Sustainability In Your Ear

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

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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

Show notes

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

Show notes

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

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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

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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

Show notes

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

Show notes

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

Show notes

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

Show notes

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

Show notes

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/

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