Sustainable(ish)

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 2
Climate Barometer
Hope for the Future
National Emergency Briefing
- Website
- Expert briefings (with link to download key points)
- MP dialogue
Carbon Brief
Simon 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 Willis
THE SUSTAINABLE(ISH) CLUBHOUSE
Come 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 jen@sustainableish.co.uk 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
- Facebook
Big Toy Swap
- Find a Toy Swap
Elf Chloe's Surprise - website (where you can get a fragile copy) or Amazon
Crowdfunder - Planet Friendly Party Resource for schools: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/planet-friendly-present-pack
Connect with Charlotte:
- Instagram
- Linked In
- See Charlotte at TedX Worthing (20% Off tickets with TedXSpeakerMate) 
Episode 187 - No Crap Parties with Charlotte Mason Curl
Episode 193 - The Power of Swapping with Sam Drury Shore
Loved Before
SUSTAINABLE(ISH) STUFF
Join the Sustainable(ish) Clubhouse for October!
Sustainable(ish) Carbon Literacy courses
Sustainable(ish) Carbon Literacy refresher courses
Thanks 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 retrofit

USEFUL LINKS:
Shade the UK
- Website
- Instagram
- Linked In
- Overheating adaptation guides
Polly Turton on Linked In
Andy Love (Shade the UK founder) on Linked In
Summer 2026 hottest on record for the UK – Met Office
Summer 1976 – 2026 – Met Office
Cooling Roadmap for London
Heat mortality monitoring report 2022
Excess deaths May and June 2026

Let me know your thoughts on this one - drop me an email on jen@sustainableish.co.uk, 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 Week
Simpler Recycling: household recycling in England
Podcast ep – The Big Plastic Count with Daniel Webb
Wholly Shrink
Terracycle zero waste box
Green Johanna
Green Cone
Local Council discounts
Loop Frome – Frome food waste recycling scheme
Generation Soil – Bristol food waste recycling scheme
Keep Britain Tidy Waste Hierarchy
Find a Repair Café
Buyerarchy 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!

In this episode we take a dive into climate anxiety, and I’m chatting to Linda Aspey who amongst many other roles is Director of Psychology at the People’s Emergency Briefing and a board member of the Climate Psychology Alliance.

We explore:
- what is climate anxiety?
-why do some people have it and some don’t?
- why for some people it tips into something that starts to disturb their ability to do the things they want and need to
- some of the things that can help.

Linda mentions some sources of support in the episode, and I’ve linked to them below - if you’re really struggling with your mental health, then please do reach out for support. You’re not on your own. There is support out there, lots of which can be accessed at very low or no cost.

USEFUL LINKS

Linda Aspey
- Website
- Linked In
National Emergency Briefing
- Host a screening - register to host and you'll get a resource pack with links to facilitator workshops
Climate Psychology Alliance
- Website
- Climate Café Listening circles
- CPA therapeutic support
A Barrister for the Earth by Monica Feria-Tinta
Solastalgia
Adrian Lambert on Substack
Turn the Tide on Climate Anxiety by Megan Kennedy-Woodard and Patrick Kennedy-Williams

Related Sustainable(ish) podcast episodes:
How to be more activist with Clover Hogan
Turn the tide on climate anxiety with Megan Kennedy Woodard
 
Sustainable(ish) Carbon Literacy Training

Follow Sustainable(ish) on Instagram.
Email jen on jen@sustainableish.co.uk