Sustainable(ish)

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 InBath 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- InstagramCommunity Energy EnglandCommunity Energy ScotlandCommunity Energy WalesCommunity 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 networkVisit a Heat PumpWarm Homes Plan- On the UK government website- Which explainer articleFind energy grants for your home (UK gov)Energy grant helpline: 0800 0987950Boiler upgrade scheme (for heat pumps)Find an energy certificate (EPC)Historic England - Energy efficiency and retrofit in historic buildingsHeat GeekEnergy Saving TrustCentre for Sustainable EnergySustainable(ish) Clubhouse - doors opening again soon!Carbon Literacy- Carbon Literacy with me!

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 2Sara Grimes LISTEN... USEFUL LINKS:Sara Grimes- Linked InBath 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- InstagramCommunity Energy EnglandCommunity Energy ScotlandCommunity Energy WalesCommunity 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 networkVisit a Heat PumpWarm Homes Plan- On the UK government website- Which explainer articleFind energy grants for your home (UK gov)Energy grant helpline: 0800 0987950Boiler upgrade scheme (for heat pumps)Find an energy certificate (EPC)Historic England - Energy efficiency and retrofit in historic buildingsHeat GeekEnergy Saving TrustCentre for Sustainable EnergySustainable(ish) Clubhouse - doors opening again soon!Carbon Literacy- Carbon Literacy with me!

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 InChoices for climate action: a review of the multiple roles individuals play[188] - Money, money, money with Lisa Stanley-MannHousehold 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 talkGlobally representative evidence on the actual and perceived support for climate actionExperimental 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 WestlakeGreen and Healthy Frome[185] - Is it all b*llocks?Outrage and Optimism podcast episode with Lorraine WhitmarshIpsos Perils of perception studyOxford University Climate Leadership Research CentreLarger Us - Lets Talk Climate projectSustainable(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!

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 InPledgeball- Website- Instagram- Linked In- Facebook- You Tube- The Pledgeball podcast- Add your club (or school, or workplace etc)- Sustainable Travel CharterEp 154 - Leading by example - does it matter? With Steve Westlake (podcast ep)David WheelerClimate Outreach- Britain Talks Climate and NatureEFL Green ClubsCarbon Literacy- Carbon Literacy with me!Ep 175 - Climate Play (including Lego Serious Play) - podcast with Lisa HawthorneEp 193 - The power of swapping with Sam Drury ShoreReading 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!

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 InSmall 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- InstagramCarbon Literacy- Carbon Literacy with me!Ep 175 - Climate Play (including Lego Serious Play) - podcast with Lisa HawthorneEp 193 - The power of swapping with Sam Drury ShoreThe 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!

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 ToolkitSustainable Devizes- Links- Facebook pageFires and Facism filmNothing New in '22Clothes piling up in Atacama DesertChippenham Uniform Exchange[187] - No Crap Parties with Charlotte Mason-Curl

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 studyEp 189 with Ash GoddardDigital CollageHidden Treasure Hunt - for old tech and electrical itemsDigital Clean Up Day - 21st MarchFind secondhand and refurbished tech:- Backmarket- Music Magpie- 'Which' article on buying secondhand techEcograderWesbite CarbonRenewable hosting - a couple of suggestions:- Green Hosting- KrystalEcosiaQuit 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! […]

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:Carbon Copy- Website- Find your local area's emissions and climate action plans- 25 Big Local Actions- Podcast- Changeprint-Carbon Copy podcast episode - Introducing Changeprint- Changeprint Action Pack- Stories of local action along with their Changeprints- Instagram- Facebook- Linked In- [083] - Think Global Act Local - with Ric Casale from Carbon Copy (podcast episode)Warming StripesClimate Emergency UK Climate Council Scorecards- [164] - Your Council and Climate Action - with Annie Pickering from Climate Council Scorecards (podcast episode) Social tipping points - paper in NatureClimate ShadowVeganuaryFlight Free UKGreen RunnersClimate Outreach- Insights report 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! […]

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 PlasticThe Big Plastic Count- Website- Sign up- For Schools- Instagram- FacebookBlue Planet 2Plastic Free JulyRecoupWholly Shrink soft plastic compactorHow do microplastics in our bodies affect our health?Plastic Free CommunitiesPlastic Free SchoolsThe Everyday Plastic Mural Sign up to The Big Plastic Count and get counting!Let me know how you get on. […]

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- InstagramIPCC reportsDigital CollageBiodiversity CollageAdapting to climate change CollagePlanetary Boundaries FrescoFind a FreskWorkshops 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! […]