Smart and Cheeky
About saving our future
Are Houseplants Actually Sustainable?
It’s easy to assume a pot plant is an environmentally friendly purchase, but some are a greener choice than others. Here’s how to tell the difference. My flatmate is cutting...
More
The Return of the Plastic Toothpaste Tube
A friend recently noted that toothpaste packaging feels more plastic-y than it used to. Turns out, she was right – but it’s actually good news! I got curious as to why, and...
More
15 Films Depicting Realistic Environmental Issues
A colleague recently asked me for some environmental advocacy film recommendations. My mind was quickly full of mega solar flare strikes, frozen cities and surprisingly few current environmental issues. Now,...
More
Why Buying Flowers Isn’t Always the Green Choice (and How to Check)
Flowers are a universal go-to gift idea for all occasions. They’re natural, biodegradable, smell good, brighten up a room, come in all sizes and can be thoughtfully matched to the...
More
No Garden? You Can Still Grow Food in Tiny Spaces
If you live in an apartment or don’t have access to a traditional garden, then growing your own food is not an option…That’s a lie I believed for far too...
More
City vs Country Foxes: How Urban Life Changes a Species
Foxes are magical. Growing up, I only saw them on Christmas cards, with thick red coats, poised and vibrant against a snowy backdrop…or popping up to chuckle “boom boom!” on...
More
Food Waste in Flats: How England’s New Compost System Works
Before living in London, I always separated my food waste. Recycling, compost and landfill were the categories growing up. We lived on a farm, so veggie peels would first go...
More
How Oil and Gas is Subsidised Around the World
If you have ever filled up your car, paid a heating bill or watched politicians argue about energy prices, you have already seen the effects of oil and gas subsidies...
More
Hay Fever: How Fatigue, Flora and Climate Change Connect
Hay fever has been my arch nemesis since childhood. I would wake with watery eyes and a cloudy head and know the fight had begun. A solid two months or more...
More
Why eating small fish makes a big difference
Friday night is fish night, in our home at least. Recently, I’ve started paying more attention to the type of fish I buy and have learned that bigger isn’t always...
More
How to Spot Greenwashing (Without Becoming Cynical)
Most of us want to make consumer choices that are good for the planet. You pick the “eco-friendly” option, maybe spend a bit more on something labelled “sustainable,” and feel...
More
Community Energy Projects: Viable or Over-Ambitious?
Most of us don’t think much about where our energy actually comes from. You flip a switch, your phone charges, your heating works…but behind all of that is a system...
More