Going Green Podcast, Video blog and Daily News

  Mud, Misery, and the Mighty Wellie: how UK farmers are coping with the very wet weather If your garden currently resembles a duck sanctuary, spare a thought for the people trying to earn a living on soil that’s behaving like a sponge in a bath. The Met Office has been pretty clear: this winter has felt exceptionally wet in many parts of the UK, with repeated spells of rain and very few proper dry breaks. Some weather stations have logged runs of around 40 consecutive wet days since late December. What “very wet” actually does to a farm (beyond ruining everyone’s trousers) 1) You can’t work land you can’t get on. Waterlogged fields mean tractors sink, ruts form, and soil gets compacted (which makes drainage and yields worse later). That delays ploughing, drilling, planting, fertiliser applications, and spraying—basically, the whole “growing food” bit. Scottish crop advisers have noted that field work has been “frustratingly delayed” by waterlogged soils this month. 2) Crop...

  Electric cars vs petrol cars: is the EV really cleaner from cradle to grave? An electric car is almost always better for climate pollution over its lifetime in the UK — but it’s not “zero impact”, and some of the pollution simply moves (from the tailpipe to the supply chain and the power station). Let’s take the whole “cradle-to-grave” journey: making the parts, building the car, driving it, and end-of-life . 1) Making the car: EVs start with a bigger “carbon backpack” EVs are usually more polluting to manufacture than petrol/diesel cars because the battery is energy-intensive to produce. A recent EU life-cycle analysis found BEVs had ~40% higher production emissions than petrol cars (mainly the battery). So yes — if you only look at the factory gate, critics get a point. But… 2) Driving the car: in the UK, EVs win fast on emissions Once you start driving, the maths flips — because EVs are much more energy-efficient, and the UK grid is far cleaner than burning petr...

PFAS “Forever Chemicals” in UK Drinking Water What’s actually being done – and is it enough?  PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are often called “forever chemicals” because they don’t break down naturally. They’ve been used for decades in firefighting foams, non-stick cookware, waterproof clothing, food packaging and industrial processes. The problem? They persist in soil and water, build up in living organisms, and some are linked to cancer, immune suppression and developmental problems. So what is the UK actually doing about PFAS in drinking water? 1️⃣ Regulation – Where Does the UK Stand? Unlike the 🇺🇸 United States , which recently introduced strict federal limits on certain PFAS, the UK does not yet have a specific legally binding maximum limit for individual PFAS in drinking water. Instead: The Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) sets guidance values. Water companies must monitor PFAS under risk-based assessments. A provisional “tiered” guidance s...

 The EU Warns: Prepare for 3°C of Global Heating The EU’s independent scientific advisory body, the European Scientific Advisory Board on Climate Change , has urged European governments to prepare for the possibility of 3°C of global warming . That’s not a target. It’s a warning. Despite the goals of the European Union and the global commitments under the Paris Agreement to limit warming to well below 2°C — ideally 1.5°C — current global policies put us on a trajectory closer to 2.5–3°C by the end of the century . The advisory message is clear: Hope for the best. Plan for the worst. What Does 3°C Actually Mean? Three degrees may not sound dramatic. After all, the UK can swing 10°C in a single day. But 3°C is a global average . That means: 🔥 Far more frequent and intense heatwaves 🌊 Accelerating sea-level rise 🌾 Crop failures and food price shocks 💧 Water shortages and drought stress 🌲 Forest dieback and biodiversity loss 🏥 Severe public health ...

  Seven Out of Nine Planetary Boundaries Breached – Should We Be Worried?  A growing number of scientists are warning that seven of the nine planetary boundaries have now been crossed. The concept, developed by researchers at the Stockholm Resilience Centre , defines the environmental limits within which humanity can safely operate. Cross too many of them, and we risk destabilising the Earth systems that support civilisation. 🔎 What Are the Planetary Boundaries? The nine boundaries are: Climate change Biosphere integrity (biodiversity loss) Land-system change Freshwater change Biogeochemical flows (nitrogen & phosphorus cycles) Ocean acidification Atmospheric aerosol loading Stratospheric ozone depletion Novel entities (chemical pollution, plastics, PFAS, etc.) ⚠️ Which Ones Have Been Breached? Current assessments suggest that seven are now beyond the safe operating space: 🌡️ Climate change 🐝 Biodiversity loss 🌳 Land-use cha...

  Shorter Days + Heavy Rain = Solar Squeeze? Looking at the current spell of rain and cloud across where I live, it’s clear why winter can feel like a double whammy for solar panels: Fewer daylight hours Thick cloud reducing light intensity Rain limiting peak generation periods But here’s the interesting bit… ☁️ Solar Panels Don’t Need Direct Sunshine Even on overcast days, panels still generate electricity. They work from daylight , not just bright sunshine. Output may drop to 10–30% of peak summer levels, but it rarely drops to zero during daylight hours. And rain? Rain actually cleans panels , washing away dust and bird droppings — improving efficiency when the sun does reappear. ⚡ Winter Solar Reality (UK Perspective) In the UK: June can produce 4–6 times more solar energy than December. But winter demand is higher (heating, lighting, appliances). That’s where battery storage really earns its keep. In your case, with your substantial battery s...

  A Greener Way of Improving Your Home (Saving money, cutting carbon, and adding real comfort) If you’re going to improve your home, why not make it greener at the same time? Many renovations look good on Instagram — but the real win is when improvements reduce energy bills, increase comfort, and shrink your carbon footprint . As someone living in a solar-powered home with battery storage and a heat pump, I can honestly say the changes that make the biggest difference aren’t always the flashy ones. Here’s a smarter, greener approach to home improvement. 1️⃣ Insulate First – Because Heating the Garden Is Not a Hobby Before buying shiny tech, deal with heat loss. Loft insulation (cheap, huge impact) Cavity wall insulation Draught proofing doors and windows Thick curtains and thermal blinds In the UK climate, insulation often gives a faster return on investment than solar panels. It also makes your house feel warmer — not just theoretically efficient. 💡 Rule of ...

  How Battery Storage Systems Can Deliver a Strong Return on Investment (ROI) If you’ve already invested in solar panels — or you’re thinking about it — the next logical question is: “Are batteries worth it?” As someone running a home with 26 solar panels and 50kWh of battery storage , plus charging an electric boat from it, I’ve had plenty of time to look at this properly — not just from a green perspective, but from a financial one too. Let’s break it down. 1️⃣ Time-Shifting: Buy Low, Use High In the UK, electricity prices vary dramatically depending on the time of day. With tariffs like those from Octopus Energy , you can: Charge batteries overnight at very low rates Use stored energy during peak daytime hours Avoid expensive early evening tariffs If you buy electricity at 7p/kWh overnight and avoid paying 28–35p/kWh at peak times, the maths becomes compelling. That difference — multiplied over thousands of kWh per year — adds up fast. 2️⃣ Maximise Your Sol...

  Homemade Food vs Ready Meals – Which Really Wins? We live in a world of convenience. Pop it in the oven. Ding the microwave. Eat. Done. But is that convenience costing us more than just a few pounds? Let’s look at homemade food vs ready meals — through the lenses of health, cost, sustainability, and long-term thinking. 🍳 Homemade Food ✅ The Advantages 1. You control the ingredients Salt, sugar, fats, portion size — all in your hands. No hidden additives. 2. Lower cost per portion A homemade chilli or pasta bake often costs half the price per serving compared to premium ready meals. 3. Less packaging waste Fewer plastic trays, sleeves and films heading to landfill. 4. Better for your health Many ready meals fall into the category of ultra-processed foods (UPFs). Cooking from scratch generally means fewer emulsifiers, stabilisers and preservatives. 5. Teaches skills Cooking is a life skill. Like sailing or repairing a boat cover, once learned, it serves you for de...

 The Big Plastic Count – The UK’s Biggest People-Powered Plastic Investigation Every crisp packet. Every yoghurt pot. Every bit of cling film. What if we actually counted how much plastic we throw away in a week? That’s exactly what The Big Plastic Count is asking households across the UK to do. It’s the UK’s largest people-powered investigation into plastic waste — and it’s coming soon. 🔍 What Is The Big Plastic Count? The Big Plastic Count is a nationwide citizen-science project where households: Collect and record all plastic waste for one week Categorise it (soft plastics, hard plastics, food packaging, etc.) Submit their data Help build a national picture of where plastic is really coming from Instead of guessing, we get real household evidence . And that evidence matters. 📊 Why This Is Important We’re often told: “Just recycle it.” “It’s being taken care of.” “We’re making progress.” But how much plastic are we actually producing at ...

  Does economic growth have to mean rising emissions? For decades, we’ve been told there’s an awkward trade-off: grow the economy or cut emissions – pick one . It’s a neat story. It’s also increasingly out of date. The uncomfortable truth for that old argument is this: several countries are already growing their economies while cutting emissions . Not hypothetically. Not on a whiteboard. In the real world. The old assumption (and why it stuck) Historically, growth did mean more emissions. Industrialisation burned coal, oil powered transport, and cheap energy meant dirty energy. GDP and carbon rose together, so the idea became baked in: prosperity equals pollution. But that logic assumes three things: Energy must come from fossil fuels Efficiency improvements are marginal Consumption can’t change None of those assumptions still hold. What “decoupling” actually looks like Economists talk about decoupling – separating economic growth from emissions. There are two...