McDonalds are wrong to switch to paper straws (Aug19)

I can’t count the number of times when I’ve said I don’t want a straw and the response has been – it’s OK because it’s paper…. It’s not. First, we have to challenge why straws are so commonly used. I suppose I have to acknowledge that there are some situations where it makes sense […]
I’m feeding my dog insects! (Apr19)

The brilliant thing about this is that it’s better for the planet – and apparently good nutritionally too. And, Rex loves them. The main insect ingredient comes from soldier fly grubs, which are reared in high tech vertical farms and fed on vegetable matter – and they grow to full size in just 14 days. […]
Watching ‘Blue’ made people angry (Dec18)

It was difficult to decide which part of the film made me more angry. High on the the list were the scenes cutting the fins from living sharks and throwing them back into the sea. I think the film said that 60 million sharks are killed for their fins each year – but looking it […]
Converting people to Sodastream (Nov18)

Many of us remember having a Sodastream in our childhood. Then it seemed to disappear from consciousness. Now it’s back. It’s only been 10 years since I started liking sparkling water. Before then, I couldn’t understand why people weren’t happy with tap water. Now, I’ve quite keen on having a cool glass of fizz with […]
Speaking on Plastics at Trill Farm (SEP18)

“A quick but very heartfelt thank you for giving Trill such a good talk last Friday. It was a great evening with a really thoughtful and illuminating talk ( as well as good fun) and very much appreciated by everybody.” Romy Fraser, Trill Farm
Packaging & Organic Event – Soil Association(Sep18)

“Thank you so much for coming today to the packaging and organic event and for the great presentations and insight you gave. It was really well received from the feedback I’ve had and hopefully you enjoyed it as well.” Clare McDermott, Business Development Director, Soil Association See details of event, supported by Ecotricity. It […]
Moshi Moshi support sustainable fishing (Jun18)

I first came across Moshi Moshi over a decade ago. A Japanese restaurant run by Caroline Bennett, they’re at the forefront of restaurants supporting sustainable fish. My husband, Jamie Macdonald, has recently co-invested in an artisan fishing trawler with Nick Fisher, who co-wrote the Fish Cook Book with Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. One of their first commercial […]
How good is my re-usable bamboo cup? (Jun18)

I’ve found a re-usable cup I really like. It’s made from bamboo, is quite colourful and has a really good lid that stops the liquid from spilling. My previous versions had lids that fell off, which made them pretty useless for coffee on the move. Bamboo has become a bit of a thing. When I […]
Future of Food Ethics (Jun18)

It’s eight years ago since I stepped down from the Food Ethics Council, but I still knew quite a few faces at their 20 year event, held in London this week. I was particularly intrigued by one man who had moved on from being a chef to selling goats meat.He wasn’t impressed that the goat’s […]
Ideas for greener tourism in Myanmar [Relevant to other countries too] (Apr18)

There are over 3,000 temples in Bagan… Aureum Palace Hotel in Bagan claimed that 99% of clients want their sheets changed daily “99% of people like to have their bed linen changed at hotels at least once a day”. Really? I wondered how this assertion could be validated. But, I haven’t been able to respond […]
Behind the Scenes in Paradise (Feb17)

I’m hoping that my eco-footprint, on our luxury holiday staying at the Six Senses Hotel, Zil Payson, in the Seychelles – is considerably less than other guests! How so? It comes mainly from my aversion to air conditioning. Our residence was one of 30 beautiful villas nestled in the hills and rocks of Felicite Island. We […]
Feeling guilty about Lidl lobsters (Nov14)

We bought a couple of lobsters from Lidl for £5.99 each and had them for supper. They weren’t particularly good despite getting the top rating for ‘cheap supermarket lobsters’. And, even worse, they were tiny. I’ve looked up the sustainability of small lobsters and see that it’s definitely not recommended. They should be thrown back […]