Sustainability In Your Ear

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Earth911 Podcast: Direct Solar America CEO Pablo Diaz On Solar Subsidies and 2020 Election Jul 20, 2020

Show notes

Pablo Diaz, founder and CEO of Direct Solar America, joins Earth911 to talk about the current state of solar subsidies in the U.S. Recently named one of CEO Magazine's Top 20 Dynamic CEOs, Diaz founded the company as a solar installer but transitioned to providing solar technology and installation services for home and business owners. Visitors to DirectSolarAmerica.com can enter their address and share energy bills to receive a complete analysis of the potential cost, subsidies available for, and a connection to a vetted local installer.
We discussed the current federal and state subsidies for solar installation around the country. The federal investment tax credit, which allowed solar buyers to write off up to 30% of their solar equipment and installation costs in 2019, fell to 26% this year and will go down to 22% in 2021 before falling to 10% in 2022. Individual states offer generous subsidies that add to the federal savings.
Considering that the oil industry receives approximately $650 billion a year in subsidies, Diaz thinks there is a high likelihood solar subsidies will continue for many years. However, Congress must vote to extend those subsidies or they will be sunsetted after 2022. That's why this year's state and national elections are so important to the future of U.S. solar growth. It took approximately 15 years for the first million installations to be completed, three years to reach two million, and the Solar Energy Industries Association expects to reach four million installations by 2023. But that represents only about 2 percent market penetration.
Diaz urges our listeners to vote for solar-supporting representatives and executive candidates. The nation needs to keep adopting solar to avoid 1.5-degrees Centigrade global warming by 2030, and remains far from that goal. Check out Direct Solar America to find out how your home can generate its own solar-powered electricity.

Earth911 Podcast: How To Talk To The Other Side With Author Kevin Wilhelm Jun 22, 2020

Show notes

The time to talk about climate change and social equity is now. Author and sustainability consultant Kevin Wilhelm has a valuable new guide to bridging the political, social, and ideological chasms that keep that discussion from happening, How to Talk to the “Other Side”: Finding Common Ground in the Time of Coronavirus, Recession and Climate Change. A practical book full of real-world examples of collaboration that succeeded despite Left-Right, Urban-Rural, and racial divisions. Wilhelm and his co-author Natalie Hoffman provide a framework for building “allyship” with people usually dismissed as the stubborn, unthinking opposition. Listen to this important discussion, if only to take a little hope away to use in your life during these difficult times.
Written during the early weeks of the pandemic, How to Talk to the Other Side has even more relevance in the wake of the murder of George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter protests that started in June. He discusses the backgrounds of different factions in the climate debate, offering empathetic ideas about how to build an effective connection. We also explore the impact of generational change — among Millennials, both Republican and Democratic voters say climate change is a real, urgent issue facing our species.
Wilhelm is CEO of Seattle-based Sustainable Business Consulting, a professor at the University of Washington and Harvard University, as well as the author of Return on Sustainability: How Business Can Increase Profitability & Address Climate Change in an Uncertain Economy and other business books.
Join the conversation and share your thoughts with the community in our Earthling Forum.

Earth911 Podcast: Avoiding Revenge Pollution With World Centric's Lauren Olson Jun 01, 2020

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As the world re-opens in the wake of COVID-19 Wave 1, revenge pollution threatens to amplify human environmental impacts as people travel, spend, and discard products and packaging at a higher level than before the global lockdown. Earth911's Mitch Ratcliffe talks with Lauren K. Olson, zero-waste manager at World Centric, a Rohnert Park, Calif.-based maker of compostable bioplastic food packaging and tableware about how to avoid revenge pollution in our personal lives. She shares insights into plastic choices, composting practices, travel and conscious shopping strategies that will reduce your footprint.
Join the conversation and share your thoughts with the community in our Earthling Forum.

Earth911 Podcast: Making environmental lemonade from COVID-19 lemons May 18, 2020

Show notes

We're still deep in the lockdown and the Earth911 team gathers from the far corners of the U.S. to discuss how to improve our personal and community sustainability as we emerge from the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Earth911's Sarah Lozanova, Mitch Ratcliffe and our producer, Doug Mackey, talk about the increased recycling reported by cities, as well as the disappointing news that people are not cleaning and sorting recyclables -- contamination rates stay stuck between 20 percent and 25 percent in many areas. The Recycling Partnership reports similar results from its recent survey of programs in Washington, Oregon, and California.
But the Great Pause has shown that when people stop commuting and flying, significant changes in the environment can be seen. It's proof that all our small changes can add up, the question is, will we embrace this opportunity to change as the world awakes after the pandemic? We have ideas to share about how to extend the short-term changes you make in response to COVID-19 beyond the end of the lockdown. Simple changes at home, such as using rags instead of paper towels, reducing your household food waste, and rethinking when and how to travel can contribute to postive changes. And we talk about the changing way people will work as society adapts to life without a coronavirus vaccine for at least 12 to 18 months.
We also answer Earthling Questions about how to recycle tires, where to recycle marble construction waste, and the safe and successful way to recycle compact fluorescent lightbulbs (CFLs).
Join the conversation and share your thoughts with the community in our Earthling Forum.

Earth911 Podcast: SoGoodSoYou Embraces Biodegradable BtrBtl Probiotic Juice Shots May 11, 2020

Show notes

Earth911 talks with Rita Katona and Eric Hall, cofounders of probiotic juice shot makers SoGoodSoYou about their new biodegradable packaging, the BtrBtl, and how contemporary companies must embrace ecological sustainability. The BtrBtl breaks down approximately 17 times faster (it “biodegrades 31.7–37.0% after 391 days in active landﬁll conditions compared to 2% biodegradation of untreated PET”). It’s an important step in the company’s efforts to reduce its ecological footprint.
Rita and Eric describe their search for better packaging for the pure juice mind and health juice shots. They cofounded the company in 2014, at the same time that they became engaged during a trip to Mexico. Together, they have created a line of probiotic 100-percent juice body and mind tonics. But they have long been troubled by the plastic waste generated, so began to explore alternatives that led to their embrace of BtrBtl this year. As Eric Hall explains, this is a step in the right direction that they will continue to pursue as they reduce their footprint.
SoGoodSoYou puts people and planet first while building on available technology. They’ve built a team dedicated to delivering healty food in sustainable packaging. If you’re practicing better plastic uses, keep an eye on SoGoodSoYou.
Join the conversation and share your thoughts with the community in our Earthling Forum.

Earth911 Podcast: ISRI Chief Economist Joe Pickard On COVID's Impact On Recycling May 04, 2020

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The recycling industry, like the rest of the world, is coping with the massive disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic. Joe Pickard, the chief economist of the Institute for Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI), shares his insights into how recycling will change as a new normal emerges after the pandemic. Even as homeowners and apartment-dwellers send more recyclables through curbside programs, the commercial recycling market has slowed with closures and declining manufacturing.
The results are that overall recycling rates have fallen in most states, such as California and Oregon.
After closures, many recycling programs are re-opening with new employee safety programs. And recycling firms will fail. Those without the cash to get through the crisis are at the greatest risk, Pickard explains. Recyclers are wrestling with the changing requirements for the Payroll Protection Program loans from the Small Business Administration, but before the pandemic investments in U.S. recycling was on the increase. Perhaps the "new normal" will be a more efficient and innovative recycling infrastructure.
Join the conversation and share your thoughts with the community in our Earthling Forum.

Earth911 Podcast: Bevi Delivers Sustainable Water Services To Reduce Plastic Waste May 04, 2020

Show notes

Bevi, an office water dispenser company, has saved more than 180 million plastic bottles from landfills. Earth911 talks with Sean Grundy, cofounder and CEO of Bevi, about the company's mission to deliver sustainable and healthy water, with or without flavoring. They developed a networked water dispenser that can be installed in an office to distill and carbonate tap water, adding natural flavors for about one-third the cost of a can or bottle or soda.
Grundy explains how Bevi has measured many aspects of its supply chain to understand its CO2 emissions. Its water flavorings bags and boxes, equipment, and delivery services through local partners are optimized to reduce emissions. He also explains the motivations business must embrace to win and keep dedicated employees who care about the environment. Bevi's commitment to sustainability grew out of the founding team's values, but he says they find their customers purchase its water services also embrace a concern to the environment. Check out Bevi for a fresh, sustainable drink of water.
Join the conversation and share your thoughts with the community in our Earthling Forum.

Earth911 Podcast: Sustainable Home Shopping With Loop Apr 20, 2020

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Are you thinking about shopping with home delivery during the lockdown? You need to know Loop, the home grocery delivery service that picks up and recycles what you buy when you are done. Earth911 talks with Benjamin Weir, North American business development manager at Loop. Launched by Terracycle, the innovative recycling company, Loopstore.com offers 173 food and personal care products to customers in the U.S. Northeast and in France. Like the traditional milkman, Loop drops off and picks up product packaging. The packages are cleaned and reused by Terracycle. No mess, lots less recycling hassle.
Loop has developed new returnable and reusable packaging for products that include a steel Häagen-Dazs ice cream pint, Tide purclean detergent, Love Beauty Planet personal care products. Customers receive their orders in an insulated tote bag, which is picked up when full by UPS and returned to Terracycle. Weir explains that customers typically have two totes “in motion.”
The company will expand service in the U.S. and Europe during 2020, it also is working to expand its product selection. We also discuss how Loop is working with its partners to reduce customer and worker exposure to potential coronavirus infection.
Join the conversation and share your thoughts with the community in our Earthling Forum.

Earth911 Podcast: Isolation & Earth Day -- Living Sustainably During COVID-19 Apr 13, 2020

Show notes

The Earth911 team gathers, again, from the far corners of this isolated country to talk about the opportunities to improve our lives and reduce our impact on the planet in the midst of the COVID-19 lockdown. Join Mitch Ratcliffe and Sarah Lozanova for a conversation about keeping sane and adding sustainability education for your kids while stuck at home. We also talk more about the phenomenal evidence from the pandemic that many individual actions, such as reducing driving and closing ports, have had on environmental quality around the world. Los Angeles' air is cleaner than any time in memory, the water in Venice is clear, and the Earth is shaking less. We can all clearly see that millions of small changes add up.
We also urge you to get ready to participate in Earth Day online. This is the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, a massive citizen action that gave us the Environmental Protection Agency, the Clean Air Act, and the Clean Water Act. Because of the COVID-19 crisis, this year's plan to get one billion people onto the streets for Earth Day have been moved online. Earth911's Gemma Alexander explored the online programs for Earth Day Foodprints for the Future, Earth Challenge, EARTHRISE, and Great Global Cleanup you can join during the week of April 22nd. If you are stuck at home, do something for your planet!
And we answer your Earthling Questions! This week, learn how to dispose of weed killer containers, whether it is a good idea to crush soup cans before recycling, and how a hair salon can start recycling effectively.

Earth911 Podcast: The Resilience Action Fund Shares Resilient Building Advice Apr 06, 2020

Show notes

Begin building resilient communities based on a thorough awareness of nature, Aris Popadopoulos, founder of the Resilience Action Fund, a non-profit that provides information, educational information, and research to communities. As rising sea levels threaten coastal communities and extreme weather increases inland, Popadopoulos advises homeowners and renters to become more aware of the at-risk locations near them to avoid direct damage due to climate change.
Popadopoulos, who is active in Miami-area resilience planning and a World Trade Center attack survivor, is the author of Resilience -- The Ultimate Sustainability: Lessons from Failing to Develop a Stronger and Safer Built Environment. He shares how king tides, which flood parts of Miami regularly, are already mapping the future of habitable land in his home town. We also discuss progress or the lack thereof in Houston and other parts of the country.
If you are considering a new home, take a few minutes with the Resilience Action Fund to learn what risks to look for, how to ensure you receive all the information you need to make a location decision and start building your resilient foundation for life in the 2020s.

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