This week we're answering your questions. Join Emma and Sophie for a grand tour of 'plogging', an investigation into whether dog poo is natural enough to be left in the environment, and a chat about how we remain hopeful in the environment sector despite all the bad news.   Get in touch Follow us on social media for updates and behind-the-scenes content between episodes, and get in touch to share your Listener Question, One Good Thing, and suggest episode topics. Feel free also to shower us with praise, we're fine with that too. We're on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, or you can email forwhatitsearthpod@gmail.com. While you're here, subscribe so 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    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 diving into one of the most rapidly evolving fields of our time: artificial intelligence. AI takes many forms and is rapidly transforming many industries and sectors - from helping to optimise international supply chains to smarting up energy grids and predicting climate patterns. But alongside the many celebrated efficiency and problem-solving benefits that AI can offer, there are also many concerns lurking around every virtual corner - including concerns about the massive environmental footprint of AI.   References from the episode: UNEP World Environment Situation Room: https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/how-artificial-intelligence-helping-tackle-environmental-challenges  Smart Farming: https://www.bsigroup.com/globalassets/localfiles/en-gb/bsi-knowledge/bsi-knowledge-food/bsi_smart_farming_report.pdf  AI e-waste: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/rise-ai-looming-threat-e-waste-how-automation-can-save-day-exnfc/  TUBERSCAN: https://www.harper-adams.ac.uk/research/project/1285/tuberscan-using-deep-learning-and-data-science-to-improve-agronomy-decisions-in-the-potato-industry    Get in touch Follow us on social media for updates and behind-the-scenes content between episodes, and get in touch to share your Listener Question, One Good Thing, and suggest episode topics. Feel free also to shower us with praise, we're fine with that too. We're on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, or you can email forwhatitsearthpod@gmail.com. While you're here, subscribe so 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    For What It’s Earth is hosted and produced by Emma Brisdion and Sophie Pavelle, and edited and mixed by Mark Skinner (2024).

What impact will the incoming President have on the climate? The US Election result this week has left many of us in a spin, and in this bonus episode, we take a trip to BCFM's show Love and Science to chat with the lovely Andrew Glester. We share a few of our initial thoughts on the news and explore ways to remain optimistic, look after ourselves and galvanise as a community to ensure climate action isn't forgotten.    References from the episode: Email your MP, and use this link to find their contact details: https://www.theyworkforyou.com/ Learn about the Climate and Nature Bill: https://www.zerohour.uk/climate-and-nature-bill/  Stop Rosebank and take action on fossil fuels in the UK: https://www.stopcambo.org.uk/  Cop 29: https://cop29.az/en/home  Listen to BCFM's Love and Science: https://www.bcfmradio.com/show/love-science      Get in touch If you liked the bonus, reactive episode format. Let us know! Follow us on social media for updates and behind-the-scenes content between episodes, and get in touch to share your Listener Question, One Good Thing, and suggest episode topics. Feel free also to shower us with praise, we're fine with that too. We're on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, or you can email forwhatitsearthpod@gmail.com. While you're here, subscribe so 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    For What It’s Earth is hosted and produced by Emma Brisdion and Sophie Pavelle, and edited and mixed by Mark Skinner (2024).

How do we teach children about climate change without causing eco-anxiety? What supposedly environmental thing absolutely baffles you? Is biogas actually carbon neutral? Three hot topics on the table today as we sit down to answer your For What It's Earth listener questions.   References from the episode: The Adventures of Scout children's books: https://theadventuresofscout.com/    Get in touch Follow us on social media for updates and behind-the-scenes content between episodes, and get in touch to share your Listener Question, One Good Thing, and suggest episode topics. Feel free also to shower us with praise, we're fine with that too. We're on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, or you can email forwhatitsearthpod@gmail.com. While you're here, subscribe so 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    For What It’s Earth is hosted and produced by Emma Brisdion and Sophie Pavelle, and edited and mixed by Mark Skinner (2024).

The 2024 Olympics in Paris aspired to be the first Games ever to be fully aligned with Paris Agreement - but can the world's biggest international sporting event ever really be considered sustainable? From incredible eco-design decisions to the energy and food choices made with the planet in mind, to the burden of private aviation and wasteful merchandise and athleisure, we're taking a metaphorical dive into the bold claims, innovative steps and downright failures associated with Paris 2024.    References from the episode: British Association for Sustainable Sport: https://basis.org.uk/2024/07/26/paris-2024-the-greenest-games-ever/ Designing the aquatics centre: https://www.ribaj.com/intelligence/making-buildings-paris-olympic-aquatics-centre-costs-flexible-design  https://aurorasolar.com/blog/2024/04/17/the-2024-paris-olympics-solars-role/ Coca-cola's soda fountain greenwashing: https://www.theguardian.com/sport/article/2024/aug/07/greenwash-games-french-public-points-finger-at-coca-cola-over-olympics-plastic-waste Plastic: https://www.plasticpollutioncoalition.org/blog/2024/8/20/are-efforts-to-green-the-olympic-games-enough Offsetting and clean energy: https://www.spglobal.com/commodityinsights/en/market-insights/latest-news/energy-transition/072324-feature-paris-olympics-to-lean-heavily-on-offsets-clean-power-to-hit-carbon-targets    Get in touch Follow us on social media for updates and behind-the-scenes content between episodes, and get in touch to share your Listener Question, One Good Thing, and suggest episode topics. Feel free also to shower us with praise, we're fine with that too. We're on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, or you can email forwhatitsearthpod@gmail.com. While you're here, subscribe so 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    For What It’s Earth is hosted and produced by Emma Brisdion and Sophie Pavelle, and edited and mixed by Mark Skinner (2024).

Welcome to the first of our fortnightly bonus episodes, in which we answer three burning green questions sent in by you! Ever wondered whether washing your dishes by hand or in a dishwasher is more environmentally friendly, or whether it's better to charge your phone at home or in your car? Or what our humble opinions on the hit farming series Clarkson's Farm might be? Well, this episode has got you covered.   References from the episode: 10 eco-friendly laundry products to add to your cupboard: https://www.countryfile.com/how-to/green-living/eco-friendly-laundry-products   Get in touch Follow us on social media for updates and behind-the-scenes content between episodes, and get in touch to share your Listener Question, One Good Thing, and suggest episode topics. Feel free also to shower us with praise, we're fine with that too. We're on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, or you can email forwhatitsearthpod@gmail.com. While you're here, subscribe so 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    For What It’s Earth is hosted and produced by Emma Brisdion and Sophie Pavelle, and edited and mixed by Mark Skinner (2024).

Environmental protests. Beyond grabbing headlines and successfully irritating segments of the population, do they work as a tool to move the needle for the planet? We're starting this new season by taking to the streets (not literally) and exploring how one of history's most effective but divisive change-making methods is being used to demand action on climate change.    References from the episode: They Work For You, the website that connects you with your local political representative and makes it easy to contact them: https://www.theyworkforyou.com/    Get in touch Follow us on social media for updates and behind-the-scenes content between episodes, and get in touch to share your Listener Questions, One Good Things, and suggest episode topics. Feel free to also shower us with praise, we're fine with that too. We're on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, or you can email forwhatitsearthpod@gmail.com. While you're here, subscribe so 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    For What It’s Earth is hosted and produced by Emma Brisdion and Sophie Pavelle, and edited and mixed by Mark Skinner (2024).

We are going to take a little break from podcasting for a while, so in a bid to stop our great podcast algorithm overlords from burying For What It’s Earth, we're going to share a few oldies but goodies with you over the coming weeks. Episodes that we enjoyed making for you at some point in the last few years, which perhaps you might enjoy again or if you’re new here, you might not have heard the first time around.  So, here you go, enjoy our adventures through the problems surrounding and solutions for, Air Pollution!   What's going on with the air that we breathe? Well, quite a lot, it seems. We're chatting today about the causes of air pollution, the problems it can cause for our own health and things like farming and our food supply, and we explore some of the possible solutions. Enjoyed the episode? Got an idea for another topic? Just want to say Hi? We'd love to hear from you! Get in touch with us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter or by email forwhatitsearthpod@gmail.com. Don't forget to leave us a shiny review on your chosen podcast platform. We'd super appreciate it.

Purchase your copy of Forget Me Not: https://uk.bookshop.org/books/1647217193_forget-me-not-finding-the-forgotten-species-of-climate-change-britain/9781472986214   Hear more from Sophie on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sophiepavs/  Twitter: https://twitter.com/sophiepavs    ** Today we are sponsored by WILD Deodorant, the all-natural, eco-friendly, and refillable deodorant that really works. Truly, we both use WILD every day and love it. Get 20% off your first purchase from www.wearewild.com with code 'EARTH20' **   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 at 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!   Order your FWIE Teeshirts and sweatshirts They're organic cotton, printed on demand and suuuper comfortable. Plus, they help us keep the podcast going: https://forwhatitsearth.teemill.com/     

Nature connectedness; what is it, why is it important, and can we boost it? Researcher Sam Gandy joins us in this episode to explore the concept of nature connectedness, which is s key predictor of us taking actions that are good for the planet and is also of huge benefit for our mental health and wellbeing. His research takes us to some fascinating places, including the research looking at the role that psychedelics such as psilocybin (found in magic mushrooms) have in quickly and deeply enhancing our feelings of connectedness with nature. Plus, we also take a splash through the role of beaver wetlands in improving feelings of nature connectedness, too.   Hear more from Sam: https://twitter.com/SamwiseGandy The potential synergistic effects between psychedelic administration and nature contact for the improvement of mental health (2020) https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/2055102920978123  Potential psychological benefits of nature enrichment through the reintroduction of the Eurasian beaver (Castor fiber) to Britain: A narrative literature review (2021) https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Sam-Gandy-4/publication/356221528_Potential_psychological_benefits_of_nature_enrichment_through_the_reintroduction_of_the_Eurasian_beaver_Castor_fiber_to_Britain_A_narrative_literature_review/links/61929b7b07be5f31b7846897/Potential-psychological-benefits-of-nature-enrichment-through-the-reintroduction-of-the-Eurasian-beaver-Castor-fiber-to-Britain-A-narrative-literature-review.pdf    ** Today we are sponsored by WILD Deodorant, the all-natural, eco-friendly, and refillable deodorant that really works. Truly, we both use WILD every day and love it. Get 20% off your first purchase from www.wearewild.com with code 'EARTH20' **   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 at 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!   Order your FWIE Teeshirts and sweatshirts They're organic cotton, printed on demand and suuuper comfortable. Plus, they help us keep the podcast going: https://forwhatitsearth.teemill.com/       

You might be wondering why we’ve popped an episode in your feed on a Sunday instead of a Wednesday, so I’m here to clear that up. Today is actually world bog day, a day in which we all celebrate the awesomeness of this underrated habitat, which is fantastic at quietly getting on with an immense amount of carbon sequestration as well as supporting its own army of specialist plants and animals. About a year and a half ago we recorded an episode on bogs, and today is the perfect time to resurface it and for you to find out exactly why I think bogs are super cool. So, if you missed it before, here’s For What It’s Earth, on BOGS!            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!   Order your FWIE Teeshirts and sweatshirts They're organic cotton, printed on demand, and suuuper comfortable. Plus, they help us keep the podcast going: https://forwhatitsearth.teemill.com/    WILD ** Today we are sponsored by WILD Deodorant, the all-natural, eco-friendly and refillable deodorant that really works. Truly, we both use WILD every day and love it. Get 20% off your first purchase from www.wearewild.com with code 'EARTH20' **                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

Many of us feel an existential sense of doom and dread when we think about the state of the environment. (Record-smashing temperatures of 40oC in the UK this week, anyone?) It can wreak havoc with our mental health, and be hard to deal with. In fact, feeling eco anxiety is a perfectly normal reaction to being told that we're in a climate crisis. In this episode we explore some of the causes of eco anxiety and some of the possible solutions, or tools that might help you when you're feeling stressed. We hope that it might help.   This episode also features a clip sent over by our friend Suzy from the Casual Birder Podcast. Suzy has visited Antarctica and, after listening to our episode on the White Continent, was kind enough to share her experience of responsible tourism. You can hear more from Suzy over on her podcast, The Casual Birder: https://casualbirder.com/    ** Today we are sponsored by WILD Deodorant, the all-natural, eco-friendly and refillable deodorant that really works. Truly, we both use WILD every day and love it. Get 20% off your first purchase from www.wearewild.com with code 'EARTH20' **   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!   Order your FWIE Teeshirts and sweatshirts They're organic cotton, printed on demand and suuuper comfortable. Plus, they help us keep the podcast going: https://forwhatitsearth.teemill.com/ 

The White Continent (and the southern seas around it) is an incredibly important place for wildlife, for the regulation of global ocean currents, and for reflecting a huge amount of the sun's heat back out of our atmosphere (known as the Albedo effect). But Antarctica faces plenty of threats, which we'll take a dive into. You're in for a treat, too, as this week Emma is joined by Ryan Dalton from Into The Wild Podcast.   Get more from Ryan by heading over to his fab podcast, Into The Wild: https://intothewild.podbean.com/     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!  

From football and F1, to deciding which trainers to run your next half-marathon in, we're attempting something of an episode heptathlon this week as we explore whether both our big sporting events and our personal sporting ventures can be made more planet-positive.   Things we spoke about: Trainer recycling: https://www.runnersneed.com/about-us/recyclemyrun.html Allbirds sustainable trainers: https://www.allbirds.co.uk/pages/sustainable-practices#beginnings EcoYoga mat: https://www.ecoyoga.uk/ecomats  Forest Green Rovers: https://unfccc.int/climate-action/momentum-for-change/climate-neutral-nhttps://unfccc.int/climate-action/momentum-for-change/climate-neutral-now/creating-the-greenest-football-club-in-the-world-forest-green-rovers   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!  

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!  

Oh, it's a sexy subject and a half this episode. Concrete is one of the most widely-used building materials in the world, so we're exploring its environmental impact with Adam Gittins from Cemfree. The manufacture of traditional cement, a key component of concrete, accounts for up to 8% of GLOBAL carbon emissions. But, there are innovative ways to reduce this - from creating ultra low-carbon types of cement (like Cemfree) that can be used, to designing buildings that use concrete smarter and have much more thorough 'end-of-life' recycling plans that can re-use building materials once the structure is no longer needed in its current form. And, as Adam points out, persuading the government to make these changes mandated in projects like the construction of all new homes, would make a huge impact on a very carbon-heavy industry.   Extra reading: Cemfree (DB Group): https://dbgholdings.com/cemfree/ Cement makers across world pledge large cut in emissions by 2030 (Guardian): https://www.theguardian.com/business/2021/oct/12/cement-makers-across-world-pledge-large-cut-in-emissions-by-2030-co2-net-zero-2050#:~:text=The%20industry%20is%20responsible%20for,and%20concrete%20release%20CO2.   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!

Far more than mysterious nighttime creatures of folklore, we dig into why macro bats and micro bats (like this brown long-eared bat here) are fascinating AND important, and what can be done to stop the loss of them from our countryside in the UK. 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!

This week Emma takes a dive into something she knows very little about; fish in UK rivers, the threats they're under and the fascinating projects working to restore their populations. Joining her to head upstream is wildlife cameraman, author, and podcaster (and almost one of the dullest men in Britain...), Jack Perks! Plus, plenty of fantastic advice for anyone keen to put a pond in their garden to support wildlife, as Emma is attempting to do. Links: Jack’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fishtwitcher/   Lizzy Daly’s film ‘Billion Pound Fish’ on Scottish fisheries: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNypmawFLdI&ab_channel=LizzieDalyWildlifeTV  The Bearded Tit (Jack)’s Podcast: https://beardedtit.podbean.com/  Emma’s episode on Jack’s Podcast: https://beardedtit.podbean.com/e/climate-crisis-engaging-with-gen-z-ft-sophie-pavelleemma-brisdon/    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. Oh, and please subscribe so that you never miss an episode, and leave us a 5- star review to help new listeners find us!

Watch Nina's latest film, Unlocking The Severn https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CsePWhmkeK0  Listen to Beaver Trust's Podcast, The Lodge Cast: https://bit.ly/LodgeCast    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. Oh, and please subscribe so that you never miss an episode, and leave us a 5- star review to help new listeners find us!

“The future is still up for grabs.” In this episode, Emma is joined by Professor Steve Simpson, marine biologist, lecturer and science communicator, to take a dive into the issues that our oceans are facing. We explore the effects of noise pollution on our coral reef communities, discuss harnessing our eco grief to fuel finding innovative solutions, and, given that Steve was part of the influential Blue Planet II series, the role that public science communication can have in helping us improve the state of our seas.    Steve’s TED Talk: https://www.ted.com/talks/steve_simpson_how_ocean_noise_destroys_marine_ecosystems?language=en   Watch Steve on BBC’s Blue Planet II: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b09jbn5f/blue-planet-ii-series-1-7-our-blue-planet