Sustainable(ish)

Welcome to Episode 200!

200 episodes feels a little bit mad!
A LOT has happened: globally, in the sustainability space, and for Sustainable(ish).
In this solo episode, I take a little trip down memory lane, share the Top 5 episodes by download numbers, and share your podcast ripples ie the things that you've gone and done, the changes you've made, after listening to an episode.
I'm going to be having a break for a couple of weeks, but in the meantime I will republish some of the episodes that are mentioned in this one, as having inspired action!



LISTEN...



USEFUL LINKS:

The Sustainable(ish) Living Guide
Available at online bookstores - my fave is World of Books
(or ask your library if they have a copy, or can get one in!)
The Sustainable(ish) Guide to Green Parenting
Sustainable(ish) Festival - links to all the sessions on You Tube
Carbon Literacy info and waiting list - there's a box at the bottom of the page to sign up to the waiting list, and I'll be in touch when I've got some dates in the diary
The Sustainable(ish) Clubhouse -doors will be opening in June!
Sign up to the waiting list here
Top 5 podcast episodes by downloads:
1) [164] Your Council and Climate Action with Annie Pickering from Climate Emergency UK
2) [138] How much difference can individuals actually make with Tom from Take The Jump
3) [124] The Day the World Stops Shopping with JB McKinnon (the book of the same name is here on World of Books)
4) [134] How eating seasonally can help reduce your carbon footprint with Veg Power
5) [137] Wildflower meadows and how to create (a mini!) one in your garden with Paul Jupp from Meadow in My Garden
Sustainable(ish) on Podlink - a great space to find all the episodes in one place, with links out to all the popular podcast platforms so you can listen.
The Nothing New in '22 podcast (episode 126) that inspired Sam to set up her Swap Shops
The original podcast episode with Tillie at Frome Eco Party Kit (epsiode 38) that inspired Isabel to set up the Party Kit Network

Did you know we have lots 97% of our species rich graslands in the UK since the 1930s?
This has had a huge knock on impact to the rest of the food chain that are relaint on that habitat, things like our insect pollinators especially, but also our birds and mammals that were part of this ecosystem.
The good news is that this is something most of us can do something about!
If you have a garden, or have local green spaces, we can use them to recreate some of that lost speices rich grassland, and you don't need masses of space to be able to do it.
AND this is one of those very rare things - a sustainability action that actually requires LESS effort than the status quo, because to make it happen, we're being asked to mow LESS!

In today's episode I'm chatting to Sarah Shuttleworth, Specialist Botanical Advisor at Plantlife, all about their No Mow May campaign, and how we can all get involved, even if we don't have a garden, and/or the rest of the family aren't keen on having an entirely unmown lawn for the whole of the summer!

Have a listen, and then head over to the Plantlife website to sign up to take the No Mow May pledge . There are links to all of the fab No Mow May resources on the Plantlife website, including things like downloadable signs you can print out to let the neighbours know what you're doing!

Sarah Shuttleworth

A bee orchid - Sarah's favourite plant!



LISTEN...



USEFUL LINKS:

Plantlife
- Website
- Facebook
- Instagram
- You Tube
No Mow May
- Take the No Mow May pledge
- The No Mow Movement calendar
- Free downloads: posters, lawn signs, colouring sheets, social media posts
- The Good Verge Guide (for local authorities)
- Managing grassland road verges (for local authorities)
Sarah Shuttleworth
- Linked In
Seek - plant ID app
National Education Nature Park (for schools)
[137] Wildlflower meadows and how to make (a mini) one in your garden! With Paul Jupp (podcast episode)
Sustainable(ish) Clubhouse - doors opening again soon!
Carbon Literacy
- Carbon Literacy with me!

Pets can bring a huge amount of joy into our lives, but as with everything, they have an environmental impact, and in this episode we're going to dive into where that impact comes from and what we can do to reduce it.
Now I'm very aware that 'sustainability' can sometimes look like being told that all of the things that you love doing, or having, are bad, and that to be truly 'sustainable' you have to stop doing all those things, and suck all the joy and happiness out of your life.
That is absolutely not the case, and it's absolutely not the case for pets. This episode isn't about not having pets, it's about (as I hope all the episodes are!) understanding where the impacts are, and making 'better choices more of the time'. I've got a dog, she adds to our family's carbon footprint, but she also brings a huge amount of joy, and she gets me outside every single day.

I really hope you enjoy this chat with the brilliant Laura Binnie, who is a small animal vet based in Cumbria who has been at the forefront of the sustainability movement in the veterinary profession. It's packed with hints and tips, I've summarised them all in a blog post which I've linked to in the show notes, so hopefully you'll feel more informed about the things you can do to reduce your pets carbon pawprint - enjoy!

Laura Binnie



LISTEN...



USEFUL LINKS:

Laura Binnie
- Linked In
Vet Sustain
[027] - The worlds most sustainable pet food? With Tom Neish from Yora
The evidence for environmental contamination with parasiticides in small animal practice - Vet Sustain review
Canine Parasite Risk Assessment Tool (Vet Sustain)
Feline Parasite Risk Assessment Tool (Vet Sustain)
Pet Impact recycled poo bags
- Poo bags 101
Blog post: How to reduce your pet's carbon pawprint
Sustainable(ish) Clubhouse - doors opening again soon!
Carbon Literacy
- Carbon Literacy with me!

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 In
Bath 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
- Instagram
Community Energy England
Community Energy Scotland
Community Energy Wales
Community 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 network
Visit a Heat Pump
Warm Homes Plan
- On the UK government website
- Which explainer article
Find energy grants for your home (UK gov)
Energy grant helpline: 0800 0987950
Boiler upgrade scheme (for heat pumps)
Find an energy certificate (EPC)
Historic England - Energy efficiency and retrofit in historic buildings
Heat Geek
Energy Saving Trust
Centre for Sustainable Energy
Sustainable(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 2

Sara Grimes



LISTEN...



USEFUL LINKS:

Sara Grimes
- Linked In
Bath 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
- Instagram
Community Energy England
Community Energy Scotland
Community Energy Wales
Community 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 network
Visit a Heat Pump
Warm Homes Plan
- On the UK government website
- Which explainer article
Find energy grants for your home (UK gov)
Energy grant helpline: 0800 0987950
Boiler upgrade scheme (for heat pumps)
Find an energy certificate (EPC)
Historic England - Energy efficiency and retrofit in historic buildings
Heat Geek
Energy Saving Trust
Centre for Sustainable Energy
Sustainable(ish) Clubhouse - doors opening again soon!
Carbon Literacy
- Carbon Literacy with me!