Going Green Podcast, Video blog and Daily News

  How to Host a Zero-Waste Dinner Party Without Losing Friends (Hint: Compost the scraps, not the friendships) We all want to save the planet. We also want to have people over for lasagna without being that person who lectures them about landfill mid-meal. Hosting a zero-waste dinner party is absolutely possible — and no, it doesn’t require a composting toilet or wine made from kale . Here’s how to throw a party that’s stylish, sustainable, and still lets your guests enjoy themselves (and come back). 🛍️ 1. Start With Smart Shopping Shop local : Farmers’ markets , refill stores , your neighbour’s veg patch (ask first). Buy loose produce : If your carrots come in plastic armour , try somewhere else. Plan your portions : Make just enough. If you always cook for a football team, halve it. Unless you are feeding a football team. Bonus points for bringing your own containers and refusing plastic bags like a zero-waste ninja . 🥣 2. Serve It Real (No Disposable...

  ♻️ Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle – and Repeat Until It’s a Habit ( Because saving the planet is not a one-time event – it’s a lifestyle upgrade ) Everyone talks about the “ 3 Rs ” — but we like to go further: Refuse , Reduce , Reuse , Recycle … and Repeat. Like a catchy song stuck in your head — but this one saves the planet. And yes, you’re allowed to sing it while sorting your bins. 🙅‍♂️ Refuse – The First (and Most Powerful) R This is where the real eco-warrior flex happens. Refuse plastic cutlery Refuse fast fashion fads Refuse buying stuff you don’t actually need (no, really) Refuse a straw in your drink unless you're 5 or using it for swordplay Every time you don’t take something , the planet breathes a little easier. 🔽 Reduce – Less Is Actually More Reduce single-use packaging Reduce energy use (do you really need your hallway lit like an airport runway?) Reduce food waste by actually eating what’s in the fridge Reduce the num...

  How to Read Energy Labels Without Needing a Translator or Therapy ( Because choosing a fridge shouldn’t feel like taking an exam ) Buying an appliance used to be simple. It was white. It had buttons. You plugged it in. Done. Now? You’re faced with a rainbow bar chart , ten acronyms, a QR code , and a label that seems to say: "Congratulations, you’ve unlocked an existential crisis." Let’s decode the madness, together. 🧠 What Even Is an Energy Label? Energy labels are those bright stickers stuck on fridges, washing machines, TVs, dishwashers — anything that hums, spins, or glows. They tell you: How much electricity the thing uses How efficient it is Whether it’s secretly plotting to bankrupt you via your electric bill 🅰️ It’s All About the Rating – But It Changed! Back in the day: A +++ meant “Super amazing” A meant “Still pretty good” B or below meant “Why are you even buying this?” But we got label inflation . EVERYTHING beca...

  Daylight vs Warm White – The Epic LED Battle in My Kitchen ( Because yes, I'm that person comparing kelvins at 10pm ) We all know the old war is over: 🔥 Incandescent bulbs lost. ⚔️ LEDs won. 💷 The electricity bill has thanked us ever since. But now there’s a new civil war , one raging across my house (and my head): Daylight LED vs Warm White – which is better, and why does my kitchen now feel like a dentist’s office? Let’s flick the switch and dive in. 🔦 LEDs Are Clearly Better. So Why Am I Still Confused? Let’s be clear – LED bulbs are amazing: Use up to 90% less power than old-school incandescent bulbs They should last  5-10 years (unless you drop them. Or overthink your lighting plan like I did) Save money Don’t heat your room like a miniature sun But now the choice isn’t just on/off. It’s Kelvin scale warfare . 🌅 Warm White (2700K–3000K) Cosy, comforting, yellowish light Makes food look richer, skin tones look better Grea...

  The Great Meat Debate: Flexitarianism for the Greedy Gourmet ( Can I save the planet and still have my Sunday roast ? ) I like food. I like it a lot. And I’m not ashamed to say that when I see a perfectly crispy roast chicken or a bacon sandwich on a Sunday morning, my inner eco-warrior gets… conflicted . Enter: Flexitarianism – the halfway house between full-on veganism and “I eat steak with a side of steak.” Turns out, it might be the planet’s best compromise . 🥩 Why Meat Matters (and Why It’s a Problem) Let’s get the uncomfortable stats out of the way: 🌍 Livestock farming contributes ~15% of global greenhouse gas emissions 🐄 Cows are farting factories of methane 🌾 Meat production requires huge amounts of water and land 🚛 A steak might travel more than you do in a year But going cold tofu isn’t easy for everyone. That’s where flexitarianism comes in. 🍽️ So, What Is a Flexitarian? A flexitarian is: Mostly vegetarian Sometimes a carni...

  Shopping Locally: The Farmer’s Market and the £4 Tomato ( Or: How I Paid Too Much and Still Felt Smug About It ) There it sat. Red. Round. Resting on a bed of straw like a jewel on velvet. Price tag: £4 . No, not for a bag. For one tomato . Was it organic? Yes. Handpicked? Yes. Possibly sung to daily by a man named Nigel wearing Birkenstocks? Also yes. And reader… I bought it. 🧺 Why Pay More to Shop Local? Because local food is: ✅ Fresher (picked yesterday, not last month) ✅ Seasonal (i.e. no asparagus in December) ✅ Lower in food miles ✅ Better for small producers ✅ Less plastic-wrapped than your average meal deal Also, let’s be honest — I like knowing my lettuce’s life story . Farmer's markets have personality. Supermarkets have piped music and sad-looking aubergines. 🌍 But Is It Greener? Yes, mostly. Buying local avoids: ✈️ Air-freighted produce 🛳️ Shipping containers from overseas 🛻 Endless refrigerated transport 💥 Globa...

  Eco-Entertainment: How to Have Fun Without Destroying the Planet (or the Bank Account) ( Saving the world should still include snacks and laughter ) Entertainment doesn't have to mean big screens, big travel, big waste, and even bigger bills . You can have fun and be kind to the planet — without becoming a hermit in hemp trousers. This week we asked: Can you have a laugh, unwind, and entertain yourself without trashing the planet or your wallet? Spoiler: Yes, you can. Here's how we do it. 🎬 Streaming (But Smarter) Sure, the carbon footprint of Netflix is real — but we're not giving it up. Instead: We stream in SD instead of 4K unless it's a nature doc worth the pixels We download things we rewatch We run it off our solar-charged battery system We switch off autoplay (eventually) Fun remains. Guilt declines. 🎲 Board Games and DIY Quiz Nights We dusted off our old board games and found that Monopoly still ruins relationships. Top tip: ...

  My Week in Sustainability: What Went Well, What Went Weird, and What Smelled Funny ( Because living green isn’t always clean – or glamorous ) This week, I tried to be the eco-warrior the planet deserves. 🌍 I woke up with good intentions, several spreadsheets, and a vague memory of a compost bin that needed attention. Here’s how it went… ✅ What Went Well 🌞 Solar Power Success Glorious sunshine meant our 26 solar panels were working overtime. The batteries hit 100%, and everything hummed along on pure, smug renewables. Even the Whaly Coyote (our polypropylene electric powerboat ) got a top-up. And yes, I shouted “She’s at full charge, Captain!” to no one in particular. ♻️ Recycling Victory I finally decoded the mystery of the plastics bin. Apparently, “thermo-softening” doesn’t mean “just chuck it in and hope.” I didn’t contaminate a single bin. The council didn’t send me a passive-aggressive leaflet. Victory. 🥕 Eating Seasonal Veg We ate only British-grown...

  The Sneaky Carbon Footprint of Streaming – Yes, Netflix Counts Too ( Or: Your Favourite Show Is (Literally) Heating Up the Planet ) Let’s set the scene. You’re curled up on the sofa. Snacks in hand. Ready for one more episode (OK, five more). It feels like the ultimate low-impact night in. But here’s the twist: 🎬 Your cosy binge session might be costing the planet more than you think . 📡 Wait – Streaming Has a Carbon Footprint? Yup. Watching Netflix, YouTube, or TikTok isn’t just bad for your sleep — it uses a surprising amount of energy . Every video stream involves: 🧠 Powerful data centres running 24/7 📶 Network infrastructure transmitting data across continents 📺 Your device using energy to display it all in glorious HD (or worse: 4K) And if your electricity comes from fossil fuels… that data stream is powered by CO₂. 🗨️ “Just one more episode” now comes with a small side of carbon. 📊 How Much CO₂ Are We Talking? Let’s crunch a few numbers...