Sustainability In Your Ear

Latest Episodes:

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

Show notes

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

Show notes

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

Show notes

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

Show notes

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

Show notes

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

Show notes

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

Show notes

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

Show notes

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

Show notes

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

Show notes

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/

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Sustainability In Your Ear

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected