In Conversation With No Planet B Panelists

Join No Planet B on Saturday 1st December in our Cheshire Street store for a sustainably special Xmas party! With Panel Discussions and a Workshop showing us all how to have a merry #lowimpact X-Mas. You’ll be sure to be on the good list this year 🎅
Grab your tickets before they're gone, with DIY workshops available before the doors open, be sure to purchase your tickets now!

No Planet B spoke to some of the inspiring people speaking at the event to find out more about what they do and their part in the mission to save our plant.

Other panellists include Greenpeace UK, Zessoo and AJ Joshi.

In Conversation With Claudia Ayuso

Claudia Ayuso is a Writer, Presenter and all-around Environmentalist! And soon will be releasing a fantastic podcast series, talking to the minds that are shaping the world today. People that put the health of the planet at the core of their businesses and platforms.

1. Please, could you tell us a little about yourself and your mission as an environmentalist? 

I always say I became an environmentalist by accident, but looking back it may have not been so accidental. 

My mum's side of the family is from South America, a country called Uruguay, so when I was little I used to go visit them and spend the summer in a village that my mum loved as a kid. Back in the day, this village had barely any running water or electricity, streets were full of handicrafts from the villagers, everyone walked around barefoot and apparently I loved it! I can't remember but my mum tells me that one day I came up to her barefoot (of course) with a cloth tied up at the end of a stick and said 'These people know how to live life.'  

From a very young age, I've known what being in connection with Earth means. It's not just a cold, dead piece of rock. It's alive, it keeps us safe and it is our home. So it is our duty to treat her with love and respect. We've only got one. No planet B, folks. 

2. Your book 'Flammae: Listen to the Signs’, is a spiritual exploration of the concept of being one with the planet, and working together to thrive for good. Please, could you briefly expand on this concept? And share with us why you set out to write this book? 

I believe in the power of stories, I think they are our best tool to awaken any kind of emotion in someone, to pass on knowledge and to learn new information. My two dreams growing up were to write a book and become an actor, only now I realise those are my favourite ways of storytelling (I wish I could sing and not smash all the glasses in the room).

The year 2015 was a breakthrough for me, I started to feel an unbelievable connection with the world around me (humans, plants, animals, the planet) and I wanted to share it. That's why I wrote 'Flammae: Listen to the Signs' because I believe there's more than meets the eye and science is starting to agree. Flammae is a book about a spiritual journey with Quantum Physics as a companion, and a love story that pushes the fabric of reality. 

3. With Christmas soon approaching and consumerism at it’s highest throughout the year, what would your top 3 tips be for someone wanting to have a low impact Christmas? 

Give experiences, not items! - For me, spending quality time with a friend or family member is way more valuable than receiving a new face-brush.

Be original with wrapping paper! - There's no need to buy all those glittery, plasticky wrapping papers with a lifespan of 10 seconds if you're a ripper like me... Find boxes from previous presents, old newspapers (free newspapers), unwanted pieces of clothing, or even better... hide the present and organise a treasure hunt, that'll be your wrapping paper!

Less is more - instead of buying a trillion tiny presents, why don't you invest in a good quality gift that will last more than one Christmas? Some research on ethical brands might be required, but you have now something to tell the receiver of the gift and, let me tell you, we all LOVE added value to our presents.

4. Through being the environmentalist that you are, working with Greenpeace Spain and other organisations, what would you say is the best way someone else can be an advocate for sustainable, ethical living? 

I've had many conversations with Greenpeace campaigners and all sort of activists in the world, and what I've learnt is we can't be perfect. The world is not designed for it yet and, certainly, humans are not designed for it either. 

My best advice is to get to know yourself and which fight that makes your flame burn brighter. I went vegan because I couldn't believe the impact the farming industry has on our ecosystems and the environment. This doesn't change the fact that I utterly despise the torture and slaughtering, but my voice might sound louder when talking about the health of our planet.

I read, listen and watch as much as I can to educate myself and know what's going on in the world, and I do my absolute best to live up to my values. But some days are harder than the others and we cannot beat ourselves up for not being able to choose better. I repeat, the world is not designed for it yet. I uploaded an IGTV called 'Fear of Judgement' precisely on this topic.

We are human beings, we thrive in a community because each one of us has a purpose, a calling, a passion. Whether it is fashion, food, animals, energy, the wellbeing of our planet or human rights, there's always someone who will be taking care of something you didn't manage to accomplish today. That makes us stronger. celebrate individuality, embrace community.

In Conversation With Emma Ross

Emma Ross aka MamaLinaUK is a low waste mama of 2 living slowly and sustainably showing us all how to tread lightly on the planet, even if you have a family to look after!

1. Please could you tell us a little about yourself and your mission through MamaLinaUK? 

I'm a London based mum of 2 little boys and I'm on a mission to make low waste, plastic-free parenting mainstream and accessible to every single parent.

2. With you being an advocate for slow and sustainable parenting, what would be your top tips for any new parent, aunty or uncle wanting to create a low impact family environment?

Get the kids involved and educate them along the way so they start to understand when and why you live like this. It's also a great way to entertain them - ever seen how much fun it is for a kid to go around a supermarket with their own little canvas bag choosing only plastic-free fruit and veg? Or what about making oat milk together? Or composting? Or litter picking? All really sustainable parenting activities that the kids love too.

3. What are the challenges you face daily with sustainable parenting? And how do you overcome them? 

Being just that bit organised when you're rrrreally tired. Having had not much sleep with a toddler who wakes at 6.45am, sometimes the idea of washing out all the reusables to head out for the day feels like hard work. Hence why I always advise people to wash everything out as soon as you're home! Also - if I'm allowed another challenge (!) - being OK with being a bit different - the only mum using cloth wipes and cloth nappies and any parents who think you're the weird hippy one in the corner.

4. You have just released a very informative low impact Christmas Guide. For those that don't know, please could you give us an overview of how wasteful Christmas can be, and provide some tips on how we can all be more mindful this year. 

Sure. In a nutshell, there are many wonderful and meaningful rituals associated with Christmas but it’s also come to be a period synonymous with pressure, excessive consumption and waste. In fact, an alarming 30% more rubbish is produced during the Festive Season, and given that each year we dump a massive 2.12 billion tonnes of waste, that's a problem. So I put together a campaign, called  'Seasons Greentings', which launched on November 1st and is all about respecting Earth’s natural resources and celebrating. It's aiming to reframe our approach to traditional Festive celebrations and to offer a different, less wasteful approach to traditional festive celebrations. Each week focuses on a different theme, and there's a 30-page downloadable guide to accompany the campaign. So far, the response has been overwhelming - it's very exciting!

In Conversation With Sally Earthrowl

Sally Earthrowl, Mission Leader at eXXpedition, sails around the world with a mission to highlight the devastating impact of single-use plastics and toxics from land-based activities are having on our planet’s oceans, ecosystems and on human health.

1. Please can you give an overview of who eXXpedition are and your role within the organisation? 

eXXpedition is a Community Interest Company which organises all-female sailing voyages with an aim to ‘make the unseen seen’ from the plastics in our ocean to the toxics in our seas, and in us. As Mission Leader, I help the team plan the mission logistics, but I will mostly be found on board facilitating scientific data collection and discussion around how we can collectively tackle this issue so that when our crew returns to land they are motivated to effect change in whatever sphere of influence they have. 

2. What are some of the most interesting findings that you have found on your eXXpedition voyages? 

A key part of our planning is to select a multidisciplinary crew so that everyone brings a different perspective to the discussion on the issues and solutions. Sharing innovative and inspiring ways in which people plan to tackle this in their communities back on land is by far the most interesting and motivating part of these voyages.

What kinds of plastics are most commonly found in the ocean? And what makes them so harmful to our planet?

Sailing through the Great Pacific Garbage Patch we saw a shocking amount of identifiable plastic items, but what was most shocking was the number microplastics we collected in our trawl samples.  We all know that marine life and birds, such as the Albatross find it difficult to differentiate between the plastic and their usual food source which impacts on their health, the health of our ecosystem and ultimately, us.

4. How can others get involved in eXXpedition voyages? And what can they expect to experience? 

Please check out the applications section of our website, our new voyages will be up soon so keep an eye out!  You can also find information on past voyages, which should help you to get a flavour of what to expect.  Hopefully, see you on 1st December at the @noplanetbcommunity Christmas party where I'll be sharing stories from our latest voyage across the Pacific Ocean.

Join the No Plant B Christmas event on Saturday 1st December (6-10pm) be sure to secure your tickets here!