Sustainable(ish)

Consumption, or overconsumption, is a recurring theme here on the podcast, and I would suggest that we could get a long way towards a more sustainable society if we, collectively, found ways to rein that in.Did you know?22 million furniture items a year are thrown away each year in the UK, which equates to 60,000 pieces of furniture every single day3.83 million items of clothing a day are thrown awayAnd 22 billion pairs of shoes every year   In a world of ever faster consumption, how do we slow down and re-connect with our stuff again? Seeing the value not only in the items, whether that clothes, or furniture, or tech, but also in the work and resources that went into making them, and valuing it enough to keep it in use for as long as possible. Which is where repair comes in. Todays guests are Gem and Ally from We Are Repairs, who are on a mission to normalise repair, to make it as easy as buying new, and to help us all to slow down our consumption, not only to help avoid waste, but to support local independent repair businesses, and build the skills needed for a truly circular economy.USEFUL LINKS:We Are Repairs- Website- Instagram- FacebookPetition: Urge the government to support the UK’s repair industryAlly – Restoration HutGem – Embrace BespokeFind a Repair Café near you Ep 127 - Greater Manchester’s Renew HubSUSTAINABLE(ISH) STUFFSustainable(ish) Carbon Literacy coursesCarbon Literacy Refresher courseSustainable(ish) Clubhouse – join us for NovemberLet me know your thoughts – leave a comment wherever you get your podcasts, I’d love to see them, or drop me an email on [email protected] you so much for listening!

This week I'm chatting to sustainability podcasting royalty! Dave Powell was co-host of the popular Sustainababble podcast from 2015-2022, publishing a whopping 274 episodes, and is now the host of Your Brain on Climate, a podcast all about climate change and psychology. I’m kind of fascinated by the psychology and behavioural science behind climate action, or not climate action, and wanted to get Dave on to learn from him, what he’s learned from his eminent and very knowledgeable guests over the years. And of course, to pepper him with questions about some of the sometimes slightly bewildering terminology that can be batted around, like 'pleuralistic ignorance', 'cognitive dissonance' and 'bystander effect'. And how these apply to climate-y stuff.USEFUL LINKS:Dave Powell- On Linked InSustainababbleYour Brain on Climate- On InstagramZen and the art of motorcycle maintenance by Robert PirsigYour Brain on Climate episodes mentioned:- Bystander effect with Gerdien de VriesSustainababble episodes mentioned:- 98 – The Man from Shell- 238 – Katharine Hayhoe meets SustainababbleSustainable(ish) podcast episodes mentioned:- Climate Citizens (and how to be a good one) with Becky Willis- Climate anxiety with Linda Aspey- Climate Comedy with Stuart GoldsmithThinking Fast and Slow by Daniel KahnemanThe 89% study: Globally representative evidence on the actual and perceived support for climate actionClimate OutreachSUSTAINABLE(ISH) STUFFSustainable(ish) Carbon Literacy coursesCarbon Literacy Refresher courseSustainable(ish) Clubhouse – waiting list for NovemberLet me know your thoughts – leave a comment wherever you get your podcasts I’d love to see them, or drop me an email on [email protected] you so much for listening.

I thought I knew a bit about sustainable fashion but this chat, and the book behind it all, Charity Shop World by Tansy Hoskins, blew me away.There’s been quite a bit in the press in recent weeks and months about the impact of Vinted on both overall consumption levels of fast fashion, and on charity shops, but it turns out, that’s just scratching the surface. Listen to hear about the link between charity shops and austerity, the fashion industry and imperialism,  how many YEARS of human labour it takes to make one years worth of clothes, how we’re all being expertly manipulated by social media algorithms, and how, as with most (all?) things, it all comes down to industries who have a single goal, of making billionaires even richer.USEFUL LINKS:Tansy Hoskins- Website- Instagram- Facebook- Linked InTansy’s books:- Stitched Up- Footwork- The Anti-Capitalist Book of Fashion- Charity Shop WorldTo Die For by Lucy SiegleOur clothes ending up in the Atacama DesertYour brain on fast fashion with Lucy Siegle (podcast episode of Your Brain on Climate)Careless People by Sarah Wynn-WilliamsExtraction Fashion – War on WantLabour Behind the LabelWar on WantFashion RevolutionThe True Cost MovieNot Buying It magazine (Substack)SUSTAINABLE(ISH) STUFF: Sustainable(ish) Carbon Literacy courses Carbon Literacy Refresher course Sustainable(ish) Clubhouse – waiting list for NovemberLet me know your thoughts – leave a comment wherever you get your podcasts I’d love to see them, or drop me an email on [email protected] you so much for listening.

Today’s guest on the podcast is Damian Hall, ultra-marathon runner, co-founder of The Green Runners, and author of We Can't Run Away from This.If you’re not a runner, don’t turn off! This episode is still for you – I think there are some great takeaways about we can bring sustainability into conversations for the things that we love doing. This example just happens to be running, but will apply to other sports, as well as, I don’t know, singing, or dancing, or even book clubs.USEFUL LINKS:Damian Hall- Website- Instagram- Book: We Can’t Run Away from ThisThe Green Runners- Website- Instagram- Facebook- BlueSkyPreloved Sports CICRome to RioLakeland TrailsPair Ups trainer repairJog On Trainer recyclingTrees Not TeesBetter Medals – wildflower plantable medalsSUSTAINABLE(ISH STUFF: Sustainable(ish) Clubhouse – waiting list for November Carbon Literacy Refresher courseThank you so much for listening - do get in touch with any questions, comments, or requests/ideas for future guests. Email on [email protected] or leave a comment wherever you get your podcasts! 

According to climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe, the most important thing we can do to fight climate change is talk about it. But the reality, certainly for me, and if attendees on my Carbon Literacy courses are anything to do by, for others too, it isn’t easy. We worry that we don’t know all the facts and stats and maybe we’re going to get stuck in an argument with a climate denier. We worry that people will think we’re judging them, that they will think we’re a hypocrite if we’re not ‘perfect environmentalist’ (side note, there’s no such thing).In this weeks episode, I'm chatting to Claire Brown, Deputy Director at Larger Us, and climate conversationalist extraordinaire! Claire shares her top tips, in a really practical and actionable way, that hopefully leaves us all feeling like (good) climate conversations are a bit more do-able.USEFUL LINKS:Larger Us- Website- On Linked In- Let’s Talk ClimateClaire Brown on Linked InClimate Outreach- Britain talks climate and natureMore in CommonNicola Thorp on InstagramMore Time to Think by Nancy KlineSustainable(ish) Carbon Literacy trainingFix the NewsLocal Storytelling ExchangeLet me know your takeaways from this episode - leave a comment or a review wherever you get your podcasts, or drop me an email on [email protected] so much for listening!

A solo episode from me, detailing my recent visit to my MP!I talk about why MP engagement is so important, even if it can feel a teensy bit frustrating; how and why my MP visit came about; what happened during my visit; and my top tips for MP visits (because obviously I'm now officially an expert having done one..!)If you're looking for tips and a bit of gently encouragement to engage with your MP on climate stuff, whether that's off the back of a People's Emergency Briefing, or something else, I hope this is helpful!USEFUL LINKS:My posts on Linked In:- Plea for tips and experiences- MP visit Pt 1- MP visit Pt 2Climate BarometerHope for the FutureNational Emergency Briefing- Website- Expert briefings (with link to download key points)- MP dialogueCarbon BriefSimon Evans' thread on BlueSky re the sale of the licenses [204] – Hosting a People’s Emergency Briefing[186] – The National Emergency Briefing with Nick Oldridge[208] – Climate Citizens (and how to be a good one) with Rebecca WillisTHE SUSTAINABLE(ISH) CLUBHOUSECome and join me in the Sustainable(ish) Clubhouse - the doors are open for October, where we'll be diving into all things Sustainable(ish) Fashion 👗. There's more info here.Have you ever written to, or visited, your MP? Does this episode give you encouragement? Or scare the pants off you?Do let me know! Email me on [email protected] or leave a comment wherever you get your podcasts.And please do rate and review the podcast 🌟

In the UK we buy 37 million toys a year! And 80% of them end up in landfill, incinerators, or the oceans.In this episode I'm welcoming Charlotte Mason-Curl, founder of No Crap Parties back to the podcast. In a bid to try and keep some of these toys in use for longer, Charlotte is running The Big Toy Swap this November and has a goal of 50 Toy Swaps happening all around the country. We dive into the nitty gritty and hopefully answer all your questions about hosting a toy swap and make it feel super do-able! And if you’re like me and have older kids, or maybe don’t have any kids at all, that doesn’t let you off the hook–we talk about ways to hook up with schools or brownie or scout groups, to run a Toy Swap in your local community.AND we’ve got the first ever podcast giveaway!I’ve got two ‘rescue’ copies of Charlotte’s book Elf Chloe’s Surprise to give away. To enter, either come and find me on Instagram (@Sustainableish) and comment 'Elf Chloes Surprise' on the post, or leave a comment that includes the phrase 'Elf Chloe's Surprise' wherever you get your podcasts.USEFUL LINKS:No Crap Parties- Website- Instagram- FacebookBig Toy Swap- Find a Toy SwapElf Chloe's Surprise - website (where you can get a fragile copy) or AmazonCrowdfunder - Planet Friendly Party Resource for schools: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/planet-friendly-present-packConnect with Charlotte:- Instagram- Linked In- See Charlotte at TedX Worthing (20% Off tickets with TedXSpeakerMate) Episode 187 - No Crap Parties with Charlotte Mason CurlEpisode 193 - The Power of Swapping with Sam Drury ShoreLoved BeforeSUSTAINABLE(ISH) STUFFJoin the Sustainable(ish) Clubhouse for October!Sustainable(ish) Carbon Literacy coursesSustainable(ish) Carbon Literacy refresher coursesThanks so much for listening!

In this episode I'm chatting to Polly Turton, Head of Climate Action and Public Health Shade the UK, an organisation who have a vision and a mission of "zero deaths from overheating and a UK where everyone can live, work and thrive in hot weather."We dive into:- How hot was this summer? - What about 1976?- Is the new 'normal' (or abnormal)- The health impacts of heat on different groups within our societies- Why heat is a climate justice issue, and 'cooling poverty' is now a growing concern for summer months- Shouldn't we just install air con?- Changes that are needed to help our towns and cities adapt to a warming climate- Changes we can look to make in our own homes, from DIY measures, to more permanent retrofitUSEFUL LINKS:Shade the UK- Website- Instagram- Linked In- Overheating adaptation guidesPolly Turton on Linked InAndy Love (Shade the UK founder) on Linked InSummer 2026 hottest on record for the UK – Met OfficeSummer 1976 – 2026 – Met OfficeCooling Roadmap for LondonHeat mortality monitoring report 2022Excess deaths May and June 2026Let me know your thoughts on this one - drop me an email on [email protected], or leave a comment wherever you're listening to this. Please do share this episode with anyone you think would be interested or would find it useful, and leave a rating and a review on your podcast platform of choice.Thanks for listening!

This episode is a solo episode from me, all about bins! Specifically my bins and how we only put out bin out once every 9-12 months.It’s Zero Waste Week this week, so whilst I would very much not consider us a ‘zero waste’ household, I wanted to share some tips to help us all be ‘zero-waste(ish)’, ie produce less waste, rather that’s recycling or waste destinted for landfill or incineration. USEFUL LINKS:Zero Waste WeekSimpler Recycling: household recycling in EnglandPodcast ep – The Big Plastic Count with Daniel WebbWholly ShrinkTerracycle zero waste boxGreen JohannaGreen ConeLocal Council discountsLoop Frome – Frome food waste recycling schemeGeneration Soil – Bristol food waste recycling schemeKeep Britain Tidy Waste HierarchyFind a Repair CaféBuyerarchy of Needs – Sarah Lazarovic Come and join me on the Sustainable(ish) Talking Climate Carbon Literacy course! If you enjoyed this episode, please do subscribe or follow if you aren’t already, share it on your socials, and leave a comment, rating, or review wherever you get your podcasts.Thanks so much for listening!

In this episode we take a dive into climate anxiety, and I’m chatting to Linda Aspey who amongst many other roles is Director of Psychology at the People’s Emergency Briefing and a board member of the Climate Psychology Alliance. We explore:- what is climate anxiety?-why do some people have it and some don’t?- why for some people it tips into something that starts to disturb their ability to do the things they want and need to- some of the things that can help. Linda mentions some sources of support in the episode, and I’ve linked to them below - if you’re really struggling with your mental health, then please do reach out for support. You’re not on your own. There is support out there, lots of which can be accessed at very low or no cost. USEFUL LINKSLinda Aspey- Website- Linked InNational Emergency Briefing- Host a screening - register to host and you'll get a resource pack with links to facilitator workshopsClimate Psychology Alliance- Website - Climate Café Listening circles- CPA therapeutic supportA Barrister for the Earth by Monica Feria-TintaSolastalgiaAdrian Lambert on SubstackTurn the Tide on Climate Anxiety by Megan Kennedy-Woodard and Patrick Kennedy-WilliamsRelated Sustainable(ish) podcast episodes:How to be more activist with Clover HoganTurn the tide on climate anxiety with Megan Kennedy Woodard Sustainable(ish) Carbon Literacy TrainingFollow Sustainable(ish) on Instagram. Email jen on [email protected]