Sustainability In Your Ear

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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

Show notes

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).

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