Ethically Questionable

Avsnitt

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  The Clothes Are Not Alright 15.09.2026 44min

  Why "Polyester" Became an Insult (And Why Brands Are Still Making More of It)Shayeza Walid, sustainability journalist at The Business of FashionPolyester turned into a slur online this year. Teenagers use it to mean cheap, plastic, fake, and people now read clothing labels the way they read ingredients lists. So the obvious question is whether any of that hatred has changed what the industry actually makes. It has not. Shayeza Walid, who covers sustainability at The Business of Fashion, brings Jamila the numbers: fashion's carbon emissions rose 14 percent in a single year, and rising polyester production was one of the reasons why. From there the conversation goes somewhere more uncomfortable than material swaps, into why a brand can print organic cotton on every label while hiding the only figure that matters, why the $800 sustainable sweater wrecked the whole movement, and why a working journalist says she does not trust certifications 80 percent of the time. If you have ever stood in a shop trying to work out whether you are the problem, this one is for you.About the guestShayeza Walid is Senior Editorial Associate covering sustainability at The Business of Fashion, based in London, where she reports on fashion's environmental impact, climate accountability, supply chains and labour. She writes BoF's sustainability newsletter, The Frayed Edge. Before BoF she was a contributing reporter at The New York Times covering South Asia, and contributed to Variety, Esquire and Screen International. She holds a masters from Columbia Journalism School.What you will learnWhy fashion's carbon emissions rose 14 percent from 2023 to 2024 while every brand was announcing climate targetsWhy hating polyester online has not reduced how much of it gets produced, and what actually wouldThe reason a sustainability journalist does not trust certifications about 80 percent of the timeWhy scale is the one number a brand can hide behind a conscious collection, and what to look at insteadHow the $800 regenerative sweater narrative made sustainability feel like a class marker and pushed people away from itWhy durability is a better metric than material makeup, using Patagonia's heavy polyester use as the exampleWhat the new French anti fast fashion levy and the incoming EU green claims rule will and will not fixWhy recycled polyester is a genuinely good idea that still fails the Global SouthNotable quotes"Scale is the one thing that's very easy to kind of hide when you're marketing your brand." Shayeza Walid"One polyester sweater that lasts 15 years is better than somebody buying 15 organic cotton sweaters every season." Jamila Brown"The average person can't afford the $800 sweater." Shayeza Walid"I don't trust certifications about 80 percent of the time." Shayeza Walid"Regulation doesn't change the motivation or the incentive of why corporations work, which is profit." Shayeza WalidResources mentionedThe Business of Fashion, and Shayeza's sustainability newsletter The Frayed EdgeThe Apparel Impact Institute, whose 2024 data showed the 14 percent emissions riseFrance's anti fast fashion law, in force from 1 September, levying Shein and TemuThe incoming EU green claims regulation on misleading sustainability marketingOshadi, the South India brand that owns its own farms, and Kotn, the Canadian Egyptian cotton brand working directly with Egyptian farmsBrands discussed: Shein, Temu, H&M, Zara, Mango, Primark, Patagonia, Stella McCartney, Another Tomorrow, Everlane, Abercrombie & Fitch, American Apparel, Gap, MadewellCollaborations discussed: Stella McCartney x H&M, H&M x Elie Saab, Coach x Penguin book charms, Jonathan Anderson's Dior book totesConnect with Shayeza WalidInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/shayeza_/Newsletter: The Frayed Edge at The Business of FashionConnect with Ethically QuestionableYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@EthicallyQuestionablePodInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/ethicallyquestionable/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  EQ News: Champagne on the Titanic 11.09.2026 20min

  This year's heatwaves have produced what English wine growers are calling a genuine vintage year for sparkling wine, and that's not a coincidence. Jamila and Jenn get into three reports that landed this week and what they add up to. The UN's new Limiting Overshoot report says the world is on track to blow past 1.5°C, likely reaching 1.8°C or higher under current policies, and lays out what actually has to happen to bring warming back down once we overshoot it. Copernicus confirmed August 2026 as the joint-hottest month ever recorded globally, tied with July 2023, with ocean temperatures at their highest August level on record, alongside the human cost of a hotter world, including this year's glacial flooding disaster in Nepal. And The Earthshot Prize and the University of Exeter released a more hopeful counterpoint, "The Tipping Points Playbook," mapping five areas where climate solutions could hit a point where they become cheap, accessible and self-sustaining if the conditions are right.Jamila and Jenn talk through why a great wine harvest and a terrible barley harvest are the same story, why clean energy is closest to its tipping point in the UK, and what a good vintage really costs.Some questions we get into:What "overshooting" 1.5°C actually means for the next decade, not just the headline numberWhy carbon removal keeps getting sold as a fix it isn'tWhat has to be true for a climate solution to go from niche to mainstreamWhether we can toast a good vintage and reckon with a bad summer in the same breath Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  EQ News: Do Some People Deserve To Be Cancelled? 04.09.2026 26min

  This week Jamila and Jenn look at two very different "cancellations" making headlines right now. The Met Gala had to scrap a planned museum exhibition honoring designer John Galliano after backlash over antisemitic remarks he made back in 2011, remarks serious enough that a French court actually convicted him for them. Meanwhile, Washington Post opinion columnist Karen Attiah was fired within 24 hours of a single post about Charlie Kirk, only for an arbitrator to rule a year later that the firing was unlawful and order her reinstated with full backpay. Same news cycle, same word getting thrown around, but two stories that raise pretty different questions. Does everyone get a path back, and should they? Where's the line between accountability and overreaction? And is "cancel culture" even the right term for either of these? Jamila and Jenn break it down.Electrified by Polestar! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  EQ News: Gen Z's Nastiest New Slang Word Is Coming for Your Wardrobe 28.08.2026 19min

  Gen Z has a new insult and it is savage. This week Jamila and Jenn break down "polyester," the TikTok slang word taking over from "larp" to call something fake, janky, and low effort. Except it turns out the word did not come out of nowhere. Its a direct analogy to the actual fabric. Tune in as we trace how a fiber that was once sold to 1950s housewives as a wrinkle free miracle became such an insult that Gen Z is now using its name as a diss. We also get into the linguistic term for why this happens (semantic pejoration, try saying that three times fast), the case of "Karen" basically vanishing from birth certificates since 2017, and whether TikTok slang might be doing more to change how people shop than a decade of brand messaging ever did. Naturally we try to invent the next viral insults themselves: "emissions queen" (it backfires, sounds aspirational), "farmed salmon" as shorthand for anything cheap and gross, and "renewable" as an actual compliment. Consider this your homework: start using them immediately. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  EQ News: Imagine Being Mad about Kids Having Clean Air 21.08.2026 22min

  This week on Ethically Questionable News, Jamila and Jenn pause to talk about the death of Cambridge professor Jason Arday following weeks of press scrutiny, and what it says about the responsibility we all carry (media and public alike) for the negativity we aim at real people, from Meghan Markle to public figures closer to home.Then it's onto some good news: a new Queen Mary University of London study tracking children's lung development in London versus Luton since 2018 has found that London kids' lungs, once measurably smaller due to pollution, have caught up to their Luton counterparts since ULEZ was introduced. Jenn and Jamila break down what ULEZ actually does, why Sadiq Khan took heat for implementing it with "no proof," and why this study changes that. They also get into the pushback ULEZ still faces, the affordability options people overlook, and how cities from Milan to Tokyo to New York are tackling emissions in their own ways.A story about clean air, common sense, and holding both the press and ourselves accountable for the impact we have on others.For more check us out on: https://www.instagram.com/ethicallyquestionable/Electrified by Polestar Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  EQ News: Trump Thinks the Oil Companies are Making Too Much Money... Duh 14.08.2026 18min

  Big Oil just posted $93 billion in profits in three months while the rest of us pay more to fill up our cars. Jamila and Jenn dig into the Guardian investigation showing eight major oil companies nearly doubled their earnings during the Iran conflict, why "the market" means we all pay more even when a country produces its own oil, and the surprising twist: even Trump thinks Exxon and Chevron are making too much money. Then, Shein's tariff reckoning a $99 million loss just as it heads into its Hong Kong IPO and what it means for the future of ultra-fast fashion. Plus: France's influencer ad ban, the EU's new parcel tax, a very expensive White House ballroom, and a dust tornado in Greenwich Park that nobody knew how to react to. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  EQ News: Open AI's Influencer Trip + London Droughts and Data Centers 07.08.2026 21min

  This week, Jamila and Jenn tear into OpenAI's very first influencer trip, a "digital detox" weekend at a luxury eco-farm upstate, complete with workshops on using ChatGPT more, because nothing says reconnect with nature like a company whose data centers are draining it. They debate whether OpenAI is uniquely tone-deaf or just doing what every tech giant does at Cannes Lions, and why Anthropic still gets the benefit of the doubt (one good podcast interview will do that). Then the conversation turns local: a new data center approved in Jamila's own London borough of Ealing boasts the world's largest solar panel wall, which, once you do the math, will power the facility for a grand total of three hours a year, while residents brace for flickering lights and low water pressure. All of it lands in the middle of London's third drought in five years, a crisis the UK still has no public playbook for. Grab your hose pipe ban and settle in. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  To Send or Not To Send That Fiery Email... That is the Question 04.08.2026 42min

  Ethically Questionable: Joe Roberts WalkerJamila's back from a summer break with Mejuicer founder Joe Roberts Walker, whose circular ginger-shot subscription business supplies offices, festivals, and film sets (Netflix, The Crown) across London. Riding in the Polestar, they dig into six years of building a business reputation: why treating reputation like compounding capital beats chasing viral moments, why "virtue signaling" got an unfairly bad rap, and the customer-service instinct to hit refund rather than argue. Joe opens up about early-career regrets managing his own staff, why he turns away arms-fair clients on principle, and his frustration with governments pushing individual sustainability guilt while big polluters coast on PR. It closes with a rapid-fire Ethical or Questionable on daily LinkedIn posting and working with reputationally shaky clients. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  EQ News: Meta AI's Pervert Glasses 31.07.2026 20min

  Meta's AI glasses are being called "pervert glasses" for a reason. Jamila and Jenn break down the covert filming, the "Hey Meta" data pipeline, the content reviewers, and why wrapping all of it in a Kylie Jenner collab makes it worse, not better.Electrified by PolestarFollow us below for more:Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/ethicallyquestionable/TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@ethicallyquestionablepodYouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@EthicallyQuestionablePod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  EQ News: Zara's Death Pants & The EU Ban on Destroying Unsold Clothes 24.07.2026 23min

  In this week’s Ethically Questionable news segment, Jamila Brown and Jenn McGarrigle dive into the viral “death pants” conversation around Zara and what it reveals about fast fashion, overproduction, and the hidden cost of trends. From pants getting caught in escalators and bikes to the bigger problem of flammable jumpers, destroyed stock, and overflowing secondhand markets, they unpack how price, status, and brand image can mask serious quality and sustainability issues. The conversation turns to the EU’s new rules on unsold textiles, exploring whether legislation can actually push brands toward better design, more transparency, and a more circular future. It’s sharp, funny, and hopeful with a clear message: progress may be imperfect, but the fashion industry has to start doing better.Electrified by PolestarFollow us onInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/ethicallyquestionable/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ethicallyquestionablepodYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@EthicallyQuestionablePod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  EQ News: Pete Hegseth Serving Weirdo Misogynist Yet Again 17.07.2026 22min

  This week on EQ News we cover 2 stories both about the US Secretary of War (gag) Pete Hegseth. With a new investment in testosterone for US troops, and divestment in Women's Leadership... what other conclusions can we really come to? Pete Hegseth is a weirdo misogynist and we really gotta vote the folks who put him in power out ya'll... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Rewind: You're Thinking About Your Wardrobe All Wrong 14.07.2026 55min

  We're off this week guys so dropping one of our most listened to episodes in the feed for you with ByRotation Founder Eshita Kabra-Davies on building out the wardrobe of your dreams without f*cking up the planet. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  EQ News: Nigel Farage vs Count Bin Face 10.07.2026 18min

  In a world where your options for political leadership are a man often confused for a walking trash can or Count Binface who will the people of Clacton-on-Sea vote for? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  From Tequila to Tween Skincare - Can these Businesses be a Force for Good? 07.07.2026 42min

  Elise Som is the serial entrepreneur behind Mijenta, a B Corp tequila made with recycled glass bottles and just three ingredients, and Bare la Terre, a compostable kids' skincare line her daughter asked her to build. On the pod, she and Jamila get into why simpler products are actually cheaper to make, why ESG departments are mostly talk without action, and why banning kids from skincare doesn't work when they can just buy it themselves. Plus, the "Ethical or Questionable" round covers B Corp, sustainability degrees, and the sorry state of plastic recycling.Ethically Questionable is electrified by Polestar, the Swedish electric performance brand created to accelerate the shift to zero tailpipe emissions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  What Does Public Art Have To Do With Anything? 30.06.2026 47min

  Jamila gets in the car with Marine Tanguy, founder of the world's first B Corp art agency MTArt and author of A Visual Detox, to talk about something most of us never clock: the art and advertising around us is quietly deciding who matters.Marine breaks down the brutal stat behind UK billboards (the poorer your postcode, the more ads you see), why 97% of London's sculptures depict men on pedestals, and the term "historiography" - basically, who gets written into history and who conveniently gets left out. They get into art washing versus the real thing, why nude art isn't the problem but objectification is, and whether blowing up a van of banknotes counts as art or just very well-funded protest.Ethically Questionable is electrified by Polestar, the Swedish electric performance brand created to accelerate the shift to zero tailpipe emissions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  EQ News: Heatwaves, Handshakes, Horrible Instagram Posts 26.06.2026 24min

  TW: We discuss world cup players involved in sexual assault casesThis week Jenn and I cover the massive heat dome burning up Europe, feminism and misogyny at the World Cup, and all the insane responses we've seen to these things along the way. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Wine Lovers, This One’s for You 23.06.2026 49min

  Ever wonder if something as simple as switching up your go to wine order at the bar or on your shopping trip can have a positive impact on the planet? Enter Corinna Pyke, Marketing and Partnerships Director whose advice is probably not what you were expecting to hear.Don't miss this week's episode of Ethically Questionable, filmed front seat of our Polestar for a convo on materials, methodology, and.. Rudolf Steiner?For more on Sustainable Wine Solutions, check out their mission here:https://www.instagram.com/sustainablewinesolutions/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  EQ News: Elon Musk's Financial Obesity + The Social Media Ban & The Slow Death of Net Zero 19.06.2026 38min

  This week on EQ News, Jamila, Jenn, and Aisling dig into the three stories dominating their feeds.Jenn returns with an update on the salmon crisis and the science behind what researchers are calling the "extinction vortex." Aisling unpacks the SBTi's major overhaul of net zero standards and whether more flexibility for companies is progress or a cop-out. And Jamila makes the case that we need a wealth line, not just a poverty line, after Elon Musk becomes the world's first trillionaire.Plus: the UK's proposed social media ban for under-16s and what it's like to have that conversation with your actual kid.Ethically Questionable is electrified by Polestar, the Swedish electric performance brand created to accelerate the shift to zero tailpipe emissions.Follow us on:www.instagram.com/ethicallyquestionablewww.tiktok.com/@ethicallyquestionablepodwww.youtube.com/@EthicallyQuestionablePod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Candice Brathwaite on the Changing World of Brand, Influence, & Value Alignment 16.06.2026 1h 12min

  This week we have two-time Sunday Times bestselling author and podcaster Candice Brathwaite in the Polestar for a deep dive on the changing world of brand partnerships, influence, and value alignment. In a world where we're stuck to our devices, either as creators or consumers of content, what do we sell when we sell out to bad brands, and how do we reclaim that space? To help us unpack that, Candice talks us through her career from blogging to building her personal brand alongside her writing career, what she'd do if she was starting from scratch today, and how she's grown as both a creator and a brand partner without straying from the values that define her.Join the ride. Electrified by Polestar.For more from Candice Follow her & her Podcast Conversations with Candice Here:https://www.instagram.com/candicebrathwaite/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  EQ News: Farmed Salmon Boycott, Free Ben & Jerry's, plus Woodland Inheritance Fraud 12.06.2026 41min

  Will a campaign in the restaurant sector to boycott farmed salmon save our waterways? Will Ben & Jerry ever free Ben & Jerry's from their evil corporate overload The Magnum Ice Cream Corporation? Can Planting Trees as an Inheritance Tax Loop Hole save the world? We question all of this and more on this weeks... Ethically Questionable News. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.