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/

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, 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're probably 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
• The post child example of 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/

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/

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:

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: 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:
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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/

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 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/