Save the Butterflies, PLUS How To Get Your Nature Fix During the Covid-19 Lockdown

In this episode, we find out why butterflies (and moths!) are an essential part of our ecosystems, learn about why they're under threat and in decline, and explore ways in which we can protect these beautiful pollinators from our own homes. As we're also recording separately and practising social distancing, we're also sharing some top tips for making sure you still get your nature fix while in lockdown - whether you've got a garden, window boxes or just the internet to help!

Our Google Doc of things to do to connect with nature while we're in lockdown: https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fdocs.google.com%2Fdocument%2Fd%2F1_h8LaUrQFzkLJ-_Bkh8-a8bKFeQhFGGi1eTolZMWOHo%2Fedit%3Fusp%3Dsharing%26fbclid%3DIwAR0wfwhMfk3Ogfzn0GbW9cvbzm-K1xBpeofsugo0Bu6HjyC0Kb5VKXxIS9w&h=AT27U9HoKKTX9HkXyldY2j_uu9N4iAGnyo96kpKGGOJYOm5oazCwecDs_56JPe6s9SPMj7yIOXYQvoNXHZ2QllpQfugAvmxcbzvYF9AWlvb2vLA4-o4DqLtCQEBR0AXLo1hCBfrh 

This list is full of podcast, YouTube, app and reading ideas to keep family members of all ages (and the environment) happy at this time. Got anything to add to the list? Let us know and we'll include it!

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Sources: Butterfly Conservation: https://butterfly-conservation.org/

A guide to the best plants for nectar for different butterfly species: https://butterfly-conservation.org/sites/default/files/butterflynectardownload.pdf

Make a butterfly banquet: https://www.rspb.org.uk/get-involved/activities/give-nature-a-home-in-your-garden/garden-activities/makeabutterflybanquet/

Make fat balls for birds: https://www.rspb.org.uk/fun-and-learning/for-kids/games-and-activities/activities/make-a-speedy-bird-cake/

How to make a hedgehog feeder: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FY6-1rQb294

Inside the Petri Dish Podcast on Coronaviris: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/working-on-a-coronavirus-ward-dr-harry-ferguson/id1317403844?i=1000468655506 

We have tees! Get yourself a sustainable FWIE teeshirt here: https://forwhatitsearth.teemill.com

Wonderful theme music by Mark Skinner Sound

Water Scarcity: Water, Water Everywhere, But Not a Drop To Drink

As our population grows and so too does our consumption of resources, this week Emma and Lloyd are exploring why one of life’s most essential resources is becoming more and more scarce around the world.

We look at the causes of water scarcity, explore big ideas for dealing with it and find out what easy changes we can make in our daily lives that can reduce our personal water usage.

Sources:

Ted Talk: We need to track water like we track the weather:

https://www.ted.com/talks/sonaar_luthra_we_need_to_track_the_world_s_water_like_we_track_the_weather/transcript?language=en

Countryfile: Saving water in the UK https://www.countryfile.com/news/water-shortage-in-the-uk-whats-the-problem-and-how-to-save-water/

WWF: Water Scarcity https://www.worldwildlife.org/threats/water-scarcity

Reclaim Your Sh*t book: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/why-do-we-use-drinking-water-in

UN Water: https://www.unwater.org/water-facts/scarcity/

Experts on water scarcity: https://www.resilience.org/stories/2020-02-04/vital-implications-on-water-scarcity-according-to-14-experts/

BBC: Water shortages in England: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-47620228

Nestle being generally terrible for the planet: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/oct/29/the-fight-over-water-how-nestle-dries-up-us-creeks-to-sell-water-in-plastic-bottles

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Overpopulation: Climate Change’s Uncomfortable Truth? With Dave Gardner

Dave Gardner, host of GrowthBusters Podcast and The Overpopulation Podcast joins Emma this week to talk about climate change’s uncomfortable truth: We’re struggling with overpopulation. We need to do something about our population size and our rate of consumption. How do you deal with that without telling women what to do with their bodies? Download the episode to find out!

We even got Dave to answer YOUR listener questions!

Find For What It's Earth on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Don't forget to leave us a review on your podcast platform - it helps new listeners find the podcast!

Things we spoke about in the episode:

One Planet One Child campaign and fundraiser: https://fundrazr.com/oneplanetonechild

Thailand’s cops and rubbers campaign: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6l4loplFtYg

8 Billion Angels: https://8billionangels.org/

Growthbusters Podcast: https://www.growthbusters.org/podcast/

Flooding: Can we blame climate change? Can we do anything about it?

With the UK still recovering from the flooding caused by Storm Dennis and Storm Ciara, we’re looking at the news this week. We're exploring the links between flooding, intense weather events and climate change, and whether there's much we can do about it. And that means, of course, we're also taking BEAVERS. Emma gets pretty enthusiastic about nature’s natural flood management squad, which are currently being trialled in Devon and Cornwall... #morebeaverforbritain 

Find For What It's Earth on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Don't forget to leave us a review on your podcast platform - it helps new listeners find the podcast!

Things we spoke about:

Beavers in Britain & the Devon Wildlife Trust: https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/saving-species/beavers

Is flooding in our future? https://www.carbonbrief.org/how-much-flooding-is-in-the-uks-future-a-look-at-the-ipcc-report 

Building houses on flood plains: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-51584946

Beavers: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-51575650

Tori Tsui on Modern-day Activism and Fixing The System

The passionate and fantastic climate activist Tori Tsui joins Emma this week! After a 3-month sail across the Atlantic which helped to raise awareness about the need for thinking about how we travel and making lower-carbon alternatives feasible, Tori is dialling in from Colombia where she's helping run the fantastic Sail for Climate Action project, taking Latin American and Caribbean youths across the Atlantic to take part in climate talks in Europe in April.

We talk about tackling the carbon footprint of, and the growth of the aviation industry, the role social media can play in combating climate change, she’s become one of the beautiful faces of Stella McCartney’s recent campaigns, and how the obsession for perfection can get in the way of climate activism and public change.

Find out more about Sail To The Cop: https://www.sailtothecop.com/

Read up on Sail For Climate Action: https://www.sailforclimateaction.com/ 

See Tori's work and thoughts on Instagram @ToriTsui_

And don't forget to find For What It's Earth on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Do leave us a review on your podcast platform - it helps new listeners find the podcast!

Renewable Energy: How it Works, Sources and Switching

Renewable energy! What is it, how does it work, and how can you switch supplier? Some of the most common renewable energy questions are answered in this episode as we explore on-shore and off-shore wind, solar, biomass and nuclear energy.

Find us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, and leave us a review - it helps new listeners find the podcast!

Things we spoke about:

Which? Understanding solar panels: https://www.which.co.uk/reviews/solar-panels/article/solar-panels/how-does-solar-pv-work

Which? How green is your energy tariff: https://www.which.co.uk/news/2019/09/how-green-is-your-energy-tariff/

Solar panel smart export guarantee: https://www.which.co.uk/reviews/solar-panels/article/smart-export-guarantee-explained 

Biomass: https://www.ovoenergy.com/guides/energy-sources/bio-fuels.html

USwitch green energy supplier comparison: hhttps://www.uswitch.com/gas-electricity/green-energy/

We have tees! Get yourself a sustainable FWIE teeshirt here: https://forwhatitsearth.teemill.com

Wonderful theme music by Mark Skinner Sound 

Roxy Furman on Vegan Diets, Activism and Low-Impact Living

AKA Roxy the Zoologist, this lovely activist and wildlife filmmaker joins Emma this week to chat about all things vegan, how social media and activism can come hand in hand, and teaches us how to make oat milk. 

Follow Roxy on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/roxythezoologist/

Check out her sustainable supermarket, Zephy EcoMarket: https://www.zephyrecomarket.co.uk/

Organic underwear company which donate pants each time you purchase: https://www.youunderwear.com/

Find us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, and please do leave us a review - it helps new listeners find the podcast!

We have FWIE podcast tees! Treat yourself to a wonderfully sustainable, organic cotton and low-waste teeshirt here: https://forwhatitsearth.teemill.com

Wonderful theme music by Mark Skinner Sound.

Strange Sustainability Solutions: Celebrating the Interesting, Innovative and Unusual

It’s a fun one this week as we explore some of the most interesting and unusual sustainability solutions and environment-saving action plans the internet has to offer! We’re talking about robot-bees, plastics made from fish waste, bicycles and towers which suck smog out from the air, toilets which convert urine into electricity, shower curtains which grow spikes to kick you out and save water… aaannd all kinds of other things!

If you’ve heard of any cool climate or sustainability solutions recently, let us know! We LOVE hearing about them. Find us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, and leave us a review - it helps new listeners find the podcast!

Things we spoke about:

- Marinatex plastic made from organic fish waste: https://www.jamesdysonaward.org/2019/project/marinatex/

- Spiky shower curtain: https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/spiky-shower-curtain-gets-you-out-of-hot-water-to-help-save-the-environment_n_55b65012e4b0224d8832caeb?ri18n=true

- Tokyo Electricity Forecast: http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/forecast/html/index-e.html

- Smog-free bicycles:https://www.studioroosegaarde.net/project/smog-free-bicycle

- Beijing smog-sucking tower: https://www.studioroosegaarde.net/project/smog-free-tower

https://www.fastcompany.com/40421177/this-giant-smog-vacuum-cleaner-in-china-actually-works

- Building underneath glaciers and ice sheets: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/sep/20/build-walls-on-seafloor-to-stop-glaciers-melting-scientists-say

- Harvard's Robo-Bees:https://wyss.harvard.edu/technology/robobees-autonomous-flying-microrobots/

- Nigeria Plastic Bottle Houses:

https://www.dw.com/en/doing-your-bit-nigerias-houses-made-from-plastic-bottles/av-48013059

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-14722179

We have tees! Get yourself a sustainable FWIE teeshirt here: https://forwhatitsearth.teemill.com

Wonderful theme music by Mark Skinner Sound 

Wildfires: Causes, Biodiversity Loss and Climate Change

This week we're exploring the topic of wildfires. As immense wildfires currently blaze across huge areas of Australia and both California and Siberia have also experienced vast fires in recent years, we look at the causes of wildfires, the impact they can have on biodiversity and the natural environment, how fires fit into nature's usual cycles and the role that climate change is having on the increased frequency and severity of wildfires.

We also speak to Professor Stefan Doerr from the University of Swansea about understanding how climatic conditions have influenced the severity of the fires, and the best ways to handle living in fire-prone natural environments.

Some of the things we've spoken about:

8 things everyone should know about Australia’s wildfire disaster: https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2020/1/8/21055228/australia-fires-map-animals-koalas-wildlife-smoke-donate

Australia Wildfires: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/01/world/australia/fires.html

How wildfires work: https://science.howstuffworks.com/nature/natural-disasters/wildfire3.htm

Biodiversity at risk in Australia: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/jan/04/ecologists-warn-silent-death-australia-bushfires-endangered-species-extinction

Australia Wildfires: https://edition.cnn.com/2020/01/01/australia/australia-fires-explainer-intl-hnk-scli/index.html

California wildfires: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/04/us/fires-california.html

California wildfire causes: https://www.wired.com/story/californias-wildfires-are-the-doom-of-our-own-making/

Prof Stefan Doerr:https://www.swansea.ac.uk/staff/science/geography/s.doerr/

Donate to the Australian Red Cross: https://www.redcross.org.au/campaigns/disaster-relief-and-recovery-donate

Registered Bushfire Charities: https://www.pmc.gov.au/registered-bushfire-charities

Don't forget to subscribe, find us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, and leave us a review - it helps new listeners find the podcast!

We have merch! Get yourself a sustainable FWIE teeshirt here: https://forwhatitsearth.teemill.com

Wonderful theme music by Mark Skinner Sound 

Overfishing & Eating Fish Sustainably, with Charlotte Coombes & The Marine Conservation Society

With lots of information about overfishing and depleted wild fish stocks in the news, it can be hard to know what fish or seafood we should and shouldn't be eating. This week Emma joins Charlotte Coombes from the Marine Conservation Society to talk about their Good Fish Guide, a handy tool for finding out which species and which fishing styles are 'red-listed' and to be avoided, and which species or sustainable practices we can choose to buy and support!

MCS' Good Fish Guide: https://www.mcsuk.org/goodfishguide/search

Thanks to Charlotte for joining us this week, and to the Marine Conservation Society, who you can also find on Instagram and Twitter.

Don't forget to subscribe, find us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, and leave us a review - it helps new listeners find the podcast!

We have merch! Get yourself a sustainable FWIE teeshirt here: https://forwhatitsearth.teemill.com

Wonderful theme music by Mark Skinner Sound.