One of my earliest memories is of shucking corn at the compost pile in my backyard in rural Connecticut. As much as boiling the corn, slathering it with sweet butter and eating it, the act of pulling off the husk and removing the silk is deeply ingrained in my being. We’re all taught from a young age that in order to get something we want, we have to work for it, and that was true even when it came to corn on the cob.

Australians always act so superior about our shiny plastic money, but perhaps we should be looking towards the EU for a more sustainable, eco-friendly option. While euro banknotes might look like flimsy paper money, it turns out they're actually made from pure cotton fibres, giving them a bit of an advantage over traditional paper money.

Choosing between real and artificial Christmas trees largely comes down to personal preference: do you want that cosy pine smell and hellacious clean-up, or built-in lights with no personal touch but nary a needle on the floor? Personal preference aside, though, there's someone else who probably cares: Mother Earth.

A few weeks ago, I published a review of the new Tile Pro trackers - dubbed Style and Sport. I have one attached to my car keys and the other to my house keys. I also have a Tile Slim, that I tuck into my backpack or satchel, depending on which bag I'm using while I travel. But a warning message that appeared in my Tile app yesterday has me rethinking these handy devices.

There's no doubt that if we're going to stop or even slow down climate change, we have to get our collective crap together. But collective action starts with individual choices, and for all the data-driven decision makers out there, the path forward just got a bit more lucid. A new study in Environmental Research Letters has determined exactly which life choices reduce our carbon footprints the most.

You can now buy rechargeable batteries and charging stations from IKEA, as part of a new range designed to be stylish enough to be left out in the open at home.