Sustainability Champions

Latest Episodes:

Healing The Earth With Regenerative Farming Sep 14, 2019

Show notes

Did you know due to modern agricultural practices you have to eat eight oranges today to get the same amount of Vitamin A as your grandparents would have gotten from just one?

In this episode of the Sustainability Matters Today podcast, I interview Gabe Brown, owner of Brown’s ranch and a champion of regenerative farming. Gabe is a producer and winner of many state and national soil health awards, including a Growing Green Award from the Natural Resource Defense Council, and a Zero-Till Producer of the Year Award.

In addition, he was named one of the 25 Most influential Agricultural Leaders in the United States. Gabe recently published, “Dirt to Soil: One Family’s Journey Into Regenerative Agriculture”, where he shares the story of healing his farm’s soil and paves the road for other farmers to follow in his footsteps.

Please make sure to subscribe to the Sustainability Matters Today podcast to learn more about Gabe Brown and other champions of sustainability.

I hope you enjoy this episode!

Resources:

Brown’s Ranch Website: https://brownsranch.us

Regenerative Agriculture: http://www.regenerativeagriculturedefinition.com

Methanotrophs: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/08/150826135724.htm

Nourished by Nature: https://nourishedbynature.us

Dirt to Soil: One Family’s Journey Into Regenerative Agriculture (2018) by Gabe Brown: https://www.amazon.com/Dirt-Soil-Familys-Regenerative-Agriculture/dp/1603587632

You can read the transcript of this episode here: http://bit.ly/gabe-brown-SMT

Watch the full episode: https://sustainabilitym.at/Youtube-Gabe-Brown

Why The Circular Economy Will Fix Our Waste Problem Sep 09, 2019

Show notes

Did you know businesses can save more money by giving away unwanted items like desks, chairs and medical equipment for free instead of throwing them away?

In this episode of the Sustainability Matters Today podcast, I interview May Al-Karooni, CEO of Globechain, an award-winning reuse marketplace that connects businesses that want to throw items away with charities, people, and SMEs that want to use those items.

Since starting its operations in 2013, Globechain has over 10,000 customers, they’ve diverted over 5.2 million kgs from landfill, and they have helped over 14,000 communities and 82,400 people globally. Some of their partners include Marks & Spencer, B&Q, Nando’s, Radisson Hotels and the NHS.

May and I begin by discussing the ongoing demand for the Circular Model of Economy within the waste management industry. She explains that the Circular Economy focuses on reducing or even eliminating all waste by reusing and recycling all materials. Companies can therefore increase their profits significantly by saving money on materials and supplies.

We talk about businesses cutting their waste disposal costs by 50% simply by giving away 60% of what they were originally going to throw away. That’s a win-win-win situation: a win for the business, a win for the charities and the causes they support, and a win for the environment!

May was chosen by the Morgan Philips Group as one of the 5 Most Influential Female Online Entrepreneurs of 2019 and Globechain was listed in Forbes as one of The Startups You Should Watch In 2019. And since the recording of this episode, Globechain was also chosen as the Barclay’s Regional Winner for the Social Entrepreneur of the Year Award.

This is a really exciting episode. If you know someone who is a recycling warrior and reuses items rather than throws away, share this episode with them! You can find us at sustainabilitymatters.today. If you’d like to learn more about May and Globechain, visit their website at Globechain.com

And while you’re at it, tag us on Instagram to let us know you’re listening to this episode - @weareglobechain and @sustainabilitymatterstoday. We’d love to hear from you!

I also recommend checking out Globechain’s Twitter account - @Globechain - for fascinating facts and practical tips for living a sustainable lifestyle.

Alright, let’s jump in!

Resources:

Globechain website: http://globechain.com

Globechain and the circular economy: https://www.ns-businesshub.com/transport/globechain-circular-economy

Circular Economy: https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/circular-economy/concept

ESG data: https://www.esg.adec-innovations.com/about-us/faqs/what-is-esg

Book by Malcom Gladwell, “Outliers” (2011): https://www.amazon.com/Outliers-Story-Success-Malcolm-Gladwell/dp/0316017930

You can read the transcript of this episode here: http://bit.ly/mayalkaroonitranscript

Watch the full episode: https://sustainabilitym.at/Youtube-May-Al-Karooni

This Winery Promotes Regenerative Agriculture Sep 02, 2019

Show notes

Did you know, in the right conditions certain grapevines don’t need to be watered at all?

In this episode of the Sustainability Matters Today podcast, my guest is Brad Alper, owner of Square Peg Winery in Sonoma County, California.

Square Peg is a unique winery Brad does not use irrigation or any herbicides in his vineyards and is able to grow delicious and award-winning Pinot Noir.

We discuss the dry farming technique, which is location-specific, requires farmers to grow vines using the St. George’s rootstock, and needs the farmer to care for each vine by hand.

We cover Sonoma County’s goal of having 100% certified sustainable vineyards and wineries by the end of 2019, and they are well on their way to this accomplishment.

Brad clarifies a misconception that sustainable and organic farming are the same, when really sustainability encompasses farming, energy consumption and production, the health of the soil, and paying your workers a fair wage. This is a much greater achievement and makes a broader positive impact on the environment than just checking a few boxes that qualify your farm as organic.

If you know someone who’s passionate about wine, unique farming techniques, or sustainability, share this episode with them! You can find us at sustainabilitymatters.today. If you’d like to learn more about Brad and the Square Peg Winery, visit the website https://squarepegwinery.com/

And let us know you’re listening to this episode on Instagram! Tag us - @sustainabilitymatterstoday and @squarepegwinery. We’d love to hear from you!

Topics Covered in this Episode:

· Square Peg Winery’s history

· What is dry farming?

· The difference between sustainable and organic farming

Resources:

Square Peg Winery Website: https://squarepegwinery.com/

Sonoma County Winegrowers: https://sonomawinegrape.org/

St George’s Rootstock: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitis_rupestris

“Science of Grapevines” by Markus Keller: https://www.amazon.com/Science-Grapevines-Anatomy-Physiology/dp/012374881X

“General Viticulture” by Albert Julius Winkler: https://www.amazon.com/General-Viticulture-J-Winkler/dp/0520025911

Watch the full episode: https://sustainabilitym.at/Youtube-Brad-Alper

Organic Farming Can Save The Earth Jul 04, 2019

Show notes

Did you know fertiliser was first introduced in the 1940s because the US had lots of leftover nitrogen that wasn’t made into weapons during WWII?

Hey, this is Daniel Hartz with Sustainability Matters Today, a podcast where I showcase sustainability experts and discover their journeys.

The aim of these conversations is to share ideas from leaders in the field on the financial benefits of adopting eco-friendly methodologies. Can it really be cost-effective to be sustainable?

Through these talks, we also cover ways you as an individual can incorporate environmentally-friendly practices into your daily life.

In this episode, I interview Diana Martin, the Director of Communications at The Rodale Institute, a nonprofit considered to be the birthplace of the organic movement in North America. The Institute educates consumers and farmers on the benefits of organic and researches organic farming practices.

Diana and I talk about the significance of the Institute’s motto “healthy soil = healthy food = healthy people” and why it’s problematic that we’re losing topsoil 10 times faster than it’s being replaced.

We discuss the profitability of organic farming, especially in a time when many farmers sell their produce at break-even prices and live off of taxpayer-funded government subsidies.

Diana describes carbon farming, a practice that takes advantage of plants’ natural ability to sequester carbon dioxide and put it back into the soil, where it belongs.

This is a great interview and I’m really looking forward to it! If you know someone who’s passionate about organic food, farming, or sustainability, share this episode with them! You can find us at sustainabilitymatters.today. If you’d like to learn more about the Rodale Institute, visit their website at rodaleinstitute.org.

And let us know you’re listening to this episode on instagram! Tag us - @sustainabilitymatterstoday and @RodaleInstitute. We’d love to hear from you!

You can read the transcript of the episode here: bit.ly/Diana_Martin_SMT

Watch the episode here: https://sustainabilitym.at/Youtube-Diana-Martin

Why Sustainable Agriculture Makes Better Food Jun 04, 2019

Show notes

In this episode, I speak with Luke Peterson, a regenerative farmer based near Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.

By mimicking nature, Luke believes that his farm improves the health of the soil and healthier soil grows healthier food. And healthier food means healthier communities, which in turn lead to healthier economies.

On a grander scale, regenerative agriculture goes far beyond the importance of pollinators like bumblebees and butterflies flourishing on his farm: regenerative agriculture can actually have a direct impact on the strength of a country’s economy.

You can follow Luke and his farm on Instagram - https://bit.ly/2KrI5RS

Resources

Carmen Fernholz is Luke's mentor - https://bit.ly/2Mt8JfI
5 Principles of Soil Health: Armor the soil, Minimize soil disturbance, Increase plant diversity, Keep living roots in the ground all year, Integrate livestock grazing - https://bit.ly/2MDPosq
US Farm debt is at levels seen during the 1980s farm crisis - https://reut.rs/2EBsD1X
Luke works closely with a local bakery called Baker’s Field - https://bit.ly/2MwvcbC
Gabe Brown’s book Dirt to Soil - http://bit.ly/2HVdtqc
Mark Shepherd’s book Restoration Agriculture - http://bit.ly/2QOjeZt

You can read the transcript of the episode here: bit.ly/Luke_Peterson_SMT

Watch the full episode: https://sustainabilitym.at/Youtube-Luke-Peterson

How Our Governments Can Help Heal the Planet May 22, 2019

Show notes

In this episode, my guest is Jay Manning, partner at Cascadia Law Group, an environmental law firm, based in Olympia, Washington, in the US. In addition to working as an environmental attorney, Jay was the Chief of Staff for Washington Governor Christine Gregoire from 2009 to 2011. He was the director of the Department of Ecology where he helped clean up and restore the Puget Sound and passed a bill on water management.

Recently, Jay helped create and now currently supports the Pacific Coast Collaborative, a partnership between the states of California, Oregon, Washington and British Columbia to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while spurring the economy. We discuss the economic opportunities governments have when they adopt environmentally friendly policies.

We cover Jay’s experience of working with Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to make a positive impact on the environment. From there, Jay describes his involvement at COP-21 where the Paris Agreement was signed. Jay believes we have the capabilities to reverse climate change right now and hopes we’re able to take advantage of these advancements in technology.

Resources

Book recommendations: Project Drawdown: http://bit.ly/2HKyxhR

The Making of the Atomic Bomb by Richard Rhodes: http://bit.ly/2HMzzKc

Resources Cascadia Law Group website: https://www.cascadialaw.com

Cascadia policy solutions: http://cascadiapolicy.com

Pacific Coast Collaborative: http://pacificcoastcollaborative.org/

International Alliance to Combat Ocean Acidification: https://www.oaalliance.org/

You can read the transcript of this episode here: http://bit.ly/jay-manning-transcript

Watch the full episode: https://sustainabilitym.at/Youtube-Jay-Manning

Bee Keeping On Skyscrapers May 07, 2019

Show notes

In this episode, my guest is Camilla Goddard, founder and owner of Capital Bee (http://www.capitalbee.co.uk), an urban beekeeping operation in London, England. Camilla keeps around 70 beehives for businesses and organisations around London, teaches beekeeping courses on the rooftop of a 4-star luxury hotel, and finds homes for vulnerable bumblebees and honeybees.

We start with Camilla's journey getting started in beekeeping and go into the importance of bees for both the environment and humans and why they play a crucial role in our ecosystem. Although Camilla recognises the challenges bees are facing, she is hopeful they can adapt and flourish, despite urbanisation and climate change.

Resources

Hornbeam wood purchased via https://woodlands.co.uk;

Varroa Mites feed on larvae: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Varroa_destructor;

Quakers greatly value sustainability: https://www.quaker.org.uk/our-work/sustainability;

Beekeeping workshops at the St. Ermine's Hotel London: https://www.sterminshotel.co.uk/offers/beekeeping-workshops/;

Urban beekeeping: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urban_beekeeping;

Lime trees (aka Linden trees): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tilia;

Tree of Heaven: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ailanthus_altissima;

St Ermine's Bee and Bee Hotel: https://www.sterminshotel.co.uk/about/bees-kitchen-garden/our-bees/;

To learn more about bee hotels: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insect_hotel;

Amazon sells Insect Hotels: http://bit.ly/2H3qDQh

Pesticide poisoning: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pesticide_toxicity_to_bees;

Asian Hornets: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asian_hornet;

Privets act as nectaries: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Privet;

Capital Bee's Honey: http://www.capitalbee.co.uk/sites-and-honey/;

Bee Dance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LU_KD1enR3Q.

Guide to Bees and Honey by Ted Hooper: http://bit.ly/2H3qNqR

Honeybee Democracy by Thomas Seeley: http://bit.ly/2Vk6WO9

Cooking with Honey by Dr Paul J Vagg: http://bit.ly/2H6Ofn5

You can read the transcript of this episode here: http://bit.ly/CamillaGoddardTranscript

Watch the full episode: https://sustainabilitym.at/Youtube-Camilla-Goddard

How Tech Companies Can Be Sustainable with VMware Apr 04, 2019

Show notes

Join me as I speak with Natasha Tuck (@nstuck), Sustainability Director at VMware, a leading Silicon Valley technology firm.

We discuss VMware’s strategies for being a corporate leader in sustainability and a major milestone they have already accomplished, becoming 100% carbon neutral two years ahead of schedule. VMware's virtualization technology makes I.T. infrastructure more efficient which fundamentally changes how their customers use power and with their tech, VMware's clients have avoided putting 540 million metric tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. That's the equivalent to powering 68 percent of U.S. households for one year.

You can learn more about VMware here: https://www.vmware.com.

Resources

[00:00:53] Information about how much carbon VMware's clients have saved was taken from this article: https://www.vmware.com/radius/achieving-carbon-neutrality/.

[00:05:19] You can learn more about what it takes for a company to become carbon neutral here: https://www.carbonneutral.com/

[00:05:48] You can read the press release of this announcement here: https://www.vmware.com/company/news/releases/vmw-newsfeed.VMware-Achieves-Carbon-Neutrality-and-Partners-with-City-of-Palo-Alto-on-Community-Microgrid-as-Part-of-Global-Impact-Initiative.1641169.html.

[00:07:47] This article really helped me understand the differences between Scopes 1, 2, and 3 emissions, as well as the difference between Carbon Neutral and 100% renewable energy: http://100percentrenewables.com.au/carbon-neutral-100-renewable/. [

00:11:38] The stat Natasha referred to is that in Guatemala, 97 percent of water sources are contaminated, leading to the death of one in 20 children before the age of five. You can read more about it here: https://www.vmware.com/radius/low-carbon-sustainable-development/. You can learn more about the Ecofiltro projects here: https://www.ecofiltro.com/en. You can learn more about Ecofiltro's cookstove in this video: https://youtu.be/HpSuLc2qly4.

[00:20:48] You can read more about renewable energy credits here: https://www.epa.gov/greenpower/renewable-energy-certificates-recs.

[00:33:33] Natasha’s two book recommendations: 1) Leaving Microsoft to Change the World by John Wood 2) Drawdown: The Most Comprehensive Plan Ever Proposed to Reverse Global Warming by Paul Hawken

You can read the transcript of this episode here: http://bit.ly/NatashaTuckTranscrip

You can watch the full episode here: https://sustainabilitym.at/Youtube-Natasha-Tuck

Easy Tips On How You Can Become Self Sustainable Feb 12, 2019

Show notes

In this episode, my guests are Elena and Zima Hartz, a couple who have a very productive home: they grow their own fruits and vegetables, preserve and ferment their own foods, and have a self-contained ecosystem with chickens that eat pests and produce eggs. We discuss a lot of things, but some of the highlights are the love of composting, the importance of keeping your own bees, and the best turkey they have ever had for Thanksgiving.

Let’s dive in and see why these topics contribute to an eco-friendly lifestyle.

You can read the transcript of this episode here: http://bit.ly/Elena-ZimaHartzTranscript

You can watch the full episode here: https://sustainabilitym.at/Youtube-Elena-and-Zima-Hartz

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