For What It's Earth

Left your Christmas shopping to the last minute? We've got you. This episode is packed with environmentally friendly gift ideas, from experiences to things to look out for in charity shops before the big day. We also answer listener questions on the environmental impact of both plastic grass, and of salting our roads during icy weather this winter. We're taking a break over the Christmas week, so will be back in your feeds on January 1st. Happy holidays!   Get in touch We're on Instagram, Bluesky, and Twitter.  Follow us for updates, and behind-the-scenes content, and DM us with your Listener Questions and One Good Things. Feel free to shower us with praise, we're fine with that too. Or, email forwhatitsearthpod@gmail.com. While you're here, subscribe so you never miss an episode, and leave us a 5-star review to help new listeners find us!   Support the show: From tees to totes, check out our organic cotton FWIE merch: https://forwhatitsearth.teemill.com/  Help us cover the pod's running costs with a one-off

Like many a party, hen and stag dos (or bachelor/bachelorette nights) can come with big carbon footprints or create a lot of waste. They're a seemingly-unavoidable part of life in one's 30's, BUT they don't have to be polluting to be super special events.  So, whether you’re an eco-conscious bride or groom, a greenie maid of honour or best man, or a sustainability-minded attendee, we’re looking at these milestone gatherings and trying to help you throw one in ways that don’t leave the planet with a sore head too.  This episode is a toolkit, and many of our top tips can be applied to ANY event on your horizon!     Get in touch We're on Instagram, Bluesky, and Twitter.  Follow us for updates, and behind-the-scenes content, and DM us with your Listener Questions and One Good Things. Feel free to shower us with praise, we're fine with that too. Or, email forwhatitsearthpod@gmail.com. While you're here, subscribe so you never miss an episode, and leave us a 5-star review to help new listeners find us!   Support th

This week we ask whether gym equipment could actually generate enough electricity to power the gym, we try to divulge some useful career advice to a climate-concerned listener, and our classic 'what one good thing have you done for the planet this week?' prompt gets flipped on its head.   Get in touch We're on Instagram, Bluesky, and Twitter.  Follow us for updates, and behind-the-scenes content, and DM us with your Listener Questions and One Good Things. Feel free to shower us with praise, we're fine with that too. Or, email forwhatitsearthpod@gmail.com. While you're here, subscribe so you never miss an episode, and leave us a 5-star review to help new listeners find us!   Support the show: From tees to totes, check out our organic cotton FWIE merch: https://forwhatitsearth.teemill.com/  Help us cover the pod's running costs with a one-off donation or sign up for monthly support (as little as the cost of a cup of coffee goes a long way) using Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/forwhatitsearthpodcast    For What It’s E

We're zoning in on things Black Friday; the holiday that celebrates binge-shopping and which leaves the environmental credentials of the retail sector in tatters. For the sake of the planet, put your bank cards away! Do you really *need* that thing that's on a super duper exclusive promotion and will never (wink wink) be that cheap again? Sure, you might, and that's fine. But if you're keen and able to try to participate less, or better, in Black Friday, here's our guide to trying to reduce the environmental impact of this international consumption-fest.   References from the episode Support our pals over at Green Pear Eco low waste and refill store: https://greenpeareco.com/  Support The Wildlife Trusts as they purchase the Rothbury Estate for nature restoration: https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/appeals/rothbury-estate-nature-and-nation  Psychology Today on why we shop Black Friday: https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/consumption-and-lifestyles/202411/why-we-shop-on-black-friday  Forbes did some Black Frid

This week we're answering your questions. Join Emma and Sophie for a grand tour of 'plogging', an investigation into whether dog poo is natural enough to be left in the environment, and a chat about how we remain hopeful in the environment sector despite all the bad news.   Get in touch Follow us on social media for updates and behind-the-scenes content between episodes, and get in touch to share your Listener Question, One Good Thing, and suggest episode topics. Feel free also to shower us with praise, we're fine with that too. We're on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, or you can email forwhatitsearthpod@gmail.com. While you're here, subscribe so you never miss an episode, and leave us a 5-star review to help new listeners find us!   Support the show: Treat yourself to something from our range of organic cotton goodies, from teeshirts to tote bags: https://forwhatitsearth.teemill.com/  Help us cover the pod's running costs with a one-off donation or sign up for monthly support (as little as the cost of a cu

This week, we’re diving into one of the most rapidly evolving fields of our time: artificial intelligence. AI takes many forms and is rapidly transforming many industries and sectors - from helping to optimise international supply chains to smarting up energy grids and predicting climate patterns. But alongside the many celebrated efficiency and problem-solving benefits that AI can offer, there are also many concerns lurking around every virtual corner - including concerns about the massive environmental footprint of AI.   References from the episode: UNEP World Environment Situation Room: https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/how-artificial-intelligence-helping-tackle-environmental-challenges  Smart Farming: https://www.bsigroup.com/globalassets/localfiles/en-gb/bsi-knowledge/bsi-knowledge-food/bsi_smart_farming_report.pdf  AI e-waste: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/rise-ai-looming-threat-e-waste-how-automation-can-save-day-exnfc/  TUBERSCAN: https://www.harper-adams.ac.uk/research/project/1285/tubersc

What impact will the incoming President have on the climate? The US Election result this week has left many of us in a spin, and in this bonus episode, we take a trip to BCFM's show Love and Science to chat with the lovely Andrew Glester. We share a few of our initial thoughts on the news and explore ways to remain optimistic, look after ourselves and galvanise as a community to ensure climate action isn't forgotten.    References from the episode: Email your MP, and use this link to find their contact details: https://www.theyworkforyou.com/ Learn about the Climate and Nature Bill: https://www.zerohour.uk/climate-and-nature-bill/  Stop Rosebank and take action on fossil fuels in the UK: https://www.stopcambo.org.uk/  Cop 29: https://cop29.az/en/home  Listen to BCFM's Love and Science: https://www.bcfmradio.com/show/love-science      Get in touch If you liked the bonus, reactive episode format. Let us know! Follow us on social media for updates and behind-the-scenes content between episodes, and get in touch

How do we teach children about climate change without causing eco-anxiety? What supposedly environmental thing absolutely baffles you? Is biogas actually carbon neutral? Three hot topics on the table today as we sit down to answer your For What It's Earth listener questions.   References from the episode: The Adventures of Scout children's books: https://theadventuresofscout.com/    Get in touch Follow us on social media for updates and behind-the-scenes content between episodes, and get in touch to share your Listener Question, One Good Thing, and suggest episode topics. Feel free also to shower us with praise, we're fine with that too. We're on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, or you can email forwhatitsearthpod@gmail.com. While you're here, subscribe so you never miss an episode, and leave us a 5-star review to help new listeners find us!   Support the show: Treat yourself to something from our range of organic cotton goodies, from teeshirts to tote bags: https://forwhatitsearth.teemill.com/  Help us cove

The 2024 Olympics in Paris aspired to be the first Games ever to be fully aligned with Paris Agreement - but can the world's biggest international sporting event ever really be considered sustainable? From incredible eco-design decisions to the energy and food choices made with the planet in mind, to the burden of private aviation and wasteful merchandise and athleisure, we're taking a metaphorical dive into the bold claims, innovative steps and downright failures associated with Paris 2024.    References from the episode: British Association for Sustainable Sport: https://basis.org.uk/2024/07/26/paris-2024-the-greenest-games-ever/ Designing the aquatics centre: https://www.ribaj.com/intelligence/making-buildings-paris-olympic-aquatics-centre-costs-flexible-design  https://aurorasolar.com/blog/2024/04/17/the-2024-paris-olympics-solars-role/ Coca-cola's soda fountain greenwashing: https://www.theguardian.com/sport/article/2024/aug/07/greenwash-games-french-public-points-finger-at-coca-cola-over-olympics-plast

Welcome to the first of our fortnightly bonus episodes, in which we answer three burning green questions sent in by you! Ever wondered whether washing your dishes by hand or in a dishwasher is more environmentally friendly, or whether it's better to charge your phone at home or in your car? Or what our humble opinions on the hit farming series Clarkson's Farm might be? Well, this episode has got you covered.   References from the episode: 10 eco-friendly laundry products to add to your cupboard: https://www.countryfile.com/how-to/green-living/eco-friendly-laundry-products   Get in touch Follow us on social media for updates and behind-the-scenes content between episodes, and get in touch to share your Listener Question, One Good Thing, and suggest episode topics. Feel free also to shower us with praise, we're fine with that too. We're on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, or you can email forwhatitsearthpod@gmail.com. While you're here, subscribe so you never miss an episode, and leave us a 5-star review to he

Environmental protests. Beyond grabbing headlines and successfully irritating segments of the population, do they work as a tool to move the needle for the planet? We're starting this new season by taking to the streets (not literally) and exploring how one of history's most effective but divisive change-making methods is being used to demand action on climate change.    References from the episode: They Work For You, the website that connects you with your local political representative and makes it easy to contact them: https://www.theyworkforyou.com/    Get in touch Follow us on social media for updates and behind-the-scenes content between episodes, and get in touch to share your Listener Questions, One Good Things, and suggest episode topics. Feel free to also shower us with praise, we're fine with that too. We're on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, or you can email forwhatitsearthpod@gmail.com. While you're here, subscribe so you never miss an episode, and leave us a 5-star review to help new listeners

Yes, your favourite climate, nature and sustainability podcast is back! For What It's Earth returns next Wednesday with a shiny new look, new features, and a brand new co-host. Nature writer and science communicator Sophie Pavelle now joins Emma Brisdion for a series exploring a wide range of eco topics - from discussing environmental protests and exploring the green credentials of the Olympics, to finding out how to make your upcoming hen or stag do more sustainable.   Get in touch Follow us on social media for updates and behind-the-scenes content between episodes, and get in touch to share your Listener Questions, One Good Things, and to suggest episode topics. Feel free to also shower us with praise, we're fine with that too. We're on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, or you can email forwhatitsearthpod@gmail.com. While you're here, subscribe so you never miss an episode, and leave us a 5-star review to help new listeners find us!   Support the show: Treat yourself to something from our range of organic c

We are going to take a little break from podcasting for a while, so in a bid to stop our great podcast algorithm overlords from burying For What It’s Earth, we're going to share a few oldies but goodies with you over the coming weeks. Episodes that we enjoyed making for you at some point in the last few years, which perhaps you might enjoy again or if you’re new here, you might not have heard the first time around.  So, here you go, enjoy our adventures through the problems surrounding and solutions for, Air Pollution!   What's going on with the air that we breathe? Well, quite a lot, it seems. We're chatting today about the causes of air pollution, the problems it can cause for our own health and things like farming and our food supply, and we explore some of the possible solutions. Enjoyed the episode? Got an idea for another topic? Just want to say Hi? We'd love to hear from you! Get in touch with us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter or by email forwhatitsearthpod@gmail.com. Don't forget to leave us a shi

Sophie's debut book, Forget Me Not, has landed on our shelves, chronicling her low-carbon journeys around the UK searching for 10 charismatic species that are being impacted by climate change. She joins Emma for a chat about her adventures, about the role of JOY when communicating climate science and nature connection, and also a little bit about the Kardashians (it makes sense if you've read the book).   Purchase your copy of Forget Me Not: https://uk.bookshop.org/books/1647217193_forget-me-not-finding-the-forgotten-species-of-climate-change-britain/9781472986214   Hear more from Sophie on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sophiepavs/  Twitter: https://twitter.com/sophiepavs    ** Today we are sponsored by WILD Deodorant, the all-natural, eco-friendly, and refillable deodorant that really works. Truly, we both use WILD every day and love it. Get 20% off your first purchase from www.wearewild.com with code 'EARTH20' **   Get in touch Enjoyed the episode? Got an idea for another topic? Just want to say Hi?

Nature connectedness; what is it, why is it important, and can we boost it? Researcher Sam Gandy joins us in this episode to explore the concept of nature connectedness, which is s key predictor of us taking actions that are good for the planet and is also of huge benefit for our mental health and wellbeing. His research takes us to some fascinating places, including the research looking at the role that psychedelics such as psilocybin (found in magic mushrooms) have in quickly and deeply enhancing our feelings of connectedness with nature. Plus, we also take a splash through the role of beaver wetlands in improving feelings of nature connectedness, too.   Hear more from Sam: https://twitter.com/SamwiseGandy The potential synergistic effects between psychedelic administration and nature contact for the improvement of mental health (2020) https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/2055102920978123  Potential psychological benefits of nature enrichment through the reintroduction of the Eurasian beaver (Casto

You might be wondering why we’ve popped an episode in your feed on a Sunday instead of a Wednesday, so I’m here to clear that up. Today is actually world bog day, a day in which we all celebrate the awesomeness of this underrated habitat, which is fantastic at quietly getting on with an immense amount of carbon sequestration as well as supporting its own army of specialist plants and animals. About a year and a half ago we recorded an episode on bogs, and today is the perfect time to resurface it and for you to find out exactly why I think bogs are super cool. So, if you missed it before, here’s For What It’s Earth, on BOGS!            Get in touch Enjoyed the episode? Got an idea for another topic? Just want to say Hi? Get in touch with us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter or by email forwhatitsearthpod@gmail.com. While you're here, make sure that you've subscribed so that you never miss an episode, and leave us a 5- star review to help new listeners find us!   Order your FWIE Teeshirts and sweatshirts The

Many of us feel an existential sense of doom and dread when we think about the state of the environment. (Record-smashing temperatures of 40oC in the UK this week, anyone?) It can wreak havoc with our mental health, and be hard to deal with. In fact, feeling eco anxiety is a perfectly normal reaction to being told that we're in a climate crisis. In this episode we explore some of the causes of eco anxiety and some of the possible solutions, or tools that might help you when you're feeling stressed. We hope that it might help.   This episode also features a clip sent over by our friend Suzy from the Casual Birder Podcast. Suzy has visited Antarctica and, after listening to our episode on the White Continent, was kind enough to share her experience of responsible tourism. You can hear more from Suzy over on her podcast, The Casual Birder: https://casualbirder.com/    ** Today we are sponsored by WILD Deodorant, the all-natural, eco-friendly and refillable deodorant that really works. Truly, we both use WILD eve

The White Continent (and the southern seas around it) is an incredibly important place for wildlife, for the regulation of global ocean currents, and for reflecting a huge amount of the sun's heat back out of our atmosphere (known as the Albedo effect). But Antarctica faces plenty of threats, which we'll take a dive into. You're in for a treat, too, as this week Emma is joined by Ryan Dalton from Into The Wild Podcast.   Get more from Ryan by heading over to his fab podcast, Into The Wild: https://intothewild.podbean.com/     Get in touch Enjoyed the episode? Got an idea for another topic? Just want to say Hi? Get in touch with us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter or by email forwhatitsearthpod@gmail.com. While you're here, make sure that you've subscribed so that you never miss an episode, and leave us a 5- star review to help new listeners find us!  

From football and F1, to deciding which trainers to run your next half-marathon in, we're attempting something of an episode heptathlon this week as we explore whether both our big sporting events and our personal sporting ventures can be made more planet-positive.   Things we spoke about: Trainer recycling: https://www.runnersneed.com/about-us/recyclemyrun.html Allbirds sustainable trainers: https://www.allbirds.co.uk/pages/sustainable-practices#beginnings EcoYoga mat: https://www.ecoyoga.uk/ecomats  Forest Green Rovers: https://unfccc.int/climate-action/momentum-for-change/climate-neutral-nhttps://unfccc.int/climate-action/momentum-for-change/climate-neutral-now/creating-the-greenest-football-club-in-the-world-forest-green-rovers   Get in touch Enjoyed the episode? Got an idea for another topic? Just want to say Hi? Get in touch with us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter or by email forwhatitsearthpod@gmail.com. While you're here, make sure that you've subscribed so that you never miss an episode, and lea

Take a dive with us into one of the most exciting marine habitats on the planet - and it's often found just a few splashes away from the coast. Seagrass is thought to capture carbon 35 TIMES faster than tropical rainforests, yet it covers less than 1% of the seafloor and we're losing it globally, rapidly. They're also vital habitats for marine life and provide more ecosystem services than we can count (almost). But, In the UK, we've lost more than 90% of our seagrass habitat. What can we do about that, you ask? Listen to find out!   Seagrass restoration volunteering opportunities Ocean Conservation Trust https://oceanconservationtrust.org/volunteers-needed-to-support-seagrass-conservation/ Recreation Remedies https://saveourseabed.co.uk/get-involved/volunteers/  Project Seagrass https://www.facebook.com/groups/444685045723981    Some of the other things we spoke about https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/seagrass-can-work-as-a-sanitation-service-180980034/  https://seagrassspotter.org/  https://www.