Join Julia, Judith, and Joy as they dive deep into one of our planet’s most pressing environmental issues: plastic pollution. The three Js explore how plastic, once celebrated as a revolutionary innovation in the 1950s, has become an omnipresent threat to our ecosystems and food chains. They discuss the shocking reality that plastic takes approximately 500 years to degrade and breaks down into harmful microplastics that infiltrate our food systems, affecting everything from tiny fish to the whales and dolphins we see struggling in our oceans.
The conversation takes a hopeful turn as the hosts share practical solutions for reducing plastic consumption in everyday life. From refusing single-use plastic bags and switching to reusable cotton tote bags, to ditching plastic shower gels in favor of traditional soap bars and exploring zero-waste shopping options, these women demonstrate that change starts with individual habits. They discuss inspiring alternatives like solid shampoo bars from companies like Lush, glass containers for skincare products, and the resurgence of milk delivery services in glass bottles—proving that sustainability doesn’t mean sacrificing quality.
Throughout the episode, the Js emphasize the importance of understanding where our recyclables actually end up, especially since China stopped accepting plastic waste from the UK. They call for supermarkets and major corporations to take responsibility and move faster toward sustainable packaging solutions, expressing confidence that when one retailer makes the change, others will follow suit. This is an empowering discussion that proves everyone has the power to make a difference in combating environmental pollution.
Main Topics
Plastic takes approximately 500 years to degrade and breaks down into harmful microplastics that enter the food chain, affecting marine life and ultimately reaching human consumption
China's decision to stop accepting plastic waste from the UK and other countries has revealed the flaws in current recycling systems and created a mounting crisis of plastic disposal
Individual actions matter: switching to reusable bags, solid shampoo bars, glass containers, and bar soaps can significantly reduce plastic consumption
Biodegradable plastic bags are not a solution as they also break down into harmful nanoplastics that contaminate the environment
Traditional alternatives like paper bags, soap bars, and glass bottles are often overlooked but remain effective and environmentally friendly options
Supermarkets play a crucial role in driving change by offering loose food options and encouraging customers to bring their own containers
David Attenborough's documentaries have been instrumental in raising public awareness about the severity of plastic pollution on wildlife and ecosystems
Full TranscriptHello and welcome to Open Discussion with me, Julia Collier of the three Js, and me, Judith Walker and Joy. And we have ...▼
Hello and welcome to Open Discussion with me, Julia Collier of the three Js, and me, Judith Walker and Joy. And we have a few topics to discuss between ourselves this week and we're going to start with plastics. Well, plastic is a very useful thing to have in on the planet where it has been up till now. It was a great innovation at the time. How long has it been on the 1950s when they first introduced the kind of plastic we've got now, there was Baker Light and things like that, but they weren't really the plastic that we've got today, are they? And there's so many different varieties of plastic, aren't there? And it's become much more sophisticated as a commodity and we're so used to it, we don't even. Well up till late, we haven't even thought about it. Well, I hadn't. What about you, Judy? Well, I think I did have an awareness of it, but I always kind of solved my conscience by the fact that I'm a very good recycler and I always thought, well, the council are going to take it away and then it goes to China and it's made into useful objects. And I started to worry when earlier this year China announced that it was stopping taking our plastic for recycling because it's got so much of its own now. And then suddenly we are going to be facing a mountain of plastic that we'll have to find something else to do with. And it's not only the UK that that's happened to, there are other countries that can no longer send their plastic to China. And then I think it did start to hit home to me that we might be living in a bit of a fool's par ice over this, because the difficulty with plastic is how long it takes to degrade, isn't it? I think it's something like 500 years before it completely disappears. And now they're finding that when it does break down, they're doing recyclable plastics, but they're breaking down into these micro nano pieces that are getting into the food system so that the smallest thing is ingesting the plastic and the food chain means that the bigger one eats the smaller one. And, you know, so presumably even the fish that we're eating these days have got plastic in them. So when we see the dolphins or the larger mammals eating or being found dead with a stomach full of plastic, like a lot of the whales, that's where they're sort of giving them. That's quite. That's quite heartbreaking to Listen to and see pictures of them. Yeah. And it's apparently the little fish are eating so many plastic beads that they're filling up their stomachs that they can't eat food anymore. So they're actually starving to death. So it's really a very serious problem. And I recently saw a photograph of a polar bear cub in the Arctic playing with a plastic bin liner and that was really shocking. So saying even the Arctic is polluted with it. And I think, yeah, if I'm eating fish now, am I eating a lot of plastic beads? Probably with the fish. Yeah, I think it has. It's one of those things that it seems to be all of a sudden thanks to David Attenborough. Precisely thanks to David. Without him, I don't think. I mean, people were aware of it, but not to the extent of how it's damaging not only animals but the environment. The very first thing that I was aware of as far as plastic in the sea was our plastic bags, the blue ones and the see through ones that were looking like jellyfish and think, you know, big fish, whales and sharks that eat things like that were eating them and sort of ending up there twisting up their guts and their. So do you think if we all go into shops and they have those blue plastic bags we should refuse to take. Oh, well, I don't use those anyway anymore. I never take them. I always carry a cotton tote bag with me inside my handbag now, just all the time. So I never require to get a plastic bag. What I can't understand is why the powers that be that have the power don't do things a bit more quickly, they don't move a bit more quickly because surely they can just ban plastic bags being made anymore. What? We used to have paper bags, why can't we have paper bags? Yeah, exactly, we have paper bags. And also you can get biodegradable plastic bags because there's the ones you use for the food waste to put in the recycling bin. But they're worrying about those because they degrade to these nanoplastics. Oh, right, yes. I hadn't heard. Once you've created it, it's like Pandora's box. Somebody said that you could actually, in those food waste bins, rather than using those bags, you could actually just use newspaper. Yeah, because that's what they used to do, didn't they, for the pig bins? And it does disintegrate eventually. Yes. Well, that's interesting. I'm going to stop using those bags now in my food recycling bin. One thing that wor me. It's in my bathroom. I still have a tube of facial scrub and with the beads in, well, it has grains in, apparently. Some have plastic beads and some have other things that are safe in. I don't know how to find out if this tube that I have has the plastic beads or it has the kind of natural pieces of grain or whatever they use in. Doesn't say on the. No, no, it doesn'. Well, actually, I feel even more determined over the next year because I have got lots of cosmetic bottles, plastic bottles of stuff, which I'm going to gradually work my way through and I'm not going to replace them. I'm going to buy alternative like Lush Dew, a shampoo, a soap shampoo. I've started using that occasionally and it is. It creates as much foam as an ordinary shampoo and it's very good and you can get conditioner soaps with it. So I think it's a question of changing people's habits. I mean, I do feel terribly guilty that, you know, I know these bottles can be recycled, but as you say, how are they recycled and what happens to the stuff they're recycled into? Yeah, I think so, because I was thinking the other day when I had this plastic bottle of shower gel, when did we stop using bars of soap and start using shower gel? And that made me think that the next time I wouldn't buy any more. Well, soap used to be very drying, didn't it? And the new shower gels were sort of wonderful for your skin and revitalizing and doing all sorts of marvellous magic things that soap couldn't do, and they weren't scummy and all of those kind of things. But, you know, I'm sure soaps moved on. Oh, they have. Some of the soaps are nice and creamy now and there's. If you can get pure olive oil soap that's beautiful to use. And I've noticed when I have a shower, if I use the, you know, the liquid shower stuff, it takes ages to go down the plug hole. Whereas if I used soap, it doesn't foam in, it doesn't foam in the same way and it. You, you know, I don't think my skin's got drier because of it. So that's my goal for the year, I think, to start using it all up and not replace it. Yes, I think that's very good. I've also tried to go for glass containers as opposed to plastic, because instead of buying toner for my skin, I buy bottles of witch hazel from the chemist that are in glass bottles. It's far cheaper, just as good. But I don't think there is that same problem with glass glass. We do recycle it and reuse it in this country. I also still have a milkman who delivers bottles of milk to me as well, which is really good. That is amazing. Yeah, this is better out of the glass bottle. Milkman have almost disappeared bar a few companies and supermarkets are not getting to grips with it. They've lost. They're losing a trick here because I think if they did, I think they do really well. I think the supermarkets, why can't they even just go back to cardboard cartons that. Milk cartons. Yeah, that surely better things coming. Yeah, yeah. Because they can be recycled, can't they? Yeah. Well, I know one supermarket beginning with the word M is encouraging people to bring their own containers when they go shopping. So you, you know, if you, if you don't feel comfortable using the plastic stuff, you can bring your container in and just buy loose food. Well, I think that's good because it does really annoy me that everything's packed in plastic and you can't buy it loose. But I think this will change. I think there'll be one supermarket which will change and it will do very, very well. And I think then the others will follow. And I think we're going to be taking a short break now. We're going to each not have any plastic water or anything like that. We're going to get ordinary tap water and see you very soon. And thank you for listening to open Discussion WRS women's radio station, Voice of Women Worldwide, Sarah's Universal Soul Show. What is your soul or spirit? What does spirituality mean to you? Welcome to future Classical Woman Awards with me, Stefania Passamonte on Women's Radio Station. Welcome back. I'm Russ Caine. You're listening to in conversation with on Women's Radio Station. I'm Angie. And I'm Patsy. And we're open. To see what other programs we have on women's radio station, head to our website, womensradiostation.com hi, I'm Valentina Barbacci and I'm the executive director of Media Matters for Women. We're a registered charity operating in Sierra Leone and the Democratic Republic of Congo. And we produce and share podcasts via Bluetooth on mobile phones focusing specifically on women and girls excluded from information due to extreme poverty. We empower those living in rural areas with media that transforms how they access, own and share information. To find out more and be part of this movement. Come check out our website@media mattersforwomen.org do you need mediation? We are the a project charity. We provide convict resolution and community engagement services. Our services include community mediation for neighbour disputes, family mediation for separating couples, special education needs for parents, carers and their children, and young adults, as well as workplace mediation and restorative services. To find out more, head to womensradiostation.com or theaproject.co.uk women's radio station is a fresh new broadcasting platform driven by love and passion. Connecting women around the world in a global network is all about diversity from opinions, career, ethnicity, education. We aim to show the individuality of every woman everywhere, providing opportunities and a platform for your voice. Women, the possibilities are endless. That's what makes us different. Mirae B Ltd. We are a virtual PA consultancy. We provide remote administrative services. Our offering is diverse. We manage your calendar, we update your client database, we take care of your property in France and in London. We also offer bookkeeping and translation services. Would you like to know more? Please call 077-8684-8998 for further information. Mirae B Limited making the life of the Business Owner Successful. Women's radio station is passionate about communication and we'd love any thoughts and feedback on our programs. Email presenters womensradiostation.com if there's a topic you'd like to hear about or want to contact your favourite presenter, do get in touch. WRS Women's Radio station Voice of Women Worldwide. I'm Isabelle Manevy, an executive coach. Do you want to change a negative into a positive? We can do this by coaching you to rewire your brain using simple visualization techniques. In 20 years of practice I seen this transform lives. For more information look on Women's Radio website. Call me on 079-844-22171. I'm listening. Hi, I'm Vivian Arts, President of Women in Banking and Finance. Are you a woman working in the financial services sector in the uk? If you are not already a member then you are missing out on a fantastic, fantastic network which has been inspiring women for 40 years. We are a not for profit organization empowering women to network, learn and inspire each other at every stage of their career. Through our highly sought after events, we aim to improve diversity by working closely with government leaders and firms through our UK branches. Find out more at www.wibf.org uk and join a network to transform your career. Hi, I'm Sandy Goddard, Founder of the Room Upstairs. A different kind of Business women's network. Imagine a lunch or dinner party sitting next to great connections, people who might help you. You have fun, do business, build relationships, top women speakers, good food and no membership fees. That's not selling, that's connecting. Join me and economist Ruth Lee CB and have your say on Britain and Brexit. Find out more@theroomupstairs.co.uk Women's radio station is a not for profit community interest company. Supporting is our passion. We're currently welcoming donations to help towards our running costs to keep this important initiative alive. To donate, simply head to our website. Every little will help. Hello, welcome back to Open Discussion. We're talking about plastic and it's a bit of a slightly depressing subject, but also now that everyone's aware of it, I think there's hope for the future because I think when people become more aware, they're stirred to do things and as you were saying, joy, perhaps they will fight back. Yes, the big corporate people don't seem to be doing an awful lot. There's lots of noise about straws turning into paper, but everything else that they still use is plastic. And I'm just wondering if the small groups of people will end up being more productive and have more of an effect than the big corporate people who are constantly looking at their bankroll. And there was one article that I was reading about an organization volunteer group off the coast of Lebanon where the sea just off the coast has been completely denuded with pollution with plastic and everything else that gets thrown into the sea and overfishing. And what they decided to do was to create some artificial reefs by dropping tanks into the sea 3 meters down and about 15, 30 meters off the beach. And the amusing part in the article was that they had them all facing, obviously they're not going to be doing any firing, but they had all the, all the gun placements head facing Israel. So these people, you know, even while they're creating something nice, they're sort of, they're still saying we hate the Israelis or. And it's kind of what happens when you have stuff dropped. A reef starts to automatically form, the small crustaceans stick to it and they encourage other things to come and feed off of them. And you know, within a couple of years you've got the beginnings of a new underwater landscape and it brings back the fish and the bigger fish. And I think it said that 2012 they started to do this and that already the reefs are sort of quite well developed and you can go onto the Internet and see these great Big army tanks being dropped into the sea. But the Great Barrier Reef is very affected, isn't it, by global warming? Because that's natural, isn't it? The reef itself is. All the animals is creating the body of the. Why don't they do the same thing there? Well, maybe they will eventually. Maybe they are already and we haven't heard about it. Apparently there is. The Great Barrier Reef is being bleached by the sun, and they are putting in place measures to try and stop it from. Yeah, they're trying to cool it down. Yeah. To kind of protect it from the full blast of the sun. I can't remember exactly what. When it gets too hot, all the organisms that live inside just leave it. And that's why they have this bleached effect, because the green algae and stuff that's growing there is gone. So you're just left with kind of the equivalent of the skeleton behind. But aside from small groups of people that do things as well, the Earth is quite incredible. I remember reading this was years and years ago about contamination in the Pacific, I think it was. And what happened was that it was almost as though the Earth kind of decided to start healing itself. And from space, they could see this white bloom on the surface of the sea that just went for miles and miles and miles, and it was miles wide and it was actually doing something to clean up the sea underneath. I can't remember the proper details about it, but, you know, it's like the. It's kind of nature fights back, doesn't it? Yeah. I'm sure if we continue and we're already stupid and humanity is wiped out, the Earth will probably restore itself back to the original state, even if it takes millions of years. Well, look at where there was the nuclear accident in Russia. Yeah, Chernobyl. Yeah. Everybody was evacuated. Nobody could go there because it was radioactive. And they've seen all of the animals, the large animals, animals. They've all returned. They're all there again. They're living there. But radioactive animals, larger than they were before, longer teeth, sharper. I think nature has grown in Chernobyl, but I still think it's highly reactive. Radioactive. Well, some people refuse to leave. And they're still there and they're still alive. It might be that there are pockets. We don't hear much about it, though, do we? No, they don't want us to, do they? And the same in Japan, where they had the Fukushima earthquake. And then there's the. You know, it affected the nuclear factories on the coast. So, I mean, that is still reeling from the results of that accident. Yeah, I think they do keep very quiet about these things because we do have nuclear power stations all over the world, and it frightens people. I wonder why, Because I can still remember when Chernobyl went off and there was all the panic about not eating sheep, and the farmers were terrified because what could they do? They could suddenly take all their sheep indoors. They were out on the hillside because when it blew up, the prevailing wind was going west towards us and it went all the way around the world. Yeah. I can remember I lived in the States when the accident happened at the Seven Mile island nuclear plan, and I was living thousands of miles away in New Mexico, and there was great concern about the clouds coming from that. Well, it kind of was one of the first things that made me realize how we're all connected globally. You know, the temperature, the wind systems, they just carry everything everywhere, don't they? We're not in these little, kind of little pockets that we like to think, our little national pockets or. Well, yes, I think continents. Yes, that's the case. Unless there's a global event, people don't sink in a global way. It takes something like a war or some kind. And it's just quite strange, isn't it? We've had all these fires happening in America, north of England. Yes. I was looking at the thermal images of the Earth last week in the middle of the heat wave, and there was this big red band that went the whole way around the world. So the whole of the ear was like, glowing hot, which does really kind of show global warming, even though Donald Trump has told us that it's not happening. I think if people want to believe something and they see the visual evidence, if they're determined not to believe it, they will carry on not believing it, because there was that. Find it a very amusing thing about the Flat Earth society. They've seen all these pictures of the sphere that is Earth and they still refuse to believe it's a sphere. And it's like the creationists, isn't it? Yeah. What's it only 4000 years old since the beginning where the Bible started. And climate change denial is pretty common even among some supposedly intelligent scientists that should know a lot better that people are still denying this even with all the evidence. We're just going through some kind of natural cycle of the Earth, apparently, and we continue to cut down trees. I mean, it scares me when I read the speed at which rainforests are being cut down. It's something ridiculous like, you know, the size of a cricket pitch every three minutes. It's the palm oil thing, you know, the orangutan being affected. And I. Charcoal burning. Yeah. I still have that horrible image of this orangutan fighting the bulldozer in the jungle. And, you know, I thought everyone should be doing what he's doing and pushing it away. You know, there's a lot of things you can see on Facebook and all these posts around, but some of it's been done in remote areas by criminal gangs. It's not even been done legally or by people who are so poverty stricken that they don't have much. Well, the people that live there and do use the trees, they treat the trees really well. And they only take them when they need them. Yes. They're not taking huge swathes every five minutes. Yeah. The genuine forest dwellers that are living off the land. Yes, absolutely. Well, more food for thought, everyone. Those of you listening to this highly interesting subject will be with you very shortly, probably maybe with a slightly newer subject. But thank you for listening. In the meantime, to open discussion on plastic. Put that thing away. Oh, get rid of those bottles immediately. I don't want any plastic in the house. Joy, throw away that lipstick. Yes, ma'. Am. No, you're asking too much there. We'll see you very soon after the break. Thank you for listening. Welcome to women's radio station, the voice of women worldwide. Hungry? An average woman eats about 2 to 3 kilos of lipstick in her lifetime. Women's radio station, we want to hear from you. This is women's radio station station. You're listening to Avril Price with kitchen sink spirituality. It's Anna Kennedy talking all things autism and my guest today is Karen Nunn. I listen to women's radio station. Women, the possibilities are endless. That's what makes us different. Do you dream of a wedding on the beach? Or maybe in the middle of a vineyards? Imagine your wedding in Italy, the land of Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo. Getting married in Italy in a venue that is matched, magical and has natural beauty. Amoretti weddings create unforgettable moments. What you had to do is just relax and watch us make your wedding a real fairy tale. Contact us now for a free consultation. Www.amoretti.co.uk do you experience skin irritation, unpleasant odor or feel insecure worrying about possible leaks? Discover revolutionary and patented most absorbent 100% ECO certified genial day sanitary napkins with tourmaline strip. So thin, so powerful, so genial. Leave behind embarrassing rashes, annoying skin irritations, leaks with your old menstrual pad. Order your free trial@genially.com you can also find us at womensradiostation.com. Women's radio station is passionate about communication and we'd love any thoughts and feedback on on our programmes. Email presenterswomensradiostation.com if there's a topic you'd like to hear about or want to contact your favourite presenter, do get in touch. WRS women's radio station, Voice of Women Worldwide. Hi, I'm Valentina Barbacci and I'm the Executive Director of Media Matters for Women. We're a registered charity operating in Sierra Leone and the Democratic Republic of Congo and we produce and share podcasts via Bluetooth on mobile phones, focusing specifically on women and girls excluded from information due to extreme poverty. We empower those living in rural areas with media that transforms how they access, own and share information. To find out more and be part of this movement, come check out our website@media mattersforwomen.org Mirae B Ltd. We are a virtual PA consultancy. We provide remote administrative services. Our offering is diverse. We manage your calendar, we update your client database, we take care of your property in France and in London. We also offer bookkeeping and translation services. Would you like to know more? Please call 077-868-48998 for further information. Mirae B Ltd. Making the life of the business owner successful. I'm Isabelle Manevy, an executive coach. Do you want to change a negative into a positive? We can do this by encouraging you to rewire your brain using simple visualization techniques. In 20 years of practice, I've seen this transform lives. For more information, look on Women's Radio website. Call me on 07-98442-2171. I'm listening. Do you need mediation? We are the a project charity. We provide convict resolution and community engagement services. Our services include community mediation for neighbour disputes, family mediation for separating couples, special education needs for parents, carers and their children and young adults, as well as workplace mediation and restorative services. To find out more, head to womensradiostation.com or theaproject.co.uk. I'm Angie. And I'm Patsy and we're open as a trans woman living in the centre of London in 2018. The show's about all the barriers I face on a daily level, but it's also about our life stories. How we got to where we are, how we stayed positive in the face of adversity and being more than just a label. It's about Finding one's true authentic self. But it's also about your stories too. So send us a tweet. Send us an email at presentersomensradio. The voice of women Worldwide women's radio station is a not for profit, community interest company. Supporting women is our passion. We're currently welcoming donations to help towards our running costs to keep this important initiative alive. To donate, simply head to our website. Every little will help. Hello again. It's open discussion and we got talking in the previous sections about the heat wave fires, plastics, the planetary problems of pollution. And Joy, I think you started to mention about how people can fight back. Yeah, small groups of people. And then we got talking about possibly thinking about nature and how nature does affect how we enjoy or not enjoy the planet. Yeah, I think so. I think it's this summer in particular has really brought it to the forefront of our mind about global warming because there's been heat waves around the world and there have been a lot of forest fires around the world. I mean, some really tragic ones like the one in Greece where so many people were killed. So I think it's like now it seems to be very much in the news and affecting us and it's time when people will actually start to think about what we're doing with the earth. And you know, Joy, you said you were very fond of trees and that they're all being cut down. I can't believe that. Well, yes, because it was the McDonald's were the first ones, weren't they? They were cutting down loads of trees so that their beef cattle could graze in the Amazon, in the middle of the Amazon jungle. And there's lots of. Was it coconut palms that are being planted instead of trees to get the palm oil? Yeah. You know, there's ridiculous statistics of how many trees are being cut down all the time, whether it's legal or illegal. You know, there's, there's so all these ball pitches of trees that are being destroyed. You know, how long will it take before the jungles all go? I mean, God knows. Are there any jungles that are protected as I thought they were? I'm sure they're protected. But you do get criminal gangs going into these areas and they're quite remote and they do cut down the trees and I know they burn some of them just to produce charcoal for our barbecues in the summer, which is really tragic. And we depend so much on trees for our atmosphere. They just, they are what keeps the cycle going of the gases and the waters. You know, they're taking Stuff in and then they're putting. Pushing stuff out. And I think people just don't realize how important trees are and the health of the trees that we've got, you know, just how important they are to our planet. I mean, you know, the ubiquitous plane tree in London with the peeling bark and that lovely kind of multicolored bark that it has. The bark peels and falls off when it's completely full of toxins. Those trees are cleaning our atmosphere all the time. They're soaking it up in their bark and when it's completely full, it sheds them. Yeah, there's a lot of plane trees being planted in my area for that exact reason that they absorb the pollution and the carbon dioxide. But, yes, they are. All their bark's for you. That's interesting because I thought it was the hot weather. It was due to the hot weather that their bark was coming off. I didn't realize. Now it's how the tree works, and that's part of why they were planted. It's funny. Sorry, I shouldn't be laughing about it. There have been a few amusing programs on trees on television. There was Judi Dench, you know, ubiquitous Judy Dench, talking about the trees in her garden. Yeah, she loves trees. She loves trees. That was quite interesting. And then. And then there was the David Attenborough going for a walk with the Queen. Yes, exactly. And that was terribly, terribly embarrassing to watch because the Queen, he was trying so hard to be polite, trying so hard to be hard to be deferential and yet sort of jokey at the same time. And it just didn't work. And the Queen was going, oh, that's a very interesting tree. Do you think anything works with. Do you think anything makes the Queen laugh these days? To be honest, her horse winning makes her smile. And that's about it, I think. Yeah. No, it was terribly stilted and I was. But I have a tree in my garden and I love it. I bought a Tibetan cherry tree because I had to replace a really large tree that had become diseased. And I had this Tibetan cherry tree planted. And it's beautiful and I love it. And I can go out of my door and go and stand under my tree and it's lovely. All is well with the world when you're standing under a tree. How's it faring in the heat wave? Oh, it's fine. It's doing okay. And then next to it, just outside my garden, I've got a cobnut tree and it's absolutely full of baby squirrels that are Just sitting there with the cob nuts and taking the shells off them. It's really sweet. And it just makes me feel so much better about being in the middle of a heat wave in London, where the tubes in the streets are unbearable. Well, I have noticed a lot of the trees are shedding quite early. They are, yes. It started to look autumnal. Yes. There's loads of leaves around here. Yes. They think the summer's over, really, don't they? They've done it all. They've flowered, they've budded the flower. Well, I think they're just protecting, getting rid of the old leaves. And I think it is. It's just. It's been so. So dry. Because you do get that in other Mediterranean countries that hotter by August, the leaves are starting to turn brown and fall. And I think that's what we've got. It's been like. It's Mediterranean. I have an oleander in my front garden, which I love, and it does flower every year, but this year it has really flowered. Like it thinks it's in Greece or Spain or something. It's been absolutely beautiful and I've enjoyed that so much. And, you know, when I haven't enjoyed going on the tube in the heat, we should have an absolutely fantastic autumn, shouldn't we? Because I think the very, very hot summers give you incredible colors to the trees in autumn. Oh, that'd be good. Yeah. So that'll be good to look forward to. Something to look forward to, because I have noticed that the Virginia creeper that's in my garden has actually stayed really lush and green without any watering. Where other things. Yeah. And that is something that gives a wonderful display in autumn when it turns bright red. So I will look forward to that. Well, I'm growing a wisteria. Oh, yes, that is. I know. It's growing so well. And I've just got to get some. Some, you know, some trellises put up because it's. It's. Oh, once you give it something to grow on, it will go wild, goes mad. I'm really looking forward to it. So if you know of anyone who can put a trellis up for me, please contact open discussion. Yeah, you might get some offers with that. It does grieve me, though. We're talking about our gardens and you've got a balcony, but it's so green. We've got so many things out there. But, you know, where I live, there are about two or three out of ten of us or so that have got gardens that have just Completely covered them with paving stones. Oh, that's sad. Yeah. Or they've just, you know, dug everything over and they just mow the grass every, you know, sort of six months. And. And it's just so sad. What I find really annoying is that when people do have gardens, they either neglect them or they put that horrible plastic sheeting over the earth and pretend that the earth isn't there. And they just grow something very, you know, box standard. I don't know, boring old thing. I took all those spiky branches. Oh, like the palm things? Yeah. I think that plastic sheeting is usually the main mesh to stop the weeds coming up. But I agree with you about the people who pave over their gardens. That is a crime. That should be illegal because. No, it's contributing to the flooding of areas where all these people have paved over their front gardens to make them driveway. It's actually sending so much water down the storm drains when it rains. It is actually very damaging to the environment. There are some. Because they realize that now there are some pavings that people can use that are absorbent. So it does. But also it gets rid of. I mean, we've got. The hedgehog population is dwindling because our gardens are. Because there's nowhere for them to go. You leave a hole in your fence, like dig a tunnel so they can go under your fence. How many people do that? Well, they do. In my area, we do have hedgehogs. Hedgehog protection. Yeah. So we do actually have them. Well, that's very heartening to know. Yeah. No hedgehog can make it up to my patios. It's all steps. You'll have to bust a. Squirrels do very well, though. But I think the other thing is about watering the gardens. In some. You don't actually need to water your lawn. It does all come all dry and like straw, but as soon as it rains again, it all starts coming back. But people waste all this water sprinkling their lawns. It's really bad. Well, that's a very good example to set, Judy. I'm impressed. So all of those of you out there just rely on the rain when it comes to keep the lawns green. And that's the end of this section of open discussion. I think that is. Is that the last section or not? I can't remember. No, we've got. We've got one more to go. Okay, see you soon then, after the break. Bye. WRS women's radio station, Voice of Women, worldwide news, music, science, fashion, comedy and much more on women's Radio station Hello and welcome to Talking Travel with myself, Kay. On Women's Radio Station, women speak about 20,000 words a day. That's 13,000 more than the average man. Welcome back to From Sonnet to Song. I'm Isabel Schuller. I'm Molly. Martha Reid, WRS Women's Radio Station hi, I'm Sandy Goddard, founder of the Room upstairs. A different kind of businesswoman's network. Imagine a lunch or dinner party sitting next to great connections, people who might help you. You have fun, do business, build relationships, top women speakers, good food and no membership fees. That's not selling, that's connecting. Join me and Economy Ms. Ruth Lee Seabee and have your say on Britain and Brexit. Find out more at theroomupstairs.co.uk. women's radio station is passionate about communication and we'd love any thoughts and feedback on our programmes. Email presentersmensradiostation.com if there's a topic you'd like to hear about or want to contact your favourite presenter, do get in touch. WRS Women's Radio Station Voice of Women Worldwide. With over 35 presenters, we have something for everyone on Women's Radio Station. Hi, I'm Vivian Arts, President of Women in Banking and Finance. Are you a woman working in the financial services sector in the uk? If you are not already a member, then you are missing out on a fantastic network which has been inspiring women for 40 years. We are, we are a not for profit organization empowering women to network, learn and inspire each other at every stage of their career. Through our highly sought after events, we aim to improve diversity by working closely with government leaders and firms. Women's Radio Station is a fresh new broadcasting platform driven by love and passion. Connecting women around the world in a global network is all about diversity. From opinions, career, ethnicity, education. We aim to show the individuality of every woman everywhere, providing opportunities and a platform for your voice. Women, the possibilities are endless. That's what makes us different. You know, women are great at organizing things and saving money. Well, have you heard about the amazing booking site heathrow parking.com it's an airport park in comparison site without the annoying meerkat. Heathrowparking.com is the place to pre book your airport parking. Whether you're after a meet and greet or a park and ride service. Ladies, we're talking savings of up to 60%. What's not to love with gold FIFO reviews, fully flexible booking options and a best price guarantee, you'll find the perfect parking for you@heathrowparking.com hi, I'm Valentina Barbacci and I'm the Executive Director of Media Matters for Women. We're a registered charity operating in Sierra Leone and the Democratic Republic of Congo and we produce and share podcasts via Bluetooth on mobile phones, focusing specifically on women and girls excluded from information due to extreme poverty. We empower those living in rural areas with media that transforms how they access, own and share information. To find out more and be part of this movement, come check out our website@mediamattersforwomen.org the Soap Co is a social enterprise manufacturing soap in East London and in Keswick in the Lake district. We have 114 employees, 80% of whom are blind, disabled or have a long term health condition. We're creating real jobs for those people, as I said, in East London and in Keswick. The soap company is a luxury ethical brand free from sls, pegs, Triclosan, petrochemicals and other chemical nasties. We're bee friendly and we don't test on animals. Most recently we have launched an Eco range which includes a rhubarb and geranium set and a wild nettle and sage scent which was inspired by the British countryside. You can create real social value and real jobs for people living in the UK with a disability or a long term health condition by purchasing our products. One 300 milliliter bottle of our hand wash or hand lotion creates one hour of employment. If you purchase a five litre bottle for a business, this creates around two hours of employment for somebody who is blind, disabled or has a long term health condition. For more information please visit www.thesoapcode.org or for business inquiries please email B2B letter B number 2B@the soapco.org Women's radio station is a not for profit, community interest company. Supporting women is our passion. We're currently welcoming donations to help towards our running culture to keep this important initiative alive. To donate, simply head to our website. Every little will help. Welcome back to open discussion with the three Js. Now we were discussing the heat wave which hopefully hasn't left us yet. Just yet. Although I have mixed feelings about it. I mean, I don't think I've ever experienced rolling water from the top of my scalp, down my face, my nose, my neck, etc. Etc. Constantly. And having to step, you know, be as near to the fan as I could without being decapitated or rushing to the shower after work because I can't stand it any longer. Yeah, I found it like that I found it just so hot trying to. To travel around London, which I need to do in my job. And I just loved it when I got on the overground orange line because it has the most amazing air con on the carriages and that's one to travel on that. But yeah, I found it really repressive. I couldn't sleep at night either. I lost a lot of sleep and just found it so hard to stake. Cool. And then when it rained on Friday, it finally rained and I'd been working in my office at home all day and I was just like sweating, like you said, wearing a very loose linen dress and just sweating. And I just went and sat out in the garden in the rain until I just got absolutely soaked and I started to feel cold bath. And it was wonderful. I think I must be fortunate about where I work or what my house is like, because there was only one day, one afternoon, and I was sitting indoors in a chair and the sun was coming into the room in the afternoon and I hadn't closed the curtains and I was sitting there thinking, I'm too hot, I can't do this. But the rest of the time it was hot, but it was okay. And I did feel that sort of trickle down my back, but it was, you know, I felt okay. It wasn't. It didn't completely incapacitate me. And when it started raining, it was Saturday, wasn't it? And I was driving and I'd sort of gone up. The weather was. It was that sort of horrible cloudy morning and I just started driving home from New Cross and. And I couldn't believe it. The heavens opened. The crashing thunder and lightning and it was coming so heavy, it was kind of bouncing off the road. I thought, I'm gonna sort of. The car's gonna kind of glide on the water. Well, apparently it was lovely. It was absolutely wonderful. But I was out in that and the water was freezing. It was freezing rain. Some people got hailstones. They did get hailstones, yeah. Apparently we were talking about the roads. Apparently there was talk about the tarmac was st to melt in the roads in London and there was a danger of people skidding on it because apparently we don't use the kind of grade of tarmac that can cope with that sort of heat that they do in other countries that get the heat all the time. We don't do a lot of things, do we? Well, we live in a temperate country normally, don't we? So we're not equipped for extremes like other countries are. We don't. Because we get extremes so rare, like the snow. We're not prepared for it, you can't have to deal with it. And we don't have much air con. I had a friend, friend visiting from New York last week who complained constantly saying, oh, but I came to London to get to a cooler place in New York and it's just as bad as New York. Nowhere has aircon and they basically stayed in their hotel room for two days. I don't like air conditioning a lot of the time because I find it's on too cold quite often. You go into shops sometimes and it's freezing, it's too cold and also gets into my throat sinuses if I have to work in an air conditioned building. But actually the way it had been the past couple of weeks, I was quite happy to go into those places that are too old. I think the best place, you know, when it's this hot is the seaside enough to you get the sea and you just go in the sea, you cool down or you go on your bike somewhere. Because I think cycling, if you don't cycle too fast, you've got that nice breeze, that, that helps. Yeah, I agree with you. I cycle along the Thames to go to my studio. You've got the best of both worlds then, haven't you? By the water. Yeah. So you get the breeze from the Thames and then because you're cycling, you get a breeze. And that has helped me some days. But I feel so grateful I don't have to commute on a, on a tube coming here this evening and I just had to go on the tube for about, you know, sort of four or five stops. And I thought, I'm glad I don't have to do this every day because people were so sort of squashed together. Yeah. Now apparently people were really suffering on the Bakerloo Line or something. They were saying Bakerloo and the Northern Line are the worst ones. They've not been upgraded. But I went to see a friend in Canada a couple of years ago and I was looking forward to sort of really lovely hot Canadian in summer. And I have never been so cold for three weeks in my life because she had the air conditioning on so high. I was always cold and I hadn't taken enough warm clothes with me. And then as we'd get outside the house to go somewhere and think, oh, this is lovely, I'd feel the sun. And then we get in her car. Yeah. And yeah, it was so cold all the time. I'm not sure if I like that use of air Conditioning? No. The house, she could stand it. It isn't good. No. Because I used to live in New Mexico in a place that was very hot in the middle of the desert. And aircon was probably pretty much a necessity in modern buildings. With the old buildings, where they were built with adobe mud, they were actually kept really cool, the traditional ones. But it did used to be, literally, you walked out of the air con building and into the air con car and you couldn't walk far. It was so hot and dry in the middle of the night. But maybe we're getting to another topic in a way, which is architecture and how houses are built these days. The design doesn't actually help you stay cool in the summer and it doesn't help you stay warm in the winter. I think they are improving on that. I think there are houses being built with that in mind these days. I wonder what these really sort of tall, the tower block houses, like the kind they're building at the new kind of area in the Elephant and Castle. I wonder what those flats are like, if they're facing the sun. I don't know. I know there's been something this week on the news about building flats for old people. And they're saying that they should have windows on both sides. Yeah, I saw that breeze through and then you have a sunny side and then. And they also have lovely wide balconies. And that's probably what I've got in my house, you see, that's probably because I've had all of my windows open and I've had those through draughts. I can get a bit of a through draft going, but my front. The front of my house does face due south, which gets very hot, but the back does stay cooler. But I still find it hard to get a through draft going. Terribly warm most of the time. So I have to keep all my curtains shut when it's really, really hot. You haven't got a way really of having windows open? Well, I have, but they don't have you. It's not enough because my window's open, open completely wide, so I can get a really big breeze through. I mean, sometimes it's so cool downstairs that I'll feel a bit chilly and I'll go out, not in this, you know, these last three or four weeks, but in a normal English summer. And I'll go out with the jacket on because it's a bit chilly. And I'm halfway down the road because I don't realize how warm it is outside. But I think your house is quite Cool. Yes. I think it's quite. Yeah, I think you are lucky. Yeah, it's. And I just have to make sure I keep the windows closed in the lounge in the afternoon because then if it is hot that does get warm. It is. A lot of things with houses can be done by keeping windows closed during the day, blinds down and then just opening everything up as they do on the continent when it's where it's. Yeah. You don't need all this over the top air conditioning that Americans have. No. So that's environmentally very unfriendly. That's why New York's horrible to walk around because everybody's airconted, blowing out hot air onto the streets, making it even. The best houses, I think are those in those sort of very hot countries where they're designed like little courtyards and you go through big, huge thick walls and they have marble floors. Make things cool, don't they? Yes. And I think the thing is in this country this weather is exceptional. So we don't need all that. And yeah, that's it. That's what we're kind of dealing with. Well, I'm afraid we're going to have to deal with hopefully not much longer. Oh. You've been listening to open discussion on women's radio station. And if you want to get in touch with us, email us@presenterswomensradiostation.com or tweet us@womensradiostn. And if you wanted to listen again or catch up on our previous programs, you can head to the presenters page on womensradiostation.com thank you for listening. And that's goodbye from the three J's. Julia Collier, Judith Walker and Joy. Goodbye, WRS Women's Radio Station, Voice of women worldwide. This is Amy Liu, Voice of China at women radio station. Welcome to future classical women awards with me, Stefania Passamonte on women's radio station. After a long day, I like to sit in my bath with a glass of wine and listen to women's radio Kamraskate that you're listening to in conversation with on women's radio station. To see what other programs we have on women's radio station, head to our website womensradiostation.com I'm Isabelle Manavy, an executive coach. Do you want to change a negative into a positive? We can do this by coaching you to rewire your brain using simple visualization techniques. In 20 years of practice, I've seen this transform lives. For more information, look on women's radio website. Call me on 079-844-22171 listening. I'm Angie. And I'm Patsy and we're open as a trans woman living in the centre of London in 2018. The show's about all the barriers I face on a daily level, but it's also about our life stories, how we got to where we are, how we stayed positive in the face of adversity and being more than just a lady. It's about finding one's true, authentic self, but it's also about your stories too. So send us a tweet. Send us an email at Presenters at Women's Radio the voice of women Worldwide do you need mediation? We are the A Project charity. We provide conflict resolution and community engagement services. Our services include community mediation for neighbour disputes, family mediation for separating couples, special education needs for parents, carers and their children and young adults, as well as workplace mediation and restorative services. To find out more, head to womensradiostation.com or theaproject.co.uk women's radio station is a fresh new broadcasting platform driven by love and passion. Connecting women around the world in a global network is all about diversity from opinions, career, ethnicity, education. We aim to show the individuality of every woman everywhere, providing opportunities and a platform for your voice. Women, the possibilities are endless. That's what makes us different. Do you experience skin irritation, unpleasant odor or feel insecure worrying about possible leaks? Discover revolutionary and patented most absorbent, 100% ECO certified genial day sanitary napkins with tourmaline strip. So thin, so powerful, so genial. Leave behind embarrassing rashes, annoying skin irritations, leaks with your old menstrual pad. Order your free trial@genially.com you can also find us at womensradiostation.com do you dream of a wedding on the beach or maybe in the middle of a vineyard? Imagine your wedding in Italy, the land of Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo. Getting married in Italy in a venue that is magical and has natural beauty. Amoretti Weddings creates unforgettable moments. What you had to do is just relax and watch us make your wedding a real fairy tale. Contact us now for a free consultation. Www.amoretti.co.uk. Women's radio station is passionate about communication and we'd love any thoughts and feedback on our programmes. Email presentersomensradiostation.com if there's a topic you'd like to hear about or want to contact your favourite presenter, do get in touch WRS women's radio station Voice of Women Worldwide Mirae B Ltd. We are a virtual PA consultancy. We provide remote administrative services. Our offering is diverse. We manage your calendar, we update your client database, we take care of your property in France and in London. We also offer bookkeeping and translation services. Would you like to know more? Please call 077-8684-8998 for further information. Mirae be limited making the life of the business owner successful. Women's radio station is a not for profit community interest company. Supporting women is our passion. We're currently welcoming donations to help towards our running costs to keep this important initiative alive. To donate, simply head to our website. Every little will help.
