For What It’s Earth
Episodes
Greening the music industry: Can gigs, touring and our listening habits be more sustainable?
26 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The music industry is an ecosystem in itself, and one that's come under fire lately for its massive associated carbon footprint and waste production. ...
Dairy: How can we get it right? with Tom White, at Yeo Valley Organic
19 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Can we still enjoy yoghurt and eat well for the planet? We’re fully immersing ourselves in one of the biggest food-based climate and sustainability ...
[Recycled] A deep dive on Black Friday
05 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Happy Halloween, Samhain, Bonfire Night, Thanksgiving and, of course, Black Friday month. This week we’re leaning in to the seasons and being oh so ...
[Listener Questions] Rights of nature, the sustainability of the London Underground, and lobbying councils
29 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
All aboard the Lizzie Line! In this week's listener questions episode, we're on a journey to understand how eco friendly the London tube might be, and...
Natural Disasters: Can taking action on climate change have an impact?
22 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
As the climate changes, natural disasters are becoming more frequent, intense, and harder to predict and recover from. This week we're learning about ...
[Listener Questions] Sustainability of B-corps, running and garden decking materials
15 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Is B-corp still a reliable accreditation for business/product sustainability? How can I make my love for running more sustainable Does composite decki...
Gardening: How can we adapt to or mitigate climate change? [From Yeo Organic Valley Garden Festival]
24 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We took For What It's Earth to the heart of the Yeo Valley's first ever Garden Festival to chat about something every gardener’s thinking about: cli...
Nuts: Superfood, climate problem, or sustainable solution?
17 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Shell we go a little bit nuts together? This food group is having a bit of a *moment*; equally at home in our diets and social media feeds. We're told...
[Listener Questions] Green mobile providers, white pavements, and house plants
10 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Is it possible for mobile service providers to be more environmentally friendly, and should I switch to a greener one? Are houseplants a gateway drug ...
Pets & Pesticides: Keeping our best friends and the environment healthy
03 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Pet treatments and pesticides have been in the news this year for their polluting power. Join us to learn more about the ways that we interact with ou...
Minisode: Updates, bonus bits & events
01 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We've got a few exciting things coming up, so we've packaged some of them up into a teeny weeny episode of extra bits. Join us at British Science Fest...
[Listener Questions] Beekeeping, nature on the curriculum, and menstrual cups
27 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Is beekeeping bad for the environment? They say menstrual cups last for just 10 years; is silicone bad for us or the planet? Do we need an emotionally...
On The Farm [Part 2] Dung beetles and organic dairy cows with Will Mayor, Yeo Valley
22 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Ever tried to podcast while surrounded by curious cows? It's as fun and chaotic as it sounds. Today we're still touring the organic farm, so make sure...
On The Farm [Part 1] Sniffing soil and going organic, with Will Mayor, Yeo Valley
20 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Going organic is essential for combating the climate and nature crisis. But what does that look like for British farmers producing our food? Farm Deve...
[Listener Questions] Sustainable home improvements, and beauty Vs function in ecological spaces
13 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When embarking on a kitchen extension (how exciting!), how can you make the process and build more sustainable? When looking at ecological landscapes,...
Whales: Why conserving them IS climate action
06 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
More whales have been spotted off the coast in the UK this year, including humpbacks off the coast of Cornwall. Exciting? Sure! But changes like this ...
[Listener Questions] Green gardening with Sarah Mead, Head Gardener at Yeo Valley Organic
30 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Sometimes, you've just got to take your eco-friendly growing questions to an expert. This episode was recorded in a stunning glasshouse at Yeo Valley ...
Invasive species: The good, the bad and the innocent(?)
23 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Invasive non-native species have been called the silent threat to our ecosystems. They are a key driver of global biodiversity loss. We’re understan...
[Listener Questions] Environmental benefits of space travel, guerilla rewilding, and hydroelectric dams
16 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In the first listener questions episode of series five, we do our best to answer, 'Are hydroelectric dams good or bad?' and, 'Can I move some plants a...
Farming: Can farming feed us AND save species from extinction?
09 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
To start the series, we're taking a closer look at nature-friendly farming. Can changing farming practices and land management methods offer a helping...
Season 5 Trailer
02 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Do you need more hopeful climate conversations in your week? Well, you’re in luck, because we’re back with a brand new series of For What It’s E...
Bonus: To Have or To Hold, an exclusive look at Sophie Pavelle's new book
07 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Sophie's only gone and written another brilliant book (and no, she's not writing this episode description). In To Have or To Hold, she unearths and ...
Bonus: Wild Cities with Chris Fitch live at Stanfords
23 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How green is your city? And what can we learn from the international urban metropolises that are bringing inviting nature back? Last week, Wild Cities...
[Listener Questions] Solar roads in the UK, water use in airports and cleaning up the North Sea oil tanker crash
02 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We've got three absolutely corking listener questions on the show this week, including one from the wonderful Gillian Burke! We're answering: A South ...
Moss: The quiet (but very cool) climate ally
26 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We’re plunging our hands into the soft green bits you find in woodlands, and shining a spotlight on moss. Can the many life-giving, pollution-gobbli...
[Listener Questions] Boycotts, sustainable tea and coffee, and Wild deodorant
19 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week we're answering your questions! First, we explore whether environmental boycotts actually work, and ask whether we should all stop buying Wi...
Scrubbing up: What's the MAKE UP of make up, SPF, and personal care items?
12 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week we’re talking about make-up - or more specifically - the make-up of it, alongside other personal care products, and what that means for ou...
[Listener Questions] Book sustainability, wildflower lawns, and rats
05 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Are wildflower lawns the best thing to do with your garden? Do rats deserve their bad rep? Can books be more sustainable, and am I still allowed to b...
Wildfires: How ready are we for extreme climate events?
26 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Things are hotting up. As global temperatures increase, so too does extreme fire risk. Parts of LA are still burning, and this week we’re exploring ...
[Listener Questions] Cruise holidays, medication in poo and greener banking
19 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What's the environmental footprint of taking a cruise? Does medication you take end up in your composting toilet or the sewage system, and if so, what...
Driving electric: Is the UK ready for EVs?
12 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
As climate change marches on, and transport is under a spotlight for significantly contributing to carbon emissions, we’re exploring electric transp...
[Listener Questions] Long-term environmental habits, recycling, and cleaning with bleach
05 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week you asked us which environmental habits and green-living changes we've managed to keep up the longest, whether things actually get recycled,...
Vapes: Environmental impacts & the single-use ban
29 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The sale of single-use vapes is set to be banned in the UK in June, and the environmental impact of e-cigarette-style devices was a key lever in the c...
Join the team: Could you be our Social Media Volunteer?
26 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We’re seeking a talented and passionate volunteer with digital marketing and editing experience to join the FWIE team in 2025! This year we're takin...
[Listener Questions] Eco tattoos, laundry detergent and environmental heroes
22 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In Listener’s Questions this week, we’re sharing who in the environment sector inspires us, chatting laundry detergent choices (and recipes…) an...
Zoos: The good, the bad and the frozen
15 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Zoos, aquariums, botanical gardens, and seed banks: Is keeping animals and wild creatures in captivity for entertainment ever ok? Or are zoos the cons...
[Listener Questions] Book recommendations, Vinted and search engines
08 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We're back with another episode in which we answer your burning eco-living questions. Find out whether Vinted is as good for the planet as it seems, w...
Climate-friendly Food Choices: Is vegan always best?
01 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We're brushing away the crumbs of Christmas, readying to weather the month of Veganuary spam, and trying to get to the bottom of the big heavy questio...
[Listener Questions] Sustainable Christmas gift ideas, plastic grass and road salting
18 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Left your Christmas shopping to the last minute? We've got you. This episode is packed with environmentally friendly gift ideas, from experiences to t...
Hen & Stag Dos: How to throw a sustainable party
11 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Like many a party, hen and stag dos (or bachelor/bachelorette parties) can come with a big carbon footprint and create a lot of waste. But they can st...
[Listener Questions] Not-so-eco things, gyms as energy generators, and big green career choices
10 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We're asked whether gym equipment could actually generate enough electricity to power the gym, we try to divulge some useful career advice to a climat...
Black Friday: How to avoid environmental catastrophe
27 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We're zoning in on Black Friday; the holiday that celebrates binge-shopping and leaves the environmental credentials of the retail sector in tatters. ...
[Listener Questions] Staying hopeful, plogging, and picking up dog poo
20 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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...
AI: A climate solution or a concern?
13 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 transf...
Trump: A backwards step for climate change?
10 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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...
[Listener Questions] Eco-bafflement, biogas, and teaching kids about climate
06 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
How do we teach children about climate change without causing eco-anxiety? What supposedly environmental thing absolutely baffles you? Is biogas actua...
The Olympics: Was Paris 2024 really the greenest games ever?
30 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 spo...
[Listener Questions]: Dishwashers, phone charging and Clarkson's Farm
23 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to the first of our fortnightly bonus episodes, in which we answer three green questions sent in by you! Ever wondered whether washing your di...
Protests: A help or hindrance for the environment?
16 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Environmental protests. Beyond grabbing headlines and successfully irritating segments of the population, do they work as a tool to move the needle fo...
Season 4 Trailer: FWIE is back!
09 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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...
84: Air Pollution (Psst. We’re on a break!)
31 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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’...
83: Forget Me Not, with Sophie Pavelle
17 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
82. Sam Gandy on nature connection, psychedelics and beavers
03 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 na...
81: BOGS (again): Celebrating natural carbon sequestration for #WorldBogDay
24 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 actuall...
80: Eco-Anxiety. What is it, and how can we deal with it?
20 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
79: Antarctica. Can we protect it, or survive without it? With Ryan Dalton
29 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The White Continent (and the southern seas around it) is an incredibly important place for wildlife, for the regulation of global ocean currents, and ...
78: Sports! Can we make them more sustainable?
08 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 w...
77: Save the Seagrass, Save Ourselves?
18 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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. Seagra...
76: Concrete: Cutting construction’s carbon footprint with Adam Gittins
27 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 envir...
75: Bats! How to save them
13 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 fascinat...
74: Saving fish and top pond tips with wildlife cameraman, Jack Perks
30 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 work...
73: Nina Constable on fish passes, filmmaking and families
09 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Join us to chat with e-NGO filmmaking superstar, Nina Constable, who is well known and loved for her beautiful movies highlighting issues that wildlif...
72: Steve Simpson on coral reefs, global change, and hope
16 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
“The future is still up for grabs.” In this episode, Emma is joined by Professor Steve Simpson, marine biologist, lecturer and science communicato...
71: Botanist Leif Bersweden on plants & climate change
02 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
How is climate change impacting plant communities? Are there any winners among the losers? Why are plants just as cool as (if not, cooler) than animal...
70: Rewilding and reptiles, with Harvey Tweats
19 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We’re digging in to the state of nature in the UK and how the concept of rewilding - restoring land to allow nature to recover and for biodiversity ...
69: Conservation in Africa and life in the bush, with Rosie Miles
05 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
🎧 ✨ Conservation in Africa! 🐘 🐆 In the first episode of 2022, Emma travels south (virtually) to find out what it's really like to live...
68: Birds of prey, with Tom Morath from Hawk Conservancy Trust
22 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Why are the predators of the sky one of the coolest parts of our ecosystem? How are they being impacted by climate change, habitat loss, bird flu, and...
67: Ho, ho, how to have a sustainable Christmas! (Again)
08 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Two years ago, in a pre-pandemic world (remember that?) we sat in the same room to record a Christmas episode and explored ways that we could all make...
66: Australia on fire, with award-winning filmmaker Eva Orner
01 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What was the role of climate change in the intense ‘Black Summer’ bushfires in Australia in 2019/20, and what can Australia, do to change the incr...
65: Cambo: Oil, gas and cheesy bottom sponges
17 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What's up with the proposed new oil and gas field exploration off the coast of Scotland? Here's our hot take. Write to your MP: https://actionnetwo...
64: Bobbing for truth: Halloween‘s environmental footprint
27 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
PUMPKINS! Costumes! Party decorations! Trick or treat snacks! One of the scariest things about All Hallow's Eve is how wasteful the haunting holiday i...
63: Light pollution: Bulbs, brightness and blinding nature
13 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
We’re turning our attention today to a kind of pollution that you can’t just pick up and pop in the bin. Light pollution can occur in many forms a...
62: Soil: Essential and… Sexy?
21 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Join us this week to get down and dirty in the world of SOIL, dirtiness, earthworms, and carbon being burped from our land when we don’t look after ...
61: Eco(ish) home renovation & redecoration
08 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Helpful podcast about sprucing up your home while keeping the planet in mind, or therapy session for Emma and Lloyd in the middle of their own home re...
60: Green pensions, with Make My Money Matter
18 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Did you know that changing your pension provider is one of the biggest ways to slash your carbon footprint? With over £2.6 trillion in the UK tied...
59: Space tourism: Bad news for terra firma?
04 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
With billionaires blasting off to spend a few minutes on the edge of space, some of us who are destined never to leave earth are asking 'Hey, do you r...
58: Cryptocurrency: Is Bitcoin burning the planet?
21 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What does bitcoin have to do with climate change? Can anyone mine this made-up-seeming digital money? What even IS cryptocurrency? We're tackling the ...
57: Trees, with Joe Middleton from Woodland Trust
07 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Can we plant our way out of trouble? What’s the best way to plant trees in our gardens or get involved in planting projects? And, more simply, why a...
56: Carbon storage
27 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What is it? How does it work? Can we sequester ourselves out of the climate crisis? All this and plenty more in this episode of For What It's Earth, i...
55: Renewables with Juliet Davenport, CEO of Good Energy
12 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
How can we make sure that the 'green' energy we think we're buying isn't actually 'brown'? What the heck is a smart home? How can kids shape the futur...
54: Starting a sustainable & ethical business, with James from Animall Tea
28 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Have you had a neat eco-business idea recently? We're joined by James Thirwall from Animall Tea, a speciality tea company that source all their produc...
53: Chris Jones from Cornwall Beaver Project
14 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
A few years ago, one breeding pair of beavers were released into an enclosure in Cornwall. Now an entire family of beavers thrives in a biodiverse wet...
52: How to grow your own food
31 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever wanted to grow your own grub? Even with only a small space, growing food is a fantastic thing to do for you, and for the planet. This ep...
51: PETS! Can they be sustainable? Feat. Ryan Dalton
17 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Here’s your daily paws for thought... This week we’re discussing PETS. Our furry little sidekicks hold special places in our hearts, so it’s not...
50: Tea and coffee
03 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
HOT DRINKS, WE'RE COMING FOR YA! That's right, we're putting the nation's favourite beverages under our environmental impact microscope in this week's...
49: Anthropogenic noise: Human sound pollution
17 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
HELLO? CAN YOU HEAR US? This week we're looking at the problem of anthropogenic noise, or human sound pollution, and how it creates real predicaments ...
48: BOGS! Nature‘s best carbon capture habitats
02 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
It's World Wetlands Day and we're chatting about BOGS; a habitat which the IUCN calls the largest natural terrestrial carbon store. So, why are these ...
47: Air pollution: What are we breathing in?
19 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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...
46: Tom Carroll: Saving the rainforest with TikTok
06 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Science and Tech YouTuber & Content Creator Tom Carroll joins the podcast to chat about using TikTok to save the rainforest, why wind farms are mo...
45: Merry Christmas-is-a-bit-cancelled bonus Q&A!
23 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This week, literally moments after the big covid-bans-holiday-fun announcement, we recorded a festive episode answering your questions! We can't promi...
44: Beavers, with Sophie Pavelle and Eva Bishop from Beaver Trust
16 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Pandemic, what? 2020 has been the year of THE BEAVER. One native rodent with the natural ability to engineer wetland landscapes that support an incred...
43: British nature with Lucy Hodson
02 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Why are fungi cool? What happens to British birds in the winter? We sit down for a natter with Nature Nerd Lucy Hodson (AKA Lucy Lapwing) to find out ...
42: Sea ice: Why does it matter?
18 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
It's been a record-breaking (-ly bad) year for sea ice. So why does that matter? The changing of the seasons is pretty reliable … or it used to be. ...
41: HS2: Low-carbon travel or environmental disaster?
04 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
It’s fair to say that, since its announcement nearly a decade ago, the ‘High Speed Rail 2’ project has been in the UK news A LOT. With construct...
40: Lizzie Daly on animal-human interactions and wildlife presenting
21 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
What happens when you take a scorpion into a hotel? What’s the best material to make a puffin from? This week we sat down with Wildlife Television p...
39: Rivers (re-visited!) with Dr. Stephanie Januchowski-Hartley
07 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
After our rivers episode earlier in the season, we realised that we’d barely gone beneath the surface of this vast topic. Enter: Stephanie, a specia...
38: Badgers! (and the ‘C‘ word: culling)
23 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We're talking about the UK's most iconic monochrome, stripy nocturnal creatures and the threats they face: roads, pesticides, and the 'C' word - culli...
36: Rivers: Pollution, pesticides and poop
02 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
With untreated sewage, fertiliser nutrients, agriculture chemicals and ALL SORTS ending up in our rivers in the UK through a variety of ways, we turn ...
35: Insect decline with Yussef Rafik, aka The Zoology Guy
19 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Yussef Rafik, host of BUG FACE on BBC Earth, joins us to share his love for insects, and to chat about insect decline and the things we can do to save...
34: Lockdown and the environment: changes that can last?
05 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Emerging from lockdown, eyes blinking in the sunlight and masks firmly on, Emma and Lloyd ARE BACK! In this episode, we talk about COVID and the envir...