People Just Do climate activism: ‘We don’t have to all be Greta’s level – but we can make small changes’
David Attenborough has warned us. Scientists have long been warning us. Prince Charles has warned us, and Greta Thunberg and even Leonardo DiCaprio, too.
Now, it’s the turn of Allan “Seapa” Mustafa and Hugo Chegwin – better known as everyone’s favourite pirate radio broadcasters MC Grindah and DJ Beats, from Brentford’s Kurupt FM and the hit, BAFTA-winning mockumentary series People Just Do Nothing – to step up and raise awareness of the climate crisis facing the planet.
The pair recently released a special edition of their podcast, Chattin’ Sh*t, to highlight the problem, and say they want to encourage others who might feel overwhelmed by the noise to find out more about the small changes everyone can make.
The stars were joined by Francisca Rockey, Gen Z climate activist and founder of Black Geographers, for the episode. Pic: Anthony Upton/PA
Speaking to Sky News, they are the first to admit they might be unlikely poster boys for the issue, but hope they can perhaps offer a different perspective to the politicians and experts who made headlines during the COP26 summit.
“It was a good opportunity to actually learn ourselves and make [the discussion] slightly more relatable,” says Mustafa, on recording the podcast. “In my circle, anyway, it’s not a subject that you sit and talk about, but you do realise that you have to make little changes – like people using metal bottles now, not using plastic. There’s all these little things that it’s just generally become part of normal everyday culture to think about more.”
Chattin Sh*t To Save The Planet features the pair talking to Gen Z climate activist Francisca Rockey and learning about the effects of everything from fast fashion to food consumption. The episode came about following research by Virgin Media O2 and environmental charity Global Action Plan, which found that many young people – and young men in particular – feel excluded from the conversation on climate change or are reluctant to engage online, as they don’t feel knowledgeable enough to get involved or worry about being judged for their views.
“I guess it’s people not wanting to get things wrong, people not wanting to make themselves look stupid,” says Mustafa. “And now to add to that is, if you’re looking at public platforms, people not wanting to get cancelled, ousted for having the ‘wrong’ information, the ‘wrong’ opinion.
“I just feel like you’ll never learn unless you try to talk about it. And it’s not [necessarily] about making a conscious effort to sit down and stage a conversation, but just making it a normal thing that’s part of your everyday life so you start talking about it naturally.”
Chegwin admits to having been “naive” about climate change in the past, and in the episode is subject to some teasing from Mustafa about changing his habits.
Over Zoom, he proudly holds his metal water bottle aloft. “It’s small changes,” he says. “It’s getting an understanding. I’m naive to all of this stuff but now I do want to make a conscious effort. I do recycle.”
People Just Do Nothing moved to the big screen with their first film, Big In Japan, earlier in 2021. Pic: Universal Pictures
“We joke about the fact that Hugo doesn’t care and I do,” says Mustafa. “Obviously that’s just two best mates like terrorising each other. Really and truly, we’re both learning at the same time and trying to do what we can.”
But it’s this kind of conversation that is likely to encourage people who might feel they cannot relate to politicians and scientists, or feel preached to by mega-rich stars for whom money is no object.
“I think it’s good for anyone to talk about it,” says Mustafa. “But when you put the news on you [can] feel like you’re getting ploughed with all this information in a language that’s almost designed to alienate people, that’s what I don’t like. That’s what makes it sound like this [issue] that doesn’t relate to us, but it’s not – it’s something that humans have been doing to destroy the Earth slowly, and we are part of that, so we need to look at that and talk about it.”
Hopefully, Chegwin says, they can get the message across to an audience that may not otherwise be engaging. “We don’t all have to be on Greta [Thunberg’s] level,” he says.
“It’s a massive problem that’s affecting all humans,” says Mustafa. “You shouldn’t have to have PhD-level information just to talk about it, but that’s sometimes how you’re made you feel.”
When Chegwin posted details of the podcast to almost 100,000 followers on his Instagram account, one of the first comments that comes up underneath falsely claims that “climate change is a scam”.
“That’s precisely what I’m talking about,” says Mustafa. “In their mind it’s the government and in their mind it’s a conspiracy, and it’s not on.”
Climate change is undeniable, says Chegwin. “It’s obvious. There’s fires, the weather is… the seasons are dramatically different. I don’t think that’s a conspiracy. Unless [the government] has got a weather weapon, which I doubt.”
So what advice do the People Just Do Nothing stars give?
“It’s the obvious, really, like recycling,” says Chegwin. “Be conscious of plastic use, also things like fast fashion – don’t feel pressure from Instagram, the online world, that you can’t wear the same clothes again.”
“We’re not the all-knowing gods on this subject,” says Mustafa. “So start looking into it yourself, you know? But it’s stuff like, cycle when you can, walk… plastic is a huge [issue], just be conscious of it.
“I think it’s just little things that you can do, but I say make your own education on it, man. This is just a gateway.”
Chattin’ Sh*t To Save The Planet with Virgin Media O2 is available now on Apple, Acast and Spotify
Birmingham band UB40 say the city’s striking bin workers and their union should “keep fighting” in their dispute over pay.
It comes as the government and the council urged them to accept a “fair and reasonable offer”.
“We’re fully on their side,” drummer Jimmy Brown told Sky News. “I think they shouldn’t give up, they should still be fighting.
“Working people shouldn’t have to take a reduction in their incomes, which is what we’re talking about here.
“We’re talking about people being paid less and it seems to me with prices going up, heating, buying food, inflation and rents going up then people need a decent wage to have a half decent life… keep going boys!”
Members of the Unite union in Birmingham earlier this month. Pic: PA
Workers joined picket lines again on Thursday, with some fearing they could be up to £600 a month worse off if they accept the terms.
“We have total utter support for the bin men and all trade unions,” said guitarist Robin Campbell.
“The other side is always going to say they’ve made a reasonable offer – the point is they’re the ones who’ve messed up, they’re the ones who’ve gone bankrupt, they’re the ones now trying to reduce the bin men’s wages.”
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Lead singer Matt Doyle told Sky News: “It’s a shame that what we’re seeing is all the images of rats and rubbish building up, that is going to happen inevitably, but we’ve just got to keep fighting through that.”
About 22,000 tonnes of rubbish accumulated on the city’s streets after a major incident was declared last month by Birmingham City Council.
Rubbish has blighted the city’s streets for weeks . Pic: PA
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Bin situation ‘pains me’ – council boss
On a visit to the city, local government minister Jim McMahon said the union and local authority should continue to meet in “good faith” and the government felt there was a deal that could be “marshalled around”.
He paid tribute to the “hundreds of workers” who have worked “around the clock” to clear the rubbish.
Read more:
Bin workers urged to accept ‘fair’ offer
Military planners help with bin crisis
“As we stand here today, 85% of that accumulated waste has been cleared and the council have a plan in place now to make sure it doesn’t accumulate going forward,” said Mr McMahon.
Sky News understands talks are not set to resume until next week.
Drummer Zak Starkey has said he is “surprised and saddened” after parting ways with The Who following recent charity shows at the Royal Albert Hall.
The musician, who is the son of The Beatles drummer Ringo Starr and his first wife, Maureen Starkey, had been with the band since 1996, when he joined for their Quadrophenia tour.
He was introduced to drumming as a child by “Uncle Keith” – The Who drummer and family friend Keith Moon, who died in 1978.
Pic: Carsten Koall/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images
Earlier this week, the band issued a statement saying a “collective decision” had been made about his departure. It came after their Teenage Cancer Trust shows in March.
A review of one gig, published in the Metro, suggested frontman Roger Daltrey – who launched the annual gig series for the charity in 2000 – was “frustrated” with the drumming during some tracks.
Now, Starkey has issued a statement to Rolling Stone, saying he is “very proud” of his near 30 years with The Who.
“Filling the shoes of my Godfather, ‘Uncle Keith’ has been the biggest honour and I remain their biggest fan,” he said. “They’ve been like family to me.”
In January, Starkey suffered a blood clot in his right leg and a performance with his other band Mantra Of The Cosmos – which also features Shaun Ryder and Bez from Happy Mondays, and Andy Bell of Ride and Oasis – was cancelled.
Referencing this in his statement to Rolling Stone, Starkey said: “I suffered a serious medical emergency with blood clots in my right bass drum calf. This is now completely healed and does not affect my drumming or running.”
He continued: “After playing those songs with the band for so many decades, I’m surprised and saddened anyone would have an issue with my performance that night, but what can you do?”
Starkey said he planned to “take some much needed time off with my family” and focus on the release of Mantra Of The Cosmos single Domino Bones, which features Noel Gallagher, as well as his autobiography.
“Twenty-nine years at any job is a good old run, and I wish them the best,” he added.
Starkey has also previously played with Oasis, Lightning Seeds and Johnny Marr.
While Daltrey starts a solo tour at the weekend, The Who have two shows planned for Italy in July but no full tour. Details of a replacement for Starkey have not been announced.
Entertainment
Muscles from Brussels Jean-Claude Van Damme sends ‘big kiss’ to Putin with ambassadorial job request
Jean Claude Van Damme appears to have told Vladimir Putin that he wants to come to Russia as an ‘”ambassador of peace”.
In a bizarre video posted on Telegram by a pro-Russian journalist from Ukraine, a man purporting to be the Hollywood action hero said he would be “honoured” to take on such a role.
Addressing the Kremlin leader directly, he said: “We want to come to Russia. We’ll try to do this the way you want to do this – to be an ambassador of peace.”
It would not be the first time the man nicknamed “The Muscles from Brussels” has visited Russia.
In 2010, he enjoyed ringside seats alongside Putin at a mixed martial arts event in Sochi.
The Belgian-born former bodybuilder shares a love of fighting with the Russian president, who is himself a judo black belt, and they are said to have known each other for years.
Tiptoeing around the topic of Russia’s war in Ukraine and its ongoing stand-off with the West, Van Damme promised to talk “only about peace, sport and happiness” and not politics, before signing off the video with a “big kiss for Putin”.
Most celebrities have turned their back on Vladimir Putin since he launched his invasion in February 2022 but a handful continue to defend him. Of those, American actor Steven Seagal is the most high profile.
The Under Siege star, who holds a Russian passport and is a frequent visitor to the country, acts as Moscow’s special representative for Russian-US humanitarian ties.
But when we caught up with him at Putin’s latest presidential inauguration last year, he refused to say why he supports the Kremlin leader…
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Steven Seagal calls Sky’s question about Putin ‘stupid’
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