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Carbon Copy Podcast

Sustainable Schools

Season 3, Ep. 9

In this special schools-themed episode of the Carbon Copy Podcast, we revisit conversations recorded during the Running Out of Time climate relay, with four amazing organisations helping to provide climate change education to children, young people and teachers, and helping schools to take action for climate and nature as part of the curriculum. We meet Lizzie Gimblett, founder of Pupils Profit, which helps children to set up and manage eco-refill shops at their schools; Richard Pollard of the Tree Council who works to embed learning about nature into classrooms and education settings; Jo Pettifer of the Ashden-led Let’s Go Zero programme and Michelle Parkes of Earth Cubs who provide climate change and sustainability education to very young children. 


Listen to hear: 


  • How children are helping spread the word about reuse to their families by running Pupils Profit refill shops at school. 
  • About the many different ways the Tree Council is connecting children with trees and nature in education settings. 
  • How Ashden’s Let’s Go Zero programme is providing climate change education and helping schools to reduce their emissions – whatever stage they are at on their climate journey. 
  • How Earth Cubs is using fun cartoon characters to teach young children about the environment and the actions they can take. 

 

Show Notes 



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  • 2. Restore Peatlands

    20:25||Season 5, Ep. 2
    In this episode of Do Something Bigger from the Carbon Copy Podcast we explore the waterlogged world of peatlands. We learn about the huge value that peat can bring, in terms of storing carbon, reducing flood risk, purifying water and providing habitat for rare species like adder, curlew and insectivorous plants. Listen, to hear how both Ulster Wildlife and Lancashire Peat Partnership are working to restore peatlands, and discover how you can take action to protect these incredible landscapes. Learn about the impact of degraded peatland. Hear about animals and plants that call peatlands their home. Find out why peatlands have become so degraded and damaged. Learn about the importance of buying peat-free compost. Get inspired to take big local action for peat! ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Show Notes Find out more about restoring peatlands: https://carboncopy.eco/takeaction/restore-peatlands Discover all 25 Big Local Actions for climate and nature: https://carboncopy.eco/takeaction Listen back to previous episodes of the Carbon Copy Podcast: https://carboncopy.eco/podcast  Find out more about Lancashire Peat Partnership: https://www.lancswt.org.uk/our-work/projects/peatland-restoration/lancashire-peat-partnership  Read about one of Lancashire Peat Partnership’s flagship projects, in the Forest of Bowland AONB: https://carboncopy.eco/initiatives/bowland-priority-peat  Read about Ulster Wildlife’s current project at Haughey’s Bog: https://carboncopy.eco/initiatives/haugheys-bog-restoration  Learn more about Ulster Wildlife’s work on peat: https://www.ulsterwildlife.org/saving-our-peatlands Discover gardening and growing projects via Carbon Copy: https://carboncopy.eco/initiatives?search_term=&filter-local_area=&filter-action_area%5B%5D=56&filter-positive_impact%5B%5D=17  Find a peat-free plant nursery near you: https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/peat/peat-free-nurseries Find your local wildlife trust to explore peatland volunteering opportunities: https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/peat/peat-free-nurseries 
  • 1. Insulate Our Homes

    23:21||Season 5, Ep. 1
    Britain has some of the least energy efficient housing stock in Europe, with 27 million homes in need of improvement. People across the country are struggling with bills and suffering in cold, draughty houses. In this episode of the Carbon Copy Podcast we meet Andrea Howe from Cosy Homes in Lancashire, and Til Wallis, from Canopy Housing, to explore action that people can take to insulate their homes and other inefficient buildings, to save money, improve health and reduce carbon emissions. Listen now to learn: How much money you could save by installing effective insulation in your house Some of the different materials that can be used for insulation What you can do if you are a landlord with properties that have low energy efficiency ratings How you can find out more and get involved with tackling cold homes across the UK  “We're trying to change the system up in lots of different ways. I think that's the big thing about Canopy: we're providing warm, safe, comfortable, nice homes for people to live, where they get support. But also trying to do social bridging, and also trying to do our bit for the environment within this city.” - Til Wallis, Canopy Housing   Show Notes Discover 25 Big Local Actions in 2025: https://carboncopy.eco/takeaction  Listen back to previous episodes of the Carbon Copy Podcast: https://carboncopy.eco/podcast  Check out the hundreds of inspiring, hope-filled initiatives on Carbon Copy: https://carboncopy.eco/initiatives  Subscribe to Carbon Copy’s newsletter: https://carboncopy.eco/newsletter Learn more about insulation, on the Insulate Our Homes action page: https://carboncopy.eco/takeaction/insulate-our-homes Read more about Cosy Homes in Lancashire: https://carboncopy.eco/initiatives/cosy-homes-in-lancashire Read more about Canopy Housing: https://carboncopy.eco/initiatives/canopy-housing-2  Find out about funding available to people on lower incomes for home insulation: https://www.gov.uk/apply-great-british-insulation-scheme  Find out about the Warm Homes Grant which can be used by both private owners and landlords: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/warm-homes-local-grant  
  • Do Something Bigger

    09:41||Season 5, Ep. 0
    Join podcast host Isabelle Sparrow and producer Bradley Ingham for this, the first episode of the Carbon Copy Podcast series, Do Something Bigger, as we introduce our year-long campaign: 25 Big Local Actions in 2025. We look at why this year is so important for climate action – both globally, and locally. We examine the potential for local action to make a huge difference, and how positive changes that appear unrelated to climate change or nature restoration can have benefits for the environment as well.  Listen now to: Learn more about the UN’s “Decade of Action,” and about why, despite challenging circumstances, we still have a lot of hope (and evidence) that through working together, locally, we can get to the future we want to see! Get an introduction to the different climate action areas we’re covering in this series, and why we are calling on you to Do Something Bigger in 2025. Find a topic that inspires you, motivates you and could bring you joy personally – as well as helping to tackle the biggest issues of our time.  Show Notes Discover 25 Big Local Actions in 2025: https://carboncopy.eco/takeaction  Listen back to previous episodes of the Carbon Copy Podcast: https://carboncopy.eco/podcast  Check out the hundreds of inspiring, hope-filled initiatives on Carbon Copy: https://carboncopy.eco/initiatives  Subscribe to Carbon Copy’s newsletter: https://carboncopy.eco/newsletter  Learn about the SDGs: https://sdgs.un.org/goals  Read the UN Emissions Gap report 2024: https://www.unep.org/resources/emissions-gap-report-2024 
  • 4.5. Bonus Episode: Nature Rising

    16:58||Season 4, Ep. 4.5
    In this special bonus episode of All Nature, from the Carbon Copy Podcast, we meet Gnisha Bevan. Gnisha and co-founder Roger Griffith, MBE started the Black Seeds Network around five years ago to provide a platform for environmentalists of colour to socialise, gain support, seek opportunities, develop innovation, knowledge and expertise on environmental issues. Now, the network has joined with partners including Friends of the Earth to create a year-long programme of events and activities called “Nature Rising.” We met Gnisha via the team at the West of England Combined Authority, who have proved some funding for the Nature Rising programme and suggested we might like to learn more about the Black Seeds Network.  Originally recorded for All Nature, Episode 4; the conversation was so interesting and engaging we decided to create this bonus episode to give you, the listeners, more of the story. ----------------------------------------------------------- Show Notes Read about the Black Seeds Network: https://creativeconnex.org/about-black-seeds-network/  Listen to All Nature: Positively Buzzing to learn more about nature protection work in the West of England:  https://carboncopy.eco/podcasts/all-nature-positively-buzzingRead this local news article about the Nature Rising programme: https://www.bristol247.com/climate/news-climate/global-majority-project-celebrates-summer-success/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR3JSCV4HCqGSVMxx0nNbxkm1ACc1hr8AGXOEFP7sjc04ujsTBCh9vUfrCo_aem_pr1UcRNrtt4AyCL3al_8uA 
  • 4. All Nature: Positively Buzzing

    23:53||Season 4, Ep. 4
    In this episode of the Carbon Copy Podcast’s All Nature series, we discover the ambitious work of the West of England Combined Authority (WECA), which hopes to make the region the UK Pollinator Capital by 2030. We hear from Sophie Spencer, Senior Environment Manager at WECA about why nature recovery and, in particular, pollinators, are such an important focus for the organisation. We learn about the Bee Bold Awards, a unique annual celebration of local groups and businesses that are doing something special for nature and we hear from some of the organisations that have received support as part of WECA’s pollinator programme: Co-forest, Middle Ground Growers, Black Seeds Network, St. Peter’s Hospice and Really Wild Lockleaze. “We've invested over 10 million in nature in the West of England in total. From the tiniest little pocket park, to big nature recovery projects at landscape scale. It's been really exciting, but at the same time, we know that nature needs a lot more investment. So, we've been talking to businesses, helping them understand their impacts on nature, and hoping to drive more investment into the West of England so we can achieve our ambitions. We can't do it on our own. It's about us working together” - Sophie Spencer  Listen, to learn: About the wide range of different organisations that have received Bee Bold Awards and why supporting pollinators is important to them. More about the different environments that can support pollinator numbers – in towns, cities and in more rural settings. How WECA is working with organisations to support community engagement and to promote inclusion in nature recovery projects. ---------------------------------------------- Show Notes Listen to the bonus episode Black Seeds Network: Nature Rising: https://carboncopy.eco/podcasts/bonus-episode-nature-risingDiscover more stories about communities, councils and companies working with nature: https://carboncopy.eco/initiatives?search_term=&filter-local_area=&filter-action_area%5B%5D=1743 Learn more about the Bee Bold Awards on Carbon Copy: https://carboncopy.eco/initiatives/bee-bold-awards Read more about Co-forest on Carbon Copy: https://carboncopy.eco/initiatives/co-forestLearn more about Middle Ground Growers on Carbon Copy: https://carboncopy.eco/initiatives/middle-ground-growers Read about Really Wild Lockleaze: https://www.lockleazehub.org.uk/really-wild-lockleazeLearn more about St. Peter’s Hospice: https://www.stpetershospice.org/ 
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    23:03||Season 4, Ep. 3
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  • 2. All Nature: Sowing The Sea

    29:12||Season 4, Ep. 2
    The impacts of climate change are wide-ranging, but here in the UK, where none of us lives more than 70 miles from the sea, bigger winter storms, heavy rain and increased wave power create serious coastal flooding risks for huge numbers of people. In the North East of England, an innovative partnership of organisations, led by South Tyneside Council, is working on a programme of work exploring natural solutions to reducing this flood risk. In this episode of the Carbon Copy Podcast, we meet Karen Daglish, Delivery Manager at the Stronger Shores programme, to learn more about this inspiring, collaborative initiative. We also meet Judy Power, Project Manager at Tees Rivers Trust, one of the partner organisations working with the programme, and learn about the incredible, painstaking work they’re doing grow and protect seagrass and wild oysters in the Tees Estuary. Listen to learn about: The long-term goals and ambition of the Stronger Shores programme. The amazing potential of wild oysters to filter water and sequester carbon. The reason that seagrass is such an important species – and why it is under threat. How engagement activities across the North East are helping more people locally to appreciate and understand the natural species on their shores. --------------------------------------------------------------Show NotesMore information about Stronger Shores: https://carboncopy.eco/initiatives/stronger-shores  More projects on Carbon Copy relating to protecting coastal environments: https://carboncopy.eco/initiatives?cst&search_term=coastal&filter-local_area  Learn more about taking action for seagrass: https://carboncopy.eco/community/restore-seagrass  Learn more about the Environment Agency’s coastal protection research: https://engageenvironmentagency.uk.engagementhq.com/innovation-programme  Read about Tees Rivers Trust: https://www.teesriverstrust.org/  Read about the Wild Oysters project: https://carboncopy.eco/initiatives/wild-oysters  Learn about the Tall Ships Festival: https://www.tallshipshartlepool2023.co.uk/  Listen to the Carbon Copy Podcast – Lines In The Sand, to learn more about the impacts of coastal erosion: https://carboncopy.eco/podcasts/lines-in-the-sand  
  • 1. All Nature: Heal The Wild

    25:40||Season 4, Ep. 1
    In this, the first episode of the Carbon Copy Podcast’s latest series, All Nature, we meet Jan Stannard and Dan Hill, of charity Heal Rewilding, at their first site on the outskirts of Frome in Somerset. We reveal the worrying state of nature in the UK, and how Jan and her colleagues felt compelled to address this. We discover the huge ambition of Heal Rewilding to create nature rich environments in every county of England, and we hear about the amazing network of different people and organisations working to renew and restore nature across the UK. "...the only way for nature to recover is for it to have more room, more space dedicated to it. It can't just be the edges of farmland, but dedicated spaces that are new are fundamental to nature's recovery. What we have to remember is England, out of 240 countries and territories in the world, England is in 234th place where one is best. So the state of nature in England is absolutely on the floor. This can't happen soon enough." - Jan Stannard, Heal Co-FounderListen to Heal The Wild now, to: Find out what rewilding is, and why it is important. Hear about the exciting species that are already present on site at Heal Somerset, after just the first 18 months. Learn more about how to get involved with nature restoration. Take the chance to help Heal Rewilding to find new sites for their ambitious programme! ----------------------------------------------------------Show Notes Read Heal Rewilding’s story on Carbon Copy: https://carboncopy.eco/initiatives/heal-rewilding  Support Heal Rewilding by sponsoring a square of land: https://www.healrewilding.org.uk/heal3x3  Find out more about rewilding: https://carboncopy.eco/community/rewild-land  Read the State of Nature report: https://stateofnature.org.uk/ Discover more rewilding organisations via Rewilding Britain: https://www.rewildingbritain.org.uk/ Read about the Knepp Estate: https://knepp.co.uk/  Read about the Beaver Trust: https://beavertrust.org/ Read about The Beaver Project: https://www.cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk/what-we-do/our-conservation-work/on-land/beavers/cornwall-beaver-project Read about The Grange Project: https://www.grangeproject.co.uk/ Read more about the New To Nature programme from Groundwork: https://www.groundwork.org.uk/new-to-nature-legacy/ Read about Wild Ken Hill: https://carboncopy.eco/initiatives/wild-ken-hill