Sustainable(ish)

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!