Advice from David our hero

So… my first blog, and my first as a co‑founder of nothing is left. I’m going to use this moment to do something probably a bit stupid: I’m not going to sell you a product. Instead, I want to talk about my journey with sustainability — what I’ve learned, what I’ve got wrong, and a few ideas that might help us all do things a little better.

Let’s start with something important: This isn’t about “saving the planet.” It’s about saving ourselves.

The planet will be absolutely fine for the next few millennia. It has survived ice ages, meteor strikes, and mass extinctions. The real question is: what kind of future will our children — and their children — have if we don’t act today?

“Conscious living” has always been part of my life. When I was eight, I drew the house I wanted to live in when I was a “big boy,” tucked away in Kielder Forest. My mum asked why I’d drawn a huge windmill in the garden. I told her, “Mummy, that’s how we’re going to make electricity.” That was 1988 — long before the word sustainability was part of everyday language or wind powered electric was really a thing.

Growing up in beautiful rural Northumberland, we had three bins at home. This was 1980. One for compost, one for cardboard and paper (which was burned back then), and one for everything else that went into the big steel drum for the bin men. We were careful with resources. We thought about what we used, we grew our own vegetables.  Somewhere along the way, that mindset faded. We started focusing on growth — bigger, faster, more — without thinking about the consequences for the planet or the society around us.

If you’ve ever properly researched sustainability, you’ll know it’s a scary topic. The deeper you go, the more you realise how little you actually knew at the start. It’s overwhelming, contradictory, and full of misinformation.

So this blog is really a beginner’s guide on how we may be able to live better via an amazing source and a reminder to be careful about the articles you read. Always look for evidence. Always question the source.  Hopefully you agree this one needs no introduction. 

For me, David Attenborough is one of the most trustworthy voices we have. After a lifetime spent documenting nature, he’s earned the right to be listened to. Who would you trust more — someone with 60 years of experience, or a 30‑second clip from an influencer you’ve never heard of?

If you haven’t seen it, I strongly recommend A Life on Our Planet. In it, Attenborough outlines nine ways we can start to fix the issues we face today:

1. Balance population growth

We can’t keep expanding at the current rate. Stabilising population through education, healthcare, and empowerment is essential.

2. Improve healthcare and education

When people have access to both, birth rates naturally fall and communities become more resilient.

3. Raise the global standard of living

It’s easy to judge deforestation from Europe. It’s harder when you realise some people cut down trees simply to feed their families. Poverty drives environmental destruction.

4. Phase out fossil fuels

There are two types of carbon we use today:

• New carbon — from forests and renewable biomass. This can be replanted and replenished.
• Old carbon — oil, coal, gas. Carbon that has been locked away for millions of years.

We can manage one of these. We cannot manage both simultaneously at the scale we’re using them.

We already have the technology to transition. What we need is stronger government action and less lobbying influence. As of April 2026, a UK MP earns £98,599, and the Prime Minister earns around £174,000. Compare that to corporate CEOs earning millions, and it’s not surprising that many politicians hold external board roles. What would happen if we tripled their salaries but banned all external income? Would it remove conflicts of interest? It’s an interesting question.

5. Invest in renewables

Between 2022 and 2025, UK banks provided $8.3 billion in coal financing — the highest in Europe. If we want change, we need to vote with our feet and choose sustainable banks.

6. Stop overfishing

Attenborough highlights that we need to protect one‑third of all coastlines to allow fish populations to recover.

7. Protect the oceans

Seaweed is one of the planet’s most powerful carbon absorbers. It grows fast, stores huge amounts of CO₂, and supports marine ecosystems. Without healthy oceans, we will never have a healthy planet.

8. Reduce industrial farming and rewild land

Nature knows how to heal itself — if we give it space.

9. Shift towards a more plant‑based diet

As a mid‑40s male, I struggle with this one too. But here’s the reality: To feed 9 billion people, a largely plant‑based diet would require only half the farmland we use today. Right now, 70% of all farmland is used to grow food for livestock, not humans.

This blog isn’t about perfection. It’s about awareness. It’s about doing a little better today than we did yesterday. And it’s about remembering that sustainability isn’t a trend — it’s a responsibility.

If you’ve made it this far, thank you. More to come.

 

Andy Clayton

Links - https://www.netflix.com/title/80216393