Explore every episode of the podcast Because Why?! The Science and Society Pod.

A lot of the episodes this year looked at processes we’re supposed to put our faith in – the things that are supposed to make our lives more sustainable or our impact on the planet a bit less terrible.

Stuff like supposed “green” solutions, chocolate that’s marketed as ethical, or the wellness industry promising to save your life.

And yes, we all know some of this is a scam, but I don’t think we really appreciate just how much of a scam it actually is.

So, to wrap up season three, instead of a brand-new episode, you get a recap of the most interesting episodes – the ones that made me frustrated, fascinated, and occasionally hopeful. Three years of consistently inconsistent podcasting later, here we are. You’re welcome.

The past few weeks have been… a lot. Popcorn, my horse, has been trying to die. University exams happened. Incrediballs 2.0 is launching soon. And yes, I might be a little burnt out. But, like a grown-up, I’ll push ahead and see how ignoring that goes.

In this episode, let’s go through:

• How much of a scam the things we’re supposed to trust really are
• The invention of synthetic nitrogen fertiliser and why it matters for the planet (and our food)
• The environmental and human cost of cocoa farming and lawn culture
• Disinformation and the totally unregulated wellness industry
• How to even begin talking to the climate confused
• Some fun and surprising science (yes, really) from fire, to 5G and plane toilets

Thanks for joining me on this episode of Because Why?!

Mā te wā - see you in 2026!

You can get involved with the podcast online in the meantime, of course.

Find our full podcast via the website here: ⁠⁠https://www.nowthatwhatsicall.com⁠⁠

Instagram: ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/becausewhypod/

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/⁠

The world feels like a really bad parody movie right now – but it’s not funny. There’s a constant background hum of dread – climate change, biodiversity collapse, war – and it’s no wonder eco-anxiety has become a collective condition.

Because of all this, I’m replaying one of our most popular episodes: my conversation with psychologist Dr. Susie Burke about eco-anxiety.

It’s a surprisingly uplifting conversation about climate change – yes, really...

Dr. Susie has years of experience in climate psychology and shares practical ways to handle eco-anxiety and other intense emotions, whether you’re angry, tired, or just numb.

She reminds us that positive change is happening elsewhere and is within our reach. It's a breath of fresh air for anyone overwhelmed by constant climate news (and the news in general, frankly).

In this episode, we talk about:

• The perception gap: why more people care about climate change than you might think
• The mental health impact of climate change and why eco-anxiety is normal
• Strategies to cope with climate emotions, from small practical steps to collective action
• How shifting business and consumer behavior can drive more change than waiting for governments
• Why we are the first generation with a real shot at creating a sustainable world
• How to support children in understanding and feeling empowered about environmental issues

More About Dr. Susie Burke

Check out her website ⁠here ⁠

Subscribe to Emily Writes here

More about Hannah Ritchie

Author of Not the End of the World, check out her website and books ⁠here ⁠

More about The Conceivable Future

Written by Meghan Elizabeth Kallman and Josephine Ferorelli, their website is ⁠here ⁠

Tedx Talk: Changing the World: Why it Fails and What Works

By Winnifred Louis, ⁠watch it here

Thanks for joining me on this episode of Because Why?!

Mā te wā - see you next week.

You can get involved with the podcast online in the meantime, of course.

Find our full podcast via the website here: ⁠⁠https://www.nowthatwhatsicall.com⁠⁠

Instagram: ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/becausewhypod/

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/⁠

MSG causes headaches, chest tightness, tingling arms and weakness - or at least that’s what we’ve all been told. For decades, MSG was considered public enemy number one, banned from restaurants and demonised in the media. But why?

MSG is everywhere: in tomatoes, mushrooms, parmesan cheese, soy sauce, even breast milk. So how did it become a “toxic chemical killer” in the public imagination?

Today I’m breaking down the bizarre story of MSG, from its origins in Japan, to its rise across Asia and the West, through to the flawed science and racism that turned it into a food villain.

So, because why are we so afraid of MSG?

In this episode let's unpack:

• The discovery of MSG and the origin of umami
• How MSG spread across Asia and into Western diets
• Why “Chinese Restaurant Syndrome” started from just one letter
• The flawed studies that fuelled the MSG scare
• The racial undertones behind the MSG panic
• Why MSG is actually safer than table salt
• How modern chefs and TikTok are reclaiming MSG as “umami dust”

Thanks for joining me on this episode of Because Why?!

Mā te wā - see you next week.

You can get involved with the podcast online in the meantime, of course.

Find our full podcast via the website here: ⁠⁠https://www.nowthatwhatsicall.com⁠⁠

Instagram: ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/becausewhypod/

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/⁠

There is a food trend that aims to give you glowing skin, supercharged memory, endless energy, and protection from every disease that you can probably think of. You’ll have seen the word for it stamped on cereal boxes and blended into smoothies, and it’s always talked about by wellness influencers.

What is that magic word? Well, it’s superfood, of course.

But are superfoods really all that super? Short answer: no. But the longer answer is that it affects so many people in negative ways, when there are some very simple other foods we could be eating.

So today, I’m debunking superfoods and sharing what you could be eating instead. Plus:

• The early history of superfoods
• Where the term superfood came from
• How wellness culture impacted the rise of the superfood term
• What a ‘health halo’ is
• Where the best nutrition comes from
• The foods that are actually a bit superfoody but are very common
• How the exotic factor plays into hyping superfoods
• The farmer exploitation aspect of superfoods
• What the real superfood/power is

Thanks for joining me on this episode of Because Why?!

Mā te wā - see you next week.

You can get involved with the podcast online in the meantime, of course.

Find our full podcast via the website here: ⁠⁠https://www.nowthatwhatsicall.com⁠⁠

Instagram: ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/becausewhypod/

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/⁠

Why do people still believe in horoscopes, even when we know they’re not true? (If this is you, I'm curious, not judging.)

For nearly a century, people have turned to horoscopes for all sorts of advice, and they’re actually more popular now than ever. But how is this still so widespread when it’s been clearly debunked time and again?

Turns out, there are a lot of reasons - and the story is more complicated (and fascinating) than you might think.

In this episode let's get into:

• The ancient history of the zodiac signs
• How astrology and zodiac systems differ across countries
• How science eventually outpaced astrology
• Why zodiac signs got out of alignment - and why no one seemed to care
• How astrology reinvented itself to stay relevant and believable
• The ways astrology sneaks into modern life that you might not even notice
• Why astrology is booming right now
• The psychology behind why we want astrology to work
• How the wording of horoscopes subtly manipulates us
• How horoscope writing has been tailored to target women
• Why you can’t convince astrology fans they’re wrong
• How celestial bodies really do affect us (just not in the way horoscopes claim)

Thanks for joining me on this episode of Because Why?!

Mā te wā - see you next week.

You can get involved with the podcast online in the meantime, of course.

Find our full podcast via the website here: ⁠⁠https://www.nowthatwhatsicall.com⁠⁠

Instagram: ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/becausewhypod/

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/⁠

I have the best news: we already have the solution to all of our problems.

This could save over 8 million lives a year, make us live longer with fewer sick days, save billions of dollars, and make us all a lot happier to be around... I feel like this should be front-page news?

The problem is, it’s boring. Because it’s cycling.

It turns out the issue of cycling is actually far, far more complicated than most of us realise. The health, economic and community implications are massive, but we still don’t have huge swaths of the community cycling in droves.

So why is this, and what can we do to change it?

Well, that’s what this episode is all about.

In this episode let's discuss:

• Why cars are such massive pollution contributors
• Examples of cities that have prioritised cycling and actually reaped the benefits
• How cycling impacts communities
• Cycling’s benefits on physical health
• Cycling’s benefits on mental health
• The surprisingly massive impacts of car parks
• Humans’ inability to assess danger - and why it affects cycling
• Why helmets actually add to the idea that cycling is dangerous
• The societal factors that influence cycling uptake
• The tiny annoyances that throw people off using bikes
• The main reason people don’t cycle

• And the solution to all of it

Thanks for joining me on this episode of Because Why?!

Mā te wā - see you next week.

You can get involved with the podcast online in the meantime, of course.

Find our full podcast via the website here: ⁠⁠https://www.nowthatwhatsicall.com⁠⁠

Instagram: ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/becausewhypod/

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/⁠

So, bottled water is kind of a scam. People think it’s healthier and safer, despite zero evidence to back that up. So… is it all just one giant marketing con? Well… kinda.

In this episode, I’m taking you through the wild history of bottled water to show exactly how we ended up here - and why it’s so, so, so ridiculous!

Quick note: I originally did the research and writing for this podcast in July 2024, so the stats I mention are current to that period.

In this episode I go through:

• The surprisingly long history of bottled water (it’s been around way longer than you think)
• What needed to happen to make bottled water a massive global hit
• The weird correlation between bottled water sales and countries that already have safe tap water
• A statistical breakdown of where people are actually buying bottled water
• The shocking differences in testing requirements between bottled and tap water
• How bottled water companies harm the countries they source from
• Why microplastics could be way worse for our bodies than we realise
• Why bottled water isn’t automatically safer than tap water
• The facts about fluoride and chlorine in tap water
• Why nitrates in water are a concern
• The jaw-dropping amount of water it takes just to make one bottle of water

Thanks for joining me on this episode of Because Why?!

Mā te wā - see you next week.

You can get involved with the podcast online in the meantime, of course.

Find our full podcast via the website here: ⁠⁠https://www.nowthatwhatsicall.com⁠⁠

Instagram: ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/becausewhypod/

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/⁠

Welcome to another This or That episode!

I break down the least impactful options from things you’ve been asking about.

This episode is actually a repost, because some of you have sent in these questions - clearly, we all have choices that keep us up at night. And often, what we expect isn’t actually the truth!

In this week’s selection we have tea vs. coffee, and which is worse for the environment, what the best and worst options are for the milk you use with your drink, and finally, what exactly are bioplastics? And, whether we should even be using them...

Let's talk about:

• The comparison of tea vs. coffee
• How much water it takes to make tea and coffee, respectively
• What the most sustainable version of milk is
• The worst milk option for the environment
• The various environmental issues caused by dairy farming
• The truth behind a big myth about soy farming in the Amazon
• The difference between bio-based plastics and biodegradable plastics

Thanks for joining me on this episode of Because Why?!

Mā te wā - see you next week.

You can get involved with the podcast online in the meantime, of course.

Find our full podcast via the website here: ⁠⁠https://www.nowthatwhatsicall.com⁠⁠

Instagram: ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/becausewhypod/

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/⁠

Welcome to a This or That episode!

I break down the least impactful options from things you’ve been asking about.

This episode is actually a repost, because some of you have sent in these questions - clearly, we all have choices that keep us up at night. And often, what we expect isn’t actually the truth!

This week’s selection has a pretty controversial topic, and one that maaay just surprise you.

See if you can guess the answers before I reveal them - and then let me know if you got them all!

In this episode let's cover:

• What uses more energy, turning off lights or energy efficient bulbs?
• What has less of an impact, paper or plastic bags?
• What resources and processes are made to make paper bags?
• What matters more, what you eat or where its from?
• What parts of your food intake you should reduce to help lessen your impact? (Don't worry, I'm not telling you to completely give up your favourites.)

Thanks for joining me on this episode of Because Why?!

Mā te wā - see you next week.

You can get involved with the podcast online in the meantime, of course.

Find our full podcast via the website here: ⁠⁠https://www.nowthatwhatsicall.com⁠⁠

Instagram: ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/becausewhypod/

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/⁠

Welcome to the first episode under the brand-new banner, Because Why?! The show where my curiosity gets the better of me, and I drag you along for the ride. (You're welcome?)

We’re still talking about the environment, but now the scope is much wider: science, ethical business, politics (even when it makes my eye twitch), and the weird, wonderful, and occasionally infuriating claims floating around out there.

In this episode, I’m kicking things off with wellness trends, dodgy health claims, and overhyped “miracle” fixes people keep getting sold.

From seed oil scaremongering to the microplastic “hoover,” cold plunges, cortisol face, and the mysterious world of “structured water,” let's dissect the pseudoscience to establish what’s true, what’s nonsense, and why these ideas catch on in the first place.

In this episode, you’ll hear about:

• ​Seed oils - are they really as bad as people say? (No)
• ​The actual science behind seed oils
• ​What the microplastic hoover is - and whether it works (It probably doesn't)
• ​How therapeutic apheresis really stacks up
• ​Practical tips to reduce your microplastic exposure
• ​Why cold plunges might carry more risks than you think
• ​Can you really tell your stress hormone levels just by looking in the mirror? (No)
• ​What cortisol actually does in your body
• ​Why “hormone balancing” is mostly myth and marketing
• ​The three biggest reasons anecdotal evidence tricks us
• ​Can water really be “structured” or “vortexed” to be better for you? (No)
• ​The truth about hydrogen water and the science behind it

If you want to keep doing cold plunges, I’m happy for you! Just... be careful. And if you’ve got $20,000 burning a hole in your pocket, maybe think twice before signing up for a microplastic blood cleanse.

The boring truth is usually what works: sleep, balanced diet, exercise, social connections.

Thanks for joining me on this first episode of Because Why?!

Mā te wā - see you next week.

You can get involved with the podcast online in the meantime, of course.

Find our full podcast via the website here: ⁠⁠https://www.nowthatwhatsicall.com⁠⁠

Instagram: ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/becausewhypod/

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/⁠

Sources:

Seed oils: (word count prevents proper referencing.)

- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jand.2012.03.029

- https://doi.org/10.1186/1743-7075-8-36

- https://doi.org/10.1161/CIR.0000000000000510

- https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD011737.pub3

- https://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.114.010236

- https://doi.org/10.1016/S2213-8587(17)30307-8

A few weeks ago, we had the amazing physicist, science writer, and communicator Laurie Winkless on the podcast. She was so great, one episode wasn’t enough... so she’s back to do some mythbusting!

In this episode we talk about:

• If glass is really a liquid
• A bunch of physics myths that have been debunked
• What 5G actually is and whether 5G towers kill or control people
• How microwaves work and if they are safe
• Whether you can use your mobile phone at petrol stations
• If you really need to turn off your phone on a plane
• Whether a plane toilet could suck your innards out (yes, really)
• If you are safe in a car during a lightning storm
• What would happen if you dropped a coin from a building... would it slice through someone?
• And even what happens if you stick toast to a cat

Quotes from the episode:

“People want simple answers, and the reality is that few things are simple.”

“The less you know, the more arrogant you are about the little bit you know.”

More about Laurie

Find her via her ⁠website ⁠or on social media.

You can get involved with the podcast online too of course.

Find our full podcast via the website here: ⁠https://www.nowthatwhatsicall.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/⁠

Welcome back to Part 2 of a fascinating kōrero with science journalist and author Bethany Brookshire. This one gets a smidge more controversial...

We talk about the animals we hate because they’re successful (looking at you, pigeons), the cultural weirdness of how we define pets vs pests, and how control - or our lack of it - shapes our relationship with the natural world.

Plus, there's a story involving Burmese pythons and a pair of trousers (you’ve been warned) and yes, we talk about cats in Aotearoa.

In this episode we cover:

• The rise and fall of the humble pigeon - and why we hate them now
• Cats and conservation in New Zealand (yes, it’s a problem)
• Pets vs pests - what’s really the difference?
• Why “invasive species” is more about us than the animals
• The real reason we hate common animals
• Empathy, ethics, and ice cream trucks on every corner
• And the man who hiked pantless through the Everglades with snakes in his trousers

For more about Bethany find her via her website

And don’t forget to head to our Instagram ⁠for a chance to win her book Pests: How Humans Create Animal Villains

You can get involved with the podcast online too of course.

Find our full podcast via the website here: ⁠https://www.nowthatwhatsicall.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/⁠

You know when you see someone on social media and you just KNOW they'll be amazing to chat to? Well, that's Bethany Brookshire for you.

Bethany is a science journalist, animal behaviorist and author who writes about the animals most people hate. Rats, cockroaches, spiders, pigeons... And how our feelings about them are mostly cultural, not scientific.

We talked about where fear and disgust come from and how cute a mouse eating a fruit loop is.

Also, how US science funding is collapsing and how bad that's going to be long term, why postgrad burnout is real, and how she wrote a brilliant book.

Part two gets a little more controversial, as we talk cats in Aotearoa.

What we cover:

• Bethany’s journey from academic to science journalist.

• Fear and disgust; how we learn what animals to hate.

• Rats, lab mice, cockroaches, snakes, spiders… and Fruit Loops.

• The collapse of US science funding and what that means long term.

Quotes from Bethany:

“I always tell people my life is an entire story of failing upwards. Or at least failing sideways.”

“There is a feeling of disgust and fear around animals like spiders and snakes that we think is evolutionary. It’s not.”

“Startlement can become joy, or it can become fear. It depends who’s around you when it happens.”

“I have the self-confidence of a mediocre white man.”

“Giving a mouse a Froot Loop is like watching a human try to eat a car tyre.”

You can find more about Bethany at https://bethanybrookshire.com/.

Today's guest is Laurie Winkless. She's a physicist, a science writer and she's the only person I know who's actually made writing about friction interesting. You could say she's a science friction writer...

She’s appeared everywhere from Forbes to Wired to BBC, and she has written two books. Oh and she won a scholarship to do some training at NASA. As you do.

I am very excited to talk about her transition from scientist to science communication and why she thinks that's so important.

In this episode she shares:

- Her background and how she got into physics

- What actually is a PhD and if she'll ever get one

- What science communication is, how she got into it and why we need more people in it

- Why she brings creativity into her job and why sexism prevented her from doing it earlier

- Her (brilliant) books and what you should know about them

- How she wrote her first book

- Her very interesting favourite friction fact.

- One science myth that she wishes would die

- What shark inspired swim suits are and why they help swimming

Key Quotes

“Most of the noise that we hear on the roads is not actually from the engines it’s from the interaction between the tyre and the tarmac.”

“So much of the universe is defined by the interaction between surfaces.”

“I think sometimes people are afraid to be a bit weird.”

More about Laurie

Find her via her website or on social media.

And don’t forget to head to our Instagram for a chance to win one of her signed books.

You can get involved with the podcast online too of course.

Find our full podcast via the website here: https://www.nowthatwhatsicall.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/

I wanted to talk about politics and combating polarising opinions… but I didn’t want to get dark about it.

So, to help, I’ve called in my friend and optimism security blanket, Dave Richards. He’s one of those people who has realistic but optimistic insight into the world. He’s lived all over the world, has a deep cultural understanding, and just makes me feel better about the state of things.

So I thought I’d have him join me for a bit of a wide-ranging, mostly optimistic chat about the state of the world.

In this episode we talk about:

• The importance of maintaining optimism amid global and local challenges
• Why politics often seems theatrical, but politicians may genuinely care about making change
• The fact that environmental progress over decades shows improvement, even if it’s hard to see in the short term
• The significance of media literacy, critical thinking, and recognising manufactured divides and misinformation
• The potential of podcasts and open dialogue to foster understanding across political and ideological lines
• Why we should meet people where they are, find common ground, and avoid polarisation
• The myth of political and societal "us vs them" divides
• The importance of science-based policies and genuine conversations, even with those holding opposing views
• How media, algorithms, and social platforms influence polarisation and radicalisation

If you want to check out Dave’s incredible photography head along to his Instagram.

Giveaway! This week, I'm giving away copies of Talking Across the Divide, by Justin Lee. It’s a brilliant read on how to actually talk to people you disagree with - something we all probably need a bit more of. Join me over on Instagram to enter.

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/

About half of the oxygen that you are breathing right now is made in the ocean. And last year, scientists found that some of it is made three kilometres down in total darkness by microbes that live on the seabed.

We had no idea about any of this before then, and now, next month, the United Nations International Seabed Authority is deciding whether they will let industrial rigs strip minerals out of the seabed. But is that a good idea when it turns out we know so little about it?

Surely there are smarter options, right? And what do we even need those minerals for anyway? Well, that’s what we’ll be discussing in this episode.

In this episode let's talk about:

• What Dark Oxygen is and why we should be worried
• What is found in the deep sea
• What deep sea mining actually is and why we do it
• The dangers of deep sea mining
• Why there is a need for the metals gained from deep sea mining
• Why everyone is panicking about it
• Who wants to deep sea mine and who doesn't
• Trump’s executive order that is allowing fast-tracking of deep sea mining applications
• Other countries’ responses to deep sea mining
• What you can do about it

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/

I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but the last few episodes have been somewhat… bleak.

There’s been a lot to discuss around climate change, governments, and corruption, but I realised if we kept focusing only on that, it was going to get all-consuming.

So this week, I’m welcoming back Kate to help me share some good news stories instead!

In this episode, we cover:

• What are drop bears?
• Some fun community topics
• What happened at the UN Ocean Conference
• Reasons why Kate was put off getting solar and myths about solar
• How knowledge and access to information about the environment have changed
• Comparing emissions per person in China and India vs. Australia and Aotearoa
• Breaking down environmental stereotypes about other countries

When I talked about “marine saviour pirates,” I was thinking of Captain Paul Watson - he founded Sea Shepherd and now runs the Captain Paul Watson Foundation.

Giveaway! This week, I'm giving away copies of Rewilding the Sea by Charles Clover - a fascinating look at how rewilding our oceans can restore ecosystems, protect marine life, and even help tackle climate change. Join me over on Instagram to enter.

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/

You reckon you’re immune to propaganda and disinformation, right? A critical thinker who sees through the rubbish.

I thought the same - until I realised I’m way more likely to believe something if it backs up what I already think.

That’s not a personal flaw. It’s how we’re all wired. But we need to get better at spotting it, because it’s fuelling polarisation and making it harder to have real conversations with people we disagree with.

And with AI making it even harder to tell what’s real, it’s only going to get trickier.

If we want to tackle big issues together, we’ve got to become more sceptical, more media literate, and better at asking:

Where’s the evidence? What’s the source? Is there consensus?

This episode is designed to help you do exactly that - understand and analyse the information out there.

In this episode I talk about:

• What confirmation bias actually is
• A proper breakdown of propaganda, misinformation, and disinformation
• How extremist disinformation groups take hold
• Real examples of how disinformation can (and does) cost lives
• How it delays action on the things that matter most
• What to look for when spotting disinformation
• The six main tactics companies and governments use to spread it
• And how we can start pushing back

Giveaway! This week, we're giving away copies of Six Conversations We’re Scared to Have by Deborah Francis White - a practical guide to having honest and respectful discussions on tough topics like politics, climate, and social issues. Join me over on Instagram to enter.

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/

Well, we are officially halfway through the election cycle. The coalition government has been in place for about 18 months now. David Seymour is our Deputy Prime Minister.

So, how are things going?

I did my first ever political roundup episode - I think it was episode three - and it ended up being one of our most popular ever.

Interestingly, you lot seem to care about what's going on out there, which is nice. So I thought we’d do a check-in, because it's been a year, right?

Just to set some guardrails: I'm very much talking about environmental and social issues. I'm not really diving into the economy (though it might get a mention), or the cost of living, or anything else like that. All big problems, all important topics - but I'm absolutely not educated enough to speak on them.

Much like the first time I did this, I'm going to try to be unbiased. I will probably fail, because I’m human, I’m violently sarcastic, and I’m obviously quite left-leaning.

Everything in here is factual. It’s been fact-checked. But as my mother would say: I might have a tone. Please forgive me.

In the episode let's talk about:

• Budget 2025 - the "no BS budget"
• What was cut in this budget?
• What were some budget additions that impact the environment?
• Some of the new legislation we should know about
• The Fast Track Approvals Act and what it means
• The shifting of the government's climate policy
• The agricultural legislation and how it impacts the environment
• Other changes including waste management, bottled water, and live animal exporting
• The impact of these changes on NZ's reputation and credibility
• The nonsense political narrative
• Some of the good things the government has done

The University of Canterbury submission's on Gene Technology Regulation:

https://ir.canterbury.ac.nz/server/api/core/bitstreams/0e1aa118-5e68-4b43-b395-2a4487d90aa4/content

https://ir.canterbury.ac.nz/server/api/core/bitstreams/fb5002ba-2e21-4a45-be4e-56d6259b4571/content

https://ir.canterbury.ac.nz/server/api/core/bitstreams/05dd6485-82e0-4f54-844b-8860e8548b68/content

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/

Are you tired of arguing about climate change with your uncle, or your co-worker, or that weird person online?

Welcome to the club. Now, if you really want to keep banging your head on that wall, I'm not here to stop you, but I am here to try and give you some facts that might help - because even though you are almost certainly not going to convince those people, it is often worth trying to combat some of that misinformation.

You are probably not going to convince the guy who thinks that all scientists are evil and funded by, like, solar - but that's not really why we do it. Misinformation is fricking annoying, and it spreads four times faster than facts. But most importantly, it also stops us doing what we need to do to stop the planet heating up and boiling the oceans. Every fraction of a degree makes a difference.

So today, for this episode of Microgreens, I thought I would talk about some of the myths I see quite often in my comment section, parroted by climate change deniers - but also how you can talk about things like climate change a little bit more effectively.

Let's talk about:

• The term 'climate change denier'
• How the scientific process works and how to know who to trust
• How and why climate change became so politicised
• How fossil fuel companies hid the evidence of climate change
• The various myths and why they are false

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/

We are officially out of time to prevent hitting 1.5 degrees. Yep - earlier last week, the World Meteorological Organisation said that we are going to hit 1.5 degrees of global heating by 2027, which is just two years away.

So I thought we’d have an episode about what that really means - because what actually changes at 1.5 degrees? And what happens if we go beyond that?

In this episode:

• Why scientists identified 1.5 degrees as a milestone
• What a 1.5 degree increase will actually cause
• Where we are today with global heating
• The damage to the oceans and natural world from global warming
• Why a 1.5 degree change is now baked in
• What terrifying things happen at 2 degrees
• The places that could become uninhabitable in the next few decades
• The huge impact on cities and the losses we can expect over the next 80 years
• The big impacts on crops, people, and health at 2 degrees
• The economic impact we can expect from climate change over the next few decades
• What happens at 2.7 degrees, which is expected by 2100
• Why I don’t think this will be our future
• The single most powerful thing you can do to prevent this dark future

Episode Sources:

World Meteorological Organization (WMO) – Global Annual-to-Decadal Climate Update 2024

https://public.wmo.int/en/media/press-release/global-temperatures-set-reach-new-records-next-five-years

NASA Earth Observatory – “Earth Is Storing More Heat” (summary of Cheng et al. 2023 Earth-energy-imbalance work)

https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/152431/earth-is-storing-more-heat

von Schuckmann, K. et al. 2023 – “Heat stored in the Earth system: where does the energy go?” Earth System Science Data

https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-15-1675-2023

Cheng, L. et al. 2023 – “Record-setting ocean heat content and Earth system imbalance in 2023.” Advances in Atmospheric Sciences

https://doi.org/10.1007/s00376-023-2385-2

Dessler, A. E. 2021 – “Water-vapour feedback.” Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences

https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-earth-082420-064024

Copernicus Emergency Management Service – Rapid Mapping EMERG0325, Emilia-Romagna Floods (2023)

https://rapidmapping.emergency.copernicus.eu/EMSR632

Bureau of Meteorology (Australia) – State of the Climate 2022

https://www.csiro.au/state-of-the-climate

NIWA – Climate-change projections and extreme-rainfall trends for New Zealand (2024 update)

https://niwa.co.nz/climate/research-projects/climate-change/extreme-weather

NOAA Coral Reef Watch – Global Coral Bleaching Event Status Update, April 2024

https://coralreefwatch.noaa.gov

Gatti, L. V. et al. 2021 – “Amazonia as a carbon source linked to deforestation and climate change.” Nature 595:388–393

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-021-03629-6

Trathan, P. N. et al. 2023 – “Climate-driven population decline of emperor penguins.” Communications Earth & Environment 4:148

https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-023-00772-3

Met Office (UK) – “One billion people face deadly heat stress at 2 °C warming.” Press release, Oct 2021

https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/about-us/press-office/news/weather-and-climate/2021/cop26-heat-stress

IPCC – Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5 °C (2018), Chapter 3

https://www.ipcc.ch/sr15/

IPCC – Sixth Assessment Report Synthesis (2023)

https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/synthesis-report/

University of New South Wales – West Antarctic ice-sheet collapse threshold study (2022)

https://newsroom.unsw.edu.au/news/science-tech/west-antarctic-ice-sheet-may-have-passed-point-no-return

Project Drawdown – “The Powerful Role of Household Actions in Solving Climate Change” (2023)

https://drawdown.org/insights/the-powerful-role-of-household-actions-in-solving-climate-change

FAO – “Climate change could push 183 million more people into hunger by 2050.” News release, Sept 2021

https://www.fao.org/newsroom/detail/climate-change-could-push-183-million-more-people-to-hunger/en

World Food Programme – “What if the world warms 3 °C? Hunger and the climate crisis.” 2022

Find the rest of the sources on our website and Substack!

There’s a worm that shoots out glowing green slime, a squid that can turn itself invisible, and a fish that literally walks on land. To celebrate World Oceans Day last week, today’s episode is all about the ocean’s weirdest and most wonderful creatures.

I'm joined once again by Melissa Márquez - an amazing marine biologist, shark scientist, and science communicator. She’s been on TV, given TEDx talks, written books - she’s just awesome. If you want to learn more about her, make sure you check out our main episode released earlier this week.

But this week, we dive into the weird and wonderful of the ocean.

In this episode we talk about:

• A fish that can walk on land (yes, really!)
• A squid that can turn invisible by bending light
• A worm that fires out green slime like something from a horror film
• Why jellyfish are older than dinosaurs
• How a pufferfish creates the most delicate art on the sea floor
• A sea slug that steals genes from algae and uses photosynthesis
• How ocean creatures are inspiring new technologies and materials
• Why these species might disappear before most people even hear about them

“Some squids don’t just hide, they actually turn invisible by bending light around their bodies.”

“This fish literally walks on land… it’s like evolution just gave up and said, ‘sure, go for it.’”

Episode Sources:

Blobfish deep-sea morphology: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/fish/facts/blobfish Humboldt squid size, colour flashes and behaviour: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humboldt_squid Bigfin (Magnapinna) squid fact-sheet (NOAA): https://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/okeanos/explorations/ex2107/features/bigfin-squid/bigfin-squid.html

Goblin shark protrusible jaws: https://www.sciencefocus.com/nature/goblin-shark-facts

Gulper (pelican) eel with bioluminescent tail: https://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20150608-the-scarfaced-eel-with-a-giant-mouth

Bobbit worm ambush and size: https://www.wired.com/2013/09/absurd-creature-of-the-week-bobbit-worm/

Giant isopod fasting ability: https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/giant-isopods-curious-crustaceans-on-the-ocean-floor.html

Black seadevil (Johnson’s abyssal seadevil) deep-sea video: https://www.sci.news/biology/science-black-seadevil-anglerfish-02294.html

Sea pig cloacal breathing and pearlfish commensalism: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scotoplanes_globosa

More About Melissa. Follow her on Instagram.

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/

June 8th was World Oceans Day, and if you listen to this podcast, you know this is a day I am very much here for - because I am obsessed with the ocean… for good reason.

But rather than going on about it myself, for this episode I thought we could celebrate World Oceans Day with the help of another ocean obsessive: Melissa Cristina Márquez.

Melissa is a marine science education expert based in Australia, and is known as "the most enthusiastic shark scientist" people ever meet. Her work has been featured in Science, NPR, Vogue, Allure, InStyle, GQ, Seeker, Popular Science, and showcased on Disney+, BBC, National Geographic, Discovery Channel, Acciona, and Good Morning America.

As well as being a scientist and educator, Melissa is also an author of children’s books including the Wild Survival series (Scholastic) and Mother of Sharks (Madre de los Tiburones), with her latest, Sea of Constellations (Océano de Constelaciones).

In this episode, she shares:

• Her background and how she got to be on the Discovery Channel
• Why we need diversity in science
• The integration of Indigenous science into Western science - and how it works
• How to tackle constant misinformation
• Her favourite thing about sharks
• How to stay hopeful during a bleak time in the ocean world
• The importance of ocean education and being a steward of nature
• The importance of interacting with nature from a young age

Key Quotes

“If we're going to coexist with nature again - how we used to - we need to be a part of nature again, instead of apart from it.”

“Science, in order to be effective and actually benefit people, needs to serve the people it's trying to benefit.”

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/

Imagine a fungus slipping into your bloodstream, hijacking every single neuron and freezing you alive while it knits its own flesh with yours.

If you were an ant or a spider, that could be you — but thankfully, Ophiocordyceps doesn’t (yet) affect humans.

In this Microgreens episode, we’re peering into the terrifying and slightly creepy world of fungi.

In our main episode, we covered why fungi are important. Today, we’re getting into their dark side...

In this episode I share:

• What the bleeding tooth fungus is and what it does
• The real-life zombie fungus and why it won’t affect humans any time soon
• How glow-in-the-dark mushrooms work
• What the dead man’s fingers fungus is
• The potential health benefits of lion’s mane mushrooms
• What slime mould is and why it can move

Episode quote:

“In fact, we are closer related to fungi than they are to plants.”

Episode sources:

Hydnellum peckii overview and atromentin info: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydnellum_peckii

Zombie-ant fungus life-cycle (National Geographic): https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/cordyceps-zombie-fungus-takes-over-ants

50-million-year fossil zombie fungus: https://www.sci.news/paleontology/allocordyceps-baltica-09786.html

Fungal bioluminescence pathway transferred to tobacco (open-access paper): https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7681015/

Dead man’s fingers ecology note: https://purduelandscapereport.org/article/dead-mans-fingers/Lion’s mane

(Hericium) neuro-protective review: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5987239/

Slime-mould maze-solving experiment (Nature 2000): https://www.nature.com/articles/35035159

Without this one thing, every single thing you know and love would disappear. Soil would fail, forests would starve, antibiotics would, well, vanish, and your morning coffee, bread, beer, and even chocolate would be gone.

The thing I’m talking about is everywhere. It’s probably in your lunch. It’s almost certainly in your lungs. It’s in your sourdough starter, your compost heap.

Got a clue yet?

Most people don’t actually know what these things are.

I’m talking about fungi. Fungi are not plants, not animals, not bacteria — they’re something else entirely. And they’re really, really old.

They’re older than dinosaurs, older than sharks — they might even be older than plants, depending on how you define a plant.

Today, I’m diving into something I’m actually violently allergic to: fungus. I’m covering everything from what fungi actually are (because it turns out most of us have no idea) to why they might be the most important thing on Earth… ish.

In this episode I share:

• What prokaryotes and eukaryotes are
• What fungi actually are
• The different types of fungi
• How fungi moved from ocean to land and began a symbiotic relationship with plants
• How fungi can decompose almost anything — including radiation
• Zombie fungus (and whether we should worry)
• How fungi reproduce
• Why they’re incredibly useful
• Some of the annoying and dangerous things they do
• How we might use fungi to help fix the planet.

Key quotes:

"Fungi are more closely related to us than to plants."

"Turns out plants talk way more than you think they do."

Sources:

Billion-year-old fungal fossils (Nature 2019): https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-019-1217-0

Armillaria “humongous fungus” 9 km² individual: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/strange-but-true-largest-organism-is-fungus/

Prototaxites 8 m Silurian-Devonian giant: https://www.science.org/content/article/ancient-giant-fossils-may-be-world-s-oldest-known-terrestrial-fungi

90 % of plants with mycorrhizae (Nature Scitable): https://www.nature.com/scitable/knowledge/library/an-ecological-and-evolutionary-perspective-on-mycorrhizal-24286790/

Mycorrhizal carbon sink 3–7 Gt CO₂ yr⁻¹ (Science 2022): https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abf3457

Penicillin discovery background (Nobel Prize): https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/medicine/1945/fleming/facts/

Statins from Penicillium citrinum (review): https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5958453/

Cyclosporine discovery story: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7568434/

Psilocybin phase-II depression trial (JAMA Psychiatry 2021): https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/fullarticle/2787297

Plastic-eating fungus Pestalotiopsis microspora (2011 study): https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22269855/

CDC overview of Candida auris drug resistance: https://www.cdc.gov/fungal/candida-auris/

Chytrid fungus amphibian decline paper (Science 2006): https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.1125069

Mycoremediation and mycofiltration review (Biodegradation 2018): https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10532-018-0914-8

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/

Leaded petrol has made us measurably dumber.

Scientists suspect that leaded petrol has also made us more aggressive and of course it kills people as well. And the same guy who put lead in fuel also created a miracle refrigerant that tore a hole in the one thing that protected our planet from runaway radiation from the sun.

This is the first of our Microgreens episodes where I spend a short amount of time answering your questions, or talking about something that may not get a whole, full episode.

For the first episode I wanted to talk about the guy who really f*ed the planet twice.

In this episode I share:

• The story of Thomas Midgley Jr.
• The issues with cars in the 1920s and how Thomas fixed it
• How lead got added to petrol
• The repercussions of lead in petrol started rapidly
• Was Thomas Midgley really to blame?
• Thomas's second F up – the problem of leaking fridges
• Understanding the science around lead and why it's so harmful to humans
• Why Freon was Thomas's solution to the killer fridge problem
• The science behind Freon and how it destroyed the ozone layer
• The Montreal Protocol and the healing of the ozone layer

Key quotes:

"Epidemiologists have since pinned a global loss of IQ points to this very factor"

"Higher lead levels also correlate with spikes in violent crime"

"A UN campaign only just got the last countries out of leaded fuel in 2021"

"Back in the 1920s fridges killed people"

"The only reason our planet is habitable at all is because the ozone layer prevents about 90% of that radiation from reaching the earth’s surface"

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/

Most of the cabs on the streets of New York back in 1899 were electric, so why did they disappear? And why has it been so hard to bring them back?

In this episode, I am diving into the history of electric vehicles to reveal why a cleaner, quieter, and generally better technology got stamped out almost as quickly as it arrived.

This is part of our series, “Inventions That Changed the World”, and I think you’ll find it very eye-opening.

In this episode, I share:

• The early history of the electric car
• Why electric vehicles vanished for almost a century
• The 3 players that were quietly steering the EV off the road
• How EVs made an attempted return in 1990
• What stopped the EVs in the 1990s
• How the emergence of Tesla influenced the latest EV surge
• Some of the myths around EVs that influence people's hatred of them
• What’s being done to stop the atrocious slave labour in EV production

Key Quotes

“EVs are better, end of story.”

“In Aotearoa, 12% of our cars are electric.”

“Most of the cabs on the streets of New York back in 1899 were electric.”

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/

Fast beauty may look pretty on the surface, but there is a massive catch; the real cost of keeping up with these ever-changing trends, to people and planet.

I'm having a chat about the not-so-pretty side of fast beauty – from the piles of plastic packaging to the pressure on our planet. I've got some stats that might just make you rethink that next 'must-have' beauty buy. But don't worry I do get it, and there are ways to buy beauty products you love, without so much impact. It's about finding that sweet spot between staying trendy and being a true kaitiaki.

In this episode I talk about:

• What fast beauty is and how it took over the industry
• How social media fuels trend cycles and overconsumption
• The environmental impact of beauty packaging and waste
• Why “natural” doesn’t always mean sustainable
• The hidden water and resource footprint behind beauty products
• What fast beauty means for ethics, labour, and ingredient sourcing
• The difference between cruelty-free and vegan (and why it matters)
• Why we buy more than we use - and what that really costs
• What to look for in truly sustainable beauty brands
• How to shift your routine without giving up what you love
• The one thing you can focus on to make your beauty routine more ethical
• Why your spending power matters more than you think

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/

You've probably heard of vitamin B3. It's a molecule that's in your cells right now, quietly helping keep you alive. It goes by other names such as nicotinamide. You've also heard of niacinamide, particularly if you're a skincare girly on social media.

Sometimes it's just called vitamin B3, or occasionally you will see NAD plus booster.

It's all largely the same thing. Kind of.

I wanted to have a chat about this particular ingredient because it's one of the many pieces of magic in Incrediballs, my new drinks start-up, which launches next week, so I know a lot about this ingredient.

But I also want to talk about it because it's kind of a symptom of the massive wellness industry, which is actually about three times larger than pharma.

 So is it just hype, is it actually useful or does it just give you really expensive wee... ?

In this episode I share:

• The many names of nicotinamide and what it actually is
• The science around how our body uses nicotinamide
• Why most adverts about nicotinamide are rubbish
• The trials around nicotinamide and cognitive abilities
• The 3 pathways that NAD+ effects in regards to aging
• What can we actually say about NAD+
• Is Nicotinamide effective in helping in skin wellness?
• Why Nicotinamide can give you more energy, but not in the way most people claim
• Can it boost your metabolism
• What is a safe dose of nicotinamide?
• The amount of NAD+ Incrediballs

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/

Kia ora kaitiaki and welcome to the final episode in my nuclear energy mini-series. Over the last three episodes, I’ve taken you through the science, the messy history, and the chaos of radioactive disasters - but today? Today I’m answering the question I’ve been dancing around since the start:

Do we actually need nuclear energy to hit our climate goals - or can we just stick with solar, wind, and good old hydropower?

As always, the answer isn’t as straightforward as we’d like (and yes, I find that annoying too). But after wading through data, opinions, politics, and a few mild threats on LinkedIn, I’ve come to a conclusion that might help you cut through.

In this episode, I talk through:

• Why nuclear is low-carbon… but still not a silver bullet

• What it really costs to build a reactor (spoiler: a lot)

• The massive difference between what’s possible in theory and what actually works in reality

• Why New Zealand should probably never go nuclear (hello, earthquakes)

• How much land and water different energy sources really use

• And the biggest roadblock to progress: not physics, not finances… but people

We also take a little trip around the world - from France’s nuclear grid to Australia’s rooftop solar obsession, from China’s reactor production line to why tiny island nations are betting big on batteries.

So - is nuclear the hero, the villain, or just a very expensive middle child?
Tune in and find out. I promise I’ll actually give you an answer at the end. Kind of.

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 part 3 of our mini-series on nuclear power, and we’re talking about what’s going on in the reactor world and what the future of nuclear looks like.

That might seem dull, but we’ll be discussing questions we need to know like: will we all have mini reactors to run our houses? Or nuclear batteries to power our phones?

In this episode, I share:

• How different countries are currently using nuclear power

Part 2 of the Nuclear Mini-Series

This is part two of my mini-series on nuclear power and whether it could be the clean energy solution we’ve all been waiting for.

As I said before (and it bears repeating): fossil fuels kill about 8 million people every single year — more than the populations of Aotearoa and most of the Pacific Islands combined.

Despite that, nuclear power remains the energy source we fear the most. But should we?

In the last episode, we explored the science of nuclear — what it is, how it works, and why it’s not nearly as scary as it sounds. In this episode, we dive into its history — a sometimes horrifying, sometimes absurd, and often misunderstood timeline that shaped our collective anxiety around nuclear energy.

In this episode, I cover:

Fossil fuels kill about 8 million people every single year, which is more than the populations of Aotearoa and most of the remaining Pacific Islands put together.
Nuclear power, though - it’s the one that evokes all of that terror and fear, and, well, fair enough because radiation sickness is terrifying. But I am fascinated by nuclear energy ever since I found out that Chernobyl happened on my birthday, albeit the year before I was born, but still - fascinating.
The big fact is that nuclear is a far safer way to create energy than fossil fuels.
So it begs the question: if nuclear energy’s fatality rate is orders of magnitude lower than coal’s, why are we still burning coal like it's 1890?
To get into this, I’m doing a 4-part series on nuclear power, and to start with, I’ll be discussing what it actually is.

In this episode I share:

• What is an atom, what's it made of and how can they be changed
• How atoms can become reactive
• What nuclear reactions are and the creation of isotopes
• The two types of radiation
• What the 4 main types of ionising radiation are
• Neutrons and their role in radiation and nuclear reactors
• The fear and danger that comes with radiation

Key Quotes

“Ionising radiation can knock electrons out of DNA molecules and that is what ultimately can lead to cancer.”

“Ultimately radiation is if the neutron to proton ratio in an atom isn’t balanced, it calms itself by emitting energy.”

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/

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LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/briannemwest/

For our latest big project, find out more about Incrediballs here: https://incrediballs.com/

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:

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

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/

A few weeks ago, it was International Women’s Day which of course meant the usual corporate fanfare where they say how much they support women while simultaneously asking women to MC their events for free.

It should go without saying that we are a long way off of closing the gender gaps in pay and investment and reaching gender equity…sadly it doesn’t and a lot of people need reminding.

Last year for this episode I spent a lot of time highlighting all the issues, so I thought this year instead I’d actually highlight the amazing women who have had world changing influences both in the past and now. And then I’ll talk about what’s wrong today and how we could fix it. 

In this episode I share:

• The women who have been at the forefront of groundbreaking discoveries
• The forgotten female scientists who shaped the world
• How the scientific world continues to exclude and overlook women
• The female business leaders who built successful companies but rarely get credit
• The subtle (and not-so-subtle) ways VC funding favours men over women
• The most common (and flawed) excuses people use to justify gender inequity
• What needs to change - and how we make it happen

Key Quotes

“A woman is either passive or aggressive, there is no just holding her own.”

“Maybe we should be asking if men are too emotional to run things.”

“So, I think it’s fair to say the sun will have expanded and absorbed earth before the investment pay gap is resolved.”

“Women are just as good, if not better at business, than men.”

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 we’re talking about something ingrained into modern civilisation that has huge impacts on climate change and human rights, but is something you may never really think about.

Synthetic fertiliser.

Yep, it’s responsible for feeding billions of people but it is also driving climate change, it's poisoning waterways, and it plays a major role in global conflicts. It’s impacts are huge, so I’m going to be giving you a quick run down on everything you need to know, and this will probably also include a little bit of a history lesson.

In this episode I share:

• A quick history of nitrogen fertiliser
• Why we needed new sources of nitrogen
• The human labour and ecological image of the guano trade
• The scientist Fritz Haber and his impact on nitrogen
• The unintended consequence of the haber-bosch method
• How Nazi Germany is connected to companies that make nitrogen
• The biggest consequences of synthetic fertiliser
• How these fertilisers make significant contributions to climate change
• Solutions on how to deal with the nitrogen fertiliser problem
• Natural processes that could fix things
• Scientific breakthroughs in fertiliser

Key Quotes

“In a lot of agricultural regions nitrate levels in drinking water exceed safe levels.”

“About half of the nitrogen in your body came from a fertiliser factory.”

“Today we use about 230 million tonnes of synthetic fertiliser annually.”

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/

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LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/briannemwest/

For our latest big project, find out more about Incrediballs here: https://incrediballs.com/

What do marine biology, menopause, and gin have in common? More than you might think!

In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Jo Davy and Dr. Helen Gower – two marine biologists turned gin distillers and ethical entrepreneurs. They met in a university lab studying marine ecosystems and coral diseases, spent decades working in science and public health, and then went on to start a gin company – but not your typical one. Unlike the bearded, serious craft distillers that dominate the industry with glass bottles (you know how I feel about that), Jo and Helen bring something different. A science-and-ethics-first approach to creating something delicious for an underserved, often invisible group of consumers. And they’re having fun doing it.

In this episode, they share:

• Their backgrounds in marine biology and the journey to gin-making
• Why glass isn’t the sustainable solution we’ve been led to believe
• The massive carbon footprint of traditional spirits packaging
• How they started distilling gin in a leaky garage between lockdowns
• The scientific method behind their gin formulations (yes, they have lab notebooks)
• The connection between gin and menopause
• Why their brand is reclaiming the lost history of female distillers
• How they navigate the male-dominated, “hairy seriousness” of the spirits industry
• The challenge of convincing people that two women actually make their own gin
• Their transition from paperboard bottles to post-consumer recycled aluminium

Key Quotes

“People see glass as premium, but they have no idea about the environmental cost.”

“We walked into a gin festival, looked at the tiny still in the corner, and thought - we can do that.”

“We’re invisible. And if you stand up for yourself, that can be annoying and irritating and people don’t like that.”

“If someone swaps a gin that they might currently purchase regularly that might be actually damaging the planet… that could move the needle quite a lot.”

More about Jo and Helen: follow them on Instagram! https://www.instagram.com/joandhels/

You can get involved with the podcast online

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/

There have been a few big news stories circulating, claiming that microplastics have reached such a level that 5% of our brain is now made up of them.
While that data is… questionable, it’s undeniable that plastic pollution is a major concern. That’s why, in this episode, we’re digging into the scientific evidence to separate fact from fiction.

In what might be a slightly bleak but necessary conversation, I’m joined by Dr Olga Pantos to help clear things up about plastics and microplastics.

Dr Olga Pantos is a Senior Scientist at the Institute of Environmental Science and Research and co-lead of the MBIE-funded project Aotearoa Impacts and Mitigation of Microplastics.
Her background is in marine biology - she completed her undergraduate degree in Marine and Environmental Biology at St Andrews University in Scotland and her doctoral studies at The University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK. In this episode, she shares:

• Why and how she got into marine biology

• How she came to focus on pollutants in marine ecosystems
• When plastic pollution first entered public awareness
• What microplastics actually are
• Why the term microplastic can be misleading
• The major issues plastics pose in the environment
• Are plastics making their way into soil or water more?
• Why plastic always ends up in the environment, no matter what
• Whether there are any perfect solutions
• Whether PLA and PVH cause as much damage as conventional plastics
• Why our understanding of microplastics is far too simplistic
• What we can actually do about microplastic pollution
• Practical steps she takes to reduce exposure to plastics

Key Quotes

“Even if we turn the tap off now to plastic use, we’ve got a huge amount in the environment that is going to break down.”

“Wastewater treatment plants have never been designed to deal with microplastics.”

“We just need to reduce what we use, and its essential, reduce what we demand, because these companies will continue to make them.”

You can get involved with the podcast online

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/

Separating facts from bias in the news is harder than ever, so this week's episode is all about media literacy.

I break down a Stuff article on “the healthiest type of milk” as an example of just how subtle (and sometimes not-so-subtle) media bias can be. Spoiler: It’s not about which milk is best. It’s about how language, framing, and missing context can manipulate your perception without you even realising it.

We can’t rely on many places to report actual facts anymore, so now we need to get better at spotting nonsense ourselves.

In this episode I share:

• How to spot bias in articles - even when it’s subtle

• Why nostalgic framing makes you feel like things were better in the past
• The sneaky power of word choices (e.g., “humble” cow’s milk vs. “trendy” plant milk)
• Why omitting key facts is just as bad as misinformation
• The way experts are used (or misused) to push an agenda
• How to fact-check bold claims with actual data
• Why being “processed” doesn’t automatically make food bad
• The real story behind plant milk sales and industry trends

Key Quotes

"This article spends 80% of the time talking about cow’s milk in glowing terms and barely mentions plant milk - but claims it's a fair comparison. That’s not analysis; it’s marketing."

"The phrase ‘full of oil, flavourings, and stabilisers’ sounds scary - but when you break it down, it’s just... milk. Plant milk goes through almost the exact same process as cow’s milk. The difference? One has better PR."

"We’ve stopped valuing expertise and started giving the loudest voices the biggest platforms. Media isn't always the villain here - lazy, irresponsible marketing plays a much bigger role than we realise."

You can get involved with the podcast online

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 nearly Valentine’s Day, but before we all rush out and buy flowers for the special people in our lives, it’s worth thinking about the environmental impact of the flowers we buy.

I’m not saying don’t go and buy them, but it’s worth being educated about the industry so we can make informed decisions.

I personally love wildflowers and would just have us all buy those, but it’s not always an option.

Joining me today is Melanie Stapleton, founder of Cecilia Fox, a floral design studio. She’s not your typical florist, but her designs are absolutely beautiful.

She is constantly educating herself about sustainable practices in the industry, so I’ve asked her to join me so we can have all the information before we rush out and buy flowers this year.

In this episode, she shares:

• How she became a florist

• The sustainable ways she runs her business

• The different environmental issues in the floristry industry

• What floral foam is and why it’s bad

• The big environmental impact of importing flowers

• The green waste impact of floristry and why it’s the biggest issue

• The first thing a florist should do if they want to start being more sustainable

Key Quotes:

“Floral foam is the green squishy stuff. It is essentially just a block of microplastics.”

“Imported flowers have this very nasty name behind them, but it’s not necessarily fair.”

More Melanie

Follow Melanie onInstagram, on herwebsite and listen to herpodcast.

You can get involved with the podcast online:
Find our full podcast via the website: https://www.nowthatswhaticall.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nowthatswhaticallgreen/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/now-that-s-what-i-call-podcasts

Follow me on social media:

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For our latest big project, find out more about Incrediballs here: http://www.incrediballs.com/

Bugs get a bad rap. Sure, they’re small, sometimes unsettling, and often unwelcome in our homes. But they’re also doing some of the most important jobs in our ecosystems – jobs we rarely think about, let alone appreciate.

This week, I’m joined by Dr Leilani Walker – entomologist, arachnid expert, and all-around invertebrate champion. She’s a Senior Lecturer at Auckland University of Technology and the Curator of Entomology at Auckland War Memorial Museum, and she’s here to challenge how we think about insects. From their crucial roles in maintaining ecosystems to the very real consequences of their decline, we dig into why bugs matter, what happens if we keep wiping them out, and which ones we should actually be worried about.

If you’re someone who reaches for the fly spray at the first sign of movement, this episode might just change your mind.In this episode, she shares:

• What got her into entomology and why she loves it
• What her curator role entails
• The essential roles invertebrates play in our world
• What we should be paying attention to as insect populations decline
• Whether the so-called insect apocalypse is something we need to worry about
• The biggest misconception people have about invertebrates
• The real problem pests we should be concerned about
• Whether insects actually have personalities

Key Quotes:

“I think a spider would be just as upset to wake up inside your foot.”

“It’s not actually important that everyone is a bug nerd.”

More about Dr Leilani Walker

Leilani mentioned the Bug of the Year award. You can find out more and vote here: Bug of the Year

You can get involved with the podcast online:
Find our full podcast via the website: https://www.nowthatswhaticall.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nowthatswhaticallgreen/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/now-that-s-what-i-call-podcasts

Follow me on social media:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/briannemwest/

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LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/briannemwest/

For our latest big project, find out more about Incrediballs here: http://www.incrediballs.com/

It’s 2025, and the drastic changes in the world might have many of you feeling a bit hopeless. I know I am - but I’m also feeling angry and ready to make some change.

This year is set to bring some big things from our end, so I wanted to give you a heads-up as well as explain why plastic packaging is truly, truly terrible - and why we should be doing much more about it.

In this episode, I share:

A quick recap of what to expect from us this year The horrible moves Coke has made recently The terrifying statistics about single-use plastic packaging Some alarming plastic recycling statistics An easy solution to reducing plastic packaging Why I’m focusing on the drinks industry to drive change Why Incrediballs is different from other effervescent tablets The massive amount of plastic waste we could remove if 10% of the population shifted to plastic-free drinks options The other actions we need to take to ensure positive environmental change this year How history shows that social change often follows periods of extreme conservatism The positives we can look forward to in 2025

Key Quotes:

“2025 feels different—it feels more urgent.”

“Now Coke is saying they will help ensure that 70-75% of all the packaging they’ve introduced to the market will be collected. Collected, not recycled.”

“I have naked balls sitting on my shelf.”

“If we just shifted 10% of the global drinks market to some kind of plastic-free option, we’d eliminate 50 billion plastic bottles annually.”

You can get involved with the podcast online:
Find our full podcast via the website: https://www.nowthatswhaticall.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nowthatswhaticallgreen/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/now-that-s-what-i-call-podcasts

Follow me on social media:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/briannemwest/

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LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/briannemwest/

For our latest big project, find out more about Incrediballs here: https://incrediballs.com/

This is a surprisingly uplifting conversation about climate change—yes, really. I spoke with psychologist Dr Susie Burke on managing climate distress (anger, sadness, anxiety) while staying hopeful, because unchecked, these feelings often lead to apathy just when we need action most.

After recent events, this episode feels especially timely. With years of experience in climate psychology, Dr. Susie offers practical insights for managing eco-anxiety and other intense emotions, reminding us that positive change is happening elsewhere and within our reach. This episode is a breath of fresh air for anyone overwhelmed by constant climate news.

In this episode, we cover:

• The perception gap: why more people care about climate change than you might think
• The mental health impact of climate change and why eco-anxiety is normal
• Strategies to cope with climate emotions, from small practical steps to collective action
• How shifting business and consumer behavior can drive more change than waiting for governments
• Why we are the first generation with a real shot at creating a sustainable world
• How to support children in understanding and feeling empowered about environmental issues

Key Quotes:

“Climate distress isn’t just anxiety—it’s a whole mix of emotions like guilt, anger, and sadness that are natural responses to a real crisis.”

“We have never been closer to achieving a sustainable world. For the first time, sustainability means a healthy life for all and an end to environmental destruction. We can make this happen.”

More About Dr. Susie Burke

Check out her website here

More about Hannah Ritchie

Author of Not the End of the World, check out her website and books here

More about The Conceivable Future

Written by Meghan Elizabeth Kallman and Josephine Ferorelli, their website is here

Tedx Talk: Changing the World: Why it Fails and What Works

By Winnifred Louis, watch it here

You can get involved with the podcast online:
Find our full podcast via the website: https://www.nowthatswhaticall.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nowthatswhaticallgreen/

Follow me on social media:
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 is an episode that is probably going to make a lot of you angry. I know it’s making me angry right now.

A few days ago, Oxfam released their latest report called “Carbon Inequality Kills,” and we’ll be talking about that today.

This is a damning report on just how much carbon the billionaires of the world are producing and why it dwarfs any possible emissions you could be producing on your own.

In this episode I share:

• The importance of personal lifestyle changes to combat climate change
• The climate crisis as a collective issue, not an individual fault
• How billionaires contribute disproportionately to global emissions
• The luxury lifestyle items, such as private jets and superyachts, that have massive environmental impacts
• Why investment emissions from the wealthy are even worse than their personal emissions
• The ways that poor communities bear the brunt of climate change
• How much control billionaires have over global companies
• Why policy changes are necessary to regulate luxury emissions and promote transparency in investments
• The power of consumer choices and how they can influence big business to change
• Voting for climate-conscious leaders as crucial for systemic change
• How we have more power than we think to address climate change collectively

More info

You can find the full report from Oxfam here: https://www.oxfam.org.au/2024/10/carbon-inequality-kills-report/

Key Quotes

“50 of the world’s richest billionaires emit more carbon in just 90 minutes that your average person emits over their entire lifetime.”

“If everyone began emitting at the same rate as the world’s richest 10% the world's remaining carbon budget would be depleted in 1.5 years. If we all acted like the top 1% that budget would be used up in less that 5 months.”

You can get involved with the podcast online

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/

Welcome to part 2 of my mini-series on the beauty industry.

In the last episode, we discussed all the issues with the beauty industry, and I’ll be honest, it wasn’t super cheerful. So, for this episode, we're changing things up and exploring the various solutions currently available to the problems we previously mentioned.

In this episode, I share:

• What circular beauty is and whether it helps reduce waste
• The core problem with refillable options for beauty products
• How biodegradable packaging works
• The one issue that could hinder the effectiveness of biodegradable packaging
• Why mono material packaging could help with waste management
• Why solid beauty products are one of the best ways to solve the waste problem
• How microbial fermentation could help combat the palm oil issue
• The pros and cons of synthetic mica
• How you can determine if a company is ethical by the availability of their supply chain information
• The movement towards waterless beauty and its potential benefits
• The most significant way to reduce the environmental impact of beauty products
• The different types of transparency a company can offer
• How to consider the life cycle of a product

Key Quotes

"Chemicals are not the enemy; you are made of chemicals… so remember that the next time someone tries to sell you something that is 'chemical-free.'"

"If you don’t see any information about a product's supply chain, that’s kind of a red flag."

"Overconsumption is the single biggest issue in the beauty industry."

You can get involved with the podcast online

Find our full podcast via the website here: https://www.nowthatswhaticall.com/green

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nowthatswhaticallgreen/

You can follow me on socials on the belowaccounts.

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 moreabout Incrediballs here: https://incrediballs.com/

In this episode, we’re kicking off a mini-series on the beauty industry, focusing on what’s wrong with it. But don’t worry—it won’t be all doom and gloom! We’ll also be looking at solutions to these problems.

I’ve spent over a decade in this industry, and to be honest, it really kind of sucks. That’s actually where Ethique came from—a desire to tackle all the waste the beauty industry creates. So join me in this episode as we take a look behind the pretty packaging and sparkly glitter to uncover what’s really going on behind the scenes.

In this episode, I share:

• The biggest problem with the beauty industry
• How much money the beauty industry makes
• The role packaging plays in the industry’s waste issue
• What it really means when a brand says they use recycled plastic
• The problem of overpackaging
• How marketing has influenced the beauty industry’s waste problem
• How modern marketing convinces us to buy more
• The darker, less beautiful side of the beauty industry
• The people problem within the supply chain of the beauty industry

Key Quotes:

• “There is an enormous amount of waste driven by this idea of consumption at all costs.”
• “The average person uses 12 beauty products every single day.”
• “It's all built on aspirational beauty. Selling you the idea that you need this stuff to look confident.”

You can get involved with the podcast online

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 belowaccounts.

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 moreabout Incrediballs here: https://incrediballs.com/