politics can feel like it's this big world of smoke and mirrors and that it's very difficult to effect change as an individual. It was great to chat to Sian and to hear that this doesn’t have to be the case – she gives us all lots of ideas for how to get involved, as busy people, and how we can have an impact on both local and national politics. I hope you enjoy listening as much as I enjoyed recording this – do share your thoughts on the comments below or get in touch via social media.Enjoy!

Useful links

Sian Berry- Website- Facebook- Instagram- Twitter
Sian's books- 50 ways to help the planet- Junk for Joy
The Green Party- Website- Manifesto- Facebook- Twitter- Instagram
The Knackered Mums Eco Club
Sustainable(ish) Facebook group

How are you feeling after listening to this?Do let me know in the comments! AVAILABLE ONLINE AND IN ALL GOOD BOOK SHOPS NOW!

"Easily the most family friendly way to do your bit"The Sunday Times

"Absolutely love this book - should be mandatory reading"Online review

[…]

[011] – How and why to recycle LESS (it’s more exciting than it sounds…)

Jen Gale — Tue, 24 Jul 2018 20:57:09 GMT

In this solo episode I'm talking all things recycling. Or rather NOT recycling. We're digging into the 'waste hierarchy' (yes, I am aware this is the most dull sounding precise of a podcast ever - I promise it's not that bad! You might even giggle a bit...) to find out all the things we can do BEFORE we even think about recycling

Useful links

BBC news article - Recycled packaging may end up in landfill

Freecyle

Freegle

The Repair Cafe website

The Essential Guide to a Plastic-Free(ish) Home

My Sustainable Life FB community (do come and join us!)

FEELING INSPIRED TOTAKE ACTION ON PLASTIC? Get the Essential Guide to a Plastic-Free (ish) Home.Easy swaps, ideas and tips you can do right now to help you get started on your plastic-free (ish) journey! In achievable bite sized steps. BUY NOW

[185] Is it all bllcks?

Jen Gale — Fri, 23 Jan 2026 15:58:00 GMT

Well this is exciting isn’t it? As it turns out I was wise to say never say never when I said back in April 24 that that was probably the last ever Sustsainable(ish) podcast episode, because I’m back! And in this first episode back after a looong old break, I’m answering a pretty fundamental question… is it all just bollocks?Does individual action really matter, or is it, in the words of Green party leader Zack Polanski in a 2025 interview just bollocks.Tune in to hear my thoughts, as well as my explanation for where I've been and what I've been doing since the last episode the best part of two years ago, and why the podcast is back!Enjoy!

LISTEN... USEFUL LINKS:

Sustainable(ish) socials - come and say hello!- Instagram- Facebook- Linked In
Let's Go Zero

I'd love to know what you think, and where you sit on the 'individual change vs system change' debate. Also do let me know your thoughts on the podcast’s return, and whose story you’d love to hear. […]

[131] BUILDING A REPAIR ECONOMY – WITH SOPHIE UNWIN

Jen Gale — Fri, 18 Feb 2022 13:09:36 GMT

I was delighted to finally get the chance to chat to Sophie Unwin after literally years of following each other online! Sophie is the director and founder of the Remade Network - a Glasgow based social enterprise with a mission to build a repair economy from the ground up through the creation of a network of repair social enterprises that create jobs, tackle climate change and reduce inequality - how's that for a win, win, win!

Sophie is an absolute inspiration - she's got a brilliant back story of how she came to be so passionate about reuse and repair and an amazing track record of setting up successful repair projects. Her vision for not only the Remade Network in Glasgow but also how this model could be replicated and rolled out other cities and towns is incredibly hopeful and at the same time feels totally do-able! Sophie is proving that these enterprises can be viable businesses that contribute to the local economy at the same time as tackling waste and climate change.

Enjoy!

LISTEN... CHECK OUT...

Remade Network- Website- Facebook- Instagram- Twitter
Repair Cafes
The Sustainable(ish) FB group

DO...

Think about how you can incorporate repair and reuse into your life! Could you mend or fix the next thing that breaks?
If you're lucky enough to live near any of the Remade Networks projects in Glasgow, pop along and pay them a visit!
Think about what you might be able to do in your community or workplace to start the conversation around repair and reuse.

Anyone else loving the idea of a repair econmony?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! […]

[038] EVERYTHING YOU EVER WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT WORMERIES WITH THE URBAN WORM

Jen Gale — Wed, 26 Jun 2019 16:05:16 GMT

DID YOU KNOW?We only have around 30- 40 years of fertile soil left in the UK? And golabally optimistic estimates are around 60 years. The problem is that modern agricultural practices take out more from the soil than they put back in, leaving it depleted of the nutrient that plants need to grown. And as 98% of our fod comes from the soil, this should be causing more of a stir than it is.The answer though is simple. And according to today's guest Anna de la Vega from The Urban Worm, it’s worms. Worm farming is a double whammy (in a good way) – it’s a brilliant way to deal with our food waste (which if sent to landill releases methane and nitrous oxide, both of which are highly potent greenhouse gases) AND it creates amazing quality compost containing all of the essential nutrients that plants need to grow ,which is super concentrated meaning you only need small amounts.In lots of countries it’s being done an industrial scale, but here in the UK we are lagging behind a little. No doubt been distracted by a certain B word…But worm farming is something that we can all do on a household scale, even if we don’t have a garden. We can use our little worm pets to munch away on our food waste, so a worm farm is an ideal solution to food waste if you don’t hve a council food waste collection and don’t have a garden for a compost bin.

Food waste is a massive issue when it comes to the climate crisis - indeed if food waste were a country it would the 3rd biggest emitter of greenhouse gases after the USA and China. So it’s something we should all be working on. Obviously we should all be looking to minimise our food waste by meal planning, having a healthy disregard for best before dates, and dishing up sensible portions, but there will always be a certain amount of unavoidable food waste, no matter how anal diligent we are about it - things like banana skins, egg shells, tea bags etc etc.

In this episode we chat all things worms, and Anna gives us the run down on setting up our own wormery, what to do and what not to do, and how to keep our worms happy.I’m super inspired to set my own now, and I hope after listening to this that you will be too!Enjoy!

Useful links

[…]

[026] 5(ISH) MINUTE GUIDE TO…A SUSTAINABLE(ISH) LENT

Jen Gale — Tue, 05 Mar 2019 14:44:36 GMT

It's pancake day - hurray! Which means it's the start of Lent tomorrow - traditionally 40 days and 40 nights of fasting before Easter to remember Jesus' time in the wilderness.Now I’ve never really done Lent, but it’s a time of year when some people choose to take on a challenge and give up something they enjoy - whether thats chocolate, or sugar or alcohol, or something else entirely. But how about this year abstaining from something that will help the planet, rather than simply your waistline? In this episode I share with you a few ideas for things you might want to have a go at giving up this year for Lent:

[…]

[028] BUY LESS, BUY BETTER WITH TARA BUTTON FROM BUY ME ONCE

Jen Gale — Wed, 20 Mar 2019 19:31:53 GMT

In today’s episode I'm chatting to Tara Button, the founder and CEO of Buy Me Once, and author of A Life Less Throwaway. After receiving a Le Crueset saucepan as a gift, Tara set out to look for a website that sold "the Le Crueset of everything" - meaning products that are made to last, and that will be cherished and are capable of being passed on to our kids and grandkids. When she couldn't find one, and the idea just wouldn't leave her alone, Tara founded Buy Me Once, a website selling only products that are built to last. After starting out small, the site went viral after a journalist wrote about it, and it's had praise from Ashton Kutcher and Caitlin Moran amongst others, and led to Tara being asked to write a book about her philosophy. A Life Less Throwaway is a brilliant book for anyone struggling to buy less - it dives into some of the ways we're constantly being manipulated by advertisers to buy more, and to upgrade, and is packed with practical advice to help you find your style, and resist that urge to impulse buy. I could have chatted to Tara for hours, and there's so many great gems of advice and information in this episode - enjoy.

Useful links

Buy Me Once- Website- Facebook- Twitter- Instagram
A Life Less Throwaway - Tara's book
The Clothes Doctor
Ikea's plans for renting out furniture
Buy Me Once's #makeitlast campaign
The link to sign up for the Sustainable(ish) Sunday newsletter

Some of Tara's Top Tips to Buy Less and Buy Better

Make a list of all the things you DON'T need! Do you really need any more cushions? Or kitchen gadgets? Or black t-shirts?
Be aware of the adverts that you're seeing. Acknowledge them, and say "No"!
Love your stuff! Buy only stuff that you will love and cherish for a long time.
Work out what you want out of life and what makes you happy (this will invariably be people and experiences, not things). Then make a plan to direct your energy and spending in those directions.
Work out your style, and make sure that everything you buy fits with that.

[…]

[013] – BE GOOD AND DO GOOD WITH YOUR MONEY

Jen Gale — Sun, 09 Sep 2018 19:32:32 GMT

This is another 're-purposed' interview from last year that I recorded with Lisa Stanley, co-founder of Good with Money - a website about "helping you become good with money while doing good with money too". I don't know about you, but it took me far longer than it should have done to realise that the money in my bank might be being used to fund all kinds of businesses and organisations that didn't align with my values. And that my money might not be working as hard as I am for a fairer, healthier world.Lisa and I dive into this, and Lisa shares some top tips for how to really harness the power of your money.

[…]

[199] No Mow May with Sarah Shuttleworth from Plantlife

Jen Gale — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 06:38:06 GMT

Did you know we have lots 97% of our species rich graslands in the UK since the 1930s? This has had a huge knock on impact to the rest of the food chain that are relaint on that habitat, things like our insect pollinators especially, but also our birds and mammals that were part of this ecosystem.The good news is that this is something most of us can do something about! If you have a garden, or have local green spaces, we can use them to recreate some of that lost speices rich grassland, and you don't need masses of space to be able to do it.AND this is one of those very rare things - a sustainability action that actually requires LESS effort than the status quo, because to make it happen, we're being asked to mow LESS!In today's episode I'm chatting to Sarah Shuttleworth, Specialist Botanical Advisor at Plantlife, all about their No Mow May campaign, and how we can all get involved, even if we don't have a garden, and/or the rest of the family aren't keen on having an entirely unmown lawn for the whole of the summer!Have a listen, and then head over to the Plantlife website to sign up to take the No Mow May pledge . There are links to all of the fab No Mow May resources on the Plantlife website, including things like downloadable signs you can print out to let the neighbours know what you're doing!

Sarah Shuttleworth

A bee orchid - Sarah's favourite plant!

LISTEN... USEFUL LINKS:

Plantlife- Website- Facebook- Instagram- You Tube
No Mow May- Take the No Mow May pledge- The No Mow Movement calendar- Free downloads: posters, lawn signs, colouring sheets, social media posts- The Good Verge Guide (for local authorities)- Managing grassland road verges (for local authorities)
Sarah Shuttleworth- Linked In
Seek - plant ID app
National Education Nature Park (for schools)
[137] Wildlflower meadows and how to make (a mini) one in your garden! With Paul Jupp (podcast episode)
Sustainable(ish) Clubhouse - doors opening again soon!
Carbon Literacy- Carbon Literacy with me!

[175] Climate play – with Lucy Hawthorne

Jen Gale — Sat, 02 Dec 2023 17:42:52 GMT

Climate and play might not be two things that we naturally put together. And even less so, climate and 'playfulness'. Climate change is a huge, overwhelming, complext issue and i couldn't be more important. So we need to take this seriously and absolutely need to be bringing our best game, there's no room for messing around, right?Maybe not!I loved this chat with the brilliant Lucy Hawthorne, founder of Climate Play who is "making it safe, light and fun to face climate change". Lucy runs a range of workshops and programmes that help people work through emotions, information and actions associated with climate change. In this episode we discuss playfulness as a mindset and why that's so important when it comes to tackling big, serious issues like climate change. You might think that Climate Play workshops, especially ones involving Lego are aimed at children, but that's very much not the case here - Lucy's workshops are for grown ups, and often grown ups working in proper grown up jobs in proper grown up companies. We talk about the importance of play, especially for adults - how it expands our minds, and puts us into a great, positive frame of mind, meaning we're at our best when attempting to tackle such big and complex issues as climate change. There was a phrase that Lucy used at one point during the conversation - something like using play to 'put a softer edges on things to be able to have the harder conversations' that really struck me. I know that I can get very caught up in the importance of this work and the pressure I put on myself to get it right, because so much is at stake. That can mean that I'm potentially pretty intense when I attempt any conversations around climate change and climate action! Allowing ourselves (myself) to experiment and be more playful with what works and what doesn't, letting go of a fear of failure, because we can't fail as we're just experimenting and trying some stuff out, is such an important mindset shift, and one that I'm going to try and embrace. Along with the idea of embracing and doing more of the things that bring us joy, and thinking about how we can do more of what we do with a (genuine!) smile on our faces. And speaking of big mindset shifts, look out for the brilliant one right at the end, where Lucy shares the power of simply swapping one simple word in our vocabulary, and how that can make us "more motivated, more likely to carry on doing it (climate action), and more likely to be smiling while I'm doing it."

Lucy Hawthorne

GOOD NEWS!In the new Good News section after the main interview, I share some of the good climate news happening (because there is some, I promise!). Here's this weeks pick:

Environment secretary to reconsider mandatory food waste reporting for businesses (Ends Report)
Second UK company appoints nature to the board (Positive News)
And much closer to home - some lovely feedback on Linked In on my Carbon Literacy course. Nicola says "Proud of this one. Thank you to Jen at Sustainable(ish) for taking what I find to be a minefield and distilling it down to the individual level and how we can actually make a difference, with some small (or big) adjustments to our thinking and lifestyles. One of my pledges was to commit to one meat free meal a week, I initially thought I would struggle with this, but a few months down the line it has not been as bad as I was expecting. With this one act I'm helping to save nearly 100kgs of CO2 across the year. If, like me you find the climate situation we are facing a challenge to get your head around and you have the opportunity to undertake carbon literacy training, I highly recommend that you take it."

LISTEN... USEFUL LINKS:

What do you think?What does play mean to you? How can you use this in the climate space to bring more curiosity and joy, and to help you to let go of any fear of failure?How can you be more playful and curious in your approach to climate action whether that's at home, work, or in your community?Do let me know in the comments! […]

[161] Shop Ethical Instead – with Sian Conway-Wood

Jen Gale — Fri, 11 Nov 2022 09:56:26 GMT

You might not want to hear this but...Christmas is coming!We’re about to enter silly season for consumption with Black Friday and then the Christmas shopping, so what better time to take a pause and think about the impact of what we’re buying, and how we might be able to make our money do good stuff at the same time as buying good pressies.I’m chatting to Sian Conway-Wood who is the founder of ethical business platform Ethical Hour and managing partner at 181st Street – a communications company. Earlier this moth, Sian launched Shop Ethical Instead – a campaign to encourage us to use our Christmas budget to buy gifts from small, ethical independent brands. Now, as some of you will now, I’m coming to the end of Nothing New in 22 – a year buying gnothing new, 10 years on from the first one that was the star of my own sustainability journey. I’m pretty sold on the message that one of the most powerful things we can do as individuals is to consume less – so I did gently challenge Sian on how she feels about marketing more stuff to us, that we might not really need.It was a brilliant chat – and I totally sign up to Sian’s mantra of buy less buy better – so if you are on the look-our for some thoughtfully seclted presents for the loved ones in your life, do check out the Shop Ethical Instead gift guides.And on that note, if you’re looking to do Christmas with a bit less waste, impact on the planet and money this year, then I’ve pulled together the Crap-Christmas Course – a self-paced course with sixteen modules covering everything from plastic-free stocking fillers, through to sustainable(ish) drinks choices for the Big Day. There's more info right here.Do let me know what you think of this episode and if you'll be checking out some of the wonderful brands Sian mentions.Enjoy!

LISTEN... CHECK OUT...

Let me know your thoughts on this one!And if you enjoyed this episode, please do leave a review and/or comment wherever you get your podcasts! […]

[164] Your council and climate action – with Annie Pickering

Jen Gale — Fri, 09 Dec 2022 09:27:59 GMT

Most of us limit our interactions with our local authority to whingeing about our bin collections and paying our council tax BUT did you know that they have a whole lot of carbon emissions within their influence and therefore a whole lot of potential for a positive planetary impact?But how do we know what our council are doing? And if their plans are any good? And how they compare to the county next door, or at the other end of the country?This is where today’s guest comes in!I’m chatting to Annie Pickering from Climate Emergency UK, a not for profit who are supporting local authorities to achieve faster emissions reductions. Last year they assessed the climate action plans of all the local authroties in the UK and ranked them in a set of council climate plan scorecards – I use these regularly in my Carbon Literacy training and also in my talks when I’m talking about spheres of influence and the role we can play as citizens – these scorecards are a great ‘hook’ to get in touch with your local authority and start a conversation about climate action.This year they’re going a step further and are assessing and ranking local authorities on their actual climate actions, rather than their plans, and this is where we come in!Not only can we use these tools (the current one now and the new one when it’s available in Autumn of 2023) to engage with our councils around climate action, but if anyone has been looking for climate volunteering opportunities that they can do from the comfort of their homes, then this could be the one for you! Climate Emergency UK are looking to recruit a small army of volunteers to help them to assess the CA plans of all the local authorities in the UK – a somewhat mammoth undertaking! They’ll provide full training for you and it looks like a brilliant opportunity to get involved in something that really is having a meaningful impact – you’ll hear in our chat about some of the impact that the plan scorecards have already had, so it’s exciting to think about what the action scorecards will achieve!I’ve already signed up – if you’re interested, here's the link.Enjoy!PS. If you’ve enjoyed the podcast this year, please do give me a Christmas pressie of a rating and review whether you get your podcasts – it really does help the podcast to grown and reach more people!

LISTEN... CHECK OUT...

Let me know your thoughts on this one!And if you enjoyed this episode, please do leave a review and/or comment wherever you get your podcasts! […]

[163] The Carbon Footprint of Christmas and what’s in your control

Jen Gale — Fri, 02 Dec 2022 10:00:47 GMT

In this episode we take a deep dive into the carbon footprint of Christmas.Which feels a bit weird right?Christmas is a time to let go a little, and not be so hung up on the consequences of our actions (hence the number of mince pies I may have already eaten..). I feel a bit guilty for flagging up the fact that our Christmas excesses still have an impact.But unfortunately we can't bury our heads in the sand. And fortunately, there are LOTS of things we can do to tweak our Christmas' to make them a bit more sustainable(ish), without having to give up all the bits we love and enjoy.However, I think we can all relate to the fact that creating change, at any time of year, can be hard. And making different choices at Christmas can feel nigh on impossible. So it's important to think about what's in your control (do some of these things!) and what isn't (try and let these go..).Tune in to hear more about the carbon footprint of Christmas, and how to reduce your stress levels (hopefully!) by figuring out what are the things you might be able to change, and what are the things that other people are in control of, where you just have to go with the flow.

LISTEN... CHECK OUT...

Let me know your thoughts on this one!And if you enjoyed this episode, please do leave a review and/or comment wherever you get your podcasts! INTRODUCING THE CRAP-FREE CHRISTMAS COURSE!

Packed with hints, tips, ideas and links for a Christmas with less waste and less impact on the planet, one imperfect step at a time!This is an online self-paced course, meaning you can dip in and out at your own pace and pick and choose what you want to focus on.

MORE INFO […]

[019] – 12 NOT SO FUN FESTIVE FACTS

Jen Gale — Tue, 06 Nov 2018 14:33:37 GMT

The kids are back to school and now there is no denying that we're on the downhill slope to Christmas and the biggest consumer festival of the year.Which brings with it not only a dose of magic and goodwill to all (hopefully) but also the stress, the overwhelm and All The Stuff.In this episode I share with you 12 'not so fun festive facts' that demonstrate quite shockingly the waste we generate each Christmas, and the impact that the waste is having on the planet.We all want to create magical memories for our children but we need to make sure that those memories aren't destroying the very planet they live on.

USEFUL LINKS:

The Crap-free Christmas Course - doors are open NOW and close at midnight on the 11th November - get in while you can!
George Monbiot: The Gift of Death
The Sustainable(ish) FB group - come and find your tribe!

Which fact shocked you the most?Would you LOVE some help to have a crap-free Christmas this year?GET YOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO A CRAP-FREE CHRISTMAS!

Grab a copy of my digital e-guide tackling the big issues around Christmas waste in the home:

Advent Calendars & Christmas Cards
Food & Nibbles
Gifts, Alternatives & Tricky Conversations
Festive Family Guilt

Let's take out the plastic and waste from Christmas

Grab your copy now!
Instant download
check Stacks of ideas, suggestions and clickable resources

BUY NOW FOR JUST £6!

[158] Engaging young people with slow fashion – with Tze Ching Yeung

Jen Gale — Fri, 21 Oct 2022 11:47:15 GMT

Often one of the first ways that young people start to express themselves is via fashion, but fashion comes with a considerable environmental footprint. Textile production accounts for around 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions, and uses 1.5 trillion litres of water annually. And we all wear clothes. In today's episode I'm chatting to someone who is on a mission to get young people engaged with slow fashion. Tze Ching is the founder of Refashion My Town, which is educating young people about the impacts of their clothing choices, and equip them with the skills and resources they need to repair and upcycle their own clothes.There are so many great ideas in here, that all of us can get involved with, whether it's with young people or with our wider community. Do let me know if you're inspired after listening to this to think about a mending circle, clothes swap, upcycling workshop, or something else!Enjoy!

LISTEN... CHECK OUT...

Let me know your thoughts on this one!And if you enjoyed this episode, please do leave a review and/or comment wherever you get your podcasts! […]

[160] Carbon Labelling 101 – with Charlie Cotton

Jen Gale — Fri, 04 Nov 2022 08:00:00 GMT

Wouldn’t it be great if everything we bought had a label on it telling us what it’s carbon footprint it? Then we would be able to make informed choices about the things we were buying and the impact they had.Today I’m chatting to Charlie Cotton from ecollective about exactly that – what is a carbon footprint, how is it worked out, how feasible my grand carbon footprint labelling dreams are, and if some companies are already doing it.Would love to hear your thoughts on this one – is this something that you would find useful to help you make decisions? How viable do you think it is/

LISTEN... CHECK OUT...

ecollective- Website-Instagram- Twitter- Linked In
[071] - A beginners guide to Carbon Footprints with Jo Hand at Giki
Giki Zero
WWF carbon footprint calculator
[091] - Make my pension matter
Carbon footprint labelling of the food at COP26 (apologies for linking to The Sun!)
Wahaca's carbon footprinting on their menu
Bristol venue adds carbon footprint to it's menu
Oatly carbon footprinting info
Explore
Adventure Tours - carbon labelling
SME Climate Hub
UK government greenhouse gas reporting: conversion factors 2021
Investors in the Environment - lots of help for SMEs looking to become more sustainable
COP27 Ride The Change - give me your carbon here!
Talking Climate - The Sustainable(ish) accredited Carbon Literacy course
The Sustainable(ish) Facebook group

Let me know your thoughts on this one!And if you enjoyed this episode, please do leave a review and/or comment wherever you get your podcasts! […]

[166] Climate science 101 with Dr Adam Levy (aka Climate Adam)

Jen Gale — Fri, 29 Sep 2023 11:57:41 GMT

It's only taken 165 episodes, but I decided that it was about time we did a climate change back to basics type episode, going over the basic science of climate change. Talking about climate change is one of the most important things we can do (check out the brilliant Katharine Hayhoe for a great TED talk around this!) but many of us hold back due to a lack of confidence in our climate knowledge. So I plucked up the courage to ask one of my very favourite climate communicators, Dr Adam Levy, aka Climate Adam (check out his amazing You Tube channel here) to take us right back to basics, answering questions like ‘what is climate change?’ and ‘what are greenhouse gases?’ amongst others. I’m hugely aware it might be teaching some of you to suck eggs, but I really hope it’s helpful!

GOOD NEWS!In the new Good News section after the main interview, I share some of the good climate news happening (because there is some, I promise!). Here's this weeks pick:

A green energy boom in keeping 1.5C in sight
Manchester 'abuzz' about public transportBoth of these stories were taken from Positive News - What went right this week - this link has both of the good news stories mentioned if you want to read in more detail!
Vanessa from the Sustainable(ish) Clubhouse didn't think she'd achieved much, but when she thought about it she had:Helped a friend make foraged dried flower decorations for her wedding; lent her car to her sister-in-law to borrow for a week after she changed jobs and had to give back her company car; watched The True Cost movie; and saved some broken solar lights her in-laws were going to put in the general waste and dropped them at the recycling point in B&Q instead.

LISTEN... CHECK OUT...

Climate Adam- Website- You Tube- Instagram- Facebook- Twitter (X?!)- What happens if we stop emitting?- Too late to stop climate change? (the punching in the face video..!)
Katharine Hayhoe's TED Talk - The most important thing you can do to fight climate change: talk about it
Carbon Literacy training
Positive News - What went right this week - this link has both of the good news stories mentioned if you want to read in more detail!
The Sustainable(ish) Clubhouse

[104] HOW JUST ONE TREE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE

Jen Gale — Fri, 11 Jun 2021 11:35:25 GMT

Trees.We all love them right?But how much difference can they actually make? Are we all just being conned into feeling like everything will be ok if we just plant a few more trees? And how do we as individuals and families living in your average 3 bed semi plant enough trees to make a difference?

Come and listen in to my chat with the awe inspiring Amanda Bronkhurst from Just One Tree to answer all of these questions and more.Hear about:

How Amanda went from TV ad producer to all round eco hero and tree planter extraordinaire, with a toddler in tow
Amanda's 'ecopiphany' - the point at which she realised she had to do something to help fight the climate crisis
How Just One Tree came about and what it does
Loads of info about the amazing-ness (technical term) of trees and how they can help them planet
The impact of 'Just One Tree' in just two years...!
How we can get involved, including all the info about #JustOneTreeDay for schools in October (I've told Amanda I reckon we can get 500 schools signed up - will you help us out and invite your local school..?!)

I LOVE hearing people's stories - how they got started, and how perfectly ordinary people make extraordinary things happen. Amanda is such an inspiration for anyone who ever worries that as 'just one person' they can't make a difference.

Grab a cuppa, pop in your ear pods, and listen in to a life-affirming and uplifting chat that is guaranteed to make you feel better about the world - Enjoy!PS. Super excited to announce that The Knackered Mums Eco Club has hooked up with Just One Tree, so that a tree is funded for every monthly subscriber for each month they're a member - we're up to 123 trees so far!

LISTEN... CHECK OUT...

Just One Tree- Website- Facebook- Instagram- Twitter- Linked In- Plant a tree!- Just One Tree Day for schools - I've just e-mailed our headmaster with all the info!- Just One Tree for businesses
The Sustainable(ish) FB group
The Knackered Mums Eco Club

DO...

E-mail your kids school or the school in your town to see if they're up for joining in with #JustOneTreeDay in October. All the info you need is here, and there's even a template letter to send the Headteacher here.

Will you be signing up your business or school to help reforest the planet?Let me know in the comments! AVAILABLE ONLINE AND IN ALL GOOD BOOK SHOPS NOW!

"Easily the most family friendly way to do your bit"The Sunday Times

[…]

[197] Part 1 – Community Energy, solar, air source heat pumps, and more! With Sara Grimes from Bath and West Community Energy

Jen Gale — Thu, 02 Apr 2026 16:11:45 GMT

This week's episode is the first ever two parter!This was supposed to be an episode on home retrofit, and I'm chatting to SaraG Grimes from Bath and West Community Energy about some of the brilliant work that they're doing, and what people can do in their own homes.This first part is looking bigger picture and is quite a wide ranging chat! We cover community energy generally, as well as hearing about some of the specific projects that BWCE are working on; solar; heat pumps; the UK government's Warm Homes Plan; and support for renters amongst other things.In the second part (available to listen to now!) we look more specifically at home retrofit and some of the lower cost retrofit measures available, like draught proofing and insulation.I'm very aware that both of those potentially sound more than a little dull and dry as podcast episodes, but I really hope that they're interesting and useful! Do let me know!There we go - I did warn you it was quite a wide ranging chat, but I really hope it was interesting and there were some nuggets there that you can take away.Part 2 is much more focussed on home retrofit, and some of the lower tehc, more affordable options, and should be available to listen to now if you want to dive straight in, or save that particular treat for another day!Thanks so much for listening - do let me know any thoughts, comments or questions from this episode, amd I'll catch up in Pt 2

Sara Grimes

LISTEN... USEFUL LINKS:

Sara Grimes- Linked In
Bath and West Community Energy (BWCE)- Website- Community benefit- BWCE home energy plans and surveys (for people in the Bath area)- Green Heritage Homes- Linked In- Facebook- Instagram
Community Energy England
Community Energy Scotland
Community Energy Wales
Community Energy Northern Ireland
[112] - Community Energy with Brighton Energy Co-op
[135 ] - The local electricity bill with Steve Shaw (lots of community energy chat in this episode!)
Green Open Homes network
Visit a Heat Pump
Warm Homes Plan- On the UK government website- Which explainer article
Find energy grants for your home (UK gov)
Energy grant helpline: 0800 0987950
Boiler upgrade scheme (for heat pumps)
Find an energy certificate (EPC)
Historic England - Energy efficiency and retrofit in historic buildings
Heat Geek
Energy Saving Trust
Centre for Sustainable Energy
Sustainable(ish) Clubhouse - doors opening again soon!
Carbon Literacy- Carbon Literacy with me!

[196] – Everyday influencers (aka the power of YOU!) with Sam Hampton

Jen Gale — Fri, 27 Mar 2026 09:14:17 GMT

If you were to google 'how to be more sustainable' you would get a slew of posts sharing 'ten top things to do to cut your carbon footprint' or similar.Very few (if any) mention the huge potential influence that we can all have, by sharing the things that we're doing, talking to other people, voting etc etc.Which is why when I first came across a paper called 'Choices for climate action: a review of the multiple roles individuals play', and it included these very things, I was super excited, and promptly used it as a framework for diving into climate action in my Carbon Literacy courses.I was delighted to be able to dive into this in more detail with one of the paper's authors, Dr Sam Hampton, who is an academic at not one, but two universities, Bath and Oxford! We discuss not only the paper I mention above, but a new paper that has just been published about the role of hairdressers as 'everyday influencers' - a phrase I absolutely love! We are ALL everyday influencers, and our choices matter and shape the decisions of those around us. I find this hugely empowering, and I hope you do too!

Sam Hampton

LISTEN... USEFUL LINKS:

Sam Hampton- Website- Linked In
Choices for climate action: a review of the multiple roles individuals play
[188] - Money, money, money with Lisa Stanley-Mann
Household contributions to global greenhouse gas emissions- This paper says 60%- This paper says 72%
Katharine Hayhoe- Saving Us (book)- Katharine on the Sustainababble podcast- TED talk
Globally representative evidence on the actual and perceived support for climate action
Experimental evidence for tipping points in social convention
[118] - A beginners guide to COP26 (I reference this episode with Laura on the podcast)
Hairdressers as 'everyday influencers' on climate change and sustainability
Green Salon Collective
[154] - Leading by example, does it work? With Steve Westlake
Green and Healthy Frome
[185] - Is it all b*llocks?
Outrage and Optimism podcast episode with Lorraine Whitmarsh
Ipsos Perils of perception study
Oxford University Climate Leadership Research Centre
Larger Us - Lets Talk Climate project
Sustainable(ish) Clubhouse - doors opening again soon!
Carbon Literacy- Carbon Literacy with me!

Pie chart showing the six domains for individual action on climate change

I'd love to hear your thoughts on 'everyday influencers' , and if this episode has helped you to think more broadly about the impact we can all have.Let me know!

[070] RECYCLING 101 WITH DENIS THE DUSTCART

Jen Gale — Mon, 07 Sep 2020 11:56:41 GMT

Once upon a time (I'm looking at you 1990's) we were told that all we needed to do to be green was to do our recycling. And although it might have taken a while to catch on, most of us now diligently sort our rubbish out into a gazillion different bins and boxes each week, and feel good that we're doing our bit.However, sadly we're now realising that there's much more to saving the planet than simply popping our tin cans into the right bin, and that actually even the act of recycling is in itself bloody complicated (technical term for the UK's recycling infrastructure).One of the reasons that our recycling varies so widely across the country, is that it's managed by local councils, and many of us may have visited our council website or Facebook page for information about what we can and can't recycling where we live. But whilst we might find the information we need, we very rarely find anything else to engage us on the topic, answer some of our trickier questions, and (whispers) entertain us.Which is why Denis the Dustcart, from Exeter City Council, is such a revelation and I was so excited to interview him. Well, not actually Denis himself. He's a dustcart. Actually, he's not even a dustcart, he's an emoji dustcart persona. So I spoke to Merrick Palmer, recycling officer at Exeter City Council and Denis' alter-ego. Who happens to be very funny, and very good well-informed (by the recycling team at the council), and very good at writing engaging posts around all things waste and recycling on the Denis the Dustcart FB page.Listen in as I throw all my recycling questions at Denis, with biggies like which is better (when it comes to the planet and recycling: palstic, glass, or tetrapak. These are genuinely the kind of things that keep me up at night...Enjoy!

Useful links

Denis the Dustcart- Facebook- Instagram- Twitter- Great graphic from Denis about the different recycling signs -->
[011] - How and why to recycle less (podcast)
This week (7th-13th Sept) is Zero Waste Week - find out more about it on this podcast with Zero Waste Week founder Rachelle Strauss here.
Sustainable(ish) Facebook group

What are your thoughts on recycling..?Let me know in the comments! AVAILABLE ONLINE AND IN ALL GOOD BOOK SHOPS NOW!

"Easily the most family friendly way to do your bit"The Sunday Times

"Absolutely love this book - should be mandatory reading"Online review

[…]

[073] ORGANIC 101

Jen Gale — Fri, 18 Sep 2020 12:02:10 GMT

Most of us are now quite familiar with the concept of organic food, and maybe even organic textiles, but (and I'm speaking for myself here) maybe we don't really have that great a handle on what it actually means. Is it a legal definition? What does it mean if a product is organic? Is it just about pesticides? Is organic really any better for me and the planet? In this episode we've put together a brilliant expert panel to answer all those questions and more! Lee Holdstock from The Soil Association, Harriet O'Regan from Organic UK, and Guy Singh-Watson from Riverford joined me around my virtual kitchen table for a cuppa, and we dived into all things organic. Even as someone who gets an organic veg box, and regularly seeks out organic produce in the supermarket, I'm not sure I'd have been able to explain the benefits to friends and family in a very articulate or persuasive way. But I hope that after listening to this episode, we'll all feel like we have a greater understanding of what exactly "organic" means, and the role it has to play in the health of the planet and feeding the world.

Enjoy!* This is a paid partnership with Organic UK.

Organic is...working with nature. It's stewardship. Handing the land over to our children and grandchildren in a fit state. It's about taking responsibility

LEE HOLDSTOCK

The Soil Association

This episode was edited by Emily Crosby Media

Why Organic?Check out The Soil Association's post for more details on each of the bullet points below.

It's better for the planet - fewer pesticides, increased biodiversity, healthier soil and more!
Better for nature and wildlife - fewer pesticides and more biodiversity means more insects, more birds, more wildlife
Higher welfare for farm animal
Better for people and health

Image from The Soil Association

The Power of One Challenge!

Useful links

Organic UK- Website- Facebook- Instagram- Twitter
Organic September
The Soil Association- Website- Facebook- Instagram- Twitter- Why Organic?
Riverford- Website- Facebook- Instagram- Twitter- "In organic we trust" - article from Guy in the Riverford Wicked Leeks Magazine- "An uncomfortable truth" - article from Guy about the devastating soil loss they suffered this year that he references in the podcast
Organic Trade Board
30 ways to join the organic movement
The 'Dirty Dozen' and 'Clean Fifteen' - lists of fruit and veg with the most and least pesticide residues
World Wildlife Fund Living Planet Report 2020
The Sustainable(ish) Facebook group

Are you up for the Power of One Challenge? What organic swaps have you already made? What do you think you might swap out this week?Let me know in the comments! AVAILABLE ONLINE AND IN ALL GOOD BOOK SHOPS NOW!

"Easily the most family friendly way to do your bit"The Sunday Times

"Absolutely love this book - should be mandatory reading"Online review

[…]

[074] SUSTAINABLE EATING

Jen Gale — Mon, 28 Sep 2020 08:32:44 GMT

In the same way that 'sustainability' and 'sustainable living' mean different things to different people, 'sustainable eating' will too. With that in mind, we've collated a brilliant panel to discuss what it means to them, the impacts our choices around food have on the planet, and how we as individuals and families can take some simple steps to eat more sustainably. Our brilliant panel comprises Melissa Hemsley – self taught cook and author of a stack (technical publishing term..) of amazing cookbooks including her latest Eat Green – based on the 15 most commonly thrown away foods; Ben White from Coombe Farm Organic - an organic farm in Somerset breeding and rearing slow-growing native breeds to produce award-winning meat; and Tim Field, head of sustainability at Daylesford – one of the most sustainable farms in the UK.Enjoy!

* This is a paid partnership with Organic UK.

This episode was edited by Emily Crosby Media

Useful links

Organic UK- Website- Facebook- Instagram- Twitter
Organic September
Melissa Hemsley- Website- Facebook- Instagram- Twitter- Eat Green - Melissa's latest book- The Felix Project
Coombe Farm Organic- Website- Facebook- Instagram
Daylesford- Website- Facebook- Instagram- Twitter
The 'Dirty Dozen' and 'Clean Fifteen' - lists of fruit and veg with the most and least pesticide residues
Study looking into nutritional values of organic vs non-organic milk
R esearch article regarding glyphosphate (a widely used weedkiller) levels in people eating organic and non-organic foods
City to Sea - Contactless Coffee campaign
The Sustainable(ish) Facebook group

The Power of One Challenge!

What does 'sustainable eating' mean to you?Let me know in the comments! AVAILABLE ONLINE AND IN ALL GOOD BOOK SHOPS NOW!

"Easily the most family friendly way to do your bit"The Sunday Times

"Absolutely love this book - should be mandatory reading"Online review

[…]

[039] RECYCLE YOUR PADDLING POOL WITH WYATT & JACK

Jen Gale — Wed, 03 Jul 2019 13:31:21 GMT

If you're anything like us the kids start to clamour for a paddling pool as soon as the weather gets above 18C and we have one sunny day, we get one, spend hours (and use lots of precious water) filling it, they play in it for about three seconds, and decide it's too cold, or the sun goes in. It then sits there collecting dead bugs and grass and leaves for a week or two, then somehow gets a puncture (which may or may not be related to the dog jumping into it) and starts a sad and slow decline. Leaving us with a swampy area on the lawn, sad children and a large amount of plastic destined for landfill.Until Wyatt & Jack launched their #inflatableamnesty!Wyatt & Jack are an amazing small business based in Ryde on the Isle of Wight that repurpose fabric from vintage deckchairs, bouncy castles, paddling pools and inflatables and turn them into gorgeous drool-worthy bags. So far they have saved somewhere between 80 and 90 tonnes of material from landfill - that's the equivalent to the weight of around 60 family cars!

In this episode, I'm chatting to Georgia, founder of Wyatt & Jack, about how the business came about, and how a tiny little one or two man band ended up working with the likes of the National Trust and Thomas Cook. Georgia shares her amazing story and her brilliant ethos and I love the passion and drive that she has behind not only Wyatt & Jack, but about repurposing and reusing.

If you find yourself with a punctured bouncy castle, lilo or beach ball this year, then join in with the #inflatableamnesty and keep all that plastic out of landfill.Enjoy!

Useful links

Wyatt & Jack- Website- Facebook- Instagram- Twitter- Inflatable Amnesty- Inflatable Amnesty map for drop off points- End of life policy
Holiday Hypermarket have teamed up with Wyatt & Jack and are offering free postage labels
More info on Wyatt & Jack's collaboration with Thomas Cook
More info on the collaboration with the National Trust

The inflatable Stonehenge that travelled the country and now in a top secret location waiting to be turned into bags by Wyatt & Jack!

What you can send for the #inflatableamnesty

Paddling pools
Lilos
Latex balloons
Beach balls
Whoopee cushions
Rubber rings
Trampoline canvas

What you can't send for the #inflatableamnesty

Helium balloons
Swimming caps
Space hoppers
Rubber footballs

FAQs

Do I have to pay postage?There are some items that Wyatt & Jack can refund postage costs on - the best thing is to e-mail Georgia to check.
Can I get my own inflatable back as a bag? Yes you can! If you get in touch, Wyatt & Jack can give you a quote for commissions.

Where to send your punctured inflatables:

Wyatt & Jack Inflatable AmnestyUnit 7, Weavers Yard,Lane End,Bembridge. IOWPO35 5US

[…]

[048] THE BIG CLIMATE FIGHTBACK WITH THE WOODLAND TRUST

Jen Gale — Wed, 09 Oct 2019 15:59:53 GMT

DID YOU KNOW?

The UK is one of Europe's least wooded countries - the average woodland cover for EU countries is 37%. Here in the UK we're lagging massively behind at around 13%
If we are to limit climate change to below 1.5C by 2050, an extra 2.4 BILLION acres of trees needs to be planted
Reforesting the world could capture around 2/3 of man-made carbon emissions
Trees are the ultimate multi-taskers and don't only capture carbon, and improve air quality, they also improve soil structure and help prevent flooding, as well as providing shelter, food and habitat for our ecosystems
#everytreecounts, so planting a tree in your garden a home, an acorn in a pot, or a new hedge or shrub is as important as bigger mass plantings in managed woodland - we can all get involved!

Trees really are brilliant aren't they?They just sit there, doing their thing, 'breathing in' carbon dioxide, and 'breathing out' oxygen (you know, that little thing that keeps us alive..!). But we've got fewer and fewer of them, and if we're to avoid runaway climate change, planting trees, and lots of them, is an important part of the jigsaw.The Woodland Trust is the largest woodland conservation society in the UK, and works to protect our existing woodlands, and plant lots of new trees - they've planted over 43million trees since 1972. In this episode I'm chatting to Carol Honeybun-Kelly from The Woodland Trust, about their work, and specifically about their new campaign - the Big Climate Fightback - which aims to get us all pledging and planting trees in November of this year.Listen in to find out more about the wonder of trees, and how we can get involved with the Big Climate Fightback.Enjoy!

Useful links

[…]

[049] TOP TIPS FOR SUSTAINABLE(ISH) PARENTING WITH KAREN MAURICE

Jen Gale — Wed, 23 Oct 2019 12:05:06 GMT

** This episode is supported by Little Freddie, the UKs leading sustainable baby food brand.

Parenting is bloody hard work isn't it?When you're up to your eyeballs in dirty nappies, sleep deprivation and anxiety around keeping your very own small person fed, entertained, educated, stimulated and everything else we're apparently supposed to be doing, adding in trying to do it all a bit more sustainably can feel like yet another thing to worry about/add to the to-do list/feel guilty about.Having kids is the perfect storm for feeling crap about the planet - we all want the best for our kids, and it follows that we want them have a safe and secure future, hence I think this is a time when lots of us start to think more about our impact on the planet. But at exactly the same time, this influx of 'stuff' comes into our homes, and our bins are suddenly over-flowing with nappies and food pouches, and wipes. And all of this has to be grappled with when we're lacking in sleep, time and energy. Yay!!!

In this episode I'm chatting to Karen Maurice, aka n4mummy, who is a mum to two (soon to be three!), who talks about 'sustainable parenting in the modern world', and who despite having a very beautiful Instagram feed does appreciate the reality of life for the rest of us mere mortals whose lives are less photogenic, and the struggles we face every day trying to bring up our kids, stay sane, and make sure we don't totally trash the planet.Enjoy!

Useful links

n4mummy- Website- Facebook- Twitter- Instagram
Little Freddie- Website- Sustainability- Pouch recycling- Pouches for prizes
Tootsa MacGinty
Little Green Radicals
From Babies with Love
Bundlee - baby clothing rental
Whirli - toy subscription service
A beginners guide to reusable baby wipes
[031] - Plastic-free periods and wipes with Susie Hewson from Natracare
[036] - How to talk to our kids about climate change
Sustainable(ish) with Kids FB group

How are you feeling about parenting with the planet in mind?Overwhelmed? Emotional? Or Absolutely On It? (in which case would you please come round my house and help!) Let me know in the comments, along with any top tips of your own you'd love to share

TOP TIPS!

Shop secondhand - for baby and kids clothes, toys, everything!

Get the kids to wear an apron when they're eating to save on washing clothes!
Work out what works for you and your family - no change or swap has to be all or nothing
Try out reusable wipes (at home to begin with)
If you use pouches for weaning or toddler meals on the go, try Little Freddie and get recycling with their prizes for pouches!
Add 'resusable water bottle' to your list of stuff to chuck in the changing bag before you leave the house!

[…]

[006] – PLASTIC FREE LIVING WITH THE ZERO WASTE CHEF

Jen Gale — Tue, 22 May 2018 07:00:35 GMT

In this episode I'm SO excited to be chatting to Anne Marie Bonneau, aka the Zero Waste Chef.Anne Marie shares the story of how she got started on her Zero Waste journey, and her top tips for cutting out single use plastic.

Useful links

Anne Marie's blog - Zero Waste Chef

Anne Marie on Instagram

Anne Marie on Facebook

Anne Marie on Twitter

Beth Terry's blog - My Plastic Free Life

The Plastiki

How to make your own cloth produce bags - Anne Marie's guest post for me!

Homemade deodorant (that works!)

Popcorn

Roasted chickpeas (this sound gooooood!)

Meetup.com- to organise your own Zero Waste Meet Ups..!

Rainbow Grocery in San Francisco

Plastic Free Pantry

Homemade vanilla extract

Earth Food Love- the Zero Waste shop in Totnes

My Sustainable Life FB community(do come and join us!)

Some of Anne-Marie's Top Tips

Check out your local farmers market for packaging free produce
Make/take your own produce bags when you go shopping
Make your own deodorant
check Cook from scratch more - cook in bulk, freeze, plan ahead
check Pick ONE thing to change at a time

ACTION YOU CAN TAKE AFTER LISTENINGBABY STEPS

Find your nearest farmers market, when it's on and then make a date to try it out
Take your re-usable bags with you when you go shopping - including for loose fruit and veg
Experiment with making your own popcorn as a snack

BIGGER STEPS

Find your nearest farmers market, when it's on and then make a date to try it out
Take your re-usable bags with you when you go shopping - including for loose fruit and veg
Experiment with making your own popcorn as a snack

GREAT STRIDES

Organise your own Zero Waste Meet Up locally

[050] EVERYTHING ELECTRIC CARS WITH JAMES & KATE

Jen Gale — Wed, 20 Nov 2019 17:28:09 GMT

Electric cars - my god it's confusing isn't it?Even just the terminology - EVs, ICE, PHEV... what does it all mean? How do I charge it? Doesn't it take hours to charge? How do I find charge points? What if I haven't got a drive?ALL the questions!

Well never fear, in this episode I'm chatting to James and Kate of You Tube fame who I wanted to get on the show after watching one of their reviews where Kate points out that you can get the buggy in the back of the car. That's the sort of stuff we actually want to know. Not complicated geeky talk of miles per kilowatt hour. Well, that and how do we make sure we don't run out of charge...James and Kate are full on EV (electric vehicle) fans, and have test driven loads, so I ask them the questions that we all want to ask, in what is hopefully a kind of beginners guide to all things electric cars. Enjoy!

Useful links

James and Kate- You Tube- Twitter
OLEV - grants for home chargers
Zappi chargers - 'smart' charger for home charging
Zap Map - app for finding electric charging points
Plug Share - app for finding electric charging points
Polar - charging network
Eco Cars - secondhand EV retailer (highly recommended by James and Kate!)

The kids after test driving the Kia e-niro

Have you got an EV? Would you consider it for your next car?What other questions do you have? […]

[004] – COMMUNITY GARDENING WITH SARA VENN FROM INCREDIBLE EDIBLE BRISTOL

Jen Gale — Fri, 11 May 2018 13:07:43 GMT

Before we start – a little heads up about the background noise on this one – Sara works in an incredibly hip co-working space surrounded by trendy millenials and moustache wax, who can be heard getting themselves a skinnydoubleshotdecaffavocado latte in the background..!

Sara Venn is one of the first people I thought of when I first had the idea for this podcast.She is an absolute inspiration who founded Incredible Edible Bristol and transformed not just unloved spaces around the city, but people’s lives too.

[…]

[103] “I GET SO OVERWHELMED”

Jen Gale — Fri, 28 May 2021 14:33:07 GMT

In the Knackered Mums Eco Clubhouse, lovely Julia recently posted this:

"Just wondering how you all cope with not doing it all and not all at once. I get so overwhelmed with the differing things I could be doing it seems like nothing actually gets done."

Oh wow. I can relate to this - can you?

I'm super aware of just how overwhelming it is to think about the climate crisis, and I think it's something that maybe stops lots of us getting started and taking action.And then when we do start, when we open the can of worms, we can often wish we hadn't as it can very quickly feel even MORE overwhelming!So many things to think about that we hadn't really considered before, so many different opinions and options, so many things we apparently 'should' be doing.The climate crisis IS overwhelming.It's the biggest issue facing us as a humanity.The choices we make today will impact the earth and it's inhabitants for generations to come.And we're running out of time.

No pressure then...Here are my top tips for dealing with (climate) overwhelm...

Enjoy!

Useful links

The Sustainable(ish) FB group

The Knackered Mums Eco Club

How do you deal with overwhelm and that feeling of wanting/needing to do All The Things All At Once?Let me know! AVAILABLE ONLINE AND IN ALL GOOD BOOK SHOPS NOW!

"Easily the most family friendly way to do your bit"The Sunday Times

[…]

[101] THE POWER OF YOU

Jen Gale — Fri, 14 May 2021 06:27:25 GMT

I talk a LOT about the changes we can make as individuals and the power that we have to create real, meaningful change. I talk about the power of our choices, and the power of our voices. But during a recent chat with a brilliant lady called Sandra Sydow from Climate Pitch, she talked about the four areas where we have power and I LOVED this! So much so that I asked if she'd mind me sharing it, and luckily she said yes!

Listen in to here about the power we have as:

consumers
citizens
influencers
change agents

Have a listen - I hope it leaves you feeling as energised and inspired and motivated as it did me! Let me know in the comments.

Enjoy!

Useful links

What do you reckon?Do you love this as much as me?!Let me know! AVAILABLE ONLINE AND IN ALL GOOD BOOK SHOPS NOW!

"Easily the most family friendly way to do your bit"The Sunday Times

[…]

12 DAYS OF SUSTAINABLE(ISH) – DAY 6 SUSTAINABLE(ISH) FAMILY

Jen Gale — Thu, 02 Jan 2020 16:20:50 GMT

Enjoy!

Useful links

All the places you can buy The Sustainable(ish) Living Guide online..!
#2minutebeachclean - We bought litter pickers for the kids from here, and they're fab!
True Cost Movie
Blue Planet II
Story of Stuff- website- the movie (it's only 20mins!)
The Sustainable(ish) FB group
[049] - Top tips for sustainable parenting
[036] - How to talk to our kids about climate change

How does it work in your family?Does it feel like you're on your own making changes, or are they all on board?Let me know in the comments! AVAILABLE 9th JAN 2020 PRE-ORDER NOW!! "The most eco-common sense thing I've read!" […]

[137] WILDFLOWER MEADOWS AND HOW TO MAKE (A MINI) ONE IN YOUR GARDEN

Jen Gale — Fri, 01 Apr 2022 12:41:07 GMT

DID YOU KNOW?

We have lost over a million acres of wild landscapes in the UK since the end of WW2
The total garden space in the UK is greater than all the nature reserves!
Our gardens have huge potential to be havens for wildlife and pollinators

I'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 Twitter
Active Hope
No Mow May
The Knackered Mums Eco Club
The Sustainable(ish) FB group

DO...

Plant some seeds!
Take part in No Mow May
Is 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! […]

[069] SAY IT WITH (BRITISH) FLOWERS WITH SARA WILLMAN

Jen Gale — Tue, 07 Jul 2020 17:24:12 GMT

Who doesn't love a bunch of flowers?Well.....it turns out the planet might not be too chuffed with them if you buy a bunch of imported flowers.I don't know about you but I'd never really given much thought to the impact of flowers on the planet, other than to think that they're probably a good thing - they're natural, bees love them, what's the harm?DID YOU KNOW?A bunch of imported flowers from Holland or Kenya can have the equivalent carbon footprint of a flight from London to Birmingham!

Tune into this great chat with Sara Willman from My Flower Patch where she talks about the impact of flowers and how we can lower that impact (by around 90%!!) by buying British flowers.Enjoy!

Sara Willam from My Flower Patch (pic credit Katie Spicer)

Useful links

How empowered (or otherwise!) do you feel about tackling waste at work?Let me know in the comments! AVAILABLE ONLINE AND IN ALL GOOD BOOK SHOPS NOW!

"Easily the most family friendly way to do your bit"The Sunday Times

"Absolutely love this book - should be mandatory reading"Online review

[…]

[165] The podcast is back!

Jen Gale — Fri, 22 Sep 2023 06:00:00 GMT

After a *slightly* longer (9 months..!) than intended break, the podcast is back!No guest today - just a short solo episode to say hello, apologise for my absence and let you know to stand by your beds ready for some new episodes with some fabulous guests!GOOD NEWS!There's also a new Good News section, sharing some of the good climate news happening (because there is some, I promise!). Here's this weeks pick:

The state of California in the USA is suing Big Oil
Reliance on fossil fuels at an all-time low in Europe
Helen from The Sustainable(ish) Clubhouse persuaded her kid's school to go with a plastic-free and reusable alternative to a balloon arch to welcome pupils back to school for the new academic year. And it looks amazing!

LISTEN... CHECK OUT...

Are you excited the podcast is back?Who would you love to hear from when it comes to podcast guests? […]

[182] The Climate and Nature Bill (and how to make your voice heard in a crucial election year) with Zero Hour

Jen Gale — Fri, 29 Mar 2024 14:29:11 GMT

One of the things that frustrates many people, is a lack of action from governments around the world to protect nature and mitigate the worst impacts of the a warming and rapidly changing climate.The UK government was one of the first to come up with a Net Zero target back in 2019, and declared a ‘climate emergency’ that same year. However the problem with both of these commitments is that they often don’t translate into the urgent and radical action that is needed. Apparently half of the world's population is heading the polls for elections in 2024, including the UK, making this a crucial year for climate action.In this week’s episode I’m delighted to be chatting to Amy McDonnell and Oliver Sidorczuk, co-directors of Zero Hour, a campaign that is working to get a new bill, the Climate and Nature Bill, passed into law, which would ensure that UK government policies are in line with the latest science. With an election looming at some point this year, support for this bill in the run up to that, not only shows MPs and prospective MPs that this is an issue that the electorate care about, it will also mean that the campaign will have the momentum it needs to hit the ground running, when a new parliament sits after the election.Studies repeatedly show that most people are concerned about the climate and nature crises, but especially when it comes to politics and elections, it can feel like we can make a difference, due to our electoral system. Supporting the Climate and Nature Bill is a brilliant (and very easy!) way make your voice heard by your local politicians, and we can amplify our own individual support by asking businesses and organisations that we’re involved with to support it to.

Dr Amy McDonnell

Oliver Sidorczuk

LISTEN... USEFUL LINKS:

Zero Hour's 2024 Election Campaign

Ask your local politicians to support the Climate and Nature Bill!

Have you done it yet, have you done it yet, have you done it yet..?!!Please do head over to the Zero Hour website and show your support, and then have a think about who you could share this with.Do comment below if you've signed and if you've shared it with anyone else! […]

[195] – Accelerating climate action through sport with Katie Cross from Pledgeball

Jen Gale — Fri, 20 Mar 2026 01:16:00 GMT

Football and sport don't perhaps at first glance seem like a natural 'in' for climate action. But did you know..?- Over 100,000 grassroots football matches are cancelled every year due to bad weather such as flooding- Over 80% of football fans want are concerned about climate change- 65% of football fans want their clubs to take more climate action It was such a joy to get the opportunity to chat to Katie Cross all about Pledgeball - an award winning sports sustainability charity who do an amazing job of empowering sports fans to take action for climate and nature, often framing it around the idea of 'protecting where we play'.I wouldn't count myself as a football fan, but I took so much inspiration away from this episode and from Katie. So many clever ways of taking something that people are passionate about and using it as a way in to talk about climate and how it's impacting on that thing that they love, and then harnessing the power of the community that they are already involved in to take action, and to see how their one action contributes to a much greater impact.Even if you're not a football fan, I think there will be lots to take away from this episode - some way to take a little bit of the work that Plegdeball are doing with football, and in sport more widely, and apply it to the communities that you're already a part of.

Katie Cross

LISTEN... USEFUL LINKS:

Katie Cross- Linked In
Pledgeball- Website- Instagram- Linked In- Facebook- You Tube- The Pledgeball podcast- Add your club (or school, or workplace etc)- Sustainable Travel Charter
Ep 154 - Leading by example - does it matter? With Steve Westlake (podcast ep)
David Wheeler
Climate Outreach- Britain Talks Climate and Nature
EFL Green Clubs
Carbon Literacy- Carbon Literacy with me!
Ep 175 - Climate Play (including Lego Serious Play) - podcast with Lisa Hawthorne
Ep 193 - The power of swapping with Sam Drury Shore

Reading FC's kit with the warming stripes on the sleeve

I'd love to hear if you get your local club signed up, or get your kids school involved, or start something at work around this - do let me know!

[194] – People, Planet, Pint with Adam Bastock

Jen Gale — Fri, 13 Mar 2026 01:00:00 GMT

To change the world, you've got to throw a better party than those destroying it". This is a quote from Louisa Ziane at Toast ale, and is one of my faves, and something I try and keep front of mind. 'Sustainability' has an image problem and is very often seem as something that is dull and dry and bleak, and for the keen greenies over there wearing lots of hemp, or for the lone Sustainability Manager at a company.It's not really something we'd bring up in conversation down the pub. Or is it..?Adam Bastock is the founder of People, Planet, Pint - a simple concept of getting like-minded people together 'down the pub' for a chat. From a What's App message at COP26 asking if anyone fancied a pint, People, Planet, Pint now hosts around 80 events every month, in 120 locations around the world! It's such a brilliantly simple idea - one of the things that many of us struggle with is feeling like we're on our own, at the same time perhaps as feeling like the more traditional forms of 'activism' aren't really for us or feel out of our comfort zone. People, Planet, Pint is a great way to connect with other people locally, and to recognise that it's not just you, and that you're not on your own, and who knows what might come of a conversation over a pint (or glass of wine/diet coke/insert other drink choice here!) down the pub.

LISTEN... USEFUL LINKS:

Adam Bastock- Linked In
Small 99- Small business carbon footprint estimator- Digital emissions calculator- Action Box- Pub mini-game- Linked In
People Planet Pint- Find an event- Become a host- Wine Tastings- Linked In- Instagram
Carbon Literacy- Carbon Literacy with me!
Ep 175 - Climate Play (including Lego Serious Play) - podcast with Lisa Hawthorne
Ep 193 - The power of swapping with Sam Drury Shore

The People Planet Pint map!

Do let me know if you have been to your local People, Planet, Pint event, if you're a host, or if you're now thinking about finding an event local to you, or perhaps even finding out more about hosting!If you've enjoyed this episode, please do leave a rating and a review wherever you listen, and tell all your friends!

[191] – Ch-Ch-Ch-Changeprint! With Isabelle Sparrow from Carbon Copy

Jen Gale — Fri, 20 Feb 2026 00:01:00 GMT

I think we're all pretty familiar with the term carbon footprint, but there's a new kid on the block when it comes to talking about the full impact of the actions that we take when you come together. Isabelle Sparrow is Head of Comms, and the podcast host, at Carbon Copy - a platform that champions collective action, and the power it has to help turn our individual concern about the climate into a collective impact. In this episode we chat about what collective action is, how you can join in if you're not someone who likes joining in, and how we've all got something to offer. And we also dig into the new concept that Carbon Copy have created, called the Changeprint - here's the explanation of what that is from the Carbon Copy website: "A Changeprint is the collective impact created when you join with others to make something happen. While a carbon footprint is about doing less harm, a Changeprint is about doing more good. It’s a positive approach to addressing the climate and nature crisis, centred on the place and the people around you".If you are ever in need of a spot of inspiration for practical do-able projects that work in local communities up and down the country, do check out the Carbon Copy website - there are literally hundreds of examples on there, and each of them has had their Changeprint added on, to give an idea of the sum of the different impacts that they have had on their local community and on the environment more broadly. I love the concept of the Changeprint - I'm going to think about how I can introduce it into my Carbon Literacy courses, and also how I could apply it to this podcast; to the Sustainable(ish Clubhouse - my membership community - which is re-launching soon, watch this space; and to all my Sustainable(ish) work.

Isabelle Sparrow

LISTEN... USEFUL LINKS:

What do you think? Do you like the concept? Are you excited to think about how you might be able to apply it to some of the groups, organisations, or projects you might be involved with? Do let me know! […]

[187] No Crap Parties with Charlotte Mason-Curl

Jen Gale — Sat, 24 Jan 2026 14:08:32 GMT

In this episode, I'm chatting to Charlotte Mason-Curl, who is the founder of No Crap Parties and the Kids Party Pact campaign. Charlotte has a background in marketing and comms, and not only does this help to explain how she's done such a bloody great job with getting her message out there, also means she's written herself a really good bio. I had to write myself a bio when The Sustainable(ish) Living Guide was published, and I found it really cringe-inducingly difficult, but Charlotte's done a fab job, so I'm just going to copy and paste her words as an intro:Charlotte Mason-Curl is a marketing and comms consultant and the person behind The Kids Party Pact. She believes children’s parties are overlooked as a place to spark change. What started as a few Instagram posts has grown into a campaign that’s reached millions of parents. Thousands have now changed how they approach gifts and party bags, sending ripples through their communities. The campaign has secured National Lottery funding and featured in The Times, BBC Newsround, Positive News and more. With 13 years of marketing experience and a sharp understanding of behaviour change, Charlotte builds campaigns that cut through. Powered by strategy, creativity, and a fierce commitment to leaving the world less of a mess for her kids.How is that for kick-ass! In the first episode of the re-boot, I dived into the debate around individual change vs system change, and how it can feel really hard as an individual to feel like you can change 'the system;,whatever that really is, and what it means. And then in the last episode I was chtting to the fabulous Nick Oldridge who is going all out for getting MPs on board with the urgency of aciton on the climate crisis, to effect system change from the government, which is ultaimtely what is needed. But for systems to change, we need people to recognise where things are broken, and to do something differently, which starts to shift social norms. This is somethign that Charlotte is doing brilliantly. She saw that not only was there an issue around kids parties in terms of plastic tat, and waste, and ultiamtely I guess, excessive consumptiuon, but that most parents aren't really that comfortable with it, but well feel like everyone else must be on baord with it, so we don't say anything. Charlotte says at one point in the podcast, that it's 'just a few party bags', but it's absolutely not. What Charlotte has done, really cleverly, is tapped into her knowledge of behaviour change and comms, and utilised it brilliantly, to help make it really visible that it's not just you, and that you're not alone, and that thousands of other parents would love to do kids parties differently. And if you're not a parent, or if your kids are out of the party phase, there is still so much in this episode for you - so much of what Charlotte has done can (and should be!) applied to other campaigns and movements, so while you're listening have a think about what social norm you would love to challenge, and what you might be able to replicate from what Charlotte is doing. Enjoy!

Charlotte Mason-Curl

LISTEN... USEFUL LINKS:

If you've got young kids, have you signed the Pact? What are your plans for the next kids party in your household? Do let me know! […]

[184] How to be more activist with Clover Hogan

Jen Gale — Fri, 12 Apr 2024 08:05:32 GMT

Hello and welcome to episode 184, and as it turns out, the last episode of the Sustainable(ish) podcast! I wanted to try and get to 200, and I’m annoyed not even to be ending on a nice round number like 185, but often in life things aren’t tied up in a nice neat bow. Long term listeners will know that at times the podcast has been very stop start, and the time has come for an intentional stop. For now at at least. I’m not going to say that it will never be back in some form, as I genuinely love having these conversations and will miss the opportunities that the podcast has given me to speak to so many extraordinary and inspiring people. However it’s reached the point where the joy of the conversations is starting to be outweighed by the work involved organising and scheduling everything, editing it all, creating the blog posts and the socials etc etc, so time to put this particular project to bed, for a while at least. I am so delighted to be going out with such a bang and having the amazing opportunity to interview one of my absolute heroes, Clover Hogan. Clover is a 24-year-old climate activist and the founding Executive Director of Force of Nature - the youth non-profit mobilising mindsets for climate action. She has worked alongside the world’s leading authorities on sustainability, consulted within the boardrooms of Fortune 50 companies, and counselled heads of state. Her TED talk, 'What to do when climate change feels unstoppable', has been viewed 2 million times. As we’ll hear in the chat, she started her activist journey at the age of just 11, and attended the instrumental Paris COP in 2015 at the age of just 15. She genuinely is a force of nature, and is the kind of person who you just want to be able to download everything that is in their head. We talk about her own journey, what we can do as parents to support our young people, and what we can do ourselves to move beyond individual action and to be a bit more activist. We discuss what the word activist even means, acknowledging that it’s an uncomfortable word for many, but that it encompasses such a wide range of things, and that an ‘in’ for many people is thinking about their workplace and what they might be able to to do to encourage their workplace on a sustainability journey.I’m pretty sure it’s obvious from the chat, but this was a massive fan-girl moment for me, I loved this chat and totally want Clover to be my new BFF. Ooh and just a quick warning if you tend to listen with kids around, I do drop an F-bomb towards the end – apologies in advance.Enjoy!

Clover Hogan

LISTEN... USEFUL LINKS:

Forces of Nature

Forces of Nature podcast

Has this episode sparked a few ideas for you? Or helped you to think a bit differently about what activism looks like for you? Do let me know in the comments, and I'd also love to hear about any of your own 'activism', big or small, do share! […]

[130] MORE CLIMATE EDUCATION GOOD STUFF – WITH PAULA MALONE

Jen Gale — Fri, 11 Feb 2022 13:47:34 GMT

The more I hear about and read about 'climate education' the more I think that this is such a vital part of the jigsaw, and how we're really doing our children and young people a huge disservice by not a) educating them about the world around them and how it's changing, and b) empowering them to recognise and realise the power and agency that they have to create positive change.I've previously chatted on the podcast to Lee Wray-Davies from Eco Schools England, and to Paul Turner from the Ministry of Eco Education, and am delighted in this episode to get a chance to speak to Paula Malone. Paula wears many many hats, and is doing so much amazing stuff. She's a mum to her 6 year old daughter, a UN accredited Climate Change Teacher, she works for Energy Sparks - a schools energy education programme, is a trustee for Wicked Weather Watch - a charity that brings climate education into schools via actual Arctic explorers!, and is a governor for not one, but two schools!

In this episode we chat about all of Paula's different 'hats', her experiences of bringing climate education into everyday teaching, and Paula shares lots of ideas and tips for how we might be able to support and 'nudge' any schools that we have involvement with to take climate action.

Enjoy!

LISTEN... CHECK OUT...

DO...

Have a look at the Energy Sparks website - you can find schools local to you and check out their energy usage!
Have a look at some of the brilliant resources on the Wicked Weather Watch website - I think that the Arctic is one of the themes in the English primary curriculum!
(Gently!) ask your school what sustainability actions they are taking (and if they need any help!)

How is 'Eco Education' at your/your kids school?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! […]

[092] HOW TO GARDEN THE LOW CARBON WAY WITH SALLY NEX

Jen Gale — Fri, 05 Mar 2021 11:31:45 GMT

It’s starting to feel like spring is springing isn’t it?We’re into March, I’ve seen daffodils poking out when we're out on our daily walks, and I even went out without a coat on the other day – wild times...!And with the longer days and warmer weather, many of us will be looking forwards to spending more time outdoors and maybe indulging in a spot of gardening. Good for the mind, body and soul. And good for the planet too right? After all, what can be greener than getting your hands dirty and growing stuff.Well……it turns out that sometimes gardening might not be all that green.I know, is nothing sacred any more? Why does everything have to be so blooming complicated? What on earth can possibly be wrong with gardening?!!!Listen in to my chat with Sally Nex, the author of How to Garden the Low Carbon way as we chat about:

Why gardening might not be as green as we assume
The wonder of soil and how we can help it
The huge potential that our gardens have to help wildlife, ecosystems and the climate crisis
Why we need to dig less (or not at all!)
Why we need to mow less
What compost we should choose
How we can use less plastic in our garden (and why we should worry about it)
And lots more!

Useful links

Sally Nex- Website- Twitter- Instagram
How to Garden the Low Carbon Way- On Hive- On Bookshop
Kiss the Ground
No Dig Gardening- Festival session with Stephanie Hafferty- Charles Dowding - No Dig website
[038] - Everything you ever wanted to know about wormeries (podcast episode)
[025] - A beginners guide to grow your own (podcast episode)
[075] - How organic systems can help the climate crisis (podcast episode)

Do you garden? What did you learn?Will this episode change anything you do in the garden?Let me know ! AVAILABLE ONLINE AND IN ALL GOOD BOOK SHOPS NOW!

"Easily the most family friendly way to do your bit"The Sunday Times

"Absolutely love this book - should be mandatory reading"Online review

[…]

[193] – The Power of Swapping with Samantha Drury Shore from Sustainable Devizes

Jen Gale — Fri, 06 Mar 2026 01:01:00 GMT

I can't wait for you to dive into this week's episode with Samantha Drury Shore who is the Chair of Sustainable Devizes, not too far from me in Wiltshire, and who has spear-headed their brilliant swap events that now run on a regular basis. Sam shares with us how they got started with their first event and shares her experiences of what works for these kind of events, and the nitty gritty of the logistics and organising. It's another wonderful example of, in the words of listener Tamasin, "perfectly normal people discovering they can change things". I found it really inspiring and despite being someone who really isn't good at, or particularly enjoys, organising events, it's really got me fired up and thinking about whether I can persuade a couple of friends to help me organise something locally!

Samantha Drury Shore

LISTEN... USEFUL LINKS:

Samantha Drury Shore- Website- Substack- Instagram- Linked In- Swap Shops Toolkit
Sustainable Devizes- Links- Facebook page
Fires and Facism film
Nothing New in '22
Clothes piling up in Atacama Desert
Chippenham Uniform Exchange
[187] - No Crap Parties with Charlotte Mason-Curl

12 DAYS OF SUSTAINABLE(ISH) – DAY 2 – ZERO WASTE(ISH)

Jen Gale — Sun, 29 Dec 2019 07:00:58 GMT

It is with HUGE excitement that I bring you this very special mini-series of the Sustainable(ish) podcast to celebrate, and to count down to, the launch of The Sustainable(ish) Living Guide - everything you need to know to make small changes that make a big difference.This book is pretty much the distillation of the Sustainable(ish) ethos and is being published by Bloomsbury on January 9th 2020 , and to mark such an auspicious occasion I've put together 12 shortish episodes of the podcast, one for each chapter of the book, where I have a good old chinwag with someone relevant to that chapter.Today we're onto Day 2, and Chapter 2, which is Zero waste(ish), and I am chatting to my lovely internet friend Lindsay Miles from Treading My Own Path. Lindsay is pretty hot on the zero waste front (whereas I’m pretty hot on the ish bit..!) but manages to do it without making the rest of us feel a bit shit, and to still make it feel do-able. In the book I talk about the IG ideal of the years worth of waste in a jam jar and how intimidating I find that, and I love the bit in our chat where Lindsay talks about the fact that it’s not about the jam jar, it’s about doing what you can with the resources you’ve got. While I think many of us might find the concept of zero waste a bit (a lot!) off putting, I think we can all hopefully sign up to that.Enjoy!

Useful links

All the places you can buy The Sustainable(ish) Living Guide online..!

Treading My Own Path- Website- Facebook- Instagram- Twitter- Lindsay's book - Less Stuff
Plastic Free July - the challenge that set Lindsay onto her zero waste path
Earth Overshoot Day

How are you feeling about your bin and it's contents?!Let me know in the comments! AVAILABLE 9th JAN 2020 PRE-ORDER NOW!! "The most eco-common sense thing I've read!" […]

[127] GREATER MANCHESTER’S RENEW HUB

Jen Gale — Fri, 21 Jan 2022 12:53:48 GMT

Today we're talking all things reuse and renew with Daniel Carolan and Samantha Carty from SUEZ. SUEZ are a waste management company here in the UK, and are responsible for the collection and sorting of household waste in many areas around the country, including Greater Manchester Combined Authority, where they're spearheading a super exciting project - a Renew Hub!The Hub and the donation containers at recycling centres across Greater Manchester divert people's unwanted but still usable or fixable items from landfill. They're collected, cleaned and repaired if needed and then sold on at an affordable price in three Renew shops. All of the money raised goes to good causes, including the Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity tackling homelessness and Recycle for Greater Manchester community fund, helping community groups in their local area that are focussed on reducing waste.

The Hub also provides employment and training opportunities for people who for a variety of different reasons might be struggling to find work.It really feels like a win-win-win scenario, and I couldn't help thinking that every region in the UK needs one of these schemes!

Have a listen, and do let me know your thoughts in the comments!

LISTEN... CHECK OUT...

The Recycle for Greater Manchester website
The 'Renew' section on the website- Facebook page- Instagram page
If you're local to Manchester, you can find the three Renew shops here:- Woodhouse Lane, Recycling Centre, Altrincham, WA14 5TB- Arkwright Street, Oldham, OL9 9LZ (entrance next to the recycling centre)- Boysnope Wharf, Recycling Centre Liverpool Road, Eccles, M30 7RH
Nothing New in '22 - blog post
Nothing New in '22 Facebook group
The Sustainable(ish) FB group

DO...

Have a look and see what 'renew' resources you might have locally
Have a go at mending or repairing one thing this week - You Tube is your friend if you're not sure where to start!
Look for the next thing you need to buy secondhand

Are you as over-excited by the project as me..?!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! […]

[134] HOW EATING SEASONALLY CAN HELP REDUCE YOUR CARBON FOOTPRINT – WITH VEG POWER

Jen Gale — Fri, 11 Mar 2022 09:30:00 GMT

Today we’re talking food. Specifically vegetables. But maybe not in the way that you might expect. We’re all increasingly familiar with the narrative that we need to eat more veggies, and less meat and dairy, both for our own health, and also for the health of the planet. But today we’re talking about specifically about eating vegetables that are in season – why that’s important, and how we can actually do it. Because I don’t know about you, but I find it really hard sometimes to figure out what’s in season when, because it’s all available all year round in the supermarkets. I know the obvious stuff like strawberries and asparagus, but after that I have to confess to getting a bit lost.

It was great to chat to Dan Parker who is the chief exec of not for profit Veg Power – some of you might have seen their ‘eat them to defeat them’ ad campaign for vegetables in cinemas a little while back. Veg Power are on a mission to increase the UK’s veg consumption and whilst eating more veg at any time of the year is great, knowing what’s in season when, can have significant benefits when it comes to cutting carbon emissions too.

Enjoy!

LISTEN... CHECK OUT...

Veg Power- Website- Facebook- Twitter- IG- 5 reasons to eat seasonal veg- Seasonal Veg Calendar
Eat Seasonably Poster
The Sustainable(ish) FB group

DO...

Check out the Veg Power Seasonal Veg Calendar - see what's in season, and then click on the veg name to be whizzed straight to some recipes!
See if you could a week or month only eating what's in season (doing this in the late summer/early Autumn is easiest!)
Show your kids the calendar and talk about seasonality and why it's important

Do you find it easy to eat seasonally or are you like me and a little bit confused some of the time?Did you know about the increased carbon emissions associated with out of season fruit and veg?Are you now going to try and shop a little differently?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! […]

[051] #IDONTBUYIT WITH GLOBAL ACTION PLAN

Jen Gale — Wed, 27 Nov 2019 16:39:29 GMT

This episode is hitting the airways just a couple of days before Black Friday 2019. If you’ve been living under a rock and haven’t heard of Black Friday, it’s another delightful American import that has made it’s way over here, and is basically where retailers and manufacturers slash their prices in a bid to get you to buy All The Things in the run up to Christmas.And this episode feels very timely (I’m totally patting myself on the back for this and pretending it was all a very strategic plan, when in reality I got behind with the podcast schedule after half-term, but sssshhhh) as I’m chatting to Ollie at the charity Global Action Plan about their #idontbuyit campaign. This is a campaign aimed at teenagers (and their parents. And in fact is relevant to all of us) to raise awareness around the insidiousness (is that even a word) of advertising, especially online, and the steps they can take to try and consume more thoughtfully.One of the things that is suggested is to time a minute scrolling through Instagram (or Facebook if you’re not on Instagram) and make a note of how many ads and sponsored posts you see, and I would really urge you (teenager or not!) to give this a go and then share the results (you can share with the #idontbuytit hashtag on social media, on any of my social media channels or leave a comment below)– it’s a real eye opener..!Enjoy!

Useful links

Global Action Plan- Website- Facebook- Instagram- Twitter- Clean Air Day- Twitter- Wellbeing and Consumerism- #idontbuyit campaign- Resources for parents
Sustainable(ish) Facebook group

So how many ads did you see?Has this made you think in a different way about advertising? Has it helped with some suggestions for how to talk to your kids/teens about it?Let me know! […]

[152] My 10 year ‘greeniversary’..!

Jen Gale — Sat, 03 Sep 2022 13:00:35 GMT

The podcast is back after the summer break!And I'm kicking off with a solo episode from to celebrate and reflect on 10 years since we as a family embarked on a year buying nothing new.I didn't know it at the time, but that year, that slightly naive challenge, would change my life (cliche klaxon!).It changed not just how and where we shop, but also how I see my place in the world. I was left with the very certain knowledge that what we do, what I do, matters. That it makes a difference. Even if it's just to me and my life and my carbon footprint, or to our little family. But it makes a difference.And the ripples that that year have created, amongst friends and family, but in the big wide world too, are huge - and those are just the ones that I know about.I hope you enjoy my little trip down memory lane!Normal service will be resumed next week - I've got some brilliant guests and interviews lined up for you. In the meantime, do let me know your thoughts on this episode!

I look so young....

LISTEN... CHECK OUT...

The Big Green Bus Tour!- FREE 5 day challenge - kicking off 12th Sept
Talking Climate - Carbon Literacy course
My Make Do and Mend Year - the original blog posts!
The Sustainable(ish) Facebook group

Did you follow my original Make Do and Mend Year? Let me know in the comments! KNACKERED BUT WANT TO 'DO SOMETHING'..?Join the Sustainable(ish) e-mail list and get inspired to make easy imperfect eco-changes! 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! […]

[113] SUSTAINABLE(ISH) MEETS FRIENDS OF THE EARTH

Jen Gale — Fri, 24 Sep 2021 15:08:13 GMT

I'm still not quite sure how this happened, but in this episode I'm chatting to the co-CEO's of Friends of the Earth! Listen in as I chat to Miriam Turner and Hugh Knowles about their roles as co-CEOs, Friends of the Earth's 50th anniversary, and how Friends of the Earth can help to support us taking climate action in our local communities.

LISTEN... CHECK OUT...

Friends of the Earth UK- Website- Facebook- Twitter - Instagram- Postcode locator- Take Climate Action (find a climate action group near your)

DO...

Check out the Friends of the Earth website and see which of their projects and campaigns tickles your fancy
Find out if you have a climate action group near you
Use your voice - take a deep breath and try to have more conversations about climate - your worries and fears, and also the positive stuff you're doing

Did you enjoy this one?! 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! […]

[126] NOTHING NEW IN ’22

Jen Gale — Fri, 14 Jan 2022 10:21:44 GMT

Those of you who have been following for a loooooong time might remember that my 'journey' into all things Sustainable(ish) started with My Make Do and Mend Year - a year of buying nothing new with my family.2022 marks the TEN YEAR anniversary of that life changing (I know it's a cliche, but it genuinely has changed my life!) year, which feels absolutely bonkers.10 years ago our kids were 4 and 1, and I remember saying at the time that it would undoubtedly be a whole different experience with older kids/teenagers. So now I'm going to give it a go...!And I'd love you to join me - are you up for #NothingNewIn22?

Listen in to hear more about our experience first time around, why you might want to join in, and how it all works.

LISTEN... CHECK OUT...

Nothing New in '22 Intro Video
Nothing New in '22 - blog post
Nothing New in '22 Facebook group
The Day the World Stops Shopping - podcast episode
My Make Do and Mend Year - all the blog posts from the original year!
The Knackered Mums Eco Club
The Sustainable(ish) FB group

DO...

Come and join us!

What do you reckon - are you in?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! […]

[192] – AI, the internet, and the environmental impacts, with Tam Hussey

Jen Gale — Fri, 27 Feb 2026 01:00:00 GMT

Is AI bad for the planet?Should I feel guilty if I use ChatGPT?What is the carbon and water footprint of an AI search?These were some of the questions I was looking for answers for when I posted on Linked In a while back. I got a lot of great replies, and it turns out there's a LOT of information out there. But oh my goodness it's confusing!In this episode I'm chatting to Tam Hussey, who has a background in digital strategy and now runs her own strategic consultancy, Halo By Design, utilising behaviour change principles to help companies meet their sustainability targets. We dive into some of the facts and figures, looking at where the biggest impacts come from with internet usage, and some of the things that we can do to reduce our own digital footprints, and influence wider change as well.

For full disclosure, some of the editing of this podcast, the generation of transcripts, and some of the short clips I share on social media are all done with the assistance of AI. Which feels hugely hypocritical, but I guess comes down to the mindful and targeted use of it..?!

Tam Hussey

LISTEN... USEFUL LINKS:

Tam Hussey- Halo by Design (website)- Linked In-Green your Screen - GEC case study
Ep 189 with Ash Goddard
Digital Collage
Hidden Treasure Hunt - for old tech and electrical items
Digital Clean Up Day - 21st March
Find secondhand and refurbished tech:- Backmarket- Music Magpie- 'Which' article on buying secondhand tech
Ecograder
Wesbite Carbon
Renewable hosting - a couple of suggestions:- Green Hosting- Krystal
Ecosia
Quit GPT - a campaign to encourage people to stop using ChatGPT (for a whole host of reasons, not just environmental!)

Halo by Design

Very aware this episode might result in more questions than answers! Do let me know if you have any questions you'd love answered, and we can always to a follow up! […]

[079] REPAIR WHAT YOU WEAR

Jen Gale — Fri, 06 Nov 2020 13:46:18 GMT

There's an awful lot that's wrong with the world right now. In fact, some would say, there's a lot that feels broken.So how about some inspiration and practical ways you can mend just a teeny tiny bit of the world?Today’s episode is all about mending and repair!

DID YOU KNOW..?

Keeping clothes in use for just an extra 9 months can reduce their carbon and water footprints by 20-30%
80% of discarded textiles are doomed to landfill or incineration
Only 1% of collected textiles are recycled into new yarns or fibres
A study in 2017 found that 60% of us couldn’t sew on a button – one of the most common mends

In this episode I’m chatting to someone who is on a mission to skew those stats and get us all mending our clothes. Ros Studd is the founder of website Repair What You Wear and is passionate about making mending our clothes accessible, and as easy as possible.Enjoy!

Useful links

Repair What You Wear- Website- Facebook- Instagram- You Tube
What's so wrong with fast fashion? - blog post
5 ways to get your fashion fix (without trashing the planet) - blog post
Sustainable(ish) Fashion - podcast episode
Sustainable(ish) Facebook group

Do you mend? What got you started?If you don't, are you tempted to have a go?Let me know in the comments! AVAILABLE ONLINE AND IN ALL GOOD BOOK SHOPS NOW!

"Easily the most family friendly way to do your bit"The Sunday Times

"Absolutely love this book - should be mandatory reading"Online review

[…]

[027] THE WORLD’S MOST SUSTAINABLE PET FOOD – WITH TOM NEISH FROM YORA

Jen Gale — Tue, 12 Mar 2019 07:03:08 GMT

Welcome back to Sustainable(ish)!Today I’ve got an interview lined up for you with Tom Neish who is the founder and head honcho of Yora pet food, a new pet food brand that claim to be the world’s most sustainable pet food.So what makes them so sustainable I hear you ask? Well I’m glad you asked. It’s because the food is made from insects!The message seems to be slowly getting out that we should be reducing the amount of meat that we’re eating in our own diets, but I’d genuinely never really thought much about the amount of meat that our pets are eating. Many of the perium brand pet foods focus their marketing on the fact that their food is made using human grade food, and we’ve bought into the fact that this is a Good Thing. But hang on a minute, shouldn’t we be working on feeding the human grade food to the humans?

The first time I saw Yora I was fasincated (and I have to say slightly freaked out by the thought that it might be a bag full of dried crickets or the like. It's not. It looks like regular dry dog food) by the concept, and I have to say that I absolutely love it, and the whole ethos behind the company.Tuen in your ears, and listen in as I get the lowdown and hopefully all your questions answered from Tom.Enjoy!

[…]

[151] Re-run the fun…With Episode 065 – Wear ’em Out Pads

Jen Gale — Fri, 26 Aug 2022 19:46:41 GMT

I hope you’re enjoying this little trip down memory lane while the podcast takes a break for the summer. This time we’re re-visiting my chat with the brilliant Lauren from Wear 'em Out pads. I did a little listener survey recently and this came out as one of the firm faves – I think largely because Lauren is so down to earth and real about her experiences and her own journey. This is so refreshing and reassuring for the majority of us who are also stumbling our way along, finding things out, trying things out, getting things wrong and trying again.Enjoy this one, whether it’s your first time or your listening again!

LISTEN... CHECK OUT...

Wear 'em Out- Website- Facebook- Instagram
A beginners guide to eco-friendly and plastic-free periods (blog post)
[031] - Plastic free periods and wipes with Natracare (podcast)
[035] - #bleedredthinkgreen - the world's first reusable tampon applicator with DAME (podcast)
[040] Pants for your period with WUKA (podcast)
A beginners guide to period pants (blog post)
The original podcast episode
The Sustainable(ish) Facebook group

[078] JOIN THE PLOGOLUTION!

Jen Gale — Mon, 26 Oct 2020 11:22:24 GMT

Today we’re talking all things plogging!"What is plogging?" I hear you ask...

...Well, it’s picking up litter, while you jog (or walk!) and it’s a very brilliant thing to do indeed. Litter isn't just an eyesore, it's also a real risk to wildlife both on land and in our waterways who might mistake it for food, or get tangled up in it. And if litter makes it out to the ocean, it contributes to beach pollution, and also to the massive 'floating islands' of rubbish that are being discovered. In this episode I’m chatting to Michelle and Dermot, founders of Plogolution, who organise community plogs, and who also work with schools to set up plogging clubs. We chat all about plogging: what it is, how it works, the amazing stuff they’re doing with Plogolution, and importantly, how we can all get involved. Enjoy!

Michelle and Dermot from Plogolution

Useful links

Plogolution- Website- Facebook- Instagram- Twitter
Episode 10 - #2minutebeachclean with Martin Dorey
My all new favourite litter picker (because everyone has a favourite litter picker right..?! - It's from Waterhaul and made from recycled fishing nets - how cool is that?!
Sustainable(ish) Facebook group

Do you plog? Are you tempted?Let me know in the comments! AVAILABLE ONLINE AND IN ALL GOOD BOOK SHOPS NOW!

"Easily the most family friendly way to do your bit"The Sunday Times

"Absolutely love this book - should be mandatory reading"Online review

[…]

[190] – The Big Plastic Count (join in!) with Daniel Webb from Everyday Plastic

Jen Gale — Fri, 13 Feb 2026 16:26:27 GMT

Today we are diving into all things plastic, and specifically counting plastic with Daniel Webb, founder of Everyday Plastic and the drive behind The Big Plastic Count. Longer term listeners might have noticed that I am mildy obsessed with people's back stories and one of my first questions is always 'how did you get here'. I'm genuinely fascinated to hear the journey that people go on to get to the point they're at, and Dan has the most amazing back story..! And it's not just Dan's back story that is super interesting, there's loads of stats and facts in this chat about plastic, and the thorny issue that it has become, not only in terms of it's environmental impacts, but in terms of health, and also social justice. It's a brilliant chat - I hope you enjoy it. And there's a very clear call to action at the end, which, spoiler alert, is to sign up for the Big Plastic Count, and get all your friends and colleagues to as well!

Daniel Webb

LISTEN... USEFUL LINKS:

Everyday Plastic- Website- The Everyday Plastic Mural- The Hard Truth About Soft Plastic
The Big Plastic Count- Website- Sign up- For Schools- Instagram- Facebook
Blue Planet 2
Plastic Free July
Recoup
Wholly Shrink soft plastic compactor
How do microplastics in our bodies affect our health?
Plastic Free Communities
Plastic Free Schools

The Everyday Plastic Mural

[046] SUSTAINABLE SUPERMARKET SHOPPING MADE EASY WITH GIKI

Jen Gale — Wed, 25 Sep 2019 13:02:41 GMT

In an ideal world, when it comes to the weekly food shop, we’d all have a local zero waste shop, and have the time to visit our local greengrocers, butchers and bakers. BUT for most of us, the reality is either a mad dash round the supermarket while the kids are whinging at us, or an online delivery. And sadly, shopping sustainably at the supermarket is really, really hard. So when I heard about an app that I could use to scan products (whilst I’m in the supermarket, or more feasibly at home) and get instant information on different sustainability criteria, I couldn’t wait to find out more!In this episode Im chatting to Jo Hand, co-founder of Giki - "a mobile app that helps you cut your environmental impact". It's such a great idea - you basically scan the barcode of UK supermarket products, and get information on the 'badges' that they earn. Badges are split into three areas: sustainability, health and fairness, and there's a new 'hero' badge that's been added this summer which is awarded to products that have a low environmental impact across the board.Jo and her husband James are on a mission to make it easier for us all to access the information we need to make better decisions for the planet, and we talk a lot about the power of individual choices, collectively.So listen in, then download the app and start merrily scanning the contents of your kitchen cupboards!Enjoy!

Useful links

Giki- Website- Facebook- Twitter- Instagram- Giki palm oil audit Facebook group
Shopping plastic-free(ish) at the Supermarket (blog post)
Ethical Consumer guide to Supermarkets
Sustainable(ish) online community FB group
Big Clean Switch link for getting a renewable energy tariff quote

[…]

[085] IS IT REALLY GREEN? WITH GEORGINA WILSON-POWELL

Jen Gale — Sat, 16 Jan 2021 11:23:04 GMT

Happy New Year!Although 2021 clearly didn’t get the memo, and is looking suspiciously like 2020 at the moment – how are you coping with it all? I have to say that I’m realising there’s a very good reason, in fact lots of very good reasons, why I’m not a teacher, and we’ll just leave that there….Lots of us have hopefully made New Years resolutions to be a bit more sustainable(ish) this year but my goodness it can be confusing sometimes to figure out what’s the ‘right’ or the ‘greenest’ thing to do can't it? There’s so much information out there on the interweb super highway, often contradictory, that sometimes it all gets so confusing that we end up feeling completely bamboozled and the easiest thing is to do nothing. Which is why I’m really excited to be chatting in this episode to Georgina Wilson-Powell, founder and editor of Pebble magazine, and now published author! Is it Really Green? came out last week, and dives into over 140 of the commonest eco conundrums, like which is better for the environment, washing up by hand or using a dishwasher, and what’s the environmental impact of loo roll. It really is a fab book (I’ll post a link to it in the show notes ), very dip in and out-able which for those of us juggling all the things right now is just the ticket. Enjoy this chat!

Useful links

Is it Really Green?- Hive- Bookshop- And available in all good bookshops
Pebble Magazine- Website- Facebook page- Pebble Pod Facebook Group- Instagram- Twitter
The Knackered Mums Eco Club
Sustainable(ish) Facebook group

What 'eco-dilemmas' do you have?Do let me know in the comments! AVAILABLE ONLINE AND IN ALL GOOD BOOK SHOPS NOW!

"Easily the most family friendly way to do your bit"The Sunday Times

"Absolutely love this book - should be mandatory reading"Online review

[…]

[153] Unlocking the Power of Workplace Communities – with Hermione Taylor from DoNation

Jen Gale — Mon, 12 Sep 2022 11:24:33 GMT

Today's guest has been on my podcast guest bucket list literally since it began, so there may be a small element of 'fan-girling' in this episode..!

Hermione Taylor is the Co-Founder and Director and DoNation - "a platform helping organisations to inspire their communities to create long lasting change."She has such a great 'founder's story', involving a bike ride to Morocco (as you do!), and this chat is packed with tips and ideas for how to engage others, whether that's as part of your workplace, or any other group/community you're involved with.And speaking of bike rides, Hermione also shares details of DoNation's Ride The Change COP 27 bike ride, riding from Swansea to London, over 4 days at the beginning of November. I've very nervously signed up, and would LOVE to see some friendly faces - here's the link if anyone fancies joining me..!

LISTEN... CHECK OUT...

Let me know your thoughts on this one!And if you enjoyed this episode, please do leave a review and/or comment wherever you get your podcasts! […]

[146] GET READY FOR THE GREAT BIG GREEN WEEK!

Jen Gale — Fri, 15 Jul 2022 07:15:00 GMT

"The Great Big Green Week is the UK's biggest every celebration of community action to tackle climate change and protect nature. And everyone's invited."Sounds pretty good right?That's because it is!

2021 saw the inaugural Great Big Green Week (GBGW), from The Climate Coalition, host over 5000 events up and down the country, from bat walks to school assemblies, football matches, clothes swaps, repair cafes and lots lots more.This year, it's back (24th Sept - 2nd October) and is going to be even bigger, with the aim of registering over 7500 events. And this is where we come in!

Listen in to my chat with Mary Corfield, GBGW Project Manager, all about The Great Big Green Week - what it aims to achieve and why it's so important. And importantly, how WE can get involved.What could you do for this year's Great Big Green Week?What local groups and communities are you a part of that might be interested in running an event to showcase and celebrate some of the great things happening near you?

There's a huge amount of resources and support for anyone thinking about hosting an event (it really isn't as daunting as it might sound, I promise!) on the Great Big Green Week website - do take a look.

LISTEN... CHECK OUT...

The Great Big Green Week- Website- Resources and support- Twitter- Facebook- Instagram
The Sustainable(ish) FB group

Could you run a GBGW event?What will it be?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! […]

[005] – HOW TO GET STARTED WITH A SUSTAINABLE LIFE

Jen Gale — Tue, 15 May 2018 13:41:24 GMT

In this episode we look at what Sustainable Living even means, and how to get started when it might be feeling really overwhelming.

Useful links

Episode 003 – Start with Why
Episode 002 – with Chris Hellawell, founder of the Edinburgh Tool Library
My ‘Sustainable 2018’ webinar – I talk in here about goal setting and chunking things down to help you get started
My 'Making Sustainable Changes' workbook to accompany the webinar
My ‘Sustainable Life wheel’ – this will help you to divide sustainable living into different areas and decide what to work on first
My free Sustainable Life Facebook community where you’ll find a brilliant group of friendly, and welcoming lovelies ready to support and encourage you to make sustainable changes
My Sustainable Living Hub – for anyone looking for some more individualised support and structured resources

Top Tips

Get clear on your 'why' - why is it important to you to make sustainable changes?
Think about what a 'sustainable life' looks like, feels like, to you and your family
Chunk it down - what areas or topics make up this 'sustainable life'?
Pick ONE area to work on first
Pick ONE thing to change - what is the smallest, most manageable change you could make to have a positive impact in that one area this week?
Set yourself a deadline!

[020] – REASONS TO SCREW BLACK FRIDAY

Jen Gale — Tue, 20 Nov 2018 20:28:57 GMT

Which fact shocked you the most?Do you 'do' Black Friday?Let me know in the comments! FEELING INSPIRED TOTAKE MORE SUSTAINABLE(ISH) STEPS? Get Sustainable(ish) 101My FREE download of 101 easy, do-able ideas and tips to help you make sustainable(ish) changes for you and your family! 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 GET YOUR FREE COPY NOW!

12 DAYS OF SUSTAINABLE(ISH) – DAY 1 – CONSCIOUS CONSUMPTION

Jen Gale — Sat, 28 Dec 2019 07:00:51 GMT

Useful links

Sarah Lazarovic- Website- Instagram- Twitter- Sarah's book - A Bunch of Pretty Things I Did Not Buy
All the places you can buy The Sustainable(ish) Living Guide online..!

How are you getting on with a more conscious approach to All The Things?Let me know in the comments! AVAILABLE 9th JAN 2020 PRE-ORDER NOW!! "The most eco-common sense thing I've read!" […]