Coming in 2023 – Sustainable Futures Shorts: the Podcast
When it comes to talking about protecting the environment, mitigating climate disruption, and transitioning to a sustainable future, the news can be dire.
The Sustainable Futures Shorts Podcast is short and hope-filled, and gives people an insight into some of the positive and effective things that people and organisations are envisioning, doing and creating to tackle today’s sustainability challenges. Through stories of action and positivity, the purpose of this podcast is to inspire others to become more hopeful and take action themselves, no matter how small.
I would like to be on your podcast
How lovely! Get in touch and let’s set up a time to speak and let’s see what we might speak about and when.
Book a call directly into my calendar or send me a message and we’ll work something out via email.
Q&A
How are you doing?
Very well! Thanks for asking. It’s always nice to open a Q&A on a friendly note!
Isn't it "greenwashing" to focus on solutions and actions?
No. Greenwashing is “when a company or organisation spends more time and money on marketing themselves as being sustainable than on actually minimising their environmental impact” (Earth.org).
The Sustainable Futures Shorts podcast isn’t about big brands and their ESG and carbon off-setting activities. This isn’t new or cutting edge – it just needs to be done. Instead, the podcast gives a platform to people coming up with solutions that drive action: in their communities, in industry, in regions. It’s purpose is to shine a light on the good work that is happening right now, and to give people a reason to start acting.
But we need to act now! Small changes are useless, aren't they?
Yes, climate scientists and activists want major change and they want it now, and yes, that would be lovely.
The thing is that this isn’t happening. Humans evolved slowly. Organisations change slowly. The wheels of politics roll slowly. This can discourage people. They think, “Oh well, if I can’t make major changes then I may as well not bother.” But that’s the wrong way of thinking. Small, consistent changes are still important in helping to create sustainable futures for us all.
This podcast serves to show that change IS happening, the solutions ARE out there, and that it is most definitely WORTH taking action, even if your action is small.
Why is it so short? I expect my sustainability podcasts to be at last 1 hour long!
Attention spans are short. Our podcasts aren’t intended to sell something, nor are they designed to fill airtime in podcast-land. Instead, they existing to make people curious about one idea, one solution, one exciting “thing” that is being created or implements to tackle today’s sustainability challenges.
We trust that if people are interested enough, they can use the search engines to learn more!
What if climate change is a hoax?
What do you take away from the inimitable Joel Pett's cartoon? (© Joel Pett - for more of his work, see: https://www.kentucky.com/opinion/editorial-cartoons/joel-pett/.)
How can you foster a culture of communication in your organisation?
Like so many things, fostering a culture of communication has to start at the top. If leaders really want to have a two-way dialogue, they need to have an open-door policy, make time to listen, be open to new ideas, and not only act on good ideas, but acknowledge...
How can you make sure that everyone contributes in a meeting?
If you have a meeting, hearing the voices of all attendees could be a game-changer. Of course, it depends on the meeting: if you’re delivering a state-of-the-nation talk to the company, perhaps you’re more interest in cascading information down rather than getting...
How can you diffuse drama in your team?
The Karpman Drama Triangle defines the roles that people take on (and can switch between) in stressful, emotional or high-conflict situations. Dr Stephen Karpman identified three main roles that emerge: the persecutor, the victim and the rescuer. We can often find...
What if there was a process for soliciting honest, neutral input for your ideas?
You’re a creator. Perhaps you’re creating a new strategy, a product, a play, a novel, a team, or something completely different. You’re part-way through. You think you’re on the right track. And you have decided that you want to share your idea and get feedback and...
What if there was a process for giving kind but honest feedback?
The good news is that there are loads of interesting models, but which model you choose to use depends on what you are trying to achieve. If you want to give feedback on work-in-progress—a creation of some sort—you might want to take a look at Liz Lerman’s deceptively...
What if it was possible to have productive, conflict-free conversations?
Conversations are life’s “grease”. Good conversations make things go smoother – work, relationships, buying something at the store, understanding a complex idea, and more. The challenge is that so many conversations become charged and filled with conflict below the...
Reframing can change hearts, minds, and souls – er, soles?
As a fish hugger (compare with tree hugger), I am always baffled at how people describe sea creatures as ugly. Who do we think we are that we can make value judgements about these extraordinary living neighbours of ours? Perhaps they'd rather be judged "ugly and...
I wanted to send you a personal note to thank you for all your support and efforts in helping us with this moderation. I admire your flexibility and adaptability to whatever curveballs we end up throwing at you, your ability to spontaneously reshuffle and reconceptualise the sessions, and your upbeat attitude and energy! It is always a pleasure to work with you, and the sessions are always extremely engaging and fruitful.