Stay ConnectedGreen Dreamer with kaméa chayne explores our paths to collective healing, biocultural revitalization, and true abundance and wellness *for all*.
Curious to unravel the dominant narratives that stunt our imaginations and called to spark radical dreaming of what could be, we share conversations with an ever-expanding range of thought leaders — each inspiring us to deepen and broaden our awareness in their own ways.
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Given that many young people today are already so passionate about helping to solve our global issues, how can we better engage them and empower them to contribute their unique perspectives and talents? How does engineering tie into this picture of sustainability, and how can engineers best apply their backgrounds and skillset to help further advance our progress towards a healthier future?
Sharing her wisdom here is Brittany Bennett, Executive Director of Engineers for a Sustainable World. You'll hear about the role of engineers in tackling environmental issues, the importance of having young people in leadership positions, the need for policy change and collective action, and more. Let's dive in!
HIGHLIGHTS
[4:28] How engineers are uniquely positioned to solve environmental problems.
[13:40] Brittany: "One of the greatest things we can do is to combine our power together to create collective action."
[16:51] What Brittany does to stay encouraged when others don't believe in her.
[17:00] Kaméa: "What is the importance of having ideas in leadership from young people and minorities in today's world?"
[19:04] Brittany: "I wish we were more open about our failures as a society."
[20:52] How we can continue to encourage and motivate young people toward action.
Thanks for bringing your light! Find the full show notes with links and resources at www.greendreamer.com/112, subscribe to our newsletter to win monthly giveaways, and share your #1 takeaway from the episode tagging our featured guest and me @KameaChayne to spread the light and to let us know you're tuning in!
What are some environmental impacts from the beauty and skincare industry that we should be mindful of? In the midst of our fast-paced, often stressful lives, what can we keep in mind that can help us to immediately shift our outlooks to one of gratitude?
Sharing his wisdom here is Andy Hnilo, Founder and CEO of Alitura Naturals. You'll hear about the serious injury that led to him starting Alitura Naturals, some of the most concerning problems with the skincare and beauty industry right now, how to keep a perspective of appreciation in life, and more. Let's dive in!
HIGHLIGHTS
[3:18] The serious accident that eventually led to Andy's founding of Alitura.
[7:52] Why the ingredients we put onto our skin matter.
[12:23] Andy discusses the research and development process he used to develop his innovative, natural skincare.
[17:02] Why Andy decided to source unique, wild-harvested ingredients and how this set his products apart from other popular natural skincare brands.
[25:17] Some of the biggest environmental and health issues that exist within the beauty industry.
[28:02] The availability of unisex and men's eco-skincare and beauty products.
[29:47] How word-of-mouth marketing is the most powerful tool Alitura has used to gain exposure.
Thanks for bringing your light! Find the full show notes with links and resources at www.greendreamer.com/111, subscribe to our newsletter to win monthly giveaways, and share your #1 takeaway from the episode tagging our featured guest and me @KameaChayne to spread the light and to let us know you're tuning in!
Why can we feel confident and hopeful about our ability to address climate change in this time of need? Even though this topic can often feel complex, overwhelming, and sometimes controversial, what are the three basic things we need to know about the science of climate change that are just undeniable and simple realities?
Sharing his wisdom here is Dr. Jeffrey Bennett, an astronomer, teacher, and author. You'll hear about the relationship between astronomy and our climate; how the solutions to tackling climate change have multi-faceted benefits for our society; how to speak intelligently and with clarity about climate change science; and more.
HIGHLIGHTS
[3:03] The relationship between astronomy and climate change.
[6:06] The difference between saving the earth and saving civilization.
[7:19] Jeffrey explains the simple science behind global warming in three steps.
[9:12] Jeffrey: "There's plenty of hope still out there; we just have to do what we know needs to be done."
[10:44] How a carbon tax could greatly impact our transition away from fossil fuels, and how this could actually strengthen our overall economy.
[18:56] How we can speak more effectively to the general public about climate change.
[22:27] Why climate change is not a partisan concern and how leaders with conservative views were actually first to highlight the issue.
Thanks for bringing your light! Find the full show notes with links and resources at www.greendreamer.com/110, subscribe to our newsletter to win monthly giveaways, and share your #1 takeaway from the episode tagging our featured guest and me @KameaChayne to spread the light and to let us know you're tuning in!
How will a deeper understanding of our microbiome health encourage us to take better care of ourselves and our planet? How has human activity been impacting our earth's world of microbes, and what's at stake if our microbial diversity and richness continue to decrease?
Sharing her wisdom here is Ara Katz, the Co-Founder of Seed, which is pioneering the application of microbiome science for both human and planetary health. You'll hear about what exactly our microbiome is and does for us; how our personal ecosystems relate to our earth's microbes; how microbiome science will shift our entire approaches to self-care and earth stewardship; and more. Let's dive in!
HIGHLIGHTS
[7:21] Ara shares how her experience breastfeeding led her to connect the dots between personal and environmental health.
[18:01] Ara explains what our microbiome is and what it does for us.
[25:51] Kaméa: "How does our individual microbiome relate to our planet's health?"
[26:04] Ara: "We're not in this environment or on this environment—we are of this environment."
[26:47] How using antibiotics in animal agriculture impacts our soil health, which in turn creates a harmful cascading effect on the health of our earth and ultimately, ourselves.
[27:38] Ara: "Everything is ultimately connected... Microbes are the invisible internet of everything."
[32:58] What the impact of urbanization may be on our collective health, given that it leads to decreasing exposures to our microbes-rich living environments.
Thanks for bringing your light! Find the full show notes with links and resources at www.greendreamer.com/109, subscribe to our newsletter to win monthly giveaways, and share your #1 takeaway from the episode tagging our featured guest and me @KameaChayne to spread the light and to let us know you're tuning in!
What can we learn from the modeling and fashion industries to help us accelerate our progress towards a healthier future? How does the role of privilege tie into conversations around sustainable living, and how can we be more mindful of this so that we're not just improving our own lives independently, but also helping to improve the system to make it easier and more accessible for everyone to live better as well?
Sharing her wisdom here is Renee Elizabeth Peters, a model-activist, the content creator at Model4GreenLiving, a social media expert, and an environmental advocate. You'll hear about the role of modeling in social impact; how to combat burnout as an activist; how we can use our privilege to make a more positive impact; and more. Let's dive in!
HIGHLIGHTS
[11:03] Renee's greatest personal struggle working within the modeling industry while championing mind, body, and earth positivity.
[14:43] How the media's mainstream narratives impact our mental health and beliefs about what we 'need' to be happy.
[17:43] Taking a holistic, positive approach to sustainability and social impact to prevent burnout.
[19:01] Renee's three pieces of advice for someone feeling overwhelmed and burnt out by all of the global issues we face today.
[22:45] The role of privilege in sustainable living and how influencers can more effectively use their privilege to make a more widespread positive impact.
[28:51] Kaméa: "What can we as individuals do to help conversations around sustainability feel more inclusive so that more people may hop on board?"
[30:14] One easy thing everyone can do to support systemic change.
Thanks for bringing your light! Find the full show notes with links and resources at www.greendreamer.com/108, subscribe to our newsletter to win monthly giveaways, and share your #1 takeaway from the episode tagging our featured guest and me @KameaChayne to spread the light and to let us know you're tuning in!
When money is often associated with corruption and greed, how can we shift our money mindset to be more confident and unafraid to work with it (given that this is how our world operates), so that we can better use it as a means to help improve our world? What can we do to begin meaningfully addressing the issues of disease, poverty, and climate change altogether?
Sharing his wisdom here is Devin Thorpe, author, speaker, and founder of the Your Mark on the World Center. You'll hear about why having the right money mindset is important for making a positive impact; why corporations aren't going away and what we can do to better hold them accountable for their work; the interconnected relationship between poverty, disease, and climate change; and more. Let's dive in!
HIGHLIGHTS
[7:20] Devin: "I think all of us in the sustainability world on some level resent the influence of money. But the fact is–money is what makes the world go round."
[11:47] Why corporations are a necessity in our world today and what we can do to require more responsibility from them.
[12:39] The fundamentally flawed idea that a corporation's sole reason for being should be to create shareholder value.
[20:58] How the issues of poverty, disease, and climate change relate to one another.
[24:22] The role of politics in climate change and poverty and how these are nonpartisan issues.
[27:04] Devin: "I really think we need to take personal responsibility and never ever, ever forget the astounding need for us to be politically active—we must do both."
Thanks for bringing your light! Find the full show notes with links and resources at www.greendreamer.com/107, subscribe to our newsletter to win monthly giveaways, and share your #1 takeaway from the episode tagging our featured guest and me @KameaChayne to spread the light and to let us know you're tuning in!
What do we need to know about food waste, and what can we do as individuals to help our communities waste less food? Even though sometimes we may feel, as individuals, like just one person in this massive world, why is our sheer existence so important in helping to shape trends and society?
Sharing his wisdom here is Max La Manna of Eating With Max. You'll hear about how we can inspire those around us to take positive actions for our planet; how we can create a less wasteful food industry; what to know about plant-based foods that can help us feel more connected to our earth; and more. Let's dive in!
HIGHLIGHTS
[6:45] What inspired Max to become a pioneer as a chef focused on not wasting any food, tackling plastic waste from the food industry, and making plant-based recipes.
[8:53] Max: "I think that's where a lot of creativity lives – in that space of the unknown and in that space of fear."
[9:25] Max's advice on getting over the roadblock of fearing the unknown or fearing what other people think.
[13:20] What Max has done to be able to connect deeply with his audience to inspire positive change.
[15:00] What we need to know about food waste and how we can get our communities to waste less food.
[20:05] Kaméa: "We've become very disconnected as a society from nature, especially as it has to with food... How can we inspire a deeper connection between humans and nature through food?"
[22:40] At a time when our global meat consumption is still on the rise, what we can do to inspire people to try more plant-based protein and eat less meat.
Thanks for bringing your light! Find the full show notes with links and resources at www.greendreamer.com/106, subscribe to our newsletter to win monthly giveaways, and share your #1 takeaway from the episode tagging our featured guest and me @KameaChayne to spread the light and to let us know you're tuning in!
In addition to supporting the most established national or international environmental nonprofits, why do we also need to simultaneously support local, small, and community-based organizations? What's the importance of making sure that key decisions, policies, and solutions are made in the presence of people from a diversity of backgrounds?
Sharing her wisdom with us here is Peggy Shepard, Co-founder and Executive Director of WE ACT For Environmental Justice. You'll hear about how grassroots initiatives can lead to meaningful change for citizens; how large environmental organizations differ in their measures of success and focus compared to community-based organizations; how we can support environmental justice as individuals; and more. Let's dive in!
HIGHLIGHTS
[8:18] Peggy: "The environmental justice movement really coalesced around the fact that low-income communities and communities of color were being targeted for polluting facilities, but not receiving environmental benefits like parks and alternative energy options like solar and natural gas."
[9:23] Peggy: "We believe that the voices of the affected residents are the ones that should take leadership on these issues."
[12:11] Peggy talks about the prevalence of systemic environmental racism in the U.S. that is perpetuated by public policy and the history of inequality.
[24:20] The differences in how large-scale, national nonprofits measure success compared to community-based organizations, and why we cannot overlook supporting the latter.
[27:20] Peggy: "We've got to have a diversity of perspectives because it enriches all of our policies and it enriches our lives."
Thanks for bringing your light! Find the full show notes with links and resources at www.greendreamer.com/105, subscribe to our newsletter to win monthly giveaways, and share your #1 takeaway from the episode tagging our featured guest and me @KameaChayne to spread the light and to let us know you're tuning in!
How do aquaponics work and how can this be used to support a more sustainable future in agriculture? What are some environmental issues from the medical cannabis industry that we should know, and how can we best support it to move in a healthier direction?
Sharing his wisdom here is Warren Bravo, the co-founder and CEO of Green Relief. You'll hear about how he pivoted from leading his family business to become the largest cement contracting company in Canada to co-establishing his licensed medical cannabis company; how he developed their aquaponic system to be able to scale sustainable production of the plant; how sterile systems like hydroponics compare to aquaponics and soil-based growth; and more. Let's dive in.
HIGHLIGHTS:
[7:00] How Warren got involved with the medical cannabis industry and sustainable agriculture.
[11:55] Warren: "I learned a long time ago not to sweat over things I can't control."
[12:41] What aquaponics are and how they work.
[15:35] Kamea: "What do we know about the difference between plants or crops grown from sterile systems like hydroponics compared to ones with rich micro-biotic populations?"
[19:05] Warren's biggest struggle in growing Green Relief.
[24:22] Warren shares how to support the medical cannabis industry to be more sustainable and more generally, how to champion sustainable agriculture going forward.
Thanks for bringing your light! Find the full show notes with links and resources at www.greendreamer.com/104, subscribe to our newsletter to win monthly giveaways, and share your #1 takeaway from the episode tagging our featured guest and me @KameaChayne to spread the light and to let us know you're tuning in!
Why are plastic pieces so problematic when they end up in our oceans? How can focusing on preventative solutions to tackling plastic and micro-plastic pollution help us to more effectively address this global issue?
Sharing his wisdom here is Dr. Marcus Eriksen, Co-founder and Research Director of 5 Gyres Institute. In this episode, you’ll hear about his research on microplastic pollution leading to the passing of our federal Microbead-Free Waters Act of 2015; why he thinks we need to focus more on stopping plastic from entering our waterways in the first place instead of on cleaning up plastics already in our oceans; and more. Let’s dive in.
HIGHLIGHTS
[4:21] Marcus discusses his active deployment in the Gulf War and how seeing the ecological impact of war affected him.
[5:30] Marcus: "I've got to preserve and conserve the world around me. That's my duty; that's what's worth fighting for."
[8:16] How the 5 Gyres Institute fought for (and won) the Microbead-Free Waters Act of 2015.
[14:07] Marcus speaks on the linear waste system and how that system needs to change into a circular system.
[25:45] How the burden of pollution has changed from resting on the consumers' shoulders alone to consumers sharing the load with corporations.
[27:19] Kamea: "It's important for us all to also know that we all have to work together. It's consumers; it's businesses; it's governments. We have to all collaborate with each other."
Thanks for bringing your light! Find the full show notes with links and resources at www.greendreamer.com/103, subscribe to our newsletter to win monthly giveaways, and share your #1 takeaway from the episode tagging our featured guest and me @KameaChayne to spread the light and to let us know you're tuning in!
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