How do you reinvent your style while trying to do your best for people and planet? How can you navigate your desire to buy new clothes, the pressure to consume from the world around us, and your values around sustainability?

In this episode, we talk about Brandee’s exploration of personal style and how she has approached clothes shopping so far. We also chat about consumerism, how even buying second-hand might be taking us away from the path we want to be on, and how to set goals that feel good to us rather than just another tick box pass/fail episode.

Have you been exploring your style recently? If so, grab some tea, get comfy, and hit that play button.

Links and resources:

App | Indyx
App | Vinted
Book | Consumed. The need for collective change: colonialism, climate change & consumerism, Aja Barber
Documentary | The True Cost
Documentary | Brandy Hellville & The Cult of Fast Fashion
Podcast | #2 | Why is Primark so irresistible?
Podcast | #22 | How to declutter better
Website | Alison Bornstein
Website | The Broke Generation

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Connect with us on Instagram @theteaonsustainableliving https://www.instagram.com/theteaonsustainableliving

-Brandee and Hannah

Hey y’all! It's been a while, but we’re happy to be back. We’ve come back with a broader understanding of what we mean by sustainability - and what we want it to mean for our show! We want our habits and lifestyles to support and align with our sustainability values, whether that’s getting in more movement or reducing our clothing waste.

Hannah kicks off our new experiment by sharing a habit she’d like to change - her phone usage - with the aim of building more intentionality into her free time. She shares that in the past week, she used her phone for at least four and a half hours every day (and some days, much much more). We explore where that habit is coming from and set some goals for future episodes.

Are you also struggling with your phone habit or looking to make some changes in your life? Why not grab some tea, get comfy, and hit that play button?

Links:

Book | Atomic Habits, James Clear
Book | The Lazy Genius Way, Kendra Dachi
Book | How to break up with your phone, Catherine Price
Newsletter | The Guardian Reclaim your brain
Podcast | The Lazy Genius

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Connect with us on Instagram @theteaonsustainableliving https://www.instagram.com/theteaonsustainableliving

-Brandee and Hannah

AKA the stuff Hannah’s “not very good at.”

In today’s episode, we’re rounding out our sustainable travel series with the third and final episode all about what to do after your trip. We try and answer questions like, what should we keep in mind for the future?

How can we plan our future trips better? How can we bring travel into our everyday lives?

We also chat about trip-specific clothing, leaving positive reviews for restaurants and other businesses, and a note on souvenirs (because we ran out of time in the last one!).

So grab some tea, get comfy, and hit that play button.

Note: This episode is less edited than usual.

Links and resources:

#28 | Planning your next trip: sustainable travel series

#29 | Traveling like a local vs. a tourist: sustainable travel series

Should you buy carbon offsets for your air travel?

Should I offset my summer holiday flights?

This R29 Fashion Editor Rented Her Entire Holiday Wardrobe

Rent the Runway

My Virtual French Lessons Let Me Dream About Returning to Paris

Can souvenir collecting ever be sustainable?

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Connect with us on Instagram @theteaonsustainableliving https://www.instagram.com/theteaonsustainableliving

-Brandee and Hannah

Do you like to travel like a local or a tourist? Or a good mix of both??

In today’s episode, we’re continuing our sustainable travel series by chatting about what to do while you’re actually on your trip. (And if you haven’t already, go back and listen to episode #28 first!)

Join us as we discuss traveling like a local versus a tourist (and what that even means), tourist traps, David of Michelangelo, neighborhood impact, swimming with dolphins, and more.

So grab some tea, get comfy, and hit that play button.

Links and resources:

#28 | Planning your next trip: sustainable travel series
If you really want to remember a moment, try not to take a photo (This is not the one Brandee mentioned, and it turns out she may have been wrong!)
The Sagrada Familia Will Finally Be Completed in 2026. The Last Challenge? Demolishing the Homes of Some 3,000 Local Residents.
New Yorkers Aren't Rude. You Are.
The Airbnb Invasion of Barcelona
Farm Sanctuary
Be a More Sustainable Traveler
Benefits To Travel As A Local
A Quick Guide To Ethical Animal Tourism
The Dark Side of Animal Tourism
How to Recognize (Un)Ethical Animal Tourism
20 "Tourist Traps" That Are Actually Super Cool And Worth Visiting (And 10 That Aren't)
Impact of Tourism on Local Community

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Connect with us on Instagram @theteaonsustainableliving https://www.instagram.com/theteaonsustainableliving

-Brandee and Hannah

Are you planning a trip this summer?? (And if not, still read and listen for future you!)

With the summer holidays just around the corner, we thought taking a deeper dive into sustainable travel would be fun (and hopefully helpful).

We’re breaking it down into stages, and in this first episode of our three-part mini-series, we’re talking about the planning stage. As in, what can we do in this stage to decrease our impact and have a more sustainable trip?

From carbon offsetting (check out our previous episode, #7, on flying) to choosing eco-friendly accommodation options, we can do a range of things in the planning stage to lessen our impact on the planet. We also discuss the importance of bringing money to local communities and supporting the local economy over those bigger travel providers.

So if you're going on holiday soon (or any time), grab some tea, get comfy, and hit that play button.

Links and resources:

#7 | To fly or not to fly?
Article | The Best New Services for Planning a More Sustainable Trip in 2022
Article | Guide to green travel: Planning and financing a sustainable vacation
Article | THE AIRBNB EFFECT: NEGATIVE IMPACTS OF AIRBNB
Article | WHAT IS SLOW TRAVEL AND WHY DO IT?
Article | What Does the Phrase "Slow Travel" Actually Mean?
Article | What is Slow Travel? (+ 3 Slow Travel Myths)
Hotel | Good Hotel
Website | The Man in Seat 61
Website | GoClimate
Website | Ecologi

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Connect with us on Instagram @theteaonsustainableliving https://www.instagram.com/theteaonsustainableliving

-Brandee and Hannah

In this episode, we go beyond the immediate impact of our daily purchases to talk about the impact of the money we have in our savings, investments, and pensions. While banks have traditionally been part of the problem by financing fossil fuel projects and not prioritizing sustainable investments, this is beginning to change.

Banking investments can have a significant impact on promoting sustainable development and combating climate change. But do we go for a green bank or stick with one of the major players? Why do we make the banking choices we do, and how do we overcome difficulties in changing banks?

Grab some tea, get comfy, and hit that play button.

Links and resources:

Article | The Role of Banking in Climate Change
Article | Banks and Climate
Article | Why your banking habits matter for the climate
Article | Why are banks key enablers in fighting climate change?
Article | Stop Banks Funding Climate Chaos
Article | Ethical Banking: Top Socially Responsible Banks - Forbes
Article | Ethical Banking - Overview, Characteristics, Pros and Cons
Article | Ethical Banking: What Are Socially Responsible Banks? - Nerd Wallet
Article | Ethical Banks & Current Accounts - Ethical Consumer
Article | 11 Ethical & Socially Responsible Banks
Bank | Triodos Bank
Investing | Wealthfront

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Connect with us on Instagram @theteaonsustainableliving https://www.instagram.com/theteaonsustainableliving

-Brandee and Hannah

Were you taught about climate change in school? Are you feeling a bit worried about the state of the climate crisis now? Is there a connection between those two questions? We don’t know; we’re not psychologists or mental health experts.

But, according to a 2001 report, 84% of 16-25-year-olds feel worried about climate change, with 45% saying that their feelings negatively affect their daily life and functioning*. Today, we’re looking at this statistic through the lens of education and discussing whether the current approaches in education are supporting children and young people.

After all, feeling anxious when faced with climate change is an entirely rational response. But young people are being given the most information about climate change through school curriculums and yet also have a more limited possibility to respond to the issues. (Cue Brandee’s favorite quote: we can’t all be Greta.

Can we find a balance between the necessity of teaching about such a massive challenge while supporting children and young people's mental health?

Grab some tea, get comfy, and hit that play button.

Links and resources:

*Article | Climate anxiety in children and young people and their beliefs about government responses to climate change: a global survey
Article | Climate anxiety is widespread among youth - can they overcome it?
Article | Teens are struggling with climate anxiety. Schools haven’t caught up yet
Article | Young People's Voices on Climate Anxiety, Government Betrayal and Moral Injury: A Global Phenomenon
Article | As climate changes, climate anxiety rises in youth
Article | How can we help kids cope with 'eco-anxiety'?
Article | Eco-anxiety in children: A scoping review of the mental health impacts of the awareness of climate change
Article | Climate emotions and anxiety among young people in Canada: A national survey and call to action
Video | How to Fight Climate Anxiety
Website | THE 17 GOALS | Sustainable Development - United Nations

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-Brandee and Hannah

Did you know that 11 people in 1 company made decisions that were responsible for 0.45% of all carbon emissions in 2020*? Sure, that doesn’t sound like much - except when you realize that the entirety of Africa only contributed 3.8% of global carbon emissions in 2020**.

In this episode, we talk about the difference between individual vs. corporate impact and action and the mindset shift needed to start viewing these companies as things that are made up of actual people.

What can we do? What can you do? Well, at the very least, you can grab some tea, get comfy, and hit that play button.

Links and resources:

Article | Who has contributed the most to global CO2 emissions
Article | Individual vs corporate responsibility
Article | The role of high-socioeconomic-status people in locking in or rapidly reducing energy-driven greenhouse gas emissions
Article | How companies blame you for climate change
Article | Corporate honesty and climate change: time to own up and act
Article | Climate Solutions at Work, presented by Drawdown Labs, is a how-to guide for employees looking to make every job a climate job.
Article | The evolution of carbon footprint measurement - ClimateTrade
Article | How the World’s Richest People Are Driving Global Warming
Article | The role of high-socioeconomic-status people in locking in or rapidly reducing energy-driven greenhouse gas emissions
Guide | Project drawdown - Climate solutions at work
Video | Why I Don't Care About Your Flight Emissions
*Video | How the Rich REALLY Cause Climate Change
**Report | CDP Africa report
Report | New report shows just 100 companies are source of over 70% of emissions
Willow Update | Biden’s approval of Willow project shows inconsistency of US’s first ‘climate president’

Send us a text message and let us know what you thought about the episode! Or questions for us to answer in future episodes :)

Support the show

Connect with us on Instagram @theteaonsustainableliving https://www.instagram.com/theteaonsustainableliving

-Brandee and Hannah