Going Green Podcast, Video blog and Daily News

How to Green Your Internet Use Because streaming cat videos has a footprint too. 🌍 Invisible but Impactful The internet feels immaterial — just pixels, Wi-Fi, and magic. But behind every Google search, Netflix binge, or TikTok scroll lies a network of energy-guzzling data centres , servers , and cooling systems . If the internet were a country, it would be one of the top five global carbon emitters . 📶 What’s Using the Most Power? Here’s the carbon cost of common online activities: Activity Estimated CO₂ Streaming 1 hour of HD video 360g CO₂ Streaming 1 hour of music 55g CO₂ Browsing websites (1 hour) 5g CO₂ Posting to social media 1.5g CO₂ Source: Shift Project / IEA / Various estimates ⚡ 10 Ways to Reduce Your Digital Carbon Footprint Lower your streaming quality (HD → SD, especially on small screens) Download videos/music instead of repeatedly streaming Turn off autoplay on YouTube and social media Use dark mode (especially on OLED screens) Block a...

  The Eco-Truth About Pet Ownership Because even Fluffy has a carbon pawprint. 🐾 Pets: Companions, Comfort… and Carbon Creators? We love our pets — and for good reason. They bring joy, routine, and unconditional affection. But have you ever stopped to ask: How green is your furry (or feathered) friend? The truth is: pet ownership has an environmental cost , and the more we understand it, the better choices we can make — for our animals and the planet. 📦 What Makes Pets Less Than Planet-Friendly? 1. Pet Food Production Meat-based diets = high emissions Some pet foods use beef or fish — both carbon-heavy Many contain ingredients unsuitable for human consumption, but still resource-intensive to produce In fact, one 30kg dog fed a high-meat diet can have a carbon footprint equal to a 4x4 car driven 6,000 miles a year . 2. Single-Use Plastics and Packaging Treat wrappers, poop bags, toys, grooming tools — many are non-recyclable 3. Cat Litter Clay litte...

  Bioplastics: Solution or More Rubbish? Spoiler: Just because it says “bio” doesn’t mean it’s good for the planet. What Are Bioplastics? Bioplastics are plastics made from renewable biological sources rather than fossil fuels. Common sources include: Corn starch Sugarcane Potato starch Algae or cellulose They come with labels like: PLA (polylactic acid) PHA “Compostable” “Biodegradable” Sounds great, right? But the truth is… a bit more complicated. Not All Bioplastics Are Created Equal There are two main types : 1. Bio-based plastics Made from plants — but not necessarily biodegradable. Some are chemically identical to oil-based plastics (like PET). 2. Biodegradable plastics These break down —but only under  specific conditions , such as in  industrial composting facilities. Put them in your garden compost? They won’t break down. The Problems With Bioplastics 1. Misleading labelling “Biodegradable” doesn’t mean it breaks ...

  The Real Impact of Fast Furniture It may look stylish now, but where will it be in six months? What Is “Fast Furniture”? We all know about fast fashion — cheap, mass-produced clothes made to be worn a few times and tossed. Now meet its bulkier cousin: fast furniture . This is the flat-pack shelving unit you bought online at 2am. The trendy coffee table that didn’t survive its second move. The chair that cost less than a takeaway… and lasted about as long. Why Fast Furniture Is a Problem 1. Short Lifespan, High Waste Many low-cost pieces aren’t built to last — they're built to sell fast An estimated 22 million pieces of furniture are thrown away in the UK every year Most go straight to landfill 2. Toxic Materials Often made from MDF, chipboard, and laminates These contain glues, resins, and chemicals that can release VOCs (volatile organic compounds) into your home Difficult or impossible to recycle 3. Big Carbon Footprint Furniture is heav...

  Repairing Tech: Why Your Phone Deserves a Second Chance Because your old phone could still have a lot of life left – and the planet agrees. The Upgrade Temptation A newer, shinier phone is announced. It’s sleeker, faster, and takes slightly better photos of your dog. But before you part with your current device, ask yourself this: Does it really need replacing – or just repairing? The Hidden Cost of a New Phone Making a new smartphone requires: 70+ rare metals like cobalt, lithium, and tantalum 13 tonnes of water Mining in regions with environmental and ethical concerns A carbon footprint of 55–95kg CO₂e per device And most of this is in the manufacturing , not the usage. So yes — keeping your current phone longer is the greenest option. Common Fixes That Extend Tech Life Before you recycle (or worse — drawer-of-doom it), try repairing: Cracked screen → Replaceable for under £100 Battery dying fast? → Swap the battery, not the phone Charging ...

  Food Waste at Home: The Hidden Climate Offender You may be composting – but are you wasting in the first place? The Greenhouse Gas Nobody Talks About You recycle your plastics. You’ve switched to LED bulbs. You buy oat milk. But what about the half bag of slimy spinach you just threw in the bin? Wasting food doesn’t just waste money – it’s one of the biggest personal contributors to climate change . And unlike solar panels, it’s something we can all fix… today. The Shocking Stats UK households throw away 6.6 million tonnes of food annually That’s around £700 per household per year Globally, if food waste were a country , it would be the third largest emitter of greenhouse gases after China and the US Much of that food never even had a chance: Bread past its best-by date Leftovers forgotten in the fridge Veg gone bendy in the drawer Why Is Food Waste So Bad for the Planet? Every time we waste food, we also waste: The land it grew on The ...

  Greywater Systems: Flushing the Toilet with Your Shower Why you might be flushing away perfectly good water – and what to do about it.  What Is Greywater? Greywater is the gently used water from: Showers Baths Bathroom sinks Washing machines It’s not clean enough to drink, but it’s not filthy either – and it’s perfect for flushing toilets or watering plants. In fact, toilets don’t need fresh drinking water. But that’s what we use. Every single flush. Why Flushing with Greywater Makes Sense Toilets account for 30% of household water use In the UK, that’s over 30 litres per person per day And we’re using drinking water for it! Meanwhile, that warm shower water just disappears down the drain. Why not redirect it? How Greywater Systems Work There are several levels of complexity: Basic Manual System Collect greywater in a bucket (e.g. from your bath or shower) Pour into the toilet cistern or directly into the bowl Pros: Cheap...

  How Reusable Is That Tote Bag? Spoiler: It's not as eco-friendly as you think — unless you actually reuse it. The Problem with the “Good” Bag It hangs on every doorknob and lurks in the car boot. The humble tote bag – cotton, canvas, sometimes printed with a pun. You picked it up at a market or got it free at an eco-fair. You felt good. But how good is it really? Let’s unpack this. Why We Switched to Totes Plastic bags were the enemy. We rightly waged war on them. Totes became our badge of honour. 💚 Natural materials? Yes. 💚 Reusable? Absolutely. 💚 Biodegradable? Eventually. So what’s the problem? The Shocking Truth: Cotton Is Thirsty A single cotton tote bag needs 2,700 litres of water to produce – the same as one T-shirt. That’s about 20,000 litres per kilo of cotton. If it’s organic cotton, it uses less pesticide – but still just as much water. The iconic Danish Government study once calculated: You’d need to use a cotton tote 131 times to o...

  The Life Cycle of a T-Shirt: From Cotton Field to Charity Shop — And why that “£4 bargain” might cost more than you think A T-shirt. Soft. Comfy. Probably cheap. But what’s the real story behind it? That innocent piece of cotton in your wardrobe may have travelled thousands of miles, consumed gallons of water, and been sewn in conditions you wouldn’t wish on anyone — all before you wore it twice and chucked it in the back of the drawer. Let’s follow the journey of the humble T-shirt. Step 1: Cotton Farming Most T-shirts start life in cotton fields — in countries like India, China, or the US. It takes around 2,700 litres of water to produce just one cotton T-shirt — that’s one person’s drinking water for 2.5 years. Pesticides and fertilisers used in non-organic cotton farming can harm local ecosystems and workers' health. Step 2: Spinning, Dyeing & Knitting Once harvested, cotton is: Spun into yarn Knitted into fabric Dyed (often with chemical...

  How to Avoid Eco-Overwhelm (and Still Make a Difference) ( Because saving the planet shouldn’t cause burnout ) One minute you’re switching to shampoo bars, and the next you're spiralling because you bought a banana in a plastic bag and now you’re part of the problem. If you’ve ever felt like you’re not doing enough , welcome to the club. It’s called eco-overwhelm , and it’s surprisingly common among people who care. Let’s take a breath, scale it back, and focus on what really matters. What Is Eco-Overwhelm? It’s that creeping feeling of guilt, helplessness, and exhaustion from trying to fix everything: Climate change Plastic waste Biodiversity loss Carbon footprints Wildfires Which soap is ethical enough?? The more you learn, the more it can feel impossible to make a dent. Cue: burnout, doomscrolling, or giving up entirely. 7 Ways to Avoid Eco-Overwhelm ✅ Start Where You Are Don’t try to change everything at once. Focus on your life — home, work, habits — and build ...

  Going Green in the Bathroom: Shampoo Bars & Beyond ( Because plastic bottles shouldn’t outlive your hairdo ) Let’s face it — the bathroom is a stealthy little waste zone. Plastic bottles, microbeads, cotton buds, disposable razors, and enough packaging to wrap a small elephant. But with a few tweaks, your morning routine can become a mini climate victory. Welcome to the wonderful, low-waste world of green bathrooms — where sustainability meets shampoo (and no, it doesn’t have to smell like a compost heap). Why the Bathroom Matters It’s small, but mighty in waste. Over 120 billion units of cosmetic packaging are produced globally each year. Many products contain chemicals and plastics that pollute waterways . Most bathroom waste is non-recyclable , due to contamination or complex materials. Easy Swaps That Make a Difference 🟢 Shampoo Bars No plastic, lasts longer, great for travel Pro tip: Store on a slatted dish so it dries between uses 🟢 Bar Soap inste...

  Local Libraries: The Unsung Eco-Hero of Your Community ( Because saving the planet sometimes starts with a library card ) In the age of next-day delivery and overflowing bookshelves, it’s easy to overlook one of the most sustainable institutions quietly sitting at the heart of our towns: your local library . It doesn’t shout about its carbon footprint. It doesn’t launch greenwashing campaigns. But it’s been championing reuse, sharing, and community learning since long before “eco” became trendy. Why Libraries Are Inherently Sustainable Shared Resources Instead of everyone buying a book, 50 people borrow the same one. Now that’s carbon efficiency. Reduce, Reuse, Read Again Books are reused hundreds of times. No packaging, no emissions from delivery vans, no piles of paperbacks heading to landfill. Digital Options Many libraries now offer ebooks , audiobooks , and online newspapers , saving even more trees and transport. More Than Books Many libraries loan tools, s...

  Make Do and Mend: A Beginner’s Guide to Repair Culture ( Because your socks deserve a second chance ) There was a time when a torn shirt didn’t mean a trip to the shops — it meant a needle, a patch, and a cup of tea. Welcome to repair culture — the comeback kid of sustainability. In a world obsessed with “new” and “more,” mending something broken is an act of quiet rebellion. It’s a thumbs-up to the environment… and to your bank account. Why Repair Culture Matters We throw away over 336,000 tonnes of clothes in the UK each year. And that’s just clothing. Add in small appliances, electronics, furniture, and it’s a mountain of fixable things heading to landfill. ✅ Repairing reduces waste ✅ Saves money ✅ Cuts down resource extraction ✅ Builds skills, satisfaction and stories It’s not just about being thrifty — it’s about being mindful. What Can You Mend? (Spoiler: More Than You Think) 🧵 Clothing – buttons, seams, zips, tears 🔌 Electronics – phones, toasters, l...