Höre Now, That's What I Call Green.

Kia ora, I’m Brianne – and I’m the kind of irritating person who wants to talk about rewilding. Particularly wildflowers. If you follow me on social media, you might be over this topic. And if you are… I’m sorry, but you’re probably in the wrong place today — because that’s exactly what this episode is about. This one’s a little bit special. For one, Earth Day is basically right after this episode goes live, so it feels like a cosmic sign that we should talk about giving the planet some love. But also, rewilding isn’t something I’ve just read about in glossy magazines. It’s something I’ve been doing — actively — for years. And I’m absolutely seeing the payoff in my own garden. It’s really quite remarkable how quickly the planet can regenerate if we just leave it alone… or better yet, give it a helping hand. So I wanted to actually explain what rewilding is, how you can do it, and why it’s a bloody important thing to be doing. In this episode I share: * What exactly rewilding is * Successful rewilding * An example of rewilding working in a city * How you can rewild an entire ecosystem by changing/fixing one element * What the sweet spot for the rewilding approach is * Is de-extinction rewilding * What has happened on my lifestyle block that I am rewilding * What marine re wilding is and how it helps * One thing any of you can do today to do a little bit of rewilding. Key Quotes “You don’t have to rewild in any particular way.” “We need healthy forests and wetlands and grasslands because they store carbon far more effectively than bloody pine forests do.” ‘The idea that it’s just letting everything go wild is an over simplification.” Find our full podcast via the website here:https://www.nowthatswhaticall.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nowthatswhaticallgreen/ You can follow me on socials on the below accounts. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/briannemwest/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@briannemwest LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/briannemwest/ For our latest big project, find out more about Incrediballs here: https://incrediballs.com/

It’s Easter time and we are all rushing to the stores to buy over packaged Easter eggs. While we love the taste of chocolate it’s a sad fact that every sale further supports forced labour and environmental destruction. I have spoken about this before and received a cease and desist letter from a chocolate company, even though everything I said was factually correct. This podcast focuses on sustainability and for this episode we are looking at an aspect of sustainability we don’t always discuss. People. We’ll be discussing why a lot of chocolate companies suck and who you should buy from instead. In this episode I share: * The surprising place that 70% of the worlds cocoa beans come from * How much profit the growers and farmers of cocoa take home compared to the companies that on sell it * The average yearly income of fair trade farmers and how it has increased * How 80% of deforestation has occurred because of cocoa in some regions * How fair trade is involved in fixing the social issues from chocolate purchases * The flaws in the fair trade process * What Direct trade is and it can also help * The pros and cons of direct trade * The social and environmental implications of palm oil * How a customer response to Cadbury has caused the company to make changes in the past * Why switching from using palm oil is not the option to fix things * What you can do as a consumer this easter * Tricks to look out for when it comes to certification * Why you should skip easter eggs entirely * The unbelievable amount easter eggs have increased by in price * My recommendations for ethical chocolate for easter this year * Who I don’t recommend you buy from this easter Key Quotes “Chocolate, it's creamy it's sweet it melts in your mouth. But for every delicious bite you take, chocolate drives a bitter twisted tale of forced labour and environmental destruction.” “It's impossible to buy and do the right things all of the time.” “Sustainability is about progress not perfection. And it’s not about feeling guilty, because you can't be perfect, we are in a cost of living crisis.” More Information Chocolate I recommend: * Tony's Chocolonely * Mind Your Temper * Bennetto * Solomons Gold Chocolate * Trade Aid * Honest Chocolat * She Universe Find our full podcast via the website here:https://www.nowthatswhaticall.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nowthatswhaticallgreen/ You can follow me on socials on the below accounts. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/briannemwest/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@briannemwest LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/briannemwest/ For our latest big project, find out more about Incrediballs here: https://incrediballs.com/

This one’s probably a bit of a bleaker episode, but it’s about something absolutely fascinating that we should know more about: Antimicrobial resistance. By 2050, it could kill more people than cancer. Now, in this episode I use the terms antimicrobial and antibiotic interchangeably. Technically they’re not the same thing — but for the sake of this episode, they are. This is a huge issue we’re all facing, and most of us are completely unaware of it. In this episode, I share: * The history of antibiotic overuse * What antimicrobial resistance actually is * The 3 types of microbial resistance — and why they should scare us * The pathogens that are really scary (because they resist antibiotics) * Who will suffer the most from rising antimicrobial resistance * How the anti-vax movement is making it harder to slow the spread * How gene-editing technology is creating precision antibiotics * The best solution we have to this crisis * How geopolitics influenced Western scepticism about phages * Why it’s hard to use phages in Western medicine * And the few (but fixable) problems with phages Key Quotes “More than 1.3 million people every year already die because antibiotics no longer work for them.” More info  I mentioned the book the good virus which you can check out here. [https://www.thenile.co.nz/books/tom-ireland/the-good-virus/9781529365283?srsltid=AfmBOop1Unl_6bu11uX6-Z0SQJ2f0ZFjmPTkmbiWGAzvt1AM7VieNZi8] Find our full podcast via the website here:https://www.nowthatswhaticall.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nowthatswhaticallgreen/ You can follow me on socials on the below accounts. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/briannemwest/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@briannemwest LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/briannemwest/ For our latest big project, find out more about Incrediballs here: https://incrediballs.com/

Biodiversity is a big deal - and no, it’s not just about having a few more birds in your garden. It’s about creating ecosystems that are healthier, more resilient, and able to withstand environmental stress. The good news is you don’t need acres of land to make a difference. Even a small backyard can become a thriving habitat if you know what to do. In this episode, I’m sharing practical tips on how to transform your outdoor space into a haven for wildlife, why insects are far more important than you think, and how small changes can lead to big improvements in biodiversity. In this episode, I share: * What biodiversity actually is (hint: it’s about species variety, not just animal count) * Why monocultures harm ecosystems and why polycultures are much better * How trophic interactions regulate ecosystems and keep populations in check * The terrifying truth about insect population collapse -and why that matters * How biodiversity supports agriculture, medicine, and even tourism * Why pollinators, decomposers, and pest regulators are the unsung heroes of our ecosystems * Actionable steps to make your garden a biodiversity haven Key Quotes "Biodiversity isn’t just a buzzword. It’s the foundation of healthy ecosystems." "Insects may not be glamorous, but without them, life on Earth would grind to a halt." "Monocultures are like food deserts for insects. A diverse garden feeds life at every level." "Even small changes - like planting native flowers - can make a massive difference to biodiversity." Find our full podcast via the website here:https://www.nowthatswhaticall.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nowthatswhaticallgreen/ You can follow me on socials on the below accounts. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/briannemwest/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@briannemwest LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/briannemwest/ For our latest big project, find out more about Incrediballs here: https://incrediballs.com/

Today, I want to talk about one of the greatest environmental myths ever: recycling. When I say myth, I should probably say scam. We’ve been told that if we just recycle, we can solve the plastic crisis. But is that really true, or just a greenwashed lie designed to shift blame away from those responsible? Spoiler: it’s the latter. If you’ve been listening to this podcast for a while, you’ll know how much I despise the way recycling has been used to deceive the public - but you might not know all the details. So in this episode, we’re getting into the history and facts behind recycling. In this episode, I share: * The long and complicated history of recycling * How greenwashing and corporate blame-shifting have influenced recycling * The introduction of the misleading arrow recycling symbol * How governments and corporations have used recycling as a smokescreen * What actually happens to your recycling * Why downcycling is the biggest problem with plastic recycling * Why incineration and waste-to-energy schemes are a bad idea * Real solutions to tackle the recycling issue * Why manufacturers should be responsible for product disposal and recycling * The truth behind biodegradable and compostable plastics Key Quotes “Corporations are gearing up to produce 30% more plastic by 2030.” “In the USA less than 5% of plastic waste is recycled.” “At the end of the day the recycling system is fundamentally broken.” Find our full podcast via the website here:https://www.nowthatswhaticall.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nowthatswhaticallgreen/ You can follow me on socials on the below accounts. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/briannemwest/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@briannemwest LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/briannemwest/ For our latest big project, find out more about Incrediballs here: https://incrediballs.com/