For What It’s Earth

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. 
Episode notes:
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:
We're on Instagram, Bluesky, Twitter and email forwhatitsearthpod@gmail.com. Send us your Listener Questions and weekly One Good Thing For The Planet.
Support the show:
Organic cotton FWIE tees & merch: https://forwhatitsearth.teemill.com/ 
Help us cover our running costs with a one-off donation or sign up for monthly support using Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/forwhatitsearthpodcast 
Don't forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode.
For What It’s Earth is hosted and produced by Emma Brisdion and Sophie Pavelle, and edited and mixed by Mark Skinner (2024).

Yes, your favourite climate, nature and sustainability podcast is back! For What It's Earth returns next Wednesday with a shiny new look, new features, and a brand new co-host. Nature writer and science communicator Sophie Pavelle now joins Emma Brisdion for a series exploring a wide range of eco topics - from discussing environmental protests and exploring the green credentials of the Olympics, to finding out how to make your upcoming hen or stag do more sustainable.
 
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 to 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 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.
 
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 

Sophie's debut book, Forget Me Not, has landed on our shelves, chronicling her low-carbon journeys around the UK searching for 10 charismatic species that are being impacted by climate change. She joins Emma for a chat about her adventures, about the role of JOY when communicating climate science and nature connection, and also a little bit about the Kardashians (it makes sense if you've read the book).
 
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 
 
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!
 
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 
 
 

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
 
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!
 
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 
 
 

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!       
Plus, we introduce a section called 'Listener Corner' where we discuss this paper https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcosc.2020.615419/full sent to us by one of our lovely listeners. Thanks, Jack!
 
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!
 
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                                                                        

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/ 
 
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!
 
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 
 

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 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!
 
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 
 

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!
 
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 

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!
 
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 
 

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.
 
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 you've subscribed 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 

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.
 
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 you've subscribed 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