For What It’s Earth

Pet treatments and pesticides have been in the news this year for their polluting power. Join us to learn more about the ways that we interact with our beloved dogs and cats, which can lead to toxins reaching the wider environment. Can we be better pet owners and creature custodians? The answer is yes, and we'll find out how...   Get in touch We're on Instagram, Bluesky, and email forwhatitsearthpod@gmail.com. Send us your Listener Questions and weekly One Good Thing For The Planet.   Support the show: Help us keep podding with a donation through Ko-fi or grab an organic cotton FWIE tee.  & subscribe so you never miss an episode! For What It’s Earth is hosted and produced by Emma Brisdion and Sophie Pavelle, and edited and mixed by Mark Skinner (2024).

We've got a few exciting things coming up, so we've packaged some of them up into a teeny weeny episode of extra bits. Join us at British Science Festival for a Live Podcast Episode and a To Have or To Hold book Interview with Sophie. To access upcoming VIDEO episodes, clips, and exclusive content, you can support us through Ko-fi and help keep the show running!   Get in touch We're on Instagram, Bluesky, and email forwhatitsearthpod@gmail.com. Send us your Listener Questions and weekly One Good Thing For The Planet.   & subscribe so you never miss an episode! For What It’s Earth is hosted and produced by Emma Brisdion and Sophie Pavelle, and edited and mixed by Mark Skinner (2024).

Is beekeeping bad for the environment? They say menstrual cups last for just 10 years; is silicone bad for us or the planet? Do we need an emotionally engaged relationship with nature as an essential part of the early learning curriculum? All this and more in this week's episode! To have your eco-queries answered, send us your listener questions for our next episode!   Get in touch We're on Instagram, Bluesky, and email forwhatitsearthpod@gmail.com. Send us your Listener Questions and weekly One Good Thing For The Planet.   Support the show: Help us cover our running costs with a donation through Ko-fi or grab an organic cotton FWIE tee. & subscribe so you never miss an episode! For What It’s Earth is hosted and produced by Emma Brisdion and Sophie Pavelle, and edited and mixed by Mark Skinner (2024).

Ever tried to podcast while surrounded by curious cows? It's as fun and chaotic as it sounds. Today we're still touring the organic farm, so make sure you've listened to part 1 first! Join us in the fields with Yeo Valley Organic's Farms Development Manager, Will Mayor, searching for dung beetles in the fresh cowpats and getting up close with the organic dairy cattle.  Thanks to our friends at Yeo Valley Organic for supporting this series and to Will for a brilliant farm experience.    Get in touch We're on Instagram, Bluesky, and email forwhatitsearthpod@gmail.com. Send us your Listener Questions and weekly One Good Thing For The Planet.   Support the show: Help us cover our running costs with a donation through Ko-fi or grab an organic cotton FWIE tee. & subscribe so you never miss an episode! For What It’s Earth is hosted and produced by Emma Brisdion and Sophie Pavelle, and edited and mixed by Mark Skinner (2024). This episode was recorded on location by Mark Skinner.  

Going organic is essential for combating the climate and nature crisis. But what does that look like for British farmers producing our food? Farm Development Manager and all-around soil guru, Will Mayor, took us out into the fields for a Yeo Valley Organic farm tour. Join us up to our knees in grasses to smell happy soil in the herbal lays, search for quinoa-shaped signals of healthy plant roots, and understand more about the impacts of the climate crisis on our farmers. And there's more... Join us on Friday for part 2, where we meet some very happy cows. Thanks to our friends at Yeo Valley Organic for supporting this series and to Will for a brilliant farm experience.    Get in touch We're on Instagram, Bluesky, and email forwhatitsearthpod@gmail.com. Send us your Listener Questions and weekly One Good Thing For The Planet.   Support the show: Help us cover our running costs with a donation through Ko-fi or grab an organic cotton FWIE tee. & subscribe so you never miss an episode! For What It’s Earth is hosted and produced by Emma Brisdion and Sophie Pavelle, and edited and mixed by Mark Skinner (2024). This episode was recorded on location by Mark Skinner.  

Sometimes, you've just got to take your eco-friendly growing questions to an expert. This episode was recorded in a stunning glasshouse at Yeo Valley Organic with the brilliant Head Gardener Sarah Mead (see it on Instagram). Think: keeping ants out of your compost bin without chemicals, sowing spectacular wildflower lawns, and empowering soil to love your seedlings. Oh, and water butts for all! Tickets for Yeo Valley's Organic Garden Festival: https://www.yeovalley.co.uk/events/yeo-valley-organic-garden-festival-2025  Get in touch We're on Instagram, Bluesky, and email forwhatitsearthpod@gmail.com. Send us your Listener Questions and weekly One Good Thing For The Planet.   Support the show: Help us cover our running costs with a donation through Ko-fi or grab an organic cotton FWIE tee. & subscribe so you never miss an episode! For What It’s Earth is hosted and produced by Emma Brisdion and Sophie Pavelle, and edited and mixed by Mark Skinner (2024).

Invasive non-native species have been called the silent threat to our ecosystems. They are a key driver of global biodiversity loss. We’re understanding what an INNS actually is, learning about issues these plants and animals can bring with them when they arrive and get comfortable in a new ecosystem, and we’re asking, can we actually blame invasive species for their damage? Or is there another direction to point the finger at? Hmm.   Get in touch We're on Instagram, Bluesky, and email forwhatitsearthpod@gmail.com. Send us your Listener Questions and weekly One Good Thing For The Planet.   Support the show: Help us cover our running costs with a donation through Ko-fi or grab an organic cotton FWIE tee. & subscribe so you never miss an episode! For What It’s Earth is hosted and produced by Emma Brisdion and Sophie Pavelle, and edited and mixed by Mark Skinner (2024).    

In the first listener questions episode of series five, we do our best to answer, 'Are hydroelectric dams good or bad?' and, 'Can I move some plants around when I go for a walk and help rewild my town?' Plus, we even had help from the wonderful Jake Foster from the Royal Observatory Greenwich to find out, 'Is there any environmental benefit to space travel?'   LIVE Show Get your free ticket to see us record an episode at the British Science Festival in Liverpool on Friday 11th September: https://britishscienceassociation-tickets.ticketsolve.com/ticketbooth/shows/1173666323   Get in touch We're on Instagram, Bluesky, and forwhatitsearthpod@gmail.com. Send us your Listener Questions and weekly One Good Thing For The Planet.   Support the show: Help us cover our running costs with a donation through Ko-fi or grab an organic cotton FWIE tee. & subscribe so you never miss an episode! For What It’s Earth is hosted and produced by Emma Brisdion and Sophie Pavelle, and edited and mixed by Mark Skinner (2024).

To start the series, we're taking a closer look at nature-friendly farming. Can changing farming practices and land management methods offer a helping hand for biodiversity, as well as support farmers in producing nutrient-dense, good local food? We explore some of the brilliant, innovative and old-school ways that wildlife, soil and water are being looked after on farms, to ensure a healthier future for nature and us.   Get in touch We're on Instagram, Bluesky, and email forwhatitsearthpod@gmail.com. Send us your Listener Questions and weekly One Good Thing For The Planet.   Support the show: Help us cover our running costs with a donation through Ko-fi or grab an organic cotton FWIE tee. & subscribe so you never miss an episode! For What It’s Earth is hosted and produced by Emma Brisdion and Sophie Pavelle, and edited and mixed by Mark Skinner (2024).

Do you need more hopeful climate conversations in your week? Well, you’re in luck, because we’re back with a brand new series of For What It’s Earth! 🌍 If you’ve ever wondered how to save the planet without moving to a yurt and making your own clothes, this is the podcast for you. We're diving into everything from whales, to soil, to invasive species Environment campaigner Emma Brisdion and author and science communicator Sophie Pavelle are your Wednesday companions who investigate the eco-curiosities we all share, like, can farming save species from extinction and feed us? How can I look after my pet without poisoning nature? Expect laughs, learning, and the occasional eco-cringe at our failed attempts to be more sustainable. Subscribe to For What It’s Earth Podcast, and join us on Instagram for more.

Sophie's only gone and written another brilliant book (and no, she's not writing this episode description).  In To Have or To Hold, she unearths and marvells at some of nature's strangest symbioses and oddest relationships. In this bonus episode of For What It's Earth, Sophie and Emma sit down to chat about the book, dig into the story of a truly mysterious freshwater parasite, and share with you why Emma asked (politely) for a specific word to be removed from an early draft. PLUS, enjoy a sneak peak at the audiobook! Thank you to Bloomsbury for allowing us to share an extract of the book, for your listening delight.    Order your hardback copy of To Have or To Hold or join Sophie on tour!   Get in touch We're on Instagram, Bluesky, and email forwhatitsearthpod@gmail.com. Send us your Listener Questions and weekly One Good Thing For The Planet.   Support the show: Help us cover our running costs with a donation through Ko-fi or grab an organic cotton FWIE tee. & subscribe so you never miss an episode! For What It’s Earth is hosted and produced by Emma Brisdion and Sophie Pavelle, and edited and mixed by Mark Skinner (2024).

How green is your city? And what can we learn from the international urban metropolises that are bringing inviting nature back? Last week, Wild Cities was published, and Emma was invited to join author Chris Fitch at Stanfords bookstore in Bristol to chat about the book. We chatted about fast-tracking ancient forests, gardens in skyscrapers, beavers, birdwatching and, of course, asked, 'What one good thing have you done for the planet this week?' Send us a voice note listener question (via Instagram @forwhatitsearthpodcast or email forwhatitsearthpod@gmail.com) for your chance to win a Wild Cities seed bomb packet!  Thank you to Chris, Stanfords, and Harper Collins for putting the event on and for letting us record the evening for a bonus episode of the podcast.    Get in touch We're on Instagram, Bluesky, and email forwhatitsearthpod@gmail.com. Send us your Listener Questions and weekly One Good Thing For The Planet.   Support the show: Help us cover our running costs with a donation through Ko-fi or grab an organic cotton FWIE tee. & subscribe so you never miss an episode! For What It’s Earth is hosted and produced by Emma Brisdion and Sophie Pavelle, and edited and mixed by Mark Skinner (2024).

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.projectseagrass.org/   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!   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 cup of coffee goes a long way) using Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/forwhatitsearthpodcast   

We've got three absolutely corking listener questions on the show this week, including one from the wonderful Gillian Burke! We're answering: A South Korean motorway has a solar panel-covered bike lane in its central reservation - can we do this in the UK? How much water and waste accumulates at airport security, and can we reduce it? What's the env. impact of the north sea oil tanker crash, and how do we clean jet fuel/nurdles out of the ocean?   Get in touch We're on Instagram, Bluesky, and email forwhatitsearthpod@gmail.com. Send us your Listener Questions and weekly One Good Thing For The Planet.   Support the show: Help us cover our running costs with a donation through Ko-fi or grab an organic cotton FWIE tee. & subscribe so you never miss an episode! For What It’s Earth is hosted and produced by Emma Brisdion and Sophie Pavelle, and edited and mixed by Mark Skinner (2024).

We’re plunging our hands into the soft green bits you find in woodlands, and shining a spotlight on moss. Can the many life-giving, pollution-gobbling, and carbon-storing species of moss on earth be the quiet antidote to climate change?   Get in touch We're on Instagram, Bluesky, Twitter and email forwhatitsearthpod@gmail.com. Send us your Listener Questions and weekly One Good Thing For The Planet. Support the show: Help us cover our running costs with a donation through Ko-fi. Organic cotton FWIE tees & merch  & subscribe so you never miss an episode! For What It’s Earth is hosted and produced by Emma Brisdion and Sophie Pavelle, and edited and mixed by Mark Skinner (2024).

This week we're answering your questions! First, we explore whether environmental boycotts actually work, and ask whether we should all stop buying Wild deodorant since the news that Unliver are purchasing the brand. Finally, we settle down with a steaming mug to find out whether our teas and coffees can be more sustainable.   Get in touch We're on Instagram, Bluesky, Twitter and email forwhatitsearthpod@gmail.com. Send us your Listener Questions and weekly One Good Thing For The Planet. Support the show: Help us cover our running costs with a donation through Ko-fi. Organic cotton FWIE tees & merch  & subscribe so you never miss an episode! For What It’s Earth is hosted and produced by Emma Brisdion and Sophie Pavelle, and edited and mixed by Mark Skinner (2024).

This week we’re talking about make-up - or more specifically - the make-up of it, alongside other personal care products, and what that means for our environment. Shampoo, eye cream, and SPF, we're coming for ya.   Get in touch We're on Instagram, Bluesky, Twitter and email forwhatitsearthpod@gmail.com. Send us your Listener Questions and weekly One Good Thing For The Planet.   Support the show: Organic cotton FWIE tees & merch  Help us cover our running costs with a one-off donation or sign up for monthly support through Ko-fi. & subscribe so you never miss an episode! For What It’s Earth is hosted and produced by Emma Brisdion and Sophie Pavelle, and edited and mixed by Mark Skinner (2024).

Are wildflower lawns the best thing to do with your garden? Do rats deserve their bad rep? Can books be more sustainable, and am I still allowed to buy new ones sometimes? This week we're answering your big green listener questions, and we're introducing two new members of the For What It's Earth team!   An RHS guide to making wildflower meadows: https://www.rhs.org.uk/lawns/creating-wildflower-meadows Pre-order Sophie's upcoming book, To Have or To Hold: https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/to-have-or-to-hold-9781399412162/   Get in touch We're on Instagram, Bluesky, Twitter and email forwhatitsearthpod@gmail.com. Send us your Listener Questions and weekly One Good Thing For The Planet. Support the show: Organic cotton FWIE tees & merch  Help us cover our running costs with a one-off donation or sign up for monthly support through Ko-fi. & subscribe so you never miss an episode! For What It’s Earth is hosted and produced by Emma Brisdion and Sophie Pavelle, and edited and mixed by Mark Skinner (2024).

Things are hotting up. As global temperatures increase, so too does extreme fire risk. Parts of LA are still burning, and this week we’re exploring all things wildfire in a changing climate. As we watch fires erupt on our TV screens, we ask: In the UK, are we really as sheltered from wildfires as we might think?   More info: State of Wildfires Report: https://tyndall.ac.uk/news/state-of-wildfires-report-2023-2024/ Beavers and fires Fairfax stop-motion animation: https://emilyfairfaxscience.com/research/firebeavers/ Met Office’s Fire Severity Index https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/public/weather/fire-severity-index/#?tab=map    Get in touch We're on Instagram, Bluesky, Twitter and email forwhatitsearthpod@gmail.com. Send us your Listener Questions and weekly One Good Thing For The Planet.   Support the show: Organic cotton FWIE tees & merch  Help us cover our running costs with a one-off donation or sign up for monthly support through Ko-fi. & subscribe so you never miss an episode! For What It’s Earth is hosted and produced by Emma Brisdion and Sophie Pavelle, and edited and mixed by Mark Skinner (2024).

What's the environmental footprint of taking a cruise? Does medication you take end up in your composting toilet or the sewage system, and if so, what happens next? And can you bank in greener ways? All this and a bonus mini-q on this week's Listener Questions episode. Get in touch We're on Instagram, Bluesky, Twitter and email forwhatitsearthpod@gmail.com. Send us your Listener Questions and weekly One Good Thing For The Planet. Support the show: Organic cotton FWIE tees & merch  Help us cover our running costs with a one-off donation or sign up for monthly support through Ko-fi. & subscribe so you never miss an episode! For What It’s Earth is hosted and produced by Emma Brisdion and Sophie Pavelle, and edited and mixed by Mark Skinner (2024).