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Latest Episodes:

Earth911 Podcast: Rare.org's Brett Jenks Ties Global Climate Impacts To Everyday Decisions Oct 28, 2024

The climate crisis cannot be solved by one person, one organization, one company, or one government. A network of collaboration is being built, and nonprofits often serve as the connective tissue. Our guest today Brett Jenks, is the CEO of Rare.org, a global conservation and development organization dedicated to empowering communities in the world's most biologically diverse regions to sustainably manage their natural resources. Under Brett’s leadership, Rare has grown from a small nonprofit into a global leader in conservation, with a $30 million annual budget and active projects across 60 countries. Rare’s efforts span a variety of critical areas, including Fish Forever, the world’s largest coastal fishery recovery effort; Lands for Life, a climate-smart agriculture program; the groundbreaking Center for Behavior & the Environment, which merges behavioral science with conservation; and Climate Culture, a strategy designed to help the U.S. meet its Paris Agreement targets.
Beyond his leadership of Rare, Brett is also an innovator in the for-profit sector with the Meloy Fund, a blue economy investment vehicle that supports a growing portfolio of companies, including several focused on sustainable fisheries in Southeast Asia and EverForest, a video game that turns virtual actions into real-world tree planting. Brett shared seven ideas Americans can act on to change their environmental impact. You can learn more about Rare at https://rare.org/ and about the Meloy Fund at https://www.meloyfund.com/

Earth911 Podcast: Earth911 Podcast: Spout CEO Reuben Vollmer Introduces A Countertop Atmospheric Water Harvesting Appliance Oct 21, 2024

The water crisis is one of the most pressing issues facing our planet, with climate change, population growth, and pollution threatening the availability of clean water worldwide. One company working to tackle this problem head-on is Spout Water. This California-based startup has developed an innovative solution, the Spout Monolith, a sleek kitchen device that produces pure drinking water from the moisture in the air. Spout founder and CEO Reuben Vollmer joins the conversation to explain how a personal challenge began his mission to solve water scarcity and quality issues. Reuben recently contributed an article to Earth911, mapping his journey into the world of water. It started with an unexpected letter his family received during a drought in 2010, warning that their olive farm's well could be restricted.
Water production and distribution needs a good swift kick in the form of a surprising alternative to how we've done it during the Industrial Era. The Spout Monolith may be one kick in our complaisance. We are surrounded by water in the atmosphere. A June 2022 study by the University of Reading in the United Kingdom found that total atmospheric water vapor is increasing by about 1% a decade due to warming climates. One percent may not sound like much, but the United States Geological Survey reports that the planet's atmosphere contains 12 trillion gallons of water, so one percent more water vapor represents 120 billion gallons. That one-percent increase in atmospheric water vapor per decade means that between 2010 and 2050, as much as 480 billion gallons of additional water vapor will migrate into the air, around half of today's annual human consumption of freshwater. You can learn more about the company and preorder a Monolith with a $100 discount using the code "MITCH911" at https://www.spoutwater.com/

Earth911 Podcast: Author Mark Easter Serves Up The Blue Plate Oct 14, 2024

The global food system is one of the largest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions, responsible for about 25% of annual anthropomorphic CO2 emission, the unfortunate, planet-warming exhaust of our industrial society. But what if we could eat our way out of the climate crisis? Author Mark J. Easter joins the conversation to talk regenerative farming and his new book, The Blue Plate: A Food Lover’s Guide to Climate Chaos. He explores how we can change our diets to help restore the environment — he gets to the roots of the challenge, a failure of industrial farming. As an ecologist who has spent years studying the carbon footprint of food at Colorado State University, Mark connects the dots between what we eat, how it’s produced, and its impact on our planet.
In The Blue Plate, Mark plumbs the concept of regenerative agriculture and carbon farming—showing how these practices can not only reduce the carbon footprint of food but also actively restore ecosystems. From the smallest urban farm to sprawling agricultural lands, he argues that how we grow, process, and distribute food holds tremendous potential for climate solutions. For instance, he reports on the innovative use of cover crops and perennial grains like Kernza, a perennial grain, which has been shown to pull carbon from the atmosphere and store it in the soil—effectively turning farming into a climate-positive practice. Mark’s journey from greenhouse gas accounting to becoming an advocate for low-carbon meals is filled with fascinating insights into how the food system shapes the world we live in—and how, with the right approach, it can help reverse some of the damage done to the environment. You can find The Blue Plate: A Food Lover’s Guide to Climate Chaos at Amazon, Powell's Books, and your local bookseller.

Earth911 Podcast: GS1 Goes Wholechain To Track Beef Impacts Oct 07, 2024

Consumers and grocers who want to verify the quality of the beef they sell are asking for increased supply chain transparency. Vivian Tai, Director of Innovation at GS1 US visited with Earth911 in February 2024 to introduce GS1's Digital Link advanced universal product code and returns to talk beef transparency with Jayson Berryhill, cofounder of Wholechain, who worked with GS1 to develop a new standard for cattle traceability using innovative blockchain technology. Wholechain Cattle Traceability is a system for verifying compliance with various standards, including animal welfare and feeding practices. Wholechain’s blockchain-based system ensures that information about the entire supply chain—such as where the cattle were raised, what they ate, and their treatment in life—can be tracked and authenticated.
We explore how their collaboration will provide you with more information and how Wholechain’s platform might be used to calculate environmental impacts, such as deforestation and methane emissions, while helping companies comply with regulations that shape the world’s food supply, like the Food & Drug Administration’s Food Safety Modernization Act Rule 204, which requires business to maintain records of food production, processing, and distribution to enable rapid identification of contamination sources during a foodborne illness outbreak. We’ll also discuss how Wholechain’s blockchain technology could expand beyond cattle to other industries, creating more transparent, sustainable, and circular global supply chains. You can learn more about Wholechain at https://wholechain.com/ and about GS1’s traditional rectangular bar codes and next-generation 2D QR code, GS1 Digital Link at https://www.gs1us.org/

Earth911 Podcast: Plastic Bank's David Katz On Building A Global Bottle Deposit System Sep 30, 2024

David Katz, founder and CEO of Plastic Bank, returns to talk with Mitch Ratcliffe about the groundbreaking social enterprise's effort to transform plastic waste into economic opportunity. Plastic Bank has created a “global bottle deposit program" that partners with companies to incentivize the collection of ocean-bound plastic in vulnerable communities. Plastic Bank provides vital income while reducing plastic pollution, with over 3 billion plastic bottles already intercepted from entering our oceans.
Since David last visited with Earth911, there has been a lot of growth and, recently, Plastic Bank introduced a subscription program that small businesses can join to support better plastic collection.David explains that regeneration as a practice can provide prosperity for all. In the face of the systemic trainwreck threatening human, animal, and aquatic life on the planet, we need not just a recycling system but a functioning society built on shared values, not exclusion from the opportunity to earn, influence the direction of our communities, or the right to a healthy environment. You can learn more at https://plasticbank.com/

Earth911 Podcast: Author David Steinman on Raising Healthy Kids In a Toxic World Sep 23, 2024

Meet David Steinman, an environmental activist, investigative journalist, and author who has worked to expose the dangers of chemical toxins in everyday life. Steinman's bestselling 1990 book, Diet for a Poisoned Planet, highlighted the hidden chemical dangers in our food. In his latest book, Raising Healthy Kids: Protecting Your Children from Hidden Chemical Toxins, examines how everyday products contribute to this health crisis and offers practical advice for parents to reduce their children’s exposure to these hidden dangers, creating a safer environment for the next generation. Cancer cases in people under 50 increased by 79% between 1990 and 2019, according to several studies and a research report published in Nature found that more than half of the cancers it studied, eight of 14 illness, were related to the digestive system. Highly processed foods and many apparently natural products that are sprayed with pesticides and herbicides not disclosed on labeling, are making us sick.
The rising incidence of childhood illnesses, including developmental and behavioral disorders, which experts increasingly link to environmental factors. For example, exposure to pesticides, particularly organophosphate (OP) pesticides, has been linked to an increase in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and reduced cognitive function in children. David's new book also explores the role of nature in the developing personality and as an antidote for some of the harms chemicals cause in childhood. David explains that parents can be diligent on a budget, so consider adding a water filter on your faucet and filtering the air in your home — inexpensive options available to almost all families — and choose organic produce at the grocery store. Most importantly, you can take action by taking kids outside, writing letters demanding better regulation of chemicals and becoming a citizen enforcer, calling out dangerous toxic products in your community. You can find Raising Healthy Kids: Protecting Your Children from Hidden Chemical Toxins on Amazon and at Powell’s Books.

Earth911 Podcast: Author Nadina Galle on The Nature of Our Cities Sep 16, 2024

More than half the world's population—4.4 billion people—live in cities today. That number is expected to rise to 80% by 2050. Our guest, Nadina Galle, is a trailblazing ecological engineer and author of The Nature of Our Cities. She is an ecological engineer who studies the intersection of nature and technology in urban environments. Nadina developed the concept of an Internet of Nature (IoN) that uses tools like artificial intelligence, automation, and sensors to support and enhance ecosystems within cities. Nadina's book offers a transformative perspective on how urban spaces can be reimagined in the face of climate change and sprawling development. She shares the inspiring story of the Groene Loper project in Maastricht, Netherlands, where soil sensors were deployed to monitor tree health. The results were remarkable, with trees supported by this technology growing up to three times larger than those without it. This is a powerful example of how technology can not only protect trees but also transform urban spaces into healthier, greener environments.
From fire and the wheel to the reinforced concrete frames that define modern buildings, we are surrounded by technology. We tend to forget that technology emerged in response to nature — too often, we treated nature as the enemy, the chaos to be contained instead of recognizing that nature’s cycles and changes are the harmony we need to join to sustain society. The loss of any semblance of natural patterns, which ultimately leads to the depletion of the resources necessary for life, has inevitably led to the collapse of previous major civilizations. Modern society has more runway than previous societies because we have created a global economy, but that risks an even greater fall for our species when the ecological underpinnings of our prosperity collapse. The Nature of Our Cities is a powerful, straightforward, and emotionally resonant book to help you think through your role and choices in the restoration of nature. You can find it on Amazon or Powell's Books.

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Earth911 Podcast: Cemvita’s Biotech Breakthroughs Sep 09, 2024

The global push for sustainability has reached a critical juncture, particularly in industries traditionally associated with high environmental impacts, such as chemical manufacturing and mining. These sectors, vital to the global economy, are also significant contributors to carbon emissions and environmental degradation. However, innovative approaches are beginning to transform how these industries operate, making sustainability not just an option but a driving force of innovation. On today's show, you'll meet and hear Tara Karimi, co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer of Cemvita. Tara and her brother, Moji, bring unique backgrounds -- Moji in petroleum engineering and she in biochemistry -- to the challenge of converting CO2 into the raw materials, known as feedstocks, for new chemicals, materials, and food products. They use of synthetic biology to turn a greenhouse gas into a useful resource. Cemvita’s breakthrough is just one of many CO2 capture and conversion strategies that could drastically reduce the carbon footprint of industries that are often criticized for their environmental impact.
Cemvita applies biomimicry, the science of learning how nature acts to produce the cornucopia of life-supporting materials. The idea emerged in the early 1980s and now, 40 years later, we’re seeing not just occasional biomimetic innovation but potentially industry-transforming changes in strategy and environmental impact. There's a long way to go before, as Tara explains, we reach a carbon neutral and still prosperous economy. Cemvita’s approach, which combines organic and inorganic chemistry with the insight to see biomimetic alternatives to heat-intensive chemical refineries by, for instance, seeing a depleted oil well as a natural bioreactor to make gold hyrdogen or replacing leaching ponds filled with toxic chemicals with enclosed, non-toxic processing columns, point to just two of the paths out of our planet-killing industrial models. You can learn more about Cemvita at https://www.cemvita.com.

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Earth911 Podcast: Rachael Z. Miller Tracks Microfiber Pollution Sep 02, 2024

Rachael Z. Miller is a leading voice in the fight against microfiber pollution, the plastic smog that trails our clothing like exhaust from a car. You might not see them, but our synthetic clothing sheds millions of tiny plastic fibers that make their way into our atmosphere, oceans, and rivers. It’s been less than a century since the introduction of synthetic textiles — nylon was the first about 90 years ago — but microfibers are already found everywhere on the planet, from the peaks of the Himalayas to the guts and bloodstreams of our bodies and those of mammals and marine life. As the founder of the Rozalia Project for a Clean Ocean, Rachael has dedicated herself to documenting and mitigating the impact of this invisible pollutant, including launching the Cora Ball, a laundry accessory that reduces the microfibers released during a wash.
Rachael’s work shines a light on how something as simple as washing our clothes can have far-reaching consequences for ecosystems and wildlife, as the story she shared in a recent Earth911 explains: Polar Bears and Penguins Aren’t Wearing Our Clothes But They Might Be Eating Them. She’s also a National Geographic Explorer who has visited the Arctic and Antarctic to study the spread of microfibers. We discuss Rachael’s pioneering efforts to raise awareness, her innovative solutions, and what we can all do to reduce microfiber pollution in our daily lives. Tune in for a conversation that could change how you think about your laundry routine. You can find out more about Rachael and her work at https://www.rozaliaproject.org/

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Earth911 Podcast: Room & Board Makes Furniture Sustainability A Top Priority Aug 26, 2024

Meet Emily McGarvey, furniture maker and retailer Room & Board's first Director of Sustainability. The company, founded in 1980, recently became an employee-owned B Corporation. Room & Board has made significant efforts to reduce the environmental impact by engaging 12,000 U.S. craftspeople to make its furniture, achieving 95% sustainable wood sourcing, including using urban wood recovered for reuse in tables and chairs and making 51% of its packaging recyclable on the path to 100% targets in 2025.
The global furniture industry is expected to see $765 billion in sales this year, according to a Statista analysis, and $133 billion of that in the United States. Reducing the carbon emissions associated with home furnishings — from sourcing wood and materials near producers to shortening supply chains to minimize the need for shipping — can make more sustainable choices available to consumers. For example, the retail chain Ashley Furniture has the seventh largest ocean shipping carbon footprint among major brands because most of its manufacturing is based in Asia. You can learn more about Room & Board at https://www.roomandboard.com/
Correction: A reference to Room & Board's recyclable packaging progress needed to be corrected. Rather than having achieved 89% recyclable packaging, the company currently uses 51% recyclable material -- its goal is to reach 100% by 2025.

Earth911 Podcast: USEFULL Founder Alison Cove Brings Reusable Packaging To Campus Cafeterias Aug 19, 2024

Alison Cove, CEO and founder of USEFULL, works at the forefront of a critical shift in how we approach food service sustainability. By implementing collection systems for reusable food packaging, USEFULL helps university and corporate cafeterias reduce their reliance on single-use plastics and paper packaging. Alison joins the conversation to explain her company's trackable, tech-enabled reusable steel food containers and cups. After adopting Usefull's reusable system, Carleton College saw a drop in its loss rate from almost 60% to less than 1%. This achievement is part of a broader movement toward creating campus circular food service systems to cut waste and foster a broader culture of sustainability.
The importance of reusable food service containers cannot be overstated. Single-use plastics contribute significantly to global plastic pollution, particularly in food service. In the U.S. alone, the market for disposable food service containers is vast, with sales reaching approximately $27.81 billion annually. This extensive use of disposables not only adds to the billions of tons of waste generated each year but also exacerbates the environmental impact through the production, disposal, and potential for pollution from these single-use items. You can learn more about USEFULL at https://www.usefull.us/

Earth911 Podcast: Relocalize Aims to Hyper-Localize Ice and Beverage Production Jul 22, 2024

Growing, packaging, transporting, and distributing food is a major source of society’s emissions, accounting for approximately 26% of annual global emissions. Reducing the impact of food production is critical to bringing society back within the planetary boundaries, and Wayne McIntyre, cofounder and CEO of Montreal-based Relocalize, wants to “Decarbonize and hyper-localize food & beverage manufacturing.”
The company is developing technology and a business strategy for decentralized food production using automated microfactories that are placed close to major consumer markets. It promises retailers “full control over their supply chain” in exchange for providing just 1,200 sq. feet of space for Relocalize’s operation. The result, Relocalize claims, will be up to 30% savings on products, 90% less CO2 emissions, and other operational savings because the food does not need to be transported long distances. You can learn more at https://www.relocalize.com/

Earth911 Podcast: Carbon Limit's Tim Sperry Pours the CaptureCrete Story Jul 15, 2024

Tim Sperry is the Founder and CEO of Boca Raton, Florida-based Carbon Limit, the maker of CaptureCrete. He founded the company in 2020 after recognizing concrete’s huge environmental price — it accounts for about 6% of annual global emissions. CaptureCrete is a powder additive for concrete mixes that extracts up to 220 pounds of carbon dioxide from the air per ton, locking it into the concrete as a stable mineral. CaptureCrete’s impact, after accounting for the CO2 it absorbs, is only about 25% of traditional concrete. But this wasn’t Tim's first shot at carbon capture for the built environment. Previously, he developed a paint additive that absorbed CO2 and other pollutants. Carbon Limit was named GreenBiz’s Startup of the Year at Verge 2023.
Building and operating homes, skyscrapers, factories, and freeways and generates about 10 gigaton of CO2, or about 40% of the emissions associated with energy use on the planet. The ability to tie carbon credits to building and infrastructure projects is key. When you can sell a carbon removal credit for around $200 a ton, the cost of a building can change rapidly. For example, if you’re building a skyscraper that’s 40 stories tall, you might need 4,000 or so cubic meters or concrete, which represents about 5700 tons of the material. With carbon credits that cost $200 per ton, that concrete represents a potential subsidy for the project of $1.1 million dollars. If we’re talking about a mile of freeway, which requires about 17,200 tons of concrete, the credits generated by CaptureCrete’s absorption of CO2 might be worth $3.4 million per mile of roadway. That’s real money, real savings that can make projects reach break-even sooner during the life of the building. You can learn more about CaptureCrete and Carbon Limit at https://www.carbonlimit.com/

Earth911 Podcast: Peter Fusaro Takes the Wall Street Green Conference Global Jul 08, 2024

For 23 years, Peter Fusaro has been a leading force in the green economy. His exclusive Wall Street Green conference has been a hot ticket for investors and executives looking for sustainable paths forward since 2002. Tis year marks an exciting milestone, as the Wall Street Green Conference will go global with the Wall Street Green Digital Summit on October 15th, 2024. The 12-hour marathon online event will bring together practitioners, investors, and green-thinking startups from around the world through a virtual platform. From Singapore to Saskatchewan, Sydney to Seoul, the summit will showcase groundbreaking products, services, and ideas aimed at helping the planet and the green economy thrive. You can sign up to attend the 24 hour virtual conference for just $25 and hear featured speakers from around the world at https://wallstreetgreendigital.com/
Energy. Food. Water. Peter explores the foundations of human society, what we work to make available to ourselves and our neighbors so that we can live a peaceful, prosperous life. Each of these essential commodities are seeing rapid, unsettling change and the world order, which was built on burning petroleum, coal, and gas, is already giving way to a new regime of clean, renewable energy. As we measure more human activity, we can create powerful financial incentives to move from wasteful to sustainable, efficient lifestyles and business practices. The question is who will establish the rules of these new markets. That question will not be settled by one government or one industry, because the world is too interconnected and tuned into these issues. There’s a great negotiation underway, led by innovators and policymakers who ultimately answer to every individual citizen when they make a choice at the grocery store, the car dealership, in the voting booth, and at home each and every day. It’s time to learn as much as you can and jump into to the debate. The Wall Street Green Digital Summit global summit will facilitate connections between investors and managers to encourage business success built on sustainable development. Attendees will include venture capitalists, family wealth managers, startups in the green economy, government officials, corporate sustainability officers, and media.
Earth911 is a Wall Street Green media partner.

Earth911 Podcast: Mike Baker's ReCORK Recycling Puts The Circular Into Footwear Jul 01, 2024

Circular economies grow from the ground up, starting with recognizing that a material used to make a product can be recaptured, reused, resold, and recycled to lower the cost of sourcing raw materials. Mike Baker saw the opportunity to recycle cork for use in the custom insoles and footwear his company, SOLE, makes and launched the ReCORK collection network more than 15 years ago. Since founding in 2008 as a second business of the custom orthopedic insole company SOLE, ReCORK has recycled an astonishing 132 million wine corks and planted over 8,000 cork trees. These milestones are part of SOLE’s broader mission to reduce environmental impact and promote sustainable practices. ReCORK recently contributed an Earth911 article, Recycle Cork To Replace Petroleum-Based Polymers and Foams, about its program.
Too often, we hear that one side of the equation — the manufacturer or the consumer — is solely responsible for recycling. It is a partnership that cannot succeed if the first step, putting the material back into the system for recycling, is not taken at home or the office. ReCORK found a way to make that first step more accessible for consumers and businesses by placing collection bins in bars, liquor stores, and consumers. Mike explains how collection must be followed up with by careful material management, including designing it to be easily deconstructed for processing into a reusable feedstock for the next round of products. And the story of the journey of a cork or a PC or an aluminum can is essential to be transparently shared with the public so that people learn they can recycle with confidence — it takes time, which is always in short supply; therefore, it’s critical to let every participant in the circular economy know their efforts were worthwhile. You can learn more about ReCORK at https://recork.com/, and to check out SOLE, visit https://yoursole.com/

Earth911 Podcast: Cotapaxi Partners With Customers & Suppliers To Achieve Sustainability Jun 24, 2024

Cotopaxi was built from the ground up to meet these high goals, but any company can transform itself; it just takes the first step, beginning the critical self-reflection that thoughtful leaders can apply to their business. A certified B Corporation, Cotopaxi was founded in 2014 in Salt Lake City and is known for its sustainably designed outdoor products, Cotopaxi is a market leader in combining innovative gear with a solid commitment to social and environmental responsibility. And our guest today is Annie Agle, Cotopaxi's Vice President of Sustainability and Impact. We’ll talk about the company's strategies for sustainable design, circular economy practices, philanthropic initiatives, and more.
Cotopaxi supports education, housing, healthcare, climate solutions, and employment in impoverished communities, reportedly having helped more than 4.2 million people. The company's holistic approach to sustainability includes rigorous assessments of environmental, social, and governance risks across its global value chain, and it aims for net-zero carbon emissions by 2040. That includes migrating all its product designs to use recycled, repurposed or responsibly sourced materials by 2025. You can learn more at https://www.cotopaxi.com/
Then, take some time to learn more about the sustainable fashion and outdoor gear movement:

Earth911 Podcast: David Lipsky on His Climate Denial History, The Parrot and The Igloo Jun 17, 2024

Rising CO2 levels have created climate change, the denier's name for global warming. It's the environmental crisis that will shape our species' future. The long story of willful disregard of the consequences of CO2 levels by government and businesses perpetrated through a trail of lies and misinformation is the history lesson everyone needs to know. However, most books about the climate crisis begin and remain serious, which makes them seriously challenging to read. Our guest today, David Lipsky, tells the tale with surprising insights and even some laugh-out-loud humor through a modernist collection of compact chapters that will keep you turning the pages of his new book, The Parrot and the Igloo: Climate and the Science of Denial.
Even though the climate story is gloomy, the book is an entertaining and often infuriating read that starts with the electrification of communication and human life by Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla, then weaves the threads of scientific alarms raised throughout the second half of the 20th Century, along briefings about the many liars, spin doctors, and industrial lackeys who carried the water that drowned out every effort to curtail CO2 emissions. Lipsky teaches at New York University and is a National Magazine Award winner who turned his attention to climate denial out of frustration with the lack of visibility into the sources and tactics of misinformation about our warming planet. You'll enjoy The Parrot and the Igloo and likely want to see some of its villains imprisoned when you finish the last page. The book is available at Amazon, Powell's Books, and your local bookstore.

Eath911 Podcast: World Ocean Day Special -- Blueprints for Coastal Adaptation Jun 10, 2024

Join the Earth911 podcast community for a special World Ocean Day conversation, Blueprints for Coastal Adaptation, keynoted by ocean advocate Ashlan Cousteau of EarthEcho International and Voyacy. Hear nine experts working at the cutting edge of biodiversity restoration, climate mitigation, and financial engineering about how to construct a blue economy that preserves the rich ecosystems at the boundary of land and sea. The conversation features Doug Heske and Brian Fairhurst of Newday Impact Investing, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Superintendent of the Greater Farallones and Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuaries, Maria Brown, Sequoia of the Seas filmmaker Natasha Benjamin, Christopher Chin of the Center for Ocean Awareness, Research, and Education, The Blue Community Consortium's David Randle, Reefgen CEO Chris Oakes, and Carter Henne of Sea and Shoreline. You can also watch this week's special episode on Earth911's YouTube channel.
This episode is a collaboration of Newday Impact Investing and Intentional Futures.

Earth911 Podcast: Sailing Toward Composting Convenience With 11th Hour Racing's Michelle Carnevale Jun 03, 2024

Meet Michelle Carnevale, president of 11th Hour Racing, which advocates for sustainability and ocean health with solutions designed to create a more inclusive future. Michelle recently contributed an article to Earth911, How You Can Help Create A Healthier Ocean By Composting. While it is a growing industry, composting services are still available in too few cities across the United States. According to a 2023 report by the Environmental Protection Agency, only 5% of food waste was composted in 2019, the last year for which the government has data. But many materials besides food, from yard waste to compostable packaging, could be returned to the soil through healthy, regenerative programs. In recent years, access to composting services has grown by 65%, according to Environmental America.
The connection between groundwater, composting, and the oceans needs to be more widely understood. Michelle explains how healthy soil contributes to cooler, cleaner oceans. 11tth Hour Racing encourages residents in the Northeast to find and use composting services, promoting awareness at sailing competitions and through dozens of programs it supports. You can learn more about the organization and find local composting options in the Northeast at https://11thhourracing.org/closer/

Earth911 Podcast: Kidsy.co Takes A Step Toward Circular Children's Products May 27, 2024

With the rise of recommerce, parents can find and buy top brands' children's products — from toys and clothing to furniture and car seats — at a deep discount. Our guest today is Shraysi Tandon, cofounder and CEO of Kidsy, a dealer of new and open-box children's products that is growing fast. According to TechCrunch, the company reached an annual revenue run rate of $1 million only a few months after going live, and its backers are a Who's Who of tech and sustainability investors. Shraysi comes from a journalism background at Bloomberg and ABC News, and her experience making a documentary on child labor shaped the Kidsy business plan. She says the "beautiful surprise" she found when starting Kidsy was the ease with which a company can begin sustainably and get on the path to constant improvement. That means we can retire environmentally irresponsible practices across the economy.
Children's products are a circular challenge since states sometimes ban used items, as we heard in our recent conversation with IKEA's U.S. Sustainability Manager, Mardi Ditze. Kidsy's strategy focuses on capturing unsold goods from retail and opened but unused items. It's part of the $761 billion recommerce movement with special requirements, and we'll explore how Kidsy ensures products are safe and clean, as well as the challenges of competing with established E-commerce companies. You can learn more at kidsy.co

Earth911 Podcast: IKEA's Mardi Ditze On Retailing's Path To The Circular Economy May 20, 2024

IKEA is a global retail and furniture giant that has grown up with the modern era, defining a spare but elegant Nordic style that influences many of our homes. Mardi Ditze, IKEA's Country Sustainability Manager, joins the conversation to discuss how the company partners with customers to reduce, reuse, and recycle across its products' lifecycles. Mardi leads the IKEA team that is creating and implementing IKEA's climate goals, which include designing all products for a circular lifecycle, using renewable or recyclable materials in all its products by 2030, developing new circular services and the business models to support them, and collaborating with other organizations to lead the way to a sustainable economy by example.
Mardi explains the business benefits of IKEA's Buy Back and Resell program, which does not markup used goods when reselling them, and how providing free replacement parts deepens customer relationships. She also addresses global retailers' challenges when interacting with the fractured local recycling infrastructure in different U.S. communities. IKEA has partnered with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation to develop a circular economy glossary, which integrates into its marketing, customer communications, and retail experiences. IKEA's massive, multifaceted stores may be a model for spurring local innovation simply through its ability to connect flows of materials to collection programs and processors that will keep wood, metal, glass, and more in use over many generations of products. You can learn more about IKEA and its sustainability efforts at https://www.ikea.com/us/en/this-is-ikea/sustainable-everyday/

Earth911 Podcast: Consumer Reports' Chris Harto On The Lifetime Cost Of Climate Change May 13, 2024

Consumer Reports and Breakthrough Energy recently put numbers on the social cost of carbon, calculating the cost for an American child born in 2024 due to climate change. They found that an American child will face $500,000 and a million dollars in higher cost of living and reduced income during their lifetime as the planet warms, life and food supplies are disrupted, and returns on investments fall. Consumer Reports’ Senior Policy Analyst for Transportation and Energy Chris Harto, who led the research work for the nonprofit magazine, joins the conversation to discuss the economic consequences of a warming planet. Chris discusses the findings and shares Consumer Reports' climate action services, and tips on how to reduce today's impact from home energy and commuting to help relieve our children and their descendants of the burden of climate change. ''
The social cost of carbon typically described in the aggregate, as representing trillions of dollars in added cost of living for future generations. The Biden administration pegs the social cost of carbon to a ton of emissions, currently pricing the future cost at $51 per ton of CO2 emitted today; more than ten times higher than the Trump era’s $5 per ton estimate but far below science based estimates of $185 per ton, according to researchers at the University of California, Berkeley and Resources for the Future. So, It’s hard to imagine the actual impact on us, or our grandchildren. The article, Climate Change Could Cost Each American Born Today $500,000, is available at https://www.consumerreports.org/home-garden/climate-change/the-per-person-financial-cost-of-climate-change-a6081217358/

Earth911 Podcast: Keel Labs' Tessa Gallagher Introduces Kelsun Kelp-Based Textiles May 06, 2024

The fashion industry is responsible for as much as 10% of annual CO2 emissions and an immense amount of waste that chokes landfills, rivers, and beaches worldwide. Too much of our clothing is made from oil-based textiles, like polyester. Tessa Callaghan, cofounder and CEO of Keel Labs, has been recognized as a Forbes 30 Under 30 leader for her contributions to plant-based fashion. The Morrisville, North Carolina-based early-stage startup has developed a kelp-based alternative called Kelsun. According to the company, Kelsun is a compostable, soft natural fiber that can be integrated into the clothing production system with no changes. The result is clothing as comfortable and durable as those made with water-intensive cotton or oil-based textiles.
After beginning her career in the fashion industry, Tessa recognized the growing demand for sustainable alternatives to clothing that’s bad for the environment at every step in the lifecycle. Keel Labs converts kelp into Kelsun, and the resulting fiber is compostable at the end of its useful life, making it a potentially circular material we can be proud to wear. You can learn more about Keel Labs at https://www.keellabs.com/

Earth911 Podcast: Author Lowell Baier Explores The History Of The Endangered Species Act Apr 29, 2024

The Endangered Species Act (ESA), passed in 1973 and signed into law by Republican Richard Nixon, has been a bulwark against unrestrained deforestation and development for over 50 years. It has protected and helped restore 1,700 species that teetered on the brink of extinction but returned to viable populations. Author Lowell Baier was a young lawyer in Washington, D.C., when the law passed and has worked for 60 years at the leading edge of environmental law, including leading the first President Bush's conservation policies in 1989. Tune into this critical discussion to learn from Lowell's work on a comprehensive history of the ESA in two volumes, The Codex of the Endangered Species Act and his just-released book, Earth's Emergency Room: Saving Species As The Planet And Politics Gets Hotter.
Lowell explains the origins of the law during the 1960s and 70s Green Revolution and the revitalization of the ESA in the Clinton era, which made it more effective and responsive in the face of climate change. A post-partisan movement, Conservation Without Conflict, is now working in Washington to pass new legislation, the Recovering America's Wildlife Act, to expand funding to support state and federal species restoration programs—Lowell Baier's books are available on Amazon and the Powell Books website.

Earth911 Podcast: Mapping A Smart Path To The Circular Economy At The Ellen MacArthur Foundation REMADE Conference Apr 22, 2024

Tune in to a special Earth Day 2024 episode about accelerating the path to a circular economy. Sustainability In Your Ear Mitch Ratcliffe shares lessons he learned at the Ellen MacArthur Foundation's circular economy-focused REMADE conference, which met at the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine in Washington DC earlier this month. Scientists and business leaders gathered to discuss and share research about enabling a circular economy. REMADE focuses on reducing waste and creating circular systems in the industry, which accounts for 30.2% of annual human CO2 emissions — and the conference has a decided tilt toward recycling, specifically industrializing it at a massive scale so that consumers no longer need to learn materials sort them at home for better recycling. As you'll hear, that requires an enormous investment, and it's a form of technological utopianism promising solutions so simple people don't have to think about it. Many of the scientific presentations at the event explored advanced recycling technologies for plastics, textiles, and metals, industrial decarbonization techniques, and how to design products for easier recyclability. These important and compelling initiatives will move us toward a make-recapture-remake approach to the products humans rely on daily.

Earth911 Podcast: Making Billions of Square Feet of Commercial Space Sustainable with CBRE's Rob Bernard Apr 15, 2024

The built environment, particularly office buildings other urban facilities, are responsible for 39% of the global energy-related emissions, according to the World Green Building Council. About a third of that impact comes from the initial construction of a building and the other two-thirds is produced over the lifetime of a building by heating, cooling, and providing power to the occupants. Our guest today is leading a key battle to reduce the impact of the built environment. Tune in for a wide-ranging conversation with Rob Bernard, Chief Sustainability Officer at CBRE Group Inc., which manages more than $145 billion of commercial buildings, providing logistics, retail, and corporate office services across more than 100 countries.
Rob cut his sustainability teeth at Microsoft, as its Chief Environmental Strategist for 11 years, as the company was developing its world-leading approach and collaborating with other tech giants to lobby for policy and funding to accelerate progress. He discusses CBRE’s Sustainability Solutions & Services for commercial building owners, as well as the accelerating progress for renewables, carbon tracking, and economic, health, and lifestyle benefits of living lightly on the planet. You can learn more about CBRE and its sustainability services at cbre.com
Take a few minutes to learn more about making construction and building operations more sustainable:

Earth911 Podcast: Ecoteens Founder Pragna Nidumolu On Activating Youth Environmental Networks Apr 08, 2024

Youth face the greatest impact of climate change, and will certainly have to live with the consequences of the extractive economy for the longest time. They also have the opportunity to pass along a better world to future generations and Pragna Nidumolu, founder of EcoTeens, is working to make that happen. When she was 14, Pragna launched an organization dedicated to creating dialogue and campaigns to encourage youth to recycle and reuse products and packaging responsibly. She also produces a podcast, Green Stories, and contributed an article to Earth911 recently, How Youth Can Help Stop Plastic Pollution One Bottle Cap At A Time. The article discussed EcoTeens’ Million Voices campaign to encourage the consistent recycling of plastic bottles with the caps on, which still remains a challenge for many consumers because municipal recycling programs have conflicting practices.
Pragna discusses how to address youth eco anxiety, the potential for AI to help spread environmental practices, and the process of building a youth organization. Tune for an inspiring conversation with the next generation of environmental leaders, then get started on your mission to save our species, protect nature, and preserve the planet. You can learn more about Ecoteens at https://www.ecoteens.org/

Earth911 Podcast Special: Water For Peace With Model And Water Philanthropist Georgie Badiel Apr 01, 2024

Join Earth911's Mitch Ratcliffe for a special World Water Day conversation with model and activist Georgie Badiel and Newday Impact Investing's Dan Keeler. If you'd like to watch instead of listen to the show, which includes the world premiere of The Georgie Badiel Foundation's new fundingraising campaign video, visit our YouTube channel. Georgie's team supports a network of village wells in her homeland, Burkina Faso, that provides clean water, solar-powered community learning centers and gardens for more than 340,000 people. The organization trains women in the region to serve as engineers who install and maintain the wells, creating jobs and new life opportunities to girls who, like Georgie did in her youth, had to carry water miles every day. As many as 200 million hours per day of women's time is lost to carrying water around the world. By donating only $10 a month, you can help bring clean water to 36 people in a year.
We also talk with Dan Keeler of Newday Impact Investing, which dedicates at least five percent of its revenue to supporting environmental organizations, including The Jane Goodall Institute, EarthEcho International, and The Georgie Badiel Foundation. Dan explains how ordinary investors can participate in environmentally responsible investing through Newday's Ocean fund, clean water portfolio, and other financial services. You can learn more about The Georgie Badiel Foundation and donate to help support women-operated wells in Burkina Faso at https://www.georgiebadielfoundation.org/

Earth911 Podcast: Honeywell's Chief Sustainability Officer, Dr. Gavin Towler, On Accelerating ESG Efforts Mar 25, 2024

Honeywell International is one of the largest companies in the world, ranking 115th in the Fortune 500 and operating in 70 countries around the world. With lines of business in aerospace, building technology, workplace safety, and digital technology, Honeywell is applying its expertise to reduce its environmental impact. Since 2018, Honeywell has reduced CO2 emissions by 18%, progressing toward its Scope 1 and 2 carbon neutrality goal for 2035. Our guest, Dr. Gavin Towler, the Chief Sustainability Officer at Honeywell, led those efforts. He brings more than 30 years of experience in the chemicals and fuels industry to the conversation today and has helped Honeywell reduce the emissions associated with its refrigerants and electric vehicle solutions while engaging the wider industry to encourage environmental progress.
An essential aspect of Honeywell’s progress is its focus on reducing operational carbon intensity, the amount of CO2 it generates to earn revenue, which fell from 60.5 MT of CO2e per $1 million of revenue in 2018 to 49.5 MT in 2022. Some of the projects Honeywell is pursuing include emissions management systems for oil and gas facilities that monitor and measure emissions and recover flare gas that traditionally was burned as waste. The company also launched battery energy storage systems to backup electric grids and is a leading producer of blue hydrogen, made from natural gas, at a facility that scrubs 98% of the CO2 produced by the process. You can learn more about Honeywell at https://www.honeywell.com/

Earth911 Podcast: EPAM Continuum On Amplifying The Impact Of Earth Hour Mar 18, 2024

Earth Hour 2024, the "Biggest Hour for Earth" of the year, takes place on March 23rd. Since the World Wildlife Fund launched the event in 2007, Earth Hour has symbolized a commitment to the planet by simply turning off lights for one hour. However, despite its noble intentions, awareness of the movement was limited, with only 52% of the global population aware of the event. Our guests today, Phil Wilce and Antonia Simon, are Creative Director for Europe and Senior Experience Consultant, respectively, for EPAM Continuum, a research and strategy firm that worked with the World Wildlife Fund to reinvigorate the campaign and its outreach efforts as the climate crisis becomes more pronounced.
The project represents an opportunity to explore how to tell stories about the environment and humanity's impact on nature, something everyone listening to Sustainability In Your Ear thinks about in work and life.The project's cornerstone was identifying a new target audience, "the inactive middle," a group of people of all ages and backgrounds characterized by a lack of action driven by eco-anxiety and eco-fatigue. The strategy focused on transforming Earth Hour from a singular event into a gateway for nature-positive action, and a significant part of the design was introducing the "Biggest Hour for Earth" as a critical message. Some enjoyable new activities around Earth Hour in 2024 include an in-world Fortnite experience built to bring young people to the program.You can learn more about Earth Hour at https://www.earthhour.org/ and about EPAM at https://www.epam.com/

Earth911 Podcast: Globechain Founder & CEO May Al-Karooni On Expanding U.S. Reuse Markets Mar 11, 2024

We can all take decisive action to protect the environment: reusing goods instead of sending them to landfills. By passing items on to others, whether through family, businesses, or community efforts, we avoid the need for new resources and reduce carbon emissions. May Al-Karooni, shares her story about founding Globechain.com, the largest dedicated reuse marketplace in the world, with just £800 (about $1,000). She aims to build a platform that enables worldwide reuse of excess inventory and lightly used goods. Globechain.com facilitates connections between corporations, charities, and individuals to repurpose a wide range of items. It prevents usable goods from contributing to landfill waste and supports non-profits and individuals by offering access to free items.
May explains how over 10,000 member organizations participate, and the unique economics that make like-new items free to those who can use them. Companies pay to list what they give away, receiving environmental reporting and sustainability credits for ESG reporting. If you've thought about starting your own reuse company, May's journey provides a blueprint you'll want to consult. You can learn more about Globechain at https://globechain.com

Earth911 Podcast: Concrete.ai CEO Alex Hall On Mixing Embodied Carbon Out Of the Built Environment Mar 04, 2024

The built environment will evolve constantly, and NextCity.org reports that 75% of the infrastructure that will be in use by 2050 has not yet been built. That calls for a lot of concrete, and we need to avoid the emissions associated with that growth if we are to provide housing, workplaces, and everything that connects humanity on an equitable basis in a decarbonized world. Meet Alex Hall, CEO of Concrete.ai, which uses an artificial intelligence-based mixing platform to create affordable, lower-carbon concrete for any job based on the application and available materials. Concrete.ai claims its mixing solution reduces carbon emissions by an average of 30% compared to traditional concrete, and its goal is to eliminate a half-billion tons of concrete-related emissions annually.
Concrete, as we have discussed several times on the show, is one of the biggest sources of CO2 emissions in the world, accounting for between six percent and eight percent of annual carbon emissions. In the United States, we use 415 million cubic yards of concrete each year — that translates into about as much concrete as is in Hoover Dam being poured every 3 and 3/4 days. Concrete.ai’s technology, which is called Concrete Copilot, is an interesting solution because it can be applied to many different combinations of materials. That is especially useful in locations where supplies are in short supply and therefore expensive. You can learn more about Concrete.ai at https://concrete.ai

Earth911 Podcast: Xworks CEO Electra Coutsoftides on Pioneering Waste Networking Feb 26, 2024

Meet Electra Coutsoftides, CEO of Xworks, who is building a business network to catalyze recycling progress. Xworks designed its platform to enhance waste handling and trading by accredited waste professionals. The U.K.-based company provides digital compliance reporting capabilities, making it easier for businesses and recycling programs to meet regulatory requirements. Members are verified before joining to ensure user trustworthiness, a keystone in any successful network. That confidence that trades are legitimate is essential to promoting a more efficient and reliable environment for trading and collaboration. In the past, these business conversations have taken place at industry conferences rather than in real time. A digital network can accelerate the industry’s progress. Suppose we can streamline connections, save time, reduce costs, and improve the integrity of transactions within the waste and recycling industry. In that case, we can make it more profitable to clean up our mess. You can learn more about Xworks at https://xworkstech.com

Earth911 Podcast: Dandelion Energy CEO Kathy Hannon on the Promise of Residential Geothermal Heat Pumps Feb 19, 2024

Kathy Hannun, president and cofounder of Dandelion Energy, introduces an untapped heating and cooling capacity source for homes -- geothermal energy. Typically associated with high temperatures and geologically active areas such as hot springs or locations at the intersections of tectonic plates, geothermal heat pumps tap into the consistent year-round temperature of Earth’s outer crust to maintain a comfortable home environment. Dandelion emerged from Google X Lab and is transforming the heating and cooling choices available to New York, Connecticut, and Massachusetts homeowners.
The Dandelion Energy system includes a heat pump inside the home and buried pipe systems, called ground loops, that transfer heat to or from the building. Geothermal technology is more efficient, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly than traditional furnaces, offering lower operating costs and reduced environmental impact. Kathy shares how the company started and its partnerships with utilities in the Northeast that are embracing geothermal to preserve their business and cut the peak energy demands that tax the power grid and increase emissions during high-demand events like cold snaps and heatwaves. You can learn more about Dandelion Energy at https://dandelionenergy.com/

Earth911 Podcast: EVRNU's Stacy Flynn On Creating Circular Fiber For Sustainable Fashion Feb 12, 2024

Clothing and textile recycling has historically been scarcely available to consumers. It has yet to be successful, with clothing piling up in warehouses or being sent overseas instead of becoming a new generation of apparel. Stacy Flynn, CEO and co-founder of Evrnu, a textile innovations B Corporation, works to reduce the fashion industry's environmental impact with a circular, recycled cotton fiber called Nucycl. In this crucial conversation, Stacy discusses how we can encourage companies to stop making products while washing their hands of the environmental consequences of the take-make-waste approach to business. Fast fashion has inspired youth to wear clothing just a few times, but clothing can last and become an integral part of one's identity, not just when it's new. Making clothing last and recognizing and celebrating a fashion brand's durable clothing is one way to help create a movement for sustainable clothing and textiles for the home and office.
Evrnu made a significant mark in the sustainable fashion industry with a technology that recycles cotton garment waste to create premium, renewable fibers. This process gives a new life to discarded textiles. It reduces the need for virgin resources, reducing waste and pollution. Nucycl is a biodegradable material made from cotton that can be engineered for various uses, from intimate apparel to waterproof outdoor gear. Evrnu is pioneering innovative solutions that are both environmentally responsible and economically viable. With the growing demand for sustainability in the fashion industry, EVRNU's goal of making all textiles recyclable by 2030 and achieving a net-neutral fashion industry by 2050 are bold targets we wanted to explore. You can learn more about EVRNU at https://www.evrnu.com/

Earth911 Podcast: The Resource Renewal Institute's Chance Cutrano on Putting Fish Back in the Fields Feb 05, 2024

Chance Cutrano is director of programs at the Resource Renewal Institute in Fairfax, California. He and his team are experimenting with blending two activities, rice and fish farming, to reduce the emissions from rice fields while creating additional income for farmers. It's a practice recovered from antiquity that led to the launch of the Fish in the Fields program, which lowers carbon equivalent emissions created by rice farming by as much as 66% while improving biodiversity. Fish in the Fields recently won the 2023 JMK Innovation Prize from the JM Kaplan Institute.
Nature does an amazing trick: it uses everything. Wherever there is an untapped source of energy, nature facilitates the differentiation of species to evolve a creature, large or small, that will consume that energy. Human industry went the other way, dumping every leftover item of waste instead of finding a way to use it — the consequence is a society that cannot live within the planet's ability to provide enough resources each year. Farming is an excellent testing ground for integrating previously disconnected industries. For example, last year, we talked with Lundberg Family Farms's Bryce Lundberg, who embraced a regenerative approach to growing rice that supports migratory birds during winter when fields are flooded.
Farming, which can be closely tied to nature when it breaks with industrial thinking, is a natural incubator of complex systems that minimize or reduce waste while contributing to the restoration of biodiversity. It might be the place where businesses will learn regenerative practices. The transition to a green, carbon, and resource-neutral economy will see many companies, communities, and nations begin to tear down the arbitrary silos in which they operate today to create circular flows of materials and energy at levels of efficiency we cannot dream of from the confines of the take-make-waste worldview.You can learn more about the Resource Renewal Institute at https://www.rri.org/fish-in-the-fields

Earth911 Podcast: Project Censored's 25 Under-Reported Environmental Stories of 2023 Jan 29, 2024

As we enter 2024, closing the books on 2023's record heat, economic and geopolitical turmoil, and a raft of climate change stories in the mainstream press, we're fortunate to have Project Censored's Andy Lee Roth return to the show to discuss the most under-reported environmental stories of the last year. Andy last visited with us to discuss 2022's under-reported stories. Tune in for a wide-ranging conversation about the hidden environmental stories reported on independent news sites like The Guardian, High Country News, and other news sources tracked by Project Censored.
The mainstream press has responded to rising public concern about climate change with more practical information — they've assigned sustainability as a beat and hired columnists to deliver action-oriented articles. But at the same time, they do not do the enterprise reporting required to uncover significant environmental abuses by companies and governments. We're getting more attention to the climate crisis but not enough digging into its continuing sources, from misleading research funded by private companies to the lack of oversight of new products and chemicals, like per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances.
The news is what we make it, and in this era of transactional politics, too often, it is what we are willing to pay for. Now more than ever, an independent press is necessary. You can learn more about Project Censored's 2023 under-reported environmental stories at https://projectcensored.org

Earth911 Podcast: Can Nano Nuclear Energy's Microreactors Deliver Equitable Electricity? Jan 22, 2024

Despite its other environmental impacts, including toxic waste that requires centuries or millennia of storage in facilities designed to protect future generations from the genetic and acute effects of radiation, nuclear power is considered by some influential environmentalists an essential component of the post-fossil fuel economy. For example, James Hansen, the NASA scientist who raised the alarm about global warming in Congressional testimony in 1987, advocates expanded nuclear energy generation. Meet Jay Yu, founder, executive chairman, and president of Nano Nuclear Energy Inc., and James Walker, CEO of the company. Nano Nuclear develops smaller, portable nuclear microreactors that can be moved to where electricity is needed on a truck. These microreactors can generate between 1 and 20 megawatts of energy, enough electricity to power as few as 400 homes or up to 20,000 homes, depending on their needs — and that's plenty for many large manufacturing companies to use in a crisis when other sources of power are down. Nano Nuclear is working on two designs, the Zeus and Odin reactors, for different uses.
Jay and James offer arguments for considering the role of microreactors in various settings we've discussed on the show. Ocean freight shipping, for example, accounts for 2% of humanity's annual carbon emissions, and a microreactor is about the same size as a diesel engine, so it could easily replace today's engine. Bringing inexpensive electricity to low-income countries could provide power to run water desalination plants and air conditioners as the planet warms and create economic opportunities that have never developed in the fossil fuel era. When you introduce new energy platforms, there is a chance to reorganize society for greater fairness. But there is still the question of what to do with spent nuclear fuel. The United States shut down its Yucca Mountain storage project, the country's only deep geological long-term storage facility, for many reasons, including the well-justified protest by the indigenous communities that live near the site. You can learn more about Nano Nuclear Energy at https://nanonuclearenergy.com/

Earth911 Podcast: Ben Vivari On Getting Started With ESG Investing Jan 15, 2024

2023 was a challenging year for environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investing, even though more capital continues to flow into ESG-reporting companies. In 2024, as inflation cools, consumers are expected to continue migrating to sustainable products and services, fueling higher returns for ESG-aligned stocks. Explore the first steps you can take to begin with Ben Vivari, cofounder of Till Investors, which helps investors evaluate and invest in green and socially responsible funds. Ben contributed an article to Earth911, published today, How to Invest for a Healthy Planet, a valuable introduction to ESG investing that looks at how you, the individual investor, think about risk. He identified three "fighting" styles, Avoiding, Rewarding, and Engaging companies based on their ESG disclosures.
Ben shares the news and research sources ESG investors should know and use when making decisions. Your choices as an investor to choose responsibility for the future in addition to profits make a difference — learn about your potential power and exercise it. Till Investors has also published a guide for new ESG investors, Sustainable Investing: An "ESG" Starter Kit for Everyday Investors, available on Amazon. You can learn more about Till Investors at tillinvestors.com

Earth911 Podcast: Nikki Batchelor and Mike Leitch introduce the XPRIZE Carbon Removal Finalists Dec 18, 2023

How do you kickstart an industry? The $100 million XPrize for Carbon Removal recently announced its 15 winners in the first competition stage to achieve gigaton-scale carbon removal. With more than 1300 entrants in the XPrize process, the carbon removal prize may be the largest experiment in innovation in human history. The goal is to lower the cost of carbon removal to well below $100 per ton and ultimately to store atmospheric CO2 for centuries to halt and eventually reverse climate change. The XPrize Carbon Removal competition's Executive Director, Nikki Batchelor, and Mike Leitch, the project's technical leader, join the conversation to discuss the 15 milestone winners who earned $1 million each. When the final awards are announced in 2025, the winner will receive a $50-million prize, and the runners-up will split $30 million. Both for-profit and university teams were among this year's winners, and they represent a variety of natural and technical approaches to capturing CO2 from the air and sequestering CO2 in the ocean, farmland, and rock formations.
Natural approaches, such as enhanced rock weathering, biomass processing, or supplementing agricultural land with biochar, are many people's preferred carbon drawdown options. However, we need to place many bets to create diverse solutions if the industry is to grow. Technical solutions, including direct air capture and various ocean-based approaches, must be explored and readied to help keep the planet from warming more than 2C. At this point, genuinely catastrophic climate impacts will be inescapable. Given the pace, or more accurately, the lack of progress in reducing emissions, society needs to experiment safely and deliberatively with various carbon removal pathways. Explore some of these strategies to understand how the nascent carbon removal industry is taking shape.

Earth911 Podcast: Orlo Nutrition Introduces Carbon-Negative Algae-based Omega-3 Oil Supplements Dec 15, 2023

Nutritional supplements, which the Centers for Disease Control report that 57.6% of adults consume, have significant environmental impacts. One family of supplements, Omega-3 oils, the healthy fats about 20 million Americans take each month to support brain and circulatory health, is responsible for the decline of krill in the Southern Ocean around Antarctica and overfishing of pelagic fish, such as anchovies and sardines, along the coast of Africa. Meet Corinna Bellizzi, Head of Sales and Marketing at Orlo Nutrition, an Icelandic nutritional supplement company growing algae to produce Omega-3 and related supplements. They remove the need to harvest krill or pelagic fish, which eat algae to produce Omega-3 oil coveted by fishermen.
We recently spoke with Philippe and Ashlan Cousteau about how Omega-3 oil production relies on harvesting krill. These tiny crustaceans capture and sequester massive amounts of CO2 from the atmosphere. Their lifecycle is responsible for as much or more carbon sequestration as the Amazon rainforest. Orlo’s production facilities are colocated with a geothermal plant in Iceland, allowing the company to use renewable energy and CO2 captured from the sky to feed its algae. The result is a methylated form of vitamin B12 that contains the same amino acids as beef that removes about 1.1 Algae growth in labs and ponds could be the basis for a food and nutrition revolution, as well as replacing fossil fuel-based plastics with biodegradable alternatives, as we learned from Algenesis earlier this year. You can learn more about Orlo Nutrition at https://orlonutrition.com/

Earth911 Podcast: The Apparel Impact Institute’s Kurt Kipka Maps the Path to Sustainable Fashion Dec 11, 2023

Fashion makes us feel elegant and affluent, creating unique looks that allow people living in crowded societies to set themselves apart with unique styles. But fashion also comes at a substantial environmental cost. According to many estimates, 10% of the world's carbon emissions and 20% of wastewater are generated by making, shipping, and selling clothing, much of which ends up in landfills long before the clothing's usefulness is exhausted. Meet Kurt Kipka, Chief Impact Officer at the Apparel Impact Institute. This nonprofit is working to reduce the apparel industry's negative environmental and social consequences. The Apparel Impact Institute created a methodology called Clean by Design that helps textiles and clothing manufacturers identify issues, get funding to trial new strategies, and propagate solutions across the industry. The organization emphasizes the importance of objectively measurable progress toward using less energy, water, and chemicals and reducing waste in the manufacturing process.
The American Chemical Society, funded by the plastic industry responsible for the rise of the materials that enable fast fashion, claims the volume of fashion production will grow by 300% before 2050, which is unsustainable. Our society might be buried in its clothing waste. Kurt outlines the path to a more sustainable fashion industry, including using natural and recycled fiber, decarbonizing production, and shorter supply chains built around local clothing hubs that sell, resell, repair, and recycle clothing. Today's fast fashion item that costs $10 and is worn three times before being discarded could become a durable piece of clothing that is sold, resold, loaned, and traded in many times, with the fashion label earning revenue at each turn as the facilitator of the experience of shopping for quality, long-lasting clothing. You can learn more about the Apparel Impact Institute at https://apparelimpact.org/

Earth911 Podcast: Avoiding PFAS and Other Water Contaminants Dec 08, 2023

Drinking water is at risk of becoming scarce in the face of climate change. More than 50% of the nation has experienced drought since 2000. Rich “Raz” Razgaitis, CEO of Bluewater North America, a water purification company, joins the conversation to discuss the rising incidence in the water of per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances, or PFAS, the forever chemicals used in everything from the lining of fast food containers and firefighting foams to cosmetics and waterproof clothing. A recent United States Geological Survey study found that as much as 45% of U.S. tap water is contaminated with PFAS. Rich last joined us in early 2022, before the company he co-founded, FloWater, was acquired by Bluewater.
Water filtering, use, and reuse will become a more prominent feature of daily life in the coming years. The USGS study, however, is a wake-up call about chemical contamination. It found at least one type of PFAS in almost half of 716 samples taken from taps around the nation from public and private water sources. The Eastern seaboard and Midwest have the most contaminated water systems. And several cities in the West with heavy industry and military bases also have PFAS-contaminated water. You can learn more about Bluewater North America at https://www.bluewatergroup.com/us

Alchemy’s James Murdock on Building a Circular Economy for Technology Dec 04, 2023

The volume of electronic waste doubles about every six years as technology plays a more significant role in daily life. In 2019, the United Nations estimated that only 17.4% of electronics were recycled. The United States recycled only 9.4% of its e-waste that year. But in Europe, the recycling rate was 42.5% in 2019. There are many ways to improve, and one is the growing market for refurbished technology. Meet James Murdock, founder and chief marketing officer of Alchemy Global Solutions, a trade-in, refurbishing, and remarketing services provider for technology and telecommunications companies. Alchemy also sells refurbished phones, tablets, and laptops at Loop-mobile.com.
The constant upgrade cycle for phones, tablets, and laptops keeps people on a wasteful and expensive spending treadmill. According to Statista, the average phone user keeps their phone for about two-and-a-half years, even though manufacturers claim that they make their products to last between six and eight years. Trade-in programs have become a familiar part of our digital life. Like the auto market, where used cars account for 74% of sales annually, a used phone is now considered a smart, sustainable choice. Alchemy, based in Britain, offers services in the U.K., Ireland, Japan, Taiwan, Korea, South Asia, and the United States. The company has refurbished and sold 4.6 million devices since its founding to create a circular market for technology. You can learn more about Alchemy at https://www.alchemyglobalsolutions.com/

Earth911 Podcast: Peter Glenn on Financing Your EV Life Dec 01, 2023

Electric vehicles are taking market share away from internal combustion competitors, with new plugin vehicle registrations in 2023 growing 45% yearly and accounting for 18% of all vehicle sales worldwide this year. U.S. EV sales hit 7.9% of all new car sales over the past three months. In Silicon Valley-speak, EVs are nearly across the chasm, the point at which a new product category is poised to displace older products rapidly. You're probably asking, "Can I afford one?" Our guest, Peter Glenn, CEO of EV Life, is working to make the answer to your question an affordable "Yes." EV Life works with EV shoppers to pre-qualify them for a loan, then applies available rebates and the federal tax credit that buyers typically have to wait to claim on their federal and state taxes to lower their monthly EV payments.
The financialization of life over the past 50 years has delivered mixed results for consumers. As Peter explains, those tools could be turned to positive use by connecting car owners to savings, reduced charging costs, and other benefits based on the ability to track vehicle use, the EV's ability to send power to the grid when parked, or potentially by passing the value of carbon emissions avoided to the vehicle owner. That requires a more connected lifestyle, which represents a new co-ownership scenario — we may own the car but have committed to sending the used battery to a processor who will pay us today or over time for the lithium they will recover when the vehicle reaches the end of its useful life. EV Life was born with a mission to help people find the information they need to buy the right electric car for their needs. You can learn more at EVLife.co

Earth911 Podcast: The Skills Activist Leaders in Business Need in the Climate Era Nov 27, 2023

Business may be the most potent force in the world, perhaps more poweful than government. The largest corporations—only 20 companies— are responsible for one-third of carbon emissions, and some firms carry more economic heft than many nations. For example, Apple earned $99 billion in net income in 2022, and if Apple were a nation, it would rank 67th in the world if compared to the GDP of other countries. The Climate Crisis and its related food, water, and immigration impacts present the most significant challenge business has ever faced. Can business deliver a better world and equitable society while avoiding a global economic collapse? The Activist Leader: A New Mindset for Doing Business, a new book by our guests Jon Miller and Lucy Parker, reports that business has the tools. Now, the will to lead is required.
Lucy and Jon outline a simple challenge for leaders and people who want to become business leaders: they must adopt a new mindset and the ability to think like an activist about the role a business plays in the world. That’s a tall order in a fractured political environment in which critics from the extremes of the political spectrum monitor every word for controversy. It takes courage to be an activist leader, and that’s a topic worth exploring in a world that needs businesses to step up to their responsibility for the system that produced climate change. You can find The Activist Leader: A New Mindset for Doing Business at Amazon, Powell’s Books, and local bookstores.

Earth911 Podcast: Better Earth's Savannah Seydel on Compostable Packaging Nov 24, 2023

Savannah Seydel, vice president of sustainability and impact at Better Earth, a maker of compostable tableware and food service packaging, is on a mission to remove petroleum-based plastics and PFAS-treated fiber from our food packaging choices. Food packaging and service ware are two of the largest sources of plastic pollution. The rise of compostable alternatives to petroleum-based plastics could change the character of food service materials, making restaurants, cafeterias, and food delivery packaging part of the circular economy, where materials flow from nature to human use and back to nature again. Better Earth makes a wide range of hot and cold food packaging using renewable, sustainably grown fiber and PLA, an industrially compostable bio-plastic — this packaging now represents about 8% of the food service industry.
Better Earth sells packaging to businesses, not consumers. The company has established an in-house design studio that creates packaging and circular services. For example, they’ve partnered with farmers in their Atlanta office to source fiber from switchgrass and other cover crops, which provides new revenue streams to support family farms. Better Earth also works to develop collection programs that get recovered packaging and food waste into the composting system and, ultimately, back to the farms where it can nourish the soil. Savannah describes their Field to Food to Field strategy as “borrowing biological resources and putting them back again.” You can learn more about Better Earth at https://becompostable.com/

Earth911 Podcast: Trek Bicycle's Eric Bjorling Introduces the Red Barn Refresh Nov 20, 2023

Trek Bicycle has introduced a certified pre-owned bike program, Red Barn Refresh, and recently published its 2023 Sustainability Report. Eric Bjorling, Trek's Director of Brand Marketing and Public Relations, returns to Sustainability In Your Ear to discuss the company's progress and what it has learned on the path to greater sustainability. Two years ago, Eric said Trek was starting to move fast and take real action to reduce its environmental impact. Since then, the company has committed to reduce its Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 68% compared to 2021 levels by 2032 and Scope 3 emissions by 30%.
Like many companies, Trek's Scope 3 emissions related to its supply chain and distribution system account for more than 95% of its annual cumulative emissions. Consequently, Trek declared frankly in its latest sustainability report that it continues to explore its impact and strategies for achieving net-zero emissions, so it has yet to set a goal. There's no doubt that a bike is a much better transportation choice than a car, and Trek is taking steps to reduce the impact of its bikes, packaging, and retail locations. We might all learn something, so let's get on our bikes and ride.

Earth911 Podcast: Wearwell Cofounder Erin Houston Builds Circular Clothing Lifestyles Nov 18, 2023

The rise of fast fashion resulted in a tidal wave of clothing in the world’s landfills. Even traditional fashion choices can increase your environmental footprint if not selected using sustainable criteria, cared for and washed correctly, and worn until you donate or recycle it. Meet Erin Houston, cofounder of Wearwell, a woman-owned company that helps customers choose sustainable clothing, accessories, and shoes, as well as resell used items they no longer want to wear. Erin and her team carefully design the Wearwell catalog to feature responsibly manufactured fashion, clothing from certified B Corporations that mix profit with social impact, as well as from women- and block-owned fashion lines for women of all sizes. The company also offers a recommerce option, Wearwellagain, that provides customers free shipping of pre-loved clothing, shoes, and accessories and awards between 5% and 15% off their next purchase.
The question is whether humanity can find satisfaction in making the clothing we buy last longer. Much of the problem is due to the focus on shopping rather than wearing and caring for clothing. The change we need to make is to place the emphasis not on how many clothing pieces we acquire but instead on making them last. Recommerce, selling used items that others can wear, is a potential source of satisfaction for the shopper craving change. Wearwellagain and similar services could enable the constant exchange of clothing to satisfy the need for novelty — but limiting shipping and other recommerce-related environmental impacts will be a challenge until we achieve a carbon-neutral transportation infrastructure. There are many changes to make and myriad opportunities for new businesses. You can learn more about Wearwell at https://www.shopwearwell.com/

Earth911 Podcast: Breeze Founder Lucas Fraser on Small Business Carbon Tracking Nov 13, 2023

Measuring greenhouse gas emissions, sometimes known as "carbon accounting," is the hottest topic in business. Regulators now require companies to report their emissions along with other environmental impacts. Consumers have also made clear that they want low-impact products and services. Meet Lucas Fraser, founder of Breeze, a carbon tracking tool for small and medium-sized businesses that measures Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions. Breeze is an easy-to-use platform that provides locally relevant results based on various energy sources in a region and by types of products purchased and used in a business.
We used Breeze to profile Earth911's carbon impact, and the free version provided a useful estimate we can use to make changes -- that's information every business needs. Despite the International Energy Agency's projections that carbon emissions will peak by the middle of this decade, the agency reports that CO2 emissions reached a record 37 billion tons in 2022. It is time to stop talking about reductions and start achieving them. While reducing carbon emissions is critical to preventing more global warming, we also need better insights into other environmental impacts, such as water use, raw materials extraction, and waste created in manufacturing and distribution, to fully understand the opportunities to reduce society's impact on nature. You can learn more about Breeze at https://mybreeze.io

Earth911 Podcast: The Rideshare Company Reduce Traffic and Emissions Nov 10, 2023

Reducing the number of solo drivers in and around cities and the emissions associated with commuting and shopping make a positive difference for the environment and human health. Meet Nanci Fitzgerald, President and CEO of The Rideshare Company. This nonprofit organization develops ridesharing services for companies, governments, and residential facilities. Founded in the 1980s, The Rideshare Company has created rideshare programs that, between July 1994 to December 2022, provided more than 20 million trips, eliminating 699 million miles traveled. Ridesharing reduced the cost of maintaining its vehicles by $13 million and saved 32.9 million gallons of gas, which prevented 354,475 tons of CO2 emissions. 40 years of ridesharing history demonstrates how the potential for sharing assets, like cars and busses, has evolved — there are many alternatives to ownership of things that are used only part of the day or even less frequently. If we can do a better job of organizing shared travel, the potential benefits are vast.
The U.S. Census reports that the average commute time in the nation was 27.6 minutes in 2019, the last year before COVID-19 disrupted lives and changed work and travel. Almost 10% of workers told the Census in 2019 that they traveled more than an hour to work. Companies and governments are asking people to return to the office, and too often, they drive alone in a car. There are better ways to travel involving ridesharing and organized commuter programs, such as those provided on and around a corporate campus. The challenge is organizing those programs and finding participants, which is the Rideshare Company's forte. You can learn more about The Rideshare Company at https://www.rideshare.com/

Earth911 Podcast: GS1 US Builds the Circular Economy Using Scannable Codes Nov 06, 2023

Meet Vivian Tai, Director of Innovation at GS1 US, the American division of GS1, a nonprofit organization you interact with daily and probably do not know by name. Its product, the Universal Product Code, or UPC barcode, is on virtually everything you buy and could power your participation in the circular economy. The original UPC barcode transformed shopping in the 1970s, first providing retail workers the ability for retail checkers to scan into the inventory management and point of sale systems, then later allowing self-checkout by shoppers. GS1's internal mantra is the identification of everything makes anything possible. The organization's new GS1 Digital Link Standard uses scannable QR codes to connect and track products, even specific individual units produced across the entire lifecycle.
The evolution of circular products will grow on scannable codes, something every one of us with a phone in our pocket. The combination of a smartphone and QR code could unlock closed-loop recycling to ensure that companies who make or distribute products and packaging can take responsibility for the materials they use at every step, ultimately reducing the need to extract raw materials to lower humanity's environmental footprint. You can learn more about GS1 US and its technology at https://www.gs1us.org/

Earth911 Podcast: Irrigreen’s Shane Dyer on Water-Saving Precision Irrigation Nov 03, 2023

Water is getting more expensive as drought spreads due to climate change, and in the Western U.S., scarcity continues to drive water prices higher. Meet Shane Dyer, CEO of Irrigreen, a precision irrigation company that recently released its first product for the home. Think of the Irrigreen sprinkler system as inkjet printing applied to putting water exactly where needed to keep a yard green or a garden productive. A smartphone app helps you map your yard to tell the system where and how much water is needed. Irrigreen’s control system also accesses local weather information to adjust watering to optimize soil moisture.
The website in2013dollars.com reports that the cost of water across the country has increased by 3,968% since 1952 and continues to rise by 5.36% a year. Whether you are concerned about the environment or your pocketbook, it’s a good time to think about cutting water use in the yard, showering, doing the dishes, or washing clothes. Irrigreen’s use of machine learning, what most people call Artificial Intelligence today, to precisely control water application provides practical data about measurable water and water-bill savings results. You can learn more about Irrigreen at https://irrigreen.com/

Earth911 Podcast: Guidehouse Insights’ Sam Abuelsamid Maps the Future of EV Battery Innovation Oct 30, 2023

The rise of electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles will require a transformation in battery technology, the charging infrastructure, and the electric grid. Sam Abuelsamid, Principal Analyst for E-Mobility at Guidehouse Insights, joined the conversation to discuss electrification issues, from battery technology and mobility to smart cities and the distributed energy grid evolving around us. Sam explains that recycling will be essential to making enough batteries for the growing electric and hybrid fleet without rampant extractive mining. Guidehouse recently published a report called Developing Solutions for Recycling End-of-Life EV Batteries.
EVs acccounted for 14% of all new cars sold globally in 2022, and the International Energy Agency estimates that sales will increase by another 35% to 18.9% this year. China accounts for more than half of global sales. In the United States, 7.2% of car sald in the first quarter of this year were EVs. Plug-in hybrids represented about 13% of sales — so about 20% of all cars sold will need new battery technology. As we’ve heard during previous interviews, the battery supply chain is still forming, and lithium and several critical minerals are still in short supply. You can learn more about Guidehouse Insights at https://guidehouseinsights.com/

Earth911 Podcast: Author John J. Berger on Solving Climate Crisis Oct 27, 2023

For many of us, the Climate Crisis looks like a brick wall, something the internal combustion-driven economy will slam into and total the system we grew up in. John J. Berger, Ph.D., author of Solving the Climate Crisis: Frontline Reports from the Race to Save the Earth, explored the path forward without getting up with the doom-saying that discourages people from taking action. While John warns of the consequences of continued inaction, his travels and research uncovered stories about progress in turning the built environment green, sustainable business erupting in the Red States, and the many changes in our infrastructure, business, and government practices that are being pioneered around the world, and the changes we can all make in our buying, diet, and when we vote.
Translating our aspirations for a sustainable life as individuals into social change is more complicated than at any time in history. Not only are we more connected, but we are also inundated with fear-based storytelling that doesn't help us make better decisions. John's travels at the frontline of the green transition show that the future can be brighter, better, and more equitable than today's economy, which is slowly starving due to the pollution and global warming it has produced. Living sustainably, taking responsibility for the environmental impact of a business, and communities making investments in renewable, circular economy infrastructures are showing the way to a post-fossil fuel world. Solving the Climate Crisis: Frontline Reports from the Race to Save the Earth is available on Amazon, at Powell's Books, and in local bookstores.

Earth911 Podcast: ePlant CEO Graham Hine Listens to Trees Oct 23, 2023

Smart homes are commonplace today. Now, the intelligent yard is poised to join the mix. Meet Graham Hine, CEO of ePlant, which recently introduced the TreeTag. This solar-powered monitor is attached to a tree to monitor its health and send updates wirelessly to a phone. TreeTags are placed onto the side of trees using a screw and measure minor size fluctuations in trees. For example, the bark's contraction can indicate stress, such as a lack of water. The TreeTag includes an accelerometer to detect movement patterns that may suggest instability and a humidity sensor to augment local weather data. The TreeTag employs artificial intelligence to process and transmit its data to the cloud. You can talk to your tree using ChatGPT as an interpreter. The experience is like chatting with a friend, but it might be about how much water the tree needs to be healthy or a report on its growth and the carbon it has captured as it grows.
ePlant is among the most intriguing and fun devices we've seen this year. Technology can help us see the environment in new ways, bolstering our senses with data that lets us identify biases so that we can respond to climate change, local extreme weather, and drought thoughtfully and efficiently. Solar-powered devices like TreeTag, if manufactured with minimal environmental impact, can expand our sensory engagement with the health of forests, orchards, and suburban yards to reduce overwatering, preserve tree and plant species struggling with local weather changes, and potentially increase the yield of food produced per gallon of water used. You can learn more about ePlant at https://www.eplant.com/

Earth911 Podcast: Knoxfill’s Michaela Barnett on Recycling’s Failures & Refill Alternatives Oct 20, 2023

The circular economy is a vision for a world in which the materials used in the products and packaging we purchase flow perpetually through the economy, used over and over instead of being tossed into landfills and replaced with newly mined, refined, and processed stuff. Recycling, an industry with about 50 years of history, is considered an essential feature of the circular economy, but it is just one option. Our guest, Knoxfill founder Michaela Barnett, recently wrote an article for The Conversation that convincingly argued that recycling has struggled to live up to the circular vision. She says the three Rs — reduce, reuse, and recycle — are insufficient to make the circular economy go round. Michaela started Knoxfill, a retail store in Knoxville, Tennessee, that offers refillable and sustainably made products for hair care, home cleaning, skincare, and the kitchen.
Michaela and her team at Knoxfill offer local delivery and a “mobile refillery,” kind of like a food truck for refills, to make reuse and refilling available as widely as possible within their communities — by keeping the supply chain short using local products and refusing to ship nationally, they help reduce not just plastic consumption but also carbon emissions and other impacts of our daily lives. You can learn more about Knoxfill at https://knoxfill.com/
Take a few minutes to find your local refill options at https://www.litterless.com/ or https://directory.refillerycollective.com/ and start to change your take-make-waste buying to reduce your impact.

Earth911 Podcast: Building A Better Recycling Infrastructure With ISRI's Robin Wiener Oct 16, 2023

Robin Wiener, president of the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI), joins the conversation to explore the evolution of the circular economy and how the role of recycling will evolve. Today’s recycling infrastructure is closely aligned with the waste management system. There are growing signs that the reuse of products is essential and that recycling services can be built into the product lifecycle as the last step when no more reuse is possible. But the challenge recyclers face, along with the rest of us, is the limited range of choices in recyclable materials used in products and packaging. Consumer goods and packaging companies must simplify their designs, abandoning hard-to-recycle materials that cannot be processed by the equipment currently available in local recycling facilities.
Recycling has gotten a bad rap in recent years, and only sometimes for good reasons. Robin explains that when we talk about the overall plastic recycling rate, which is an abysmal five to six percent, we miss that some materials, like PET beverage bottles, are collected and processed at much higher rates. Many materials can be collected at even higher rates when states put deposit programs in place to encourage their return for recycling. For now, each of us can look closely at products before we buy them to understand whether we can recycle them when finished using them. You can learn more about ISRI at https://www.isri.org/

Earth911 Podcast: The Solutionists Author Solitaire Townsend On Solving Climate Change Oct 13, 2023

Society is moving from sustainability naive to sustainably native, a new era in which the language, practices, and values of sustainable thinking will be taken for granted. When we have a shared language, changes start to happen- a trend we can see emerging now. Solitaire Townsend, author of The Solutionists: How Businesses Can Fix The Future, has written a guide to using the many threads of transformation that are already weaving the circular economy, albeit often behind closed doors and never as fast as all of us would like. The Solutionists documents how debates about the value of ESG reporting and what factors it should account for, whether only the financial risk faced by companies or the full spectrum of environmental impacts a company or country creates, is representative of a transition in which people with vision, grit, good humor, and the soul to roll with rapid changes can change the world for the better.
Solitaire recounts hundreds of interviews and projects that show the progress and hope that can lead to a profound change. That change is not guaranteed, but as she writes near the end of the book, "Being a successful Solutionist means stepping up to conversations that challenge you, with an openness to learn." It's an uncomfortable time, and the curious, driven leader can make vast changes real for their organization and community. You can find The Solutionists at Amazon, Powell's Books, and local bookstores.

Earth911 Podcast: Andrea Ferris on Making Polyester Biodegradable with CICLO Oct 09, 2023

The average American home produces 533 million microfibers annually, according to a 2019 study by Ocean Wise. CiCLO, a new polyester and nylon additive, promises to make those microfibers biodegrade in landfills or water, potentially eliminating these microplastic pollutants. Meet Andrea Ferris, CEO and cofounder at Intrinsic Advanced Materials, maker of CiCLO, a nutrient that attracts microorganisms to the weakest points in a synthetic fiber, where they feed and break down the material. According to the company, the result is a textile that decomposes as quickly as natural fibers like wool. CiCLO has been certified by OEKO-TEX ECO PASSPORT as not harmful to human health. While we must reduce the use of synthetics, it is also beneficial to make those materials we use less damaging when they escape into nature.
Synthetic textiles are a plague, starting with shoppers who buy, wear, and discard clothing at an unprecedented rate. Too often, clothing becomes waste in the environment. Consumers wear fast fashions an average of only seven times before discarding them. CiCLO is an intriguing solution for the clothes that end their useful life in the landfill or as litter — it could help reduce the long-term impact of materials that escape into nature. You can learn more about CiCLO and Intrinsic Advanced Materials at https://ciclotextiles.com/

Earth911 Podcast: Caelux CEO Scott Graybeal on the U.S. Perovskite Solar Panel Supply Chain Oct 06, 2023

Scott Graybeal, CEO of Caelux, sits down to talk about perovskites-based nanotechnology that can improve the performance of silicon solar panels to produce 30% more power from the sun at a 10% lower cost than traditional panels. Caelux recently closed an additional $12 million in funding to build a manufacturing facility that will produce up to 100 MW of generation capacity. The $370 billion Inflation Reduction Act has reportedly been followed by between $213 and $511 billion in private investment, with hundreds of new solar, battery, and other cleantech facilities launched last year. It’s a remarkable time to be in green technology because, as Scott explains, the U.S. has embraced an industrial vision and invested in making it happen for the first time since the Eisenhower Administration.
Silicon-based solar panels have made tremendous progress since they came to public attention when the Carter Administration first installed them on the roof of the White House. The cost of electricity they generate has fallen by 99% as silicon solar panels achieved 20% efficiency. Perovskite, a calcium titanium oxide-based nanomaterial, can convert up to 30% of the sun’s light into electricity, and recent research suggests they could become two-and-a-half times more efficient in the next few years.
You can learn more about Caelux at https://caelux.com/

Earth911 Podcast: Grant Quasha on Cutting Cement's Carbon Footprint by 95% Oct 02, 2023

What is the most used material in the world? Cement, the basis for building most of the modern world, was invented during the Roman Empire and remains the most used material worldwide. In 2021, cement accounted for 1.6 billion tons of carbon dioxide emissions globally, about 4.3 % of all greenhouse gas generated that year. Meet Grant Quasha, CEO of Eco Material Technology, a New York-based maker of low-carbon cement and materials for making concrete. Eco Material reengineered the Roman method of making pozzolanic cement using processed fly ash generated by industrial processes. The company uses a low-temperature process to remove carbon when making PozzoSlag®. This material can replace a significant portion of the portland cement required to make durable concrete used in buildings and bridges. The resulting concrete carries an embodied carbon footprint 95% lower than traditional portland cement.
During the conversation, Grant explains that billions of tons of fly ash from the Industrial Era can be recovered to make low-carbon concrete. While the prospect of lowering annual CO2 emissions associated with building homes, skyscrapers, and roads by 95% is sufficiently important to justify enthusiasm about this technology, the opportunity to mine the residual fly ash pollution created and dumped during the Industrial Era should get everyone’s attention. Society can do more than paper over environmental damage while continuing to build and expand a sustainable infrastructure — we can restore nature, making cities and their suburbs greener.
You can learn more about Eco Materials Technologies at https://ecomaterial.com/

Earth911 Podcast: Simen Saetre on Making Salmon a New, Domesticated Fish Sep 29, 2023

Farmed salmon has been touted as a solution to food scarcity as the world turns to eating more seafood. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that seafood production must increase 29.3% by 2030 to meet demand. Our guest today is Simen Sætre, who coauthored The New Fish: The Truth about Farmed Salmon and the Consequences We Can No Longer Ignore with journalist Kjetil Ostli. The book examines the salmon farming industry in Norway in the 1960s. It is a history of the business and a chronicle of the many unanticipated consequences of fish farming, including the use of chemicals in fish feed that harm aquatic and human health, a pandemic of sea lice infections in farmed and wild fish, and the competition between salmon farms and human food supplies, particularly in Africa.
The intense pollution and inhumanity associated with large-scale cattle, pork, and poultry operations, known as CAFOs, are being translated to increase the production in salmon farming. Simen discusses how humans have started down the path to creating CAFOs in the sea. Still, he remains hopeful that wild salmon can be restored. You can find The New Fish: The Truth about Farmed Salmon and the Consequences We Can No Longer Ignore at Amazon, Powell’s Books, and local booksellers.

Earth911 Podcast: Ben Wolkon on the Pace of Renewable Energy Investment Sep 25, 2023

The pace of renewable energy investments has gained momentum over the past decade. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA) World Energy Investment 2023 report, $2.8 trillion will be invested this year in energy, including fossil fuels, with almost 61% dedicated to clean energy. Meet investor Ben Wolkon, a founding partner at MUUS Climate Partners. The firm invests to accelerate renewable energy adoption and to create clean technologies. Now that renewables have crossed the chasm and entered the scale-up phase, we wanted to get a read on how to make more progress faster because the nation is still not on track to cut emissions by 50% before 2030.
The IEA reports that for each $1 spent on fossil fuel development, $1.7 is invested in clean energy. Only Five years ago, the ratio was 1:1. That's real progress, and most of that investment flows into new companies. At the same time, oil companies are not turning their recent record profits into investments in renewables. Instead, they are developing more wells and paying dividends rather than investing in low-carbon and renewable energy. That leaves room for many upstarts, including MUUS Climate's portfolio companies, our previous guest, Nth Cycle, as well as Harvest Thermal, BrightNight, and Cache Energy, among others. You can learn more about MUUS Climate Partners at https://www.muusclimate.com/

Earth911 Podcast Special Event: Introducing the Ecological Benefits Framework Sep 23, 2023

The landscape of environmental disclosure is changing fast. Go behind the scenes at Climate Week in New York to hear the introduction of a potentially transformative environmental reporting tool, the Ecological Benefits Framework (EBF). Created by the environmental storytelling studio The Lexicon, led by Douglas Gayeton, the EBF aims to go beyond Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) reporting, extending today's financial risk assessments with a comprehensive quantification of environmental impacts. Earth911's Mitch Ratcliffe also spoke with frequent guest Newday Impact CEO Doug Heske about the firm's commitment to be the first to use EBF information to build investment products. EBF is not just about dollars and cents but about the positive ecological changes organizations and companies can deliver. The information will help investors and governments make environmental investments go further.
Beyond the boardroom and investor circles, the implications of EBF resonate deeply. Picture a world where easily decipherable visual icons inform your online shopping or in-store purchase decisions. Icons that communicate a product's ecological benefits or drawbacks can foster decisions that improve environmental and human wellbeing.
Model and activist Georgie Badiel also appeared at the event to discuss her foundation's effort to combat water scarcity in Burkina Faso. With the aid of the EBF, she believes the impact of the Georgie Badiel Foundation's women-built and managed community wells initiative will be vividly and transparently communicated to supporters.
Whether you're an environmental enthusiast, an investor looking for sustainable opportunities, or someone eager to make informed decisions, this episode of Sustainability In Your Ear introduces an exciting vision for ecological impact transparency. Visit CanYouChangetheFuture.org to sign up for newsletter updates and track where the EBF will change your ability to make informed investing decisions.

Earth911 Podcast: Steven Hawley Documents the Cracks in the Western Water Strategies Sep 22, 2023

Dams are more common than you think. Author Steven Hawley reports that 58,500 large dams worldwide have trapped 3,155 gigatons of sediment, meaning they are rapidly filling up and will eventually become useless for storing water or generating electricity. Steven's new book, Cracked: The Future of Dams in a Hot, Chaotic World, was published by Patagonia. A wide-ranging study of the many impacts of damming rivers, Cracked explores the social displacement and economic harm dams do to people and the environment, including climate warming methane emissions and direct harm to wildlife, especially fish and migratory birds.
In 2022, the Bonneville Power Administration, the largest dam management agency's electricity prices ranged between $0.0349 and $0.0788 per kilowatt hour. By comparison, the global average cost of the same kilowatt hour of solar power was $0.48, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency. When you add in the dire environmental consequence of dams, like the 99% decline in salmon runs over the past 100 years, the era of dams needs to end. Yet, dam projects are still being built in other countries, like China and Vietnam. Perhaps the United States can help other nations avoid the long-term consequences of dams by leading the dambusting movement.
Cracked: The Future of Dams in a Hot, Chaotic World is available at Amazon, Powell's Books, and local bookstores.

Earth911 Podcast: Christy Briggs Scores a Sustainability Touchdown at Seattle’s Lumen Field Sep 16, 2023

Since it started measuring waste diversion from landfills in 2006, when it recycled only 4.6% of materials collected, Seattle's Lumen Field has increased its recycling, composting, and donations efforts to avoid sending 90% of the waste generated by fans to the dump. Meet Christy Briggs, Logistics and Sustainability Manager at First & Goal Incorporated, who leads Lumen Field's recycling and other sustainability programs. The stadium has a high bar to meet, as just across town, Climate Pledge Arena was the country's first LEED Platinum sports venue and has achieved similar waste diversion rates. Of course, sports thrive on competition, and Lumen Field has introduced innovative approaches to collection, sorting, and putting items into the right reuse stream. For example, after each major event, Lumen Field rolls out a portable materials recovery facility — a sorting system like the ones used at recycling transfer stations that separates packaging, food waste, and other items.
Sports and concerts connect communities, bringing crowds together from around a city, state, or nation, and those fans toss massive volumes of cups, food service items, programs, and memorabilia. A football game or Taylor Swift concert could be among the most waste-creating events in our society. Many stadiums and sports venues are stepping up to the challenge. Lumen Field's sustainability efforts go back to its construction, when 35% of the concrete from the demolished Kingdome, the stadium that stood where it is today, was used in the new building. First & Goal Incorporated, which also manages the Seattle Seahawks, has developed programs to reduce environmental impacts that include recycling sod through donations to local parks, sourcing Green Seal-certified janitorial supplies, recycling thousands of gallons of cooking oil, and during a major renovation of the field the company donated 96.3% of the used furniture, carpet, and other materials collected. You can learn more about Lumen Field and its sustainability efforts at https://www.lumenfield.com/venue-info/sustainability

Earth911 Podcast: Rayven CEO Owen Barrett on Electrifying the Nation’s Apartment Buildings Sep 15, 2023

Owen Barrett, cofounder and president of Rayven, is working to make it easy for individuals to invest in apartment buildings to accelerate the pace of energy upgrades and renewable energy adoption. Electrification of the nation's apartment buildings, moving them away from heating and energy generated from fossil fuels, is critical to achieving national carbon emissions reduction goals for 2030. Raven lets people invest with as little as $250, identifying profitable buildings to acquire, then makes energy efficiency improvements and installs solar panels to increase the profitability of the building.
About 40 million Americans lived in apartments as of 2019, and they must rely on their landlord to make investments to electrify the buildings they live in. Rents have been rising precipitously — the cost of a square foot of apartment space was up more than 100% between 2010 and 2020, according to the National Multifamily Housing Council, due to a shortage of apartments. If you've considered investing in apartment buildings, Rayven offers the opportunity to lower the nation's greenhouse gas emissions while earning a return on your money. You can learn about Rayven at https://joinrayven.com/

Earth911 Podcast: Supermodel Georgie Badiel Brings Clean Water to Burkina Faso Sep 11, 2023

Supermodel Georgie Badiel Liberty, who has graced the covers of magazines and in advertising worldwide, turned her celebrity to solving water scarcity challenges in her native country, Burkina Faso. In 2015, she launched the Georgie Badiel Foundation to bring wells, sanitation, solar-generated electricity, and community gardens to 10 million Burkinabé who lack access to clean water. The wells are built and managed by women in the villages where they are intalled. As a child, Georgie carried water three hours a day, working alongside her grandmother and cousins to transfer water to her village for the family's use — she was the inspiration for the illustrated children's book The Water Princess. Georgie's story shows that positive changes are possible in dire circumstances.
Our frequent guest, Newday Impact Investing CEO Doug Heske, also joins us. Georgie and Doug will host the 2023 Water Gala on Sept 29 at Second, an event venue on 6th Avenue in New York City. Building a new solar-powered well, which provides water, toilets, and community services such as a study center, costs $20,000 while repairing a well runs as little as $1,000. More than 341,000 people in Burkina Faso now have access to water. Just $10 million in funding could transform the country's water supply.
The Georgie Badiel Foundation also offers resources to help schools across the United States do fundraising and provide awareness programs about water scarcity, sustainability, and women's empowerment. You can learn more about Georgie and her foundation at https://www.georgiebadielfoundation.org/
Discover Newday Impact's exchange-traded ocean health fund and its other impact investing programs at https://newdayimpact.com

Earth911 Podcast: Maya van Rossum on Held vs. Montana and Renewable Energy Lobbying Aug 07, 2023

The founder of the national Green Amendments movement, Maya van Rossum, returns to discuss Held vs. Montana, a lawsuit brought by 16 teenagers demanding the enforcement by state agencies of regulations that ensure their right to a clean and healthy environment. Montana is one of three states that have a Green Amendment in its state constitution. She was in the courtroom during the testimonial phase of the case. Maya recently wrote: "The Held v. State of Montana litigation is the first time the right to a safe climate is getting a full and fair hearing in the courts with a state Green Amendment as a key foundation."
Maya also recently contributed an article on Earth911, Industry & Big Greens Stomp on Frontline Communities & Environmental Justice... Yet Again. She pointed out a questionable alliance between national environmental groups and renewable energy companies fighting the addition of a Green Amendment to the New Mexico State constitution. In addition to Montana, Pennsylvania and New York have adopted Green Amendments. There is little or no evidence those constitutional changes have slowed the development of green energy services in those states. Despite the apparent agreement that we need a healthy environment, the clean energy industry and several prominent environmental advocacy groups, including Sierra Club Nation and Union of Concerned Scientists, have joined the Interwest Energy Alliance (IEA), a lobbying group opposing the Green Amendment in New Mexico. You can learn more about Maya and the Green Amendments movement at https://forthegenerations.org/

Earth911 Podcast: Ship It Zero Aims for a Decarbonized Shipping Industry by 2030 Aug 04, 2023

The UN's International Maritime Association reported in 2020 that the shipping industry — the ships moving freight between the continents — accounts for 2.89% of annual global CO2 emissions. Between 1990 and 2020, shipping volumes "more than doubled," according to Statista, and during the COVID-19 pandemic, shipping grew faster, at as much as 16.4% a year, according to the U.S. International Trade Commission. Meet Eric Leveridge, the Pacific Environment Lead at Ship It Zero, a nonprofit coalition of environmental, public health, and shipping experts. The organization reports that the shipping emissions of just 15 retail companies, including Home Depot, Lowe's, Walmart, Amazon, and Target, are responsible for 12.7 million tons of CO2 and as much particulate pollution as the entire U.S. mining industry.
Eric also digs into recent news that Amazon reversed its Climate Pledge commitment that would have made half of its shipping emissions-free by 2030. As reported by Business Insider, Amazon's reason was, "We realized that it no longer made sense to have a separate and more narrow Shipment Zero goal that applied to only one part of our business, so we've decided to eliminate it." Ship It Zero called on Amazon to reinstate its 50% net-zero shipping goals. Shipping has many routes to lower emissions, including the use of hydrogen- or ammonia-based fuels, augmenting engines with wind power, and the addition of emissions scrubbing technology that captures and sequesters carbon, sulfur oxide, and nitrous oxide emissions instead of letting them escape into the atmosphere. Eric joins us to explore the challenge of lowering retailers' shipping-related emissions and tell us about Ship It Zero's recommendations.
You can learn more at https://shipitzero.org/, which features several helpful ebooks for those who want to read up on shipping emissions and pollution.

Earth911 Podcast: SuperCircle Breaks the Textiles Logjam Jul 31, 2023

SuperCircle, a textiles recycling startup, has cracked the circular economy code for fashion brands. Meet the cofounders, Chloe Songer and Start Ahlum, who cofounded SuperCircle, which provides clothing takeback and recycling services to leading clothing brands, including tentree, Reformation, Mate the Label, and the circular sneaker brand Thousand Fell, which they also cofounded in 2018. SuperCircle launched in 2022 to a massive problem, managing recycling logistics and textiles processing for the retail industry. The company recycled more than 700,000 garments last year using new sorting steps and technologies to separate organic and synthetic fabrics and identify items that can be resold. You can learn more about SuperCircle at https://supercircle.world/

Earth911 Podcast: Consumer Reports' New Electric Yard Tool Recommendations Jul 28, 2023

Welcome to the hottest part of Summer, when the heat and smoke season may have you looking at your yard and thinking that it's time to upgrade from gas lawn equipment to electric, or to go back to manual tools. Tobie Stanger, a senior editor at Consumer Reports, joins the conversation to talk about the independent, nonprofit product review site's decision to endorse electric lawn equipment, especially for smaller lawns. According to the National Resources Defense Council, gas mowers, edgers, trimmers, and blowers are noisy, and their two-stroke engines pollute 20 to 300 times more than a car per hour of operation. A 2011 Environmental Protection Agency report concluded that gas lawn equipment emits large amounts of three volatile organic compounds that are known carcinogens, Benzene, 1,3 butadiene, and formaldehyde. The environment and our neighborhoods would be better off without gas-powered lawn equipment.
Tobie has covered appliances, generators, lawnmowers, and much more for more than 30 years and is one of the most tuned-in observers of the electrification of consumer products. We'll find out why Consumer Reports concludes that gas yard equipment still has the advantage in some cases and explore the key features and functionality to look for when choosing electric alternatives to polluting gas equipment. Check out the electric yard equipment brands she discusses when shopping, including Ryobi, Kobalt, Stihl, Greenworks, Husquarvana, and eGo.
To find a collection of Consumer Reports reviews of electric lawn tools, visit Gas Vs. Electric Lawn Mower: Which is Better? (membership is required to see product ratings).

Earth911 Podcast: Plaine Products Makes Personal Care Products Circular Jul 24, 2023

How does a small startup launch a mail-back recycling program to deliver circular products that massive brands struggle to make? Meet innovator Lindsey McCoy, who started Plaine Products with her sister, Alison, in 2017. Today, Plaine Products offers 16 fully circular personal care products, including shampoo, conditioner, moisturizer, and lotion. These personal care products are made with vegan ingredients and come in aluminum bottles that customers rinse and return for refilling when empty. When a customer runs low, they order a new bottle that arrives before they run out along with a return mail label; after swapping the pump to the new container, the empty is placed in the shipping box to send the battle back to Plaine Products for cleaning, refilling, and use by another customer.
Imagine the circular economy, a world in which everything we buy and use is collected, recycled, composted, or passed on for continued use to lower our environmental impact. The vision sounds a long way off, and it may be a long time until everything can be recycled or composted economically. Among companies, Walmart, Kroger, and Burger King are pioneering circularity through Loop, a consortium of consumer packaged goods brands spearheaded by specialty recycler Terracycle. Loop has not disclosed how much packaging it has prevented from reaching the landfill. To date, Plaine Products has prevented more than 547,000 plastic bottles from being used once and tossed or escaping into nature as pollution. Lindsey also discusses how more than 270 retail stores now offer Plaine Products refill stations.
Plaine Products has created a special 20% discount for Earth911 readers -- visit the site and enter the discount code "Earth911" when checking out. Learn more about the company at https://www.plaineproducts.com/
This article contains affiliate links. If you purchase an item through one of these links, we receive a small commission that helps fund our Recycling Directory.

Earth911 Podcast: Brevian Energy's Rod Matthews on the Changing Economics of Microgrids Jul 21, 2023

Renewable energy will reconfigure the nation's electricity infrastructure, a relic from an era of centralized power generation when coal, gas, hydroelectric, and nuclear generation created massive amounts of power in one location for distribution across thousands of square miles. These times call for a different approach to electricity distribution, which mixes national and regional grids with local generation and a new concept, the microgrid. These local generation and storage systems may be connected to or operate independently from the regional electric grid. Rod Matthews, cofounder and CEO of Brevian Energy, a renewable energy technology company based in Vista, California, joins the conversation to discuss microgrids for business. While the decision to electrify still makes eminent sense, the incentives for business adoption of solar, wind, and microgrids are changing. California's net metering 3 decision will reduce prices paid to individuals and businesses that sell their excess energy back to the grid.
A microgrid can be as small as a single business or home and offers a different relationship with electricity, freeing the owner from the arbitrary price increases imposed by remote electricity generation providers. As we embed solar generation into our built environment, vehicles, and appliances and gadgets in offices and homes, we may enter a glut condition when moving power where it is needed remains challenging. As the nature and placement of electric generation evolve, understanding microgrids' role in power distribution and economics. Just as the net was initially engineered to survive a nuclear war, we can re-engineer the power grid to provide reliable power in an era when six- and seven-hour blackouts due to a single fuse failing or extreme heat causes a utility to turn off transmission lines have become, if not every day, increasingly familiar inconveniences. You can learn more about Brevian Energy at https://www.brevianenergy.com/

Earth911 Podcast: The Global Water Partnerships' Dimitris Faloutsos Sets the Stage for a Global Plastics Treaty Jul 14, 2023

A new global plastics treaty due to take effect in 2025 will reset the world's strategy for reducing and reversing plastic's environmental and health impacts. Get a primer on the politics and issues defining the agreement from Dimitris Faloutsos, Head of Transboundary Waters at the United Nations' Global Water Partnership (GWP). The Global Water Project and London-based policy institute Chatham House recently released a report, "Why lifecycle solutions are needed to tackle marine plastic pollution." He and his coauthors argue that many solutions are available but require increased investment in the collection and processing of plastic with transparency about the performance at every step in the process to create accountability. The report argues that plastic pollution, which costs society more than $100 billion a year due to health and environmental damage now, will continue to grow until emerging strategies pioneered in Europe, Japan, and Chile — along with new ideas and technologies — to prevent plastic from reaching the ocean. In other words, we have many of the ideas and technologies necessary, and it's a matter of putting them to work while continuing to learn and improve the system.
More than two billion people live without access to waste collection services. Plastic pollution is growing with the volume of plastic produced, which has grown by 4.4% annually since the global financial crisis in 2007. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development's Global Plastics Outlook reports that 22 million tons of plastic pollution entered the environment in 2019. If society continues plastic business as usual, 44MM tons will pollute the world's waters, land, and animal bodies by 2060. You can read the report at https://circulareconomy.earth/publications/why-lifecycle-solutions-are-needed-to-tackle-marine-plastic-pollution

Earth911 Podcast: Crown Holding's Jennifer Bogs on Making Aluminum More Sustainable Jul 10, 2023

How can we make one of the most recycled materials more sustainable? Meet Jennifer Bogs, director of global sustainability at Crown Holdings Inc., one of the largest aluminum can manufacturers worldwide at $12.9 billion in annual sales. The aluminum industry famously claims that 75% of all aluminum ever produced; it's a highly recyclable material. Reusing one ton of aluminum reduces by 8 tons the need to mine raw bauxite, the ore aluminum is made, and saves 14,000 kWh of energy, enough electricity to power one U.S. home for an entire year. But the Environmental Protection Agency's last aluminum recycling statistics, from 2018, show that only 50.4% of drink cans distributed in the U.S. were recycled. And across all uses of aluminum, only 34.9% of the material is recycled. Recycling results in the United States do not compare favorably with Europe, where recycling rates are consistently above 70%, or China and Brazil, which reported they recovered 99.5% and 96.5% of aluminum beverage cans, respectively.
Crown has announced carbon reduction and environmental goals, known as the Twentyby30 Goals. The company has reduced Scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions, those directly and indirectly associated with its manufacturing activities, by 12% since 2019 while growing production by 8 billion cans -- its carbon intensity is decreasing. However, Crown's Scope 3 emissions rose by 25%. Like many companies, Scope 3 is where much of Crown's opportunity to improve lives in the coming years. The company also recently reported that it has increased the use of renewable energy to 34% on the path to 75% renewable use by 2030 and has reduced volatile organic compound emissions by 6% since 2019. The company's internal efforts focus on activating and educating employees in dozens of manufacturing and office locations around the globe to make business decisions based on environmental impacts.You can learn more about Crown at https://www.crowncork.com/. The mention of cork in the URL reflects its legacy as Crown Cork & Seal Company, founded in 1892.

Earth911 Podcast: B-Stock's Marcus Shen on Growing the Resale Economy Jul 07, 2023

Recommerce is on the rise as retail locations struggle to attract customers after the pandemic, they are running short of backroom storage space while dealing with a rising tide of returned items. The situation is even more challenging for e-commerce companies, where returns accounted for $741 Billion in lost revenue, the National Retail Federation recently reported. Meet Marcus Shen, CEO of San Mateo, CA-based B-Stock Solutions, which specializes in liquidating unwanted inventory for online and physical retailers. From the top 10 U.S. retailers, such as Walmart, Amazon, GameStop, and Costco, to small entrepreneurs looking to fill their shelves, businesses around the world use B-Stock to sell and buy returned and unsold merchandise, which is auctioned off or sold directly from the retailers’ distribution center at a fraction of the retail price.
A mind-boggling 21% of online purchases were returned during the 2021 holiday season — which suggests that the cost of returns at Amazon, which does not disclose its return volume, could have reached more than $98 billion in 2021. About a third of the items returned are burned to generate energy, which is the epitome of wastefulness and a symptom of very short-sighted thinking. Add to the idea that useful returned products are burned the carbon footprint of a return trip from the buyer’s home, and you can see how returns can almost double or more the environmental impact of a purchase. In the face of a rising tide of returned and excess inventory, giving those products a second chance at a useful life is critical to lowering the GHG emissions generated by our economy. Explore the crooked path of “reverse-logistics” and how the secondary market can help create a more circular economy. To learn more about B-Stock and, if you are looking to start a small retail or e-commerce business, shop the excess inventory, visit https://bstock.com

Earth911 Podcast: Vanessa Coleman on Oceanworks' Guaranteed Recycled Plastic Jul 03, 2023

According to the World Economic Forum, between 75 and 199 million tons of plastic waste are floating in and polluting the world’s oceans. The 5 Gyres Institute reports that the volume of plastic entering the seas doubles every six years. There are genuine efforts to develop circular, sustainable packaging amid waves of greenwashing claims. Meet Vanessa Coleman, CEO of Oceanworks, which collects ocean plastics for recycling that it sells to companies committed to using post-consumer recycled, or PCR, plastics in new products and packaging. Oceanworks has developed a network of partners that collect and recycle plastics found on beaches and in waterways around the world, which the Oceanworks Guaranteed label can identify — these programs’ environmental, social, and recycling practices are reviewed regularly. Oceanworks can provide end-to-end audits of its plastics supply chain to inform packaging designers about where the materials they choose are collected, processed, and remanufactured.
Oceanworks Guaranteed® certified recycled plastics are used in Glad to be Green products, Sperry Seacycled sneakers, Delta Faucets’ Ocean Plastic Shower Head, and many other products. While shoppers can browse these products at Oceanworks’ website, the real action happens in the company’s online materials catalog. It sells recycled PET (#1), HDPE (#2), and Polypropylene (#5) plastics, as well as recycled yarns and fabrics, bottles, and zippers made from ocean plastics. Product designers and the teams responsible for packaging get access to a wide range of materials that contribute to a cleaner world as long as they continue to be recycled responsibly. We discuss the National Strategy to Prevent Plastic Pollution, the potential for “advanced recycling” technologies that promise to make plastic as recyclable as metals, and the environmental and recycling impacts of plastics and the additives they contain.
You can learn more about Oceanworks at https://oceanworks.co/

Earth911 Podcast: Project Drawdown Maps a Path to Sustainable Gaming Jun 30, 2023

U.S. gamers generate 24 million tons of CO2 into the atmosphere annually, according to a 2019 study by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. That’s about the same greenhouse gas impact as the annual emissions from five million cars. And with more than 3 billion gamers worldwide, game developers and the datacenters they rely on need to make rapid changes to reduce their footprint. Drawdown Labs recently released “A drawdown-aligned framework for the Gaming industry,” a set of recommendations on how gaming companies help solve climate change through not just actions to reduce their emissions but by encouraging gamers to embrace environmental responsibility during gameplay. Two contributors to the guide, Aiyana Bodi, Sr. Associate at Drawdown Labs, and Paula Escuardra, a Sr. UX Strategist for Cloud Gaming at Microsoft’s Xbox Game Studios, join the conversation to discuss the new recommendations.
Even if the gaming industry accounts for only a fraction of one percent of total annual emissions, every slight improvement in efficiency will contribute to progress. More importantly, the example set by the tech industry can inspire changes in other companies that want to remain competitive and attractive to climate-concerned customers. The lessons learned from gaming’s transition can inspire changes in renewable energy, inform the development of a comprehensive approach to measuring Scope 3 emissions in other industries, and demonstrate the financial and brand benefits of becoming environmentally responsible. Read the report at https://drawdown.org/publications/a-drawdown-aligned-framework-for-the-gaming-industry, and learn more about Project Drawdown, which was founded by environmentalist Paul Hawken, at https://drawdown.org

Earth911 Podcast: Liminal Insights CEO Andrew Hsieh Aims to Improve EV Battery Performance Jun 26, 2023

Electrification of the world's transportation depends heavily on the ability to build efficient, fast-charging electric vehicle batteries in massive quantities. Meet Andrew Hsieh, founder and CEO of Emeryville, Calif-based Liminal Insights, a developer of EV battery data and analytics tools used to test batteries during manufacturing. Liminal aims to help battery makers make better batteries faster. But shortages of critical minerals, battery failures that have spurred EV recalls, and China's battery manufacturing dominance, to name just a few challenges, have raised questions about the viability of the US' goal to reduce carbon emissions by 50% by 2030. Can America build better batteries to power EVs and store energy on the grid? Can we make enough batteries, and recycle EV battery packs to reduce the need for mining? With substantial innovation in battery technology and manufacturing processes, we may electrify the transportation sector by 2035.
Liminal has developed EchoStat, an AI-enabled ultrasound battery inspection system that manufacturers can use to assess the performance of every individual battery cell as it comes off the production line. The process takes seconds and prevents bad cells from being integrated into battery packs. Andrew announced a $17.5 million investment in February, which Liminal will use to accelerate the development and deployment of its inspection tools. Liminal also received a $2.75 million grant from the California Energy Commission to help integrate EchoStat into automated manufacturing facilities, or "gigafactories." Learn more about Liminal Insights at https://www.liminalinsights.com/

Earth911 Podcast: Lundberg Family Farms' Bryce Lundberg on Growing Rice the Regenerative Way Jun 23, 2023

Rice farmers have a story to tell about sustainability and innovation. Founded in 1937 in the northern Sacramento Valley of California, Lundberg Family Farms has been committed to leaving the land better than they found it and learning from previous generations. The company, now led by the third and fourth generation of Lundbergs, recently introduced its Regenerative Organic Certified White Basmati Rice. Bryce Lundberg, whose great-grandfather started the farm, joins us to discuss rice, regeneration, and baby ducks. Under the family's leadership, the company has built a network of about 40 farms and partners that grow, mill, and distribute 107 certified organic, non-GMO products while preserving soil health and embracing renewable energy and aggressive recycling and reuse practices. Lundberg Family Farms recycles 99.7% of its company waste and is exploring sustainable packaging options. We’ll explore the evolving organic certifications and how a staple like rice can be delivered sustainably with a circular approach to packaging.
White rice is less nutritious than brown, red, or other colored rice because it contains more iron, zinc, copper, manganese, and selenium. Lundberg Family Farms primarily grows brown rice, unmilled whole-grain rice left in the fields longer to improve its flavor and nutritional benefits. Surprisingly, most rice consumed globally is a white variety that has been milled and polished. According to the US Department of Agriculture, the United States grows about 10.7 million tons of rice a year. In California, about 500,000 acres are planted with rice annually. As California struggles with drought and this year’s flooding following record winter snowfall, rice cultivation, which involves flooding fields late in the season, will need to make better use of water. At a time when their almond-farming neighbors are cutting down trees, the Lundbergs face challenges that many farmers will during the Climate Crisis.
You can learn more about Lundberg Family Farms at https://www.lundberg.com/

Earth911 Podcast World Refugee Day Special: Actor & Activist Ger Duany on the Path to Hope & Shared Prosperity Jun 20, 2023

Turn World Refugee Day into positive action. Join a very special conversation with actor-activist Ger Duany, whose inspiring story of escaping from life as a child solder during the civil war in Sudan to become a model, actor, and international advocate for refugees and environmental responsibility. Ger points out that we are entering an 'Era of Displacement.' This phrase succinctly captures the dire planetary predicament we face due to climate change. We also talk with two of Ger's partners in his advocacy work on behalf of refugees, Newday Impact Investing CEO Doug Heske and Bernice Romero, Executive Director of the Norwegian Refugee Council USA, a humanitarian organization that helps people forced to flee from disaster, war, and drought build a new future for themselves.
Ger's life journey started in South Sudan, where a generation of youth known as "the Lost Boys" endured Sudan's brutal civil wars. After escaping and finding refuge in the United States, Ger was catapulted to prominence in the entertainment industry with notable roles in the films 'I Heart Huckabees', 'The Good Lie', and the recent, Cannes-debuted 'Goodbye Julia.' He also wrote about his experiences and journey in the book, 'Walk Toward the Rising Sun.'
True to his roots, Ger used his newfound fame to become an ardent advocate for refugees, mental health support for displaced individuals, and African environmental responsibility. Having served as a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, he recently took on the leadership of the Advocacy, Corporate Engagement, and Stewardship program at Newday Impact Investing, which is devoted to corporate education and outreach to support individuals displaced by the climate crisis.
You can learn more about Ger Duany and how to support his work at https://www.gerduany.com/. The Norwegian Refugee Council USA's website is at https://www.nrc.no/and follow them at @nrc_norway on Instagram and Twitter. For more information about Newday Impact Investing and its environmental and socially responsible portfolio programs, visit https://newdayimpact.com/

Earth911 Podcast: Mike Anderson Explains Passive Design Solutions for Net-Zero Housing Jun 19, 2023

In the industrial era, home is where the carbon is. The built environment accounts for about 40% of annual CO2 emissions globally. An MIT urban and environmental study recently reported that the materials used to build a new home could generate between 15 and 100 tons of CO2eq. Meet Mike Anderson, CEO and Design Leader at Passive Design Solutions, a pioneer in the industry who has worked on more than 100 passive single- and multi-family home projects. A passive home design can reduce the embodied carbon footprint during construction and provide long-term energy savings that cut emissions and monthly bills. Passive Design Solutions offers downloadable passive and net-zero home plans that a certified construction professional can build.
Mike's business partner, Natalie Leonard, wrote about passive house designs for Earth911 last year. He shares his thoughts on the evolution of sustainable building technology, the market for environmentally responsible single- and multi-family homes, and some improvements current owners and renters can make without upgrading to a new house. You can learn more about Passive Design Solutions and find their home plans at https://www.passivedesign.ca/

Earth911 Podcast: Earth911 Interview: Land to Market's Wyatt Ball on Regenerative Agriculture Labeling Jun 16, 2023

Finding regeneratively grown agricultural products is getting easier. Our guest today is Wyatt Ball, business development manager for Land to Market. The program focuses on connecting brands, producers, and participants in the food supply chain through their shared concern for land health. The practice of regenerative agriculture first took root in the 1960s and 70s after publisher Robert Rodale coined the team. But in recent years, an explosion of interest in regenerative practices following the release of the film Kiss the Soil and during frightening evidence that climate change is accelerating. Regenerative agriculture has been shown to restore topsoil lost to erosion. It could help to capture and store atmospheric carbon to help draw down the CO2 warming our planet.
Standards take time to develop, and we wanted to invite back the Savory Institute for an update about a leading regenerative labeling program, the Land to Market label. Founded in 2018, the Land to Market program helps companies source verified raw materials from regenerating land worldwide using empirical monitoring data from its Ecological Outcome Verification (EOV) monitoring program. The Land to Market team currently tracks 3.5 million acres tracked through the Land to Market program and has certified more than 1,000 products. In addition to consumers, Land to Market educates farmers about emerging regenerative practices with continuing guidance to farmers about how to improve land health. Because no two farms are alike, Land to Market avoids being dogmatic about which regenerative strategies to use, emphasizing a holistic land management philosophy based on scientific insights into soil health. You can learn more about Land to Market label at https://www.landtomarket.com/

Earth911 Podcast: Earth911 Interview: The Ocean Conservancy's Anja Brandon on Upgrading the FTC Green Guides Jun 12, 2023

Plastic politics are in the news. Three converging debates will shape the future of plastic manufacturing and recycling: At the global level, the United Nations is negotiating the terms of a worldwide plastics treaty, while in the United States, the Environmental Protection Agency has introduced a draft National Strategy to Prevent Plastic Pollution and the Federal Trade Commission is working on updating its Green Guides, the rules that govern the advertising of environmental and recycling claims. Dr. Anja Malawi Brandon, associate director of U.S. plastics policy for Ocean Conservancy, returns to the show to discuss the state of plastic packaging regulations and extended producer responsibility laws. Anja is an environmental engineer who helped draft landmark state and national legislation regulating plastic pollution in recent years.
Anja last appeared on the show to discuss unnecessary plastics in March 2022. She recently authored Ocean Conservancy’s recommendations to the FTC about labeling plastics to indicate their recyclability. Anja summarized the challenging recycling information we all struggled with when she wrote, “Consumers should not need a Ph.D. in plastics to understand what to do with their plastic packaging.”Recyclability and compostability need to be clarified terms, and local services, not national rules, determine the natural options available to each of us. You can learn more about the Ocean Conservancy at https://oceanconservancy.org/

Earth911 Podcast: Watershed's Steve Davis on Tracking and Reducing Non-CO2 Emissions Jun 09, 2023

The sustainability community has a carbon fixation, yet non-CO2 emissions, such as methane and nitrous oxide, account for a quarter of annual global greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, water, biodiversity, and many other factors contribute to the environmental damage our economy causes. A more comprehensive view of our impacts is needed to consider solutions to the complex, systemic changes needed to avert global warming catastrophe. Meet Steve Davis, Head Climate Scientist at Watershed, a carbon tracking platform for large organizations, and Professor of Earth Systems Science at UC Irvine. Steve's wide-ranging research has examined the CO2, methane, and other emissions generated by wildfires, the impact of flooding and heat risks in major cities, how airlines can achieve net-zero emissions, and the various natural and technological approaches to removing carbon from the atmosphere.
Steve was a corporate lawyer in Silicon Valley before becoming a leading climate research scientist. He contributed to the energy systems section of the recent UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change AR6 Synthesis Report. He also co-authored the climate mitigation chapter of the soon-to-be-released Fifth National Climate Assessment report from the US Global Change Research Program. To learn more about Steve's research, visit https://www.ess.uci.edu/~sjdavis/ and the information about the Watershed carbon tracking tool is available at https://watershed.com/

Earth911 Podcast: World Ocean Day Special -- Ashlan & Philippe Cousteau Share a Krill Call to Action Jun 08, 2023

Trvl Channel hosts Ashlan and Philippe Cousteau join a special World Oceans Day conversation with Mitch Ratcliffe and Newday Impact Investing CEO Doug Heske about the rapidly declining krill population in the Southern Antarctic Ocean. These tiny crustaceans that are the keystone of a critical carbon cycle are threatened with extinction from overharvesting to make heart- and brain-healthy Omega-3 oils and for use as filler in animal feed. Just as humans once hunted whales almost to extinction, krill are being harvested extensively in the Antarctic Southern Ocean, so much so that the species is at risk. Demand for products made from krill has reduced populations by as much as 80% since the 1970s, and they could face losses of another 40% because of the impacts of climate change.
Philippe and Ashlan explain how krill power the largest carbon sink on the planet -- it sequesters more CO2 than the Amazon, and share a warning for consumers: avoid krill-based products to avoid contributing to the collapse of the Antarctic food chain and ask for algae-based alternatives. EarthEcho International, the youth ocean education nonprofit Philippe founded, and Newday Impact are collaborating to launch a krill-protection-focused exchange-traded fund that will support public awareness and the development of sustainable alternatives. They encourage young people to join the movement for ocean health at https://joingensea.org/.
Krill are tiny, shrimp-like crustaceans that serve as a primary food source for many marine animals, including fish, whales, seals, and penguins in the Antarctic Southern Ocean. Just as humans once hunted whales almost to extinction, krill are being harvested extensively in the Antarctic Southern Ocean, so much so that the species is at risk. Demand for products made from krill has reduced populations by as much as 80% since the 1970s, and they could face a loss of another 40% because of the impacts of climate change. The solution Ashlan and Philippe suggest is a remarkable example of a broad solution that addresses many climate-related problems. As we’ve heard on previous shows, algae oil is an ingredient in nutritious foods, sustainable fuels, and compostable plastics or fabrics. The introduction of land-based algae farming can support millions of prosperous farmers, especially in the global south, where climate change already makes land too arid for traditional agriculture.
Discover more about krill fishing and EarthEcho International at https://www.earthecho.org/ and the Newday Impact Investing Ocean Health ETF (NYSE: AHOY) at https://newdayimpact.com/ocean-health/

Earth911 Podcast: The Product Stewardship Institute's Scott Cassel on Growing Extended Producer Responsibility Jun 05, 2023

Extended producer responsibility, the idea that manufacturers of products and packaging should take responsibility for collecting and recycling the things they make, is a hot topic in the sustainability and business worlds. One EPR bill has passed so far in 2023, Washington State’s SB 5144, which requires battery makers to be responsible for the environmental management of their products. Meet Scott Cassel, founder and CEO of the Product Stewardship Institute, a nonprofit that advocates and consults to develop circular economy solutions and extended producer responsibility legislation. Scott and PSI were key players in the Washington legislation.
A typical concern promoted by companies about proposed EPR laws is the cost to the consumer. However, history shows that, for example, bottle deposit systems improve collection rates substantially. States with bottle bills collect 65% of bottles, while those without collect about 24% -- bottle bills more than double collection rates. Columbia University research estimated a maximum increase in monthly grocery bills of $4 per household with robust EPR programs in place. The environmental benefits of EPR are clear, but the economic impact is most impressive. As part of the economy shifts to managing and moving products back to manufacturers for recycling, the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that materials moving job jobs will grow by 6.5% by 2031, or ~861,000 new jobs, and as many as 304,000 new repair, maintenance, and waste management jobs are also exacted by 2031. The Circular Economy is full of opportunity and the potential to create a more equitable nation. You can learn more about Scott and the Product Stewardship Institute at https://productstewardship.us/

Earth911 Podcast: Catching Up With the HomeMore Project's Zac Clark Jun 02, 2023

Zac Clark, founder and executive director of the HomeMore Project in San Francisco, returns to share an update. The HomeMore Project has distributed several hundred solar-powered backpacks, the Makeshift Traveler, which features a built-in charging station packed with an AM/FM radio, rechargeable flashlight, sleeping bag, and other necessities. When we first talked with Zac in January 2022, when he was a Junior at the University of San Francisco, the Makeshift Traveler was a prototype. Today, the organization has delivered hundreds of backpacks and has extended the program to other parts of California.
Homelessness has been on the rise in the United States since 2015. As of 2022, a Housing and Urban Development survey found that more than 582,000 people lived on the street — about 18 people for every 10,000 Americans. Getting off the street requires connecting to wireless services, with all the technology necessary, from a mobile phone, which about 70% of people without housing do have, to chargers and access to information to find resources, treatment for medical and addiction issues, and apply for work. In March, the HomeMore Project completed its first government contract, delivering 60 MakeShift Travelers for homeless veterans in Palo Alto, California. You can learn more about the HomeMore Project and its MakeShift Traveler backpack at https://thehomemoreproject.org/

Earth911 Podcast: ReUser Founder James Wilson Introduces a Reusable Takeout Packaging Service May 29, 2023

Making circular living easy for people is the key to achieving our sustainability goals. The take-make-waste linear economy has excelled at making the disposal of products and packaging easy, but only if you consider the landfill an environmentally responsible solution (it's not). Now we need to make collecting and reusing items as convenient as tossing packaging in the trash after one use. James Wilson, the founder of Hickory Corners, Michigan-based reUser, which is working to reduce the volume of food service and takeout packaging waste with reusable containers for college and corporate cafeterias, joins the conversation to discuss building circular services.
Currently available at Wesleyan, Trinity, and Cornerstone Universities, the reUser services combine convenient drop-off bins placed on campuses with a mobile app that helps diners track and return takeout containers and understand the impact of their reuse habits. reUser's platform represents the beginning of a collection, cleaning, and reuse economy that could be attached to many linear customer experiences, such as the collection of ecommerce boxes from homes and offices, recovery of hard-to-recycle packaging, and, of course, in the fast food and quick service restaurant industry. There are many steps to master in any service experience, and reUser is an intriguing example of how local circular services could grow. You can learn more about reUser at https://www.reuser.app/

Earth911 Podcast: Earth911 Interview: The Critical Minerals Institute's Jack Lifton on Sourcing Lithium for the EV Transition May 26, 2023

Is there enough lithium in the United States to fulfill the made-in-America requirements of the Inflation Reduction Act's tax incentive programs for new electric vehicles? The International Energy Agency projects that the world will need 1063 kilotons of lithium in 2040. That’s 48 times the volume of lithium used in EVs and electricity storage in 2020. Where will it come from? Our guest today is Jack Lifton, a physical chemist who has worked for the past 60 years on the purification of rare metals for the electronics and energy storage industries. He is the co-chairman of the Critical Minerals Institute, an international professional organization focused on battery and technology materials, and an advisor to One World Lithium, a lithium extraction technology company. One World Lithium has developed a lithium carbonation process that Jack suggests can produce more battery-grade material than more heat- and pressure-intensive approaches.
Now that we clearly see the depth of the climate crisis, lithium, the basis for most batteries used in electric vehicles, might be called the most critical mineral on the planet. China currently dominates the extraction and processing of lithium, and has locked up access to lithium and other critical minerals sources in parts of Africa and Latin America. Jack argues that the United States needs to rethink its industrial strategy to focus on STEM skills and low-impact manufacturing processes to make the turn from fossil fuels to electrification, including finding equitable partnerships with countries in the Global South that hold large reserves of lithium, cobalt, and other critical minerals. You can learn more about Jack Lifton and the Critical Minerals Institute at https://criticalmineralsinstitute.com/ and follow his regular columns at https://investorintel.com/

Earth911 Podcast: Seeing the How of Circular Customer Experience with Allen Adamson May 22, 2023

Can companies build circular services into their customer experience to earn a trusted relationship with the 81% of consumers who say they will buy more products and services from brands that help them live sustainably? We often talk about the Circular Economy and its benefits for people and the planet. Still, for many, the circular economy sounds like a lot of additional work to sort and drop off materials for reprocessing. And many people don't like the sound of "reduce and reuse" because the media tells us it means "less and worn out." That narrative needs to change. My special guest is Allen Adamson, author of the new book Seeing the How: Transforming What People Do, Not Buy, to Gain Market Advantage. Allen is a partner with Sustainability In Your Ear host Mitch Ratcliffe at global branding and marketing agency Metaforce.
A more sustainable economy will be built on high-quality products that last longer and are energy- and water-efficient, representing new standards of value that include caring for the planet and ensuring resources are available for future generations. In "Seeing the How", Allen proposes employing eight distinct "lenses" to scrutinize a company's marketing, packaging, advertising, and selling strategies. The objective is to attract consumers to novel circular services that promote the reuse of materials and prevent them from ending up in landfills. Alen's lenses -- which include joining forces with other companies and customers, seeing like a concierge, and going the rental route -- are paths to a circular economy with new local layers that make recycling, composting, reuse, donations, and repairs a seamless part of every product experience. Join in a brainstorming session about building sustainability into everything. You can find "Seeing the How" on Amazon and Powell's Books, and learn more about Allen and Metaforce at metaforce.com.

Earth911 Podcast: World Centric's Resource Management Team on Compostable Packaging Progress May 19, 2023

A few states are pioneering the rise of compostable packaging and building a composting infrastructure. World Centric's Resource Recovery Managers Erin Levine and Elly Ventura share the lessons the compostable packaging leader is learning as California, Colorado, and other states introduce composting and extended producer responsibility programs for fiber and plastic packaging. Making packaging sustainable — whether it can be recycled conveniently or composted to return the material to nature without pollutants — is essential to reducing the 292 million tons of solid waste created annually in the U.S. as of 2018. Only 32% of that waste was recycled or composted. World Centric has stopped using PFAS, the controversial "forever chemicals" that make compost that includes food service items unusable in agriculture. The company is experimenting with new bio-based compostable plastics for use in cups and as liners in fiber bowls and takeout packaging.
Composting progress is a patchwork -- while there are about 4,000 composting sites in the U.S., only about 10% of those programs offer industrial composting of packaging. California continues to expand its composting capacity after passing S.B. 1383, which calls for curbside pickup of food waste and compostable packaging across the state. On the other hand, Colorado recently proposed limiting composting to food waste — compostable packaging might not be processed in the state. Packaging makers can help by designing products for recyclability and compostability and labeling products to help customers find responsible ways to dispose of them. Erin and Elly explain that standardizing labeling, especially by clearly indicating what materials require the higher temperatures achieved in industrial composting, will help consumers make better decisions when shopping. You can learn more about World Centric at https://www.worldcentric.com/

Earth911 Podcast: Tracking Attacks on U.S. Environmental Policy During the Debt Ceiling Debate May 15, 2023

Over the past two years, the United States made a significant investment to improve industries and protect the environment. The funding in the Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law could help reduce the country's carbon emissions by 50% in 2030. However, a new debate is happening in the Republican-controlled House of Representatives. House Majority Leader, Steve Scalise (R, La.), supports a bill called the Limit, Save, Grow Act of 2023, which prioritizes lower gas prices over developing renewable energy sources. Adrien Salazar, who works for the Global Grassroots Justice Alliance, is here to talk about the strategies of Republicans and Democrats as they try to raise the debt ceiling.
The Limit, Save, Grow Act would increase pollution globally, even though the atmosphere can take less than 25 years of our current pollution levels. We must avoid exceeding the planet's carbon budget to prevent the atmosphere from tipping over into disastrous climate consequences. If the bill passes, it would also cancel the $37 billion Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, undo the decisions to stop the Keystone XL pipeline, weaken rules on pollution and emissions, and reduce protections for workers in the energy industry. The bill's impact on the climate is an important topic, but the focus on the debt ceiling in the media is overshadowing it. The Global Grassroots Justice Alliance is a group of more than 60 organizations in the United States that work on social, climate, and gender justice. Learn more about the GGJA at https://ggjalliance.org/.

Earth911 Podcast: Camston Wrather’s Aaron Kamenash on Circular, No-Waste Electronic Recyling May 12, 2023

Electronic waste is a global problem. Despite the immense value of the gold and other critical minerals they contain, 80% of computers, mobile phones, tablets, laptops, and other electronics end up in landfills. But we can do better. Meet Aaron Kamenash, the founder and chief innovation officer at Camston Wrather, a Carlsbad, California, e-waste recycler that launched its first “green smelter” facility last year. All the metals, circuit boards, plastics, and other materials in the electronics it receives are recycled. The facility claims its recycling processes are 90% less carbon intensive than legacy waste techniques and reduces water usage by 92% compared to traditional methods. For example, it converts the plastics recovered from electronics into park and campus equipment the City of San Diego uses.
Camston Wrather is developing a carbon credits program that will provide companies that recycle waste to track and report the end-of-life and reuse-related emissions, water, and environmental impacts of avoiding sending electronics to a landfill. The revenue generated by carbon credits could also unlock new revenue that can help to finance a robust reverse-logistics infrastructure for electronics. You can learn more about Camston Wrather at https://camstonwrather.com/

Earth911 Podcast: Putting Solar Generation Everywhere with Ubiquitous Energy's Veeral Hardev May 08, 2023

How can we sustainably harvest more energy and move it to where it is needed? The United States' annual energy consumption requires about one-quarter of one percent of the 174 petawatts the Sun sends to Earth daily. The prospect of new solar generation capacity created by placing transparent solar cells on windows and other surfaces will transform how we think about power management, buildings serving as largely self-sufficient electric grids, and our ability to place efficiency-enhancing functionality in windows. Veeral Hardev, vice president of corporate strategy at Ubiquitous Energy, a developer of transparent solar technology, joins the conversation to discuss the path to plentiful power, self-powering intelligent devices and vehicles.
Ubiquitous Energy's 3 x 5 foot UE Power windows for commercial buildings and homes generate about 200 watt-hours of electricity a day, preventing some heating of indoor spaces by sunlight by capturing about 20% of the energy passing through window glass. The company envisions using its thin-film technology as a power source embedded in greenhouses and partially or fully self-powering consumer electronics and vehicles. Veeral discusses how to make photovoltaics sustainable and reshape the grid to deliver the best value to consumers and businesses. Ubiquitous Energy says it uses abundant materials sourced with minimal environmental impacts. You can learn more about Ubiquitous Energy at https://ubiquitous.energy/

Earth911 Podcast: Toledo Solar CEO Aaron Bates on American Cadmium Telluride Solar Panel Manufacturing May 05, 2023

When we talk about solar energy, most of us think of the traditional silicon-based photovoltaic cells that Jimmy Carter famously installed on the roof of the White House in 1977. They have become fixtures in homes, businesses, and large-scale solar farms. But in the future solar technology could generate energy on almost any surface or window. Aaron Bates, founder and CEO of Toledo Solar, a Perrysburg, Ohio, maker of durable solar panels and solar glass using thin-film photovoltaic technologies, joins the conversation to discuss the benefits of American solar panels made using cadmium telluride. The material, referred to as “cad tell,” is a byproduct of other industrial processes that supports building thinner photovoltaic films laid onto the glass. Cad tell is also easily recycled and 60% of the material is recovered today, according to Bates.
American-made solar technology is critical to energy independence, as supply chain issues and political tensions with China have led to an 18% increase in the cost of foreign panels. The U.S. installed 20.2 gigawatts of solar energy production in 2022. The nation’s current 142.3 GW of solar capacity can power more than 25 million homes, according to a March 2023 Solar Energy Industries Association report. Toledo Solar windows, which come with a 30-year warranty, promise to add more generation capacity to a building by extending the solar surface area beyond rooftop panels. Combining electricity generated by traditional panels, windows, and other thin-film photovoltaics on buildings could make our built environment energy self-sufficient. But there are many questions about how the U.S. solar industry can grow and the benefits of the Inflation Reduction Act’s solar incentives. Aaron discusses the consequences of cutting IRA incentives, which is under debate as Republican lawmakers seek to roll them back in the debt ceiling confrontation. You can learn more about Toledo Solar at https://toledo-solar.com/

Earth911 Podcast: Yield10's Oliver Peoples on Genetic Engineering's Role In Regenerative Agriculture for Biofuels May 01, 2023

The future lies in our farmlands — as the fossil fuels industry fades, crops like camelina, a flowering seed oil plant from the Meditteranean region, may serve as a source of plant-based sustainable airline fuels, feedstock for making bioplastics and nutritional oils. We welcome back Dr. Oliver Peoples, president and CEO of Yield10 Bioscience, to discuss the company’s progress in engineering camelina to produce more oil for a variety of uses. Since he last talked with us two years ago, Yield10 has announced agreements with Mitsubishi Corporation and American Airlines to develop biofuels and progress on developing camelina strains that are more efficient and herbicide-resistant. During the Fall of 2022, farmers in the US and Canada planted Yield10-engineered camelina as a winter crop for the first time.
Genetic engineering remains a controversial subject, and introducing herbicide-resistant strains of camelina could encourage the use of more soil-harming weed control chemicals. Oliver is an evangelist for regenerative agricultural practices, which typically discourage using chemical inputs like herbicides. We discuss how no-till cover crops like camelina can provide additional income for farmers and encourage the restoration of complex root structures and biomes in the soil, offering new choices to farmers and consumers. He argues that contemporary genetic engineering uses vastly greater volumes of data to pre-check the impact of a gene mutation on a plant, the environment, and people before actually making the modification a reality. You can learn more about Yield10 at https://www.yield10bio.com/
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Earth911 Podcast: AeroFarms' Marc Oshima on Growing the Vertical Farming Opportunity Apr 28, 2023

Vertical farming, the emerging indoor approach to growing greens and other vegetables, has begun to transform agriculture. This food revolution is starting from the center of cities, where unused industrial space is now being converted to grow produce for local consumers. Marc Oshima, Co-founder and Chief Marketing Officer of AeroFarms brings a career's worth of marketing experience at Toys R Us, L'Oreal, and Turner Broadcasting, among others, to develop a new approach to growing and selling fresh produce. AeroFarms offers a variety of greens, including arugula, wasabi mustard, kale, and other blends designed for surprising flavor. The company's farming technology is reported to be 390 times more productive than growing produce on a traditional farm, and it uses 95% less water.
AeroFarms is a Certified B Corp that works to create social and environmental benefits, not just a profit. They plan expansions to create local jobs, eliminate food deserts, and build sustainable communities. The company has been recognized for its FlavorSpectrum Philosophy, a labeling approach that illustrates the taste profile of the greens to help cooks create salads and meals with specific flavor characteristics. AeroFarms greens are available in low-impact packaging that uses recycled plastic at Whole Foods, Walmart, ShopRite, and other grocers, in addition to home delivery from Amazon Fresh and FreshDirect. You can learn more about AeroFarms at https://www.aerofarms.com/

Earth911 Podcast: How to Build a Just & Equitable Carbon Removal Industry Apr 24, 2023

Carbon removal strategies will play an essential role in drawing down CO2 levels. A carbon removal industry is developing that includes natural options like planting trees and restoring prairies and wetlands, pulling CO2 from the atmosphere with Direct Air Capture, and various technical approaches that engineer changes in the environment or rely on injecting CO2 into deep geological structures. But will the industry be a good neighbor to the human communities and the natural world? That's the question asked by our guests, Nikki Batchelor, director of the $100-million XPRIZE Carbon Removal program, and Alayna Chuney, managing advisor at Carbon180, an NGO working to reduce and reverse the impact of carbon emissions.
The XPRIZE, funded by the Musk Foundation, awarded 15 $1-million interim prizes during 2022 to the most promising entrants on a path to deliver a viable carbon capture business that can remove at least 1,000 tons of CO2 per year. The remainder of the prize will be presented by Earth Day 2025. Following the first round of awards, the XPRIZE team and Carbon180 surveyed entrants to understand their commitment to environmental justice. In February, they released a report, From the Ground Up: Recommendations for Building an Environmentally Just Carbon Removal Industry, that summarizes their findings and presents recommendations about how the nascent industry should engage with the communities where they operate. Nikki and Alayna were the report's lead authors, and they discuss environmental justice, community involvement, and how to achieve an equitable carbon capture industry. You can learn more about the XPRIZE for Carbon Removal at https://www.xprize.org/ and Carbon180's mission and work are explained at https://carbon180.org/

Earth911 Podcast: The Strategic Energy Institute's Tim Lieuwen on Accelerating U.S. Electrification Apr 21, 2023

Energy generation and distribution are experiencing the kind of disruption that transformed many other industries over the past 20 years. But the electric grid is a stubbornly rigid physical infrastructure that will require vast investments to modernize. Dr. Tim Lieuwen, Regents’ Professor and executive director of the Strategic Energy Institute at Georgia Tech, joins the conversation to discuss accelerating the pace of electrification of transportation and modernization of the electric grid to support renewable energy generation and distribution. The changes that will follow the reorganization of the grid will also transform our relationship to energy as fundamentally as the introduction of electricity and power distribution lines in the late 1800s. It will be a challenging, fascinating, and sometimes terrifying time for energy companies, investors, and consumers.
Dr. Lieuwen is the author of four books on the physics of combustion and gas turbine engines, as well as a member of governing or advisory boards for Oak Ridge National Lab, Pacific Northwest National Lab, and the National Renewable Energy Lab, among others. Discover how the Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law contribute to rapid progress in renewable power and electrification of the economy. We also explore how long fossil fuels will stay in the energy mix and the lessons of Texas' 2021 winter storm power outages. You can learn more about him at https://ae.gatech.edu/directory/person/timothy-charles-lieuwen

Earth911 Podcast: Upshift's Ezra Goldman on the Future of Shared Transportation Apr 19, 2023

Transportation in the modern world needs to make more sense. We pay tens of thousands of dollars for vehicles that sit unused about 95% of the time. We have designed an infrastructure based on car-centric population centers that have become hard-wired into the map and prevent the evolution of flexible alternatives to the internal combustion vehicle. With logistics and cloud technology, a car can be shared, and a new financing option can help. Meet Ezra Goldman, cofounder and CEO of Upshift, a San Francisco-based company rethinking the car lease, delivering vehicles for use on the days they are needed, and reallocating them to other users when they would be sitting idle. The company is doing a fund-raising campaign on WeFunder, a crowdfunding platform. Upshift hit its first goal, raising about $105,000 to accelerate its deployment of "fractional auto leasing" of hybrid and electric vehicles in San Francisco. The WeFunder campaign ends on April 30th and will support Upshift's expansion in Washington, DC.
Uber and Lyft proved that car use can be maximized by connecting a driver and someone needing a ride or delivery. But that model still relies on the idea of static ownership, and many alternatives are possible now that the digital infrastructure has matured. Ezra explains why fractional leasing saves money and reduces the environmental impact of driving. He is an MIT graduate with a Master's Degree in Urban Planning, Design, and Mobile Technology, and he studied for a Ph.D. at the University of Copenhagen. Ezra also spent four months as a Lyft driver in 2017, an experience that convinced him never to use gig workers at Upshift. You can learn more about Upshift at https://www.upshiftcars.com/ and check out the WeFunder campaign at https://wefunder.com/upshift

Earth911 Podcast: Nexus Circular CEO Jodie Morgan on Plastic Recycling Progress Apr 17, 2023

The evolution of plastic recycling is essential to cleaning up a plastic-addicted world and eliminating the need for oil extraction. Meet Jodie Morgan, CEO of Nexus Circular, who discusses the company's progress and a flurry of news that has placed it at the forefront of the next generation of plastics recycling. In June of 2021, we talked with Jeff Gold, founder and CEO of Nexus Circular. At the time, the company had been operating a test facility for a couple of years. Nexus Circular developed an advanced chemical recycling technology that can make plastic as recyclable as metals, in which only a few percent of the material is lost each time it is processed. By contrast, traditional mechanical recycling technologies are effective only once or twice before the plastic molecules are degraded and become useless.
Recyclable plastic does not justify buying more plastic. Still, the prospect of recycling mixed Plastics #2, #4, #5, and #6 to make new plastics means even landfilled plastics could be mined to replace raw petroleum as a feedstock. In January, Nexus raised $150 million to build additional capacity and launched a ten-year agreement to provide recycled plastic to Braskem America. In February, Nexus announced a long-term partnership with Chevron Phillips Chemical to make a circular form of polyethylene, the plastic used in food wraps, shopping bags, and detergent bottles. Given their progress, could a Nexus Circular IPO in the offing that might represent the first next-generation sustainable company to go public and ignite a stock market rally in green investing? You can learn more about Nexus Circular at https://nexuscircular.com/

Earth911 Podcast: SHARC Energy Systems CEO Lynn Mueller on Wastewater Energy Transfer Technologies Apr 14, 2023

Wasted energy flows into the environment all over the world, and an immense 247 trillion gallons of wastewater heated to an average temperature of 60.8F contributes to warming local waterways and the oceans. We could recapture the heat energy for other uses before returning water to rivers, lakes and the oceans. The process of harvesting that lost energy is known as wastewater energy transfer, or WET. Our guest, Lynn Mueller, CEO of Vancouver, BC-based SHARC Energy Systems, is a pioneer of WET technology. SHARC has installed its system in Vancouver to serve 6.4 million square feet of home, office, and hospital and educational space. Among other projects, SHARC is working to blend its WET technology with geothermal sources of energy to provide renewable heating and cooling energy, along with hot water to residents of a 316-unit affordable housing project in the Bronx section of New York City.
A study by King County, Washington, found that reusing heat captured by WET systems reduced the carbon footprint of an office building by 34% and the footprint of a mixed-use buildings by 71%. WET technology is installed to allow warm sewage to pass through a thermal exchange system that captures the heat energy and transfers it for use generating electricity, warming water and building interiors. Once cooled, the sewage continues to a water treatment plant, where the sludge extracted can be converted into biofuels, and reintroduction into the environment without contribute to thermal forcing of river and ocean temperatures. These systems are efficient: WET energy costs 20% as much as generating the same amount of energy from other sources. You can learn more about SHARC Energy Systems WET technology at https://www.sharcenergy.com/

Earth911 Podcast: NAPCOR Study Suggests PET Bottles are More Sustainable Than Metal and Glass Apr 10, 2023

Take a deep dive into plastic recycling and the environmental impacts of plastic, aluminum and glass beverage containers. A recent lifecycle analysis published by the National Association for PET Container Resources (NAPCOR), the industry group whose members made the 485 billion polyethylene terephthalate, or #1 plastic, bottles that lined the shelves of groceries and convenience stores around the world during 2021. These bottles and frequently end up as litter in the environment. Lauren Laibach, director of data services at NAPCOR, joins the conversation to discuss the organization’s new analysis, which shows that PET bottles have a lower environmental impact than glass and aluminum beverage packaging.
According to the report, which compared the packaging needed to deliver 1,000 gallons of beverages and not by comparing similarly sized bottles and and cans, PET bottles require 80% less energy to produce, create 80% less solid waste by weight, and use 53% less water during production. In addition to the reported energy, waste, and water reductions, PET packaging purportedly has a 74% lower global warming potential and generates 68-83% fewer acid rain- and smog-forming emissions. In 2021, however, only 28.6% of PET bottles and packaging were recycled, which lags behind the EPA’s reported 2018 data for metals, when 70.9% of steel cans and 50.4% of aluminum cans were recycled. NAPCOR’s Executive Director, Laura Stewart, said that the new lifecycle analysis shows “A PET bottle is 100% recyclable and can be made with 100% recycled content.” That is an inherently controversial statement and we’ll do our best to tease apart these complex findings. You can read the NAPCOR study at https://napcor.com/lca-report

Earth911 Podcast: Earth Day's Michael Karapetian on Participating in the Great Global Cleanup 2023 Apr 07, 2023

Earth Day 2023, which takes place on April 22, marks the 53rd year that people have come out into the streets to rally for planetary responsibility, joined park and environmental cleanups, and participated in climate learning events. The first Earth Day was the largest public demonstration in history as of that that time. Michael Karapetian, the Great Global Cleanup Campaign Coordinator for Earth Day Network explains how to participate in this year's Great Global Cleanup events, which will be focused on improving the management of waste, particularly food waste.
Cleanup events give everyone — individuals and organizations — the “opportunity to see the positive, tangible impacts their actions have on our environment and in the fight to create a waste-free world.” Getting out to clean up a park or a beach, where finding plastic litter is a powerful reminder about the choices we make when buying and disposing of items made with plastic, which range from fast-fashion polyester clothing to bottles and cigarette butts. Michael also provides updates about Earth Day Network's End Plastic Pollution movement and discusses recent reforestation projects in India, where the Canopy Project is planting mangrove trees in coastal areas. You can find local cleanups and learn how to participate in Earth Day events all year long at https://www.earthday.org/

Earth911 Podcast: The Rise of Recommerce with eBay Chief Sustainability Officer Renee Morin Apr 03, 2023

eBay estimates that sales of used goods on the site earned $4.6 billion in 2022 and avoided sending 73,000 tons of usable products to landfills, which contributed to reducing carbon emissions by 1.6 million tons. Renee Morin, Chief Sustainability Officer at eBay, returns to the show to discuss the findings of the 2022 eBay Recommerce Report, a survey of more than 11,000 small sellers on the marketplace. Forty-two percent of the people surveyed said they rely on eBay to earn extra cash and 56% said they participate because it is less expensive while 93% reported that they believe it is important to shop in ways that are better for the environment.
Renee discusses how sellers are changing as new generations grow into adulthood, embrace buying and selling used goods, and develop habits and income strategies that involve selling products instead of sending them to a landfill. eBay services, such as its Authenticity Guarantee and Refurbishment program, are critical to creating a trustworthy used-goods marketplace. She also reports on eBay's waste diversion efforts and how improved insight into its GHG emissions, particularly the shipping-related Scope 3 emissions that represent 99.01% of its carbon impact, will help the company reach its 2030 sustainability goals. You can read the third eBay Recommerce Report at https://www.ebayinc.com/impact/sustainable-commerce/recommerce-report/

Earth911 Podcast: eBliss CEO Bill Klehm's Vision for the Electrification of Local Transportation Mar 31, 2023

If we intend to avoid the worst impacts of climate change, the future of local transportation must look a lot different than today’s car- and heavy vehicle-dominated traffic. The U.S. Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy reports that 64% of trips, across all types of transportation, involve traveling less than 5 miles. Only 2% of trips reach more than 50 miles. Local transportation is ripe for reinvention and my guest today is working to introduce electric bikes and light vehicles that can displace the car and truck. Meet Bill Klehm, Chairman and CEO of eBliss, an electric bike maker developing more than 30 new eBike models designed for local personal and business use. Bill brings hefty transportation credentials to the alternative transportation startup. He led the launch of Ford’s customer service division, developed the CarFax vehicle history report, was CEO of Fallbrook Technologies, which introduced a novel transmission technology for bicycles, and was president of Ford’s Visteon Climate Control Systems LTD.
Bill and his team launched eBliss in 2022 and several models are currently available from EVOKE and The Ride. eBliss bikes feature European Union-certified batteries and the ccompany is developing a comprehensive recycling program to ensure materials and bike components are reused and recycle to reduce the carbon and water impacts compared to to using virgin materials. We discuss the future of battery technology, including how to eliminate the threat of fire from eBike batteries, along with eBliss' plans to delivery highly personalized electric bikes, light vehicles and delivery vehicles that combine human and electric power. Bill contends that moving past cars in local transportation will create a healthier and more prosperous lifestyle, including the dawn of the three-bike garage. You can learn more about eBliss at https://ebliss.global/ and you can browse their bike offerings at https://www.rideevoke.com/ and https://theridebikes.com/

Earth911 Podcast: Carbios' Emmanuel Ladent on the Dawn of Enzymatic Plastic Recycling Mar 27, 2023

Is plastic recycling at a turning point? Meet Emmanuel Ladent, CEO of Carbios, a Clermont-Ferrand, France-based company that has developed an enzymatic plastic recycling technology that promises to make plastic a circular material with 95% yields, comparable to aluminum. The Carbios technology recycles polyethylene terephthalate, or clear and colored PET, better known as Plastic #1, which is the basis for making billions of single-use bottles and thermoform containers for produce, as well as the polyester used in clothing. Carbios' process requires no sorting of PET and polyester, relying on much lower temperatures than mechanical recycling, so it requires less energy water. Emmanuel explains that the Carbios process produces two monomers, the chemical basis for making new PET, which can be recycling many times contrast to the two or three cycles today's PET recycling can deliver.
Plastic recycling has stumbled and greenwashed its way through a slow evolution and created a lot of distrust among consumers and governments. Chemical, molecular, and enzymatic plastic recycling have all appeared in the last several years with promises that plastic can be turned from a linear waste-creating system that fills landfills with pollution to a circular economy that keeps all, or virtually all of the plastic we use in circulation without the need for virgin plastic made from oil. If we can recycle PET efficiently, and create the infrastructure and consumer habits that support recycling PET at global scales, it would be a huge step forward to a circular economy. You can learn more about Carbios at https://www.carbios.com/

Earth911 Podcast: Discover How The XX Edge Can Accelerate Sustainability & Equity Mar 24, 2023

Women bring the skills, perspectives, and emotional intelligence necessary to achieving the green transition, addressing food shortages, and equitable financing. Women are 49.7% of the world’s population, but only 1.9% of venture capital investments in 2022 were placed with women-led startups. Patience Marine-Ball and Ruth Shaber, coauthors of The XX Edge: Unlocking higher returns and lower risk, join Mitch Ratcliffe to discuss the power and impact of women in business and other leadership roles. The book shares stories of corporate, startup, nonprofit and many other organizational innovations and improvements led by women, and they make the case that those of us with two X chromosomes bring essential skills that are in short supply in the face of climate change, social disruption, and 20th Century business strategies that are too exhausted to thrive in the 21st Century.
There has been progress in bringing women into leadership across society, but it is slow work. Today, 42% of U.S. businesses are owned by women and 19% of startups have at least one female founder. And women are making the educational investments to lead. According to the National Center for Educational Statistics, in 2018-19 women earned 57.9% of bachelors degrees,. 63.9% of masters degrees, and 56.4% of doctoral degrees. Patience and Ruth explain several resources to keep in mind as you shop, invest, and vote to create the world your want, including As You Sow, a nonprofit shareholder activist organization, Ethos ESG, a values-based tool for filtering investment options, as well as Patience’s work at the Women of the World Endowment and Ruth’s at the Tara Health Foundation. The XX Edge is available now at Amazon. You can learn more about Patience at Ruth at https://thexxedge.com/

Earth911 Podcast: Clean Earth Rovers CEO Michael Arens on Cleaning Waterways and Bays Mar 20, 2023

Some of the dirtiest, plastic polluted waters lie at the heart of major cities, in ports, marinas and where wastewater enters the environment. They are hard to keep clean because of constant activity that adds new waste to waterways. The work is wet, cold and dirty, which makes port and marina cleanups an ideal job for robots. Meet Michael Arens, cofounder and CEO of Clean Earth Rovers, a Cincinnati, Ohio-based startup that makes two robotic devices for cleaning and monitoring coastal waters. Media attention is focused on the seven garbage patch gyres in our oceans, but ocean plastic and algal blooms can be stopped close to shore with robotics technology and an investment in preventing pollution, cleaning up oil and nitrogen from farmland and industry.
Michael explains the devices, the Rover that can collect up to 100 lbs of waste during an 8-hour shift and the DataPod, a water monitoring buoy that sends data to a mobile app, as well as how the company started, its WeFunder campaign, and where the first orders for Rovers and DataPods will be deployed. You can learn more about Clean Earth Rovers at https://www.cleanearthrovers.com/

Earth911 Podcast: Author Esha Chhabra on the Work of Restoring Our World Mar 17, 2023

Meet Journalist Esha Chhabra, who spent a decade exploring the world for examples of social ventures, businesses that blend profitability with creating equitable human outcomes for The New York Times, The Guardian, The Washington Post, and other publications. In her new book, Working To Restore: Harnessing the Power of Regenerative Business to Heal the World, she describes her journeys and the entrepreneurs and activists people she met in the US, India, Africa, and the fjords of Scandinavia. She describes social and environmental innovations transforming coffee, shoemaking, healthcare, energy, and hospitality companies that are becoming familiar to Earth911 readers. But for many, the reflective, environmentally responsible thinking in Working To Restore may be a revelation.
Esha explores additional dimensions of two terms that dominate green business discussion, “regenerative” and “restorative,” weaving the environmental benefits with social impacts that can help low-income people access resources sustainably. She discusses the key role the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals play in setting new social priorities and establishing how we measure the value business creates in society. Working to Restore is available from Amazon, Powell's Books, and local bookstores. You can follow Esha's journalistic work at https://eshachhabra.contently.com/ and https://www.eshachhabra.com/

Earth911 Podcast: EPAM's Dan Smythe on the Power of Price and Sustainability in Consumer Decisions Mar 13, 2023

As the economy turns sour, do shoppers still value sustainability when making decisions about what to buy? We welcome back Dan Smythe, Vice President of Retail and Hospitality Consulting at EPAM Continuum, to discuss the final installment of their Consumers Unmasked project. The four-part study of shoppers’ values and the important factors in their buying decisions has trcked consumer sentiment in the U.S., Britain, and Germany as the pandemic peaked and began to pass. Over the past year, we’ve had members of the EPAM Continuum team on the show to discuss, and Dan last talked with me in March of 2022.
The last phase of Consumers Unmasked focused on qualitative responses -- real comments from consumers -- in contrast to the quantitative surveying in stages 2 and 3. The fourth report is full of insights, both from the respondents and experts at EPAM and other organizations. Whether you are at a company interested in consumer values or are a shopper who wants to understand how to express your environmental commitments to companies, there is something useful for everyone in the report. You can learn more about EPAM and find the report at https://www.epam.com/consumers-unmasked-4

Earth911 Podcast: Author John Perlin Explores the Role of Trees in the Rise & Fate of Civilization Mar 10, 2023

Let’s venture into the history of trees, wood, and the axe. Everywhere humans have gone they’ve mowed trees down to make tools, homes, fires, bridges, buildings, even railroad tracks — yes, the first railroads often ran on wooden rails, as author John Perlin explains in a new edition of his classic book, A Forest Journey: The Role of Trees in the Fate of Civilization. First published in 1989, A Forest Journey has been rereleased in an expanded, beautifully illustrated edition by Patagonia. And, yes, there is an environmental impact disclosure on the copyright page of the book.
John is also the author of Let It Shine: The 6000-Year Story of Solar Energy and other histories of solar technology. His writing is consistently surprising and illuminating. For example, A Forest Journey challenges many current assumptions about the advantages of peoples and nations.It is a challenge to the conclusions in Jared Diamond’s influential history, Guns, Germs, and Steel. John makes a clear case that Northern Europe achieved global dominance largely on the basis of its access to vast forests that, in other parts of the world, had been chopped down during antiquity. The largely barren Mediterranean basin, for example, was heavily forested before humans entered the region. A Forest Journey is available now from Amazon and Powell's Books, as well as local bookstores. You can learn more about John Perlin at https://john-perlin.com/

Earth911 Podcast: Project Censored's Under-Reported Environmental Stories of 2023 Mar 06, 2023

Stories and the way the press reports them shape our perception of the world and the Climate Crisis. While most major media companies have started to pay close attention to climate issues in recent years, often setting up their first environmental or climate desks, these beats are still understaffed to address the complex environmental narrative Mickey Huff, director of Project Censored and president of the Media Freedom Foundation, and Andy Lee Roth, associate director of the program, wrote an article for Earth911, Corporate Media Fiddle and the Planet Burns, about the environmental stories that were almost entirely ignored by the mainstream press in 2022. Andy Lee Roth joins Mitch Ratcliffe to talk about the stories and how the press can improve its environmental coverage.
For 57 years, the Media Freedom Foundation’s Project Censored has released an annual list of the most under-reported stories of the year. The environment and social justice issues are heavily featured in its State of the Free Press 2023 report. Andy explains how stories about oil subsidies totaling $5.9 trillion a year, smart ocean technology's impact on whales, and the the supression of Environmental Protection Agency toxic chemicals reports were discovered and reported by the independent press. You can learn more about Project Censored and its State of the Free Press 2023 report at https://www.projectcensored.org/

Earth911 Podcast: SPRING's Robert Lilienfeld on Packaging, Plastics & Trade-offs Mar 03, 2023

The future of modern life turns in large part on making the packaging and delivery of the food and products we buy more sustainable and, eventually, environmentally neutral or positive. Our guest today, Robert Lilienfeld, is the executive director of SPRING, the Sustainable Packaging Research, Information and Networking Group, a Denver-based think tank that provides expert advice and commentary on creating sustainable and regenerative product packaging. He discusses his work with consumer goods and food companies, the role of packaging in marketing, how ecommerce is changing packaging design, and the potential to rethink commerce' environmental impact using subscription services.
When battle lines are drawn in the sustainability debate, we must find a way to address differences to find a path to a sustainable future. SPRING’s approach to packaging is pragmatic and driven by a dedication to dialog based on transparency and respect for everyone in the discussion, whether they agree with one another or not. You can learn more about Bob and SPRING at springpack.net.

Earth911 Podcast: Sustainability Pioneer Gil Friend on Living Between Worlds Feb 27, 2023

If environmentally responsible, sustainable business were baseball, my guest Gil Friend would be as familiar a name as Babe Ruth. In 2011, Gil was named to first class of the International Society of Sustainability Professionals Sustainability Hall of Fame. He is the founder and CEO of Natural Logic, a sustainable business strategy consultancy, and Critical Path Capital, a private equity firm, as well as a recent addition to Earth911’s board of advisors. Since the 1970s, when he discovered the work of Buckminster Fuller, he has worked to increase awareness about the environmental damage created by our extractive way of life, and encourage government and business to take action.
Gil plumbed the unexpected as a pioneer of ideas we now take for granted, from the rooftop farm to agricultural policies he developed for California Governor Jerry Brown during the 1980s. During the 2010s, he was the first Chief Sustainability Officer for the city of Palo Alto, California. His monthly Living Between Worlds conversation, a Zoom forum that connects concerned people to discuss the transition from the wasteful economy that created the Climate Crisis to a new, emerging but still undefined society. Watch Living Between Worlds sessions on YouTube. To learn more about Gil and Natural Logic, visit https://natlogic.com/

Earth911 Podcast: Oceanographer John Englander Shares a 2023 Sea Level Rise Update Feb 24, 2023

Sea level rise due to melting glaciers on Greenland and in the Arctic and Antarctic could force the relocation of 267 million people and entire cities located less than 2 meters — 6.5 feet — from today’s waterline by 2100. Oceanographer John Englander has raised the alarm about sea level rise in his books, High Tide on Main Street and Moving to Higher Ground. John runs the Rising Seas Institute and leads regular visits to Greenland to spur awareness of the accelerating loss of its glaciers. We talked with him in 2021, when Moving to Higher Ground was released, and he returns to the show to share an update on the pace of warming, the Thwaites Glacier and Ice Shelf in Antarctica, Greenland's rapid loss of ice, and the preparations necessary for adaptation to a world of constantly rising seas.
NASA warns that continuing warming could raise sea levels by 5 meters (more than 16 feet) by 2300. The early damage will be felt across more than twice the expected coastal land than previously expected, according to a January 2023 Dutch research study published in the journal Earth’s Future, because previous satellite analysis misestimated the altitude of heavily forested land. The potential cost of protecting seaside cities and raising port facilities will run into the trillions of dollars. Perhaps that spending can be an opportunity to rethink our infrastructure comprehensively, but in the midst of a crisis people are not prone to be very forward-looking. John Englander's books are available online. Look for Moving to Higher Ground: Rising Seal Level and the Path Forward at Amazon and Powell's Books and High Tide on Main Street: Rising Sea Level and the Coming Coastal Crisis (Amazon; Powell's Books). You can learn more about John and his work at https://johnenglander.net/

Earth911 Podcast: Algenesis & Blueview Launch the Algae-Based Polyurethane Industry Feb 20, 2023

Algenesis is two companies in one, a biotechnology innovator and footwear maker. Making a new, sustainable material often requires the inventor to prove its utility before big companies will embrace it. Join the conversation for a story of discovery and finding a practical application to prove the value of a plant-based, compostable bioplastic foam. Stephen Mayfield, a professor of Biology at UC San Diego and director of the California Center for Algae Biotechnology, invented Soleic, an algae-based rubbery foam material that can be used in footwear, surfboards and other products in the place of petroleum-based polyurethane foam. He launched Algenesis, a biotechnology-based materials science company to commercialize the Soleic.
But shoe companies did not come running to use Soleic, which biodegrades completely in sea water and compost piles. Along with Algenisis president Tom Cooke, a footwear and apparel industry veteran who had worked for Reef and Vans, Steve launched Blueview Footwear, maker of the world’s first compostable shoe. Steve and Tom join me today to talk about the evolution of Algenesis and Blueview, as well as the many materials Soleic could replace across a variety of product categories. The companies have also developed compostable, plant-based fabrics and a bioplastic waterproofing technology that biodegrades into organic material in a home compost pile. You can learn more about Blueview Footwear at https://blueviewfootwear.com/ and its parent company Algenesis Materials at https://www.algenesismaterials.com/

Earth911 Podcast: The Ocean Conservancy on Britain's Single-Use Plastic Ban Feb 17, 2023

The UK took a huge step toward reducing its single-use plastic pollution. Starting in October 2023, a variety of single-use items such as plastic cutlery, plates, bowls, polystyrene cups, cotton swabs and balloon sticks will be banned. Fines of up to 10% of the UK revenue generated by the business that distributes these items and prison time for repeat offenders are part of the new draft legislation. Sarah Weller, the International Coastal Cleanup Manager at The Ocean Conservancy, join us to discuss the new ban, the prospects for more US legislation, and the current state of environmental protection in the US.
The British ban is a victory for the environment and will eliminate billions of pieces of plastic waste annually. Nick Mallos, the Vice President of Ocean Plastics at The Ocean Conservancy, says the decision is a critical step in phasing out harmful single-use plastics and will help transition to a reusable system. We explore the role of design-for-recyclability and plastic recycling in a sustainable future. You can learn more about The Ocean Conservancy at https://oceanconservancy.org/

Earth911 Podcast: Lowering Construction Impacts with Green Badger's Tommy Linstroth Feb 13, 2023

How can we reduce the environmental impact from constructing and operating buildings? In 2021, construction and building operations account for 37% of global CO2 emissions, hit an all time high of 10 gigaton of CO2 emissions, about two percent higher than pre-pandemic levels. We talk with Tommy Listroth, founder and CEO of Green Badger, a software-as-a-service company that provides management tools for sustainable building projects and to support LEED certification efforts, about the steps to reduce the impact of where we live and work. Green Badger connects architects, construction teams, building owners, sustainability and waste professionals to track and optimize their work. Tommy has led more than 150 LEED construction team projects and is also founder of Sustainativity, a nonprofit that helps nonprofits complete sustainable building projects.
Although new technologies for designing efficient buildings made of concrete, steel, and other building materials are in the pipeline, the benefits certainly are not yet showing up in environmental impact data. Tommy explains how construction companies and building owners can reduce emissions and waste, while improving the efficiency and lowering the cost, of homes, apartments, and offices. We explore how the Inflation Reducation Act created new incentives, particularly for apartment buildings, to use high-efficiency heating and cooling, improved insulation, and low-impact materials. And Tommy shares practicals tips about assessing the environmental performance of a home, apartment or office before you make a decision during your next move. You can learn more about Green Badger at https://getgreenbadger.com/

Earth911 Podcast: Hungry Giant's Chris O'Brien on Reducing Institutional Food Waste Feb 10, 2023

How can we eliminate food waste created by restaurants, institutional cafeterias, and retail grocers? According to the National Conference of State Legislators, food waste is a plague in our supply chains. Farms contribute 16% of total food waste and businesses another 39%, while households waste 43% of the food lost before it is consumed. Chris O’Brien joined the podcast to discuss processing food waste into soil supplement, a fuel source, and animal feed. He is the founder and CEO of Hungry Giant Waste Systems, which distributes bio-grinders and bio-dehydrators that grind and dry food waste generated by restaurants, cafeterias, and grocers. It's a scaled up, industrial version of the Lomi Home Composter discussed in a recent episode.
Chris contributed a new article on Earth911, Restaurants, Cafeterias, Grocers Can Turn Food Waste Into Food Value. Business needs new tools and processes to reduce waste and the CO2 emissions created when food rots in landfills. Drying food waste also reduces the frequency with which waste haulers must visit a food service company, contributing to lower CO2 emissions. Chris and Mitch Ratcliffe explore how bio-grinders and bio-digesters might also help process compostable service items in restaurants, as well as the questions you can ask at the grocery store or a quick service restaurant to encourage them to turn unused food into a low-carbon alternative to today's methane-emitting wet waste. You can learn more about Hungry Giant at https://hungrygiantrecycling.com/

Earth911 Podcast: Deloitte's Naba Sengupt Says Sustainable Shopping Stays Strong During the Downturn Feb 06, 2023

Four out of 10 shoppers chose sustainable products and services in late 2022 despite the economic downturn. But higher prices are making them think harder and longer about their spending, which means they welcome more information that helps them make environmentally responsible decisions. Naba Sengupta, senior manager at Deloitte Advisory’s Sustainability, Climate & Equity practice, discusses the results of a new consumer research survey, The Cost of Buying Green, Part 2. He explains that, compared to other segments of the economy, sustainable products are holding up relatively well and encourages companies to take steps to set and transparently report progress toward CO2 emissions reduction goals. We also discuss Deloitte's recent finding that the global economy became less circular during the pandemic, as well as the prospects for rapid improvement as daily life returns to a new, though ever-changing, normal.
Naba suggests that consumer demand, especially the rising economic power of Gen Z, is turning corporate priorities toward sustainability. While the progress is often slower than necessary, the momentum is growing. He lays out a 5-point strategy for acccelerating business progress, which involves collaborating with partners and customers to innovate quickly. That progress can lead to lower prices for sustainable alternatives, eventually eliminating the "green premium," the higher cost associated with products with a lower environmental impact. During the conversation, Naba pointed to Deloitte's ongoing tracking of consumer sentiment and spending, which gives a monthly reading on the priorities shaping the marketplace. Tune in for a wide-ranging, important conversation about how consumers can reshape our lifestyles by communicating our priorities to companies. You can learn more about Deloitte at https://deloitte.com/

Earth911 Podcast: Author Justin Bean on What Could Go Right to Accelerate Climate Progress Feb 03, 2023

How we think and feel about the climate response, whether optimistic, pessimistic, cynical or pragmatic, shapes our perceptions of possible solutions. Too often, we argue over emotional perceptions and not hard climate data. But hard data is sterile, it doesn’t necessarily engage the passions that move us to act. So, we tell stories, often focusing on what can go wrong. Author Justin Bean wrote What Could Go Right to counter the "doom and gloom" media coverage that makes every day feel like a climate failure. We need to be honest and pragmatic, he argues, to face the climate crisis and invest in useful solutions, many of which already exist. For example, artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things can be combined to help track and eliminate waste. He believes society will move from today’s complicated poly-crisis, when so many human systems are failing, to an “omni-thriving world” in which new jobs and business opportunities can deliver a just and prosperous future.
Justin Bean is a longtime Silicon Valley executive and advisor to sustainability startups who current works as Sustainability Strategy and Solution Lead at Hitachi’s Environmental Business group. Following other optimists, such as the late Hans Rosling and Buckminster Fuller, he writes that social and technical progress has prepared society for a rapid transition to low-carbon living. The distributed, democratically governed future is possible, though we face aggressive alternative forms of government, like China. But we’ve always confronted those challenges and humanity is still here, democracy is holding on. We all have choices to make, and understanding our options is the first step toward a better future. As Justin says, a lot could go right. You can learn more about Justin at https://www.justincbean.com/ What Could Go Right is available from Amazon, Powell's Books, and in local bookstores.

Earth911 Podcast: WIlliam Ulrich on Learning from Y2K to Design the Circular Economy Jan 30, 2023

What do the response to climate change and the Y2K computer bug, which required hundreds of thousands of technology workers to spend several years fixing in the 1990so prevent catastrophic errors when the date turned over to Jan. 1, 2000, have in common? Both are complex problems that reach into every corner of our lives. Y2K showed humans they can overcome huge challenges using self-organizing groups that span companies, nations, and many languages. Meet William Ulrich, president of Tactical Strategy Group and cofounder and board member of the Business Architecture Guild, a global, not-for-profit association of business professionals dedicated to enabling strategy execution and business model transformation. Bill worked extensively on the Y2K solution and has developed an approach to creating sustainable, circular businesses based on his decades of work on the practice of business architecture.
Bill wrote two papers that applybusiness architecture thinking to create circular economies in the auto industry. We talk about how those ideas can be applied to "product-as-a-service" businesses that take responsibility for the materials used to build, for example, a car or smartphone, over many generations of products. He also emphasizes the patience and transparency are necessary to help companies make adequate progress toward low- or no-carbon operations. The Climate Crisis will not be solved by silver-bullet solutions but broad transformation of our infrastructure and economy, which requires disclosure of information so that everyone, including entire supply chains and the consumers that rely on them, can learn and improve. If anything, it can help identify the unknown unknowns that can upend our progress. You can learn more about Bill https://tacticalstrategygroup.com/and his Northstar Radio Show can be heard at https://tacticalstrategygroup.com/the-north-star

Earth911 Podcast: Newday Impact Investing's Anne Popkin on the Politicization of ESG Investing Jan 27, 2023

Anne Popkin, president and chief operating officer at Newday Impact Investing, joins the conversation to discuss Environmental, Social and Governance, or “ESG,” investing. More than $8.4 trillion has been invested in ESG-related equities and bonds as of the end of 2022, according to Bloomberg. And it will be a hot topic for investors, Congress and the federal government, as well as several southern states, notably Florida and Texas, who are at war with ESG because it represents , in the words of Florida’s Speaker of the House, Paul Renner: “woke financial titans who seek to dictate policy to Floridians regardless of our choices at the ballot box.” Anne provides an investor’s perspective on the politicization of ESG.
An ESG report is not a set of sustainability commitments, though those may be included to show progress at reducing the company’s financial risk. For example, an ESG report explores the risk of business disruption of the company continues to generate CO2 emissions that warm the planet and produce negative impacts that could raise costs or interrupt supply chains. Anne explains that we are in a brief but critical period of consolidating what we’ve learned to improve the way we measure and report business risk from climate change. Munich Re, a global reinsurance company, reports that climate-related losses in 2021 totaled more than $210 billion globally and $95 billion in the U.S. — compare that to the 40-year U.S. average weather-related losses of $43.9 billion and it’s clear that business must be prepared to weather at least twice the climate-caused losses of just a few years ago. You can learn more about Newday Impact at https://newdayimpact.com/

Earth911 Podcast: Mebl's Mona Chun and Michael Hirschhorn Introduce the Circular Design Glossary Jan 23, 2023

Richard Hirschhorn and Mona Chun, co-creators The Circular Design Glossary, introduce the new guide to understanding the future of furniture design. It was developed by mebl | Transforming Furniture, where Richard and Mona are founder/CEO and chief operating and sustainability officer, respectively, in partnership with the Sustainable Furnishing Council. Our homes are the center of our lives and a primary source of CO2 emissions. The Ellen McArthur Foundation has estimated that 80% of the environmental impact of the way we live can be changed by making better product design decisions. That may make it sound like most choices are out of our hands, because we have to rely on the companies to chose low-impact materials designed for circularity, taking what we can get. Richard and Mona share a variety of examples of sustainable furniture designs from small designers as well as retail giant IKEA.
Mona and Michael suggest that “the very first step to a ‘circular future’ is accessible information and awareness” and ask “how can we transform this throwaway paradigm into a just, regenerative and sustainable system?” Those are great questions to ask when shopping for furniture or any other product or service each of us choose. Becoming better informed about our home decor and furnishing choices empower shoppers to exert pressure on manufacturing and services companies to reduce their environmental impact and our own footprint. You can learn more about the Circular Design Glossary at https://sustainablefurnishings.org/glossary and about mebl at https://meblfurniture.com/

Earth911 Podcast: Discover Kuni, Japan's Urban-Rural Connection, with Author Richard McCarthy Jan 20, 2023

Urban-rural and youth-elder divisions in society represent some of the most difficult challenges to having a robust conversation about how to reduce emissions and waste, what we value as a society, and the path to a sustainable, carbon-neutral society. A just future will be codesigned by all of us to some extent, but we need to reconnect to move from division to collaboration. Richard McCarthy, coauthor of Kuni, A Japanese Vision and Practice for Urban-Rural Reconnection with Tsuyoshi Sekihara discusses how to restore social connections. Richard is the cofounder of Crescent City Farmers Market in New Orleans and was part of the leadership of Slow Food USA for many years.
Kuni is an ancient word in Japanese that means “a nation” or “a small, independent ancient community. Tsuyoshi Sekihara developed the modern practice of kuni when he moved to a village after more than a decade in Tokyo, the world’s largest city. He found older people living in a dying village with little support or hope and decided to develop a democratic governance model for building urban-rural networks of people committed to having egalitarian, sustainable relationships with one another and the earth. You can learn more about Richard and Kuni at https://thinklikepirates.com/ Kuni, A Japanese Vision and Practice for Urban-Rural Reconnection is available from Amazon, Powell's Books, and olocal bookstores.

Patricio Grassini on Mapping Climate Impacts on Grain and Cooking Oil Crop Yields Jan 16, 2023

Patricio Grassini discusses the potential to feed the world without more deforestation and conversion of wetlands to agriculture. He is Sunkist Distinguished Professor of Agronomy at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Co-leader of The Global Yield Gap Atlas Project, the world’s leading database describing 13 major food crops. If the human population continues on its current growth path, the World Resources Institute estimates we will need 56% more food without expanding farmlands, which are typically carved out of forested areas critical to reducing CO2 levels in the atmosphere. We also discuss the potential impact of climate change on crop yields in the second half of the century.
Patricio has published many studies in Nature and other journals over the past decade about the potential to close crop yield gaps — the difference between what is currently grown and the potential maximum output for each crop and the land used to grow it. He argues the yeild gaps in rice, maize, palm oil, and soy and other legumes can be closed using today’s existing farmland with more intensive use of land, known as cropping intensity, by improving pest control, and using fertilizer. You can learn about The Global Yield Gap Atlas Prohect at https://www.yieldgap.org/

Earth911 Podcast: Emergent's Allan Traicoff on the LEAF Coalition and Business' Role in Nature Protection Dec 23, 2022

Staying within the Paris Climate Accord’s 1.5 degrees Celsius limit, at which potentially devastating climate changes will occur, requires ending deforestation before 2030. But as of 2020, the world was still losing about 38,600 square miles of forest annually. Meet Allan Traicoff, Chief Commercial Officer at Emergent, a nonprofit that creates incentives for and connects businesses to natural climate solutions in countries that protect tropical rainforests. Emergent focuses on identifying “high-quality carbon credits,” which discuss during this interview. Emergent launched the LEAF Coalition, a group of 20 global companies, the United Kingdom, Norway and the United States, that has has facilitated more than $1.5 billion in emissions reduction demand funding to date. Allan explains the role of JREDD+ carbon credits, a brand new class of credits aimed at nations that have set aside forests for protection.
Preserving standing rainforest is the most efficient way to capture carbon and bring indigenous communities into the forest management process. Emergent also works with reforestation programs to restore land to its natural state. These vast but rapidly shrinking forest ecosystems are the lungs of the planet, essential to climate stability. They generate oxygen and transfer water to the atmosphere. Tropical forests are also home to 80% of the world’s known species and could be a treasure trove of biological and medical discoveries, but only if we keep them intact. Incentives for keeping forests intact and to begin the restoration of forests decimated by logging and lost to farmland are essential to changing the trajectory of climate change. You can learn more about Emergent at https://emergentclimate.com/ and about the LEAF Coalition at https://leafcoalition.org/

Earth911 Podcast: Autodesk Spacemaker Aides Bulding Efficiency with AI Insights Dec 19, 2022

Buildings are a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. The $5.8 trillion-a-year building and construction sector, including ongoing operations of buildings, is responsible for 38% of the world’s energy-related CO2 emissions according to the United Nations’ Environment Program. Meet Håvard Haukeland, cofounder of Autodesk Spacemaker and a senior director at Autodesk, the pioneer and leading provider of Computer-Aided Design (CAD) and other design tools used by architects and builders — Autodesk’s tools also power many of the breakthroughs in animation and special effects. Spacemaker's operational energy tool is an artificial intelligence platform that can analyze architectural designs to identify potential improvements that reduce a building's power requirements during its operational life. It works with other Autodesk tools to speed the green design process and enable efficiencies during construction.
The International Energy Agency estimates that emissions associated with construction and buildings needs to fall by 6% a year until 2030 if humanity is to avoid crossing the Paris Accord’s target 1.5 degrees Celsius threshold that represents increased likelihood of disastrous climate impacts and extreme weather. And we are not making the necessary progress despite the fact green buildings are projected to account for $24.7 trillion in new construction by 2030. Architects and contractors need better tools to design and test buildings, plan efficient building projects, and optimize the use of materials while minimizing waste. Spacemaker's operational energy analysis reviews a building design, predicts operational energy use as the architect works, and suggests energy efficiency improvements provided by different types of insulation or different kinds of windows based on the dimensions of the entire building. You can learn more about Autodesk and Spacemaker at https://www.autodesk.com/spacemaker/

Earth911 Podcast: YellowTin's Tony Wessling on Accelerating the Electrification Transition Dec 16, 2022

Wanting to be sustainable is easy. Acting sustainably requires substantial effort, it takes time and no shortage of expertise to identify products and services with a low- or no-carbon footprint, and shopping for the best price on green energy, efficient appliances, and solar or other sustainability investments is difficult. Tony Wessling, the marketing and communications leader at YellowTin, joins the conversation to discuss the company's new artificial intelligence-poweredgreen lifestyle shopping service. The platform which will be available as a service on web sites and through employee benefits programs, provides education and product recommendations across a wide range of categories, including appliances, electric vehicles and bikes, solar panels, home batteries, and sustainable energy. Think of YellowTin as an advisor that scours the fast-changing sustainability landscape for new energy-saving and carbon-reducing options when shopping.
YellowTin was founded in 2019 and incubated by the Los Angeles chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council’s Net Zero Accelerator. The service is available through partner sites as an embedded feature that gives consumers and employees at companies, such as Intuit, access to carbon tracking tools, discounts and other incentives that help them transition to renewable energy and decarbonize their lifestyles. You can learn more about YellowTin at https://www.yellowtin.com/

Earth911 Podcast: Amptricity CEO Damir Perge Introduces Solid-State Battery Storage for Home & Business Dec 12, 2022

You may not see the evidence every day, but the electrification of our economy is well underway. In this episode, meet Damir Perge, CEO of Miami-based Amptricity, a maker of solid-state battery technology, an electronic storage system that provides enough power for 8 hours of home backup electricity. Ampricity’s batteries can be recharged 11,000 times — at one charge cycle a day, which is more frequent than most homes will require, these batteries should work for at least 30 years. Amptricity batteries are guaranteed for 25 years with a 96% charge capacity— that’s about a decade longer than the current generation of the Tesla Battery Wall. Amptricity is taking orders now and promises to deliver enough capacity for 400,000 homes in the next two and a half years.
According to Bloomberg NEF, society has reached peak “global demand for every form of fossil fuel” in 87 countries. With the cost of solar-generated electricity now firmly below the cost of natural gas, homeowners and business can confidently begin their transition. The challenge is how to store that electricity, and battery technology is the focus of massive investment. Battery technology will perhaps be more ubiquitous than solar panels as we reorganize the electric grid to make it more resilient. For example, a home connected to the traditional grid could have a backup battery charged and ready for a blackout, even if they don’t have home solar. You can learn more about Amptricity at https://www.amptricity.com/

Earth911 Podcast: Beni's Sarah Pinner on Making Shopping for Reused Clothing Fashionable Dec 09, 2022

The clothing we wear is a source of carbon emissions and landfill waste. Sarah Pinner, cofounder and CEO of Beni, introduces a new plugin for Google’s Chrome and Apple's Safari browsers that helps shoppers find reused alternatives to new clothing. Beni makes thrift shopping easy with digital helping hand, and the team is working to add environmental impact information to make choosing the lowest-impact option simple. Reusing clothing is an important step to reducing our carbon and waste footprint. And, according to GlobalData, a research firm, reuse shopping has grown from almost no revenue in 2012 to $14 billion in 2021, it’s projected that it will reach $51 billion by 2026. Shoppers need a guide to the exploding world of clothing reuse options. Sarah also shares her ideas about how to transform thrift clothing into a meaningful, hot topic to make more popular with all generations.
The World Economic Forum reports that the fashion industry emits up to 10% of annual human emissions, though other estimates run as low as two percent. McKinsey & Co. says that less than one percent of the cotton produced annually is recycled and suggests that keeping global warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius requires we make clothes last longer and embrace reuse and rental programs. Reusing clothing is an important step to reducing our carbon and waste footprint. We’ve been testing the Beni plugin, which can understand what product you are looking at on an Ecommerce site and suggest reuse alternatives from other sites. Beni takes the shopper to the reuse site with a single click, keeping the original window open so it is easy to compare. You can learn more about Beni at https://www.joinbeni.com/

Earth911 Podcast: Google's Mike Werner on Building Circular Economies Dec 05, 2022

Google's circular economy leader, Mike Werner, explains the many renewable energy, waste reduction, and internal strategic changes that have established parent company Alphabet at the forefront of corporate sustainability. Google achieved carbon neutrality for its search engine operations in 2007 and a decade later had matched 100% of its energy use with renewable energy credits. It pioneered reusing server and data center equipment and components, and currently diverts 78% of its data center and 64% of its office waste from landfills. Mike explains how Google collaborates with other companies, including competitors, in the Clean Energy Buyers Alliance, which seeks to achieve 90% national renewable energy generation capacity by 2030.
We discuss how the Google Cloud Platform and consumer services are integrating environmental information to support informed changes in business and individual sustainability. Mike, who is on the board of directors at recent guest Rheaply, breaks down how reuse and improved carbon tracking and circular economy strategies can accelerate the decarbonization of society. Google, whose mission is to organize the world's data, is rethinking its business and services to acheive carbon neutrality and, ultimately, draw down CO2 levels as part of the normal course of its business. You can learn more about Google's sustainability and circular economy programs at https://sustainability.google/

Earth911 Podcast: Safe Catch CEO Sean Wittenberg on Making Seafood Sustainable Dec 02, 2022

Meet Sean Wittenberg, founder of the seafood company SafeCatch. He started the business with a mission to source safe and sustainable tuna and other fish after his mother was diagnosed with mercury poisoning when she adopted a diet that included frequent servings of canned tuna. Sausalito, Calif.-based Safe Catch offers a wide variety of fish products in cans and pouch packaging, and the fish is certified by the Marine Stewardship Council, the provider of the familiar and often controversial MSC “blue check” label. The company tests every tuna it sells for mercury, enforcing standards its claims are 10 times stricter than the Food & Drug Administration’s standard. It also offers sourcing and sustainability information about its practices for each species of fish it sells. We’ll discuss how Safe Catch assesses its suppliers in an era when 10% of the world’s fish stock is described by the Minderoo Foundation as being on the brink of collapse and almost half of fish stocks are over-fished. The company relies primarily on purse seine net fishing, a form of fishing that involves large nets. Sean explores the relationship between the continued burning of coal to generate electricity to the 300% increase in mercury levels in the oceans. We discuss plastic pollution and the recyclability of Safe Catch's can and pouch packaging, which it collects through a mail-in program supported by Terracycle.You can learn more about Safe Catch at https://safecatch.com/

Earth911 Podcast: Learn Business Sustainability with the Climate Solution Accelerator Nov 28, 2022

Michael Robinson, Chief Executive Officer of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society (RSGS), introduces the Climate Solution Accelerator program, a 90-minute video-and-quiz program that explains the essential ideas in climate science, sustainable business, and the policies and paths out of the crisis. Earth911, Jump Digital, and the RSGS have partnered to make the program available in North America. More than 90,000 people globally have used the Climate Solution Accelerator to learn about climate strategies and train employees to start making informed environmental decisions. The program features globally renowned climate leaders, including the former Governor of the Bank of England, Mark Carney, and the late Secretary General of the United Nations, Kofi Annan, and the former president of Ireland, Mary Robinson. Michael, who is based near Glasgow, Scotland, shares what business has struggled to learn and his impressions of the debates at the recent United Nations Climate Framework COP27 meeting in Egypt. You can learn more about the 148-year-old educational non-profit Royal Scottish Geographical Society at https://www.rsgs.org/
The Climate Solutions Accelerator delivers an informative introduction to the most complicated and urgent challenge our species has ever faced. While there is plenty of evidence of the Climate Crisis in the news and in our neighborhoods, and billions of people are waking to the threat, most organizations and businesses are still trying to get their heads around the problem. The proghow they can respond, changing operations and investments to end CO2 emissions and prepare tp adapt to the disruptions that will continue to become more dire until society succeeds in reaching carbon neutrality and begins to drawdown the more than 1 trillion tons of anthropogenic CO2 emitted during the Industrial Era. You can learn more about the Climate Solutions Accelerator at https://earth911.com/featured-courses/climate-solutions/

Earth911 Podcast: World Centric's Erin Levine on California's Composting Progress and a Low-Waste Holiday Nov 25, 2022

Erin Levine, the resource recovery manager at World Centric, a maker of compostable packaging and tableware, returns to the show to share ideas about a low-waste holiday season and discuss the evolution of composting in California. The holidays are a time for family, community, faith, and fun, but they are also some of the most wasteful days of the year -- Americans toss more than a third of the food grown annually. Erin recently contributed an article to Earth911, Tips for Planning a Sustainable Holiday Meal. We’ll her ideas about reducing waste and leftover food that too often ends up in a landfill, where they generate 14.5% of U.S. methane emissions, a greenhouse gas that warms the atmosphere many times faster than CO2.
Erin last talked with us in March, when the state’s mandatory composting law, SB 1383, or the Short-lived Climate Pollutant Reduction Strategy, had just been put into practice. We’ll get an update about progress, how it is changing the options for Californians, and progress toward clear definitions of compostability for bioplastics and fiber-based packaging. World Centric has worked to eliminate PFAS, or "forever chemicals," from its fiber packaging and is introducing bamboo- and bagasse-based tableware, which will make the product of industrial composting programs safe for use in agriculture and home gardens. California's statewide composting progress has been slow because of the lack of industrial composting capacity, which creates the higher temperatures necessary to break down many materials. You can learn more about WorldCentric at https://www.worldcentric.com

Earth911 Podcast: Rheaply's Garry Cooper Jr. On Turning Surplus Resources Into Reuse Gold Nov 21, 2022

Meet Garry Cooper Jr., cofounder and CEO of Rheaply. Garry is an accomplished investor at Longjump Ventures who has been recognized as an innovator by Forbes, Chicago Business Magazine and Crain’s. Much of the waste in our world is the result of overstocking and excess inventory in business and government— as much as $600 billion in surplus goods are lying unused in some of the largest organizations in the world, including universities, hospitals, and industries that span the planet, like construction and heavy manufacturing. Rheaply.com is an emerging resource reuse marketplace platform aimed at solving the problem by enabling the transfer of resources to where they can be used. The company recently closed a $20 million round of funding and includes investors like Salesforce, Microsoft, AOL founder Steve Case’s Rise of the Rest Seed Fund, and others -- bringing the total raised to date to $21 million.
The Rheaply platform is a bit like eBay, and focused on creating regional circular economies. It allows purchasing and other managers to list supplies, equipment, materials and other surplus or unneeded assets for sale, the track and connect them to potential buyers to close a sale and arrange for delivery. By bringing together large commercial buyers with supplies within a region, Rheaply reduces the emissions associated with shipping something half way around the world — if it’s available locally, the price and environmental impact are lower. Additionally, the platform can help people inside large organizations exhange assets and supplies instead of disposing of them on a surplus site. Rheaply also provides an embodied carbon tracker that reports on the emissions avoided by choosing items listed in the marketplace. We also explore what other resources Rheaply might sell, including unused employee time and internet bandwidth. You can learn more about Rheaply at https://rheaply.com/

Earth911 Podcast: Decarbonizing Business With Climate Vault and Genpact Nov 18, 2022

Learn how businesses can accelerate the decarbonization of their operations and contribute to eventually removing that can help drawdown the more than 1 trillion tons of carbon dioxide emitted by humans during the Industrial Era. Discover some of the complicated details of how carbon markets, credits, and allowances work with Jason Grant, chief operating officer of Climate Vault, a non-profit that purchases and manages carbon allowance and credits to support carbon capture and sequestration technologies, and Sanjay Srivastava, chief digital strategies at Genpact, a digital services firm provides carbon tracking capabilities for large organizations. The companies have partnered to deliver an end-to-end solution for tracking, managing, and turning a profit by reducing CO2 emissions.
Climate Vault was named a World Changing Idea for 2022 by the business magazine, Fast Company. Jason and Sanjay explain the difference between a carbon allowance and a carbon credit. Carbon allowances let you emit, for example, one ton of CO2 within an overall carbon budget. Genpact's tools track whether the allowance goes unused, so that the resulting savings can be retired or sold. That’s where Climate Vault comes into the picture — they buy carbon allowances and retire them to prevent the emissions, as well as turn that avoided emissions into finding that supports carbon capture and sequestration technology development. In other words, Climate Vault helps companies use one carbon allowance to both retire CO2 and fund the tools that will remove more CO2 in the future. You can learn more about Genpact at https://www.genpact.com and about Climate Vault at https://climatevault.org/

Earth911 Podcast: The Birth of the Lomi Home Composter With Pela cofounder Brad Pedersen Nov 14, 2022

Brad Pedersen, cofounder and chairman of Pela, joins Mitch Ratcliffe to discuss the company's sustainable products. We recently spent a couple of months testing the Lomi home composter from Pela, a Kelowna, British Columbia-based maker of compostable phone cases, low-carbon and low-waste sunglasses, and now appliances for a sustainable life. Pela launched as a maker of phone cases made from flax and a plant-based biopolymer that can be safely composted at home or in an industrial composting system. The Lomi is a countertop appliance that composts food waste, paper, and a growing number of bioplastic products that don’t break down in home compost piles. Pela also donate a share of sales to ocean cleanup and protection projects.
The Lomi earned our Greener Shopping Difference Maker designation for a product that reduces environmental impacts by at least 50%. The Lomi’s environmental performance varies based on how your electricity is generated but even in the worst-case scenario involving burning coal or oil for electricity, the Lomi delivered just over 50% lower emissions than sending the same compostables to a landfill. The methane emissions associated with anaerobic biodegradation in a landfill are eliminated when the material is composted. Brad is also the author of a new book, Start Up Santa, about his career in the toy industry and lessons learned starting a sustainable products company. You can learn more about Pela Case at https://pelacase.com/ and the Lomi home composter at https://lomi.com/

Earth911 Podcast: Plastic Banks' David Katz on Incentivizing and Upgrading Plastic Recycling Nov 11, 2022

Join us for an impassioned conversation about the potential for recycling progress with David Katz, founder of Plastic Bank, a social enterprise that partners with consumer products companies to create incentive programs in Southeast Asia, Latin America, and Africa that help prevent plastics from reaching waterways, seas and the ocean. He joined us earlier this year returns to share an update about the company's progress. Plastic Bank has partnerships with SC Johnson, Henkel and others. Plastic Bank pays individuals in emerging economies to collect plastic turn it in at more than 600 branch locations. The collected plastic is recycled to make Social Plastic® feedstock, a raw material for making new plastic products. David also discusses the recent Greenpeace report that argues plastic recycling, including new molecular recycling technologies, does not work — it’s an overstatement in our opinion, but the system definitely needs an upgrade.
David's assessment of Greenpeace's conclusion: "Shame on them. It's one thing to say it doesn't work. It's another to say, 'Let's make it better.'" So what can we do? He advocates reducing the use of plastic overall, standardizing any necessary single-use plastic on recyclable materials, and that brands and society find a way to compensate people to collect and recycle the plastic we do use. Making the recycling system work may require incentives — but only 10 states have bottle bills the provide small payments for returning plastic bottles. We talk about what can be learned from Plastic Bank's work in emerging economies. Besides reducing our consumption of single-use plastic packaging, new legislation or private support are needed to turn the corner. You can learn more about Plastic Bank and subscribe to support collection programs that keep plastic out of waterways and oceans at https://plasticbank.com/

Earth911 Podcast: nZero and 3Degrees Team Up to Track & Manage Emissions Goals Nov 07, 2022

Learn how to assess the green credentials of companies. Mitch Ratcliffe talks with Adam Kramer, CEO of nZero, a carbon tracking and reporting company, and Scott Martin, Vice President and Head of Global Commercial Business at 3Degrees, which provides carbon strategy consulting, decarbonization program development, carbon sequestration and renewable energy credit advisory services. The companies recently partnered to offer a comprehensive carbon reporting and management solution. Their wide-ranging conversation explores how to track Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions, manage and use carbon offsets transparently, ESG reporting, and the evolving job roles involved in decarbonizing the economy.
CO2 emissions tracking and reduction is the biggest challenge facing the 21st Century economy. First reducing, then reversing, the rising levels of anthropogenic CO2 in the atmosphere is not a project for one company, but a collaboration that will transform economies. Companies can be more efficient and profitable in the long run, only after their leaders, regulatory agencies, and citizens find a shared language for talking about the problem. For more background on nZero, listen to our July 2022 conversation with co-founder and executive chairman Josh Weber. You can learn more about nZero at https://nzero.com/ and 3Degrees at https://3degreesinc.com/

Earth911 Podcast: Satellogic's Thomas VanMatre on Satellite Imagery's Role in Solving Climate Change Nov 04, 2022

Thomas VanMatre, VP of Global Business Development at Satellogic, a geospatial analytics company, joins the conversation to discuss the potential uses for satellite imagery and data for developing insights into our planet and ecosystems to end climate change. The company has launched 26 low-earth-orbiting satellites to date and will expand to more than 200 by 2025 in order to democratize access to high-resolution images and analytics. They developed microsatellites that are less than two feet wide and just under three feet wide, to reduce manufacturing and launch costs. Satellogic offers climate data and imagery that can be used to analyze climate change as it happens, monitor land use, invasive species and identify illegal activities, as well as track wildfires, extreme weather and other climate-related threats. Because they can refresh images of a location up to 5 times a day, Satellogic’s imaging can track events in real-time.
A few decades ago, satellite imagery was available only to a few governments on the planet. As of September 2021, 7,941 mostly privately operated satellites were in orbit around the Earth, and thousands are being launched each year. Just as computing has accelerated scientific discoveries about how our world works, the flood of information from satellites will increase our understanding of the planet, its environment and ecosystems. Thomas discusses the emerging satellite data industry, job categories that will grow, and how Satellogic is planning to reduce its environmental footprint and prevent contributing to the growing problem of space junk. You can learn about Satellogic at https://satellogic.com/

Earth911 Podcast: Biodel Ag CEO Ben Cloud on Accelerating Soil Restoration With Sequester Oct 31, 2022

Discover how our food production and even our yards and gardens can play a role in reducing CO2 levels. We're joined by Ben Cloud, CEO of Biodel AG Inc., a Maricopa, Arizona company that recently introduced Sequester, a soil treatment that restores the soil’s ability to capture and hold CO2 that also promotes improved plant growth. Sequester is available for farming applications and for home use. A $12.81 8 oz bottle of Sequester can be used to improve the carbon sequestion capability of up to 2,500 square feet of yard and gardens. It is produced using a blend of cyanobacteria — the source of much of the breathable oxygen on the planet. In addition to helping capture carbon, Sequester reputedly reduces water consumption, salinity and nitrogen use by 30%.
Carbon dioxide is humanity’s most pressing problem. Since the dawn of the Industrial era about 250 years ago, humans have pumped more than 1.5 trillion tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere, warming the planet by 1.8 degree Fahrenheit and bringing on the Climate Crisis. In addition to reducing emissions to zero, we need to remove this CO2 to start to cool the planet back to the temperatures in which we and the rest of the species on the planet evolved. You can learn about Biodel Ag and Sequester at https://sequester.ag

Earth911 Podcast: Radio Flyer CEO Robert Pasin on the Ride to Becoming a B-Corp Oct 28, 2022

Robert Pasin, chief wagon of Radio Flyer, discusses the benefits and process of becoming a B Corp. Radio Flyer makes, in addition to the wagons we know from our childhoods, tricycles, scooters, inflatables, adult ebikes and a suite of Tesla electric toy vehicles. It became the first global toy and ebike brand to become a certified B Corp., the emerging corporate form that recognizes business can have an environmental and social mission in addition to the goal of turning a profit. Achieving B Corp status is rigorous undertaking that requires adoption of responsible labor, social, and environmental practices and provides successful companies with tax and other advantages, along with a sterling reputation that attracts, in particular, young workers.
Robert’s grandfather, Antonio Pasin, founded Radio Flyer in 1917. Robert spent several years teaching Sixth Grade in Chicago before joining the company. He explains why Radio Flyer “went B” and how the process has reshaped what his team works on and the criteria they apply to decision-making. We also explore Radio Flyer's new line of ebikes and how it will sell cargo ebikes and other equipment to local delivery companies. You can learn more about Radio Flyer at https://www.radioflyer.com/

Earth911 Podcast: The Responsible Business Coalition's Frank Zambrelli on Accelerating Regenerative Agriculture Oct 24, 2022

Frank Zambrelli, Executive Director of Fordham University’s Gabelli School of Business' Responsible Business Coalition returns to the conversation to discuss how and why business should encourage the widespread adoption of regenerative agricultural practices. This low- and no-till, pesticide-free approach to farming can restore soil health, build new topsoil to replace what has been lost to run-off and wind, as well as provide food and raw materials with substantially lower environmental impacts than traditionally farmed alternatives. But the regenerative techniques must be widely adopted, even by industrial farming conglomerates to reach a scale that can help feed, clothe and supply society with sustainable raw materials. The power of regenerative agriculture as a restorative investment for the future lies in the fact that it can be put into practice relatively easily to improve crop yields and profits from the same amount of farmland in short order, just a few years, according to Frank. However, there is lag time between embracing environmentally responsible goals and seeing the results in the market.
Frank points out that there will be many approaches to regeneration, which is essential to developing a diverse, sustainable agriculture for the future — both in the biological and social sense. The question is how we finance the transition and, as we heard, your spending sends a signal that can support regenerative investment. Look for the regenerative labels when shopping for this year’s holiday gifts, including from The Textiles Exchange, Land to Market, Fashion for Good’s Renewable Carbon Textiles Project. You can learn more about Fordham’s Responsible Business Coalition and read or watch many useful briefings at https://www.fordham.edu/gabelli-school-of-business/industry-collaborations/responsible-business-coalition/

Earth911 Podcast: Quoll CEO Ben Cohen on Upgrading or Choosing a Climate Resilient Home Oct 21, 2022

Ben Cohen, founder and CEO of Quoll Intelligence, explains how homeowners can assess the climate-related risks for their home and community. Quoll is a service for homeowners “dedicated to helping homes and homeowners become more resilient.” It delivers a climate risk report for single-family homes that explains the likelihood of sea level rise, flooding, wildfire and other climate impacts. Quoll can help assess a home when shopping or to plan a maintenance program that keeps your home prepared for disaster or lesser climate issues, as well as preserve the value of the building.
The impact of climate change has become plainly clear. We see it in extreme weather events, such as Hurricane Ian, floods in Kentucky, or the Texas snow storms that brought the state’s electric grid to its knees. But most people have little idea about the impact of global warming on their homes and the buildings they own. You can learn more about Quoll Intelligence and see your free home risk report at https://www.getquoll.com/

Earth911 Podcast: Sense CEO Mike Phillips on Making the Inflation Reduction Act Work Oct 17, 2022

Mike Phillips, CEO of Sense, a developer of home energy monitoring and management devices, discusses the impact of the Inflation Reduction Act on home energy and EV charging in the United States. When the $369-billion Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) was signed in early September the stage was set for a race to reduce U.S. emissions by 40% compared to 2005 levels. Each of us can play a part, but it involves learning how to tap into incentives for EVs, home solar panels, home energy improvements, and energy-saving appliances. The profile of personal energy use will shift dramatically over the next two decades, and measurement is critical to making personal improvement. Mike explains how he sees our energy choices changing as IRA incentives come into effect.
The $299 Sense monitor tracks how much energy its consumed by appliances, water headers, furnaces, air conditioners and other devices. When we last talked with Mike, Sense had just added the Flex, a version of the sensor that tracks generator output and specific circuits, and they’ve added a device for tracking homes with solar panels. Like the Sense devices that focus on specialized uses, planning to reduce your energy carbon footprint requires thinking about your needs, understanding your local utilities’ incentives, and the potential tax credits for energy-efficient appliances and EVs unlocked by the Inflation Reduction Act. You can learn more about Sense at https://sense.com/

Earth911 Podcast: Re:Dish CEO Caroline Vanderlip on Creating a Circular Food Service System Oct 14, 2022

Caroline Vanderlip, CEO of Re:Dish, joins the conversation to discuss making cafeteria, institutional and restaurant food service sustainable. Re:Dish provides reusable food service items, collecting, returning them to a dish washing facility each day, and delivering a fresh supply to its customers, which include corporate and school cafeterias, hospitals and . Re:Dish containers offers several #5 plastic (polypropylene) clamshell and round meal containers that are rented on a per-use basis to institutional customers. These containers do not include the PFAS used to prevent leakage in many compostable food service products. Customers are provided with informational guides for diners and branded collection containers that Re:Dish empties each day.
Re:Dish claims that a company cafeteria that reuses an average of 500 containers instead of molded pulp single-user containers every business day for a year can prevent 125,000 items from going to a landfill and that it will use 67% less water and produce 77% fewer Scope 3 emissions, those produced from sourcing, making, and shipping the single-use containers. The company has also declared its own zero-waste goal, which it wants to achieve by next year, 2023 — they currently divert 76% of the waste in its facilities from landfills. You can learn more about Re:Dish at https://www.redish.com/

Earth911 Podcast: ERI CEO John Shegerian on Building a Circular Ewaste Economy Oct 10, 2022

Ewaste recycling falls woefully short of the levels necessary to reduce the need for mining and producing new raw materials that involve toxins that frequently reach the environment. We talked with John Shegerian, cofounder and CEO of ERI, a Fresno, Calif.-based ewaste recycler with 8 U.S. processing locations that serve every ZIP Code in the country and partnerships with recycling companies in 40 countries. John explains how ERI manages recycled electronics, the importance of choosing R2- and eStewards-certified electronics recyclers, and how the Basel Convention on shipping ewaste can be improved. We also talk through how retailers and technology manufacturers can participate in a closed-loop, regional recycling system to dramatically increase ewaste recycling.
ERI has also introduced what it calls the most comprehensive ewaste tracking platform to enable full transparency into the deposition of the materials it collects. Called the ESG Impact Report and Calculator, the tool provides accountability both regarding environmental performance and the personal data on digital devices it recycles.  John pointed out in ERI’s 2020 ESG report that virtually every device we use today — from PCs and smart phones to video doorbells and smart watches — can carry personal data that can fall out of our control and potentially into the hands of hackers that can use it to steal identities, launch ransomware attacks, or simply post something embarrassing on the web. Send ERI an email to receive a copy of their book, The Insecurity of Everthing, to learn how to safely erase personal data before recycling a PC, laptop, smartphone or other smart devices. Your can learn about ERI at https://eridirect.com/

Earth911 Podcast: Jane Velez-Mitchell on UnchainedTV's Vegan News Mission Oct 07, 2022

The story of a sustainable world will unfold in many places and across many websites, social networks, and video channels. Jane Velez-Mitchell, a former Headline News/CNN reporter and anchor, launched UnChainedTV to provide a dedicated source of video storytelling about vegan living, the environment, and animal welfare. It offers free video programming through an app for iPhone and Android devices, as well as on Roku, AppleTV, Amazon Fire Stick, and LG and Samsung smart TVs. The network covers stories about vegan cooking and living, animal rights, climate, and activist actions that seldom reach the air or get covered in mainstream media channels.
She says UnchainedTV will focus on solutions, documenting the benefits of vegan living and discouraging cruel treatment and slaughter of animals. Jane launched the network saying "I covered crime for decades. Climate change is the ultimate crime of the century as it could kill us all. Yet, obvious solutions are largely ignored by media, government and corporations. It's time to fill in that gap." UnchainedTV has launched several series, including PEELED, a vegan cooking competition program, and Pig Little Lies, a series about the cruel practice of buying and dumping so-called teacup pigs. You can learn more about UnchainedTV at https://unchainedtv.com/

Earth911 Podcast: Exploring Sustainable Footwear with Wildling Shoes Founder Anna Yona Oct 03, 2022

Anna Yona, cofounder with her husband of Engelskirchen, Germany-based Wildling Shoes talks with Earth911's Mitch Ratcliffe about making shoes that are easier on the planet. They make a wide range of shoes for women, men and kids, practicing sustainable design and manufacturing using a minimalist design philosophy the produces a light, comfortable and durable shoe. These high-cut shoe, which are made with certified organic cotton, hemp, and synthetic and recycled rubber and cork soles, have held up wonderfully over hundreds of miles of walking. A Certified B Corp., Wildling is working to reinvent shoes after starting out as a response to Anna and her husband became frustrated with the shoes available for their children. They work continually to reduce the environmental impact of their shoes, which are hand-made in factories selected for their environmental and labor practices. Many shoemakers are taking important steps toward sustainability, and Wildling is a leader.
We recently tested a pair of Panther high-cut shoes from Wildling Shoes and named it a Greener Shopping Difference Maker. On our scale of three degrees of sustainability, Difference Maker is the second level and represents a product that reduces environmental impacts by at least 50% compared to traditional designs. These shoes are better for the planet. In 2020, Wildling’s shoes averaged 0.258 pounds of Scope 1 and 2 emissions per pair. Since Scope 3 emissions typically account for 90% or more of the total carbon emissions associated with a product, we estimated that the total carbon footprint of the average pair of Wildling shoes is about 4.5 pounds per pair. You can learn more about Wildling Shoes at https://us.wildling.shoes/

Earth911 Podcast: Green Building Progress with Hawthorne Development's Ganesan Visvabharathy Sep 30, 2022

Dr. Ganesan Visvabharathy, founder of Hawthorne Development Corporation discusses the evolution of the built environment and green building standards necessary to achieve a zero-carbon society. A sustainable built environment is the foundation for lower energy use but will take a generation or more to put in place. Hawthorne recently completed two net-zero projects, the Eco Terra complex, a 348-unit luxury mixed-use apartment complex in Chicago that is the largest green project in the U.S., and MERU, a net-zero carbon and net-zero energy certified elder care facility in Virginia. "Dr. Vish" explains that the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification program can set more aggressive standards to accelerate progress. We talk through the features to look for in a sustainable home or apartment, how construction is changing, and the most impactful changes a homeowner or landlord can make to reduce their environmental impact.
Hawthorne has been using green construction ideas since it was founded in 1984. The company has worked to ensure that buyers were able to maintain their homes easily to keep energy efficiency levels high, and uses building practices that help prevent erosion and reduce costs by, for example, using bioswales, rain gardens and native plants instead of concrete stormwater runoff paths at building locations. You can learn more about Hawthorne Development Corporation at https://hawthorneworld.com/ and at https://solarmicronics.co/

Earth911 Podcast: Enduring Planet's Dimitry Gershenson on Sustainable Business Financing Trends Sep 28, 2022

How can we finance the myriad startups and small business transitions that will bring the sustainable economy to full flower? Our guest, Dimitry Gershenson, is cofounder and CEO of Enduring Planet, argues that the climate crisis has made the human and business response inevitable. Enduring Planet was launched to non-dilutive financing in the form of unsecured loans, to climate mitigation companies that help reduce emissions, carbon removal startups that capture CO2 from the atmosphere, and firms that provide climate adaptation and resilience services that will be needed in response to climate change. He shares the key trends in the market driving new financing and how his team selects companies based on similar criteria as a venture capital firm without taking stock, providing loans based on the borrowers’ cash flow. Enduring Planet also seeks out diverse and inclusive companies and organizations delivering goods and services in marginalized communities.
Dimitry explains why Enduring Planet invested in Compost Colorado and AQUAOSO, an agricultural data company, as examples of recent deals. Interest in investing for sustainability has soared in recent years. Bloomberg reports that in 2021 more than $1.6 trillion of debt financing went to corporate and infrastructure transitions to renewable, low-carbon and low-impact business approaches. That brings the total invested in sustainable paths to more than $4 trillion, or about 4.2% of the value of the world’s economy last year. Tune in to get a sense of the financing activity at the grassroots of the sustainable economy and be introduced to debt financing for sustainability-focused startups. You can learn more about Enduring Planet at https://enduringplanet.com/

Earth911 Podcast: SHÄP's Jürgen Pretsch on building a sustainable sharing economy Sep 26, 2022

Jürgen Pretsch is the founder of SHÄP, a recently launched rental marketplace that focuses on connecting people with items to rent in local communities. SHÄP works to reduce unnecessary purchases and enable sharing without creating a shipping footprint by bringing neighbors together. Reuse and sharing are the best ways to minimize the environmental impact of the products you buy. But connecting with people who want what you have, especially people near you so that it is not necessary to ship something thousands of miles, is difficult. And if you don’t want to sell something because you may use it again, you may want to rent it to earn some extra income. SHÄP is available in Manhattan and will focus this year on urban metropolitan areas where there is a higher likelihood of finding a match for the products people want to rent.
Clothing reuse company Thredup and market research firm GlobalData reported in 2021 that the secondhand clothing industry is growing 11 times faster than retail and could be work $84 billion by 2030. That’s just clothing. But the reuse/rental market has been challenging for companies, as previous guests in this business have explained. Bringing the transaction down to the local level, which has worked for tool- and car-sharing startups, for example, can also dramatically reduce shipping emissions while fostering local communities. SHÄP members also deliver the goods they rent to encourage new social connections. That may be a limiting factor for some who don’t want to handle the day-to-day management of their stuff, but it can also forge lasting relationships between members who value SHÄP as a connector. You can learn more about SHÄP at https://www.shap.market/

Earth911 Podcast: Westerlay Orchids' Toine Overgaag on Making the Flower Business Sustainable Sep 23, 2022

The flower industry has a heavy environmental footprint but some growers are changing their agricultural and shipping practices. Toine Overgaag, president of family-owned Westerlay Orchids, grower and seller of live orchids, based in Carpenteria, Calif., joins Mitch Ratcliffe to discuss sustainable agriculture practices in the live plant industry. Westerlay uses natural predators instead of pesticides to deal with pests, energy and water management technologies, and recirculates waste exhaust CO2 to increase photosynthesis of plants.The company distributes more than four million orchids primarily through local and national supermarket chains, including Trader Joe’s, Kroger and Safeway.
We talk through the environmental implications of the flower-growing industry and how to improve them. Westerlay uses slow shipping, ensuring trucks are full before moving the flowers to minimize the impact of sending flowers to stores and customers. The company produced CO2eq emissions of about 2.7oz per unit sold and reported 331 tons of emissions from ocean and freight shipping in 2021. That’s about the equivalent of the emissions of 23 average Americans, based on 2020 figures. Toine, whose family is Dutch, joined the MPS, a certification program for The Netherlands flower industry, which has awarded Westerlay an “A”rating each year. You can learn more about Westerlay Orchids at https://westerlay.com/

Earth911 Podcast: Maya van Rossum on the Green Amendment for the Generations Sep 21, 2022

Are the laws of the United States fitted for sustainability? Our guest today, attorney Maya van Rossum, argues that it is time for a new approach, environmental constitutionalism. She is adjunct professor and director of the Environmental Law Clinic at Temple’s Beasley School of Law and founder of Green Amendments for the Generations, a campaign to add environmental amendments to state and the U.S. constitution. Our evolving insights into the uneven health, economic, racial and social impacts of climate change demand that we rethink our approach to legislation and the Constitution. We need to enable the creation of laws and policies that will make a tangible difference for the marginalized victims of climate change and future generations, not just the voters who are alive today.
The second edition of Maya's book, The Green Amendment: the People's Fight to Secure a Clean, Safe & Healthy Environment, will be published by Disruption Books in November. We’ve made it legal to pollute, sometimes after jumping through a few hoops, but legal to pollute almost anywhere in the United States. A green amendment isn’t the silver bullet, but it can be the yeast to activate a vibrant legal and political discussion that, over time, can lead to significant changes. You can learn more about Maya and Green Amendments for the Generations at https://forthegenerations.org/

Earth911 Podcast: WeSpire CEO Susan Hunt Stevens on Inspiring Sustainable Changes in Business Sep 19, 2022

There is momentum around sustainability in society but millions of companies and billions of people are not engaged with the ideas and taking action. Many simply don’t know where to start. We talk about inspiring change in organizations with Susan Hunt Stevens, cofounder and CEO of WeSpire, which develops tools, services and informational campaigns that help companies improve their sustainability performance, their inclusivity, social impact and employee wellbeing. WeSpire’s technology uses behavioral science to present goals, motivating information and actions that employees can take to contribute to the organization’s sustainability goals. But choosing the practices to emphasize, deciding where to start, and understanding the best way to engage employees, partners, and customers in your mission is the hard work that is just beginning for so many companies.
Across the board, these programs are more important than ever as employees, especially younger ones, are looking for purpose and meaning in their work as the pandemic continues to disrupt life. WeSpire’s programs have been used by companies with more than 2 million employees. It’s an opportunity to reset not just environmental goals but also the way your business shares information internally and externally, its role in the community and much more. You can learn more about WeSpire at https://www.wespire.com/

Earth911 Podcast: The Role of Animal Welfare in Sustainable Development Sep 16, 2022

Animals are key to our restoration of the planet, Kate Wall and Mark Hofberg of the International Fund for Animal Welfare explain in a report titled Thriving Together: The Critical Role of Animals in Achieving the SDGs. The world’s progress toward a sustainable society has been charted by the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a set of 17 goals that include environmental, social and economic projects deemed necessary to creating a just, equitable world that can live on its current resources instead of borrowing from the future. The SDGs address people, planet, prosperity, peace and partnerships that we need to put in place by 2030, but they do not include animals — they are mentioned once in the 8,600 or so words that document the SDGs.
When we take care of animals, we take better care of people. Biodiversity is the basis of the web of life and need to recognize that when you remove even a few nodes from a network it can make the entire system fragile. Unfortunately, we’ve removed hundreds of species from the natural world in which we evolved and the cost is falling on women, animals and all of us through greater exposure to zoonotic diseases that a resilient nature can help prevent. To make your impact, Mark and Kate suggest that listeners follow and support the Leaders Pledge for Nature, an international agreement that the U.S. has not signed, and Congressional action around a national biodiversity strategy and national wildlife corridors. You can learn more about the International Fund for Animal Welfare at https://www.ifaw.org

Earth911 Podcast: Beacon Platform CEO Kirat Singh on Building a Sustainable Computing Infrastructure Sep 14, 2022

Computing opens the door to a more efficient economy but the energy required will generate more greenhouse gas emissions. We talk with Kirat Singh, CEO and cofounder of Beacon Platform Inc., a developer of cloud computing infrastructure for Wall Street and financial institutions. Beacon’s system is built in part to reduce the environmental impact of processing large amounts of financial data. As more companies shift their computing from private data centers to the cloud, there is an opportunity to introduce significant efficiencies based not only on how the cloud is powered but also the way computing jobs are managed, the networks used to move data between the cloud and customers, and other factors. Prior to founding Beacon, Kirat launched large data platforms at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, JP Morgan, and Goldman Sachs.
Computing is expected to consume up to 20% of all electricity generated by 2030. In the era of high-speed trading, banks use massive amounts of power to crunch data and identify opportunities to profit in the stock market — as much as half of a bank’s carbon footprint is generated by computing. We need to establish information technology design and operational practices that emphasize better environmental outcomes. You can learn more about Beacon Platform Inc. at https://www.beacon.io/

Earth911 Podcast: La Tourangelle's Mattheiu Kohlmeyer on the Path to Regenerative Farming Sep 12, 2022

Encouraging regenerative farming practices can start with conscious shopping choices, but there are many challenges ahead. Mattheiu Kohlmeyer, founder of La Tourangelle, a Berkeley, Calif.-based maker of artisanal cooking oils, some of which are produced using regenerative farming techniques, discusses the ins and outs of growing healthy, affordable regenerative foods. La Tourangelle makes a variety of oils, including almond and avocado oil, sunflower, grapeseed and olive oils — it sources nuts and seeds from regenerative farmers in Eastern Europe and California, upcycling nuts when possible to reduce its environmental impact. The company also uses post-consumer recycled materials in packaging and its spray oils use no chemical propellants or aerosols.
Regenerative farming can restore soils — the U.S. looses about 5.6 tons of topsoil per acre per year, and by leaving soil untilled, allowing natural biology to play out in the absence of chemicals, it is estimated that healthy soil could sequester a quarter of a billion tons of CO2 annually. Mattheiu recently contributed an article at Earth911, Regenerative Farming Practices: Food for a Healthier Planet. Regenerative farming is a comprehensive practice and one made harder in the midst of an historic drought in the West. You can learn more about La Tourangelle at https://latourangelle.com

Earth911 Podcast: Arthur Baker on Financing an Equitable and Sustainable Future Sep 09, 2022

Arthur Baker, associate director of the Development Innovation Lab at the University of Chicago, explains why equity is essential to sustainability. He is the co-author, with Vijaya Ramachandaran, of Let Them Eat Carbon, a Center for Global Development policy paper that suggests it is not just unjust but inefficient to make the poorest countries carry the climate burden. The response to climate change involves a global responsibility to raise people’s standard of living, which reduces population growth, as well as increase the utilization of renewable energy and innovation in food production, waste and water management. Take a few minutes to check out the sites Arthur shares during the show, Give Well and Evidence Action — they research the chartible donations that make the biggest impact.
Sixty-four low-income countries, which have produced the least greenhouse gas emissions, face significant economic and environmental challenges that may prevent them from decarbonizing their economies. And, yet, even if they don’t decarbonize, these nations will produce only 1% of global emissions by 2035. Without assistance, they will simply fall further behind the nations that have benefited the most from the Industrial Era. You can learn more about the University of Chicago’s Development Innovation Lab at https://bfi.uchicago.edu/development-innovation-lab/ and about the Center for Global Development at https://www.cgdev.org/

Earth911 Podcast: 374Water CEO Kobe Nagar on Transforming Wastewater Into New Materials Sep 07, 2022

Kobe Nagar, CEO of Durham, North Carolina-based 374Water, explains the company's compact waste water processing technology, the Supercritical Water Oxidation (AirSCWO) system. Operating the system generates energy, industrial CO2, trinitrogen gases that can be used in manufacturing, distilled water, and minerals extracted from wastewater, making it extremely affordable as a solution for many water treatment uses. The smallest version fits in a shipping container and can clean the wastewater generated by communities of as few as 6,000 people — or the equivalent amount of industrial waste. The AirSCWO system can be scaled up to support 30,000 or 200,000 people and a wide variety of industrial applications, including removing and destroying PFAS, the "forever chemicals" found throughout the environment, water supplies and human bodies. And water is just the first step for the company, Kobe shares. The oxidation process can also convert plastics and other solid wastes into reusable raw materials.
Water, along with air and land, is one of our most important resources. We need it to hydrate our bodies, to make much of what we eat and use every day, and we use it to to carry away our waste. Treating waste water instead of dumping it back into the environment, is an inefficient process. You can learn more about 374Water, which is traded on the NASDAQ under the symbol SCWO, at https://374water.com/

Earth911 Podcast: Zume CEO Alex Garden on Replacing Plastic in Packaging with Molded Fiber Sep 05, 2022

Alex Garden, chairman and CEO of Camarillo, Calif.-based Zume, explains how companies can use waste pulp materials to replace plastic packaging for to-go foods and packaged goods. Molded fiber can be used instead of expanded polystyrene meat trays, to replace the plastic scoops included with baby formula, as coffee cup lids, and in six-pack holders, among many other forms of packaging. The company's water and grease resistant food packaging does not use PFAS, or "forever chemicals" that are harmful to human health and the environment.
The plastic versions of this packaging is a $390-billion industry that contributes to plastics’ 4.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions — 2.2 billion tons of CO2eq annually — according to a December 2021 study published in Nature Sustainability. The challenge is growing production capacity, and Zume is making rapid progress after being founded in 2015. Zume recently announced a partnership with Transcend Packaging, a UK-based sustainable packaging maker to expand in Europe with new production capacity coming online in 2023. It already has manufacturing locations in the United States and India. You can learn more about Zume at https://www.zume.com/

Earth911 Podcast: EPAM's Erica Moreti on Consumers' Evolving Sustainability Habits Aug 31, 2022

Erica Moreti, Head of Strategy & Innovation and Physical/Connected Experience at EPAM Continuum discusses the third Consumer Unmasked report. EPAM surveyed 3,000 Americans, Britons and Germans in late March and early April this year to understand how people are reacting to events as lockdowns end and global conflict appears to be on the rise. How are shoppers reacting, and will they give up the sustainable living priorities that were taking hold as the pandemic began? We talk through the role can subscription services play in reducing wasteful purchases and shipping-related greenhouse gas emissions.
Erica explains that the evolution of how people think and act when shopping is accelerating as new challenges reshape our values -- change itself is becoming a familiar part of everyday life. Could that set the stage for a transition to a low-carbon, environmentally responsible economy? From the pandemic and political extremism to the Ukraine war and spikes in the price of gas, housing and food, people have endured enough change for one of their great-grandparent’s lifetimes in less than half a decade. But events just keep coming. Can we use these disruptions to invent a better future? The fourth Consumers Unmasked survey will be released soon. You can find out more at https://www.epam.com/

Earth911 Interview: Urvashi Bhatnagar on The Sustainabiity Scorecard Aug 08, 2022

Urvashi Bhatnagar, co-author with Paul Anastas of The Sustainability Scorecard: How to Implement and Profit from Unexpected Solutions, explains the four principles for managing and scaling sustainability. These ideas can be applied to build a sustainable business at a startup or large company dto accelerate progress toward low- and no-waste products and services. Urvashi discusses reframing business decisions to emphasize waste reduction. She suggests what we waste today can be the basis for profitable growth without the severe environmental damage that resulted from the Industrial Era. She shares ideas about how to engage executives and employees in sustainability programs and how to be transparent about their environmental commitments.
The new book extends the Twelve Principles of Green Chemistry that Anastas, who is known as the father of green chemistry, and John Warner first introduced in 1998. Those ideas transformed the way chemistry is done. Following their introduction, a new generation of chemists has focused on using low-temperature, biologically responsible processes that mimic natural processes. They create chemicals and products that are recyclable or biodegrade instead of leaving toxins in nature. The Sustainability Scorecard: How to Implement and Profit from Unexpected Solutions is available on Amazon and at Powell's Books.

Earth911 Podcast: Pam Gill-Alabaster on Mattel's Sustainability Strategy & Cultural Influence Aug 03, 2022

Pam Gil-Alabaster, Global Head of Sustainability and Social Impact at Mattel, maker of Barbie dolls, Hot Wheels, American Girl dolls, and more than 150 other brands of toys. She shares how Mattel works to eliminate manufacturing waste and replace virgin plastic in its packaging with recycled and recyclable plastics. The company has pledged to reduce its carbon footprint by 50% compared to its 2019 emissions as soon as 2030. Pam also explains how Mattel designers use sustainable design practices, including responsible sourcing and production processes. In 2021, launched Mattel PlayBack, a free recycling program for some of its toy brands currently available in the U.S., Britain, Germany, France and Canada.
Mattel's most important effort may be designing toys that influence kids to embrace responsible environmental practices. Playing at sustainable living can create lifelong habits. Mattel pioneered toy designs that support inclusive communities with diverse and environmentally responsible play, such as Barbie Loves the Ocean, made from recycled ocean plastic, and the Matchbox CarbonNeutral Tesla Roadster. You can learn more about Mattel's sustainability programs at https://corporate.mattel.com/sustainable-design-and-development

Earth911 Podcast: Yoram Bauman on the Cartoon Introduction to Climate Change Aug 01, 2022

Yoram Bauman, the world's only standup economist, and co-author, with illustrator Grady Klein, of the second edition of The Cartoon Introduction to Climate Change. He also co-created cartoon introductions to economics, calculus, and digital ethics. Climate change is profoundly serious and becomes more disturbing with every report of extreme weather and record-breaking heat domes. The Cartoon Guide makes the science and politics of climate understandable and engaging.

Earth911 Podcast: TCO Certified's Andreas Nobell on Choosing Sustainable Technology Jul 27, 2022

Technology and consumer electronics products have transformed life in just two generations but they’ve come with heavy environmental and social consequences, including ecosystems disrupted by mining and unrecycled ewaste. We talk with Andreas Nobell, Development Manager at TCO Development, which publishes an independent non-profit environmental and social responsibility certification for technology products, the TCO Certified label. The TCO Certified label is available for 12 types of products, including computers, mobile devices, monitors, and datacenter equipment. TCO Development is a type of consumers' union, that emerged in the technology purchasing community and works to hold the tech industry accountable for its products’ impact on people and the planet.
Andreas discusses how the electronics industry is making progress by reducing the energy to make and use a phone or PC, and by discarding far less waste from the manufacturing process, reducing the use of toxins and investing to support ewaste recycling. But he, says, there is still a long way to go. You can learn more about the TCO Certified program in Earth911's recent article, Certification for Greener IT Products, and try out a search for low-impact, socially responsible electronics at https://tcocertified.com/

Earth911 Podcast: Author Peter Fiekowsky on Climate Restoration Jul 25, 2022

In a conversation sure to fire controversy, author and Foundation for Climate Restoration founder Peter Feikowsky expresses optimism that the world could reach net-zero emissions and begin to drawdown atmospheric CO2 and methane levels within a decade. In a wide-ranging discussion with host Mitch Ratcliffe, Peter introduces several carbon capture technologies, low-carbon concrete, and natural carbon sinks that can contribute to removing anthropogenic CO2. He explains them in a new book, Climate Restoration: The Only Future That Will Sustain the Human Race. For example, using an inexpensive approach to remove methane, which warms the planet almost 28 times faster than CO2, called Enhanced Atmospheric Methane Oxidation (EAMO), he argues we can reduce warming to 2005 levels. Ocean iron fertilization (OIF), which stimulates phytoplankton growth, could be harnessed to pull much of the excess carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, but faces extensive criticism from environmentlists. These approaches require billions, not trillions of dollars, he argues.
His optimism extends to the energy industry, which he says could turn over and adopt renewable fuels by 2030 based on adoption of electric vehicles and urgent public concern about extreme weeather, drought and sea level rise. The job of reversing climate change begins when society acheives net-zero emissions, at that point we will have only stopped fueling the fire. We need to remove a trillion tons of CO2 emitted by humans over the past 240 years in order to cool the planet. Peter shares suggestions about what every one can do to contribute to lower emissions. Having smaller families is key, but even writing letters to the editor, voting and sharing information and ideas with family and friends can make a difference. We also discuss how climate pessimism shares some features of the pre-Y2K doomsaying. This interview has something for everyone and probably will elicit strong reaction. You can learn more about Peter at https://www.peterfiekowsky.com/ and his book, Climate Restoration: The Only Future That Will Sustain The Human Race, is available on Amazon and at Powell's Books.

Earth911 Podcast: Environmental Attorney Kenneth Foard McCallion on the Supreme Court's EPA Ruling Jul 22, 2022

Kenneth Foard McCallion, an environmental attorney who successfully litigated cases involving the Exxon Valdez and Bhopal Gas disasters, discusses the consequences of the recent Supreme Court decision in West Virginia v. Environmental Protection Agency. In a 6-3 decision in West Virginia v EPA, the conservative justices decided the agency cannot create comprehensive policies to reduce global warming. McCallion argues that the Supreme Court has “dealt a body blow to this country’s climate change policies.” The irony is that the Court claims it is returning power to the states and people when 68% of Americans surveyed by Pew Research Center in 2019 said they believe government should be acting to “reduce the effect of global climate change.” Even 39% of Republicans who responded to that survey agree the government is not doing enough. Congress has relied on experts in agencies like the EPA to formulate policies in response to rapidly changing scientific insight into the environment because legislation takes too long to develop. Now, the Court has undercut that authority.

Earth911 Podcast: Farmstead's Pradeep Elankumaran on Building Sustainable Food Delivery Jul 20, 2022

Pradeep Elankumaran, cofounder and CEO of Farmstead, explains how the company set out to build a sustainable grocery delivery company focused on eliminating food waste. Where retail grocery stores report wastage of between 30 percent and 40 percent of the food they stock, Farmstead uses local batching of deliveries to cut its waste to less than 5 percent. The service is currently available in the San Francisco Bay Area and offers pickup and recycling of cold packs and delivery packaging. Learn more about Farmstead at https://www.farmsteadapp.com/

Earth911 Podcast: URB-E's Charles Jolley Wants to Electrify Local Delivery Jul 18, 2022

Charles Jolley, CEO of URB-E, want to disrupt the local delivery infrastructure. URB-E is building a local container delivery network using ebikes and collapsible containers that are pedaled around cities and neighborhoods. The company says a single delivery person can pull up to 800 pounds of stuff, which is sufficient to replace an internal combustion delivery van. URB-E has launched in New York and Los Angeles, where riders can earn between $18 and $24 an hour, with paid time off. The company’s mission is “to be the global leader in foldable, emission-free transportation solutions.”
The last mile in the supply chain, between a distribution center and a retail location or your home, has been the focus of innovation over the past century, starting when United Parcel Service was founded in Seattle using bikes. The evolution of on-demand delivery, however, became enmeshed with fossil fuel-powered cars and vans, and we’re still paying the price. What could last mile deliveries look like in a post-carbon society? It may resemble the founding of UPS, but with logistics and electric bike technology taking the place of pedal power. You can learn more about URB-E at https://www.urb-e.com/

Earth911 Podcast: Novi CEO Kimberly Shenk on Connecting Personal Care Product Companies With Sustainable Materials Jul 15, 2022

Kimberly Shank, cofounder and CEO of Novi, introduces the Novi Connect sustainable personal care and beauty products ingredients and packaging marketplace. The service lets product and packaging designers research and validate the sustainability and environmental impact of the ingredients and packaging materials they use. For example, Novi provides the ability to enter a set of ingredients for a new make-up product and check that their formula meets environmental standards and qualify for retailer and general sustainability certifications. Novi reporting includes sourcing information, so that product designers can understand where products came from and how they were made. This kind of tool is essential to helping product manufacturers change their designs to reduce environmental and social impacts, and it could reshape the products you buy.
You can learn more about Novi at https://www.noviconnect.com/

Earth911 Podcast: cirplus Cofounder Christian Schiller Aims for a Circular Plastics Marketplace Jul 11, 2022

Christian Schiller, cofounder of cirplus, talks about the company's digital marketplace for circular plastics. Think of it as Match.com or Tinder for European plastics recyclers, including companies that collect post-consumer materials and those that sell processed recycled plastic for use in new products. Cirplus connects sellers with buyers and collects fees for speeding the transaction along. Sellers save on marketing costs and can establish ongoing relationships that support their business growth with just a few clicks. cirplus is working now to launch its U.S. marketplace. Christian also discusses the prospects for bioplastics and emerging plastic recycling technologies, including molecular recycling, which will purportedly make plastic recyclable many more times than today.
The plastics industry desperately needs to step up its recycling — less than 6% of the approximately 370 million tons of plastic produced each year is recycled today. Recycling is all about economics, and making it profitable depends on gaining reliable access to supplies of recyclable materials as well as customers who are ready to buy the processed material. Christian previously helped to build BlaBlaCar, where we was the first employee at the online transportation market that connects drivers and bus operators to riders. Digital technology, as we often hear from our guests, creates efficiencies that make previously difficult markets come to life. You can learn more about cirplus at https://www.cirplus.com/

Earth911 Podcast: Eve Darian-Smith on Global Burning: Rising Antidemocracy and the Climate Crisis Jul 06, 2022

Author Eve Darian-Smith discusses her new book, Global Burning: Rising Antidemocracy and the Climate Crisis, which describes and analyzes the environmental policies of authoritarian governments, including the Trump and Bolsanaro administrations in the U.S. and Brazil, as well as Australia’s recently deposed Prime Minister, Scott Morrison. She is chair of the Department of Global and International Studies at the University of California, Irvine. Eve has documented the growing crisis for democratic nations as authoritarian leaders blend anti-environmentalist populism with increasingly aggressive approaches to governing. Climate change is a global problem that nationalists and populists resist actively. With the United States headed into a contentious mid-term election season, we wanted to discuss what voters should be on the watch for when choosing candidates they expect to represent them in global negotiations in response to climate change. You can find Global Burning: Rising Antidemocracy and the Climate Crisis at Amazon (https://amzn.to/39QBgZ0), Audible (https://amzn.to/39OR26R), and Powell's Books (https://www.powells.com/book/global-burning-rising-antidemocracy-the-climate-crisis-9781503631083).

Earth911 Podcast: Fordham University's Frank Zambrelli on Scaling ESG Solutions in Fashion Jul 04, 2022

Frank Zambrelli, Executive Director of Fordham University’s Gabelli School of Business Responsible Business Coalition, discusses the school's recommendations for sustainability and transparency in the fashion industry. He explains findings in Accenture's recently released a report, Scaling ESG Solutions in Fashion, which identified seven areas of focus required for sustainable changes to the fashion industry. They include industry-wide adoption of transparent emissions reductions goals of 50% by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2040, use of renewable energy in manufacturing, elimination of the use of restricted chemicals, and fair labor practices across every step of the fashion supply chain in order to turn the industry into a sustainable one.
Fashion may make us look and feel good but it does no favors for the planet, accounting for up to 8% of global greenhouse gas emission annually and providing many examples of egregious treatment of labor in low-income countries. Frank also explains the intentions behind New York Democrat Kirsten Gillibrand's Fashion Accountability and Building Real Institutional Change Act, or FABRIC Act, which the U.S. Senate is currently considering. It would require moving fashion production back to the U.S. under better environmental and labor standards than other countries enforce. You can learn more about Fordham University's Gabelli School of Business at https://www.fordham.edu/gabelli-school-of-business/

Earth911 Podcast: How to Grow the EV Charging Infrastructure with Cyber Switching's Nick Zamanov Jul 01, 2022

Nick Zamanov, business director at San Jose-based Cyber Switching, a maker of electric vehicle charging technology, joins Mitch Ratcliffe to discuss choosing the right EV and how to grow electric vehicle charging capacity. The company launched in 1994 and has developed charging solutions for offices, local governments, apartment buildings, universities and other charger installations. Nick also recently contributed an article at Earth911, Considerations To Help You Confidently Switch to an EV, a guide to the concerns shoppers have about buying and using EVs.
The price of EV charging already compares favorably to fueling up with gas. According to American Automobile Association estimates, which made its analysis when gas cost $4.25 a gallon, electric driving costs a third of the price as gasoline driving over the same distance. Nick provides an optimistic but pragmatic view into the potential to replace internal combustion personal and commercial vehicles with a robust EV charging infrastucture. You can find out more about Cyber Switching at https://cyberswitching.com/

Earth911 Podcast: ESG Investing In a Bear Market With Newday Impact's Douglas Heske Jun 24, 2022

Douglas Heske, founder and CEO of Newday Impact Investing explains how to invest for positive environmental outcomes during a bear market. He recommends treating deflated stock prices as an opportunity to add sustainable companies to a portfolio, and shares details about his firm's new Ocean Health ETF (NYSE: AHOY), which focuses on companies that prevent ocean plastic pollution, encourage sustainable fishing practices, and that help restore marine environments. Newday Impact Investing will also donate 5% of its Ocean Health ETF revenue to EarthEcho International, a youth-focused non-profit founded by Philippe and Alexandra Cousteau.

Earth911 Podcast: Arizona State University's Sustainable Earth Program Aims to Educate and Celebrate Small Business Jun 20, 2022

Meet Alicia Marseille and Katelyn Armbruster, who lead the Sustainable Earth small business sustainability education program for Arizona State University's Rob and Melani Walton Sustainability Service. They are working to turn the economy toward sustainable practices with free courses for the nation’s 32.5 million small businesses. These firms, which account for 99.9 percent of the companies in the United States according to the U.S. Small Business Administration, need access to information, sustainable strategies, learning materials, and mentoring to accelerate the adoption of environmentally responsible business practices. If they can make the turn, small business can help their customers take steps to embrace low-carbon lifestyles.
The Sustainable Earth program is supported by Wells Fargo Bank, and it will introduce the first small business sustainability awards program in the nation later this summer. Companies that would like to be considered for the awards should submit entries by July 1, 2022. Arizona State has been a pioneer in online learning, bringing advanced educational experiences to students globally. For instance, every Starbucks employee can earn a degree for free through ASU. You can learn more about Sustainable Earth, and sign up for courses, at https://sustainable-earth.org/

Earth911 Podcast: Adapting to Smoke Season's Health Impacts with Dr. James Crooks Jun 15, 2022

James Crooks, Ph.D., an environmental epidemiologist with National Jewish Health’s Division of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics in Denver explains his research on the impact of wildfire smoke on the ozone concentrations at ground level in Colorado. Elevated ozone levels contribute to rising incidence of asthma and diabetes, among other conditions. Dr. Crooks found that while ozone increased only one percent, the impacts are widely felt, especially in Hispanic and historically underserved communities. The advent of annual smoke seasons and rising levels of air pollution globally make this an important conversation. He shares his advice on how to protect family members from air pollution and the prospects for life in a warmer world, when smoke season will be common in many regions.
Smoke season isn’t just unpleasant, it’s killing too many of us. According to a recent study published in the journal The Lancet Planetary Health, air pollution was directly responsible for the death of 4.5 million people around the world in 2019. A McGill University study released in early May reported that people who lived within 31 miles (50 km) of a wildfire over a 10-year period were found to have a 10% higher incidence of brain tumors and 4.9% more lung cancers. You can learn more about Dr. Crooks and National Jewish Health at https://www.nationaljewish.org/

Earth911 Podcast: Wild Planet Founder & CEO Bill Carvalho on Making Seafood Sustainable Jun 13, 2022

Wild Planet Foods founder and CEO Bill Carvalho explains why his company sources pole and line caught tuna to eliminate “bycatch,” the species caught in nets and tossed overboard because it was not what the fishing vessel wants to sell. Bycatch accounts for up to 22% of the fish caught by net fishermen, according to Oceana, a nonprofit working to protect the world’s oceans. Wild Planet also focuses on smaller species, such as sardines, mackerel and anchovies in an effort to protect the ocean food chain. We tested several new Wild Planet fish and canned pasta, bean and vegetable and tuna salads that are sold in recyclable packaging accepted in virtually all U.S. curbside blue bins.
According to the United Nations, 34 percent of human CO2 emissions each year are produced by growing, processing, and shipping food. The good news is that the share of food-related emissions has declined from 44% in 1990 — this shows that significant progress is possible by changing eating habits and the way we grow, harvest and distribute food. Bill shares his advice for choosing the most sustainable seafood options, suggeting that shoppers check the Monterey Bay Acquarium's Sustainable Seafood recommendations. You can learn more about Wild Planet and its products at https://wildplanetfoods.com/

Earth911 Podcast: Jon Freedman of SUEZ Explains Solutions to Water Scarcity Jun 10, 2022

Water is everywhere on this planet — 71% of the Earth is covered with water — but freshwater is in dire short supply. We talk with Jon Freedman, Global Government Affairs Leader at SUEZ Water Technologies & Solutions and a lecturer on water and water policy at the University of Pennsylvania. SUEZ specializes in water treatment and management, working with governments and companies on water recycling and desalination projects. We discuss the viability of distilling and filtering waste water to remove PFAS, pharmaceuticals and other small-particle pollutants from recycled water, the energy requirements involved in desalinization, and level of investment needed globally to ensure safe, equitable access to water. You can learn more about SUEZ Water Technologies at https://www.suezwatertechnologies.com/

Earth911 Podcast: Dr. Danielle Bernal on Plant-Based Diets for Dogs Jun 08, 2022

Our guest today, Dr. Danielle Bernal, is a veterinarian at Wellness Natural Pet Food. She recommends switching to plant-based foods and is here to discuss the health benefits and animal health issues to track when adopting more plant-based foods for your dog. The American Pet Products Association reports that about 90 million dogs lived in U.S. homes in 2019, and ownership jumped during the pandemic. According to UCLA research, pets consume about a quarter of the meat produced annually in the United States. And meat accounts for the largest share of our food supply’s environmental impact. For every pound of beef in dog food replaced by plant-based alternatives, we can reduce GHG emissions by as much as 26.5 lbs.
Danielle explains how to transition dogs to a new diet, plant-based foods and supplements, and the produce your dog should avoid. Wellness Natural Pet Food recently introduced its first no-meat product, Wellness CORE Digestive Health Plant-Based, a probiotic-coated kibble made with egg protein. The company offers a free packaging recyclng program for its products, which is available through Terracycle. You can learn more about Wellness Natural Pet Food at https://www.wellnesspetfood.com/

Earth911 Podcast: Dr. Marcius Extavour on the $100M XPRIZE Circular Carbon Network Competition Jun 06, 2022

Meet Dr. Marcius Extavour, Chief Scientist and Executive Vice President of the XPRIZE Circular Carbon Network, talks about state of the carbon capture industry and winners of the first round of the $100 million circular carbon challenge funded by Tesla founder Elon Musk. They recently awarded $15M, which was split among a group of 15 promising teams working to make carbon capture and removal scalable and efficient at the gigaton level. Marcius shares details about the winners and what technologies appear to be the most promising path to removing 150 years of excess industrial and other human CO2 emissions from the atmosphere. As previous guests have explained, CO2 is a basic building block for fuels, chemicals, construction materials and myriad consumer products. The signs suggest that, if we can end emissions by 2050, the planet's atmosphere could be cleaned up by 2100.
The organization also reports that investments in carbon capture quadrupled between 2020 and 2021, rising by $875 year over year to approximately $3 billion invested in total to date. The XPRIZE study also found that carbon technology companies are already generating revenue — 29% of the companies reported earning more than $1 million in revenue, and 56% of all carbon firms have some paying customers. This is an important industry to follow — it could remove the trillions of tons of anthropogenic carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and eventually return us to pre-industrial CO2 levels. You can learn more about the XPRIZE Circular Carbon Network at https://circularcarbon.org/

Earth911 Podcast: Wilderness Defender Doug Peacock on Was It Worth It? Jun 03, 2022

Meet Doug Peacock, wilderness warrior, author and the inspiration for Edward Abbey’s well-known character in The Monkeywrench Gang, George Washington Hayduke. Doug Peacock’s new book, Was It Worth It: A Wilderness Warror's Long Trail Home, contemplates a life spent in nature as well as the partnerships in wilderness living and defense he had with Abbey and others in the environmental writing world. His 1996 book, Grizzly Years, which recounts his 20-year relationship with grizzly bears, is one of the great books about the misguided relationship people have with apex predator species. Was It Worth It is published by Patagonia; it’s one of the few books that carries an environmental benefits summary — it is printed on recycled, chlorine-free paper, so it’s a book you can feel good about buying.
Doug reads from his latest book and talks about his 50+ years living near and studying Grizzly Bear around the Yellowstone National Park region. He reflects on how, if one doesn't try to control and exploit nature, it provides endless magical experience and the resources necessary for a responsible lifestyle. Doug also discusses the role of indigenous knowledge and the urgent need to respond to the collapse of biodiversity in the American West. You can learn more about Doug Peacock at https://dougpeacock.net/

Earth911 Podcast: Imperfect Foods' Maddy Rotman on Eliminating Food Waste Jun 01, 2022

Maddy Rotman, Head of Sustainability at Imperfect Foods, a delivery service for sustainably sourced produce and packaged food that would otherwise end up in landfills as food waste, joins the conversation to find an end to one of the largest sources of easily avoided greenhouse gas emissions. More than a third of the food humans grow each year goes unused. Project Drawdown estimates that we could reduce CO2 emissions by 90 to 101 gigatons annually simply by cutting out 50% to 75% of food waste. She explains how the less attractive produce grocers won't sell can save shoppers money while reducing their diet's carbon footprint.
Maddy explains how Imperfect Foods is tackling its own environmental impacdt. The company is building its own distribution system, using local vans and drivers who follow regular weekly routes to reduce the emissions associated with deliveries. By following planned routes, they can use less energy than on-demand shippers that deliver anywhere, every day. Imperfect Foods plans to have an entirely electric delivery fleet by 2027, and it will be staffed by full-time employees with benefits. Sustinability In Your Ear listeners can save of their first purchase by using the code "Earth911" during checkout. You can learn more about Imperfect Foods at https://www.imperfectfoods.com/

Earth911 Podcast: The Ocean River Institute's Natural Lawn Challenge for Climate Action May 30, 2022

A lawn may be beautiful but it can take a heavy toll on the environment, accounting for between 30% and 60% of residential water use in the United States. Rob Moir, Ph.D., is president and executive director of the Ocean River Institute in Cambridge Massachusetts. ORI works with residential lawn owners to heal damaged ecosystems by restoring coastal areas to lessen the destructive impacts of climate change. The benefits of a natural lawn reach far beyond reduced local water pollution, eliminating chemicals that can contribute to cancers, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease and other cellular diseases. Natural lawns are also better for local pollinators and store much more carbon than heavily fertilized lawns. If you considered removing your lawn to play a part in the battle against climate change, this interview may change your mind -- a healthy lawn is a powerful carbon sink.
The Ocean River Institute is recruiting Massachusetts communities, town by town, to take a pledge to follow natural lawn practices in the Healthy Soils for Climate Restoration Challenge. You don't need to live in Massachussetts to participate and learn about the alternatives to the traditional, chemical-intensive lawn practices that use Roundup, a source of glyphosates that kills soil-dwelling fungi and local pollinators, and fast-acting nitrogen fertilizers. You can learn more about the Ocean River Institute at https://www.oceanriver.org/

Earth911 Podcast: The Ellen Macarthur Foundation Introduces a Circular Economy Glossary May 27, 2022

Alice Bodreau, Strategic Partners Manager for Europe at the Ellen Macarthur Foundation joins Mitch Ratcliffe to discuss the new Circular Economy Glossary. She led the development of the glossary in partnership with IKEA to help provide a common language for different industries to explore and activate the circular economy. We wanted to learn more about their approach to the building circular systems and future efforts to extend the reference for wider application. Alice also explains how the the Ellen Macarthur Foundation educational programs help to grow the community of companies, governments and non-profits needed to kickstart circular economies for many materials.
The U.S. recycling system is a living example of the consequences of having no shared framework for collaboration. Our recycling system is a complex mix of local, state, federal, private and non-profit organizations that has been knitted together over the past 70 years. It’s no exaggeration to say that those organizations have difficulty communicating clearly, as recycling processes and rules vary by city, ZIP Code or the coverage area of the hauler that picks up your recycling. The result is a U.S. recycling rate in the low 30% range in contrast to Europe's 48% overall recycling rate. With a common language, we may accelerate the emergence of the circular economy. You can learn more about the Ellen Macarthur Foundation at https://ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/

Earth911 Podcast: PFAS Everywhere -- Consumer Reports' Kevin Loria on Forever Chemicals In Food Packaging May 25, 2022

Kevin Loria joins the conversation to talk about his recent Consumer Reports article about PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), in grocery and restaurant foods, Dangerous PFAS are in your food packaging. The magazine found PFAS in the majority of 100 food packaging materials they tested, including off-the-shelf foods at grocers and Burger King, Chick-fil-A, McDonald’s, Taco Bell and other restaurants to-go packaging. Sometimes the chemicals were introduced in the manufacturing process accidentally but most were intentionally added to prevent grease, oil or liquid leakage. Banned PFAS continue to show up in new products, possibly because they may be picked up from recycled materials, the environment, water supplies or the soil.
Referred to as “forever chemicals," PFAS are everywhere, including nonstick pans, cleaning supplies, shampoos and cosmetics — there will be no avoiding them until consumers demand their use be banned. New PFAS are invented constantly and introduced into the food supply chain despite growing scientific evidence showing that they contribute to cancers, immune system disorders and low birth weights. Kevin explains how to avoid PFAS when shopping and eating out. The article is available free; to learn more, visit Consumer Reports at https://www.consumerreports.org/

Earth911 Podcast: Bridgestone's Bill Niaura on Creating a Circular Tire Recycling Infrastructure May 23, 2022

Our guest, Bill Niaura, Director of Sustainable Materials and Circular Economy at the Bridgestone Americas Technology Center, is working to create a circular economy in tires. Tokyo-based Bridgestone, the world's largest tire company based on revenue, recently announced a new partnership with carbon recycling firm LanzaTech to introduce a technology that gasifies — breaks down — the rubber in tires to feed to bacteria. The process produces ethanol, a fuel that can also be used to make plastic and other products. They are also working to extract a precursor chemical for use in making new rubber and, by extension, new tires. Bill also explains how Bridgestone is exploring new sources of natural rubber, including the desert plant guayule that the company recently introduced in racing tires.
Even as the automobile changes and becomes electric, some things will stay the same. Tires and the waste associated with them will continue to be a feature of the driving experience. Americans spend approximately $43 billion annually on more than 200 million replacement tires for passenger vehicles, according to the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine’s National Research Council. Globally, more than one billion tires are disposed of each year, and 40% of them end up in landfills. With all the controversy about plastic recycling, we wanted to get the details of this new process and understand how fast it could scale up. You can learn more about Bridgestone's tire recycling efforts at https://www.bridgestoneamericas.com/

Earth911 Podcast: Frank Dalene On Decarbonizing the World With ICEMAN May 20, 2022

Markets are characterized by competition over exclusive control of resources, but as our guest today, Frank Dalene, writes in his new book, Decarbonize the World: Solving the Climate Crisis While Improving Profits In Your Business, “here’s the problem: we are all part of the same planet. We all live in the same closed environment. We all have the same atmosphere. We all breathe the same air.” Frank joins us to today to discuss how business and regulators need to rethink their approach to markets in order to recognized our shared resources and reverse global warming. Frank is also president and CEO of Telemark Inc., a construction business that pioneered green building practices and helped introduce New York state’s green building standard.
Frank developed the International Carbon Equivalent Mechanism Attributed to Neutrality (ICEMAN) methodology to describe the carbon impact of products, buildings and food — eventually the ICEMAN system will provide a Carbon Factor Index score that can be placed on products and service offerings to make it easier for everyone to make informed, sustainable choices.We discuss how the carbon scoring system might be introduced and what it can account for in easy-to-use consumer labeling. You can learn more about Frank and Decarbonize the World at https://frankdalene.com/

Earth911 Podcast: HowGood Product Sustainability Data Could Unlock A Regenerative Revolution May 18, 2022

Alexander Gillett, chief executive officer at HowGood, discusses the 15-year effort that produced the largest database of product sustainability data. HowGood announced a new round of funding today, and Alex shares how they will use the funds to expand their coverage and enable companies to get insights into the Scope 3 CO2 emissions associated with their supply chains. The Stone Ridge, N.Y.-based company's HowGood Latis plaform covers more than 33,000 ingredients, chemicals and materials along with sourcing information — where and how the product is grown or made — and the environmental impacts associated with food and other products. With that kind of information at our fingertips, shoppers are able to make fully informed decisions about what we buy based on how it contributes to climate progress and the rise of a regenerative food supply.
Awareness about the growing impact of climate change has reached a critical mass, and most people now understand it’s important to act. The question is how? Choosing low-carbon and low-environmental impact products, especially food, which accounts for a third of human greenhouse gas emissions according to the United Nations, can help consumers take important steps that protect the environment. HowGood informatoon is currently available to consumers through the HowGood app for iPhone and to product manufacturers, retailers, restaurants and other businesses that use it find more sustainable options for making new products. You can learn more about HowGood at https://howgood.com/

Earth911 Podcast: Tractor Supply Co.'s Roian Atwood on Reaching Carbon Neutrality by 2040 May 16, 2022

Roian Atwood, Senior Director of Sustainability at Tractor Supply Company, joins the converstaion to discuss the largest rural lifestyle retailer in the country’s approach to stewardship of the lifestyle it refers to as “life out here,” which could help forge important changes of habit in those communities. Tractor Supply Company has aligned its very aggressive sustainability targets with the Paris goals of cutting overall emissions by 50% by 2030 and to be carbon neutral by 2040, a decade before most companies that have set goals. Roian also dives into the complexities of recycling packaging and the materials, such as steel palettes used to deliver tractors, that the company uses.
Retailers, as we’ve heard frequently on this show, are keystone influencers in the shape of a new sustainable economy. The choices retailers make when stocking their shelves determine the choices consumers have. Tractor Supply Co. is working to electrify all its operations in a move away from fossil fuels and is already ahead of its original CO2 emissions and renewable energy goals. Founded as a mail order company during the Depression, Tractor Supply is also thinking through how the transition to ecommerce may change its physical interaction with customers, as well as drive the addition of recycling services at stores to bring customers in on a regular basis. You can learn more about Tractor Supply Co.'s sustainability goals at https://corporate.tractorsupply.com/ESG/stewardship/default.aspx

Earth911 Podcast: F4CR's Rick Wayman on Responding to the Climate Crisis and Nuclear War May 13, 2022

Mitch welcomes back Rick Wayman, CEO of the Foundation for Climate Restoration (F4CR), for a conversation about the twin threats of climate change and nuclear war. Vladimir Putin’s reckless war on Ukraine, which has come with repeated threats to use nuclear weapons, came at a critical juncture in the response to climate change. The 2020s is a make-or-break decade for halting emissions growth and starting on the path toward zero emissions — and this year is considered critical to a collective global response to the climate crisis. But the Ukraine war has many nations scrambling for access to fossil fuels to replace Russian supplies. It couldn’t have come at a worse time. We'll also check in on progress in the carbon dioxide removal technology, which is the F4CR's primary focus. Recent UN IPCC reports have emphasized the need to combine carbon reductions with removing the trillion-plus tons of anthropogenic CO2 in the atmosphere.
Before he joined the Foundation for Climate Restoration, Rick led the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, a non-profit that has “waged peace” against nuclear threats since 1982. The anti-nuclear movement has been less prominent in public debate between the end of the Cold War when the Soviet Union and its Eastern Block dissolved in 1989 and Putin’s dangerous threats to use nukes in Ukraine or as a response to U.S. and E.U. support for the embattled country. So, what can we do now? The lessons of the past combined with insights developed by climate activists may hold the key to unlocking a more peaceful and sustainable world. You can learn more about the Foundation for Climate Restoration at https://foundationforclimaterestoration.org/

Earth911 Podcast: Desert Harvest Debuts Smart, Refillable Medicine Packaging May 11, 2022

Heather Florio, CEO of Desert Harvest, a maker of aloe vera-based nutritional supplements, will introduce a refillable smart bottle this summer. Desert Harvest is moving away from single-user plastic pill packaging in favor of compostable plant-based refill bags and smart bottles that feature Bluetooth connectivity and an app that helps customers manage refills and keep the packaging out of landfills. The container will be available for use with other medications, and can help caregivers track whether elderly patients have taken their daily doses on time. Heather also explains how the company's refined aloe products relieve the symptoms of interstitial cystitis, a debilitating disease that primarly affects women.
One of the questions Earth911 gets most often is how to recycle or donate prescription medicine bottles made from a type of #5 plastic that is seldom recycled. In 2022, Americans are expected to fill almost 4.8 billion prescriptions and purchase another $42 billion worth of dietary supplements using packaging that goes mostly unrecycled. The Desert Harvest refill program, which include a refill package that is home-compostable, is a unique solution; and the company will accept end-of-life bottles for recycling through a mail-in program. You can learn more about Desert Harvest at https://www.desertharvest.com/

Earth911 Podcast: Cityzenith's Michael Jansen Uses Digital Twins to Reinvent Urban Planning May 09, 2022

Designing the future of civilization is no small task. Our guest Michael Jansen, founder and CEO of Cityzenith, is a pioneer of digital twin technology. These emerging computer models are poised to transform how we test our assumptions about the impact of new designs and policies before making the changes in the real world. If you've heard of the Metaverse, Cityzenith's Urban Digital Twin 3D virtual models will sound familiar. Instead of providing an escapist fantasy world where avatars can dance and play games, digital twins offer a metaverse where data scientist and architects can test how the real world will respond to low-carbon strategies. Among other projects, Michael and his team have created digital twins of Las Vegas, Phoenix, and a new capital city in an Indian province.
According to ABI Research, the use of digital twins in urban planning is expected to deliver $280 billion in savings globally by 2030. Ernst & Young also projects that over the same time, modeling technology can reduce urban carbon emissions by more than 50%, and lower the cost of operating buildings by 35% while improving productivity by 20%. We will be hearing more about digital twins in the news, and it will be important to understand their limits and how computer models can be improved to yield even more insight into the future of the built environment. You can learn more about Cityzenith at https://cityzenith.com/

Earth911 Podcast: Smarter Sorting's Jacqueline Claudia Aims to Optimize Retail Recycling May 06, 2022

Jacqueline Claudia, CEO of Smarter Sorting, joins the conversation to discuss the use of product information to expedite recycling and reduce food waste at retail stores. The company offers a tool, the Product Intelligence Platform, that retailers can use to catalog and accurately sort materials in the back of their stores. The platform also produces greater efficiency and accountability in the recycling system. Retailers working with Smarter Sorting can also inventory what they recycle and report it as part of their Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) disclosures. Jacqueline also explains a collaboration with Feeding America directing soon-to-expire food and waste to those in need.
Successful recycling programs start with accurate sorting of materials, which results in cleaner and more efficient processing to make new feedstocks, raw materials for the next generation of products and packaging. The future of recyclables sorting requires a foundation of accurate product and packaging information to ensure things that look alike but are chemically different get sent to the correct processors. Two common examples of products that look similar but are chemically different are batteries that use different elements to store energy, and #1 plastic thermoform clamshell packages, which melt at a different temperature than #1 plastic beverage bottles, so cannot be mixed in the recycling process. Improved sorting can ensure that these similar but incompatible materials are routed to recyclers and processed instead of to landfills.

Earth911 Podcast: Gradiant's Prakash Govindan on Making Industrial Water Systems Sustainable May 04, 2022

Water is life. It is also one of the primary elements needed for manufacturing and, of course, freshwater is necessary to support every aspect of daily life, including carrying away our sewage. The U.S. Geological Survey estimates that Americans consumed 322 billion gallons of water a day in 2015, the last year for which data has been reported. Our guest, Prakash Govindan, is cofounder and Chief Operating Officer of Boston-based Gradiant, a global clean tech water technology provider that offers post-industrial water and wastewater treatment technology to large companies around the world. Gradiant recently raised an additional $100 million in venture capital to accelerate expansion, particularly in Asia, where post-industrial wastewater remains a challenge to the environment.
Prakash explains how water is used in several industries, including semiconductors and textiles manufacturing. Just one traditional industrial company might draw millions of gallons of water a day from acquifers and rivers, and might dump it back into nature polluted and heated to dangerous levels for wildlife. Gradiant's industrial customers are recycling and reusing 99% of the water they use. Because industrial water use accounts for about 85% of water consumed, industrial water recycling is essential to making the economy sustainable As a nation, we used 9 percent less water in 2015 than in 2010, so there has been some progress in water use efficiency. Stewardship of our water will be key to our becoming a sustainable society because the United Nations has warned that the world faces up to a 40% shortage of water supplies by 2030. You can learn more about Gradiant at https://www.gradiant.com/

Earth911 Podcast: Brian Ringer Introduces GetGreen Sustainable Living Coaching May 02, 2022

Brian Ringer is the founder and CEO of Seattle-based Emerald Technology Group, which recently launched the GetGreen app, a coaching tool for sustainable living. The recent flood of interest and press coverage of sustainability has created an opportunity to get more people thinking and acting sustainably. But we’re still in the early days of a transition from being sustainably naive to becoming sustainable natives accustomed to considering and reducing our environmental impact every day. GetGreen offers a catalog of sustainable actions one can take to reduce their impact. The GetGreen app records members' commitments, and they can come back for additional information and links to related articles that help them learn and refine sustainable habits.
GetGreen also awards points, called leaves, for each commitment and lets you support climate projects by sharing leaves. The interesting feature of this experience is that GetGreen quantifies the impact your leaves will have. For example, donating 280 leaves to SeaTrees Kelp Restoration results in enough carbon captured to offset watching 8,400 hours of television. You can learn more about and download the GetGreen app for iOS and Android devices at https://www.getgreen.eco/. Disclosure: The GetGreen features links to Earth911 articles.

Earth911 Podcast: Stephen Crolius On Russias's War and Accelerating the Renewable Energy Transition Apr 28, 2022

Carbon Neutral Consulting's Stephen Crolius returns to Sustainability In Your Ear to discuss the impact of Vladamir Putin's Ukraine invasion on the oil and natural gas markets, as well as humanity's path to a post-carbon econ0my. He previously joined us to explain the role of ammonia in how-carbon seaborne shipping. Russia’s unprovoked war on Ukraine is a terrible human tragedy that will have long-term environmental impacts. In the wake of the invasion, people and governments are focused on getting enough natural gas and oil to heat homes and provide electricity, and not just in Europe, which is heavily dependent on Russian fossil fuels. The result is an apparent resurgence of oil and gas exploration investment, which will lead to more greenhouse gas emissions. On other hand, Europe and other nations dependent on Russian oil have begun discussing renewable energy projects that would accelerate their green transition.
Stephen tracks the Russian oil and gas issue, and argues that while fossil fuel energy may cost consumers more, we should not double down on oil, gas and coal. He says turning to renewables now will be “better for the climate and the worse for autocratic regimes that are propped up by the export of fossil energy commodities.” We can certainly use a little less tyranny in this world. Join in to hear his assessment of the resilience of the green transition and whether Putin has shot the Russian economy in the foot. You can find out more about Carbon Neutral Consulting at https://www.carbonneutralconsulting.com

Earth911 Podcast: Dr. Helen Crowley On Creating the Nature-Positive Economy Apr 27, 2022

A new paper from the World Economic Forum, called Scaling Investments in Nature, warns that if humanity does not change the way we extract and use the resources of planet Earth, the economic impact of climate change could cost society $44 trillion in lost value by 2050 (that represents 46% of 2021 global GDP). But simply by making reasonable investments to reduce global warming and create regenerative businesses, as much as $10 trillion in new economic value can be created by 2030. Our guest, Dr. Helen Crowley, is an advisor to the World Economic Forum and contributed to the report. She has also served as Head of Sustainable Sourcing at the French luxury goods company Kering and is a partner at the Pollination Group, a climate change advisory and investment firm based in London.
Join in on a practical conversation about the ways business can invest to lower carbon emissions, create jobs and enhance profitability -- green investment is the key to reducing business risk and ensuring long-term survival. The World Economic Forum report also suggests that investments in sustainable sourcing and manufacturing of goods could create 395 million new jobs globally during this decade. However, there is a sizable investment gap between the capital needed and current commitments — we’re on track to fall $4.1 trillion short of the investments needed to complete the post-carbon transition by 2050. Humans being what we are, need a lot of new nature-positive ideas that can tried, revised and the lessons widely shared before it becomes plainly clear that now, not later, is the time to make the nature-positive leap. You can learn more about Dr. Crowley and the Pollination Group at https://pollinationgroup.com/

Earth911 Podcast: Nick Cavanaugh On the Sensible Weather Guarantee Apr 25, 2022

Besides food, humans have probably been talking about the weather longer than anything else. In our increasingly chaotic climate, weather information will be more relevant to every decision we make. Nick Cavanaugh, founder of SensibleWeather.com, a Santa Monica, Calif., provider of climate risk information, joins the conversation to explain how weather data can help anticipate how weather will impact our everyday lives. Sensible Weather’s first service is focused on lowering the risk from weather impacts for travelers and travel companies, from airlines to resorts. This allows travelers to book trips with guarantees that if weather interferes with their plans they can get a refund. 2021 was the second most expensive year in history for weather-related damage at $145 billion in damage from storms, floods, drought, wildfire, tornadoes, hurricanes and more, and that does not include all the tertiary expenses that arise from extreme weather events. Nick explains how weather risk assessments will change buying a new home, selecting a roof, picking the best outdoor wedding date for a given location. You can learn more about Sensible Weather at https://sensibleweather.com/

Earth911 Podcast: Green Hydrogen's Role in Decarbonizing Industry and Daily Life Apr 22, 2022

Learn about the role of green hydrogen, which is refined using renewable energy, in decarbonizing heavy industries like steel and cement manufacturing, as well as how it will fit into the transportation sector. Our guests are Aidan Tuohy, the lead author of a new report about green hydrogen, and his colleague Jeffery Preece, director of Low Carbon Resources Research and Development at the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), an independent, non-profit center for public interest energy and environmental research. The report, Increasing Electric Power System Flexibility: The Role of Industrial Electrification and Green Hydrogen Production, analyzes the potential applications of hydrogen, and the different hues of hydrogen -- hydrogen made with nuclear power is "pink," for example -- that we should understand to follow the debate.
Hydrogen energy has a bad name because it is frequently associated with nuclear weapons and meltdowns, but it is a clean-burning fuel in its gaseous and liquid forms that can replace fossil fuels in a variety of applications. However, even though burning hydrogen produces no pollution — only water is left afterwards — it is a carbon-intensive fuel to produce in most forms, except for pink and green hydrogen. To make rapid progress toward electrification, we must also consider how the electric grid and energy infrastructure will need to change to support the use of hydrogen. Learn more about the path to green hydrogen at https://www.epri.com/ and https://www.esig.energy/increasing-electric-power-system-flexibility/

Earth911 Podcast: Trex Blends Recycling and Engineering to Replace Traditional Wood Apr 18, 2022

Leslie Adkins, Vice President of Marketing and ESG Development at Trex, joins the conversation to discuss how the company pioneered a recycled alternative to lumber for decks, fences and other applications. Trex was founded in 1996 on the premise that there must be a better use of the “mountain of single-use plastic film packaging generated every day that is not being recycled.” The company developed a process for making a wood decking alternative that consists of 95% recycled polyethylene film blended with sawdust made mostly of reclaimed wood. The result is decking that looks like wood but lasts at least two and a half times longer.
Trex is one of the largest buyers of #2 and #4 polyethylene film in the U.S. through a novel commercial recycling program that pays retailers to collect and send the often hard-to-recycle films used to wrap palletized packages for shipping, along with plastic shopping bags, bubble wrap and those troublesome air pillows used as padding in e-commerce boxes. Upcycling our plastic waste to contribute to a more sustainable built environment is an intriguing solution to our current waste problems. You can learn more at https://www.trex.com/

Earth911 Podcast: As Buying Used Rises, eBay Invests for Sustainability Apr 16, 2022

The transition to more sustainable shopping is underway, and we’re pleased to welcome eBay’s Chief Sustainability Officer, Renee Morin, to discuss what the Ecommerce giant is doing to make the its marketplace more sustainable. Buying used is one of the most effective ways to reduce your environmental footprint because nothing new needs to be manufactured. Of course, getting reliable used products shipped to you can be challenging — and long shipping routes can add to the product’s carbon footprint. That’s where online marketplaces like eBay come in. In additioon to using renewable energy for their datacenters, they can help connect local buyers and sellers efficiently or provide tools, such as adding carbon offsets to transactions to reduce the impact of shipping. We talk with Renee about eBay's sustainability efforts, including its emissions goals and the challenge of measuring the Scope 1, 2 and 3 CO2 footprint of a global ecommerce company.
We learned on a recent show that 39% of respondents to the EPAM Consumers Unpacked survey in the U.S., U.K. and Germany said they are planning to buy used items to reduce their environmental impact. That signals a shift is underway as people look to lower their impact on the planet. eBay also recently concluded a “recommerce” survey that found a rising tide of sustainability priorities among shoppers. 80% of Gen Zers reported buying used in the last year and sustainability is becoming a driver of eBay purchases and selling. 26% of women, 15% of men and 23% of Millennials say that environmental responsibility is their primary reason for selling on eBay. And 94% of those sustainability-minded respondents say they buy and sell used specifically to reduce the amount of waste they produce. You can learn more about eBay's sustainability efforts at https://www.ebayinc.com/

Earth911 Podcast: Recycleye's Victor Dewulf on Sorting Waste Using Automation Apr 15, 2022

Meet Victor Dewulf, cofounder and CEO of Recycleye, a London-based company that makes machine vision systems and robots capable of separating waste on the high-speed conveyor belts at materials recovery facilities (MRFs). Recycleye also hosts Wastenet, the largest databank of images of products and materials that can be used to train computers to sort waste, which is some of the most dangerous work in a recycling facility. The results are cleaner, better sorted recyclables, as well as greater transparency about the sources of wasteful products and packaging, which can improve how we hold organizations accountable for the waste they create.
A modern society is composed of myriad, complex systems, materials and responsibilities. As the recycling system matures, the introduction of advanced technology, such as machine vision and robotics that can sort plastic from paper, can simplify the recycling process. But it is still on all of us to send clean recyclables to the right programs to handle them. Even as advanced technology can help to turn more waste into renewed materials and the next generation of products we use, people need to start the recycling process. You can learn more at https://recycleye.com/

Earth911 Podcast: Electra Battery Materials CEO Trent Mell on EV Battery Trends Apr 13, 2022

The rise of electric vehicles comes with hard choices. The availability of cobalt and lithium needed to make batteries, for example, may be so limited that we must begin new mining projects to make enough batteries for the EV fleet of the future. We talk with Trent Mell, CEO of Electra Battery Materials, whose goal is to make North American battery manufacturing self-sufficient and circular. The company is developing two projects, including a Battery Materials Park that will process and recycle batteries that will be located in Ontario, Canada. It also leased a large cobalt and copper deposit at Iron Creek in Idaho, which the company plans to mine. The Battery Materials Park project , which opens this year, will process raw ore from the mine and recycle used EV batteries. Electra Battery also estimates that approximately 250,000 tons of lithium-ion batteries already in use will be recycled by 2025, substantially reducing the need for new mining.
The Department of Energy has warned that 70% of the world’s cobalt supply is located in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and they sell 80% of that cobalt to China. However, new cobalt and lithium deposits have been identified in Idaho and Nevada, respectively. That raises the prospect of more mining. Environmentalists are justifiably concerned that nature will pay the price, again, for human progress. Trent discusses the approach to mining and restoration plans for the Iron Creek site. You can learn more at https://electrabmc.com/

Earth911 Podcast: Future Meat's Koby Nahmias on Lab-Grown Beef, Chicken and More Apr 11, 2022

Meat production accounts for the lion’s share of greenhouse gas emissions in the human food supply. Meat represents 57% of greenhouse gas emissions generated by feeding people, according to a recent study published in the journal Nature Food. Yaakov ("Koby") Nahmias, is the founder and president of Future Meat Technologies, an Israeli company that grows meat from animal cells in bioreactors. Future Meat recently achieved an important goal, producing meat for less than $6 a pound its meat — it claims that its meat produces 80% less GHG emissions, used 99% less land and 96% less water than traditionally farmed meats.
Koby discusses the potential for low-cholestorol, perfectly marbled or novel meats grown in the lab, as well as the energy and environmental issues involved in acheiving large-scale meat production that could displace traditionally grown beef, chicken, pork and seafood. The company ended 2021 by closing the largest venture investment in the history of lab-grown meat, $347 million — the funding will get them to market and help build a U.S. production facility. We may be seeing Future Meat on store shelves by 2023, he says. You can learn more at https://future-meat.com/

Earth911 Podcast: Maen Mahfoud's Replate Connects Food Waste to Food Need Apr 08, 2022

Maen Mahfoud, founder and CEO of Replate, uses technology to connect sources of surplus food to non-profits that can get it into the hands of people in need. Humans waste an immense amount of food because it has been difficult to move surplus produce, meat and packaged foods to the places where it can be used before it spoils. The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that Americans waste between 30% and 40% of the food produced annually, some due to spoilage in the fields and transportation, but mostly because we buy and don’t use an average of 218.9 lbs. of food per person. Replate's approach to food collection is novel because it charges businesses, caterers and chain restaurants for picking up and distributing leftover food. Replate launched in 2016 and the organization has grown to include a staff of more than 50 people who provide food in cities across the country. Similar programs are operating in Europe, and the strategy may work for other local recycling and waste reduction challenges.
Replate has recovered 2.7 million lbs. of food and delivered about 2.3 million meals while saving 748 million gallons of water and reducing CO2 emissions. Maen discusses the evolution of Replate, from his early efforts as a solo food rescuer to where the program can be optimized to improve food recovery and distribution while making participation more convenient for donors and recipients. He explains the California's SB 1383, which requires homes and businesses in the state to compost and route surplus food to those in need can provide a model for other states that helps divert food waste to beneficial uses. You can learn more at https://replate.org.

Earth911 Podcast: Atlantic Packaging's Wes Carter on Making Commerce Sustainable Apr 06, 2022

Wes Carter, president of Atlantic Packaging, a Wilmington, N.C.-based maker of sustainable boxes, shipping solutions, recyclable mailers, and six-pack carriers, explains the complex supply chains that feed our lifestyle. Atlantic Packaging is working to reduce its environmental impact and waste at every step between a manufacturer and the home. Listen to this wide-ranging conversation to hear how the adoption of sustainable sources of fiber in packaging and six-pack rings make these traditional sources of landfilled waste biodegrade in months instead of the centuries plastic takes.
We also discuss simplifying the range of materials used in packaging and extended producer responsibility programs. Improvements in recycling collection and the growing use of "right-sized" packaging can eliminate much of the waste created by home deliveriews. Wes also shares Atlantic Packaging's analysis of how plastic films are used in the supply chain. He suggests that films reduce the need for paper and other packaging. Building on Wes' passion for surfing, the company is recently launched the A New Earth Project, a video series designed to help end ocean plastic pollution, with a global community of surfers and environmentalists. You can learn more about Atlantic Packaging at https://www.atlanticpkg.com/.

Earth911 Podcast: How Zero-Waste, Local Bulk Food Delivery Can Work Apr 04, 2022

The future of the food supply can be more regional and sustainable. Stephanie Hughes recently launched Raw Bulk Foods Online, an Australian source of zero-waste foods delivered from the farm to the customer’s door. “We exist to clean up the planet [by] delivering your everyday pantry items direct from Aussie farms to your door minus all the junk,” Stephanie explained as part of the company's Kicktarter campaign. While not a sustainable choice for U.S. shoppers, because of the overseas shipping involved, Raw Bulk Foods Online is another model for regional approaches to augmenting our food supply.
Now that shoppers are shifting their purchasing to foods grown nearer to home and abandoning traditional packaging for environmentally responsible alternatives, Raw Bulk Foods is a useful model for U.S. startups. Stephanie’s team spent a year developing the production and packaging processes they use, which includes a refill program that eliminates single-use waste, before they funded their launch on Kickstarter. Raw Bulk Foods Online raised seven times the $7,335 needed to start shipping food in June of this year. Crowdfunding can be a fast path for launching sustainable alternatives to traditional products and services. You can learn more at https://rawbulkfoodsonline.com/.

Earth911 Podcast: Carbon Collective's Zach Stein Explains Investing for Zero-Carbon Apr 01, 2022

Zach Stein, cofounder of Carbon Collective, how to the company's Climate Index can help investors identify ESG investments that accelerate progress toward the zero-carbon economy. Investors can have influence that can reshape business practices. It takes time and energy to understand how companies are changing to reduce their environmental impact, create positive social outcomes and improved transparency and accountability. We also discuss the potential impact of the Securities & Exchange Commission's recently proposed rule that would require companies to disclose greenhouse gas emissions and climate risks with their regular finacial reporting.
The Carbon Collective’s basic approach suggests divesting from 20% of companies responsible for 85% of emissions, particularly fossil fuel companies, to reallocate those that capital to climate solution companies. Their tools are open for anyone to learn from, offering insights into companies based on Project Drawdown analysis of their environmental and social performance. Carbon Collective also plans to launch managed Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) focused on climate and the social safety net. You can learn more at https://www.carboncollective.co/.

Earth911 Podcast: nZero's Josh Weber on Corporate GHG Emissions Tracking Mar 30, 2022

Josh Weber, cofounder and executive chairman of nZero, a Nevada company that tracks Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions for large organizations, explains the complexities of tracking corporate greenhouse gas emissions. Tracking emissions is the first step toward business taking responsibility for the previously unacknowledged environmental and social costs of delivering products and services. It will be some time before this information is widely available in useful form for consumers and citizens to help make decisions about the products or services they buy or the government policies they support. nZero’s technology, along with those of other emerging carbon tracking tools, is a critical piece of the environmental puzzle we each need to understand.
A study by the non-profit As You Sow of the 55 largest companies in the U.S. found that only three, Microsoft, PepsiCo and Ecolab Inc, earned an A-level grade; Google and Apple received B and B- grades, respectively, and most of the rest, 84% of companies are flunking out of the race to head off climate change. Carbon tracking is mostly restricted to Scope 1 and 2 emissions, the direct and indirect emissions associated with power used by a company. MSCI Research reported in September 2020 that only 18% of the firms it follows are reporting their scope 3 emissions — we’ll explore why these emissions are difficult to track. You can find out more at https://nzero.com/.

Earth911 Podcast: EPAM's Dan Smythe on Sustainability and Consumer Influence Mar 28, 2022

Dan Smythe, vice president of retail and hospitality at EPAM, an influential technology and business strategy consultancy, discusses the findings of the Consumers Unmasked 2 survey, which examined changing spending habits and sustainability preferences during the pandemic. He reports that people are actively considering companies’ environmental and social impacts when making purchasing decisions. For example, 46% of survey respondents said they buy sustainable products when the choice is available. Respondents also showed growing sophistication about corporate sustainability and social performance. Listen to a discussion of last year's survey results to hear how consumer concerns are changing.
EPAM is telling its clients to design shopping experiences that demonstrate honesty and transparency, now among the most important issues for shoppers. Rising interest in sustainainability and a willingness by 39% of respondents to buy used products to reduce their environmental impact, points to a sea change in the priorities of companies that want to keep their customers in the Climate Crisis Era. You can learn about EPAM at https://www.epam.com/.

Earth911 Podcast: Learning From California's Composting Law with World Centric's Erin Levine Mar 25, 2022

Erin Levine, Resource Recovery Manager at World Centric, a Rohnert Park, Calif.-based manufacturer of 100% compostable tableware and food packaging, joins Mitch to discuss California’s mandatory composting law, SB 1383. After passage in 2016, the new law, known as the Short-lived Climate Pollutant Reduction Strategy, went into effect after five years of preparation on January 1, 2022. SB 1383 requires all businesses, apartment and condo buildings as well as individual homeowners in California are now required to compost food waste, and the law also aims to reduce by 20% the current surplus of edible foods sent to landfills. It is a game-changing move and raises many questions about the compostability of everyday products purchased in the state.
We’ve had WorldCentric on the show several times because of the company’s socially-driven mission and focus on reducing use of unrecyclable materials. They contribute a minimum of 25% of their profits to grassroots community organizations and environmental projects each year and pioneered the Certified B Corporation movement in business. In this episode, we dig into composting: What can be composted? How can composting collection can be improved? What are the different approaches to home and industrial composting we need to understand in order to send compostables to the right place for processing. What composting labels to look for, including the Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI) label. You can learn more about World Centric at https://www.worldcentric.net/.

Earth911 Podcast: Plastic Bank's David Katz on Grassroots Recycling Solutions Mar 23, 2022

David Katz, founder of Plastic Bank, shares his vision for a regenerative society built on grassroots recycling programs that help low-income regions build resilient communities. The Vancover, B.C., startup compensates more than 30,000 plastic recyclers in the Philippines, Indonesia, Brazil, and Egypt. To date, Plastic Bank has stopped over 99 million pounds of plastic waste - the equivalent of more than 2 billion plastic bottles — from entering the world's oceans, and the pace of it collections is accelerating. The people who collect plastic are paid for the material they deposit at more than 511 Plastic Bank branches. Katz's team has partnered with more than 200 companies, including Procter & Gamble, HelloFresh, L’Oreal and Coca-Cola, to create circular economies in plastic packaging.
Their next goal is to capture 10 billion bottles, which still represents only 1.7% of the 583 billion produced in 2021, according to Euromonitor. David explains that a shift in mindset from extractive ownership to regenerative stewardship can break the economic mold and bring prosperity in regions where so much valuable material currently is treated as waste. Plastic Bank uses a blockchain-based data collection and reporting system that helps collectors track their earnings and which provides transparency and traceability for the plastic captured. Plastic Bank works with plastic recyclers to convert the collected bottles into SocialPlastic, a raw material for making new products. They sell plastic #1, #2 and #4 to industry to recover their costs. You can learn more about Plastic Bank at https://plasticbank.com/.

Earth911 Podcast: Investing to Empower Future Generations with Doug Heske, Part 1 Mar 21, 2022

Mitch Ratcliffe sits down with Newday Impact Investing CEO Doug Heske to start a two-part ESG investing conversation how to invest to help the future generations meet the unique challenges of the climate crisis and global competition. More than 1.8 billion youth around the world are readying themselves to take their place in their economies and communities. But as we know, today’s challenges are more technologically and intellectually difficult than the ones their parents and grandparents faced. They can be ready for great achievements with the right tools and support, and Doug identifies the companies working to engage with youth around the world.
Youth, especially in Africa, need to become skilled at regenerative agriculture, the restoration of the planet and providing equitable access to food, water and other resources. They'll also need new tools to collaborate remotely to solve global problems, and the mental health services necessary to survive and thrive despite eco-anxiety. Today, we’ll walk through a list of stocks to consider if your priority is education and youth empowerment, including Zoom (NASDAQ: ZM), Atlassian (NASDAQ: TEAM), Chegg (NYSE: CHGG), Stride (NYSE: LRN), 2U (NASDAQ: TWOU), Talkspace (NASDAQ: TALK), Atai Life Sciences (NASDAQ : ATAI), and Compass Pathways (NASDAQ: CMPS). You can learn more about Newday Impact Investing's sustainable development equity portfolio at https://newdayimpact.com/.

Earth911 Podcast: Meet Kid-Powered RecycleMyBattery.org Mar 16, 2022

Meet Rayansh Bhavit, a member of Edison, N.J.-based RecycleMyBattery.org, a youth-led program that has collected 150,000+ batteries for recycling. Rayansh recently contributed an Earth911 article about the organization's National Battery Day activities to encourage people to recycle batteries on February 18th. He and the 150 kids who’ve participated in RecyleMyBattery have collected more than 150,000 batteries of various sizes, which they send to the battery industry recycling organization, Call2Recycle, for processing.
Find out how the movement started and the results of this year’s National Battery Day efforts, and think about starting your own campaign for next year. Getting youth involved in environmental action is essential to creating the sense of empowerment and opportunity necessary to turn the economy toward sustainable outcomes. You can learn more at https://recyclemybattery.org/.

Earth911 Podcast: Saving the Wolves of the Rockies with Marc Cooke Mar 14, 2022

We talk with Marc Cooke, an advocate for wolf protection and president of Wolves of the Rockies, which is fighting to stop wolf hunting in the West. The Grey Wolf faces extinction, again, after a dramatic recovery over the past 50 years. There were as few as 300 left in the United States when they were added to the Endangered Species List in 1970. By 2019 the total North American population had reached 6,000 and small wolf populations had been reestablished in a dozen states. That year, the Trump Administration moved to delist the Grey Wolf that year and hunters went after this beautiful animal with a vengeance. Twenty-five, or about a third of the wolves in Yellowstone National Park, were killed this winter. The states of Montana and Idaho have new laws that could eliminate 90% of their wolf populations. Wyoming allocated 47 wolf hunting tags. We could lose half the wolf populating in just one year.
Marc explains the controversy and next steps in the battle to protect the Grey Wolf. There is some good news. In February, a federal court judge issued a ruling that reversed the Trump-era decision to remove the Grey Wolf from the Endangered Species List. That does not mean the story’s over. The ruling could be overturned by a higher court if the Biden Administration decides to start an appeal. Your voice can cout in that debate -- visit RelistWolves.org to send letters to your representatives and the Department of the Interior. Find out more about Wolves of the Rockies at https://www.wolvesoftherockies.org/.

Earth911 Podcast: Digging Into Del Monte Foods' Sustainability Programs Mar 09, 2022

Molly Laverty, Senior Manager of Environmental, Social and Governance at Del Monte Foods Inc., joins us to discuss the company's climate response goals, which include using 25% recycled plastics in packaging. Del Monte Foods is one of the largest food packaging companies in the U.S. and is working to become a sustainable provider of fruits and vegetables through investments in regenerative farming. We talk about the recently released Del Monte sustainability report and its plan for environmental progress, and how the food supply chain may change in coming years. Del Monte's CropTrak system, for example, could provide consumers end-to-end transparency to see into the source and distribution of their food. On the plastics front, only 4% of Del Monte’s total packaging by weight remains plastic-based—the rest is made of paper, metal and glass. By 2030, Del Monte aims to make 100% of its plastic packaging recyclable, reusable or compostable.
Del Monte is also entering regenerative farming, introducing the use of cover crop to prevent erosion and restore nitrogen and other nutrients in the soil between food crops. The company is also working to breed non-GMO sees that are drought resistant and reduce the need for pesticides. The company banned use of pesticides on their partner farms when pollinators are present to improve biodiversity in the soil and farmland. Del Monte also made progress on other ESG issues, including diversity in the senior executive ranks, surpassing the 50% level for participation by women and people of color in 2021. You can learn more at http://delmontefoods.com.

Earth911 Podcast: The Ocean Conservancy's Dr. Anja Malawi Brandon on Plastic Progress Mar 07, 2022

Dr. Anja Malawi Brandon, an advisor to the Plastics Pact and U.S. Policy Analyst for the Ocean Conservancy, joins Mitch Ratcliffe to discuss three areas for potential progress in reducing our dependence on plastic and improving recycling rates. She explains how the Plastics Pact, a consortium of 100 companies, NGOs and governments, that has a plan for transforming the plastic recycling infrastructure by 2025. The organization recently released a list of "unnecessary plastics" that they recommend be abandoned in packaging. We also talk through the prospects for the Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act in Congress; Anja was on the staff of the bill's sponsor, Senator Jeff Merkley (D - OR). And we discuss the recently started meeting in Nairobi, Kenya, of the UN Environmental Assembly to negotiate a global plastics treaty could introduce a framework for changing our relationship to the material.
Plastic is a convenience that has turned into a plague. According to a recent report by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, plastic consumption has quadrupled over the past 30 years and plastic production currently accounts for 3.4% of annual greenhouse gas emissions. Only 9% of plastic waste is recycled globally, 6.1 million tons of plastic escape into freshwater environments and 1.7 million tons reaches the ocean each year. Plastic is in our water, our soil, our food and our bodies. You can learn more about The Ocean Conservancy at https://oceanconservancy.org/ and the Plastics Pact at https://usplasticspact.org/.

Earth911 Podcast: Wake Smith Opens Pandora's Toolbox for Climate Change Mar 02, 2022

Wake Smith, author of Pandora's Toolbox: The Hopes and Hazards of Climate Intervention, shares his assessment of the climate response the strategies and technologies that can be used to end CO2 emissions and restore the planet to pre-industrial climate conditions. He is a lecturer on climate interventions at Yale and a Senior Fellow at the Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government at the Harvard Kennedy School. He explains that we're not making sufficient progress on reaching net-zero before very late this century and why new institutions are needed to guide policy toward climate goals before parts of the world become barren and unhabitable for humans. Once we reach net-zero CO2 emissions, we face centuries of effort to return to the environment in which our species evolved.
We also discuss carbon capture and sequestration and a form of solar geoengineering, stratospheric aerosol injection (SAI), which involves sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere to deflect the Sun’s energy. Wake does not advocate extreme measures but urges nations to support research into SAI and other tech that could be deployed to ensure human survival. His comments on how our descendants may feel about us and what he's learned from his students about the importance of tying actions to consequences will get you thinking: Are we doing enough? Is the world we are entering governable with today's institutions? Pandora's Toolbox is available on Amazon and at Powell's Books.

Earth911 Podcast: Kathleen Rogers on Investing In the Planet for Earth Day Feb 28, 2022

Kathleen Rogers, president of the Earth Day Network, joins us to talk about the goals for Earth Day 2022, which takes place on April 22. This year’s programs will focus on investing in the planet, from making sustainable choices among ESG stocks, as well as how to invest in a better future by getting involved in activism, taking action to create healthy communities, and the changes each of us can make to reduce our impact. We discuss the state of the climate crisis and the results of the United Nations COP26 meeting in Glasgow, Scotland, last November. A self-described "imperfect environmentalist," Kathleen explains changes she's made recently and offers 52 ideas to consider for Earth Day 2022.
The first Earth Day in 1970 was the largest public day of action in U.S. history. More than 20 million Americans went into the streets to support environmental reform. Following that first Earth Day, Congress and President Nixon launched the Environmental Protection Agency, Clean Air Act, Occupational Safety and Health Act, and National Environmental Education Act, followed two years later by the Clean Water Act. Before those changes, American air and water were far dirtier, so much so it is hard to explain how much it has changed. Only with the arrival of uncontrolled wildfires related to climate change do we have comparably bad air in the United States but for far fewer days per year. This year, we look forward to Earth Day leading to something as big as launch the EPA or Clean Air Act. Follow the plans for this year at https://www.earthday.org/.

Earth911 Podcast: Judi Townsend's Circular Economy-Inspired Mannequin Madness Feb 23, 2022

Judi Townsend, founder of Oakland, Calif-based Mannequin Madness, is on a mission to keep mannequins in use to reduce the environmental impact of the retail industry. The shop sells full mannequins, dress forms, torsos and butts, limbs, replacement parts and even dog and cat mannequins. Mannequin Madness is recycling more than 100,000 lbs. of mannequins each year and it has grown into a thriving business since it was founded in her backyard more than 20 years ago. Her customers include retailers, artists, and fashion and sports enthusiasts who want to display clothing in thier home.
Judi is an example of the many small, local or regional entrepreneurs that can build systems to ensure the continued use of products in a more sustainable economy. We’re going to grow a circular economy from the ground up. We’re going to grow a circular economy from the ground up. Learn from an innovator who is making local and specialized reusee and recycling happen.You can learn more at https://mannequinmadness.com.

Earth911 Podcast: Stephen Crolius on Ammonia's Role as a Post-Carbon Fuel for Shipping Feb 21, 2022

Stephen Crolius is the co-founder and president of Carbon Neutral Consulting, a New York-based sustainable business consultancy. He and his team recently released The Ammonia Report, an analysis of the prospects for using ammonia as a maritime fuel instead of heavy fuel oil, the petroleum-derived traditional source of maritime energy. So much of what we buy today is shipped halfway around the world. Sometimes, the components of a product are shipped from the U.S. to Asia, processed and then shipped back. Almost all of that shipping activity burns oil today, which accounts for about 1.8% of humanity's annual carbon footprint, according to the European Commission’s Climate Action office. We need to change the fuels used to power sea-going freight vessels to sustainable alternatives, and several are emerging. One of those is ammonia.
Stephen previously served with the Clinton Foundation’s Climate Initiative and as president of the Ammonia Energy Association. Ammonia has been used in fertilizers since the early twentieth century, a development made possible by the emergence of the Haber-Bosch process for mass producing the chemical, which revolutionized farming. Now ammonia is coming into use as a fuel or an intermediate storage medium for energy that can be processed to yield pure hydrogen in fuel applications. You can follow the developing story of ammonia fuels at https://www.ammoniaenergy.org/articles/.

Earth911 Podcast: Doug Heske on Choosing Stocks to Encourage Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Feb 18, 2022

Newday Impact Investing CEO Doug Heske returns to talk about investing to create a sustainable, circular and equitable economy that we can hand to our children and grandchildren with a sense of pride. This week we’re looking at diversity, equity and inclusion (often shortened to “DEI”), the idea that the dignity and value of every person that must underlie a just society. Doug’s team at Newday Impact has developed methodologies to identify companies that are making genuine progress on DEI issues, as well as screen out companies that, similar to greenwashing, "socialwash" their actual diversity and inclusion performance, and that can make them a long-term risk as an investment.
Investors are increasingly factoring assessments of a company’s DEI performance into their decisions. They recognize that hidden debts, whether that’s the loss of economic value from excluding large swaths of the population from full participation in the economy or the latent cost of environmental damage, add up to consequences that can kill not only a company but a market or the planet. We discuss several companies with exceptional DEI characteristics, Lowe’s Companies (NYSE: LOW), Apple (NASDAQ: APPL), Walgreens Boots Alliance (NASDAQ: WBA), Adobe (NASDAQ: ADBE) and a stock we touched on last time we talked, Target (NYSE: TGT). You can learn more about Newday Impact Investing at https://newdayimpact.com/.

Earth911 Podcast: Ecosia.org's Christian Kroll On Planting Trees With Every Web Search Feb 16, 2022

How do you reduce your digital life’s environmental impact? Making changes to reduce your environmental impact around the house is straightforward — you can eat less meat, reduce your purchases of single-use plastic or turn down the thermostat by a few degrees to make a difference. But when you go online, there aren’t many obvious choices to cut your impact. Enter Ecosia.org, which has planted more than 143 million trees to offset the environmental impact of web searches.
Christian started Ecosia in 2009 after seeing the devastating impact of deforestation first-hand while traveling after graduating from college. The company was also the first B Corporation in Germany. While the search engine does produce CO2, the trees planted offset more emissions than ecosia.org creates — they estimate that the trees planted result in a net reduction of CO2 of 2.2 lbs. per search. To put that in context, Ecosia estimates that if it had the same volume of searches as Google, it could plant enough trees to remove 15% of humanity’s CO2 emissions each year. You search and plant trees, as well as learn more, at https://www.ecosia.org/.

Earth911 Podcast: Cambium Carbon's Founders on Carbon Smart Urban Wood Feb 14, 2022

The founders of Cambium Carbon, CEO Ben Christensen and CFO Marisa Repka, explain how they salvage wood from the 36 million trees that fall each year in American cities to create a hyper-local lumber supply chain. Currently, most of those fallen trees are mulched, burned or landfilled, all of which contributes to global warming. The company's Carbon Smart Wood is sourced from downed trees — also referred to as “urban wood” — and it can be used in furniture and buildings in place of trees from clear-cutting operations. They also dedicate 15% of their revenue to replant new trees, which provides urban green cover.
Cambium Carbon is a social enterprise that has organised an alternative, thoroughly tracked wood supply chain for designers, architects and builders while helping to preserve local sawmills and the jobs they provide. Their Traece wood tracking system, which allows customers to learn where the wood in their home or office came from, enables a new level of accountability and storytelling in wood products. We also discuss the potential to apply their strategies to other commodities. Find out more about Cambium Carbon at https://cambiumcarbon.com/.

Earth911 Podcast: Coral Vita's Sam Teicher Explains the Critical Need to Restore the World's Reefs Feb 07, 2022

Sam Teicher, co-founder and Chief Reef Officer at Coral Vita, a social enterprise that grows resilient corals on land and transfers them to the sea to restore dying reefs, joins Mitch Ratcliffe to discuss ocean restoration. Check out his recent article, Coral Vita and the Vital Importance of Restoring Coral Reefs, on Earth911. More than half of the world’s coral has died since 1970 — if that doesn’t set alarm bells ringing, consider that a University of California Santa Barbara study published in Nature in August 2020 found that sea-sourced meat is essential to feeding humans in 2050. We must increase sea yields by up to 74% to keep up with demand, but coral reefs are a critical feature of the food chain in the oceans — if they disappear, we cannot meet the dietary needs of humans — the entire ocean ecosystem could collapse. But there are also glimmers of hope, such as a large, healthy reef recently discovered near Tahiti that has not suffered bleaching. And as Sam explains, resort and seafood companies are beginning to recognize the importance of protecting and restoring reefs that are the foundation of their businesses.
Coral Vita's Grand Bahamas facility is the first to take a social enterprise approach to restoring coral. Sam is building the foundation for an industry that has the potential to bring coral back around the planet while creating good paying jobs that are good for the environment. He previously worked on climate resiliency initiatives for the Obama White House and Global Island Partnership. Sam is also an inaugural Earthshot Prize Winner and a Forbes 30 Under 30 Social Entrepreneur. He also co-authored the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal #14: Life Below Water. You can learn more about Coral Vita and adopt a coral at https://coralvita.co/.

Earth911 Podcast: Newday Impact's Doug Heske on Getting Started With ESG Investing Feb 04, 2022

Newday Impact Investing CEO Doug Heske returns to talk about how to design an investment portfolio to achieve environmental improvements in our world. Just as buying sustainable products can help reduce your environmental impact, your investing can change the direction of the economy. And 2021 was the biggest year in the history of environmental, social and governance (ESG) investing by more than twice the previous record, with $120 billion flowing into the green economy, according to Bloomberg. Green economy momentum is building but investors are concerned about greenwashing and are not confident they can choose companies that are making real environmental progress. Doug explains how Newday Impact portfolio managers make decisions based on the environmental impact of companies, ETFs and bonds to produce ESG results. Visit visit Newday’s Sustainable Development Equity page to follow along with the conversation.
If you've heard our previous conversations with Doug Heske, which covered investing to improve animal welfare, make clean water available for all, lower greenhouse gas emissions, and create a responsible energy grid, this episode brings all the threads together. He explains how to set your priorities and choose a diversified portfolio while keeping the planet's health squarely in mind. Doug also discusses the importance of overseas investing, particularly in Europe; he urges caution when considering the stock of companies in other regions where transparency is not practiced. You can learn more about Newday Impact Investing, a financial services company that manages a wide range of socially and environmentally responsible portfolios, visit https://newdayimpact.com/.

Earth911 Podcast: Disover Floatovoltaics with BlueWave Solar's Mike Marsch Feb 02, 2022

Mike Marsch, the head of solar development at BlueWave, explains how floating solar panels can plan a key role in deliver widely available community and privately owned renewable energy generation capacity. The Boston-based certified B Corp's mission is to “revolutionize energy with simple, powerful solutions.” But solar faces challenges from communities that are concerned about local views, and floating solar has been opposed by vacation destinations along coasts. We must overcome some of those objections to find a way to talk frankly about the benefits and urgency that make floating solar an important feature of our energy landscape. We explore where and how floatovoltaics can be deployed, and the environmental benefits of using human-made reservoirs to catch more of the sun's energy.
Solar power is a keystone of the post-carbon economy, the goal we need to achieve as soon as possible to halt CO2 emissions that are raising the planet’s temperature. Fossil fuel-generated electricity is responsible for much of the increased occurrence of drought and extreme weather, it is also leads to rising sea levels. But the tide could turn. The International Energy Agency reported that as of 2020 solar the cheapest source of electricity. Floating solar panels enjoy advantages over land-based solar farms because the water cools the system, which makes it more efficient. You can learn more about BlueWave at https://bluewave.energy/.

Earth911 Podcast: Rethinking Recycling with Delterra's Shannon Bouton and Ella Flaye Jan 31, 2022

Our guests, Shannon Bouton, CEO of Delterra, and Ella Flaye, the organization's regional director for Asia, lead the environmental non-profit's “rethinking recycling” initiative in emerging economies. Around the world, more than 2 billion people live without waste removal and recycling services. Despite the challenges of the pandemic, Delterra’s recycling and waste management services have scaled over these last few years and currently serve nearly 50,000 people, with plans underway to reach a quarter of a million people by the end of 2022. The non-profit was incubated for three years and funded by the business consulting giant, McKinsey & Co. The non-profit has already diverted more than 1,000 tons of waste from landfills and the oceans while achieving up to 60% recycling participation rates in several Indonesian and Argentine slums, well above the U.S. recycling engagement levels.
Delterra's first programs have also created lives livelihoods for more than 450 affiliated waste workers -- a marginalized and often overlooked faction of essential workers -- by providing them safe, fair and dignified working conditions. We explore what they've learned during the organizations early projects in Buenos Aires’ vast Barrio Mugica and in Indonesian communities, where low-income people, especially women are working to organize recycling programs. You can learn more about the program at https://delterra.org/.

Earth911 Podcast: Compology's Jason Gates on Waste Monitoring and Reduction Jan 26, 2022

Jason Gates, CEO of Compology, is taking the recycling battle to the dumpster. Compology makes AI-powered smart cameras that monitor how full dumpsters are and help understand and manage what they contain — the process reduces unnecessary pickups, which lowers fuel waste, and improves the processing of the contents of each bin. There’s no question the current economy is wasteful, but the challenge remains to figure out where that waste is located and how to reduce it, recycle it and return it to use without cutting down more trees, mining more raw ore or other extractive activities. Compology tracks the bin over time to provide the first end-to-end waste monitoring for business, including advice delivered through its app. These tools let companies and government organizations plan their production, manage waste to reduce contamination and help them meet their sustainability goals. Compology may also have the solution for large landlords who want to implement recycling systems for apartment complexes and other facilities that rely on private haulers to remove and recycle waste.
Jason explains how Compology cameras work, the six types of contamination they can spot and how the bin user gets alerts. For example, uncompacted cardboard boxes take up space, leading to more pickups than necessary. In the future, the system could also track food waste and help divert it to composting programs. We also discuss the security and privacy benefits of monitoring waste to prevent confidential data from being exposed. When tracked in detail, the economy can be optimized and we would not simply reduce waste, but route it back for recycling or reuse. Learn more about Compology at https://compology.com/.

Earth911 Podcast: Rich Razgaitis on the Future of Drinking Water Jan 24, 2022

The availability of safe, fresh drinking water will become a more pressing issue as the climate crisis progresses. Our guest today, Rich Razgaitis, started FloWater, a maker of water refill stations that can purify local water, allowing people to refill bottles safely and quickly. The company also sells reverse-osmosis purified water in recyclable, reusable aluminum bottles and a faucet filter attachment the remove many of the impurities that can still be found in U.S. drinking water. We discuss the role of publicly accessible water refill stations in providing access to water, and the reduction of soda and other canned and bottled beverages and water when water is easily available in offices and schools. We also look forward to consider how efficient, hyper-local water filtration services can potentially allow reuse of greywater -- post-use water generated by an office building or university -- to reuse water on-site. Los Angeles is currently providing some water that has been processed from local sewage -- these technologies can be miniaturized and distributed to help water impoverished communities build a sustainable local water supply.
Drought will reduce supplies and extreme heat will increase demand for water. Across the planet today, 785 million people do not have reliable access to drinking water and as many as 884 million are without safe drinking water, according to the World Health Organization and UNICEF. We’ve made progress, bringing water and sanitation services to an additional 1.4 billion people since the turn of the century. But there is a long, long way to go to providing safe drinking water for all of the people on planet while leaving enough freshwater for the rest of nature.
Learn more about FloWater at https://www.drinkflowater.com/.

Earth911 Podcast: Cloud-based Vertical Farming with Babylon Micro-Farms Jan 21, 2022

Our guest is Alexander Olesen, CEO and founder of Babylon Micro-Farms. The Richmond, Va-based company has developed a hydroponics-based approach to growing produce in enclosed compact systems that are about the size of a large vending machine that can be managed remotely. It produces as much produce in 15 square feet of space as 2,000 square feet of traditional farmland. The company describes its product as a “cloud-based vertical farm” that provides expert cultivation advice and cues about when to harvest. The Babylon Micro-Farms system can help grocers, restaurants, and communities to plant, grow and harvest produce within yards of where it will be purchased or consumed.
Growing and shipping food is the basis of human life in our era, in any era — but today moving produce from field to table is a carbon-intensive process that also results in extensive food waste, as much as 40% of the original harvest spoils in transit or on store shelves. What if we could grow food near the the people who need it, particularly in cities? You can learn more about Babylon Micro-Farms at https://babylonmicrofarms.com/.

Earth911 Podcast: Zac Clark on the HomeMore Project Jan 19, 2022

Discussions about the plight of the homeless usually ignore the issue of sustainability, and there are certainly more pressing concerns to be addressed when someone is in crisis. Our guest, Zac Clark of the HomeMore Project, has developed a comprehensive approach to helping the more than 10,000 homeless people in San Francisco escape from living on the street. The project includes a novel, solar-powered backpack made of recycled plastic, the Makeshift Traveler, which he describes as a “temporary form of aid” that can help keep the individual connected to society, family and services. The Makeshift Traveler provides solar power, a battery and charging ports for devices that can potentially connect them to job opportunities. Using recycled materials make this interesting, but as we’ve talked about on the show many times, there are millions of dollars worth of recyclables scattered across many cities and the digital features of the Makeshift Traveler could connect homeless people looking for a living to assist the in making their first steps to organizing an income.
We’ve talked on our podcast about the role of “trash picking” in countries with high recycling recovery rates. Zac addresses whether there are ethical ways opportunities in San Francisco, which has one of the most advanced recycling systems in the U.S., to enable the homeless to begin to earn a living and contribute to reducing waste headed for landfills. You can learn more about the HomeMore Project at https://thehomemoreproject.org/

Earth911 Podcast: Investing for Animal Welfare with Newday Impact's Doug Heske Jan 17, 2022

Newday Impact Investing CEO Doug Heske is back for another in our regular series of conversations about Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) investing. We discuss companies that are working to improve animal welfare, both on the farm and for pets in our homes. The first question today relates to the European Union's recent proposed rule to reclassify natural gas and nuclear power as "sustainable" bridge technologies to the post-carbon economy and how that might impact ESG investor's decisions.
We take a deep look at the stocks of British retailer Sainsbury's (OTC: JSAIY), which has established comprehensive rules for the treatment of animals in its supply chain, pet care and large animal and pharmaceutical maker Zoetis (NYSE: ZTS), Tractor Supply Company (Nasdaq: TSCO), which operates farm supply stores and Petsense, and, finally, pet product and insecticide manufacturer Central Garden & Pet Company (Nasdaq: CENTA).

Earth911 Podcast: Captain Paul Watson on Urgent Actions to Save Our Ocean Jan 12, 2022

Captain Paul Watson, founder of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, joins Earth911's Mitch Ratcliffe to talk about his new book, Urgent: Save Our Ocean to Survive Climate Change. He calls on readers to take action in their own lives to reduce their environmental impact and through protest. A controversial figure in the environmental movement because of his willingness to engage in direct action, Paul argues it is time for humans to change their relationship with nature and rejoin the bigger world they think that they control. Like his career, during which he has participated in direct actions against whalers and other extractive activities, Urgent is a challenge to the reader to look reality in the face. It's past time to that acknowledge climate change is happening, he says. He shares many ideas about how to take action to end the anthropocentrism that defines humans as the sole measure of value on Earth.
Paul shares his experiences on the seas, including the moment he realized that humanity relationship with nature is "grossly and perversely insane." We discuss environmental stewardship, the obligation to recognize other animals as individuals with value, and the challenge of living in the modern, oil-fueled world without hypocrisy. He suggests that a mindful relationship with nature and one another is the basis for restoring the planet's ecosystem. You can find his book, Urgent: Save Our Ocean to Survive Climate Change at Amazon and Powell Books.

Earth911 Podcast: DS Smith’s Wouter van Tol on seaweed-based packaging alternatives Jan 10, 2022

Wouter van Tol, head of sustainability at packaging maker DS Smith, is working with new seaweed-based materials to deliver more alternatives to today’s frequently unrecyclable food packaging. The London-based company’s North American unit recently announced an aggressive initiative to adopt seaweed-based fiber in its products. We discuss why it's still hard to recycle even common forms of fiber packaging, like the cardboard boxes used for e-commerce order deliveries (not enough infrastructure funding) and how seaweed-based alternatives could replace food packaging from a cereal box to the trays used for raw meat.
Wouter also discusses DS Smith's progress in lowering greenhouse gas emissions, use of recycled materials and the challenge of getting its employees to adopt sustainable thinking in their daily decision-making. The many conflicting approaches to local recycling around the world have prevented society from achieving the high recycling rates necessary for the circular economy to blossom, so DS Smith is working to get five million young people to start practicing green, circular behaviors. You can follow their progress at https://www.dssmith.com/.

Earth911 Podcast: Making Buffalo, New York, a Livable, Equitable Climate Haven Dec 15, 2021

Meet Brendan Mehaffy, Executive Director of the City of Buffalo’s Office of Strategic Planning, who explains how the upstate New York city is preparing for and planning for growth as people seek safer places to live as the climate changes. The advent of climate change spells disaster for many regions, especially in coastal regions and the West, where a long-term drought appears to be developing. But in some regions reaching across the northern U.S., cities are poised for what could be a migration from struggling regions. Buffalo's temperate climate -- 25.18 inches in annual precipitation, part of which falls as 93.4 inches of snowfall, and the annual average high temperature is 71 F and low 26 F -- and 570 foot elevation that insulates it from rising seas makes it an attractive destination during the climate crisis. How will the city manage its growth to preserve the lifestyle and social equity it enjoys today? Brendan shares some details about Buffalo and Erie County are preparing to grow the walkable city, develop local food sources and support green business.
A key advantage Buffalo enjoys is that hydro power from Niagara Falls provides an energy surplus today, which has attracted, among other startups, a $298M hydrogen production facility, Plug Power, that will rely on hydro power to refine its hydrogen fuel. It has also reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by 36.% compared to 2005 levels and is working to meet the 50% target set by the Paris Accord by 2030. The advent of climate change spells disaster for many regions, especially in coastal regions and the West, where a long-term drought appears to be developing -- which may send migrants towards the Canadian border, where the Great Lakes are seen as a climate haven. As the second-largest city in New York with a population of 278,349 in 2020 and 1.1 million people living in the Buffalo-Niagara Falls metro area, part of Buffalo’s challenge is to manage its growth. Learn more about Buffalo and its climate plan at http://www.buffalony.gov/.

Earth911 Podcast: Tetra Pak's Lisa Ryden Explains the Path to Carton Carbon Reduction Dec 13, 2021

Earth911 talks with Lisa Ryden, Sustainable Development Director at Tetra Pak, the world's largest carton manufacturer about its 2021 corporate sustainability report and the steps the company is taking to reduce its environmental impact. Tetra Pak has established itself globally, selling 183 billion cartons in 2020. The brand name has become synonymous with cartons in many regions, where they are referred to as a “Tetra.” Lisa shares the company's 2030 goals and explains some of the challenges of reducing its carbon emissions by 46% compared to 2019 and achieve net-zero Scope 1 and 2 emissions by the end of the decade. In the past year, Tetra Pak has launched a plant-based carton made with renewable materials, shipped 12 billion caps made from plant-based materials, and they replaced the aluminum liner used in early generations of cartons with a polymer that has a 25% lower carbon footprint. Tetra Pak's CO2 emissions peaked in 2010 and it has reduced the volume of food waste in its manufacturing processes by 50% over the past decade.
Cartons represent an emerging alternative to plastic packaging for beverages and food. The only beverage category that fiber cartons cannot serve are carbonated drinks, and more food manufacturers are considering cartons for, among other things, cheese -- Tetra Pak recently introduced a cheese packaging solution. Tetra Pak has more than 170 recycling processor partners globally. The company reports that 27% of the cartons it made in 2020 were recycled and has set a goal of reaching 70% recycling rates in Europe by 2030. Cartons remain a recycling challenge in the U.S., where there are only three carton recycling processing facilities -- this makes recycling cartons less sustainable because they must be shipped a thousand miles in many cases to be processed. You can learn more at https://tetrapak.com.

Earth911 Podcast: Scott Lively on the Future of Beef and Meat Labeling Dec 10, 2021

Scott Lively is the co-founder of the largest organic and grass-fed beef producer in the United States, Raise American, and is the author of a new book, For the Love of Beef: The Good, the Bad and the Future of America’s Favorite Meat. America has a massive appetite for beef. It’s a $111 billion-a-year industry that accounts for almost 5.4 million jobs, and Americans consume about 57 lbs. a year per capita. In his book, he makes the case that a more sustainable meat industry can solve many of the environmental issues associated with concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) which produce about 85% of the steak and hamburger in the U.S. The key, according to Scott is a move to a grass-fed cattle raised in a far more distributed production system.
Scott’s book also details many misleading marketing claims made around beef, from the vague use of terms like “organic” and “Angus,” that are often used to justify higher costs. His book is a useful guide to seeing through marketing claims about beef and explains some potential paths to a less harmful meat industry. You can find For the Love of Beef: The Good, the Bad and the Future of America’s Favorite Meat at Amazon and local bookstores.
Editor's note: This episode covers a controversial topic that reflects each our opportunities to make a difference, environmentally and ethically; we urge to listen with an understanding that many people who still eat meat are seeking less environmentally impactful options.

Earth911 Podcast: Shannon Lohr on Building a Responsible, Tranparent Fashion Industry Dec 08, 2021

Shannon Lohr, founder of Factory45 sits down with Earth911's Mitch Ratcliffe to talk transparency in fashion labeling. Fashion is one of the most environmentally harmful industries on the planet because it has focused on delivering “fast,” short-lived products made to be worn a few times and discarded. Factory45 has worked with more that 500 sustainable fashion entrepreneurs to develop a responsible industry in textiles and clothing. Her blog, podcast and free or fee-based tools for fashion startups are a great resource to understand the environmental impact of traditional fashion and the potential for a low- or no-carbon future for fashion.
Shannon discusses a broad range of topics from the the microplastics shed by recycled rayon and other plastic-based textiles to the challenges of growing an environmentally responsible fashion business and useful labels to look for when shopping. She also shares several novel materials that have caught her attention, including Qmilch, a textile made from spoiled milk, and S.Cafe. Learn more about Shannon and Factory45 at https://factory45.co/.

Earth911 Podcast: Investing For Clean Water Newday Impact Investing's Doug Heske Dec 06, 2021

We sit down for another responsible investing conversation with Newday Impact Investing CEO Doug Heske. The topic is investing to ensure enough clean water is available for humans, animals and vegetation around the world. In the United States, the Environmental Protection Agency estimated that $472.6 billion of investment is needed by 2035 to continue providing clean safe drinking water, and the opportunities for conservation are everywhere. For example, McKinsey recently reported that between 14% and 18% of domestic potable water is lost each year just to leaks. Doug shares his insights into the rising interest in water investment, discussing Evoqua Water Technologies (NASDAQ: AQUA), Watts Water Technologies Inc. (NYSE: WTS), Middlesex Water Company (NASDAQ: MSEX), Waters Corporation (NYSE: WAT) and Heritage-Crystal Clean (NASDAQ: HCCI).
Despite water funding falling $40 billion dollars short of the amount needed to keep pace in 2020, Doug sees growing interest in water and water conservation investing. Newday Impact manages a suite of socially and environmentally responsible portfolios, including a Fresh Water & Sanitation fund. The fund may invest in the companies discussed. We urge you to do your own due diligence before investing in any companies discussed on Sustainability In Your Ear. You can learn more about Newday Impact Investing at https://newdayimpact.com/.

Earth911 Podcast: Nth Cycle's Megan O'Connor Aims for a Revolution in Battery Recycling Nov 29, 2021

The electrification of the economy depends on reliable access to a collection of valuable but environmentally damaging metals, including lithium, cobalt, nickel and manganese. We talk with Megan O’Conor, cofounder and CEO of Nth Cycle, a Beverly, Mass-based startup poised to disrupt the metal recycling industry with an electro-extraction system that can operate in very small facilities spread all over the world. The Nth Cycle process can handle up to five tons of material each day in a very compact facility — only 1,000 square feet, about the half the size of the typical retail storefront. That means in theory that materials could be recycled near the source and reused locally, and with 3D-printing maturing the idea of a locally printed car or EV batter is a very real possibility. The Nth Cycle technology may also help to extract more metal from ore and post-processing waste materials that have been discarded by mining and smelting companies. Nth Cycle recently took second place in TechCrunch’s Startup Battlefield competition, a significant accomplishment, and has raised $4.5 million. You can learn more at https://nthcycle.com/.

Earth911 Podcast: Budderfly Delivers Energy-Efficiency-as-a-Service for Business Nov 24, 2021

The cost of energy-efficient upgrades prevents many businesses from reducing their environmental impacts. We talk with Al Subbloie, CEO of Budderfly, a fast-growing energy-efficiency-as-a-service company, with an audacious solution for businesses that want to be more sustainable -- it pays for lighting, heating/cooling, renewable electricity sourcing and other upgrades, then collects a share of the resulting savings. Budderfly guarantees savings to customers, earning a profit only if they succeed. We’ve talked with other forms of “sustainability-as-a-service” companies, but Budderfly is putting its capital on the line to pay for immediate energy savings. The company is ranked #10 overall on the 2021 Inc. 5000 America’s Fastest-Growing Private Companies list, and it came in #2 in the Inc. 5000 energy category. The company serve commercial and retail locations, restaurants, schools and colleges nationwide. You can learn more at https://www.budderfly.com/.

Earth911 Podcast: One Tree Planted's Matt Hill on Reforestation Nov 22, 2021

Reforestation is hot topic. More companies and people taking steps to plant trees contribute to restoring the environment. Matt Hill is the Chief Environmental Evangelist at One Tree Planted, one of the oldest and largest tree-planting non-profits. Matt discusses the best practices for reforestation programs and how long trees must be monitored to provide supporters confidence that the trees they plant will thrive.
One Tree Planted sees the recent announcement of a global accord to end deforestation and begin to restore land by 2030 at the Glasgow meeting of the United Nations' Climate Change Conference as an important step forward. The organization has planted more than 40 million trees in 43 countries around the world and offer easy options to plant in your preferred region for just $1 per tree. Regardless of the region, One Tree Planted offers a wide range of reforestation projects. You can learn more at https://onetreeplanted.org/.

Earth911 Podcast: Joshua Pearce Explains DIY Solar Installation Nov 19, 2021

Our guest, Dr. Joshua Pearce has a DIY approach to solar that he recently described an article on Earth911, DIY Solar Now To Pocket Profits From Solar Energy. Solar installations are a powerful step toward reducing your carbon footprint, but it is a big investment that many Americans are hard-pressed to make. Only about 6% of U.S. homes have installed solar, according to Pew Research. The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that by switching homes from oil and gas-generated power to solar could save the U.S. $1.7 trillion in reduced energy and health care costs by 2050. The question is how more of us can get solar installed at affordable costs, and Pearce's new book, To Catch the Sun, offers an answer: DIY installation instructions. You can learn more at https://tocatchthesun.com/

Earth911 Podcast: Newday Impact's Doug Heske On Investing After COP26 Nov 17, 2021

Newday Impact Investing CEO Doug Heske talks with Earth911's Mitch Ratcliffe about how to invest to reduce greenhouse gas emissions based on the outcome of the United Nations' COP26 meeting in Glasgow, Scotland. A consortium of banks controlling more than $130 trillion in assets announced the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net-Zero to direct investments into renewable energy instead of fossil fuels extraction. Will the announcement drive higher valuations of GHG companies?
We discuss eight companies with negative carbon footprints, including AC Energy Corp, which is headquartered in the Philippines, New Zealand’s Mercury NZ, the Canadian energy company TransAlta Corp, Renova, a Japanese renewables company, the Danish wind turbine maker Vestas Wind Systems, China’s Li Auto, and two American companies, NEXTera Energy and Tesla, where Elon Musk has been on a stock selling spree this week. This is the third in our continuing series about investing for environmental and social progress with Doug Heske. Newday Impact manages a suite of socially and environmentally responsible portfolios.

Earth911 Podcast: Paul Hawken's Vision for Planetary Regeneration Nov 15, 2021

Earth911 talks with Paul Hawken, a pioneer of living and working sustainably. His work spans ideas, generations, and industries — he is an environmentalist, author, entrepreneur and globally recognized expert on sustainable living. His new book, Regeneration: Ending the climate crisis in one generation, continues the work he launched in 2017 with the book Drawdown, The Most Comprehensive Plan Every Proposed to Reverse Global Warming. Paul was the founder of Erewhon, an pioneering natural food company, garden and home retailer Smith & Hawken, and Energy Everywhere, a low-cost solar company.
You can learn more about Paul at https://paulhawken.com and Regeneration is available now on Amazon, in bookstores and on Audible. Be sure to visit the Regeneration website, https://regeneration.org, where many if the ideas in the book are available to read. He and his team have outlined more of the solutions to the climate crisis than any other source.

Earth911 Podcast: Obaggo's Plastic #2 and #4 Recycling Appliance Nov 10, 2021

Earth911 welcomes David New, founder of Obaggo, a counter-top appliance that turns a variety of plastic films into recyclable pucks that do not jam recycling center equipment. Recycling in the United States is unnecessarily difficult. Plastic, in particular, is hard to sort because of the myriad forms its takes – it is often unlabeled, which means one cannot identify what kinds of plastic needs to be recycled – and finding drop-off locations that accept the material you have can be a matter of luck. If your city doesn’t accept, for instance, plastic film, you’ll few or no options. But that may be changing. Obaggo can compress plastic bags and film, including #2 and #4 plastic shopping bags, Amazon’s recyclable plastic bags, food wrapping and cereal bags that are in boxes of your favorite breakfast.
The Obaggo appliance is currently available through Indiegogo for $229 — please note that backing a company on Indiegogo does not always mean you will receive the product. Obaggo offers a potentially groundbreaking change in the recyclability of plastic film. You can learn about Obaggo at https://www.obaggo.com/.

Earth911 Podcast: USAFacts Shares U.S. Climate Data Insights Nov 08, 2021

Most of us still struggle to get our heads around the science of climate change, but the impacts are clearly felt almost every day somewhere in the United States. In June, 2021, USAFacts reports, 97 million people in the United States experienced hotter than average temperatures, including record-shattering heat in the West. In August, the data shows 84.8 million Americans — at third of the country - were still suffering from higher than average temperatures. Understanding how persistent but distributed the impact of the climate crisis is helps us internalize the need to make changes in our life. Our guest, Tanveer Ali, is a data visualization analyst at USAFacts. The Bellevue, Wash-based non-profit, founded by former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, recently introduced a convenient way to keep tabs on the consequences of the climate crisis, the Climate in the U.S. experience. It provides regularly updated visualizations of a variety of U.S. climate statistics and useful insights into how life is changing for our neighbors. See the dashboard at https://usafacts.org/issues/climate.

Earth911 Podcast: Newday Impact's Doug Heske on Investing to Lower GHG Emissions Nov 05, 2021

Earth911 talks about the challenge of making ethical and environmentally responsible investment decisions with Newday Impact CEO Doug Heske. Newday Impact is a financial services company that creates and manages a variety of socially and environmentally themed portfolios, which make it easy to invest to support your values. We dig into choosing stocks based on the greenhouse gas emissions produced by agriculture and agribusiness, with a quick look at the progress at Whole Foods and Amazon.
The news here is not good – industry continues to churn out more CO2 each year rather than less and Newday’s opinion of the companies we’ll discuss today reflects that lack of progress. We focus on Simply Good Foods (SMPL), Xylem (XYL), Darling Ingredients (DAR), Hain Celestial Group (HAIN), Bunge (BG), Novozymes (an OTC-traded Danish company, NVZMY) and the biggest of the big, Amazon (AMZN). Download the Newday Impact app to explore the portfolios and invest.
This conversation, recorded on October 29, 2021, does not represent an endorsement of any company or stock. We recommend you do extensive research before making any investment.

Earth911 Podcast: Chris Orestis On Retiring During the Climate Crisis Nov 03, 2021

Our guest, Chris Orestis, is the president of Retirement Genius and a nationally recognized expert on retirements issues. Every generation will feel the impact of climate change, and at a time when demographics are already working against the rising tide of seniors they need to factor in new risks during their retirement. While Millennials, Gen Z and children face long-term impacts on their health, economic opportunities and lifestyles, retiring Baby Boomers must also reckon with the consequences of extreme heat, the potential for disruption of their lives by wildfire, food shortages and the economic impact of climate change on their retirement nest egg.
How should older people be rethinking their assumptions about retirement? What changes to existing plans should Boomers be making? We’ve got the guy with the answers.

Earth911 Podcast: A COP26 Progress Report from the Foundation for Climate Restoration Nov 01, 2021

As the world prepares for the United Nations’ COP26 climate change conference, we talk with Rick Wayman, the new CEO of the Foundation for Climate Restoration (F4CR). They are working to return atmospheric CO2 levels to pre-Industrial Era levels by 2050. Members of the F4CR team have been on the show many times to discuss carbon capture and sequestration, an approach to permanently removing excess atmospheric CO2 that stores carbon in the ground or uses it to make new products and materials, from vodka to concrete. Earth911's Mitch Ratcliffe recently moderated a session about mining the sky for the F4CR’s annual Second Annual Climate Restoration Forum.
World leaders are meeting this week in Glasgow, Scotland, to set emissions goals to prevent catastrophic climate change. Rick explains that a 50% reduction in emissions by 2030 is critical to preventing warming in excess of 1.5C, at which climate change could reach a devastating tipping point. Carbon capture and sequestration technology is evolving quickly and may represent an important tool in humanity's response to rising CO2 levels. But first we need to stop the rising emissions from rich and poor countries in an equitable way. That’s where COP26 comes into play, it is the world’s last chance to agree on the path to an equitable transition to renewable energy. To learn more about F4CR, visit https://foundationforclimaterestoration.org/.

Earth911 Podcast: LastObject's Isabel Aagaard on the Reusable LastPad Oct 27, 2021

LastObject cofounder Isabel Aagaard joins us to talk about the company’s latest product, the LastPad, a reusable menstrual pad made to be washed and reused up to 240 times. Single-use menstrual pads are a huge waste issue, representing a large share of ocean waste and producing billions of loose plastic wrappers, coated paper and the pads themselves every year. The LastPad comes in three sizes, including panty liners and overnight pads and the inner layer is made from bamboo, while the outer is polyester.
LastObject launched the LastPad through Kickstarter and more than 46,000 people backed the project. Isabel shares how LastObject uses crowdfunding campaigns to co-design products with the consumers who will use them.

Earth911 Podcast: Forust Cofounder Ronald Rael on 3D-Printed Wood Oct 25, 2021

Ronald Rael, cofounder of 3D-printed wood maker Forust and chair of the Architecture department at the University of California Berkeley College of Environmental Design joins Mitch Ratcliffe. Ronald co-invented a method for printing wood with realistic grain using sawdust and lignin, the natural adhesive in wood.
Forust's 3D-printing system can mimic the natural grains and colors of different species, including rare rosewood, mahogany and ebony that are the cause of widespread deforestation. Because it is printed, Forust wood can be shaped for use in furniture or and printed to service as a structural support in building — it opens a whole spectrum of novel applications of wood in construction. Learn about the potential uses of Forust's “digitally rematerialized wood.”

Earth911 Podcast: Getting Indigenous Kids Outside with Activist Jody Potts Oct 22, 2021

Earth911's Mitch Ratcliffe talks with Jody Potts, an Alaskan native Han Gwich’in environmental and indigenous rights advocate who recently was named to the Explore Fund Council at outdoor gear maker The North Face. That council guides the company’s grant-giving. She is working in particular to launch a program, Native Youth Outdoors, that encourages indigenous kids to get outside and involved with nature. With Indigenous People’s Day this month, and so much controversy swirling around protections of the Alaskan wilderness, we are excited to talk with Jody about the challenges and opportunities for positive change she sees these days.

Earth911 Podcast: Land to Market's Lisa Mabe on Regenerative Food Labeling Oct 20, 2021

Lisa Mabe explains the Land To Market Verified consumer label, a project of the Savory Institute that intends to build 100 global hubs where the organization’s regenerative Ecological Outcome Verification (EOV) process can be applied to local farm practices. She explains how the label will provide consumers a connection to farmers and ranchers who practice regenerative techniques. With the information collected for the EOV certification, consumers can use their spending to reinforce the values of regeneration in our food, leather and clothing choices. It’s just one of many initiatives we need to continue the reinvention of human life for a sustainable future.
The path to restoring the environment, from reforestation to removing the excess C02 in the atmosphere, runs straight through our dinner tables. Farm and pasturelands, especially the topsoil farmers rely on to grow our food, are severely degraded — the Yale School of the Environment reported in February that one-third of the U.S. corn belt has lost all its topsoil. Regenerative farming is an emerging practice that can help to restore carbon and complex ecosystems in soil. So, how can we look for foods grown using regenerative techniques and cut down our use of industrially farmed, soil-damaging products when shopping? Listen in to learn how Land to Market helps.

Earth911 Podcast: Newday Impact's Doug Heske on responsible energy investing Oct 18, 2021

Environmentally responsible investing requires we apply carbon sense thinking, says our guest, Doug Heske, CEO of Newday Impact Investing. Doug and Earth911's Mitch Ratcliffe launch a series of conversations about making informed decisions about stocks and funds, beginning with a comparison of the emerging solar and declining fossil fuels industry. In this episode, we'll look at Sunpower, First Solar, Canadian Solar, Sunnova and Tesla, all stocks Doug suggests are core energy holdings for the future, as well as Exxon Mobil, Chevron, British Petroleum and Royal Dutch Shell, which he advises avoiding or selling if your goal is to protect the environment. Watch for new responsible investing programs every two weeks.
We also discuss the nascent investments by oil companies in renewable energy and carbon capture, which have not become serious enough to justify buying those stocks. During the conversation, Doug gave himself some homework and he answered after the show: One of the solar companies discussed, integrated solar provider Canadian Solar, has significant Chinese ties that may increase risk. Earth911 urges you to carefully consider any investment before making a decision to buy or sell any assets.

Earth911 Podcast: Meet the World of Waves Crypto Token Designed to Do Good Oct 13, 2021

What if the money we used could also do good every time we spent it? There’s a movement among cryptocurrency developers to add a social purpose to the coins they make. Earth911's Mitch Ratcliffe talks with the co-creators of the World of Waves token, a cryptocurrency that has a “built-in tax” that “[support] as many charitable organizations in the world as possible while rewarding holders with substantial returns.” Sami Touzani and Kristijan Tot explain how they developed the idea of a crypto token aimed at helping clean up the world's oceans.
Every time a World of Waves coin is used in a transaction, 11% of the value is set aside, part of it to help save our oceans. 3.3% goes to the people who hold the coins, as a kind of dividend, 3.3% goes into the liquidity pool, an account that serves a similar purpose to a market maker that guarantees the ability to buy or sell shares of a stock in the stock market. And 4.4% goes to charitable organizations that preserve oceans. You can track the current value of the World of Waves token at CoinMarketCap.
We do not address all the intricacies of owning cryptocurrency during this conversation and this podcast is not an endorsement of the World of Waves token. Earth911 urges you to carefully consider any investment before making a decision to buy or sell any assets.

Earth911 Podcast: WEEE Forum's Pascal Leroy on International E-waste Day Oct 11, 2021

Earth911 talks with Pascal Leroy, Director General of the WEEE Forum. October 14th is International E-Waste Day, when the world’s electronics producers and recyclers collaborate to increase the recovery and reuse of the more than 63.2 million tons of e-waste produced annually. But only 17.4% of that e-waste is currently recycled. The experience in the European Union, where 42.5% of e-waste is recycled, compared to about 15% in the U.S., provides useful lessons. Electronics manufacturers embraced E.U. extended producer responsibility (EPR) laws starting two decades ago but here EPR regulations are just being introduced.
During the COVID Pandemic, purchases and use of electronics has increased around the world — in Europe, the estimated increase was 4.6% in 2020 compared to 2019 — making it more important than ever that we recycle e-waste.

Earth911 Podcast: Talking Sustainable Living and Business with Kate Gaertner Oct 06, 2021

Mitch Ratcliffe talks with Kate Gaertner, the author of Planting a Seed: Three Simple Steps to Sustainable Living and an expert who has advised companies about enacting sustainable business practices for several decades. She recently shared an article on Earth911, Developing Habits for a Sustainable Life. We talk about the values-based decisions for sustainable living in the article and her advice for individuals and companies that want to turn the corner to achieve dramatically improved environmental outcomes.

Earth911 Podcast: Author Chunka Mui on Building a Perfect Future for Our Children Oct 04, 2021

The future is not written, we can make a better, sustainable future for our children according to Chunka Mui, cofounder of the Future Histories Group and co-author of A Brief History of a Perfect Future: Inventing the world we can proudly leave to our kids by 2050, with Paul Carroll, a former reporter and editor at the Wall Street Journal, and Tim Andrews of consultancy Booz Allen Hamilton. They crafted a vision for evolving our society and technology to achieve an environmentally sustainable and just world. Their book describes how computation, telecommunications, and information can help to tune the waste out of our economy while innovations in genomics, energy, water management and transportation deliver improved health and sustainable use of limited resources.
Starting from computing pioneer Alan Kay's quip that the best way to predict the future is to invent it, A Brief History of a Perfect Future presents a realist, and slightly pessimistic forecast for 2050, but they offer ideas about how we can navigate out of catastrophe. Their vision is far-ranging and we encourage you to read and decide for yourself. Do it with a skeptical but open mind and you’ll find that there are many paths through the climate and equity crises we face.

Earth911 Podcast: Discover The Atlas of Disappearing Places with Christina Conklin Sep 29, 2021

The Atlas of Disappearing Places, a new book by Christina Conklin and Marina Psaros, is a catalog of the coastal, island and deep ocean locations around the world most at risk during the Climate Crisis. It also forecasts how humanity, including individuals, governments and business, can collaborate to restore the planet.
Humanity faces serious and difficult questions as it adapts to climate change. More extreme weather and rising sea levels will have dire consequences for the environment, human food production and the livability of populated regions, especially along the coasts. The stories in Conklin's book beautifully illustrate stories explore the consequences of changing chemistries in our ecosystems, the strengthening of storms, warming water and ice loss, as well as the consequences for humans and animals of rising seas along coasts around the world. The Atlas of Disappearing Places is available now in a beautiful hardcover edition on Amazon and at Powell's Books.

Earth911 Podcast: Climate Crisis Lessons From the Struggle Against Industrial Agribusiness Sep 27, 2021

Earth911's Mitch Ratcliffe talks with authors Daniel O’Connell and Scott Peters about their book In The Struggle. It is a chronicle of the decline of the traditional small farm in California’s Central Valley, the resulting social and political movement by small farmers and farm workers, and the lessons for future generations seeking equitable, environmentally responsible communities. Under the onslaught of industrial agribusiness, which manipulated provisions of several landmark federal laws meant to protect small farms, those farmers, farm workers and a cadre of university social researchers forged a resistance that attempted to preserve democratic agrarian communities against loss of income and political power.
In the Struggle is also a narrative reflection on the process and purpose of sociological research featuring the stories of eight prominent ethnographic and community development professionals who worked in the region over the past 100 years. The lessons and tools identified are valuable in the battle to solve today’s climate crisis equitably. Daniel O’Connell is the executive director of the Central Valley Partnership, a network of labor, environmental and community groups, and Scott Peters is professor of Global Development at Cornell University.

Earth911 Podcast: Torii Industries Plots Hot-Water-as-a-Service For the Home Sep 22, 2021

Earth911 explores the circular economy potential of subscription hot-water-as-a-service programs with Gordon Olson, cofounder and CEO of Fairfield, Montana-based Torii Industries. The startup is committed to making “green water heating available to all.” They are launching a “hot-water-as-a-service” business that provides customers with a newly patented water heater design that eliminates the oxidation issues caused by traditional metal heating elements. Available through a monthly subscription, the Torii water heater uses a carbon foam element to rapidly heat water to a uniform temperature — it’s more efficient than traditional water heating. The inline, tankless water heater is more energy-efficient than conventional tank heaters. It also connects to a WiFi network to help you track energy use and identify issues before they interrupt service -- Torii will deploy a plumber to fix a problem before it becomes evident to the homeowner.
Olson explains how Torii plans to grow a network of local plumbers who can install and service subscription water heaters. While subscription business models for essential home products may challenge homeowners’ ideas about ownership, they promise to recapture the materials so that they can be recycled. The Torii app will also provide customers with guidance about their energy use.

Earth911 Podcast: Reinventing Community Recycling with Recyclops' Ryan Smith Sep 20, 2021

Recyclops founder Ryan Smith has a vision for locally grown recycling services. The company's Uber-like on-demand residential, apartment and business recycling service is available in 16 states and adds three or more new cities every month. With pickups starting at $12 a month, customers can place plastic, paper, cardboard, glass and other recyclables in a single-use plastic bag provided by Recyclops on their curb for twice-monthly removal and recycling. Drivers make about $25 an hour before their costs, servicing a regular route of about 100 customer homes or businesses. Find out where Recyclops needs drivers.
Ryan, who has been recognized as a Forbes 30 Under 30 innovator, shares how he developed Recyclops from an initial idea in 2013. The company responded to the pandemic, which shuttered recycling services across the country, with a plan to relaunch recycling in 100 cities. He describes why the company selected single-use plastic pickup bags over reusables and how Recyclops can support recovery of branded packaging to enable improved recovery rates of hard-to-recycle items. The opportunities for innovation in a flexible, on-demand approach to recycling are virtually unlimited. Because anyone could start their own Recyclops route by recruiting their neighbors, the company's app is a potential launching pad for a new, resilient and constantly evolving recycling infrastructure built from the grass-roots up. Check out how to get started at Recyclops.com.

Earth911 Podcast: Planting 8BillionTrees to Offset Carbon Emissions Sep 13, 2021

Earth911's Mitch Ratcliffe talks with Jon Chambers, cofounder of 8BillionTrees.com, which offers a variety of ways to “shop and erase your carbon footprint.” They've planted more than 6.4 million trees to date and make is simple to calculate how much CO2 your daily habits produce. For example, 8 Billion Trees provides tree-planting to offset your streaming video habit, a birthday party or your pet’s carbon footprint. Chambers and his cofounder Michael Powell set out to create “the most environmentally aware social enterprise on the planet.”

Earth911 Podcast: Finding Our Niche with Author Philip Loring Sep 10, 2021

Earth911's Mitch Ratcliffe explores the cultural barriers to a harmonious relationship with nature in conversation with author Philip Loring about his book, Finding Our Niche. Loring is the Arrell Chair in Food, Policy and Society at the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada. He writes that “reconciliation takes hard work at all levels, from federal governments to within individuals’ hearts and minds. It requires that we dismantle our existing, imbalanced systems of power and privilege, give the land back to Indigenous peoples and then trust, rather than fear, what these actions will mean for us settlers.” His meditative writing based on decades of research in indigenous communities is a pleasure to read, opening paths to discovering the sense of stewardship that humans must bring to their interactions with the environment if we are to recast our lifestyles. Phil discusses myth, metaphor and the shifts in thinking that can transform our relationship with nature. A climate optimist, Loring also talks about the value of speculative science fiction, including Star Trek, as humanity wrestles with its poor environmental record.

Earth911 Podcast: Trek Bicycles Charts a Public Path to Sustainability Sep 08, 2021

Earth911 talks with Eric Bjorling, Trek Bicycles' Director of Brand Marketing and Public Relations. He explains the sustainability commitments and business transformation ideas it published in its 2021 sustainability report. We found it one of the clearest and easy-to-understand examples of corporate environmental reporting. That's because it is also being used as an internal learning tool to create awareness of the goals among Trek employees globally.
Trek is “just getting started” on “moving fast and taking real action to reduce our environmental impact," and shared 10 useful ideas it is putting into place, ideas that any business can learn from. Eric discusses how Trek's decision to slash its reliance on air freight by 75% before 2024, consolidating its shipments to retail bike shops to reduce transportation impacts, and its growing use of renewable energy have affected its business. We also cover the carbon footprints of Trek's most advanced bike lines, the Madone road bike and Marlin mountain bikes, which point to the environmental improvements that can be achieved using advanced materials, as well as the challenge of recycling aluminum, carbon fiber and plastics for reuse in new products. He also explains how the company launched the Trek Foundation to encourage the building of bike trails and bicycle-friendly infrastructure to get more people out of cars and onto bikes.
If you've heard companies will see decreased profitability when they adopt greener practices, Bjorling's explanations about the savings Trek realized by transitioning to use more renewable energy -- it will use 100% renewable power sources by 2023 -- will give you plenty of ammunition to make the case to try it at your workplace.

Earth911 Podcast: Making Meat Sustainable & Humane with Paul Shapiro Sep 06, 2021

Author, Business for Good Podcast host and The Better Meat Co. CEO Paul Shapiro joins Earth911 to explain prospects for clean meat made from fungi, animal cell cultures and plant-based proteins. The future of meat will involve far fewer animals raised on inhumane industrial farms, which are known as Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations, or “CAFOs.” In a CAFO, animals are packed into small spaces polluted by their own waste; it’s a horrible life that ends in terror. Better Meat has developed fungi-based protein, called Rhiza, that can augment beef, chicken, pork, turkey, fish and shellfish in recipes, lowering our own environmental impact and reducing the cruel treatment of animals. But the story only starts there, he explains how cultured meats grown from animals cells, known as clean meat, is more sanitary -- it is not exposed to viscera and fecal matter during slaughter, because there is no slaughter -- and can be produced at large scale within the decade.
Paul argues that we need to stop subsidizing meat production and fund more research into meat alternatives. Like Big Oil, Big Meat has an unfair advantage that can be turned toward incentives for clean meat. Meat consumption is on the rise globally and in the U.S. we consume 9 billion chickens, 32.2 million cattle, 241.7 million turkeys and 121 million hogs annually, according to the North American Meat Institute. That’s about 100 billion pounds of meat annually. By contrast, clean meat alternatives still account for less than 1% of the meat sold in the U.S. There's a long road ahead, and this interview is an opportunity to meet an early leader is the post-industrial meat movement.

Earth911 Podcast: Learning to Instigate Change with Herbicide-Free Campus Sep 01, 2021

Herbicide-Free Campus is a growing student-led movement to eliminate the use of harmful herbicides, pesticides and other toxins on college and public school campuses. We can all learn from the experience of founders Mackenzie Feldman and Bridget Gustafson, who were student-athletes at the University of California, Berkeley when they started the organization. It now has chapters at seven universities, along with communities at 13 other schools. Mackenzie and Bridget began by forging a local community around concerns about glyphosate, the active ingredient in Monsanto's Roundup. They started Herbicide-free Campus in 2017 when their volleyball team offered to help weed the grounds at UC Berkeley in exchange for the grounds staff stopping the use of herbicide near the volleyball practice area they used. Partnering with the groundskeeping staff, who were the most directly impacted group, was critical to their success. Within four years had eliminated virtually all herbicide use at Berkeley, protecting workers, students and the insect and animal population.
Take a few minutes to read the Earth911 article by Mackenzie and Bridget, Herbicide Free Campus: Student-led Environmental Advocacy, in which they share their ideas about organizing and expanding a community organization, first in college and then as activist alumni. Also, check out Mackenzie's podcast, Agenda 23. You'll find actionable ideas and more information about the environmental and health impacts of glyphosate and other commonly used chemicals that are better off retired and forgotten.

Earth911 Podcast: Kwik Bagit Cleans Up Home Recycling Aug 30, 2021

Sometimes the recycling setup is harder than getting your daily recycling sorting and cleaning done. Our guest, Harold Sokyrka developed the Kwik BagIt system, which includes reusable cloth bags and collapsible bag holders that keep the bags conveniently upright for easy filling, to make recycling easier and sorting more accurate. After becoming frustrated with available bins and bags, Sokyrka, who is a longtime inventor, worked for three years on the designs of the Kwik BagIt system, which is available in four models, the Yardpal, Outback and Sports models, along with Pro versions for construction sites and hospitals. He also offers several sizes of the reusable bags made of recycled PET bottles that are designed to dry quickly and reduce odor, and which can be washed.
Kwik Bagit is available online and through a novel local fund-raising program, Kwik BagIt Closed-Loop Rewards, for churches and community organizations. He's also working to develop local municipal waste partnerships to make the holders and bags available to home recyclers. If your back is killing you after sorting your recycling, take a look at Kwik Bagit.

Earth911 Podcast: The ChangeIt App Promises Climate Improvements Aug 16, 2021

The ChangeIt app for iPhone and Android devices promises to help "busy people that want to fight climate change." Earth911's Mitch Ratcliffe talks with ChangeIt creator Tiago Ferreira about how he designed the app, why it avoids calculating the user's total carbon footprint, and how early users are engaging with climate goals and the community. The app is designed to coach users through adopting new habits, including sharing good ideas, and unlike other apps does not first walk the user through calculating their carbon footprint. Tiago tied ChangeIt into the Discord chat app to support a growing community of users, and because Discord is popular with younger gamers we think it provides an interesting entry point to learning about sustainability. You can find Android and iPhone versions of the app at https://changeit.app/

Earth911 Podcast: World Centric's Lauren Olson on Regulating PFAS Aug 04, 2021

Earth911 explores the health implications and regulation of a substance that pollutes our food, water, and environment, Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, known as PFAS, with Lauren Olson, Zero Waste Manager at World Centric. Lauren shares how PFAS are used in food service items, waterproof clothing and other products, as well as the challenges they create when composting products. PFAS have been associated with many health problems, including immune system disorders, high blood pressure, liver disease and kidney and testicular cancer.
The U.S. House of Representatives recently passed a bill from Michigan Congresswoman Debbie Dingell to regulate and require labels on products and packaging that contain PFAS, which are also known as “forever chemicals” because they do not break down for decades or centuries in landfills, compost piles or the environment. Take a few minutes to learn about the status of Rep. Dingell's legislation, the sources of opposition, and how to recognize when a product might contain PFAS.

Earth911 Podcast: Zero Hour Youth Ambassadors Explain the No Youth, No Truth Project Aug 02, 2021

Meet Zero Hour movement Youth Ambassadors Lindy Feaster and Lyne Odhiambo. They talk with host Mitch Ratcliffe about the No Youth, No Truth project, a multi-generational project to share stories of underrepresented youth and low-income communities suffering the brunt of climate and environmental disasters. This August, the No Youth, No Truth project will train youth spokespeople to connect with media, pitch stories and address climate policy issues as well as counter misinformation. The climate crisis affects all of us but it is youth, their children and future generations who face the worst climate change impacts during their lifetimes. If we do not address climate change now, the planet’s carrying capacity for human life, along with many other species, will collapse, leaving our descendants in a battle amongst ourselves for survival.
You can get involved, too, at noyouthnotruth.org or send email t0 contact@noyouthnotruth.org. Consider joining or donating to support No Youth, No Truth to create a much wider dialog about climate change and climate policy.

Earth911 Podcast: Cooper Wechkin of RyeStrategy on Reducing Small Business Carbon Footprints Jul 28, 2021

Cooper Wechkin, founder and CEO of Seattle-based RyeStrategy, explains how small businesses can start to reduce their carbon footprint. With about 30 million small businesses in the United States, each of them carrying a significant carbon footprint, the sector could make a big difference in the overall U.S. carbon footprint. But as large companies have made many statements about reducing their carbon emissions and environmental impact, and a few have taken genuine action, most small businesses continue to sit on the sidelines in the climate crisis. RyeStrategy provides carbon auditing and neutrality planning for small businesses, starting at $2,000 for companies with one to nine employees and ranging up to more than $10,000 for firms with more than 150 employees.
RyeStrategy got our attention with a call for small businesses to sign a carbon neutrality pledge, and bring other companies to join the mission in order to create a bigger impact. We wanted to have a conversation with Cooper about the reasons for small business to pursue carbon neutrality, how to do it most effectively, and what the benefits are when interacting with customers and employees. He also shares five ideas to start lowering your business' footprint and explains the benefits for branding and employee hiring and retention. To learn more, visit https://www.ryestrategy.com/.

Earth911 Podcast: Ideanomics Is Building a Renewable Energy-based Transportation Infrastructure Jul 26, 2021

Earth911's Mitch Ratcliffe talks with Ideanomics CEO Alf Poor about the evolution of transportation. We need new systems for vehicle charging in public transportation and distribution, more alternatives to cars, trucks, buses, motorcycles and scooters, as well as new approaches to paying for mobility. We may soon be paying just for the distance we travel while the vehicles we use become shared assets managed and maintained by companies that specialize in specific types of transportation. Ideanomics takes a holistic approach to solving these problems, creating companies to tackle a variety of the challenges we face as we reinvent our economy and transportation systems. It is a publicly traded company dedicated to reinventing transportation for sustainability — it trades on the NASDAQ under the symbol IDEX.
Ideanomics has launched several companies, including Energica, a maker of performance electric motorcycles, commercial electric fleet operator Medici Motor Works, which is building trucks solutions for public transit and private distribution companies, Solectrac, the first American manufacturer of electric tractors, Treelectrik, a Malaysian electric scooter maker, and Wave, a contactless charging solution for electric vehicles and other sustainability-oriented companies around the globe.

Earth911 Podcast: Creative Reuse Centers Deliver Waste Reduction and Crafting Fun Jul 21, 2021

Earth911 explores how creative reuse centers turn waste to productive uses through a new business model that turns discarded craft and DIY materials to new uses. We talk with Nicole McGee, founder of the Upcycle Parts Shop, a pioneering creative reuse non-profit in Cleveland. And we're joined by Maureen Wise, a longtime Earth911 contributor, who wrote a story introducing creative reuse centers that we also published today. Let's find out how creative reuse centers collect usable materials, leftovers or surplus creative supplies and redistribute them to the community for reuse.
The Upcycle Parts Shop has diverted more than 37 tons of waste from landfills since 2014. The 2,000-square-foot shop hosts parties and training events, as well as sells a little of everything you might want to use in an upcoming art project. Nicole and Maureen also discuss the origin of the movement and potential for using this model to address other categories of waste, as well as how Upcycle Parts Shop and other creative reuse centers are playing a role in rebuilding community feeling in cities and towns around the world.
You can learn more about the Upcycle Parts Shop at https://www.upcyclepartsshop.org/ and read Maureen's article at https://earth911.com/inspire/creative-reuse-centers-benefits/

Earth911 Podcast: Drilled's Amy Westervelt on Who is Driving the Resurgence of Plastic Jul 19, 2021

It’s Plastic-free July and we’re talking today with journalist, podcaster and author Amy Westervelt about the surprising resurgence of sustainable plastic claims in the media despite growing public concern. Amy’s first Drilled podcast series this season is about plastic and the machinations of one media manipulator, Rick Berman, who launched the Save the Plastic Bag Coalition among many dodgy campaigns backed by tobacco, plastic and oil companies. We also discuss what's coming this season on Drilled and the potential for consumers to reshape the economy by refusing to buy products delivered in plastic packaging, the opportunities to simplify plastic recycling and new molecular recycling options, as well as the role of Plastic-free July in public discourse about the ubiquitous, polluting material.
If you are not already listening to her podcast, Drilled, a true-crime style podcast about climate change, you should subscribe. The new season of Drilled started last week. Amy is also the creator of the Critical Frequency podcast network — it focuses on climate issues — and she has written for The Washington Post, The New York Times, The Guardian and NPR. Amy was a 2016 winner of the Edward R. Murrow Award for her exposes on the hidden environmental and human costs of Tesla’s Gigafactory in Nevada.
You can follow everything Amy does at amywestervelt.com and find the Drilled podcast on the Critical Frequency network.

Earth911 Podcast: Freight Farms' Jake Felser on Hydroponic Agriculture and Container Farming Jul 14, 2021

Earth911 talks with Jake Felser, Chief Technology Officer at Freight Farms about the company's "complete farming system inside a box.” It’s a very big box that includes climate controls and monitoring systems to make faming easy for anyone to do. Freight Farms builds and delivers shipping containers converted into highly efficient hydroponic farms that use LED lighting to grow and deliver fresh produce year-round. Jake discusses the cost of getting started, how many people are needed to run the farm, and how it the built-in automation helps farmers plan a profitable business. Grocers, restaurants, communities and small farms are using Freight Farms installations at 350 farms in 49 states and 32 countries. The company says most of its customers are new to agriculture and operate right in the urban and rural communities they serve.
Growing and distributing vegetables locally is one of the most effective ways to lower our society’s carbon footprint. While agriculture contributes about 10% of the U.S. greenhouse gas emissions each year, the majority of that is from raising animals. By increasing our consumption of locally grown vegetables, we can improve local health and reduce overall emissions from transportation. It’s not easy to grow food in most cities using traditional methods. The introduction of container farms and vertical farming inside buildings can reshape food deserts and create economic opportunity. To learn more, visit FreightFarms.com.

Earth911 Podcast: Nostromo Wants To Cool The World With Thermal-Energy Storage Jul 12, 2021

Earth911's Mitch Ratcliffe speaks with Yaron Ben-Nun, Chief Technology Officer at Nostromo, which has introduced a fascinating innovation in commercial building cooling, the IceBrick Thermal-Energy Storage technology. Nostromo is an Israeli startup that recently went public and trades on the Tel Aviv stock exchange under the symbol SMTO. IceBrick can shift the energy demand to prevent spikes in power consumption during the hottest part of the day when air conditioning demand peaks. IceBrick stores cooling energy in the form of ice during off-peak hours and overnight when there is plenty of generation capacity available. Think of it as storing the converted electricity in ice that can be used for cooling when needed. Unlike battery systems, which are useful for approximately 3,000 cycles of use, or about 10 years and require rare earths and lithium that are currently difficult to recycle, the IceBrick uses water and a glycol formulae to operate without producing any emissions. The system is easily recycled after approximately 20 years of use.
Yaron shares the experience of several early customers in Los Angeles, explaining how commercial building owners can lower their energy bills and reduce their building's carbon footprint. He also describes how Nostromo's technology can be applied to reducing the demand on electricity grids to free up energy for EV charging and other critical electrification projects. To learn more about Nostromo and IceBrick, visit nostromo.energy.

Earth911 Podcast: Good Girl Green Stephanie Moram on Sustainable Summer Entertaining Jul 07, 2021

Earth911's Mitch Ratcliffe chats with Good Girl Gone Green creator and green living mentor Stephanie Moram, looking at the choices for entertaining sustainably this summer. Stephanie's been exploring the many ways we can reduce our environmental impact with an emphasis on making our lives unique and enjoyable. “There is no right or wrong way to become more green,” she says, and we agree. She offers online learning program, Find Your Green, for women who want to understand the sustainability questions they should consider when making choices at the store and home.
We also cover questions about making your life and community green. What kinds of activities do you suggest and how do you get folks excited about doing environmental activities together? We look at how Stephanie makes changes her life to reduce her impact on the environment and making shopping greener.

Earth911 Podcast: Nudge Systems' Pleco Water Use Tracker Plugs Your Wasteful Habits Jul 05, 2021

How can we track our water usage to recognize how to save water? Earth911's Mitch Ratcliffe talks with Nelson Pedreiro of Nudge Systems, which makes the Pleco, a smart device that attaches to your water meter to track water usage by category, from toilet flushes and showers to washing the clothes and watering the lawn. It can also identify leaks long before the are visible to the eye. One tech magazine called it a “Fitbit for your water meter.” Nelson explains how to install and connect Pleco to an in-home display or smartphone app that reports your water use in detail.
The American West faces an historic drought this summer and water conversation is more important than ever for 57 million Americans in the regions, many of whom may have taken water for granted until now. The good news is that there are immediate savings readily available to everyone because the average family wastes about 180 gallons of water a week, equal to about 10 five-minute showers. Nelson shares how Pleco's creators wanted to reduce their water footprint and are now using machine learning to identify different types of water usage more accurately.
The $249 Pleco device straps onto a water meter and uses a magnetic monitor to track usage, sending the data to the home using a wireless network. Unlike most other water monitoring options, it does not need to be added into the home's plumbing.

Earth911 Podcast: Nexus Fuels' Jeff Gold on Molecular Plastic Recycling Jun 25, 2021

Earth911's Mitch Ratcliffe talks with Jeff Gold, founder and CEO of Altanta-based Nexus Fuels, which processes 50 tons of plastic daily using molecular recycling that breaks the material down into the basic elements of hydrocarbon found in oil so it can be reused in new plastic. It’s the leading edge of chemical technologies for creating a circular economy. Nexus combines waste management and energy production using Plastics #2, #4, #5 and #6 to make feedstock, the raw materials, for new plastic or fuel. Gold explains that Nexus stopped sending its recycled hydrocarbons to oil companies to prevent the recycled plastic from becoming air pollution when burned as fuel. Instead, the material can be used in new food-grade plastic, which can recycled again and again. Nexus works with Cobb County, Georgia, and Dow to process plastic from the Hefty Energy Bag program.
We discuss the future of plastic and whether it would be possible to begin mining plastic in landfills to produce the raw material for new plastic without drilling new oil. Nexus' business model allows for the company to pay for plastic waste and operate profitably. Gold speculates that consumer incentive programs could be created that pay people for returning plastic, which would enable a circular economy in the material and keep waste out of waterways and the oceans.
Nexus this week announced a partnership with Wood, an engineering firm, to expand globally. According to Gold, “Our accelerated plan and strategic relationships with firms like Wood will allow Nexus to advance current production rates to 5,000 tons of recycled feedstock per day, supporting the reuse of over 5 million tons of plastic waste annually with an estimated annual savings of 30 million tons of CO2 emissions when compared with incineration.”
To learn more about Nexus Fuels, visit https://www.nexusfuels.com/.

Earth911 Podcast: The Recycling Partnership's Sarah Dearman on PlasticIQ Jun 23, 2021

Earth911 talks with Sarah Dearman, vice president of circular ventures a The Recycling Partnership, about the future of plastic, plastic recycling and the non-profit's new PlasticIQ initiative that provides tools for business to assess and optimize its packaging choices. We discuss the need to simplify our plastic system to make recycling easier and how to make it easy for people to recycle packaging and products made of plastic. The Recycling Partnership is one of the most dynamic and important non-profits working to introduce a circular economy in the United States. Established in 2014, it works with communities and business to create solutions for, among other things, recycling plastic and plastic films, as well as developing local recycling and consumer education programs to increase recovery rates.
In May, The Recycling Partnership announced a free open-source digital tool, Plastic IQ, designed to help companies that use plastic packaging to develop waste-reduction strategies and put them into practice. It also helps to quantify the carbon emissions created by the use of plastic packaging, which is desperately needed to allow consumers to understand the consequences of their shopping choices. Walmart, Colgate-Palmolive, Johnson & Johnson, Unilever, Nestle and other major consumer packaged goods companies are getting ready to use Plastic IQ.
To learn more about The Recycling Partnership and PlasticIQ, visit https://recyclingpartnership.org/.

Earth911 Podcast: FreeWater's Josh Cliffords Has a Radical Idea Jun 21, 2021

Earth911 talks with FreeWater Inc. founder Josh Cliffords, who has a radical idea to make water, juice and, ultimately, a wide range of products available for free using the same business model as online services like YouTube, using advertising. Josh shares a vision that includes building in a recovery system for packaging, using aluminum cans and hemp cartons made and filled near the customer, and 10 cents of each sale to support building water and sanitation systems around the world. Josh says he “wants to change the experience of giving to charity and giving back to society and make it as simple as drinking a free bottle of water or eating a free slice of pizza.” Here’s how it will work: The company will provide ad-labeled water to customers, such as auto dealerships, gyms and retail locations, which may have a cooler full of carton water, for example, that includes advertising with scannable codes — FreeWater earns its revenue from that advertising. You can also order water for delivery to your home, someday it could be delivered by Uber-like service people who also pick and process the empties for recycling.
While it is early in the life of FreeWater, we find this one of the most interesting business concepts we've heard in a while. Josh envisions local production centers, and explains how McDonald's could provide ad-supported food and drink, and use reusable, recyclable and compostable packaging. Since advertising supports tracking of packaging, it can also help track flows within the consumer goods market, which would lead to rapid evolution of efficiencies -- today's economy wastes so much that the savings could deliver immense improvements in sustainability. He estimates that if 10% of Americans decide to choose FreeWater, the 10-cent contributions could provide enough funding to deliver water systems to the approximately 800 million people around the world who don’t have access to clean water and up to 3.6 billion people who experience a month of water shortages each year. It's a big idea facing many challenges, including the further commercialization and offering many permutations that could be applied in different food and goods markets.
Don't miss the interview. The FreeWater story will get you thinking. It's a radical idea that just might work.

Earth911 Podcast: Flying Embers' Caspar Poyck on brewing sustainable hard kombucha Jun 07, 2021

Caspar Poyck, cofounder and senior director of plant operations at hard kombucha brewer Flying Embers shares how the company works to reduce its environmental footprint, including capturing the CO2 generated by its fermentation processes to add fizz to it fruit-flavored kombucha beverages. After the founders lived through the 2017 Thomas Fires in Ojai, Calif., they renamed the company Flying Embers to commemorate the victims of the tragedy and heroism of first responders who helped save the historic building where they started. The fire burned 440 square miles and was the largest wildfire in California history at the time. After confronting the blazing consequences of climate change, Flying Embers has embraced sustainability as a core tenet of its mission. Caspar and his team have worked to reduce the use of plastic in packaging, encourage recycling, and transform what used to be waste into valuable components of its products.
For example, Flying Embers used to purchase industrially-made CO2 to carbonate its kombucha, even though the fermentation process generated CO2 they discarded as waste. They captured the fermentation CO2 to use in their drinks, and found it improved the flavor and experience of the beverage. The machine-made CO2 had added a metallic flavor while the natural CO2 provided a rich undertone along with finer bubbles in the kombucha. Thinking in green terms leads to surprising innovations. Caspar also shares his work to replace plastic six-pack rings and introduce recycled and compostable paper packages. If your small firm thinks operating more sustainably is a costly luxury available only to large companies, Flying Embers' experience will challenge that thinking.
The company now supports first responders in climate disaster areas and contributes Learn more about Flying Embers, its wide range of hard kombucha flavored with fruit and spices, along with hard seltzers and beer with home delivery available in nine states at https://www.flyingembers.com/.

Earth911 Podcast: Climeworks' Daniel Eggers On Cleaning Up The Atmosphere May 31, 2021

Earth911 talks with Daniel Eggers, Chief Commercial Officer at Climeworks, a Zurich, Switzerland-based carbon capture company. Climeworks launched one of the first commercial CO2 projects in the world, the geothermal-powered Orca project in Hellisheidi, Iceland, and has 13 other locations under development. Daniel explains the power and geological requirements for storing CO2 in the ground, where it forms carbonate minerals — when turned to rock, the CO2 stays in the ground virtually forever. The Hellisheidi plant will sequester 4,000 tons of CO2 annually — and you can support the project by subscribing to monthly sequestration services that range from $8 to $55 a month.
We also dig into the future of carbon capture, when CO2 will provide the raw materials for fuels and advanced materials, among other things. Daniel shares a vision of a circular economy for carbon that mines the air to keep global CO2 levels falling toward pre-industrial levels over the next 50 to 100 years. In the long run, carbon capture technology could provide a global air conditioning system of sorts that keeps CO2 levels below 300 ppm, our species' environmental sweet spot. He suggests that reforestation and other natural solutions are essential, and that technology can be useful as a tool to manage CO2 emissions that remain.
Learn more about Climeworks and its personal carbon sequestration subscriptions at https://climeworks.com.

Earth911 Podcast: EPAM Continuum's Buck Sleeper On The Rise Of Consumer Influence May 26, 2021

Earth911 talks with Buck Sleeper, director of innovation consulting at EPAM Continnum, a company that specializes in developing products and services. EPAM's recent NXT 2021 Trends Report points out several important trends that can help pivot the economy toward greater sustainability, including new hybrid of global and local economic activity fueled by digital communities and a new generation of national and global government regulations that emphasize adaptation to climate change. The firm works with companies in healthcare, financial services, consumer goods including food packaging, makeup, and consumer technology, and other industries, as well as on projects to reduce poverty and improve sanitation and access to water around the world.
The survey also found that 79% of consumers feel that low- or zero-waste packaging is a priority when making a purchase. In fact, 20% of respondents said they’d be willing to eat the packaging that their food comes in while another 20% want to be able to repurpose packaging for other uses. Sleeper says EPAM clients are shifting their priorities toward achieving sustainability and, because customers can n0w express their preferences through smartphones and the internet, they are now helping shape the products they'll buy.
Take a few minutes to hear what EPAM Continuum learned and how you can use your growing influence to shape a sustainable economy.

Earth911 Podcast: Ask The FTC To Stop Chevron's Persistent Greenwashing May 24, 2021

Earth911 talks with Professor Daniel Lin, associate professor of operations management at the University of San Diego School of Business. He is advising several non-profits — Earthworks, Global Witness, and Greenpeace USA — that have filed a first-of-its kind complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) against an energy company. They argue that Chevron makes deceptive, greenwashing advertising claims that “overstate investments in renewable energy and [the company’s] commitment to reducing fossil fuel production.” Lin explains why the FTC has not enforced its Green Guides recommendations against greenwashing first set out during the 1990s, and why it is time to make those guidelines into enforceable regulations.
Chevron spends about $100 million a year advertising itself as "the human energy company" for a "future of energy [that is] lower carbon," but invests only $26 mullion annually to develop those technologies -- out of its $13 billion capital investments. That's just 0.02% of its annual investments to develop low-carbon alternatives to its current fossil fuels-based business. Lin shares his assessment of Chevron's spending and how its is trapped by its old business model as the price of gasoline declines in the face of renewable alternatives and the rise of electric vehicles. We also discuss how consumers can get involved -- write the White House and the FTC -- as well as the potential downside of carbon capture technology.
To add your support for the complaint, visit Earthworks, Global Witness or Greenpeace USA and contribute to support keeping pressure on the FTC and Chevron.

Earth911 Podcast: ecobee's Sarah Colvin on saving home energy with smart tech May 21, 2021

Smart home technology can help save energy, which translates directly into reduced CO2 emissions, especially in the many parts of the country where electricity is generated from fossil fuels. Earth911 talks with Sarah Colvin, senior director of energy partnerships at ecobee, a maker of home monitoring and management devices, including thermostats, cameras and sensors. She explains how smart thermostats can manage energy by reducing the heat when no one is home or factoring in the impact of humidity on indoor temperatures to use less power. Do these devices add to or reduce energy use? Colvin shares how U.S. regulations require manufacturers to include the added power their devices use when calculating savings; ecobee reports its products reduce energy consumption by 23% on average.
Home heating and cooling accounts for the most energy use in homes and commercial buildings. Smart technology, sometimes referred to as the Internet of Things (IoT), uses a combination of sensors and smart thermostats, is a useful option for optimizing the indoor environment. Thermostats, unlike phones, are long-term purchases that can be upgraded with new software to add additional capabilities over time. For example ecobee recently updated its software to squeeze an additional 5% of efficiency out of customers energy use, so it is not necessary to upgrade whenever a new feature is introduced. Smart home devices are often available with generous local utility rebates because they help utilities manage the electric grid more efficiently, and ecobee will help you find local rebate options.

Earth911 Podcast: David Radlo On Building a Sustainable Business May 12, 2021

Earth911 talks with author and business advisor David Radlo, an early and successful advocate for sustainable practices about building a sustainable business and connecting with customers who share your company's environmental values. He built premium organic egg brands at Born Free, Farmer’s Best, and Egg-Land’s Best and has lectured at Tufts University and New York University’s Stern School of Business. His new book, Principles of Cartel Disruption, explores how to break down the barriers to new forms of business. It’s a skill we need to master to break petrochemicals’ hold on the economy.
David shares his experience and provides ideas about how customers can lead the reinvention of the economy. His ideas are also useful for marketing people thinking about building a long, trusting relationship with customers. His Sustainable Leadership and Disruptive Growth podcast is a great resource for business leaders.
You can learn more about him and his new book at www.davidradlo.com.

Earth911 Podcast: Talking Sustainable Investing with Philippe Cousteau and Doug Heske May 10, 2021

Earth911's Mitch Ratcliffe talks with Doug Heske, CEO of Newday Impact Investing and Philippe Cousteau, founder of EarthEcho International, about the potential to accelerate the transition from the petrochemical economy by investing in sustainable businesses. They have partnered to expand financial literacy in the young and communities of color around the world. They discuss recent criticisms of investments that aim to change the environmental, social and governance (ESG) practices of companies and their experience backing and coaching companies. Together, their organizations collaborate with the SIFMA Foundation on sustainable investing knowledge delivered by the popular National Stock Market Game.
Newday Impact is an investment management company that provides investors app-based guidance that helps them set up an ESG portfolio. Newday offers, among many portfolios, investment strategies to support climate action, biodiversity protection, ocean health and very specific investments to protect wild tigers and end plastic straw pollution, as well as religious goals and socially responsible corporate practices. You can start your ESG investment portfolio with as little as $50 a month, and Newday contributes 5% of its fees to support NGOs including EarthEcho International.
EarthEcho provides programs and support for global youth action "to equip new generations of leaders and problem solvers to identify and tackle environmental challenges in their communities." It's EarthEcho Water Challenge connects more than 1.6 million young people in 146 countries to protect local waterways. Philippe Cousteau and his sister Alexandra founded EarthEcho International to honor their explorer father, Philippe Sr., and grandfather, the legendary Jacques Cousteau.
You won't want to miss this fascinating, inspiring episode. Learn more about Newday Impact Investing at https://www.newdayimpact.com/ and EarthEcho International at https://www.earthecho.org/.

Earth911 Podcast: tentree CEO Derrick Emsley On Sustainable Fashion And Reforestation May 03, 2021

Earth911 talks with Derrick Emsley, CEO of tentree, a a clothing company making a difference. The company plants ten trees for every article of clothing they sell. Tentree has already planted 56.3 million trees and is working to reduce the environmental impact of its clothing production processes by using wood-based TENCEL fiber, hemp, organic cotton and recycled polyester in its clothing. They have audited their supply chain to offset CO2 emissions and reduce water usage compared to traditional clothing makers by as much as 75%; by 2023, tentree plans to eliminate all single-use plastic from packaging.
Emsley explains that tentree is really a tree-planting company that makes clothing, and suggests that the company could expand into other product categories to support its goal of planing one billion trees by 2030. He says that at tentree's current growth rate, they will hit the billion-tree target on time. We also discuss customers' willingness to pay a premium for clothing that offers convenient carbon offsets. In addition to its solid environmental record, Emsley shares how tree-planting projects in the mangrove-lined coast of Madagascar has lifted entire communities out of poverty and helped to restore local fisheries.
And we learn what new clothing Emsley particularly likes in the current summer line of clothing now out from tentree. Check out tentree.com, and be sure to see the line of clothes inspired by Dr. Seuss' The Lorax.

Earth911 Podcast: George Leonard, Chief Scientist at the Ocean Conservancy, on Ocean Plastic Pollution Apr 28, 2021

Earth911 talks with George Leonard, chief scientist for the non-profit Ocean Conservancy about the state of the oceans, plastic pollution and particularly the impact of COVID-19 Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) pollution. The organization recently completed its annual survey of beaches and waterways, during which it found 107,219 PPE items — masks, shields, and gloves among other items. We seem to treat the sea as our dumping ground, but the oceans are a source of food and much of the world’s oxygen, and according to the United Nations global fisheries could collapse by 2048.
Leonard describes the striking increase in PPE and its potential impact on aquatic life and human health, as microplastics spread throughout the food chain. We also discuss the recent documentary Seaspiracy and the Ocean Conservancy's work to develop sustainable fisheries around the world. The U.S. remains a leader due to strong regulation of its fishing industry but there are challenges around the world. We also talk through the basic steps each of us can take to reduce ocean plastic pollution, from eliminating single-use plastic in our life and learning about, supporting, and advocating for laws to strengthen environmental protection and enforce extended producer responsibility regulations.
Visit the Ocean Conservancy at https://oceanconservancy.org/ to learn more and support their work.

Earth911 Podcast: Dr. Oliver Peoples of Yield10 Bioscience on PHA bioplastics Apr 26, 2021

Earth911 talks with Dr. Oliver Peoples, president and CEO of Yield10 Bioscience Inc., about the company's development of plant-based bioplastic made from flax (Camelina) seeds. Plastic is the most challenging modern material. It is ubiquitous and a major source of pollution, particularly in our oceans. But only about 8 percent of the 8.3 billion tons of plastics produced annually are recycled. By 2050, the world is expected to need more than 34 billion tons of plastic per year, but we cannot afford the environmental damage associated with petroleum-based plastics. Bioplastics, which are made from plant material and organic waste, can change our future, reducing our need to extract oil from the ground and making the resulting waste more environmentally friendly because bioplastic breaks down without leaving harmful “forever chemicals” in the ground and water. Yield10 Bioscience recently announced a successful field test to grow oilseeds that can be used to produce biodegradable PHA bioplastics that could help replace petroleum-based plastics.
Dr. People's discusses the benefits of Camelina as a rotation crop -- it produces usable oils and animal feed in addition to the PHA polymer to make bio-plastic -- and the low- to negative-carbon production process required to make it. The material can replace plastic films, rigid and flexible plastics such as bottles and caps. He also addresses the use of bio-engineering technology to increase the seeds' PHA polymer production. Take a few minutes to learn about this emerging alternative to petroleum-based plastics. Visit Yield10 Bioscience at https://www.yield10bio.com/ to learn more.

Earth911 Podcast: 3R Technology's Charles Brennick on Recycling Computers and Smartphones Apr 23, 2021

Earth911's Mitch Ratcliffe talks with Charles Brennick, director of Business Development and eCommerce at Seattle-based 3R Technology, an electronics recycling company that also refurbishes and resells PCs, laptops, phones and monitors. He explains the two major recycling standards, eStewards and R2, and how devices are handled after people send them. Brennick also outlines the valuable materials in old electronics and how R3 refurbishes and sells PCs, phones, monitors and mother boards, extending their useful life and reduce the need for raw materials. eWaste accounts for 53.6 million tons of waste annually as of 2019 and is expected to rise to 74 million tons by 2030 -- twice the amount discarded just seven years ago. Only 17.4 percent of the ewaste was recycled, so your decision to recycle old tech can contribute to changing the electronics industry for the better.
R3 Technology's SimplEcycle program provides a free mailing label and, if needed, a box to send multiple PCs or phones. The company has developed a discount program to help get PCs and phones to low-income kids and non-profit organizations. Take a few minutes to learn how to give your old computer or phone a second life -- if you have devices you'd like to recycle, request a free shipping label from 3R Technology and get started at https://store.3rtechnology.com/pages/simplecycle.

Earth911 Podcast: CleanWell's Stew Lawrence on Natural Home Cleaning Apr 21, 2021

Stew Lawrence, CEO of CleanWell, a maker of botanical home cleaning products, joins Earth911 to talk about safe and natural Spring cleaning. We’ve been using several CleanWell products; read our review. The company uses a plant-based Thymol disinfectant in its products, which has been recognized to be an antiseptic for centuries. In laboratory tests, it killed 99.99% of germs and viruses, and the EPA certified it for use against the virus that causes COVID-19. CleanWell does not use alcohol, bleach, ammonia, phosphates or quarternary ammonium — all common ingredients in home cleaning products that range from being poisonous to a source of endocrine system disruption and water pollution.
Lawrence shares the story of CleanWell's founding and the turnaround he executed on joining as CEO in 2016. We also talk with Lawrence about CleanWell's plan to replace its single-use plastic packaging. The company is testing new packaging. We also get some ideas about how to do a complete Spring housecleaning without toxic chemicals.

Earth911 Podcast: Foam Cycle Founder Lou Troiano Says It's Time to Recycle #6 Foam Apr 19, 2021

Expanded polystyrene has proven stubbornly uneconomical to recycle, but Augusta, N.J.-based Foam Cycle has an affordable solution that can be added at any municipal transfer station or community location. Earth911 talks with Foam Cycle founder and CEO Lou Troiano about the self-service foam collection and recycling system his company has installed in several communities around the country. Expanded polystyrene, also known as expanded plastic #6 or by the Dow Chemical trademark Styrofoam in its blue form, is 98% air, so it takes a lot of foam to produce a usable amount of the recycled resin. In traditional waste sorting facilities, it is impractical to sort and clean foam so almost all the 1,500 tons Americans produce each day goes into landfills.
The Foam Cycle system fits in a shipping container. Troiano says that people who drop off foam at the New Jersey and Florida locations where Foam Cycle has systems generally place clean packing and food service foam in the system. The $75,000 units are financed by municipal waste management systems and entrepreneurs -- Foam Cycle seeks public-private partnerships -- and will break even in four to five years based on typical usage. Troiano shares that religious organizations are expressing interest in the system to help their communities deal with an intractable recycling problem and to raise funds for their ministries. A ton of the processed resin sells for between $300 and $500. If you're interested in solve its foam recycling challenge, check out Foam Cycle at https://www.foamcycle.com/.

Earth911 Podcast: Foundation for Climate Restoration Youth Ambassador Ashley Meeky Apr 16, 2021

Young people are stepping into leadership roles in the climate restoration movement. Earth911 talks with Ashley Meeky, the first youth ambassador on the board of the Foundation for Climate Restoration, a non-profit working to encourage global support for the development and deployment of carbon capture and sequestration technology. A student at Vanderbilt University, Ashley got involved with the organization in 2019 and participated in creating its 12-week leadership program that trains youth to speak and raise awareness about climate change and the 50 trillion tons of CO2 humanity has already put in the atmosphere. It's this existing excess that carbon capture technology can remove as we reduce CO2 emissions to zero over the next several decades.
The foundation argues that we can return the Earth's climate to what our grandparents knew later this century, but without carbon capture technology it may take centuries to remove. The technology produces CO2 that can be used to make concrete, fuels and industrial materials including plastic and carbon fiber.
Ashley shares her experiences with the Foundation for Climate Restoration and how she is shaping her goals for adulthood based on the realities of global warming. A young entrepreneur who runs a hair care business and her own Instagram accounts, Ashley believes that business must play a leading role in the end of the fossil fuel era and the prolonged cleanup the planet needs. And she explains her own daily steps to reduce her carbon footprint. The foundation and Ashley will be involved in the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change COP26 meeting in Glasgow, Scotland, this November with hopes of getting global support for carbon capture technology, which is already operational at ClimeWorks and Blue Planet, among other companies. She argues that the necessary efforts to reforest large parts of the planet must be augmented with an aggressive carbon capture program to reverse, not just stop climate change.
Learn more about the Foundation for Climate Restoration at https://foundationforclimaterestoration.org/.

Earth911 Podcast: Discover Biobased Plastic with UBQ's Tato Bigio Apr 14, 2021

What would the world look like if we could turn post-consumer waste, including food scraps, paper, packaging and other materials into a bio-based plastic? Tato Bigio, cofounder and CEO of Tel Aviv-based UBQ Materials, which makes a low-carbon bioplastic using the waste headed for landfills. It's UBQ material can be used to make rigid plastic components for buildings, shipping palettes, and even food service trays at McDonald's restaurants. Bigio explains how each ton of UBQ bioplastic reduces CO2 emissions by as much as 15 tons, resulting in an almost carbon-neutral production process.
The company is beginning to roll out the technology globally. Bigio reports he is hearing from brands that environmental responsibility is increasingly important to their success and survival. UBQ is building facilities in The Netherlands and has created an early partnership with a Virginia recycling system -- they want to build close to waste sources and manufacturing locations that can use the recycled bioplastic to minimize transportation impacts. To learn more about UBQ, visit https://www.ubqmaterials.com/.

Earth911 Podcast: Joe Gantz on His New Film, The Race to Save the World Apr 12, 2021

Director Joe Gantz's new film, The Race to Save the World, captures the energy and personal emotional challenges faced by people to take direct action as part of the climate protest movement. It follows the stories of protesters who blocked oil trains and oil drilling equipment in Washington state; Michael Foster, the activist who shut down the Keystone pipeline in North Dakota; Aji Piper, a young environmentalist from Seattle who sued demanding state environmental protections be enforced, and; a grandmother who marched across the country to raise awareness about the climate, among others. Each of these dedicated and sometimes terrified activists sacrificed their personal lives, and in some cases their freedom, to fight climate change. Gantz' film captures the unique personal costs and collective energy that animates protest.
Gantz is known for Taxicab Confessions, American Winter, and the recent film Ending Disease. The Race to Save the World will be released on Earth Day 2021 at select independent theaters and non-profit events, will be available for streaming on Amazon, Google Play and other streaming services. Learn when and how to watch this intimate documentary about the people fighting for the planet at https://www.theracetosavetheworld.com/how-to-watch.html.

Earth911 Podcast: Oceanographer John Englander on Adapting to Sea Level Rise Apr 07, 2021

Earth911 talks with oceanographer John Englander, author of the new book Moving to Higher Ground: Rising Sea Level and the Path Forward. His 2014 TED Talk provides stark examples of close relationship between CO2, climate temperature and coastlines -- Florida was half the size it is now during the last warm period in Earth's history and twice the size it is today during the last Ice Age. In his new book, Englander describes the challenges of sea level rise (SLR) and urges humans to prepare to adapt to rising oceans, because it is too late to stop significant SLR along U.S. and global coastlines. Those changes have dramatic implications for government, business, the global supply chain, and our own neighborhoods.
Englander explains how the increased surface of a warming ocean will amplify extreme weather events we are already seeing in the form of wildfires, flooding, and drought. He suggests that governments need to discourage continued building along coasts by reducing flood insurance subsidies, so that people are not displaced in a disorderly way but can plan for living on higher ground. He urges people to think in terms of short (30 years), mid-term (50 years) and long-term (100 years) time frames to understand their SLR risk, but he argues that governments and business need to act today to be ready for disruptions from the already higher sea levels around the planet. He warns that accelerated ice loss in Greenland and Antarctica could lead to 5 feet or as much as 10 feet of SLR by 2050. We finish the conversation by discussing strategies for cooling the planet to prevent further damage, including the potential for geoengineering the atmosphere to reflect more sunlight back into space and carbon capture and sequestration technology.
John Englander's previous book, High Tide On Main Street: Rising Sea Level and the Coming Coastal Crisis, jump-started the public conversation about SLR in 2012 and Moving to Higher Ground: Rising Sea Level and the Path Forward, which was released this week, lays out ideas about how we can respond and adapt to rising seas.

Earth911 Podcast: Author Kathy Freston on 72 Reasons to Be Vegan Apr 05, 2021

Author Kathy Freston joins Earth911 to talk about her new book with co-author Gene Stone, 72 Reasons to Be Vegan: Why Plant-Based. Why Now. The book explains the benefits of plant-based eating and exposes the unhealthy, often gross truth about our inhumane industrial meat and dairy complex. Freston explains the health and environmental impacts of the meat and dairy industry in detail in the book and the facts shares here will make anyone think twice before eating a hamburger. But being "veganish" instead of perfectly vegan is a great step for the environment, providing a greater positive impact on an annual basis than switching to an electric vehicle.
We also discuss meat and dairy addiction mechanisms that tap into human opiate receptors to make cravings almost unbearable for some people, and Freston recommends adopting a plant-based meat alternative that contains heme proteins, which mimic the iron-rich components of meat and blood without the negative health consequences. There's also plenty to worry about in a pescatarian diet, Freston warns. Not only is the world's fish population expected to collapse by 2048 if current practices continue, the bodies of wild fish are shot through with plastic, mercury and pharmaceuticals that can harm our bodies.
But the conversation is not all about bad news. Making the switch to plant-based eating can improve our health, mental acuity, and the planet. Tune in to hear about 72 Reasons to Be Vegan, and check out Freston's previous books, The Book of Veganish: The Ultimate Guide to Easing into a Plant-Based, Cruelty-Free Awesomely Delicious Way to Eat and Quantum Wellness Cleanse: The 21-Day Essential Guide to Healing Your Mind, Body and Spirit.

Earth911 Podcast: Shameek Upadhya of Omvits on Vegan Vitamins and Sustainable Packaging Mar 24, 2021

Omvits is a four-year-old British nutritional supplements company with a deep commitment to sustainability. Earth911 talks with Shameek Upadhya, a cofounder of the company about why they focused on making vegan vitamins, including an algae-produced Omega-3 oil supplement and vegan Vitamin D, and delivering it in the most sustainable packaging possible. Omega-3 oils are difficult to get in a vegan diet. Upadhya shares how he and his team learned that global fish supplies could collapse by 2048 and decided to make Omega-3 oil, which is usually harvested from salmon, using an algae. The company currently delivers its products in plastic bottles with refills available in low-plastic pouches. Later this year Omvits will introduce plastic-free refill pouches that biodegrade in household compost piles.
We also explore how Omvit's vegan Vitamin D is made using lichen to eliminate lanolin collected from sheep's wool. The company has provided free annual supplies of vitamins to more than 25,000 children and is building charitable support for climate action into its business model. Omvits vitamins will reach the U.S. in early 2022; sign up at the https://omvits.com/ to receive alerts about U.S. availability.

Earth911 Podcast: Talking Water Recycling With SUEZ On World Water Day Mar 22, 2021

On World Water Day, we talk water recycling with Stephen Katz, Market Development Manager at SUEZ Water Technologies & Solutions. The company, which built the Suez Canal in the 1860s is a leader in water recycling, particularly in industrial settings but also, increasingly, to augment local drinking water supplies. More than 2.7 billion people around the world experience water scarcity each year and climate change, along with growing human and farm animal populations, stresses available freshwater, which accounts for only 3% of the water on the planet. Katz explains how SUEZ processes wastewater and post-industrial water to return potable supplies for human use. In Morro Bay, Calif., the company is replenishing groundwater supplies with water recovered from the city's wastewater treatment facility -- the program provides drinkable water and prevents land subsidence (sinking) due to depleted aquifers.
Katz also discusses the growing interest in water as a tradable commodity and the potential for higher prices as regions compete to acquire drinking water and increase to their industrial output. The World Bank projects that water shortages could reduce global GDP by as much as 6% by 2050. Low-income countries, which currently use only 8% of their water supply for industrial purposes, compared to high-income countries' 59% will struggle to grow their economies because of water shortages. Water desalination, another SUEZ line of business, is an energy-intensive answer in some parts of the world, but recycling remains the most accessible option.

Earth911 Podcast: Meat Alternatives with Before the Butcher's Danny O'Malley Mar 20, 2021

Danny O'Malley, founder and CEO of plant-based meat alternative company Before the Butcher joins Earth911's Mitch Ratcliffe to talk about transforming the carbon footprint of human food systems. The company's UNCUT and Mainstream branded vegan, gluten- and GMO-free soy-based meat alternatives to beef, chicken and pork in a variety of forms -- patties, chunks, tips and ground for use in recipes, as well as shredded versions -- can replace meat in a variety of recipes. O'Malley shares why he started the company and discusses the sourcing of Before the Butcher's soy proteins and canola oils to avoid producing CO2 emissions and serving people genetically modified ingredients.
Meat alternative are becoming increasingly price competitive with animal products and the texture and taste more familiar to millions of people who have switched from meat for health and environmental reasons. Before the Butcher's Mainstream meats now sell for about $5.50 a pound, making it among the first to be competitive on a head-to-head with ground beef. O'Malley also addresses the growing momentum of the pivot toward plant-based alternatives within the meat industry and the competitive advantage of making recipe ingredients instead of only finished pre-cooked meals with plant-based meats.

Earth911 Podcast: Historian Jay Hakes on the 1970s Energy Crises' Link to Climate Policy Today Mar 15, 2021

The energy crises of the 1970s have continued to shape U.S. energy and climate policy ever since, and historian Jay Hakes was part of the story. Earth911 talks with the author of Energy Crises: Nixon, Ford, Carter, and Hard Choices in the 1970s about how Presidents Nixon and Carter responded to the oil embargoes and Middle East conflicts that led to long gas lines and a focus on keeping oil prices low, often despite the potential for conflict. Hakes was the Department of Energy's chief energy analyst during the Clinton years and served as the director of the Carter Presidential Library for 13 years after participating in the policy-making process during the 1970s.
The 1970s defined American perspectives on oil, gas, nuclear and solar energy. It was the era when oil was weaponized by the OPEC nations and early solar panel research first produced commercial results. Hakes explains how Richard Nixon's initial response to the oil embargo on October 17, 1973 has had repercussions over many decades and how Jimmy Carter's energy-centered foreign and domestic research agenda spurred investments in renewable energy. But the progress was interrupted in the 1980s by renewed support for oil exploration by petrochemical companies and did not recover its early momentum until the early 200s, when climate issues forced a new reality on Washington, D.C.
Tune in to a fascinating conversation. His previous books include A Declaration of Energy Independence: How Freedom from Foreign Oil Can Improve National Security, Our Economy, and the Environment. In that 2008 book, he argued that America had ignored both the threat of climate change and the challenge of weaning itself from oil for decades. Now, U.S. energy independence is growing after the rise of renewable energy generation. Now, the U.S. must rethink foreign and domestic policy to address the distributed nature of post-fossil fuel energy. Energy Crises: Nixon, Ford, Carter, and Hard Choices in the 1970s is available now.

Earth911 Podcast: Regnerative Farming Leads To Nutrition For Longevity Mar 12, 2021

Earth911 talks with Jennifer Maynard, CEO and cofounder of Nutrition For Longevity, a healthy and environmentally-friendly meal plan subscription service for vegan and pescatarian eaters. Most of the food is grown using regenerative farming techniques in New Jersey. Jennifer contributed an article to Earth911 last week, Zombie Soil: The Harmful Result of Industrial Farming, and we began with a conversation about the environmental impact of industrial farming. Take a few minutes to learn the difference between soil, which helps produce nutritious food, and dirt illustrate the urgency of making a switch away from using chemical fertilizers to wring crop volume out of the land.
Nutrition For Longevity's prepared meals feature vegan and fish-protein options based on the Longevity Diet developed by Dr. Valter Longo. His research into the food that helps the longest-lived people stay healthy has shaped Maynard's meal plan, which is designed by a Michelin starred chef. In addition to low- and no-till farming, Nutrition For Longevity uses aquaponics to grow its greens year-round. Maynard's company is also working to reduce single-use waste in its meal deliveries, using bio-based packaging that can be recycled or composted after you eat.
You can save $40 on each of your first two orders when try out the Nutrition For Longevity service. Enter the code EARTH40 when you checkout.

Earth911 Podcast: Talking Carbon Capture Investment with Rick Parnell Mar 08, 2021

Carbon capture technology is a keystone investment in restoring the climate to pre-industrial CO2 levels. Earth911 talks with Rick Parnell, CEO of the Foundation for Climate Restoration about his recent Newsweek and Washington Post op-eds calling for investments in the technology and setting a price for carbon. He and his co-authors, Kathleen Rogers of EarthDay.org and Sir David King of the Center for Climate Repair at Cambridge University, point out that climate change-related health issues will lead to more than 250,000 additional deaths per year between 2030 and 2050 and an that additional climate-caused food shortages will contribute to 529,000 deaths a year by 2050. While he does not see carbon capture as a silver bullet -- it must be combined with reforestation, changes in farming and human diets, and radical reductions in CO2 emissions -- he and his organization believe the technology can help remove more than 150 years' worth of excess carbon from the atmosphere.
Parnell and Earth911's Mitch Ratcliffe discuss where carbon can be stored using marine permaculture and in industrial applications such as concrete made from calcium carbonate mined from the sky, as well as his advice for the Biden Administration as it pursues an aggressive climate policy agenda. Learn about getting involved yourself, the Foundation for Climate Restoration has local chapters and youth education programs growing across the country.

Earth911 Podcast: Overcoming Eco-Anxiety With Eco Hero Handbook Author Tessa Wardley Mar 01, 2021

Earth911 talks with Tessa Wardley, author of a handy new guide to reducing your environmental impact, The Eco Hero Handbook: Simple Solutions to Tackle Eco-Anxiety. Young and older people are increasingly battling a paralyzing fear for the future, known as eco-anxiety, but they don't have to feel trapped. Taking the time to do research about the carbon footprint of your daily activities to make simple earth-friendly decisions, such as reducing plastic use in the bathroom or choosing a slower form of travel than flying, does make a difference, she explains. You'll save money and individual decisions also add up to social transformation as companies and governments respond the people's new priorities. "Our consumer power is actually really powerful, and we should not underestimate that," Wardley said. She also points to the fact that businesses that take social and environmental responsibility get the most qualified talent when hiring -- green is already good business.
She also draws on experiences in her work at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in the U.K. ,sharing how to improve local pollinator and insect biodiversity by gardening with nativar plants without using chemicals. Even window plantings can contribute to local healthier environment, as recent research proves. The Eco Hero Handbook provides hundreds of simple steps, from reducing food waste, choosing more durable clothing and sharing used clothes to changing our driving habits are effective ways to break out of eco-anxiety. Wardley also talks about how to become better informed about your shopping choices and ways to amplify your decisions to make the biggest social changes.
The Eco Hero Handbook and Wardley's previous books are available on Amazon. You can also follow Tessa on Instagram (@tessawardley).

Earth911 Podcast: Meet Dorie Morales, Publisher of Green Living Magazine Arizona Feb 26, 2021

Every region has its unique sustainable living challenges. Earth911 talks with Dorie Morales, publisher of Green Living Magazine based in Scottsdale, Arizona. The desert region last year broke records last year with 16 days and nights when the temperature stayed above 90F degrees. The region already sees 175 days a year of daily highs above 90F degree days. Morales shares how residents struggle to stay cool, find shade and preserve water, which is especially precious in the Southwest. She cofounded the Green Living and has built a series of regional green living events in addition to the magazine and website. Morales shares details about the upcoming Arizona Green Chamber and Green Building events, which you can join free online. Both offer tips on green choices in business and your personal life.
Visit Green Living to follow its Arizona-focused green lifestyle coverage. They are giving away five free digital subscriptions to people who comment on the Green Living AZ Facebook page. If you are interested in advertising, Morales offers 50% off one month of any advertising package when you send an email to info@greenlivingmag.com.

Earth911 Podcast: PourMyBeer Explores the Future of Self-Service Beverages and Reusable Packaging Feb 22, 2021

Waste at restaurants and grocery stores contributes to society's overall food waste problem. Josh Goodman started PourMyBeer in 2012 to make beer and beverage dispensing a self-service experience. Now, the company helps serve beer, wine and soft drinks to customers at Whole Foods, Dave & Buster's, Caesars Entertainment locations and military bases in 24 countries. It also won an investment from Coca-Cola's European bottling business to help develop solutions to reduce single-use containers for soft drinks. Earth911 talks with Goodman about how PourMyBeer makes getting a drink quick and safe, even during the pandemic. We also explore how PourMyBeer can participate in new reusable container programs to eliminate single-use plastic waste and the prospects for a delivery system based on reusable beverage containers.

Earth911 Podcast: Loop’s Circular Shopping Expands to Canada Feb 15, 2021

As shopping from home grows, packaging waste is piling up. Loop offers an alternative, a delivery service for food and home goods that picks up used product packaging, cleans and the reuses it to eliminate trash. Earth911 talks with Heather Crawford, global vice president of marketing and e-commerce at Loop, about the company's expansion into Canada. Loop now offers service in the U.S., U.K. and France -- it's Loop Tote bag is dropped off and picked up by FedEx, and it will soon offer in-store Tote exchanges at Kroger, Walgreens and Canada's Loblaws locations.
Crawford shares how Loop, which was launched by specialty recycling company TerraCycle, designs reusable packaging that can be repeatedly cleaned and refilled with products in order to reduce post-consumer waste. We also discuss the sustainability of online shopping and how, at scale, it can be more efficient than traditional bricks-and-mortar retail shopping. Loop is partnering with several grocery and drugstore chains to introduce in-store Tote pick-up and drop-off services. Both at-home and retail services are essential to reaching consumers who want to remove single-use packaging from their shopping list.
Loop currently offers hundreds of product options and is expanding its partnerships with food and personal care brands to introduce more reusable product packaging. Take a few minutes to learn more at the U.S. Loop store (https://loopstore.com), Canadian store (https://loopstore.ca), U.K. store (https://loopstore.co.uk) or the French store (https://loopparcarrefour.com).

Earth911 Podcast: Talking Eco-Anxiety and Carbon Capture With Dr. Erica Dodds Feb 12, 2021

Environmental doom hangs over the youngest generations, who need a clear path to climate recovery to regain their optimism. Earth911 talks with Dr. Erica Dodds, chief operating officer of the Foundation for Climate Restoration, a young expert in climate anxiety and international development working to raise awareness about direct air carbon capture technologies. Her organization believes that aggressive investment in scaling up current early-stage carbon capture strategies can restore the environment to pre-industrial CO2 levels by mid-century, long before many expect the technology to make an impact. Her team organizes local youth and legislative learning programs, and they are launching local chapters around the country. Visit their site to get involved.
Dodds explains how ocean carbon sequestration can help humans store massive amounts of CO2. Her compelling vision for a return to the climate in which humans evolved includes the idea that the atmosphere can be mined for CO2 to use as the raw material in low-carbon cement, fuels, and other applications. Carbon capture technologies are expected to create 300,000 new jobs during the next several decades.
We also discuss the overwhelming eco-anxiety afflicting her generation, starting with an introduction to the symptoms of this paralyzing psychological state. People tend to react to climate change by enthusiastically engaging in climate-friendly behaviors and judging severely others who do not participate or by closing their eyes to the problem, literally turning away from the fear that climate change creates. This may be the basis for some of the current political divisions in the U.S. and around the world. Society must find a way to bring people together around actions that can make a material difference in the fight against global warming. Dodds and the Foundation for Climate Restoration are confident that direct air carbon capture can a key component to a brighter future.
The founder of the Foundation for Climate Restoration, Peter Fiekowsky, has appeared on Sustainability In Your Ear to discuss direct air carbon capture and ocean-based sequestration strategies.

Earth911 Podcast: Scott Austin, cofounder of the Olivette Riverside Farm and Community Feb 05, 2021

As more people look to move out of cities, a new, environmentally-friendly communities may be their next home. Earth911 talks with Scott Austin, a cofounder of the Olivette Riverside Community and Farm, a 346-acre planned "agrihood" along the French Broad River near Asheville, N.C. His team built "a community in which our interactions with water, nature, food, community and lifelong learning are seamless and foster sustainable living." It introduces a unique lifestyle that includes a farm funded through a Community Supported Agriculture program built into the cost of living.
Scott shares the Olivette lifestyle, and his plans for farm-to-table living that values "gardens over golf courses." In addition to being able to pick up fresh berries and produce from the farm, clusters of homes share large gardens and everyone can borrow shared bicycles to get around. An affluent community, Olivette may provide an early model for reimagining towns that integrate agriculture, wilderness and lifelong learning that can be applied in many settings. Austin point similar projects, such as Serenbe, whose founder Steve Nygren we interviewed in December 2019. There are many lessons to take from the experience of these early efforts at reinventing living for sustainability.
To learn more, visit the Olivette Riverside Community and Farm at https://www.olivettenc.com/.

Earth911 Interview: Hannah Bacon, Cross-Country Environmentalist Feb 01, 2021

Earth911 talks with Hannah Bacon, a 27-year-old woman who decided to start a seven-month journey across the U.S. to raise awareness about climate change. She will walk from California to Virginia, and we caught up to her in New Mexico after two months on the road. Hannah was inspired by David Wallace-Wells’ book, "The Uninhabited Earth," while flying cross-country. She realized her non-essential travel was harming the planet, so she decided to walk home.
Hannah’s “Miles for Movement” walk started on November 1, 2020, and will continue through the Summer.
All donations to the walk’s GoFundMe page will go to the Sunrise Movement, a youth-focused political action movement whose goal is to mobilize climate activists across the US. It operates more than 400 local programs across the country. Hannah talks with Earth911’s Mitch Ratcliffe about the importance of promoting a healthy climate for future generations and how people can contribute to the fight against climate change on a day-to-day basis through simple changes.
Follow Hannah’s progress and her stories on the Miles for Movement Instagram page and her blog. Please consider donating to and sharing her GoFundMe page.
https://www.instagram.com/milesforclimate/
https://milesforclimate.org/
https://www.gofundme.com/f/miles-for-climate

Earth911 Conversation: The Climate Policy Debate with Danielle Butcher of the American Conservation Coalition and Kevin Wilhelm Jan 25, 2021

Join another Earth911 conversation about the critical divides in U.S. politics and climate policy with Kevin Wilhelm of Sustainable Business Consulting and Danielle Butcher, Chief Operating Officer, Executive Vice President of the young-conservative organization, the American Conservation Coalition. We discuss the differences in the right- and left-leaning climate policy debate, the role of generational change in the future of U.S. climate regulations, and the potential for establishing a new center for political discourse. Host Mitch Ratcliffe talks with Wilhelm and Butcher about the role of economic stimulus, educational funding, and the federal government's ability to shape economic priorities through incentives and carbon pricing. Hear how there actually mutually agreeable positions emerging in the climate debate.
Kevin Wilhelm is the author of How to Talk to the "Other Side": Common Ground in the Time of Coronavirus, Recession, and Climate Change and an adunct professor at Harvard University. Danielle Butcher is a leader of the American Conservation Coalition, a non-profit "dedicated to mobilizing young people around environmental action through common-sense, market-based, and limited-government ideals" based on localism, capitalist ideas, and innovation. This is the third in our Conversation series featuring Wilhelm, Ratcliffe, and guests from across the political, urban-rural, generational, and social justice spectrum.

Earth911 Podcast: Dr. William Ripple on the The State of the Climate Emergency in 2021 Jan 20, 2021

Earth911 talks with Dr. William Ripple, Distinguished Professor of Ecology at Oregon State University and director of the Alliance of World Scientists, who is the lead author of a call for action in response to the catastrophic climate damage the world experience during 2020 in Scientific American. Pointing to record global temperatures, a historically long hurricane season that caused more than $46 billion in damages in the United States, and wildfires that burned more than 4 million acres in California, they declared that “The climate emergency has arrived and is accelerating more rapidly than most scientists anticipated.”
Dr. Ripple explains how 2020, which tied 2016 for hottest year on record, saw events that suggest climate change is accelerating. Science-based warnings may have been too conservative, and that the new normal will likely look like a series of catastrophes, with widespread damage happening every year in many regions of the planet, if humanity does not immediately stop the growth in CO2 emissions. He suggests six key areas of action, including a shift to plant-based diets and reducing food waste, a focus on eliminating short-term pollutants such as hydrofluorocarbons used as refrigerants, as well as universal education for girls and women to lower birth rates and encourage wider awareness of climate impacts. We also discuss the pressing need to address climate migration in global and national planning.
To learn more about how you can change your lifestyle to reduce carbon emissions in travel, home energy use, and when you recycle.

Earth911 Podcast: Talking 2021 Home Energy Trends with Sense CEO Mike Phillips Jan 18, 2021

Making home energy use improvements can be challenging without information about how the furnace, appliances, refrigerators, and other electronics around the house consume power. The Sense Energy Monitor brings all that data, and information about your utility, solar, and comparable home energy use to your smartphone to help you reduce your carbon footprint and electric bill. Earth911 talks to Sense CEO Mike Phillips about the latest Sense monitor upgrades and his 2021 home energy trends predictions.
Phillips explains the latest upgrade to the Sense and Sense Solar devices, a power quality monitor that tracks dips and spikes in electric current and software that identifies failing electric systems, loose wires, and malfunction appliances based on their power use. We also discuss the Zigbee internet-connected smart home standard that promises to connect smart lightbulbs, thermostats, switches and other devices to a single dashboard on a phone or PC. Phillips expects the transition to electric power generated from solar, wind and other renewables from fossil fuel-fired power will accelerate with the arrival of the Biden administration. He points out the home heating and power produces up to 40% of our personal greenhouse gas emissions, according to Rewiring America and created the Sense system as a foundation for optimizing energy use.
To learn more about Sense and its growing set of software that use the physical energy monitor to alert homeowners to opportunities to reduce use and save on energy, visit https://sense.com.

EARTH911 Podcast: Eyal Harel on the Increasing Frequency of Toxic Algal Blooms Jan 08, 2021

Cyanobacteria algal blooms are a growing problem worldwide. As humans use more fertilizer and the climate warms, freshwater lakes are more likely to be overwhelmed by these essential but deadly bacteria. Earth911 talks with Eyal Harel, CEO of Berlin-based BlueGreen Water Technologies Ltd about the causes and adverse impacts of blue-green algal blooms. Cyanobacteria produce oxygen during the day, but at night consume so much oxygen that fish and other lake life die off until the bacteria controls almost all available resources.
Blue-green algal blooms are an example of the fragility of the balance within natural systems. Without cyanobacteria, an early source of atmospheric oxygen, life would not exist on Earth. When it takes over a lake, however, it can cause brain, liver, intestinal and skin inflammation, as well as emit airborne toxins related to rising incidence of Alzheimer's Disease and other illnesses. Harel explains how farm runoff and warming climates have contributed to algal blooms globally, even the Arctic.
BlueGreen Water Technologies makes a treatment, LakeGuard, that can suppress algal blooms without toxic byproducts. With more than 60 million lakes in the world facing an increased risk of cyanobacteria infestation, you'll want to spend a half-hour to learn about the problem, remediation and ways of preventing blooms by changing farming and lawn care practices to reduce phosphorus levels in freshwater lakes. To learn more about BlueGreen Water Technologies, visit https://bgtechs.com.

Earth911 Interview: Coastal Flooding In 2050 With Climate Scientist James Renwick Jan 01, 2021

Environment and Earth Sciences at Victoria University, Wellington New Zealand, joins Earth911 to discuss the prospects for coastal flooding due to climate change. He shares troubling but important insights into how much seas have already risen since the 1800s -- about one foot -- and the potential for up to two feet more flooding in the coming century. He also reports the UNIPCC will acknowledge that the critical 1.5C warming threshold is locked in unless the world takes radical action to reduce emissions immediately. Humanity has already committed future generations to potentially disastrous climate impacts, he says.
Renwick explains how much water is stored in Antarctica and the projections for economic and housing losses along the U.S. East coast, which is particularly prone to flooding because of the configuration of ocean currents. He also discusses the growing accuracy of climate models and how accelerated warming seen in recent years appears poised to continue speeding ice loss at the poles. But, Renwick argues, the international climate dialogue has shifted from resistance to acknowledgment of climate impacts and growing national and local action, which gives him hope. "Things are moving in the right direction," he told Earth911's Mitch Ratcliffe. "But we've got a lot of work to do."
The upcoming COP26 meeting of global leaders, which was postponed to Fall of 2021 due to the pandemic, will feature many nations increased commitments to reduce emissions. In the meantime, he urges individual citizens to speak out and choose sustainably produced products, as well as support effective local remediation projects, such as tree-planting programs. Each of us can make a difference. Start your journey with this conversation with Professor James Renwick.

Earth911 Interview: Talking 2021 Global Climate Progress with The Economist's Catherine Brahic Dec 28, 2020

Catherine Brahic, the environment editor at The Economist, joins Earth911's Mitch Ratcliffe to discuss her November 16, 2020, editorial, "The world could turn a corner on climate change." She explains the United Nations' upcoming COP26 meeting, when world leaders will renew and update their climate change commitments, was postponed to Fall 2021. Brahic shares her assessments of climate progress to date and the pivotal roles of China and the United States in 2021, when scientists and policymakers say aggressive action is essential to preventing a 1.5℃ increase in average atmospheric temperature. Yet, Brahic is optimistic because of the return of the U.S. to the Paris Climate Accord under Joe Biden and recent corporate investments in green bonds and greenhouse gas reductions.
You can read Catherine Brahic's editorial, "The world could turn a corner on climate change," at https://econ.st/3qC6RBd.

Earth911 Interview: Talking Sustainability at Archer Daniels Midland with Paul Bloom Dec 21, 2020

Earth911 talks with Paul Bloom, vice president of Sustainable Materials at Archer Daniels Midland (ADM), about the food and plant-based maker’s sustainability goals and changes to how they make food and plant-based products. He shares with Earth911’s Mitch Ratcliffe how ADM has invested to create sustainable alternatives to synthetic and petroleum-based materials.
Bloom leads the company’s efforts to develop new renewable, plant-based sustainable solutions for food production and ingredients used in personal care, paint, and a variety of industrial products. ADM is also pursuing partnerships to produce alternatives to the chemical products corporate customers rely on to make everything from glue to biofuels. His team developed a molecule from fructose to replace the plastic used in water bottles and a polymer made from acrylic acid to make diapers more sustainable.
ADM has announced sustainability goals to reduce its waste, emissions, energy and water usage by 50% compared by 2035, which they shared in its recent annual sustainability report. To follow ADM’s projects and strives to a more sustainable market, follow them visit https://www.adm.com/.

Earth911 Conversations: Bridging the Right-Left Renewable Energy Policy Divide with Todd Myers Dec 16, 2020

Todd Myers, Director of the Center for the Environment at the conservative Washington Policy Center joins Kevin Wilhelm, CEO of Sustainable Business Consulting, and Earth911's Mitch Ratcliffe to discuss the common planks of a renewable energy policy shared by both sides of the political divide. Myers in the author of Eco-Fads: How the Rise of Trendy Environmentalism Is Harming the Environment, as well as a member of the Puget Sound Salmon Recovery Council and former staff at the Washington State Department of Natural Resources. We discuss how to structure climate policy to achieve a rapid transition to renewable energy, the benefits and hazards of pricing carbon and carbon taxes or credits, and the challenging issue of moving people from jobs in one era to another, which often leads to debates over green policy being a job creator or job killer.
This is the second in an ongoing series of conversations that will include individuals from all sides of the ongoing discussion about what the United States will be, its role in the world, and how it will address climate change and the equitable transition from a fossil-fuel-powered economy.

Earth911 Conversations: Introducing Our Healing Divides Series with Kevin Wilhelm Dec 09, 2020

After another election fought over by parties committed to winning and sidelining the opposition for four years will not heal the nation or provide the basis for constructive conversations about progress toward a fair and sustainable net-zero society. Mitch Ratcliffe, publisher of Earth911.com, and Sustainable Business Consulting's Kevin Wilhelm introduce a series of conversations that cross the right-left, urban-rural, technologist-Luddite, low- and high-income, racial and enthnic divides that have paralyzed progress. Wilhelm is the author of How to Talk to the “Other Side”: Finding Common Ground in the Time of Coronavirus, Recession and Climate Change and a professor at Harvard University who has consulted with hundreds of companies about their sustainability planning, programs and reporting.
This is the first is an ongoing series of conversations that will include individuals from all sides of the ongoing discussion about what the United States will be, its role in the world, and how it will address climate change and the equitable transition from a fossil-fuel-powered economy.

Earth911 Podcast: Mark Schaus on Creating A Livable, Sustainable World Dec 02, 2020

Author Marc Schaus talks with Earth911's Mitch Ratcliffe about his new book, Our Livable World: Creating the Clean Earth of Tomorrow, a hopeful book about addressing climate change through improved energy efficiency and new, clean electricity generation technologies. Schaus explains that many new technologies are appearing that can help pivot the economy to renewable energy, and this is a source of hope. In addition to historically cheap solar power, waste-free nuclear fusion and tidal energy arrays that generate electricity from the flow of ocean tides and waves will make fossil fuels obsolete. But he also points out that fatalistic human thinking and cognitive biases born of filter bubbles can be a barrier to progress. And waiting to make investments in renewables will lead to more military confrontations over oil reserves and preventing mass migrations could lead to disaster even as new options are on the horizon.

EARTH911 Interview: Steve Groff on the Future-Proof Farm Nov 30, 2020

Steve Groff, author of The Future-Proof Farm, the creator of widely used regenerative farming techniques known as cover-cropping, joins Earth911. He talks with us about the importance of improving soil health and explains the changing relationship between the farm and grocery store. America lost more than one-third of its topsoil during the last 150 years, and Steve says his technique mimics nature to restore all the carbon, living organisms, and nutrients that are lost by modern farming in just 20 to 30 years. By planting year-round and minimizing tilling, Steve’s approach to regenerative farming provides better crop yields for farmers and healthier food for consumers.
We also talk about what it takes to be an honest marketer in the age of sustainable farming. It starts with being honest, marketers and farmers need to keep their word and avoid exaggerating their sustainability claims. Eventually, these changes in the fields will transform the entire process of growing, harvesting and moving fresh produce from farm to the store shelves.
Take some time to read Steve Groff’s book learn how cover-cropping – planting fallow fields to keep the soil alive – can help a farm thrive financially while improving the output from their sustainable farm. Many companies, such as General Mills and Wrangler, have adopted Steve’s method in their supply chain.
Check out stevegroff.com to learn more and buy his book The Future-Proof Farm for a comprehensive introduction to cover-cropping techniques.

Earth911 Interview: Industry Veteran Jack Kerfoot On Beating Big Oil with Renewable Energy Nov 27, 2020

Earth911 talks with oil industry veteran and critic Jack Kerfoot, the author of Fueling America: An Insider’s Journey. He spent decades in the oil industry and argues that it is responsible for pollution and geopolitical issues that plague our planet and people. Approximately 3.7 million people die from chronic or acute pollution-related illness per year due. Kerfoot argues that the U.S. and countries around the world can make a fast pivot to renewable energy while eliminating sources of conflict and illness globally.
High global demand for oil continues to drive a flood of cheap oil into the market from nations like China and Russia where oil is the main source of national income. He questions whether the needs oil serves offset the social cost. Jack explains that in China, for example, air pollution is so bad that one cannot see their hand in front of their face on a smoggy day.
Jack Kerfoot
Jack argues that Oregon, where he resides, could be powered entirely by renewable energy sources if oil subsidies were eliminated to allow funding to flow to the most efficient source of power. He challenges businesses large and small to embrace sustainability planning to help in the struggle against pollution while saving money. Kerfoot also offers ideas to the incoming Biden Administration about how to save the American economy using renewable energy, and without requiring any taxpayer-financed subsidies.
Jack Kerfoot’s book, Fueling America: An Insider’s Journey is his memoir about his life spent in, and dissection of, the global oil industry’s perversion of basic economics to preserve its business.

Earth911 Interview: Roger Duncan and Dr. Michael E. Webber on the Future of Buildings, Transportation, and Power Nov 23, 2020

Earth911 talks with Roger Duncan and Dr. Michael E. Webber of the University of Texas at Austin. They are the authors of The Future of Buildings, Transportation, and Power. We discuss the profound changes in the ways we travel and the places we work or live that will occur as we build a sustainable economy. Listen in to hear the political, social, and economic opportunities and challenges that will emerge as electricity displaces internal-combustion engines and fossil fuel power generation.
Duncan and Webber describe a world in which cars and buildings are “sentient-appearing” systems that learn and adapt to their users. How should the U.S. prepare for a smart, networked environment? We talk about their advice for President-elect Joe Biden and his administration about the transformation of education and policy necessary to provide widespread prosperity in the sustainable era. They are techno-optimists who believe technology can wring immense efficiencies out of the current, wasteful economic system, which will fund new green jobs and companies capable of supporting everyone’s basic needs. We also explore how information technology can continue to grow in importance without creating more new CO2 emissions than its saves.
We also talk through the sudden changes in behavior caused by the COVID-19 outbreak, which has accelerated the adoption by companies of sustainable practices. After three decades, the digital transformation of society has leaped forward because of the pandemic as people stay home and work remotely, organize and manage services, such as home grocery delivery and new retail experiences, and rethink their relationship to work.
Check out The Future of Buildings, Transportation, and Power to learn more about what we can expect in the future of sustainability and the ways we live. You can also find them at webberenergygroup.com.

Earth911 Interview: Sustainability and Music, a Conversation with Space of Never Not Nothing Nov 20, 2020

Earth911 talks with Space, keyboardist and guitarist of Never Not Nothing, (“NNN”) a rising British duo that takes sustainability seriously. Space discusses the band’s philosophy of positive nihilism and how they contribute to sustainable culture through direct donations and support for green music festivals. The band, originally named Black Futures, recently changed its name in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement. Space and his bandmate, Vibes (percussion, which is an understatement), write “party music for the end of the world.” They believe that people can look directly into the face of climate catastrophe and find ways to build a better, sustainable world. Check out their latest video conversation about their 2020 tour, which was pursued across parts of the world by COVID-19. We even get a little philosophical.
NNN’s positive nihilism involves composing the environment of their shows to create an empathetic relationship between fans, the crowd as a whole, and toward the planet. They strive to find their own meaning in an otherwise meaningless world and to stay optimistic about the future about which they dream
Choosing eco-friendly music festivals is a great way to enjoy music while staying sustainable. NNN plans to participate in the upcoming 2000Trees music festival in 2021. The festival gathers rock bands across the world to promote eco-friendly celebration with a plastic-free, locally catered experience for fans. NNN also lives its commitments by donating a portion of merchandise proceeds to sustainable non-profit organizations. Never Not Nothing contributes part of their profits from their merchandise sales to the U.K.’s National Health Service and to preserve the venerable Boileroom music venue in Guildford, UK.
Want to hear more of Never Not Nothing? You can find their music on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Music.

Earth911 Podcast: Talking Carbon Offsets with Cool Effect's Blake Lawrence Nov 18, 2020

Carbon emissions are piling up every day, affecting the world’s weather patterns, and accelerating climate change. Earth 911 talks with Cool Effect’s Blake Lawrence about how you can offset your carbon emissions inexpensively and with confidence it will remain sequestered. Cool Effect is a non-profit organization that seeks out the highest quality carbon reduction projects globally and assists them in selling their carbon credits to individuals, organizations, non-profits, and anyone who wants to reduce their carbon footprint.
We discuss a few of the organization’s projects, from teaming with American Airlines and Twitter to offset travel emissions to providing low-smoke cookstoves and building homes for families in need in Brazil to prevent local deforestation. One recent project is seeking a better way to usage for pigs’ waste to produce compost for farmers.
Lawrence talks about Cool Effect’s Seller’s Pledge and their promise of transparency to their buyers with a small 9.87% management fee. Cool Effect also helps individuals and businesses offset travel emissions – by car, plane, boat, or at the hotel -- by the hour with easy-to-use calculators.
In addition to the environmental benefits Cool Effect provides, carbon offset purchases are tax-deductible. Check out Cool Effect and consider supporting their projects to reduce your carbon footprints. Visit cooleffect.com to learn more.

Earth911 Interview: Sandra Ann Harris' Tips for Hosting a Plastic-Free Holiday Party Nov 16, 2020

Earth 911 talks with Sandra Ann Harris, the founder and president of Ecolunchboxes.com and the author of Say Goodbye to Plastic: A Survival Guide To Plastic-Free Living. She’s been living an increasingly plastic-free lifestyle for several years and shares here experience and what she’s learned along the way. There are many small ways to help with preventing pollution that you can do daily. Take your lunch as an example, using reusable bags, utensils, and containers can be helpful but are they made with the best materials? Harris offers her answer, the range of steel and silicone lunchboxes, reusable lunch bags and biodegradable utensils from Ecolunchboxes, the company she founded.
Sandra also shared her plastic-free Thanksgiving tips. There are many ways to plan for a waste-free holiday. She has some great ideas about how to write holiday party invitations that prepare your guests to reduce food waste, packaging and food storage waste, and still have a great time. Perhaps your Thanksgiving can be the first step to your family’s plastic-free future.

Earth911 Podcast: Economist Ilan Noy on Hedging the Cost of Climate Risk Nov 13, 2020

Extreme weather damage grows more expensive every decade. Storms, floods, droughts, and wildfire have cost the world more than $2.97 trillion dollars since 2000, according to the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction. Earth911 talks with Professor Ilan Noy, Chair in the Economics of Disasters Climate Change at Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand about the economics of disaster and how society can make reasoned decisions when spending money to avert climate change. His recent YouTube lecture, The Economics of Disaster caught our attention.
Noy discusses how insurers and government can spend now to reduce the cost of future climate-caused damage. Every decision we make about climate has an underlying economic impact, and there is no escaping the issue when choosing where we live, placing businesses, or building new infrastructure. The risk related to each our individual decisions is hedged by insurers who may begin to restrict coverage of homes in wildfire-prone regions or on coasts at risk of flooding due to sea-level rise. These companies must cover those rising costs, so insurance will become more expensive -- this may be the first direct experience many of us have of climate change. Noy shares his thinking about the distribution of risk, and how society has subsidized wealthy homeowners in areas like Marin and Sonoma County California who have lost homes to fires.
We also talk about the how government can get involved to reshape risk by changing zoning rules and the scope of disaster damage recovery programs. In New Zealand, for example, banks are required to disclose the climate risks from their investments, but investors in the United States cannot check their bank's risk (though private and non-profit entities have published research on banks' undisclosed climate risk). Noy discusses the need to encourage greater transparency so people can make better decisions and how governments should begin to encourage the location of communities in areas that are not exposed to climate risk. He believes that well-informed private decisions can produce rational resutsl. And we explore a series of "Is it worthwhile to?" questions about locating homes and key infrastructure.

Earth911 Podcast: Steve Melink on a Realistic Conservative Climate Strategy Nov 11, 2020

Author and entrepreneur Steve Melink joins Earth911 to talk about making the conservative case for clean energy. His new book, Fusion Capitalism, is a call for conservatives to recognize the dangerous reality of climate change and invest in a rapid transition to renewable energy. His company, Melink Corp. pioneered energy efficiency and renewable energy solutions for commercial buildings in Ohio -- it also build the first LEED Gold-certified building in the state. "Shame on us" for denying as a party the reality of climate change. While younger Republicans care about the environment in numbers as great as their Democratic peers, they have not taken control of their party. He believes that's the next evolution of a conservatism that preserves the planet and not just traditional values.
Melink argues that business and free choices by consumers based on accurate information can accelerate the move off fossil fuels and to wind, solar, and geothermal alternatives. He calls the solar-powered home a "small power company" that grants the homeowner independence from the fossil fuels industry. Adding that oil companies continue to receive unjustifiable subsidies, he also argues that the cost of climate change is being unfairly passed along to society. Capitalism is the "best system in the world to get out out of this problem," Melink argues, and the U.S. is now engaged in a race to the circular economy that, if it loses, will cost its global economic leadership. "We've got to get our mojo back," Melink says.
This interview was recorded just before the 2020 Presidential election. Melink's call for environmental responsibility by conservatives may be perfectly timed to help bring the center-right together with the center-left community around a shared goal of creating a green economy.

Earth911 Interview: Eden Green CEO Eddy Badrina Talks Net-Zero Urban Farming Nov 09, 2020

Earth911 talks with Eden Green CEO Eddy Badrina about the company’s vertical greenhouses that will help the world grow locally and end food insecurity. While Americans expect to buy fresh product year-round, flying foods from Central America and Southern Hemisphere carries a heavy environmental cost. Urban farming can fill in critical gaps in local food supplies, providing year-round, locally grown fresh produce.
Eden Green licenses the growing system to urban farmers who can set up in old buildings and warehouses to grow fresh greens, berries, and peppers year-round. The system uses natural light augmented by lighting on cloudy days, along with recycled water to substantially reduce the carbon footprint compared to traditional farming. Badrina discusses the pressing need for food production and security to serve a growing population.
Eden Green Technologies built a research and development greenhouse farm in Cleburne, Texas and is preparing to launch its first commercial farming operation. The farm system includes 18-foot vertical hydroponic growing racks, lighting, and climate management equipment. Only one one-and-a-half-acre urban farm can grow around 900,000 pounds of salad greens or 50 other types of produce. They will allow produce that is “better than organic,” Badrina said, to grow year-round, in any climate.
Badrina explains that urban farms will open new employment opportunities and promote growers to give back to their communities. The Eden Green team will work with investors and local communities to work out the financing, then builds the farm, trains the staff, and To learn more about Eden Green and vertical greenhouses, visit edengreen.com.

Earth911 Interview: Nancy Devine of Deterra On Responsible Drug Disposal Nov 06, 2020

Pharmaceuticals represent a growing source of pollution that impacts the water in streams, and can eventually make its way into the bodies of animals, fish, and humans. Earth911 talks with Nancy Devine, chief operating officer of Deterra, a Verde Environmental Technologies business, about safe drug disposal. The company makes the Deterra Drug Deactivation System, a recycled- and bioplastic-plastic pouch that contains an activated carbon material which binds to the pharmaceutical molecules to make them inert. It's easy to use; you add water, drop the medication in, and seal it before tossing it in the household trash. Deterra's pouches work on almost all over the counter and prescription drugs, whether they be pills, liquids, syrups, and even gels or creams.
Do the environment a favor and dispose of all medications safely. Devine explains that flushing or tossing medication results in soil, water, and groundwater pollution. During the opioid crisis, methadone, for example, is ending up in sewage systems and can escape into the environment. And safe disposal also prevents misuse of leftover drugs, contributing to fewer additions, overdoses, and deaths.
Deterra partnered with the non-profit organization SAFEProject and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency to launch the Gone for Good campaign to distribute enough Deterra pouches to dispose of more than 1 million discarded prescription pills during October. The giveaway will happen again in March 2020. Additionally, Deterra reaches out through community events, hospital systems, and employers to send their pouches to consumers free of charge. Generally, insurers cover Deterra pouches' cost. You can also order pouches at Deterra's web site. If you would like a Deterra Drug Deactivation System delivered to your home, visit deterrasystem.com/safe/ to learn more about the system and the pouch distribution program.

Earth911 Podcast: Suntory's Sustainable Business Goals With Clarkson Hine Nov 04, 2020

Suntory, the Japanese beverage and distillery company famous for its whiskey, American bourbons including Jim Beam and Maker's Mark, as well as Laphroaig scotch and many non-alcoholic drinks including Orangina, Boss canned coffee, and many bottled teas, is a sustainability leader. It has consistently ranked above average in the industry for environmental, social, and governance practices. Earth911 talks with Clarkson Hine, a senior executive with Beam Suntory and sustainability advisor to the Suntory Corporate Sustainability Division. He shares the deep history of social and environmental responsibility that has informed Suntory's decisions since it was founded in 1923.
Suntory has created Water Sanctuaries in Japan and the United States, locations that preserve natural water sources, flora, and fauna in support of its goal to eventually preserve more water than it uses in its production processes. The company has a goal to be carbon neutral by 2050 and will reduce within its business by 25% and within its supply chain by 20% before 2030. It will use 15% less water in the same timeframe.
Hine also discusses Suntory's efforts to increase recycling of its plastic packaging in the short term while seeking to use only recycled plastic or bioplastic in packaging by 2030. Suntory emphasizes partnership with customers and suppliers in its sustainability plan. In Japan the recycling rate is higher than 84%, but American recovery rates must grow from the 8% of plastic recycled today in order to support a circular economy in beverage packaging.

Earth911 Podcast: Thinking Through Post-Growth Living with Philiosopher Kate Soper Nov 01, 2020

Arguments against embracing sustainable choices often suggest life will be less prosperous. Philosopher Kate Soper argues that the first step toward a sustainable lifestyle is changing the things we appreciate. Modern life has made us frantic and despite technical advances, people work more than ever, particularly in the United States. Soper's new book, Post-Growth Living: For an Alternative Hedonism, suggest that consumerism has many downsides that, if recognized, will allow people to rethink how they value free time, work-life balance, and the avalanche of choices that define modern life. We can find new joys in more time, slower travel and lower levels of anxiety. Soper, who is emerita professor of philosophy at London Metropolitan University, is known worldwide for her analysis of needs and consumption, and she has turned to examine humanity's relationship with nature in recent years.
Soper's idea is to embrace an alternative hedonism, a different approach to values than consumerism encourages. Less stuff doesn't mean one is impoverished becuase it takes so much work to earn enough to keep up. For example, by the end of the 20th Century, Americans were spending twice to support their lifestyles as in 1948. As inequality has increased, people have pursued more to support the illusion they are keeping up with the wealthy, who are held out as examples of success because they can buy more than other people. But consumer success is not the only possible defintion of success, Soper argues. After COVID-19, our normal expectations have been disrupted. Low-wage workers have been deemed "essential" while others were allowed to stay at home, safe from contact with the virus. Supplies of food and luxury goods have been interrupted, changing how people spend and save their money.
Can we use the lessons of the last year to begin a transition to a new set of values? Soper suggests that a culture war aimed at the absurd suggestions advertising promotes can help break the spell of more stuff for stuff's sake. She advocates people making free choices based on scientific information with less emphasis on consumer succes. Stories and advertising that express the value of using less, reusing more, and enjoying a slower pace can help to reshape people's expectations. She discusses the role of government, how to uncouple progress from prosperity, and the challenge of organizing socially and politically to make changes that lead to a sustainable economy. Post-Growth Living: For an Alternative Hedonism will be released on November 10, 2020 and is avalable now on Amazon.

Earth911 Podcast: David Wolff, Creator of the Mini Reef Oct 28, 2020

More algae blooms and red tides are affecting the grassy coastline of the Gulf of Mexico. David Wolff, founder of OceanHabitats Inc., recognized the need for natural solutions in the 1990s, when he built the first Mini Reef, a structure that can be placed under docks in coastal waterways and canals that supports plant and ocean life. But the world wasn't ready for the idea and money ran out by 1998. Wolff pursued other businesses, which he recently sold before returning to his Mini Reef project out of concern for the Gulf Coast. Now, more than 4,000 Mini Reefs are installed in the region, filled with mussels, barnacles, and oysters that clean the water.
Wolff explains the different sizes and placement options for the Mini Reef, which is available in several sizes to fit together like Lego blocks under a dock. Once populated by plants, crabs, shrimp, and other life, a small reef can filter about 30,000 gallons of water a day. Homeowners have purchased most of the installed Mini Reefs but Wolff has created a donation page to let people who do not live on the coast to support installations. Cities, non-profits, and the EPA are now engaged in assessments of the idea for use in coastal recovery projects. Mini Reefs cost between $237 and $687.
The company also makes $187 The Fish Crib, a freshwater lake and pond model that helps young fish stay safe as they mature. It can support up to 300 fish each year. OceanHabitats products work in any coastal area but will mature more slowly in cold water.

Earth911 Podcast: ISRI's Adina Renee Adler on the EPA's Draft National Recycling Policy Oct 26, 2020

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency released a draft National Recycling Policy in October. Earth911 speaks with Adina Renee Adler, vice president of advocacy at the Institute for Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI) about the plan's strengths and areas for improvement. ISRI offered comments about the EPA's focus on job creation as a primary goal and basis for measuring the new regulations' success. Instead, increased collection of valuable materials combined with lower contamination rates should guide policy.
We discuss the changes to recycling collection and investments in consumer education that can raise the laggard U.S. recycling rate. Americans recycle between 28% and 35.2% of the materials they buy, depending on the source. The industry supports 750,000 jobs that pay about $36.6 billion in salaries annually, but has become increasingly complex and inefficient as the volume and variety of product and packaging materials has increased in recent decades. Individual state and municipal recycling rules make it difficult for people to understand what they can recycle in their curbside bin or at a local transfer station, and the EPA proposal will do little to reduce the confusion.
Adler also shares ISRI's ideas about the importance of transparency and accountability by recyclers to help increase consumer confidence in the recycling system. The comment period for the National Recycling Policy continues through December 4, 2020. You can contact the EPA through Regulations.gov or send comments to your Congressional representative.

Earth911 Interview: Alysia Helming of EarthFund Global on Accelerating National Renewable Energy Transitions Oct 21, 2020

EarthFund Global's ambitious plan to finance and accelerate national transitions to renewable energy is starting in Greece, where we spoke with founder Alysia Helming. A veteran of the U.S. renewable energy industry, she founded Santa Monica, Calif.-based EarthFund Global in collaboration with Green Cross International as a non-profit in March 2020 to attempt to meet the challenge of making renewable energy widely available by 2030. In September, Helming's team announced its Greek project, where the team found a country has committed to move 35% of its energy generation to wind and solar this decade. EarthFund, the Greek and European Union governments, NGOs and private enterprise to create new jobs and economically equitable projects that help the population into the green era.
"We believe that true change starts with communities and individuals," the organization states. "[W]e at EarthFund have made communities our primary focus." Their most ambitious goal is to eliminate the need for coal-fired electricity plants by 2028. Starting with one nation, Greece, as an example, they plan to work in the EU in support of its Green Deal and goal to be climate neutral by 2050 across all sectors of society.
Earth911 talks with Alysia Helming about why a non-profit was the right tool for funding energy transitions, the role of female entrepreneurs in the climate fight, and how individuals can get involved and support EarthFund projects. "We believe that true change starts with communities and individuals," the organization states. Do you want to support their work? EarthFund Global accepts individual donations.

Earth911 Podcast: Lauren Gregor, Founder of Rent-a-Romper Oct 19, 2020

The fashion industry is a profligate source of pollution, even when making baby clothing. Lauren Gregor founded Rent-a-Room to help parents find and reuse baby clothing. During the first years of a baby’s life, they change sizes and styles faster than a teenage fashion plate. Gregor, a new mom, decided to follow the fashion rental examples of Rent-the-Runway and StitchFix, introducing a subscription service the provides curated “capsules” of baby and toddler clothes. Available in a 7-item Just the Essentials Capsule and 15-item Complete Capsule, Rent-a-Romper’s customers can return clothing whenever baby outgrows it.
Gregor estimates that instead of using and tossing out baby clothes after a single use, Rent-a-Romper can extend the use of an item up to or beyond a half-dozen uses. Lost items or those that parents want to keep do not cost extra. Gregor’s company also offers subscriptions to branded clothing through partnerships with children’s clothing makers.
Do you have used baby clothes you’d like to see reused? Rent-a-Romper accepts donations and will provide a prepaid shipping label to make contributions easy. Visit Rent-a-Romper to learn more, or start shopping for your kids today.

Earth911 Podcast: Sustainable Composite's Frank Fox Talks Recycled Leather Oct 12, 2020

Enspire leather is a novel take on recycling one of humanity's oldest industrial materials. Earth911 talks with Frank Fox, cofounder of Sustainable Composites, a Lancaster, Pa.-based company that recycles leather fibers to create new leather that looks, feels, and performs like the real thing. By breaking leather down to individual fibers, the grain of which you can see if you turn over a swatch of leather, Sustainable Composites produces more usable material than traditional leather recovery. The enspire process binds the leather fibers into a material indistinguishable from natural leather. It can be polished or buffed like natural leather and can be used in fashion, furniture, and other applications.
Leather footwear, clothing, accessories, and furniture production are very inefficient. Because leather is cut out of treated hides, as much as 75% of the material is thrown out as scrap during the production of the typical leather item. enspire leather is made using naturally occurring chemicals and results only in wastewater that, Fox explains, "is cleaner than when we take it in from the river." Sustainable Composites can make enspire without any waste products left over. "It's more hazardous to process fresh leather than it is to use our material," he added.
enspire leather will eventually cost less than general utility leather -- Sustainable Composites collects its leather for free from manufacturers, reducing both the original product waste and carbon footprint in addition to low-carbon production of the next product.

Earth911 Interview: Exploring America's 110 Million Acres of Wetlands With Jeremy Schewe Oct 05, 2020

Earth911 talks with Jeremy Schewe, a wetlands scientist who is chief science officer and cofounder of Ecobot, an app company that helps to accurately inventory wetlands. Schewe shares the state of more than 110 million acres of wetlands in the U.S. and progress in understanding the role wetlands play in the carbon cycle, their influences on local weather and environmental diversity, and policymaking to protect these valuable natural resources. Wetlands are estimated to provide up to $14 trillion dollars in environmental services to humans annually by processing CO2, providing a home to fish and game, serving as a source of biological solutions to human disease and food production, and other functions humans cannot perform.
Wetlands' CO2 capture capacity is important to reducing global warming and in some regions they serve as a storm buffer. With extreme weather events, such as hurricanes, increasing in intensity, wetlands can alleviate damage from storm surges by capturing rising waters. Each major storm costs more than $2 billion in damage repair and climate remediation. Investing in better tracking of wetlands is essential to reversing the climate changes we already see and feel around us.
We explore the state of wetlands mapping and descriptions of what lives in these areas, which can be as large as a river delta or as small as a holler that contains water only part of the year. Ecobot assists scientists when they inventory a location, providing easy entry of plant and animal species present, physical features, and water information. Progress toward a complete understanding of wetlands is really only getting started, Schewe explains. In 2021, the next U.S. National Wetlands Condition Assessment will be released, providing the first five-year view into wetland changes. As humans gain insights into wetlands, they can better manage, restore, and preserve them.

Earth911 Podcast: Meet Adam Met, AJR Bassist and UN Sustainable Development Advocate Sep 28, 2020

Earth911 talks with Adam Met, bassist of the multi-platinum indie pop group AJR and advocate for the United Nations Sustainable Development Program, about his new podcast, Planet Reimagined and how to start a lasting sustainability transition. Adam and his brothers Jack and Ryan launched AJR as teens. They've produced numerous hits, including their current release Bummerland, while Adam continued his studies in philosophy and international law. He is completing a Ph.D. in International Human Rights Law and is the executive director of Sustainable Partners, Inc., a "thought and action think tank" that creates sustainability initiatives around the world. He recently began working with the UN's Sustainable Development program to raise awareness about the many paths to a humane and prosperous green economy.
Adam shares his thoughts about the role of celebrity and protest in a modern connected society, and how each person's decisions to be sustainable can be communicated to spread the word about the importance of living within the planet's resources. We discuss bridging the economic and justice gap between the developed and emerging economies, as well as how AJR encourages sustainability on its global tours. We can each be an example and, when communities pull together and communicate their priorities to business and government the world can change.
Planet Reimagined, Adam's new podcast, was introduced last week. Subscribe today and Planet Reimagined will plant a tree! His guests during the first season include former presidential candidate Andrew Yang, economist Jeffrey Sachs, March For Our Lives founder Matt Deitch, Allbirds CEO Joey Zwillinger and Keiana Cave, a 22-year-old scientist working on the chemistry of oil cleanups and hormone-free birth control.

Earth911 Podcast: Adarsh Ambati, 2020 International Young Eco-Hero Innovation Award Winner Sep 21, 2020

Feeling like the world can't survive 2020? Take a few minutes to meet 15-year-old Adarsh Ambati of San Jose, Calif., winner of the Innovation prize in the 2020 International Young Eco-Hero Awards to discover why there is hope. Adarsh and 16 other 8-to-12-year-olds and 13-to-16-year olds were recognized this month for their contributions to global sustainability. Adarsh's story is an inspiration that will get you looking at your world with a new eye for positive change. He's also one of the most well-spoken young people you'll meet. He explains how everyone can take action with clear and inspiring lessons he learned after inventing a neighborhood sprinkler monitoring system at age 11 during California's drought. His inspiration was waste he observed around him on a drive when he saw a sprinkler running during a rare rainstorm in the Bay Area.
Adarsh took about a year to develop a Raspberry Pi-based controller that connects water sensors, weather data, local watering regulations, and social media to provide local watering guidance. He trialed the device with 10 neighbors and found that they could have saved 50,000 gallons of water in just two months. His $50 device was a fraction of the cost of competing sprinkler control systems but he went for two years without gaining any traction with local utilities until his project won MagPi Magazine's 2019 Coolest Projects USA competition. The recognition was followed by support from Raspberry Pi CEO Phil Colligan and local utility Lake Canyon Mutal Water Company in nearby Los Gatos, Calif., which is planning to trial the device with its customers. At 15, he's got a successful invention and, as a side-gig, founded Gro-STEMs, a site that sells succulents to provide support to technology training at San Jose's LifeMoves Homeless Shelter and the Aarti for Girls School for abandoned children in Kadapa, India.
What Adarsh learned would take a lifetime for many people in Silicon Valley, and we urge you to listen to his approach to innovation and the importance of taking criticism constructively, even when it isn't offered constructively, to develop a successful technology product. He breaks down his three key ideas for sustainable innovation so that anyone can apply changes to the world they find, a world often built on wasteful practices that can be improved. His persistence is an inspiration. You'll learn a lot from him and we hope you come away from the conversation as energized was we did.

Earth911 Podcast: Emerald Packaging CEO Kevin Kelly On Plastic Use and Producer Responsibility Sep 14, 2020

Plastic pollution surged along with COVID-19 as the world's human population raced to protect itself from the virus. We talk with Kevin Kelly, CEO of Emerald Packaging, one of the largest plastic bag makers in the country. Kelly shares how in-store recycling programs have been curtailed by fears about spreading infections and the continuing increase in plastic usage compared to previous years. Emerald Packaging is working to reduce its reliance on virgin plastic resins, as well as introducing recyclable and compostable produce packaging.
Kelly also shares his personal concern that American business has not fully understood the threat from climate change, which he describes as "existential" in scope. If, for example, sea levels rise, the consequences to Emerald Packaging will be disastrous because food supply chains will be interrupted at every port, reducing the sales of vegetables and other produce and by extension produce bags. Kelly urges business leaders and consumers to work to reduce plastic use and to recycle any plastic that must be used. We discuss the recent defeat of California Senate Bill 54, the California Circular Economy and Plastic Pollution Reduction Act, which he opposed because it did not provide funding for recycling programs. Yet, Kelly is supportive of the California initiative that will attempt to put SB 54 into law at the ballot box since it will likely include a funding mechanism based in part on extended producer responsibility requirements.
That willingness to embrace producer responsibility, which requires companies to participate in collecting and recycling what they make, is encouraging. Earth911's Mitch Ratcliffe asked Kelly what percentage of a company's revenue should be allocated to recycling and got a concrete answer: 1%, which Kelly said was a quick estimate. If every business that makes a product that becomes waste at the end of its useful life were to contribute 1% of revenue to support recycling programs, it would go a long way toward revolutionizing the U.S. recycling system. If business refuses to shoulder that responsibility, Kelly said, they will eventually be driven out of business by the consequences of climate change.
Surprising and positive comments from a plastic manufacturer. Be sure to give this interview a careful listen.
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Earth911 Podcast: Celebrating 30 Years of the Environmental Media Awards with CEO Debbie Levin Aug 14, 2020

Environmental Media Association CEO Debbie Levin invites you to watch this year's EMA Awards, hosted by Lance Bass, on August 20, 2020. We talk about the role of storytelling and celebrity in making sustainability mainstream.
Levin took on leadership at the EMA in 2020 and created a very successful approach to using celebrities to make environmental stories tangible to viewers. We discuss the importance of transparency and accountability in media, the positive role stars can play in raising awareness, and how the EMA has evolved. Levin shares the story of how she put Hollywood in the Toyota Prius, making the car an attractive option for many consumers who first encountered electric vehicles when stars drove them to the Oscars, Emmy Awards and other heavily covered media events.
With nominees that include the films Dark Waters and Frozen 2, television shows including Discovery's The Story of Plastic and CNN's Ted Turner: Captain Planet, as well as comedies such as It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia and The Politician, among many others, the EMA Awards is a great way to discover the best of environmental viewing. The EMA also produces a star-studded annual EMA Impact Summit, which brings celebrities and experts together to raise awareness about nature and human impacts on the ecosystem. Want to dig into deep topics with discussions between environmentalist celebrities and scientists about climate change and COVID-19, planetary health, clothing recycling, and more EMA Talks, a recent addition to the EMA's outreach efforts.

Earth911 Podcast: Forest Founders' Ford Seeman On Building a Sustainable Business and Life Aug 11, 2020

Earth911.com talks with Ford Seeman, founder of Forest Founders, a tree-planting subscription service working to integrated carbon responsibility in daily shopping and marketing programs, and Righteous Causes, a sustainable business incubator in New York. We talked with him from his home, where trees were falling to the recent hurricane, about planting trees as an everyday activity we support with small contributions. Forest Founders offers $10- and $20-a-month subscription programs that have planted more than 40,000 trees in protected National Park lands in the U.S. We explore how the company will expand and some of the innovations that are necessary to make carbon neutrality a habit, not just an aspiration.
We also discuss the importance of sustainability as a mission for companies today. While the COVID-19 pause in CO2 emissions is still fresh in our minds, Ford offers ideas about how individuals and businesses can act today to reduce their carbon footprint. And we explore how a combination of consumer action, government policy, and enlightened, profitable businesses can turn green intentions into real changes to, and recovery of, the environment. He shares how Righteous Causes is lowering the cost of starting a green company, as well as help entrepreneurs raise early-stage funding to grow a business.

Earth911 Podcast: The World Benchmarking Alliance Reports On Energy Producers' Carbon Footprint Jul 27, 2020

The World Benchmarking Alliance (WBA) monitors the sustainability and environmental responsibility performance of the world's largest countries. Charlotte Hugman, a researcher for the climate and energy programs at WBA shares the results of the organization's July 2020 Electric Utilities Benchmark of the 50 largest electric producers in the world, including the top 10 U.S. utilities. The report is the first update of a regular review of energy producers' progress toward the U.N. Paris Agreement 2030 targets necessary to prevent disastrous climate change. Unfortunately, they found that seven of the 10 U.S. companies reviewed will actually fall backward in their decarbonization performance in the near-term. Among EU electricity producers, half will see short-term declines in performance. In fact, 35 of the 50 global companies studied will exceed their carbon goals in the short term.
We discuss the WBA methodology and Hugman suggests that if you are interested in understanding your local utilities' carbon emissions can start by reading the report to learn about the key issues that affect environmental performance. She explains that electricity production is the foundation for a wide range of social and technical changes which will help reduce CO2 emissions. In addition to decarbonization of the energy sector, the WBA identifies financial system innovation, food and agricultural changes, digital transformation, social changes, urban reinvention, and the circular economy as the keystones of a sustainable economy. Each of these pillars relies on low- or zero-carbon electricity, so power must be transitioned to renewable sources for everything else to succeed.
Take a few minutes with Charlotte Hugman to be introduced to the WBA's comprehensive approach to providing business and government leaders with reliable information about the global economy's progress toward a net-zero sustainable world. Then, take a few minutes to study your local utility's carbon footprint. Let's change the world starting in our own neighborhoods.

Earth911 Podcast: Direct Solar America CEO Pablo Diaz On Solar Subsidies and 2020 Election Jul 20, 2020

Pablo Diaz, founder and CEO of Direct Solar America, joins Earth911 to talk about the current state of solar subsidies in the U.S. Recently named one of CEO Magazine's Top 20 Dynamic CEOs, Diaz founded the company as a solar installer but transitioned to providing solar technology and installation services for home and business owners. Visitors to DirectSolarAmerica.com can enter their address and share energy bills to receive a complete analysis of the potential cost, subsidies available for, and a connection to a vetted local installer.
We discussed the current federal and state subsidies for solar installation around the country. The federal investment tax credit, which allowed solar buyers to write off up to 30% of their solar equipment and installation costs in 2019, fell to 26% this year and will go down to 22% in 2021 before falling to 10% in 2022. Individual states offer generous subsidies that add to the federal savings.
Considering that the oil industry receives approximately $650 billion a year in subsidies, Diaz thinks there is a high likelihood solar subsidies will continue for many years. However, Congress must vote to extend those subsidies or they will be sunsetted after 2022. That's why this year's state and national elections are so important to the future of U.S. solar growth. It took approximately 15 years for the first million installations to be completed, three years to reach two million, and the Solar Energy Industries Association expects to reach four million installations by 2023. But that represents only about 2 percent market penetration.
Diaz urges our listeners to vote for solar-supporting representatives and executive candidates. The nation needs to keep adopting solar to avoid 1.5-degrees Centigrade global warming by 2030, and remains far from that goal. Check out Direct Solar America to find out how your home can generate its own solar-powered electricity.

Earth911 Podcast: How To Talk To The Other Side With Author Kevin Wilhelm Jun 22, 2020

The time to talk about climate change and social equity is now. Author and sustainability consultant Kevin Wilhelm has a valuable new guide to bridging the political, social, and ideological chasms that keep that discussion from happening, How to Talk to the “Other Side”: Finding Common Ground in the Time of Coronavirus, Recession and Climate Change. A practical book full of real-world examples of collaboration that succeeded despite Left-Right, Urban-Rural, and racial divisions. Wilhelm and his co-author Natalie Hoffman provide a framework for building “allyship” with people usually dismissed as the stubborn, unthinking opposition. Listen to this important discussion, if only to take a little hope away to use in your life during these difficult times.
Written during the early weeks of the pandemic, How to Talk to the Other Side has even more relevance in the wake of the murder of George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter protests that started in June. He discusses the backgrounds of different factions in the climate debate, offering empathetic ideas about how to build an effective connection. We also explore the impact of generational change — among Millennials, both Republican and Democratic voters say climate change is a real, urgent issue facing our species.
Wilhelm is CEO of Seattle-based Sustainable Business Consulting, a professor at the University of Washington and Harvard University, as well as the author of Return on Sustainability: How Business Can Increase Profitability & Address Climate Change in an Uncertain Economy and other business books.
Join the conversation and share your thoughts with the community in our Earthling Forum.

Earth911 Podcast: Avoiding Revenge Pollution With World Centric's Lauren Olson Jun 01, 2020

As the world re-opens in the wake of COVID-19 Wave 1, revenge pollution threatens to amplify human environmental impacts as people travel, spend, and discard products and packaging at a higher level than before the global lockdown. Earth911's Mitch Ratcliffe talks with Lauren K. Olson, zero-waste manager at World Centric, a Rohnert Park, Calif.-based maker of compostable bioplastic food packaging and tableware about how to avoid revenge pollution in our personal lives. She shares insights into plastic choices, composting practices, travel and conscious shopping strategies that will reduce your footprint.
Join the conversation and share your thoughts with the community in our Earthling Forum.

Earth911 Podcast: Making environmental lemonade from COVID-19 lemons May 18, 2020

We're still deep in the lockdown and the Earth911 team gathers from the far corners of the U.S. to discuss how to improve our personal and community sustainability as we emerge from the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Earth911's Sarah Lozanova, Mitch Ratcliffe and our producer, Doug Mackey, talk about the increased recycling reported by cities, as well as the disappointing news that people are not cleaning and sorting recyclables -- contamination rates stay stuck between 20 percent and 25 percent in many areas. The Recycling Partnership reports similar results from its recent survey of programs in Washington, Oregon, and California.
But the Great Pause has shown that when people stop commuting and flying, significant changes in the environment can be seen. It's proof that all our small changes can add up, the question is, will we embrace this opportunity to change as the world awakes after the pandemic? We have ideas to share about how to extend the short-term changes you make in response to COVID-19 beyond the end of the lockdown. Simple changes at home, such as using rags instead of paper towels, reducing your household food waste, and rethinking when and how to travel can contribute to postive changes. And we talk about the changing way people will work as society adapts to life without a coronavirus vaccine for at least 12 to 18 months.
We also answer Earthling Questions about how to recycle tires, where to recycle marble construction waste, and the safe and successful way to recycle compact fluorescent lightbulbs (CFLs).
Join the conversation and share your thoughts with the community in our Earthling Forum.

Earth911 Podcast: SoGoodSoYou Embraces Biodegradable BtrBtl Probiotic Juice Shots May 11, 2020

Earth911 talks with Rita Katona and Eric Hall, cofounders of probiotic juice shot makers SoGoodSoYou about their new biodegradable packaging, the BtrBtl, and how contemporary companies must embrace ecological sustainability. The BtrBtl breaks down approximately 17 times faster (it “biodegrades 31.7–37.0% after 391 days in active landﬁll conditions compared to 2% biodegradation of untreated PET”). It’s an important step in the company’s efforts to reduce its ecological footprint.
Rita and Eric describe their search for better packaging for the pure juice mind and health juice shots. They cofounded the company in 2014, at the same time that they became engaged during a trip to Mexico. Together, they have created a line of probiotic 100-percent juice body and mind tonics. But they have long been troubled by the plastic waste generated, so began to explore alternatives that led to their embrace of BtrBtl this year. As Eric Hall explains, this is a step in the right direction that they will continue to pursue as they reduce their footprint.
SoGoodSoYou puts people and planet first while building on available technology. They’ve built a team dedicated to delivering healty food in sustainable packaging. If you’re practicing better plastic uses, keep an eye on SoGoodSoYou.
Join the conversation and share your thoughts with the community in our Earthling Forum.

Earth911 Podcast: ISRI Chief Economist Joe Pickard On COVID's Impact On Recycling May 04, 2020

The recycling industry, like the rest of the world, is coping with the massive disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic. Joe Pickard, the chief economist of the Institute for Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI), shares his insights into how recycling will change as a new normal emerges after the pandemic. Even as homeowners and apartment-dwellers send more recyclables through curbside programs, the commercial recycling market has slowed with closures and declining manufacturing.
The results are that overall recycling rates have fallen in most states, such as California and Oregon.
After closures, many recycling programs are re-opening with new employee safety programs. And recycling firms will fail. Those without the cash to get through the crisis are at the greatest risk, Pickard explains. Recyclers are wrestling with the changing requirements for the Payroll Protection Program loans from the Small Business Administration, but before the pandemic investments in U.S. recycling was on the increase. Perhaps the "new normal" will be a more efficient and innovative recycling infrastructure.
Join the conversation and share your thoughts with the community in our Earthling Forum.

Earth911 Podcast: Bevi Delivers Sustainable Water Services To Reduce Plastic Waste May 04, 2020

Bevi, an office water dispenser company, has saved more than 180 million plastic bottles from landfills. Earth911 talks with Sean Grundy, cofounder and CEO of Bevi, about the company's mission to deliver sustainable and healthy water, with or without flavoring. They developed a networked water dispenser that can be installed in an office to distill and carbonate tap water, adding natural flavors for about one-third the cost of a can or bottle or soda.
Grundy explains how Bevi has measured many aspects of its supply chain to understand its CO2 emissions. Its water flavorings bags and boxes, equipment, and delivery services through local partners are optimized to reduce emissions. He also explains the motivations business must embrace to win and keep dedicated employees who care about the environment. Bevi's commitment to sustainability grew out of the founding team's values, but he says they find their customers purchase its water services also embrace a concern to the environment. Check out Bevi for a fresh, sustainable drink of water.
Join the conversation and share your thoughts with the community in our Earthling Forum.

Earth911 Podcast: Sustainable Home Shopping With Loop Apr 20, 2020

Are you thinking about shopping with home delivery during the lockdown? You need to know Loop, the home grocery delivery service that picks up and recycles what you buy when you are done. Earth911 talks with Benjamin Weir, North American business development manager at Loop. Launched by Terracycle, the innovative recycling company, Loopstore.com offers 173 food and personal care products to customers in the U.S. Northeast and in France. Like the traditional milkman, Loop drops off and picks up product packaging. The packages are cleaned and reused by Terracycle. No mess, lots less recycling hassle.
Loop has developed new returnable and reusable packaging for products that include a steel Häagen-Dazs ice cream pint, Tide purclean detergent, Love Beauty Planet personal care products. Customers receive their orders in an insulated tote bag, which is picked up when full by UPS and returned to Terracycle. Weir explains that customers typically have two totes “in motion.”
The company will expand service in the U.S. and Europe during 2020, it also is working to expand its product selection. We also discuss how Loop is working with its partners to reduce customer and worker exposure to potential coronavirus infection.
Join the conversation and share your thoughts with the community in our Earthling Forum.

Earth911 Podcast: Isolation & Earth Day -- Living Sustainably During COVID-19 Apr 13, 2020

The Earth911 team gathers, again, from the far corners of this isolated country to talk about the opportunities to improve our lives and reduce our impact on the planet in the midst of the COVID-19 lockdown. Join Mitch Ratcliffe and Sarah Lozanova for a conversation about keeping sane and adding sustainability education for your kids while stuck at home. We also talk more about the phenomenal evidence from the pandemic that many individual actions, such as reducing driving and closing ports, have had on environmental quality around the world. Los Angeles' air is cleaner than any time in memory, the water in Venice is clear, and the Earth is shaking less. We can all clearly see that millions of small changes add up.
We also urge you to get ready to participate in Earth Day online. This is the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, a massive citizen action that gave us the Environmental Protection Agency, the Clean Air Act, and the Clean Water Act. Because of the COVID-19 crisis, this year's plan to get one billion people onto the streets for Earth Day have been moved online. Earth911's Gemma Alexander explored the online programs for Earth Day Foodprints for the Future, Earth Challenge, EARTHRISE, and Great Global Cleanup you can join during the week of April 22nd. If you are stuck at home, do something for your planet!
And we answer your Earthling Questions! This week, learn how to dispose of weed killer containers, whether it is a good idea to crush soup cans before recycling, and how a hair salon can start recycling effectively.

Earth911 Podcast: The Resilience Action Fund Shares Resilient Building Advice Apr 06, 2020

Begin building resilient communities based on a thorough awareness of nature, Aris Popadopoulos, founder of the Resilience Action Fund, a non-profit that provides information, educational information, and research to communities. As rising sea levels threaten coastal communities and extreme weather increases inland, Popadopoulos advises homeowners and renters to become more aware of the at-risk locations near them to avoid direct damage due to climate change.
Popadopoulos, who is active in Miami-area resilience planning and a World Trade Center attack survivor, is the author of Resilience -- The Ultimate Sustainability: Lessons from Failing to Develop a Stronger and Safer Built Environment. He shares how king tides, which flood parts of Miami regularly, are already mapping the future of habitable land in his home town. We also discuss progress or the lack thereof in Houston and other parts of the country.
If you are considering a new home, take a few minutes with the Resilience Action Fund to learn what risks to look for, how to ensure you receive all the information you need to make a location decision and start building your resilient foundation for life in the 2020s.

Earth911 Podcast: Ramprate's Syzygy Impact Sourcing Score Mar 30, 2020

Companies face growing demands from consumers, government, and NGOs to reduce their carbon footprint, decrease their overall environmental impact, and to provide just work conditions. Ramprate.com, an innovative sourcing advisory firm that pioneered data services based on renewable energy, has launched a scoring system to track the impacts at every step in a company's supply chain, Syzygy Sourcing Impact. As Ramprate explains it, the world is in the midst of a statistical revolution that will help to optimize human productivity to live prosperpously within the planet's carrying capacity.
The Ramprate team partnered with CSRHub.com and others to examine the financial, environmental, and social responsibility performance of more than 1,300 companies to develop the Syzygy system. We talk with founder and CEO Tony Greenberg and chief strategy officer Alex Veytsel about how Ramprate evolved from helping its clients reduce telecommunication costs to tackling climate impacts from energy use, transportation, and every other facet of corporate sustainability. It's a high-concept conversation that you'll come away from with ideas to help your business become more sustainable. Consumers should listen, too, because Syzygy and other scoring systems will eventually inform how products are labeled to convey environmental impacts, safety, and social responsibility.
Join the conversation and share your thoughts with the community in our Earthling Forum.

Earth911 Podcast: Coronavirus, Sustainability Changes, and Earth Day Planning Mar 23, 2020

The Earth911 gang assembles in a time of crisis. Maybe we aren't The Avengers, but we have proof from the pandemic that many individual changes in behavior can add up to massive changes in environmental impact. The coronavirus has halted life in many parts of the world, driving down pollution levels and raising sustainability red flags as oil prices drop, plastic has come back in vogue, and the plans for Earth Day 50 on April 22nd go virtual.
Dive into this week's conversation about green COVID-19 prevention, how to use coronavirus disruption to reset your life for sustainability, and to plan your Earth Day activities. In this week's Earthling Questions, we explain how to reuse pill bottles to fight disease around the world, what to do with unwearable used clothing, and the right way to recycle of the HDPE bag inside your cereal box.
Join the conversation and share your thoughts with the community in our Earthling Forum.

Earth911 Podcast: Earth Day Initiative's John Oppermann Mar 22, 2020

New York City's Earth Day celebrations are among the largest in the world. Earth911 talks with John Oppermann, executive director of Earth Day Initiative, which produces the annual events. The 50th anniversary of Earth Day physical events have been canceled, but Oppermann's team has set up a virtual event, including speeches, interactive presentations, and booths that you can stroll from home. Learn about climate change and the steps you can take to reduce your impact, then find organizations to support and join.
We talked before the coronavirus pandemic resulted in lockdowns across the country. Oppermann discussed the many options we have to be better stewards of the Earth. Spend this 20 minutes to prepare for your virtual participation in Earth Day 50, it will help make an even bigger difference than the physical event.
Join the conversation and share your thoughts with the community in our Earthling Forum.

Earth911 Podcast: Dr. Anita Sanchez On Making Climate Personal In 2020 Mar 18, 2020

The Earth is our shared home, and that insight can help save the world, Dr. Anita Sanchez explains in this thoughtful conversation with Earth911. The author of The Four Sacred Gifts: Indigenous Wisdom for Modern Times shares her lifelong investigation of our interconnectedness, traversing Mohican, Hopi, and Buddhist thought to suggest four key actions for making climate change personal. She links four essential indigenous ideas, our power to forgive the unforgivable, to heal, our essential unity, and the power of hope to four simple actions we can take as individuals and communities to restore the planet.

Earth911 Podcast: PlaySafe Ice Blocker Removes Environmental and Pet Risks Mar 16, 2020

The annual challenge of keeping walkways and drives clear of snow has a terrible environmental impact. In colder regions, a single household will use between 200 lb.s and 800 lbs. of salt each year, which leads to chloride contamination in lakes, streams, and groundwater. PlaySafe Ice Blocker is a new chloride-free anti-icing liquid that is safe for the environment, pets, and your children. Earth911 talks with Mitch Vestal, founder of PlaySafe about how to de-ice safely the rest of this Winter and next year.
The inefficiency of chloride de-icing salts, which work in narrow bands of temperatures, results in most of the material running off or remaining in your lawn. Rock salt must first become liquid before it can work, which is why so much salt is left over after the snow is gone. Vestal explains how one gallon of PlaySafe Ice Blocker can replace up to 200 lbs. of rock salt de-icer. PlaySafe can be sprayed on walkways and driveways to prevent ice from forming during a storm, and it leaves a light slush that is easier to remove than partially melted ice.

Earth911 Podcast: Sustainability At Home -- Food, Detergents, and Reuse Projects Mar 09, 2020

The Earth911 team is talking about the household decisions and projects to think about if you have some extra coronavirus-isolation time on your hands. We look at four kinds of laundry detergent, including powdered, liquid, pod, and sheet detergents that are easier on your clothes and the environment. Thinking about a Mother's Day or Father's Day gift you can make yourself this year? Take a look at our guide to making an eco-friendly shaving kit or eight ways to reuse aluminum cans in DIY projects that also make fun gifts.
And we discuss the labeling of foods and a recent study by As You Sow, a non-profit that examined the supply chains of major food producers for pesticide-use transparency. You'll be surprised by which companies did well and some of the names of the laggards that are best to avoid if you want to know what you are eating.
In this week's Earthling Questions, we explain how to recycle VHS tapes and used tires. Also, there's a new section in the Earthling Forum where sustainable businesses can share information with our readers. Add your business now!
Join the conversation and share your thoughts with the community in our Earthling Forum.

Earth911 Podcast: The Plastic Crisis Is Here And We Have Answers Feb 24, 2020

Plastic recycling in the U.S. has declined so much since the China ban on contaminated recyclable materials that it is no longer legally "recyclable" according to Federal Trade Commission rules. How2Recycle.org, the organization that labels products has downgraded plastic from "recyclable" to "check locally" for available programs. You can use Earth911's recycling search to find local plastic recyclers. We've arrived at the plastic recycling crisis Americans have been worrying about, and the Earth911 team talks through reducing plastic use, the scope of plastic pollution in the seas and on the highest peaks in the world, as well as six ways to reuse plastic bottles instead of sending them to a landfill. There is also a glimmer of hope in Nestle’s commitment to pay more than market price for recycled food-grade #1 plastic for use in its bottled water packaging. Listen in to find out what you can do with plastic and how to encourage your community to invest in recycling.
We also explore strategies for carbon sequestration. Everyone can contribute to removing carbon from the atmosphere by planting trees, yet there is so much excess CO2 that industrial carbon capture and sequestration will be needed to return the gas to pre-industrial levels. And take a few minutes to learn about how to check your photovoltaic solar panels to see if they are still producing power efficiently. If your panels are worn out, you'll need to know where and how to recycle them. Sarah Lozanova explains the emerging solar panel recycling industry, which is currently dominated by European companies.
In this week's Earthling Questions, find out how to recycle the #7 plastic bags in which electronics are shipped, where to recycle button batteries and get the latest on the state of glass recycling.
Join the conversation and share your thoughts with the community in our Earthling Forum.

Earth911 Podcast: Plastic, Sustainability, and You Feb 10, 2020

The Earth911 team is back at the microphone to talk about plastic, sustainability, and the actions we can all take around the house to reduce, reuse, and recycle. This week, learn how to recycle disposable contact lenses and how to create a zero-waste kitchen. We also talk through the many problems with bottled water in plastic packaging, from the reliance on virgin petroleum resources to micro-plastics in bottled and tap water. Finally, you have probably purchased a dozen things this year that came with a silica gel pack to prevent moisture damage -- did you know you can use them to create a potpourri, prevent jewelry from tarnishing, and to protect personal documents from aging? We've got the whole silica gel reuse lowdown.
In Earthling Questions this week, you asked and we answered: What to do with 1,300 DVD cases? Does Earth911 recommend any office paper and forms or checks companies? And, can VHS tape cases be recycled?
Join the conversation and share your thoughts with the community in our Earthling Forum.

Earth911 Podast: Net-Zero Prefab Homes From Dvele Jan 20, 2020

Dvele's Brandon Weiss has a vision for durable Net-zero housing. As Chief Innovation Officer at Dvele, a San Diego-based manufacturer of sustainably made passive homes, Weiss is creating an array of home styles that buyers can customize and see built within six months. The company is working in Ventura and Sonoma Counties in California to help provide new homes for wildfire victims. Earth911's Mitch Ratcliffe talks with Weiss about the future of housing, Dvele's hardy construction standards, and sustainability features.
If you are going to build a home in the next few years, prefab houses offer several advantages over traditional houses and older prefab homes. Because they are built in factories and assembled on-site, Dvele passive home designs provide a secure envelope inside the home, integrated fire and earthquake resistance, and style built using new materials that can last "for centuries," according to Weiss. Dvele homes are completely electric -- no natural gas or propane appliances -- and incorporate solar panels in the roof to provide reliable power year-round with battery backup.
Join the conversation and share your thoughts with the community in our Earthling Forum.

Earth911 Podast: Make 2020 The Year of A Greener You Jan 13, 2020

Happy New Year, Earthlings! Join the Earth911 team as they talk about the green choices and important trends of 2020. Evelyn Fielding-Lopez, Sarah Lozanova, and Mitch Ratcliffe are on the air to discuss minimalist living and how it fits with frugal choices, the important trends in solar power and environmentally friendly living that we expect to see take hold in 202o, as well as the growing range of choices of electric vehicles and charging options for green travel.
Our Earthling Questions answered this week include: How to recycle padded envelopes, changing glass recycling access in the U.S., and what to do with well-loved stuffed toys.
Join the conversation and share your thoughts with the community in our Earthling Forum.

Earth911 Podcast: Steve Nygren, Founder of Eco-community Serenbe Dec 30, 2019

Serenbe is an ecologically responsible 1,000-acre community in the Chattahoochee Hill Country just outside Atlanta. With more than 700 residents living around four village centers, Serenbe maintains more than 70 percent of its land as green space, offering a lovely combination of environmental living with culture, food, and shopping designed for local consumption. Former restauranteur Steve Nygren, the founder of Serenbe, joins Earth911 to discuss his vision and progress toward a new model for communities. He shares how his love of the hill country started with a weekend retreat that has led three generations of his family to live in Serenbe.
Nygren sold dozens of restaurants around the country to pour his attention into building Serenbe, which won the Urban Land Institute's inaugural Sustainability Award. Bringing a lifetime of hospitality experience to the project, Nygren and his company have assembled stores, restaurants, and a variety of home designs that range from large single-family houses to small studio flats that allow for all incomes to live and work in Serenbe. The community also provides theater, art programs, and other programs for residents. Since it is so near Atlanta, Serenbe blends rural life with the convenience of a nearby urban center.
We discuss who finds Serenbe to be an ideal home, the challenges of building a town from scratch to coexist with nature, and how Serenbe supports small businesses that locate in the community. Nygren also shares how the construction of homes in Serenbe lowers power and heating requirements by 30 percent or more. You can visit Serenbe to see for yourself what natural living can look like.
Join the conversation and share your thoughts with the community in our Earthling Forum.

Earth911 Podcast: Recycling Info On Google Assistant, and Thanks For a Great 2019! Dec 23, 2019

The Earth911 team has a lot to celebrate this year. We're live on Google Assistant, where you can now ask how and where to recycle materials with a simple "Hey, Google!" Evelyn Fielding-Lopez and Mitch Ratcliffe sit down to talk about the last year and where sustainability is going. Learn how to be environmentally friendly at college -- the lessons there will affect a lifetime and can be applied by anyone. We have a lot of confidence that youth will live in greater harmony with the planet. Check out Seattle-based Ridwell, which provides home pickup of batteries, textiles, and plastic film. Adding flexibility to the single-stream waste system is the best hope for increased recycling success.
We also take a look a the sustainability of cannabis farming. As the fast-growing industry evolves, will it embrace sustainability information for consumers? We'd like to see information about recycling on cannabis packaging. For those looking for a natural remedy, we also discuss the benefits of sleep, hydration, and natural medicine to staying healthy.
Of course, we also answer your Earthling Questions: How to organize community action to get recycling services -- one of our listeners just lost local recycling and wants to bring it back. What is working with Terracycle like? Jessica, a listener on Facebook wants to partner with Terracycle to address mixed materials, such as composite packaging. And what do you do with used antifreeze? Can it be filtered and reused at home?
Join the conversation and share your thoughts with the community in our Earthling Forum.

Earth911 Podcast: The Carton Council's Jason Pelz on Carton Recycling Progress Dec 16, 2019

Jason Pelz, vice president of the Carton Council, joins Earth911 to talk about progress in beverage carton recycling, which is up more than 280 percent over the last decade. Founded in 2009, when carton recycling rates were stuck at six percent, the Carton Council is an alliance of beverage packaging manufacturing companies. Pelz, who is also the director of circular economy projects at TetraPak, shares the group's goals for 2025 and beyond. He also takes a pop-quiz on how cartons can be recycled with flying colors.
Carton packaging is made from paper fiber and other materials, it is a composite that was not accepted by most recycling programs in 2009. As new technology improves the ability to break down composite materials, more programs have added cartons to their accepted materials list. Today, 61 percent of homes in the United States have curbside access to carton recycling.
By passing more than 60 percent of homes with carton recycling, carton manufacturers now can place the recyclable label on their products. We discuss the three major carton recycling operations in the U.S. and the Carton Council's plans to reach 75 percent of homes by 2025.
Do you know whether a milk carton should be put in the blue bin with the cap or off? This podcast answers that question and many more.
Join the conversation and share your thoughts with the community in our Earthling Forum.

Earth911 Podcast: U.K. Environmental Leader Tony Juniper On Rainforest Awareness and Restoration Dec 09, 2019

Tony Juniper spent a lifetime traveling the world’s rainforests and raising awareness about environmental threats. Now, he chairman of the United Kingdom’s Natural England, the national conservation agency — by contrast the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is headed by a former coal industry lobbyist. He joins Earth911 to talk about his new book, Rainforest: Dispatches From the Earth’s Most Vital Frontlines. It is an exploration of the role rainforests play in the global environment and Juniper’s many activist accomplishments. We particularly recalled the Mahogony is Murder campaign that dramatically reduced illegal logging in the Amazon basin. Juniper has been at the forefront of environmental movements since they first began.
The rainforests are “Earth’s lungs,” Juniper explains. They help to exchange water between the soil and atmosphere, as well as host the widest range of species on the planet. The loss of rainforests threatens humanity’s ability to discover and learn from nature’s mechanism through “biomimicry.” He shares how the planet will suffer from systemic illness in the planet’s body — as ice collapses in the South, oceans will rise on all continents, for example. We can learn from Juniper, who has the ear of Britain’s Prince Charles, a leader of efforts to preserve rainforests in South America and the Asia-Pacific region. His experience can teach people everywhere how to get involved and make a positive impact for the Earth.
All is not lost, Juniper counsels, but the hour for action is passing. He sees governments, businesses, and non-governmental organizations working together to reduce the carbon emissions and believes humanity may have awakened to climate threats. Join the conversation to learn what you can do to help.
Join the conversation and share your thoughts with the community in our Earthling Forum.

Earth911 Podcast: Tracker Tom Brown Jr. On Saving The Earth One Step At a Time Dec 02, 2019

Humans began their journey on this planet by learning to survive, then to steward the Earth, but they have forgotten that they live in a great system. Author Tom Brown Jr., renowned tracker, and teacher talks with Earth911 about his latest book, Tom Brown's Guide to Healing the Earth. Brown, who was taught by an Apache elder he met as a boy to live in harmony with nature, shares how small steps taken each day can create vast change in the world. He and co-author Randy Walker Jr. recently shared a summary of his ideas in an article for Earth911.
Tom shares how he met Stalking Wolf, the Apache who mentored him in exploring and appreciating the interconnectedness of nature and humanity. By pausing and stepping back to take in a meadow or clearing, his tracking students learn to recognize what should be and how natural patterns have been interrupted, pointing the way to a lost child, a fleeing criminal, or a friend in need. It's a fascinating half-hour with a thoughtful teacher and explorer who has trained people around the world to survive in the wilderness.

Earth911 Podcast: Beat Wishcycling Habits with Lauren Olson of World Centric Nov 28, 2019

Wishcycling, tossing something that can't be recycled into the blue bin, is the bane of recycling programs because it can contaminate other materials in the system. Earth911's Mitch Ratcliffe talks with Lauren Olson, Zero Waste Manager at compostable tableware maker World Centric in Rohnert Park, California, about building simple habits that prevent wishcycling. Simply keeping up with your local recycling program's rules is the best step you can take, but with rules changing so often consumers need to build a habit of checking with their recycler's website frequently.
Wishcycled materials, which can include many types of plastic, glass, and electronics, among other materials, can lead to injuries in the materials recovery facility (MRF, or "Murph") where recyclables are sorted. Machines can be jammed by styrofoam and plastic film, for example, and when workers try to pull the jam out they can be injured. Lauren also discusses how compostable and recyclable products companies like World Centric must engage with local solid waste authorities to get new materials included in the recycling stream. Without a national standard for recycling, it's tough for everyone, from product makers to citizens who buy those products, to successfully recycle materials.
If you'd like to see local restaurants and grocers using compostable plastic and fiber containers for to-go food and other packaging, tell them about World Centric's wide range of Earth-friendly packaging.

Earth911 Podcast: How To Lower Your Carbon Footprint and Save Money Nov 24, 2019

The Earth911 gang gathers at the microphone to talk about how to lower CO2 emissions and save money in your commute and heating bills. We start with the savings from switching to an electric vehicle. Earth911 recently published an EV article and worksheet that helps you understand the potential CO2 reductions and cash savings an EV delivers by state. Because different states generate more or less electricity from fossil fuels, your results will vary. If you have already installed solar on your home to power your car, the savings can be almost 100% of your commuting carbon footprint.
Sarah Lozanova shares how the real estate industry is upgrading its building standards and her experience living in a passive house. Commercial buildings account for 39 percent of global carbon emissions, which can be lowered by introducing more efficient construction and technology that are part of the LEED standards from the U.S. Green Building Council. The Urban Land Institute's Center for Sustainability and Economic Performance has introduced the Greenprint program to help drive improved standards and reporting about sustainable building practices. Members lowered power consumption in their buildings by 3.3 percent between 2016 and 2017. Sarah's home in a community of passive houses in Maine has provided consistently warm winters using very little energy while staying cool in the Summer. We walk through how a passive home works and the potential to reach net-zero emissions with solar panels.
And don't forget our furry friends. We discuss how to make dog toys from reused fabric (the hide-a-treat dog mat is our favorite), including puzzle toys that help improve your dog's thinking skills. Yes, dogs have thinking skills, even if Cat People don't agree! In Earthling Questions, we explain how to recycle or donate a used bed frame. Also on tap: what the best Christmas tree for the planet and the truth about Best Buy's excellent free recycling program -- it's not necessary to buy something to recycle.
Join the conversation and share your thoughts with the community in our Earthling Forum.

Earth911 Podcast: Giki's Jo Hand on Achieving a Sustainable Lifestyle Nov 22, 2019

Planet-friendly shopping is a new skill for many consumers. Making the right environmental choice takes information and coaching. Giki, a British mobile app for iPhone and Android, is helping U.K. shoppers make responsible decisions. Earth911 talks with Jo Hand, co-founder of Giki, about the path to a sustainable life. Giki users simply scan a barcode on the product to get a quick environmental and social responsibility report about the product and the company that made it. While the app is available only in the U.K. and European Union today, it's a smart step forward that will eventually reach U.S. consumers.
Giki uses badges to explain the environmental qualities of products. "Organic," Free from Additives," and "Low Carbon Footprint" are examples of quick cues provided to the Giki user as they shop. A product with more badges is better. Each badge offers additional details about the impact on the planet, animals, and people, so you can tune your consumption to support your goals for the world.
Jo Hand shares how her own shopping is guided by the need to reduce unsustainable palm oil consumption -- palm oil is used in thousands of products, often without clear attribution on the labelling. She also focuses on UK-made products and enjoys finding "Hero Products" that are the most sustainable and healthiest available. Her team at Giki, which she cofounded with her husband, has profiled thousands of products to identify their environmental impact. We discuss the importance of transparency at brands and the power of individuals making informed choices. Giki aims to expand to North America, but this is an app that we think can inspire a better world today.
Join the conversation and share your thoughts with the community in our Earthling Forum.

Earth911 Podcast: Author Alice Hill on Building a Resilient Future Nov 18, 2019

In an important new book about the climate challenges faced by U.S. cities, Alice Hill, Senior Fellow for Climate Change Policy at the Council on Foreign Relations, and Leonardo Martinez-Diaz, the Global Director, Sustainable Finance Center of the World Resources Institute, lay out the issues that will define our lives and public policy for the next century. We talk with Alice Hill about Building A Resilient Tomorrow: How to Prepare for the Coming Climate Disruption.
Hill explains how Norfolk, Virginia, the home of the largest naval port in the U.S., is an early example of a city confronting rising seas and sinking land, increased salinity in drinking water, and extreme weather, which can serve as an example for the entire country. The city's conservative government has worked aggressively to prepare for climate warming after seeing sea levels rise by 18 inches over the past several decades. As "climate attribution" science improves, the facts of global warming became undisputable. Pragmatic action replaced skepticism.
We also discuss how communities and citizens can motivate local and national action. Hill describes a new reality in which the consequences of CO2 are widely understood and consumers with transparent access to information will have better choices available. It will also produce a wave of liability lawsuits that redefine responsibility for CO2 emissions. Why? Because entire populations may be on the move due to seal water inundating coastal cities. But we can prevent that by acting now. Hill's advice to many communities: Lawyer up.
But cities, too, face consequences from their zoning and regulatory decisions. Are cities liable for changes in flood and fire management rules put in place for companies or investors in their communities? These issues will be decided by living generations. Building A Resilient Tomorrow: How to Prepare for the Coming Climate Disruption is a must-read guide for policymakers and citizens who recognize that climate disruption is redefining our lives every day.
Join the conversation and share your thoughts with the community in our Earthling Forum.

Earth911 Podcast: eevie Offers Sustainable Living Coaching in the Palm of Your Hand Nov 15, 2019

eevie is a new mobile app for the iPhone and Android that helps people identify their carbon impact when shopping and making daily decisions about travel and diet. Earth911 talks with the founders of eevie, Tono Willms, Lenni Paar, and Raphi Ferretti. eevie suggests personal carbon reduction goals and tracks your location to coach you toward those goals based on an "Impact Score" it calculates as you make choices in your life. It's a smart assistant and mentor for carbon-conscious consumers.
The eevie team lives its mission. They work collaboratively across three counties in Europe, minimizing travel and CO2 footprint. They have established a goal of helping people achieve a “4 tonnes CO2 lifestyle” by 2025, starting with themselves. If everyone were to reduce their CO2 output to 8,800 lb.s a year -- four metric tons -- we can stop the rise of excess CO2 in the atmosphere.
We also explore the ways eevie tracks users, especially how personal data is used, to help create improvements. Chief Data Officer Raphi Ferretti shares how aggregated anonymous information can be used to help populations of people understand the trade-offs available when buying a product or planning travel. The app does not share any personal information and hopes to build its business through subscriptions or anonymized advertising services.
Want to start using eevie today? Visit the Apple App Store or Google Play store.
Join the conversation and share your thoughts with the community in our Earthling Forum.

Earth911 Podcast: Rockay Socks Combine Recycled Ocean Plastic With Reduced Water Usage Nov 11, 2019

Rockay makes socks from ocean plastic with anti-odor characteristics that reduce the need to wash by five to 10 times. It's a remarkable combination of recycling and water-use reduction that can make a big impact on an athlete's environmental impact. Earth911 talks with Daniel Chabert, founder and CEO of Rockay. The company produces organic wool and other socks, but Chabert's addition of recycled ocean plastics has transformed his perspective on sustainability.
Rockay's ocean plastics come mostly from discarded fishing nets, which constitute about 70 percent of all the plastic waste in the Earth's waters. The recovered fibers are tough and hold up to long-term use. By combining an odor-resistant compound invented by Polygiene, a Danish textiles company of the same name, Rockay socks fight odor from sweat and skin trapped in the socks after use. The result is athletic wear that can be washed every five to 10 workouts, which translates into much lower water use. The Polygiene treatment uses a silver salt applied to the material to eliminate odor.
Chabert, a runner who wanted to reduce his environmental impact, shares how he started and grew Rockay, which is expanding its offerings into other athletic wear just 18 months after it launched. If you're looking for a more sustainable sock, check out Rockay.

Earth911 Podcast, November 8, 2019: Getting Your Start In Recycling with PNW Metal Recycling's Sean Daoud Nov 08, 2019

What's the path to a career in recycling? Sean Daoud, Treasurer of PNW Metal Recycling Inc. in Portland, Oregon, talks with Earth911 about how he got involved recycling, what his job involves, and the work environment. If you want to help to save the world for a living, this episode is for you. Daoud was born into a recycling family, starting out in the scrap yard running equipment after high school. After completing internships and sales and his degree in human resources, he returned to the family business, where his responsibilities now include planning the company's future. The work involves constant communication and traditional business networking, as well as an eye for innovation and efficiency that can be introduced to improve profits.
Daoud is an active member of the Institute for Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI), where he is vice president of the Pacific Northwest Chapter. Participating in ISRI has proven an effective tool for building recycling industry connections and expertise. Sean shares the advice that recent grads seeking to work in the industry should network and use every opportunity to learn. We also talk about the growing role of communications and sorting technology, which has accelerated the pace of change in the industry. Recycling workers are now connected from the yard to the office and across customer relationships by technology. It is a dynamic industry like any other, with materials flowing across boundaries and through many regulatory regimes around the world, all of which recycling executives must master to succeed. And Daoud has good advice for listeners who want to work in recycling. Check out this episode to learn how to get started in recycling. Whether you start in the yard or back office, there are great futures ahead in recycling for those who network and learn.
Join the conversation and share your thoughts with the community in our Earthling Forum.

Earth911 Podcast, November 4, 2019: How Dumps, Landfills, and Incinerators Work Nov 04, 2019

The Earth911 team sits down to talk about how dumps differ from landfills, how incinerators work, and the limits of landfill expansion. Join Evelyn Fileding-Lopez, Sarah Lozanova, and Mitch Ratcliffe for this week's But first, we explore natural ways to remove stains, including grease, blood, and wine in recent infographic from Tommy John that we published. Do you know how to dispose of plastic bags responsibly? In one of our most popular postings of the last month, Patti Roth explained how disposable plastic bags have become a greater challenge to recycle and, unfortunately, now mostly end up in landfills. Here's an important tip: don't put your recyclables into plastic bags; instead, take plastic and cans out of the bag when you put them in the bin to prevent them from going into the garbage.
Where does your garbage go? We walk through Gemma Alexander's excellent articles about where we send our garbage in the United States, how dumps differ from landfills, how landfills work, and how incinerators have become a more important part of U.S. waste disposal. The construction of a landfill is a complicated long-term commitment to manage it for three decades after it closes -- yet, even that leaves tons of waste in the environment for centuries. Our recent article includes an illustration that explains how Incinerators are now a source of power generation, but produce toxic fly ash that can be reused to make concrete. The solution is to produce less garbage by buying less and recycling more. With a solid understanding of the ins and outs of where your garbage goes, you can make informed decisions about which recycling and waste options you want to use.
As always, we answer your Earthling questions about recycling disposable contact lenses with Terracycle, aluminum cat food cans, and acrylic paint.
Join the conversation and share your thoughts with the community in our Earthling Forum.

Earth911 Podcast, November 1, 2019: Baru Seeds, A Sustainable Peanut Alternative Nov 01, 2019

Baru seeds are a sustainable superfood from the Brazilian Cerrado, the highland savannah that feeds South America's major rivers. Harvested by indigenous peoples who previously cut down the Baru (Dupteryx alata), the seeds contain more antioxidants than any domesticated nut -- seven times the amount in peanuts -- and have created good jobs that prevent illegal logging. In this Earth911 Innovator Interview, Ally Mamalider, director of business strategy at Organic Traditions, shares the story of how the company brought the Baru seed to U.S. markets. We explore how the Baru seed is grown and harvested, as well as the many edible uses to which its seed and the seed husk can be put. Nothing needs to go to waste.
Baru seeds taste like peanuts but have none of the allergens peanuts carry. They are striking, with skin the color of mahogany and the meat is white, with a light peanut flavor. They can be processed into a peanut butter replacement, nut milk, or used in place of peanuts in curries and salads. Mamalider explains that Baru trees grow with no irrigation and, compared to popular nuts, deliver more protein with fewer calories. You can order your first taste at Organic Traditions.
Ally also shared recipes that bring the Baru seeds to life in your diet. Check out this healthy and sustainable alternative to peanuts.

Earth911 Podcast, October 28, 2019: Dr. Reggie Ferriera on Climate Change and Human Stress Levels Oct 28, 2019

How will climate change impact many people first? Through stress, our response to increasingly uncertain weather conditions and the increasing pace of climate disasters, Dr. Reggie Ferreira, Associate Director of the Traumatology Institute at Tulane University's School of Social Work. Having worked as part of New Orleans' recovery after Hurricane Katrina and in Puerto Rico following Hurricane Maria, Dr. Ferreira has advice for cities and citizens who are facing climate change: Prepare by planning for disaster and building a strong social network that can work together in the wake of a hurricane, wildfire, or other weather-related disasters. Dr. Ferreira is also the editor of the American Psychological Association's journal of disaster and trauma, Traumatology, and head of the Society for Social Work Research's Disaster Research Group.
In his conversation with Earth911's Mitch Ratcliffe, Dr. Ferreira shares his own experience in disaster zones and advice for the mental health community. Robust social connections are critical to community responses to disasters. Psychologists and other social workers need to rethink the way they organize responses, starting before a storm or fire to build the relationships that can overcome traditional social services models. He also explains how the impact of disasters on the poorest and most disadvantaged people, including the mentally ill, is greater than other segments of society. By preparing these communities, a city can be more resilient in the face of a hurricane's destruction as well as better for everyone on a daily basis. Communication and trust are tested by disasters and establishing a strong social bond before they strike is the keystone for successful responses to climate change-caused misery.
Join the conversation and share your thoughts with the community in our Earthling Forum.

Earth911 Podcast, October 25, 2019: Saving US jobs, and t-shirts from landfills, with Project Repat Oct 25, 2019

Project Repat, founded by Ross Lohr and Nathan Rothstein, has prevented more than 11 million t-shirts from landfills while bringing some sewing work back to the United States. Earth911's Mitch Ratcliffe talks with Rothstein about the inspiration behind Project Repat and the massive changes in U.S. t-shirt manufacturing over the past 30 years. After migrating to Mexico, t-shirt printing jobs have gone overseas and few American companies still make them.
Project Repat has a better idea: turn old shirts into keepsake quilts hand-sewn using t-shirts sent by customers. Instead of tossing a t-shirt in the donation bin, it can be turned into a part of a memorable and snug quilt. Love a sports team? Make a quilt of the team t-shirts and jerseys you've purchased over the years. Want to remember a school or a company where you worked? In all likelihood, you have the makings of a Project Repat quilt. Reasonably priced based on the size, Project Repat takes your order and receives your shirts by mail, then turns them into fleece-backed quilt.
Join the conversation and share your thoughts with the community in our Earthling Forum.

Earth911 Podcast, Oct. 21, 2019: A More Sustainable Halloween! Oct 21, 2019

A spooky Halloween doesn't have to be a horror show for the planet. Join the Earth911 team as we talk through how to reduce the waste and garbage produced by the scariest holiday of the year. First off, a green Halloween can be a budget Halloween with these ideas about making, renting, and recycling costumes for kids and adults. Cosplay enthusiasts out there can bring the environmental ideal to your fun, too. Making your own Halloween decorations is another way to take the old and make it new this year. We share ideas about how to reuse household items as All Hallow's Eve decorations.
Torn over the prospect of handing out processed sugar packaged in single-use bags and boxes? We've got some suggestions for greener alternatives to candy and their wrappers.
We also answer your Earthling Questions, too. This week we address how to recycle the #7 plastic bags for birdseed, the best way to replace a private-labeled battery -- many companies, such as ADT provide their own batteries with its products -- and the challenge of recycling pens and markers. Terracycle has a convenient, but somewhat expensive, office zero waste box that can help with marker and pen recycling.
Join the conversation and share your thoughts with the community in our Earthling Forum.

Earth911 Podcast, Oct. 7, 2019: Hydrofluorocarbons, Bad Water, and Fall Gardening Oct 07, 2019

The Earth911 gang is back at the microphone to talk about hydroflourocarbon 152A, the supergreenhouse gas in many U.S. aerosol products (it's banned elsewhere in the world), how to identify and deal with contaminated tap water, and the preparations and plantings you can make now to a healthy garden in 2020. Join Evelyn Fielding-Lopez, Sarah Lozanova, and Mitch Ratcliffe for a conversation that can help you prevent climate change and protect your family from lead and other widespread contaminants in the U.S. water infrastructure -- more than 63 million Americans are at risk from contaminated water.
As always, we answer your Earthling Questions, too. This week we address how to recycle plastic gift cards, perfumes and beauty products, as well as what to do with 600 lb. of hybrid car batteries that need to be recycled.
Join the conversation and share your thoughts with the community in our Earthling Forum.

Earth911 Podcast, Oct. 4 2019: RightWater Goes Plastic-free Oct 04, 2019

RightWater, a mineral water distributor, is setting a new standard in sustainability. The company has abandoned all the plastic it used and replaced bottles with 100-percent recycled aluminum cans. Jono Wylie, head of sustainability at RightWater, joins Earth911 to talk about why RightWater made the decision to go Earth-friendly. The water, available in cases online, comes with two reusable aluminum straws and a zero-carbon footprint. The benefits extend to people around the world who don't have clean drinking water through RightWater contributions to DROP4DROP, a charity that provides sustainable water supplies to water-stressed communities.
Wylie explains why there are no half-measures when the Earth is in the balance. In addition to switching to aluminum, RightWater stopped using BPA, a plastic liner injected into aluminum cans to protect against metallic taste and removed all non-compostable plastic from its production and distribution process. Sourced from a California spring is a "premium water" currently served in gyms and hotels. Consumers can order online, get delicious water and help the 800 million humans without access to clean drinking water eliminate water-borne disease.
Join the conversation and share your thoughts with the community in our Earthling Forum.
Subscribe to the podcast in iTunes.

Earth911 Podcast, Sept. 30, 2019: The State of the Recycling System Sep 30, 2019

Explore the state of U.S. recycling with Joe Pickard, Chief Economist and Director of Commodities at the Institute for Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI). He joins Earth911 to talk about the recently released ISRI 2019 Economic Impact Study. Despite massive change after China refused to accept U.S. recyclables in early 2018, the U.S. recycling industry grew last year to $110 billion in economic activity and added jobs. More than 531,510 people work in recycling-related jobs and direct employment in recycling increased by about 5 percent since 2017.
Joe and Mitch Ratcliffe discuss the changing landscape in U.S. recycling. New players and new technology are improving recycling efficiency, yet the progress is not always visible to consumers who are still seeing declines in glass, plastic, and paper acceptance at their municipal recycling programs. ISRI conducts ongoing work to provide new guidelines for recycled materials. Joe explains how the recently announced ISRI Scrap Specifications Working Group is helping to introduce new recycling practices that will expand the recycling of plastics, paper, and new materials appearing in the market. At the end of the day, recycling must be economically sustainable and these new guidelines will help improve the overall U.S. recycling rate.
Join the conversation and share your thoughts with the community in our Earthling Forum.

Earth911 Podcast, Sept. 23, 2019: CBD Sustainability, Solar Installation Contracts, and Indoor Vertical Gardens Sep 23, 2019

Following the rapid rise of CBD-based products, Earth911 looks at the environmental footprint of the non-psychoactive product of hemp and cannabis plants. We also walk the steps to a successful home solar installation contract and explore the opportunity to green your interior with vertical gardens. Join Evelyn Fielding-Lopez, Sarah Lozanova, and Mitch Ratcliffe for this week's sustainable living and recycling discussion.
Products containing CBD are promoted as cures of pain, anxiety, and animal health, but is the production of CBD sustainable? We explore how CBD is grown and packaged to discover if your cannabis-based skin regime and sleep aide is good for the planet. Most CBD comes from industrial hemp farms, which use the spent plant material to make textiles and rope, among a variety of things this ancient plant supplies. We also answer a related Earthling Question about how to determine the quality and dosage in CBD products.
If you are planning to install solar panels before the next annual reduction in government subsidies, check out Sarah's guide to finding the right contractor and negotiating a good deal.
As we head into Fall, it's a good time to look indoors for vegetative inspiration. Vertical gardens can make your home more beautiful while freshening the air and supplying herbs for your Winter meals. Another good source of projects for the longer nights ahead is the shipping pallet, which can be broken down and reused as furniture, kitchen racks, and make your home more attractive. We cover how to choose the right pallets, the tools you'll need, and point to some great DIY projects.
This week's Earthling Questions are about how to recycle the interior of a vehicle and whether alkaline batteries need to be bagged recycling. Be sure to keep your guides to recycling single-use batteries and rechargeable batteries handy.
Join the conversation and share your thoughts with the community in our Earthling Forum.

Earth911 Podcast: Global Thermostat's Graciela Chichilnisky on Distributed Carbon Capture Economies Sep 20, 2019

Dr. Graciela Chichilnisky, co-founder and CEO of Global Thermostat, pioneered climate change policy and sustainable development planning, participating in the development of the Kyoto Protocol and as lead U.S. author for the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reports and guidelines. An economist and mathematician, she recognized early the looming climate impact of CO2 in the atmosphere and has been recognized by Time, The Washington Post, and other publications as a leader in environmental innovation. Dr. Chichilnisky talks with Earth911's Mitch Ratcliffe about the economic and climate-saving potential of Global Thermostat's carbon capture technology.
Global Thermostat uses a CO2 capture method based on amine, a compound of ammonia, to bond to CO2 in the air. Using less energy than many other carbon capture technologies, the Global Thermostat process uses steam to liberate the captured CO2, producing 99 percent pure CO2 for industrial uses. That CO2 can be made into fuel, turned into biodegradable plastic, used in greenhouses to accelerate plant growth, and manufactured into carbon fiber, among many uses. The units are small and because they are co-located with industrial facilities, inexpensive to operate using waste heat from the factory whose emission it cleans. Chichilnisky, whose company is backed by long-term environmental investor Edgar Bronfman, says even an oil refinery can be made carbon neutral using Global Thermostat technology. She discusses the $1-trillion-plus economic opportunities for the system, including the kinds of workers who will be needed by the carbon removal industry as it matures.
We start the conversation with a basic answer to the questions we all want to understand: What makes CO2 heat the atmosphere and can emissions reductions alone resolve the problem? Dr. Chichilnisky explains the physics of CO2 and offers that, without carbon removal technology, current atmospheric CO2 levels will warm the planet more than our society can withstand. The time for change is here, and an industry with massive job opportunities can deliver the raw materials for making essential products we rely on in modern life. From start to finish, you'll find this innovator interview a mine of useful ideas and insight.
Join the conversation and share your thoughts with the community in our Earthling Forum.

Innovator Interview: Dr. Paul Zeitz on Waging Justice and the UN Climate Restoration Forum Sep 16, 2019

Meet Dr. Paul Zeitz, an organizer of the UN Global Climate Restoration Forum this week in New York. A veteran of the AIDS crisis, during which he led the Global AIDS Alliance, he has joined the Healthy Climate Alliance to drive awareness and adoption of carbon removal technologies that can create a new trillion-dollar industry. He sees the rising incidence of extreme weather bringing people together to find a solution and recently published a hopeful and helpful memoir, Waging Justice: A Doctor's Journey To Speak Truth And Be Bold.
Dr. Paul Zeitz, Build A Movement 2020 and the Healthy Climate Alliance.
You can listen in and watch the UN event on September 17th. Register to watch from home or your office. And after the event, follow along at BAM2020, Zeitz's campaign to bring make next year's UN event the biggest climate restoration movement. There are actions you can take to make legislators aware of your priorities and learn about climate change and restoration. Share Dr. Zeitz's optimism that people are coming together, and join the movement.
Join the conversation and share your thoughts with the community in our Earthling Forum.

Earth911 Innovator Interview: World Centric's Mark Marrinozi on the Battle to End Polystyrene Sep 13, 2019

World Centric, a 15-year-old sustainability advocacy and compostable food packaging Benefit corporation, is calling for the end of polystyrene use in food packaging. Mark Marrinozi, vice president of marketing at World Centric, joins Earth911's Mitch Ratcliffe to discuss the use of polystyrene, how World Centric's line of compostable alternatives behave when composted, and the evolution of a unique company that gives 25 percent of its profits to startup sustainability efforts around the world. Learn to identify polystyrene when shopping and dining out, find out what to tell local businesses that still use polystyrene, and help make the change happen.
From the clamshell foam dinner tray to the many hard plastic #6 food containers used in restaurants and grocery stores, polystyrene carries health and environmental risks. Since food waste in the containers prevents easy recycling and the material is mostly air and not economically viable to recycle, it is time to retire polystyrene in our food stream.

Earth911 Podcast, Sept. 9, 2019: Lighting, Satellite Dishes, and Vampire Electronics Sep 09, 2019

Thinking of replacing your lightbulbs, upgrading to a satellite TV for the football season, or saving on home electricity spending? The Earth911 team has recycling and savings tips for the Fall when school and planning for next year begins. Join Evelyn Fielding-Lopez, Sarah Lozanova, and Mitch Ratcliffe for a discussion about sustainable living and recycling.
We start with President Trump's recent decision to reverse a ban on incandescent lights that would have taken effect in 2020 to "will ensure that the choice of how to light homes and businesses is left to the American people." Unfortunately, the policy is a decision that will cost Americans far more, for electricity used and CO2 emitted than LEDs. U.S. Department of Energy data proves that Americans will save up to 75 percent on electricity with LEDs, but the DOE went along with the policy change. What are we to do? Choose LEDs and put the Edisonian incandescent in the past. Choose the planet, not ideology.
The Fall is a time for change, preparing for what's ahead, including the school year. If you are considering dish television, be prepared for recycling the antennae and receiver because the networks will not provide end-of-life removal and recycling. Here is Earth911's guide to satellite dish recycling. And if you're looking around the house for electric savings, consider identifying the vampire electronics that suck small amounts of power all day. The gang also talks through compostable and plastic-free water filters for the home.
In Earthling Questions, we cover recycling laminated posters and cards for schools, how to start a battery recycling business, and what you can do to start a community recycling program.

Earth911 Podcast, Sept. 3, 2019: Lawn Alternatives & Summer Allergies Sep 02, 2019

The Earth911 team gathers round the microphone to talk about the terrible cost of those pretty green lawns and natural allergy treatment options. As Labor Day passes and our water bills continue to climb, it's time to consider other ways to bring nature into your yard than the traditional grass lawn. A Victorian idea, the lawn may have been fit for a turn-of-the-20th Century home in England or France, but it is out of place in the water-limited world. Join Evelyn Fielding-Lopez, Sarah Lozanova, and Mitch Ratcliffe as they talk about their lawn options and share ways to reduce and treat with natural alternative all those child and adult Summer allergies. We also explore how to recycle inhalers, one of the most widespread allergy treatments and a bane for recycling enthusiasts.
And, as always, we answer Earthling Questions from our audience. This week, where to recycle #5 plastic after Whole Foods discontinued its program, how business can select sustainable alternatives cups, coffee lids, and straws, as well as what to do with electroplated plastic utensils that pass for flatware and contain metal/plastic composites.
Join the conversation and share your thoughts with the community in our Earthling Forum.

The iRecyle App Is Back & Summer Sustainability Aug 12, 2019

Summer break is over and the Earth911 podcast gang is back! In today's conversation, we introduce our new iRecycle 3.0 app and talk through how to build a better recycling information system. It's also time to talk Summer sustainability, including how to keep bugs out of the house and yard naturally, the best ideas for successful composting, how composting toilets can add flexibility to our infrastructure, and our recent guide to natural personal care products. And, as always, Earthling questions about recycling.
Evelyn Fielding-Lopez, Sarah Lozanova, and Mitch Ratcliffe kick off this week's show with iRecycle 3.0, the newly released recycling search app from Earth911.com. Available for iOS and Android, iRecycle lets you quickly find local recycling options for more than 350 materials. With a few taps, you can find and map your route to a nearby recycler. The new iRecycle is the first step in a broad set of improvements we will be making to the database and our efforts to make recycling easier and more convenient. Mitch shares a few details about our early experiments with on-demand recycling coaching and takeaway services.
We turn from technology to Summer sustainability tips, starting with eight DIY natural bug repellent recipes to drive off or kill roaches, ants, bedbugs, and more pests. Next, personal care products don't have to be bad for the planet. Find out about hygiene alternatives including toothpaste without a tube, silk dental floss, and bamboo-based toilet paper and swabs, as well as how to shave like a planet-friendly expert. You'll also get two takes on composting, in the yard and the bathroom. Sarah shares composting tips to help you get the right soil mix for a great garden and everyone had an opinion about the new generation of composting toilets.
Our Earthling Questions this week: Can I put my plastic flossers in my plastic bottles to get them recycled? The perennial question of recycling VHS tapes is on the rise as people move on to new media. Finally, how to recycle molded plastic and paper egg cartons and meat trays.
Join the conversation and share your thoughts with the community in our Earthling Forum.

Earth911 Podcast, August 5, 2019: Carbon Removal With Nuclear Power? Aug 05, 2019

The carbon emissions generated since the Industrial Revolution wrap the Earth in a heat sponge of one trillion tons of excess CO2 and that extra heat will remain in the atmosphere for hundreds of years after we achieve a net-Zero economy. Brett Kugelmass, managing director of the Washington, D.C.-based Energy Impact Center recently presented a vision for a prosperous post-carbon world that achieves net-Zero emissions and widespread prosperity in a speech to the American Climate Leadership Conference. The power source he advocates is a challenging one: thousands of small nuclear fission reactors.
While the power source he advocates is controversial, Kugelmass' idea of millions of new jobs in the atmospheric cleanup industry is a stark alternative to the idea that a post-carbon world must be a less prosperous one. It's a view that we share at Earth911.com because the solution to environmental indifference must provide a positive alternative. We need to use less, reuse more, and collaborate to recycle everything at the same time that we pull the excess trillion tons of CO2 out of the air, hopefully by 2050. We can have restored polar ice. We can enjoy the kind of climate in which our species thrived.
Nuclear power is problematic, but the energy levels required to extract CO2 can be provided by a combination of solar, wind, and, as in France and at 100 nuclear plants in the United States today, fission reactors. With a long terrible history that started with weapons, nuclear power is the least attractive option, an assumption that Kugelmass argues is built on out-dated ideas. Earth911.com's Mitch Ratcliffe discusses the issue with Kubelmass on this episode of Sustainability In Your Ear.

Earth911 Podcast, July 8, 2019: Friends of the Earth on Grocer Pollinator Policies Jul 08, 2019

Kroger has updated its pollinator policy after pressure from the Friends of the Earth (FoE). FoE's Tiffany Finck-Haynes joins Earth911 to talk about what the decision means for bees and other pollinating species, as well as the additional progress and transparency needed for customers who want to spend in support of sustainable food sources.
Learn what chlorpyrifos, glyhosates, and neonicotinids to do pollinating insects and the human body. We dig into whether Kroger's decision can be enforced (it can't) and how the company, just one of many grocers who need to update their supply chains to eliminate pollinator-damaging pesticides and preservatives in our food supply.
Tiffany also shares information about FoE's 2018 retailer scorecard, how to get involved to support the campaign for grocery changes, and the other "steps in the right direction" that Kroger, WalMart, and others, including Whole Foods, to improve their sustainability scores.

Earth911 Podcast, July 1, 2019: Customers Targeting Single-Use Plastic Bags Jul 01, 2019

Theresa Carter launched an online petition calling on Target Stores to eliminate single-use plastic bags that has gathered more than 310,000 signatures. She talks with Earth911 about how she got the petition started. Beginning with her choice to put the petition on Change.org and sharing her call to action with friends on Facebook and her local physical community, Carter's story is a roadmap for customers who care to begin their own campaigns for changes in retail sustainability. You can sign the petition at https://www.change.org/p/target-stop-filling-the-world-with-plastic-bags.
Target is already the leading retailer using solar in its stores but has not addressed the impact of its single-use plastic shopping bags. Carter's positive approach toward Target, based on the idea that she and other environmentally aware customers will love shopping the stores more if they get rid the plastic bag, has resulted in positive responses to the campaign by company executives.
Theresa Carter also shared her approach to customer activism in a posting we published today to accompany this podcast.

Earth911 Podcast, June 24, 2019: Food, Glorious Food! Jun 24, 2019

It's time to eat sustainably in the sun. The Earth911 team sits down to talk about Summer eating. It is a perfect time to try some new foods and food-related activities. Maybe you have a garden or just a pot of herbs. Maybe you would like to try a new ingredient or make a vegan meal. No matter what your goal might be, we are going to talk about how to find great food, make great food, and avoid food waste. We talk about Earth Day Network's new Foodprints program, which will help you find low-impact alternative ingredients and recipes. We're also looking forward to Earth Day 2020, the 5oth Anniversary of the first Earth Day, when more than a billion people around the world are expected to participate in marches, clean-ups, and ongoing changes in their eating and waste-disposal habits.
If you are thinking about growing your own food, we talk about what we find are the easiest crops to grow, including tomatoes, herbs, and fruit trees. Buying natural foods is another alternative, including joining a CSA (community-supported agriculture) program and buying directly from local farmers at weekly markets or by subscribing to food deliveries. Start with a conversation with the produce manager at a local store, they have a wealth of information to share.
Ready for new foods? Here are 10 delicious vegan slow-cooker meals, 10 sustainable snack recipes, and the many plant-based milk options for baking. Finally, we cover food waste. We discard almost half our food each year before it is spoiled. Finding new ways to distribute food and reducing waste overall can help to feed everyone at lower costs. One of our favorite finds is a list of small-space composting systems.
And this week we answer Earthling questions about how to dump your garbage service, the challenges of a 55-gallon barrel of chlorine pool shock, and best way to move non-friable asbestos.
Join the conversation and share your thoughts with the community in our Earthling Forum.

Earth911 Podcast, June 10, 2019: Here Comes The Sun! Jun 10, 2019

Earth911 is getting ready for Summer! Join Evelyn, Sarah, and Mitch to talk about preparations for a more sustainable summer. We can all make improvements in how we garden, cook, travel, and make changes in energy use. We start off in the garden with ideas about how to build DIY birdbaths, as well as how to use combinations of feeders and nativar plants to fill your yard with wild birds. While you're enjoying new feathery friends, turn down the air condition with these ideas: window treatments; using fans for real cooling effects (don't leave them on when you leave a room), and lower energy costs. We can also reduce our watering in the yard by embracing vertical gardening and arbors. Keep household and garden pests in check with natural repellents and remedies, including our list of natural oils and herbs that help prevent infestations.
Entertaining is always a big part of Summer and we've got ideas to help. First, take a look at these easy-to-build patio tables with built-in drink coolers. We talk through cooking and sustainable recipes, including solar ovens and solar cooking recipes, and how, when it's too hot to cook outside you can use a crockpot or instapot to keep the temperature down inside. Finally, we look at vacation options and talk about the carbon impact of travel. Choose where you must go and learn to travel safely and naturally to reduce illness and stay full of energy.
The team also answers your Earthling Questions. Can store gift cards be recycled? How can I get a 55-gallon barrel of motor oil hauled away and recycled? Can old coaxial cables and wires be recycled?

Earth911 Podcast, June 7, 2019: Recycling's National Safety Stand Down Day Jun 07, 2019

Recycling safety is the topic of Earth911's interview with Scott Wiggins, vice president of Environmental Health & Safety at the Institute for Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI). On June 12th, most recycling programs and scrap yards will close down for an hour each shift to focus on workplace safety as part of Safety Stand Down Day, and you can help protect recycling workers by making smart choices. Wiggins shares stories about injuries caused by the usual workplace culprits, such as slips, falls, and impacts, as well as how medical sharps and lithium-ion batteries. He shares how to prepare sharps and batteries for recycling, noting that both need special handling and do not belong in your blue bin.
Learn about the busy environment where recycling workers process materials. One surprising fact: A major source of injuries is distracted driving by collection drivers, who have run over scrap yard workers. Progress in recycling must be accompanied by improved safety so that everyone, including the workers who handle your recycling, gets home safe each day.

Earth911 Podcast, June 3, 2019: It Is The Time For Trees at the Arbor Day Foundation Jun 03, 2019

Dan Lambe, president of The Arbor Day Foundation, joins Earth911 to talk about the organizations The Time For Trees initiative to plant 100 million trees. Lambe and team also want to get five million people to join in the tree-planting and save the atmosphere from CO2 emissions. Established in Nebraska during 1872 by newspaperman J. Sterling Morton and adopted across the country as a national day to plant and cultivate trees by 1882, Arbor Day is typically the last Friday of April. But the organization works year-round to encourage tree-planting in the United States and around the world. Lambe talks about the environmental benefits of trees and forests, explains "afforestation" for those who aren't familiar with the term for starting a forest on abandoned land, and the multi-pronged solution to climate change that starts with the simple act of planting a tree. Get involved, buy or gift a tree through the Arbor Day Foundation.
Join the conversation and share your thoughts with the community in our Earthling Forum.

Earth911 Podcast, May 31, 2019: Salesforce Pioneers Carbon-Neutral Business May 31, 2019

Sunya Norman, director of sustainability at Salesforce.com, joins Earth911 to talk about the customer relationship management (CRM) company's pursuit of carbon neutral operations. Since its founding, Salesforce has broken new ground in the cloud and ways of doing business. CRM services are used by companies to build deeper interactions with their customers, and Salesforce's leadership in sustainability is permeating its clients' businesses, too. While Salesforce won't reach full carbon neutrality by 2023, but already purchases carbon offsets to eliminate its remaining carbon emissions. It eliminated greenhouse gas emissions in 2017, making its cloud services one of the few carbon-neutral options for online services.

Earth911 Podcast, May 27, 2018: Get Ready for World Environment Day May 27, 2019

June 5th is World Environment Day and the Earth911 team will help you get ready. Join Evelyn Lopez and Mitch Ratcliffe to talk about World Environment Day activities and how to participate in raising air pollution awareness in your community. The Mask Challenge, a global call for citizens to post pictures of themselves wearing face masks to protect against dirty air, began May 24th and runs through June 5th. We share Global Environment Day ideas that you can use to #BeatAirPollution, along with our own suggestions.Reducing air pollution is a constant project that you can start small, by switching off your lights if your home relies on coal power, or go big to help lower carbon emissions. We look at the best solar panels available on the market today and discuss the benefits of an electric vehicle. If you are looking for a Memorial Day meal that won't be a burden to the planet, here are five vegan Mac & Cheese recipes and a tips for hosting a sustainable backyard party.And, as always, your Earthling Questions. How do I recycle or reuse conference lanyards? How do I recycle waterjet sand? Can't pizza boxes be preserved with a sheet of lining paper?

Earth911 Podcast, May 20, 2019: Helmm's Sustainable Antiperspirant For Men May 20, 2019

Helmm co-founders Zach Groffksy and Taylor Lane discuss sustainable men's care products. They recently launched a subscription antiperspirant/deodorant subscription service for a luxury refillable holder. The elegant Helmm deodorant container is made with recyclable metal and fine leather. With four fragrances available today, Helmm lets customers schedule how frequently their refills arrive. Each refill cuts 60 percent of the plastic used for traditional deoderant containers, and the refill containers are recyclable HDPE plastic.
Groffsky and Lane talk with Earth911's Mitch Ratcliffe about the basic requirements customers expect in a modern product, starting with basic environmental responsibility. The company has new products planned that will introduce sustainable practices for other men's care categories.

Earth911 Podcast, May 17, 2019: Moses Filter Parts Debris From The Sea May 17, 2019

The Moses Filter can separate debris from the sea, an environmental priority for cities and suburbs where dirt, leaves, medical sharps, and cigarette butts, among many other materials clog stormdrains. The replacable, bio-degradable filter invented by Jean-Louis Kamand and his team, is being tested in Vancouver, British Columbia. Kamand joined Earth911's Sustainability In Your Ear podcast to talk about his alternative to the 150-or-more-lb. grates that dominate city street drains today. From preventing hydroplaning, one of the leading causes of auto accidents, to stopping tons of material from reaching local waterways, this storm drain promises quick replacement of clogged drain grates. As more communities take their own environmental impact as their responsibility, products like the Moses Filter offer simple solutions to complex waste capture challenges.

Earth911 Podcast, May 13, 2019: The Changing Recycling Industry May 13, 2019

2018 was a year of big changes in recycling and in 2019 we're seeing the beginnings of a new era taking shape. The Earth911 team sits down for a conversation about how local recycling programs are changing in the wake of China's ban on contaminated imports and shifts in overseas destinations for U.S. scrap metal and recyclables. While glass recycling is facing cutbacks across the country, U.S. scrap metal exports actually increased in 2018.
Join Evelyn Fielding-Lopez, Sarah Lozanova, and Mitch Ratcliffe for a conversation about the future and safety of recycling. People can also make a big difference to the success of recycling by putting the right materials in their blue bins. One critical issue is worker safety, which can be compromised by wishcycling-- the idea anything can be dropped into the blue bin. We talk about the recent Institute for Scrap Recycling Industries' Conference, where safety and packaging design were in the spotlight. Recycling workers can be injured by medical sharps, broken glass, electrical cords, and even plastic films, which do not belong in the blue bin. At the IRSI event, we heard stories about young workers who, after being stuck by sharps in recycling material, had to give up their plans for family because of infections that resulted.
Sarah Lozanova shares Earth911's recent sustainable smartphones story, and we talk about the growing role of subscription services for advanced technology, which ensures products will be recycled at the end of their useful lives.
And, as always, our Earthling Questions are on tap: How to recycle an air mattress? Can a rubber-backed doormat be recycled? Is paper made from junk mail and turned into art still recyclable?

Earth911 Podcast, May 6, 2019: Dr. Katrina Cornish on the Future of Rubber Production May 06, 2019

Dr. Katrina Cornish developed a genetically engineered dandelion to produce natural latex, which is primarily imported from Southeast Asia, in vertical indoor farms in the U.S. As the scientific advisor to American Sustainable Rubber Company, Dr. Cornish is working to commercialize T.K. Dandelion rubber for the sporting goods, medical supplies, and tire industries. She speaks with Earth911 about the potential to displace $1.6 billion in rubber import costs and the improved materials security associated with diversifying natural rubber production beyond the current monoculture-based tapping of rubber trees. Dr. Cornish shares the threats associated with current rubber plantation farming, which is susceptible to blights and droughts because all rubber trees are clones of a few specimens spirited out of Brazil almost a century ago. Rubber is naturally produced by more than 2,600 plants -- and Cornish has labs dedicated to commercializing two important North American sources, T.K. Dandelions, and guayule, a shrub native to Mexico. American Sustainable Rubber is preparing a 190-acre indoor farm to perfect its production of rubber from dandelions. Learn about the rich range of sources humans have for replacing environmentally unsustainable materials, such as rubber.

Earth911 Podcast, May 3, 2019: Ripple Foods CEO Adam Lowry On The Future Of Dairy-Free Milk May 03, 2019

After launching toxic-free household cleaning products leader Method, Adam Lowry cofounded Ripple Foods in 2014 to reinvent dairy-free milk. Earth911 talks with Lowry about the health and environmental benefits of Ripple's plant-based milks, half & half, and nutritional shakes. Using 100-percent recycled plastic packaging that can also be recycled, Ripple has pioneered pea-based milks with richer flavor and milk-like smooth textures. Available for the home and restaurant use, Ripple's plant-based milks are more nutritious than dairy milk and uses substantially less water than almond and cocoanut milks. You can find Ripple products at stores near you.

Earth911 Podcast, April 29, 2019: Spring Is Here! Apr 29, 2019

Spring is here! Even in our northern corners, gardeners are assessing their plots and making plans. So we thought today would be a perfect time to talk about some spring garden essentials – particularly, soil prep, including building raised beds and greenhouses, as well as solarizing the soil and encouraging kids-and-beginning-gardeners to try their green thumbs. There are no mistakes in gardening if you are learning all the time from your experience.
We start with soil and preparing for planting, discussing nine pest-preventing plants, seven DIY greenhouse projects we like, and the benefits of native plants. On the topics of food and sustainable eating, we explore how to start small in the garden with edible container gardening and the many vegetable and fruit cast-offs from cooking that can be re-grown and eaten.
In the news, get the low-down on Earth911's first sustainability awards and the recent Institute for Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI) national conference, where women in recycling leadership were in the spotlight.
As usual, we answer your Earthling Questions. This week, we talk through the disposal and recovery of spoiled mulch, how and where to recycle cathode-ray tube (CRT) televisions, and the proper disposal of Roundup and other herbicides and pesticides.

Earth911 Podcast, April 26, 2019: The USC Wrigley Sustainability Prizes Apr 26, 2019

Ken Nealson led teams at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory that developed tools for detecting life on other planets. Now he leads the University of Southern California's sustainability programs and the Wrigley Institute, an ocean research center on Catalina Island off the coast from Los Angeles. The Institute and USC Business School recently announced its third annual Wrigley Sustainability Prizes, awarded to teams of students who built and pitched solutions to the challenges of recycling and preserving the environment.
Dr. Nealson talks with Earth911 about the prospects for careers in sustainability, the waves of innovation that have advanced our understanding, as well as new the questions we have about the Earth as we peer deeper into how life works. It has never been a better time to explore nature for biological solutions to our problems because of the growing realization that humanity's negative impact on the planet can be moderated and even reversed. He discussed how to get involved in the Wrigley Sustainability Prize and the Summer programs offered for families on Catalina, where scientists and families can work side-by-side on researcsh.

Earth911 Podcast, April 22, 2019: Earth Day Past And Future Apr 22, 2019

Happy Earth Day, everyone! The Earth911 team sits down to talk about the history of Earth Day, the actions each of us can take to support endangered species, reduce our carbon footprints, and improve recycling outcomes across the world. Earth Day 2019 is focused on preserving and educating people about the extinction of species. Next year, the Earth Day Network aims to bring a billion people out into the streets.
Evelyn Fielding-Lopez, Sarah Lozanova, and Mitch Ratcliffe also discuss the evolution of pesticides and the use of natural alternatives that control pests. A great place to start is in your own garden, planting native species to attract birds and monarch butterflies. Are large wind and solar farms a potential location to rebuild pollinator species?
We also look back at some of the most inspiring stories on Earth911 this year, including the story of Health In Harmony's revolutionary approach to preventing illegal logging in Borneo, the Healthy Climate Alliance's efforts to kickstart direct air capture of CO2, and the importance of international treaties to prevent illegal transportation of endangered species as traditional medicine and souvenirs.
There is much to encourage environmental action, and you'll come away from this week's podcast with a raft of good ideas.
In our Earthling Questions this week: Can silicone be recycled? How to recycle motor oil? What to do with used cat litter buckets? Join the conversation and share your thoughts with the community in our Earthling Forum.

Earth911 Podcast, April 5, 2019: Recycling Issues with ISRI Chief Lobbyist Billy Johnson Apr 05, 2019

Billy Johnson, the chief lobbyist for the Institute for Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI), joins Earth911's Mitch Ratcliffe to talk through the major policy issues facing recycling in 2019. From the growth in ferrous metal exports despite China's ban on contaminated scrap imports to the U.S. Surface Transportation Board's impact on domestic recycling prices, we cover the growing sophistication of recycling companies as the United States shifts toward circular economies that preserve materials for reuse instead of sending them to landfills. We also talk about the job and entrepreneurial opportunities in recycling and the national, state, and municipal rules changing with the times.
It's also a great introduction to ISRI on the eve of its annual convention in Los Angeles, where Earth911 will be participating in a residential recycling workshop on plastic pollution and collection strategies. Tune in to get on top of recycling politics and policy.
Join the conversation and share your thoughts with the community in our Earthling Forum.

Earth911 Podcast, April 1, 2019: Green Myths, Falsehoods, and Greenwashing Apr 01, 2019

April Fool's Day could be the global holiday for greenwashers and ecological mythmakers, but the Earth911 team is on the case. We discuss the realities of products labeled biodegradable and compostable, how to shop for sustainability when presented "organic" and "recyclable" products, and the habits that will make a real difference in your carbon impact. From myths and truths, how to recognize and avoid greenwashing, and the FTC Green Guides to use to find responsible manufacturers.
Evelyn Fielding-Lopez, Trey Granger, Sarah Lozanova, and Mitch Ratcliffe also talk through approaches to socially responsible investing, how to evaluate charities, and, in Earthling Questions, how to recycle large amounts of business waste - such as a 1,500 cases of beer -- and the disposal of gel packs and using plastic to solarize a garden to prevent weeds.
Join the conversation and share your thoughts with the community in our Earthling Forum.

Earth911 Podcast, March 29, 2019: Sana Packaging Aims for Sustainable Cannabis Mar 29, 2019

The fast-growing cannabis industry is a growing source of packaging waste, with billions of packages made of plastic, composite materials, and glass already contributing to a new problem. Sana Packaging, founded by two University of Colorado Boulder students, Ron Basak-Smith and James Eichner, has developed hemp- and ocean-plastic-based alternatives for cannabis packaging that is made from natural and recycled materials. Earth911's Mitch Ratcliffe talks to the Ron and James about their experience as young entrepreneurs in a young industry.
Sana makes packages for cannabis flower (the part you smoke), extracts and vape pens, as well as edibles. The company' latest tube packages are made from 100-percent recycled ocean plastic. Because cannabis products are tracked from "seed to sale," it may be the first industry to grow up on a circular packaging model, but the early packaging investments by cannabis distributors were not sustainable. Sana Packaging is working with more than 50 customers to change how pot is packaged.
We also discuss how older laws, such as those requiring child-proof seals, present special challenges to sustainability -- the locking caps are made with parts of harder plastic that can be more difficult to recycle. If you are considering legal cannabis, consider the impact cannabis packaging will have when you buy.
Join the conversation and share your thoughts with the community in our Earthling Forum.

Earth911 Podcast, March 18, 2019: Global Recycling Day Mar 18, 2019

The Global Recycling Day episode of Sustainability In Your Ear features a conversation about the future of recycling, circular economies, the business value of preserving resources, and the power consumers have to drive companies to embrace environmental values.
Evelyn Fielding-Lopez, Trey Granger, Sarah Lozanova, and Mitch Ratcliffe discuss producer responsibility laws, global access to waste removal services (more than half of the human species does not have regular trash pickup), and the viability of recycling on the West Coast after China's ban on contaminated waste imports. With recycling changing rapidly, the gang talks about how to reduce plastic use in the home,
And, of course, we talk Earthly Questions: How to recycle K-cup coffee waste; The difference between compostable and biodegradable materials, and how to clean wax off glass bottles before recycling.

Earth911 Podcast, March 11, 2019: Sustana Group Aims for 100% Paper Recycling Mar 11, 2019

The Sustana Group is a pioneer in paper recycling. The company's Rolland division started producing recycled paper decades ago and now provides annual sustainability and production lifecycle assessments of its supply chain to ensure customers have all the necessary environmental information to make a carbon-aware purchase. Today, Sustana is partnered with Starbucks and other food packaging makers to capture and separate plastic and paper fibers used in wet packaging such as coffee cups and microwaveable food dishes.
Earth911's Mitch Ratcliffe talks with Sustana's senior marketing director, Michele Bartolini, about the power consumers have to shape an industry's production process. She shares how consumers can identify recycled paper products to support environmentally resonsible products. They also discuss the role of technology in creating more efficient and carbon-neutral products and lifecycles. You can check how purchasing Sustana products will impact your personal or organizational footprint with the company's Eco-Calculator.

EARTH911 Podcast, March 4, 2019: Water, water, everywhere! Mar 04, 2019

The Earth911 gang sits down to talk about the water we drink, the water we use, and the consequences of extreme water-related weather events. Evelyn Fielding-Lopez and Trey Granger survived the flu and travel challenges that kept the usual group from gathering, and they talk through the growing recognition of lead, carcinogenic 1,4-dioxane, and per- and polyfluoroalkyl used in dozens of familiar products in the water supply. California also introduced new legislation to establish a public trust for safe drinking water that could serve as a model for national approaches to preservation of supplies.
We also discuss the rising tide of water-related weather impacts due to atmospheric warming that could severely limit fresh water available for human and agricultural use. Did you know that 38.4 percent of the contiguous U.S. was in drought at the beginning of February 2019? Evelyn and Trey dig into the reports from NOAA and other organizations warning of increasing drought. They look at recent news from Northern and Southern California, where weather aberrations are changing local life and economies. We also look at five natural solutions to dry skin and eco-tips for personal hygiene.
The recycling crisis is also on tap with Earthling questions. Trey explains how PET plastic recycling is poised for a recovery, the ability to earn money from recycling, and the disposal of mercury.

Earth911 Podcast, Feb. 25, 2019: One Person's Impact -- Buying an EV Feb 25, 2019

Making changes to improve the sustainability of our lives is not easy. Old habits, long-held assumptions, and preferences built over decades can keep us from making the moves that will help to reduce the CO2 and other greenhouse gas levels, as well as reduce water pollution and waste. Earth911's Mitch Ratcliffe tells the story of his recent conversation from a gas-guzzling sports car to an electric vehicle, a used 2016 BMW i3. He shares how his doubts about range prevented him from taking action and, ultimately, how quickly the EV proved itself during commutes and longer trips. The change also caused friction in his household and impressed and influenced friends to think about their carbon footprint.
In this "One Person's Impact" podcast, Mitch talks about the immediate reduction in CO2 produced during his commute and the potential to do more for the environment. One of the key learnings shared is that examining your electric utility's sources is key to making a change for reduced CO2 emissions. Mitch's utility generates only 1.5 percent of its power from coal, but if he'd been with a different utility, one that uses coal as a major source of power generation, his used EV would have reduced his impact very little.
Change takes time and it comes hard. We'll be sharing more stories of personal decisions, how to research them, and what they do for the planet. Stay tuned!

Earth911 Podcast, Feb. 15, 2019: Breaking Down the Green New Deal Feb 18, 2019

The Green New Deal (read the actual bill) was announced with great fanfare in Washington D.C. and has received a flurry of Presidential-hopeful endorsements. But it is short on details while packed with related social goals that make it politically challenging to turn into policy. The Earth911.com reporting team sits down to talk about the Green New Deal, the important components, and the projects, technologies, and initiatives we see making progress toward a sustainable economy. Many of the reason for an urgent ten-year project to transform society have been laid out here on Earth911 and we cheer the bill's introduction. But saving the environment will be a process, not just a turn of the page, so it will take a long time and requires specific investments and incentives for technology to change corporate packaging and distribution systems.
The national conversation is just starting. We talk about how to keep it moving forward, as well as how the bill may be asking for solutions to poverty that will be a product of economic policy. The first economy to master sustainable practices will certainly grow and with the United States already near full employment, it may be more productive to focus on the environment to create jobs instead of making an issue of guaranteed jobs. The gang attempts to break down where the most progress is possible. We also discuss carbon removal technologies, which will be critical to returning the atmosphere to re-industrial CO2 levels.
Join the gang and share your thoughts with the community in our Earthling Forum.

Earth911 Podcast, Feb. 5, 2019: Meet GoingZeroWaste.com Creator Kathryn Kellog Feb 15, 2019

In our continuing conversations with sustainability writers and bloggers we admire, Earth911 talks with Kathryn Kellog. She founded GoingZeroWaste.com after a personal health issue and has grown the site into a comprehensive source of sustainable living ideas. We have pointed to many of her articles, including he excellent Top 10 To Get Started Going Zero Waste, 7 Tips To Avoid Greenwashing, and her summaries of recycling and sustainability conferences. Kathryn also explains how she chooses the products available in the GoingZeroWaste store and her growing consulting business.
Kathryn's upcoming book, 101 Ways To Go Zero Waste, due April 2nd, is available for pre-order on Amazon.com.

Earth911 Podcast, Feb. 4, 2019: Sustainable Things - We love this; we love this not! Feb 04, 2019

With Valentine's Day around the corner, Evelyn Lopez and the Earth911 team sits down to talk about what's working in our sustainable lives, as well as what needs improvement. We explore the Reduce. Reuse, and Recycling options in curbside programs, how to apply precycling practices before shopping, and the mysteries of recycling handtool batteries and compostable plastics. Earth911 contributors Sarah Lozanova and Trey Granger share their assessments of home energy use improvement and the viability of nuclear power and carbon-intensive air travel. We also discuss the best lifestyle choices we made in the last year, including shopping local, cooking for a lighter carbon impact, gardening, and entertaining.
Of course, we answer Earthling questions. This week, questions from our readers have us digging into recycling options for unused ammunition, what to do with vape pen waste, and the value of glass recycling in the wake of the China ban.

Earth911 Podcast, Jan. 28, 2019: Micaela Preston of MindfulMomma Jan 28, 2019

Micaela Preston has raised a family sustainably, sharing her learning with a growing audience along the way. MindfulMomma.com, Preston's site, delivers a wide variety of how-to sustainable living articles and products that she has tested herself. From non-toxic beauty products to natural products for the home, kitchen, and bathroom, MindfulMomma.com encourages people to think before they buy. It's a practice we can all adapt to feel better about ourselves and make the best choices for the planet. Preston talks with Earth911 about the practice of moderation and conscious decision-making.

Earth911 Podcast, Jan. 23, 2019: EarthEasy.com's Greg Seaman Talks Off-The-Grid Living Jan 25, 2019

Greg Seaman, the founder of EarthEasy.com, had the courage to live his values. He, his wife, and son moved to an island off the Pacific Northwest coast more than 30 years ago. They lived off-grid and raised a family in a home they built from recovered wood. The Seamans settled into a comfortably challenging existence living lightly on the Earth. In 2000, he launched EarthEasy.com to share his experience and offer island-tested sustainable products. Building his own community, both on the island and in business, Greg created an income for a dozen people. He talks with Mitch Ratcliffe of Earth911 about the transition to off-grid living, how rural practices can enliven and make cities sustainable, and the problem of educating people about the environment.

Earth911 Podcast, Jan. 21, 2019: Brrr! It's Cold Outside Jan 21, 2019

It's the deepest cold of the year in the Northern Hemisphere (while in the Southern Hemisphere, Australia is being ravaged by wildfires like the American West in Summer). The Earth911 team gathers at the microphone to talk about keeping warm inside, sealing your home to prevent the cold from entering, and the best ways to take care of yourself during the winter. Green lighting tips, the best vegan slow-cooker recipes, and how to recycle antifreeze are on tap. We also explore getting involved locally for Martin Luther King Day and the annual effort to save baby sea turtles that are attracted to light pollution and away from the sea when hatching. You can get involved with the information on this week's podcast.
And, as always, Earthling questions about recycling and sustainability.

Earth911 Podcast, Jan. 7, 2019: Veganuary! Jan 07, 2019

Welcome to 2019 and the month of Veganuary. The Earth911 team gathers to talk about the growing Veganuary movement. People around the world are adopting a vegan diet during January and, if it goes well, embracing animal-free eating all year. We also explore the role of recycling oyster shells in the environment and the best ways to start this year's garden in January with indoor seedlings. Sarah Lozanova shares seed sprouting tips for healthier Winter eating and Trey Granger explains a cool new food waste-fighting app, Food Rescue USA. The app has already saved 32 million pounds of food. Plus, taking kids on environmentally positive trips to learn about their world and Earthling Questions!

Earth911 Podcast, Dec. 24, 2018: Renewable Resolutions! Dec 24, 2018

It's the Sustainable New Year episode of Earth911's podcast as the team gathers around the microphone to talk impactful resolutions. What can we do to combat climate change, improve your use of renewable energy, reduce plastic pollution of the oceans, and lower CO2 emissions? What are the non-profits to support? How can we be better stewards of water? We also discuss getting involved in your community to reduce, reuse, and recycle? Getting kids and grandkids engaged wih sustainable thinking and ready to lead is an important contribution families can make to the world. In Earthling Questions, we answer the wrapping paper and bows recyclability question explain the options for old CD and DVDs.

Earth911 Podcast, Dec. 20, 2018: The Oceanic Society Celebrates Living Coral Dec 21, 2018

The Oceanic Society (oceanicsociety.org) is celebrating Pantone's Color of the Year selection, Living Coral, a vibrant message that designers will use in media around the world. Earth911 talks with Wayne Sentman, director of Conservation Travel Programs at the Oceanic Society about the state of coral and raising awareness about coral bleaching and climate change. The organization encourages people to adopt "blue habits" that will reduce pollution and overfishing, as well as to keep coral reefs alive in the face of climate change.
Pantone's Living Coral is a vibrant red-orange that could vanish from the natural world in our lifetimes that is "animating and life-affirming coral hue with a golden undertone that energizes and enlivens with a softer edge." You'll be seeing it online, in magazines, and business cards, among many other places -- remember the coral reefs when you do and share blue habits with your community.

Earth911 Podcast, Dec. 17, 2018: Georgia Tech's Sustainability Leadership Dec 17, 2018

The Ray C. Anderson Center for Sustainable Business at Georgia Tech's Scheller College of Business is a hotbed of innovation for the circular economy. Earth911 talks with the school's Dr. Beril Toktay and Michael Oxman about the application of sustainable practices in business and the future of careers in sustainability. If you are a student or a business owner considering how to turn green intentions into profitable practices, this is an interview that will open your eyes to many possibilities. Start your sustainable business journey with this podcast.

Earth911 Podcast, Dec. 14, 2018: EnergySage On The State of Solar Dec 14, 2018

Vikram Aggarwal, founder and CEO of home solar comparison-shipping service EnergySage.com, talks with Earth911 about the costs of, and incentives available for, solar installations. The company, which provide free solar product comparisons and on-call expertise, has helped homeowners in more than 30 states get their houses off the traditional power grid. Aggarwal explains the many factors that contribute to decisions about which solar products to buy, as well as how long it typically takes to recoup the investment. We talk tech, policy, and the rapid adoption of alternative power by American homeowners. You'll learn where to start and how to get the biggest solar jolt for your buck.

Earth911 Podcast, Dec. 10, 2018: The Year In Recycling Backwards & Forward Dec 10, 2018

Evelyn Fielding-Lopez and the Earth911 gang assemble at the microphone to talk about 2018's biggest recycling and sustainability stories.
From climate change and environmental protection, to recycling policy in and its impact on U.S. recycling rates, it has been a year we think sets the stage for major changes. Also, what were the best green businesses in apps, retailers that use renewable energy, solar panels, and electric vehicles?
We answer Earthling questions about latex paint (it can remain usable for many years) and DirectTV dish disposal.

Earth911 Podcast, Dec. 7, 2018: Health In Harmony Heals The Borneo Rainforest Dec 07, 2018

Dr. Kinari Webb founded Health In Harmony (healthinharmony.org) in 2005 to help illegal loggers in the Boreo rainforest stop poaching trees. In a remarkable story, she and her team have reduced the number of families that rely on illegal logging for a living by 88 percent while virtually eliminating childhood deaths in the region. You won't forget this interview.

Earth911 Podcast, Dec. 3, 2018: Let's Go Sustainable Holiday Shopping! Dec 03, 2018

Sustainability In Your Ear follows the Earth911 team to the store for a holiday shopping that doesn't damage the planet. The gang explores whether online or shopping the mall is better for the environment. Sarah Lozanova introduces five green fashion brands to look for when shopping and our new list of top electric vehicles. Trey Granger takes us on a skiing green vacation. We also talk through the questions to ask when shopping for sustainably produced jewelry, how to request less wasteful packaging in your Amazon orders, and how giving experience instead of stuff can be the most memorable gift. Find eco-friendly gift ideas and hear the conversation about recent Earthling Survey results: Do You Prefer Paper or Plastic Food Packaging? And always more Earthling Questions, including what cookware goes into curbside bins and how to recycle lithium-ion batteries.

Earth911 Podcast, Nov. 30, 2018: ZEST Labs Sensors Reduce Food Waste From Field To Shelf Nov 30, 2018

Evelyn Fielding-Lopez talks with Peter Mehring, cofounder and CEO of ZEST Labs, which makes produce-tracking sensors that extend the shelf-life of produce. By monitoring the condition of produce from the field to the store or restaurant, ZEST supports better decisions in the food supply chain. Learn how technology is being put to work to eliminate food waste that results in 40 percent of U.S.-grown food going unused.

Earth911 Podcast, Nov. 23, 2018: Author Beth Porter Of Reduce, Reuse, Reimagine Nov 23, 2018

Beth Porter, Climate and Recycling Director at Green America, a Washington, D.C.-based non-profit, has studied the recycling system carefully. In her new book, Reduce, Reuse, Reimagine: Sorting Out the Recycling System, Porter challenges established thinking and recounts the history of the single-stream recycling system introduced decades ago in the United States. With recycling rates stuck near 34 percent in the United States, and in the face of China's National Sword contaminated recycled materials ban, the country needs to establish a new recycling ethos. Porter also reintroduces an important American story about Scrap For Victory recycling campaigns during World War II that galvanized the homefront. Children, adults, communities, and companies pulled together to gather scrap metal to produce planes and tanks to fight the war. Why can't we make the same shared commitment today? Beth Porter thinks we can. Tune in to hear this inspiring conversation.

Earth911 Podcast, Nov. 19, 2018: Thanks-cycling! Nov 19, 2018

It's Thanksgiving and that means it's Thankscycling time! The Earth911 team gathers around the table to enjoy a sustainable family day of simple swaps for a healthy Thanksgiving.
Sarah Lozanova explains seven Thank-worthy DIY decorations and Trey Granger explains how to recycle cooking oil. Evelyn Fielding-Lopez talks 12 ideas to reduce or eliminate food waste on Thanksgiving, and Mitch Ratcliffe explores his memories of deep-fried Turkey. We also discuss recent Earthling surveys and new innovator interviews with Chris Wilke of Puget Sound Keepers, who are fighting for better regulation of cattle-feeding operations in Washington state, and Marc Choyt of Reflective Jewelry, a pioneer of the fair trade jewelry industry.
And, as always, we have Earthling questions and answers. This week, we look at recycling hair and waxed cardboard boxes.

Earth911 Podcast, Nov. 16, 2018: Ice911's Leslie Field Aims To Restore Arctic Ice Nov 16, 2018

Arctic ice is in trouble. Leslie Field, Ph.D. founded Ice911 to build a solution to retreating ice in the Arctic, where 75 percent of the ice pack that existed in 1979. Field brings decades of high-tech work and 54 patents to the problem of restoring ice, which will contribute to cooling the atmosphere and returning the jet stream to its normal path. The non-profit has created reflective sand, which you may have seen recently on Vice's coverage of climate change. It's a white floating glass pellet that can be distributed over the surface of the ocean or a lake to reflect solar energy back into space. Leslie talks with Mitch Ratcliffe about the state of ice, how declining Arctic ice has contributed to extreme weather across the U.S., and the experiments her team are conducting. It's an information-packed and entertaining half-hour of conversation.

Earth911 Podcast, November 12, 2018: Bits & Pieces! Nov 12, 2018

Heading into the holidays with a sustainable mindset, Evelyn Fielding-Lopez, Sarah Lozanova, and Mitch Ratcliffe get ready for guests. The gang talk about how to eliminate toxins when choosing home cleaning products, how to make your own Earth-friendly cleaning recipes, and recycling of household product such as toothbrushes, toothpaste tubes, and cleaning product packaging. We also look to the skies to talk about the orbiting mess humans have created on the planet's front porch. Hear the five weirdest, and very practical, Terracycle recycling programs and how to use them.
Earthling questions this week include how to rinse a Starbucks plastic cup for effective recylcing and whether hair dye is recyclable.
The gang also discusses the results of recent Earth911 Surveys:
Can Humanity Achieve a Sustainable Economy?
Have You Considered or Installed Solar Panels On Your Home?

Earth911 Podcast, Nov. 9, 2018: Puget Sound Keepers Disputes Washington CAFO Waste Pond Ruling Nov 09, 2018

The Washington State Pollution Control Hearings Board disappointed environmental leaders in October when it allowed largely unregulated concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) to continue operating in the state. CAFOs are giant cattle, pig, and other livestock operations that have manure waste ponds, like those that overflowed in North Carolina after Hurricane Florence.
Chris Wilke of Puget Sound Keepers talks to Earth911 about the ruling, its implications for public health. CAFOs pollute groundwater and the air, contributing to cardiovascular, reproductive and developmental problems, including Blue Baby syndrome. CAFO pollution is also implicated in cancer. Wilke, though disappointed, said the court battle is not over. The environmental coalition that asked for better regulation of CAFOs will appeal to the Washington Department of Ecology and higher courts for changes.

Earth911 Podcast, Nov. 8, 2018: Mining Ethical Jewelry's Deepest Questions Nov 08, 2018

Marc Choyt, the founder of Reflective Jewelry, talks with Earth911 about fair trade jewelry. He recently published an extensive and critical expose on the ethical jewelry business. Sustainable and humane metal and gem mining has caught on in Europe, notably in the U.K, but has been slow to establish itself in the United States. Learn what questions to ask when buying precious metal, diamonds, and other gems to ensure that the people who produce the raw materials are able to lead safe and increasingly prosperous lives.
Choyt explains the persistent presence of diamonds and gems produced under slavery conditions in war zones. If you are interested in making your jewelry a statement about your values, learn what to look for when shopping. Seeking out fair trade gold helps families and small communities while industrial gold mining is a source of mercury pollution and causes environmental damage.

Earth911 Podcast, Nov. 5, 2018: Sunflare Capture 4 Thin-Film Solar Roofing Nov 05, 2018

Elizabeth Sanderson, chief marketing officer at Sunflare Solar joins Earth911's Sustainability In Your Ear to talk about solar progress, the economics of solar installation, and when Capture 4 for home buyers will be available. Listen in to get the latest information about the cost and increasing efficiency of adding renewable energy to buildings and, with thin-film technology, mobile solar for cars, RVs, and other products.

Earth911 Podcast, Oct. 12, 2018: Sustainability in Your Ear — FLUX To Divert Millions Of Period Products From Landfills Nov 02, 2018

Paige Fashoni, founder of FLUX Undies, joins Earth911 host Evelyn Fielding-Lopez to talk about reducing the number of sanitary pads and tampons, along with all the packaging waste they come with, that end up in landfills. FLUX is recently introduced functional underwear for periods, leaks, and postpartum use. Fashoni's commitment as a female founder is to revolutionize the way in which women experience periods, break the taboo around menstruation, give back to girls in developing countries, allow those with mobility issues an easier way of changing their undies, and last but definitely not least, ditch disposable tampons and pads. Order FLUX Undies online.

Earth911 Podcast, Oct. 29, 2018: Sustainability in Your Ear — Recycloween! Oct 29, 2018

It's the Halloween episode of Sustainability In Your Ear. The Earth911 team gathers around the microphone to talk about the sustainable way to have Halloween fun. Get your little ghouls ready with DIY and eco-friendly costumes made with sustainable fabrics and consider healthy snacks or starting a Switch Witch tradition that lets kids trade candy for gifts. The gang also discusses how to recycle bubble wrap, EVA craft foam, and the many plastic lids and caps that seal your food and drinks. Find out about your fellow Earthlings in three recent survey results, including how many people actively help their neighbors improve recycling habits, reported recycling program changes, and how many single-use plastic bottles they purchase annually. The recycling learning never stops on Sustainability In Your Ear!

Earth911 Podcast, Oct. 26, 2018: Sustainability in Your Ear — RTS Delivers On-Demand Recycling Oct 26, 2018

Greg Lettieri, co-founder of New York City-based RTS is bringing a variation on Uber's playbook to recycling. RTS connects local recycling haulers with business recyclers in several states, delivering recycling training and services to employees along with a complete accounting of what happens to materials after they are picked up. By focusing on the logistics of recycling, RTS enables flexible business solutions that have improved recycling rates at Citi Field in New York and Nationals Stadium in Washington, D.C., among other locations. Earth911's Mitch Ratcliffe discusses how RTS started, the role of technology, and the value of accountability in recycling in this Innovator Interview.

Earth911 Podcast, Oct. 22, 2018: Sustainability in Your Ear — Hytch Reorganizes Your Commute Oct 22, 2018

The Hytch app is a clever approach to incenting ridesharing and carpooling. Mark Cleveland, founder and CEO of Hytch joins Sustainability In Your Ear to explain how the company is working with employers, cities, and non-profits to provide small payments to people who share a car on the way to work.

Earth911 Podcast, Oct. 19, 2018: Sustainability in Your Ear — The Clean Energy Future Oct 19, 2018

Author B.F. (Bruce) Nagy discusses his new book, The Clean Energy Future, with Earth911's Mitch Ratcliffe. Nagy offers his advice for homeowners who want to clean up their carbon footprint, as well as observations on the progress being made, albeit in fits and starts, across many sectors of the economy. You'll come away from this episode with plenty of actions to take. Follow Bruce at http://bfnagy.com.

Earth911 Podcast, Oct. 15, 2018: Sustainability in Your Ear — Fall Garden Planning Oct 15, 2018

Evelyn Fielding-Lopez, Mitch Ratcliffe, and Sarah Lozanova talk the last week's recycling and sustainability news on Earth911. This week, we took a deep dive into planning your garden for next year and extending the growing season. How to minimize leaf cleanups, orchids in the yard, and more. We've also got Earthling Questions! How do you dispose of mercury safely? And a question with a twist: Are dentures recyclable?

Earth911 Podcast, Oct. 12, 2018: Sustainability in Your Ear — Recycling iPhones & e-Waste Responsibly Oct 12, 2018

As a new generation of Apple iPhone and Samsung Note mobile phones hit the market, we talk with Republic Services about how to safely and responsibly recycle an old phone. Jeremy Walters, community relations manager at Republic, the second-biggest waste management company in the U.S. explains when and how to recycle e-waste.
If you don't decide to trade-in or reuse your phone by passing it along to a family member or through donation, take the time to separate your phone from the rest of your recycling. It can save recycling workers from injury and prevent damage to recycling equipment.

Earth911 Podcast, Oct. 8, 2018: Sustainability in Your Ear — Recleim Pioneers Refrigerator CFC Capture Oct 08, 2018

Recleim, an Atlanta-based recycler, is the only company in the U.S. using CFC capture technology to recover banned chlorofluorocarbons from pre-2005 refrigerators and HVAC systems. "No refrigerator should reach a landfill," explains Steve Bush, CEO of Recleim, because they can release five pounds or more of CFCs from the coils and insulation they contain. Recleim, which currently operates in 10 states,m is expanding its service area. Are you recycling your refrigerator safely?

Earth911.com Podcast: Sustainability in Your Ear -- SodaStream's Sustainable Fizz Oct 04, 2018

Jecka Glasman, general manager of SodaStream USA, maker of the Fizzi, Electric, and Premium home soda-making machines. SodaStream helps reduce single-use plastic bottle waste, letting a household that switches from canned or bottled soda reduce its waste by as many as 3,700 cans or bottles each year. Mitch Ratcliffe of Earth911 explores the recyclability of SodaStream devices and bottles, as well as its innovative Gas Exchange program. Get the lowdown on sustainable fizz.

Sustainability in Your Ear -- Tapp Water's Biodegradable Water Faucet Filters Slashes Plastic Pollution Oct 02, 2018

Magnus Jern, Chief Water Drinker at Tapp Water, explains the company's TAPP 2 biodegradable water faucet filters. Tapp Water filters decompose in industrial compost piles quickly and will break down in backyard compost piles. Even the body of the TAPP 2, which is made with biodegradable PLA plastic, is largely recyclable. American families spend more than $5.5 billion on plastic-bottled water unnecessarily because they are concerned about water quality. They pay between 300 and 2,000 times more than tap water costs for plastic-bottled water. A faucet filter can eliminate plastic pollution and save hundreds of dollars annually.

Earth911 Podcast Oct, 1, 2018: Sustainability in Your Ear -- The Food Waste Episode Oct 01, 2018

Get busy solving the food waste problem. More than 40 percent of the food produced in the United States goes to waste, uneaten and spoiled. The Earth911 team gets together for a conversation about how to take personal steps to eliminate food waste, as well as how restaurants, grocers, and farmers, among others, can help. We also talk with Robert Lee, founder of RescuingLeftoverCuisine.org, a New York-based program that connects restaurants with food banks nearby. Rescuing Leftover Cuisine is involved in a month-long funding challenge that you can support by donating here. We also recommend taking some time to learn about food waste from John Oliver. Although it's an older episode, many of Oliver's food facts have not changed, signaling the need for more effort. As always, we answer Earthling questions.

Earth911 Podcast, Sept. 24, 2018: Sustainability in Your Ear -- Bring Environmental Smarts To The School Year Sep 24, 2018

Evelyn Lopez and the Earth911 team gather around the microphone to talk about tuning your home and school plans for environmental excellence. Trey Grangert explains the challenge of defining what's recyclable in the U.S. Learn how to do a home waste audit and prepare for recycling improvements. Dig into school supplies and activities that will make this year the greenest yet for your kids and their school. Also, Earthling Questions, including what to do when your landlord ignores an environmental issue.

Earth911 Podcast, Sept. 17, 2018: Sustainability in Your Ear -- Ethical Metals, Gemstones, & Jewelry Sep 17, 2018

Learn what questions you should be asking a jeweler when purchasing responsibly. Lifting small miners in developing regions out of poverty and teaching them sustainable environmentally friendly practices is at the heart of a new movement in the jewelry industry. Monica Stephenson, president of iDazzle.com and a board member at Ethical Metalsmiths, joins Earth911's Mitch Ratcliffe to talk about her experiences in Tanzania and other artisanal mining regions.

Earth911 Podcast, Sept. 14, 2018: Sustainability in Your Ear -- The Value of Recycling Services Sep 14, 2018

Recycling services have real value that has long been under-estimated because they are bundled with waste removal services. Bernie Lee, Commodities Research Analyst at the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries talks with Earth911 about his recent Scrap Magazine editorial, "The Service, Value, and Labor of Recycling." Perhaps if we broke out the price of recycling, we'd see more clearly that it is time to spend more to close the consumer end-of-life waste loophole.

Earth911 Podcast, Sept. 10, 2018: Sustainability in Your Ear -- The Water Episode Sep 10, 2018

The Earth911 team sits down to talk water practices. Learn the 8 ways to green your water and about the Seabin Project that vacuums shorefronts and marinas. We look at the Eco Six Pack Ring (E6PR) that disintegrates before it harms ocean life and how to identify household hazardous waste. Earthling survey results -- how far our readers drive to recycle -- and Earthling questions about recycling file folders and power-tool batteries.

Earth911 Podcast, Sept. 6, 2018: Sustainability in Your Ear -- Envision Plastics On Recycled Packaging Sep 06, 2018

Envision Plastics is a recycler of HDPE plastics that produces recyclable bottles using less power, coloring, and no raw oil. Sandra Lewis, director of business development at Envision Plastics joins Earth911's Trey Granger to talk about how consumers can contribute to improved packaging by asking for recycled and recyclable packaging when shopping.

Earth911 Podcast, Sept. 3, 2018: Sustainability in Your Ear -- Land Restoration with Adam Sachs Sep 03, 2018

Adam Sachs, Executive Director of Biodiversity for a Livable Climate (bio4climate.org), an educational and research group dedicated to promoting land restoration using natural techniques, joins Earth911's Mitch Ratcliffe for an extended discussion. Adam shares projects that have restored land in Eastern Europe, Mexico, and elsewhere -- the transformation of previously desertified land into rich local ecosystems with plenty of water is stunning. Spend 50 minutes to learn how beavers, cattle, and human ingenuity can work together to turn drylands into productive grazing and wetlands.

Earth911 Podcast, August 31, 2018: Sustainability In Your Ear -- Community Gardening's Annual Meetup Aug 31, 2018

Bill Maynard, a leader in the American Community Gardening Association (ACGA), talks to Earth911 about the ACGA Annual Conference, which takes place in Atlanta from Sept. 13 to 16. You can register at https://communitygarden.org. Bill also explains the many resources available to community gardeners and how to get a successful garden started in your community.

Earth911 Podcast, August 27, 2018: Sustainability In Your Ear Aug 27, 2018

Join Evelyn Fielding Lopez and the Earth911 team to talk recycling, sustainable choices, and answers to your Earthling questions. This week: Earthlings shared how much time they spend each week on recycling; Trey Granger explains clothing recycling, and; Secrets of DIY relief with essentials oils. Also, 10 things you can recycle by mail. Join the conversation!

Earth911 Podcast, August 20, 2018: Sustainability In Your Ear -- Belkin Sustainability Manager Ernie Roberts Aug 20, 2018

Ernie Roberts, Sustainability Manager for computer accessories maker Belkin, joins Earth911's Evelyn Fielding Lopez and Mitch Ratcliffe. Ernie discusses how the company has reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 37 percent and lowered its employee carbon dioxide footprint with in-house recycling and commuting programs. Belkin was recently recognized as a Sustainability Initiative of the Year by Business Intelligence. Learn how a global company makes planet-friendly changes start and last.

Earth911 Podcast, August 16, 2018: Sustainability In Your Ear -- Starting A Community Garden Aug 16, 2018

Launching a community garden is a rewarding experience that can change your neighborhood and city by uniting people to grow and care for a plot of land together. Mary K. Hughkull, founder of Community Garden Magazine and the Community Garden Revolution podcast joins Mitch Ratcliffe to talk about the ins and outs of local horticultural collaboration!

EARTH911 Podcast, August 13, 2018: Sustainability In Your Ear: The New Recycling Reality Aug 13, 2018

Join the Earth911 team to hear about the rapidly changing recycling landscape in the U.S. in the wake of China's waste import ban. We also explore the top solar-using retailers, GMO food labeling, making coffee the Earth-friendly way, and refilling or recycling printer cartridges. Also, Earthly questions about encyclopedia recycling and whether we should call our listeners Earthlings or Earthers. Evelyn Fielding-Lopez, Sarah Lozanova, Trey Granger, and Mitch Ratcliffe gather around the microphones for another Sustainability In Your Ear.

Talking Solar Water Heaters on the Sustainability in Your Ear, August 6, 2018 Aug 06, 2018

Solar water heating systems have matured and offer a reliable alternative to gas or electric water heaters. Earth911's Mitch Ratcliffe talks with Ray Lam, founder and president of Silk Road Solar, a Chehalis, Wash.-based provider of solar heating systems across the United States. There's no more cold water at night and on cloudy days with the advanced thermal fluid systems available today.

Earth911 Podcast, July 30, 2018: Sustainability in Your Ear Jul 30, 2018

It's sustainable living time, again! Join the Earth911 team and host Evelyn Lopez for Sustainability In Your Ear. We'll cover the best solar ovens for cooking at home and in nature, planet-friendlier fashion, the growing zero-waste grocery movement, and the hidden costs of wildlife-sourced souvenirs -- you could go to jail, just for starters. In Earthling Questions, we look at recycling shampoo and conditioner tubes and what to do with old film negatives.

EARTH911 Sustainability In Your Ear Podcast, July 23, 2018: Carbon Capture with Peter Fiekowsky Jul 23, 2018

Peter Fiekowsky, founder and president of The Health Climate Alliance, returns for part two of a discussion about carbon capture and sequestration technologies that mine the air to remove excess CO2. The Health Climate Alliance's goal is to return the atmosphere to the CO2 levels our great-grandparents lived in, with normal weather patterns and a robust Arctic ice sheet.

EARTH911 Podcast, July 16, 2018 Jul 16, 2018

Join the Earth911 gang to talk through how to recycle a whole building, which online services are most sustainable, and whether your favorite sunscreen has been banned in Hawaii. We also discuss adventure camping upcycling projects, the introduction of Stuffstr's resale service with British retailer John Lewis, and answer reader questions: Is recycling a myth? (no, but it can be much better) and whether used coloring books are recyclable.

EARTH911 Podcast: Sustainability In Your Ear Talks with TrueGreen Jul 09, 2018

Terry Lehmann, founder and CEO of True Green Enterprises, talks with Earth911's Mitch Ratcliffe about her company's new biodegradable hot cup and bamboo straws. True Green is based in West Palm Beach, Florida, and has a growing range of sustainably made recyclable paper products. We'll also hear from Lehmann about the challenges and opportunities in green products for women entrepreneurs.

Sustainability In Your Ear: The EARTH911 Podcast, Episode 11 Jul 02, 2018

This week, the Earth911.com team dives into keeping honeybees at home, as well as what to do when visited by an unwanted swarm. Learn which five jobs are ideal for recent environmental and sustainability grads and how to build a regular recycling routine into your day.
In reader questions, find out what to do when you discover an abandoned tank of freon. It's a banned chemical, but the large white cylinders freon came in before it was discontinued are still lurking out there.

EARTH911 Feeding America Interview 062018 Jun 25, 2018

Feeding America, the largest food collection and distribution network in the United States, is tackling food waste in a new campaign to get restaurants and grocers to donate food rather than send it to landfills. The MealConnect program seeks to reduce the nearly 50 percent of food wasted between the field and the home. You can encourage local business to participate, as well as volunteer to work in the community. Liz Baldridge, director of Sustainability and Food Waste Initiatives, and Zuani Villareal, director of Communication, at FeedingAmerica.org join us to discuss food waste.

EARTH911: Sustainability In Your Ear for June 18, 2018 Jun 18, 2018

The Earth911 team talks IKEA's new commitment to sustainable products and removing single-use utensils from its stores, as well as how the United States will upgrade its power grid for renewable energy and the recycling secrets of stealth electronics. We'll also talk through natural alternatives to allergy medicines, the growing awareness that plastic straws are a major form of pollution, and how to recycle mattresses.

EARTH911 Podcast Episode 9: Sustainability In Your Ear for June 11, 2018 Jun 11, 2018

This week, the Earth911.com team talks about the latest in solar panel technology and the latest Nordic exercise craze, Plogging. It combines jogging and picking up litter. We'll also discuss cutting our travel carbon footprints through the reducing plastic use on airline flights and look ahead to a June race across the Pacific. The all-woman crew of Ripple Effect will try to break the human-powered best time for crossing the Pacific Ocean, straight though the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.
This week’s interview is with physicist Peter Fiekowsky, founder of the Health Climate Alliance. Peter and his team have a plan to return global atmospheric carbon dioxide levels to 300 parts per million, the same environment our grandparents enjoyed – and they plan to do it in the next 22 years.
And, as always, we’ll be answering questions from Earthlings!

EARTH911 Podcast Episode 8 Jun 04, 2018

The Earth911 gang will look into the future of plastic-eating bacteria, what eco-conscious travelers should be looking for when considering visits to wildlife experience, and whether a family-owned business is more environmentally friendly than a public company. We also check out the five greenest U.S. cities to visit this year, according to RewardExpert.com
Our interview this week will dig into the future of dirt with Brian Scott, CEO of PittMoss, a recycled paper soil replacement product available now. Brian’s team won Shark Tank funding a couple years ago and is dedicated to reducing the mining of peat for garden use. PittMoss is expanding to build plants close to regional sources of recycled paper.
And, as always, we’ll respond to questions from Earthlings, the smartest readers in the world.

EARTH911.com Podcast: Sustainability In Your Ear, Episode 7 May 28, 2018

Join Evelyn Lopez and Mitch Ratcliffe to talk recycling and Earth-friendly living. This week, Earth911.com writer Lisa Beres joins the conversation to talk no-stick cookware that is healthy and safe for the environment. Learn how to recycle the backing peeled off stickers and what to do you can and can't do when recycling styrofoam cups, as well as how Amazon's new shipping envelopes are a step in the right direction. We also take a tour of an eco-village and learn what it takes to make the move from new residents.

EARTH911.com Podcast: Sustainability In Your Ear, Episode 6 May 21, 2018

This week's theme is the Circular Economy, Evelyn Lopez and the Earth911 team talk recycling swords, pet food packaging, and old deck stain and cleaners. You'll hear about Art From Scrap, a project of Santa Barbara, Calif.-based Explore Ecology that makes upcycling a citywide activity. We explore the introduction of lab-grown meat, which writer Vic Bondi described as "savory" but not exacly like meat, as well as the relaxation products that are environmentally friendly. Mitch Ratcliffe interviews John Atcheson, cofounder and CEO of Stuffstr, an app that will let you track what you buy at a retailer and resell it later at the touch of a button.

EARTH911 Podcast: Sustainability In Your Ear -- May 14, 2018 May 13, 2018

Join the Earth911.com team for this week's conversation about sustainability and recycling! In the news: California mandates solar in new homes; The recycling mystery left by Lance Armstrong, silicone bracelets; Nine flowers that protect the environment, and; The hot new Earthling sporting, Earthing -- it's an alternative to fishing that will change the way you look at lakes and wetlands.
We talk with CSRHub.com Cofounder & CEO Cynthia Figge about the growing wave of sustainability and social responsibility information that investors and consumers can use to make decisions that support the Earth. Full environmental lifecycle transparency is coming.
And, of course, questions from Earthlings! This week, we talk automotive oil and fluids recycling and the difference between single-use and rechargeable batteries when it's time to recycle. Join the Earthling conversation.

EARTH911 Podcast Episode 4 May 07, 2018

This week, the Earth911.com team explains how you can help save the Monarch Butterfly, cut your energy use and lower the power bill, and recirculate your old running shoes. We talk with artist Aviva Rahmani, whose "Blued Trees Symphony" started a national movement to block pipeline development with natural art installations in wetlands and forests using Copyright law. Also, Reader Questions about recycling railroad ties, flooring and carpet, and those pesky plastic shopping bags.

EARTH911 Podcast Episode 3 May 02, 2018

Join the Earth911 gang to talk about Earth-conscious buying decisions, learn how to recycle ice cream containers, lower your carbon footprint when getting around town, and our interview with PATHWater, which just launched a bottled water that comes in a reusable aluminum bottle to fight plastics pollution. Also, this week's reader recycling questions!

Earth911.com Podcast: Sustainability In Your Ear, Episode 2 Apr 23, 2018

In this episode, Evelyn Lopez, Trey Granger, and Mitch Ratcliffe explore the recycling of rigid plastics and the impact of China's decision to stop important U.S. waste. We all cover the most sustainable options in clothes hangers, as well as which retailers use Earth-friendly hangers. Blended Burgers promise to save water and reduce carbon load in addition to tasting good. Reader recycling questions answered!

EARTH911: Sustainability In Your Ear Apr 16, 2018

This week, host Evelyn Lopez and Mitch Ratcliffe, publisher of Earth911.com, are joined by writers Sarah Lozanova and Trey Granger to discuss this week's news stories and recycling questions. What do you do with 200 gallons of kerosene if you live in Georgia, where no fuels recycling service is available?

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