Show Notes
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!
More from Sustainable(ish)
I thought I knew a bit about sustainable fashion but this chat, and the book behind it all, Charity Shop World by Tansy Hoskins, blew me away. There’s been quite a bit in the press in recent weeks and months about the impact of Vinted on both overall consumption levels of fast fashion, and on charity shops, but it turns out, that’s just scratching the surface. Listen to hear about the link between charity shops and austerity, the fashion industry and imperialism, how many YEARS of human labour it takes to make one years worth of clothes, how we’re all being expertly manipulated by social media algorithms, and how, as with most (all?) things, it all comes down to industries who have a single goal, of making billionaires even richer.
Today’s guest on the podcast is Damian Hall, ultra-marathon runner, co-founder of The Green Runners, and author of We Can't Run Away from This. If you’re not a runner, don’t turn off! This episode is still for you – I think there are some great takeaways about we can bring sustainability into conversations for the things that we love doing. This example just happens to be running, but will apply to other sports, as well as, I don’t know, singing, or dancing, or even book clubs.
According to climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe, the most important thing we can do to fight climate change is talk about it. But the reality, certainly for me, and if attendees on my Carbon Literacy courses are anything to do by, for others too, it isn’t easy. We worry that we don’t know all the facts and stats and maybe we’re going to get stuck in an argument with a climate denier. We worry that people will think we’re judging them, that they will think we’re a hypocrite if we’re not ‘perfect environmentalist’ (side note, there’s no such thing).
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!
In the UK we buy 37 million toys a year! And 80% of them end up in landfill, incinerators, or the oceans.