Sustainability Now - exploring technologies and paradigms to shape a world that works: Recent Episodes
Mira Rubin & Scott Bille
Sustainability Now is engaged in the exploration and proliferation of cutting edge sustainable technologies that solve planetary problems related to food, energy, housing, water, waste, health, economics and consciousness. http://www.sustainabilitynow.global with Host Mira Rubin
A Sustainability Now Interview with Bill Reed, pioneer of Regenerative Design
What if our buildings—and our communities—could heal the land, restore ecosystems, and regenerate life?
In this deeply transformative conversation, Mira Rubin is joined by Bill Reed, one of the foundational voices in the green building movement and a pioneer of regenerative design. Far beyond sustainability as a checklist of efficiencies, Bill challenges us to shift our very way of being—to see development as an evolutionary, co-creative dance with the living systems that surround us.
Drawing from decades of groundbreaking work with Regenesis Group, Bill reveals how true sustainability is impossible without regeneration, and how the places we build must be understood as dynamic expressions of life—not objects to control, but relationships to honor. From healing salmon streams in Idaho to catalyzing civic transformation in Chile, this episode is a powerful reminder that when we change our lens, we change what’s possible.
Whether you’re a designer, changemaker, or simply someone longing for a deeper relationship with place, join us for a conversation that will challenge your assumptions, stir your soul, and illuminate a path forward grounded in reciprocity, reverence, and love.
In this enlightening conversation with Dr. Jude Currivan, cosmologist, planetary healer, and futurist, we delve into the profound intersection of ancient wisdom and modern science, and explore how this union can guide us toward a more sustainable and conscious future. Drawing on her extensive experience across diverse fields—ranging from quantum physics and archaeology to indigenous wisdom and corporate leadership—Jude offers a vision of unity that transcends separation, emphasizing the interconnectedness of all life and the profound potential for human metamorphosis.
Through the lens of unitive consciousness, she invites us to embrace the idea that the universe is a living, breathing entity, where each of us plays a vital role. She shares how scientific evidence is finally catching up to ancient truths, affirming the reality of a holographic universe and a consciousness that shapes and is shaped by the entire cosmos. With hope and urgency, Jude challenges us to step into a collective journey of transformation—one that embraces love, interconnectedness, and the deep knowing that we belong to the web of life.
A Sustainability Now Interview with Athena Steen, Co-Founder of the Canelo Project Athena is a master natural builder and devoted educator. For 35 years, she’s been crafting homes from earth’s simplest materials—straw, clay, and plant fibers, infusing each home with the warmth of earth-based materials, the stability of thoughtful design, and the harmony of organic forms.
Athena teaches the art of straw bale building as a communal, creative, and sacred practice that reawakens a deep, ancestral relationship to the land. She speaks to the feminine energy and joy of building a home as a shared experience—stacking bales, mixing clay, and crafting with the earth itself—in an intimate dance with the natural world.
Athena offers a visionary approach to sustainable living, where the very walls we raise become sacred vessels—imbued with intention, creativity and care. Join us as we explore the healing power of working with our hands, the joy of building in harmony with nature, and the profound possibility of creating homes—and communities—that honor both people and planet.
A Sustainability Now Interview with Josh Farley
What if our metrics for economic health are simply upside down? How can a “healthy” economy—measured by rising GDP—coexist with ecological collapse, mental health crises, and widening inequality?
Josh Farley, ecological economist, isn’t just rethinking economics—he’s redesigning it. A professor at the University of Vermont and Fellow at the Gund Institute for Environment, his work bridges economics, ethics, and ecology, challenging the very foundation of how we think about money, nature, and our collective future.
With clarity and a sharp eye for absurdity, Farley unpacks the dangerous delusion of GDP as a measure of well-being—revealing how our systems reward depletion and call it growth, while sidelining equity, health, and ecological integrity.
Instead, he offers a new paradigm: one that prioritizes regeneration over extraction and collective stewardship over unchecked consumption. It’s not just a critique—it’s a grounded, hopeful invitation to redesign economics for a world that actually works.
If you’ve ever sensed that the numbers aren’t telling the whole story—this conversation is the deeper math you’ve been waiting for.
A Sustainability Now Interview with Food Forward Founder, Rick Nahmias
In a world where millions go hungry while billions of pounds of food go to waste, Food Forward is proving that abundance, not scarcity, is the problem—and the solution. Founded in 2009 by our guest, Rick Nahmias, what started as a backyard fruit-picking effort has grown into one of the most effective, large-scale food rescue operations in the country. With a laser focus on fresh, plant-based food, Food Forward moves an astonishing 100 million pounds of produce annually—more than even the LA Food Bank—directly into the hands of those who need it most. Their work isn’t just about feeding people; it’s about restoring dignity, health, and access to nutrient-rich foods while solving one of the most overlooked contributors to climate change: food waste.
The key to their impact? Precision, partnerships, and logistics at scale. Food Forward operates at just 7 cents per pound—one-third the cost of a traditional food bank. By leveraging deep relationships with wholesalers, farmers, and volunteers they’ve made food donation seamless, cost-effective, and even financially beneficial for suppliers.
Yet Food Forward is more than an organization—it’s a movement built on the principle of shared abundance. Inspired by a gifting ethos, their work empowers individuals to become stewards of food justice in their own communities, whether through volunteering, replicating food rescue efforts locally, or supporting policy change. And for those wondering if this model could work elsewhere? Rick and his team have made their tools and expertise open-source, to help support the development of food recovery efforts nationwide. Tune in to hear how Food Forward is reshaping food access, reducing waste, and proving that a well-fed world is within reach.
A Sustainability Now Interview with Water Stories Founder, Zach Weiss
What if the key to impacting climate change isn't as much about carbon as it is about water? In this episode, we are delighted to welcome back Zach Weiss, visionary water restoration expert and founder of Water Stories, for an exploration of how and why healing the water cycle can regenerate the planet. From extreme weather events—droughts and wildfires to catastrophic mudslides and floods—our planet's most pressing climate crises are symptoms of a broken water cycle—a situation that we have the ability to heal. Zach shares why water cycle restoration is the most effective, immediate, and scalable solution to stabilizing our climate, cooling landscapes, reversing desertification, and restoring thriving ecosystems.
Drawing from real-world success stories, Zach shares how farms, cities, and even entire river systems are being revived through simple, nature-based interventions. In Montana, a parking lot became a thriving wetland in just two years, providing habitat for a rare and endangered salamander species. In India, through the work of Rajendra Singh, communities restored 13 rivers that had been dry for decades. These projects aren’t just theoretical—they’re proof that by working with nature, rather than against it, we can restore balance to the planet.
With a community of 6000 and growing, Water Stories is spreading the word through education and action, providing extensive resources for individuals, professionals, and policymakers alike. They also offer a once-a-year six-month training that equips participants with the knowledge and skills to get involved in this regenerative work—work that has been successfully implemented by everyone from individual land stewards to government agencies.
A Sustainability Now Interview with Solarrolla founders Brett and Kira Belan Join us for a conversation with Brett and Kira Belan of Solarrolla, a company reimagining transportation with fully solar-powered electric vehicles. Drawing on Brett’s mechanical engineering expertise from Ford and Jaguar, their journey began with a bold experiment—a solar-powered VW bus that carried their family 1,400 miles on sunlight alone. Now, they’ve built everything from solar camper vans to electric tractors, embodying a vision for a future untethered from fossil fuels.
More than an alternative to gas-powered travel, these vehicles invite us to embrace a slower, more attuned way of moving—where nature, rather than deadlines, dictates the journey. With solar arrays generating up to 100 miles per day, they double as mobile power stations, supplying electricity during grid failures, natural disasters, or remote work setups.
Solarrolla’s vision is transformative. Imagine a world where solar-powered highways create roaming energy grids, and transportation becomes a tool for freedom and planetary stewardship. They’re not just building vehicles—they’re rethinking how we move, live, and connect with the planet.
Resources and links from this episode: https://www.sustainabilitynow.global/2025/03/15/092-solarrolla-vehicles-powered-solely-by-the-sun/.
A Sustainability Now interview with Dr. Kristin Reihman, MD Double board-certified physician Kristin Reihman invites us to rethink everything we know about healing. Drawing on her extensive expertise in integrative medicine and brain injury treatment—as well as her own remarkable recovery from chronic illness—she challenges conventional medicine’s tendency to mask symptoms rather than address their root causes. When it comes to brain health, and a deep insight into neuroplasticity, she reveals how the brain’s ability to heal is far greater than mainstream medicine typically acknowledges.
In a fascinating shift of brain health paradigm, Kristin explains how natural movements from infancy—such as tummy crawling and creeping—can reawaken the brain’s regenerative capacity at any age. As unconventional as it sounds, these innate patterns can help adults and children alike recover from inflammation and injury, sharpen cognitive function, and unlock deeper healing potential. This insight is especially critical as conditions like ADD, ADHD, autism, and dementia continue to rise, requiring solutions beyond pharmaceuticals and long-term care.
Kristin links this more holistic approach to healing to the broader challenge of sustainability, making the case that vibrant brain health is not just a personal necessity, but a key to resilient communities and a thriving planet.
Join us for an inspiring and grounded conversation that offers a vision of hope for healing—by honoring the profound connection between physical, emotional, and environmental wellness. A conversation that goes beyond conventional medical wisdom to establish holistic health as a cornerstone for a sustainable, thriving future.
A Sustainability Now interview with Co-Founder, Maddie Hamann. PACHA’s mission is centered around regenerative agriculture, leveraging the power of buckwheat—an adaptable, nutrient-dense crop—to provide delicious nutrition, enhance soil health and foster long-term ecological restoration. In contrast to conventional farming methods that rely heavily on synthetic chemicals and tilling, regenerative practices like those championed by PACHA enrich the soil, sequester carbon, and promote biodiversity. More than just a bread product, PACHA is part of a movement to heal the planet, one loaf at a time.
But sustainability doesn't stop at the farming. PACHA Bread’s commitment extends to every aspect of its operation, from using 100% home compostable packaging to minimizing food waste. In a bold move away from petroleum-based plastic, PACHA's bio-based packaging not only aligns with their eco-conscious values but also champions a circular economy where waste is reduced and resources are repurposed. Even the byproducts from their grain, like buckwheat hulls, are upcycled into new products like their upcoming sourdough buckwheat tortillas—making PACHA a true innovator in the quest for more sustainable food systems.
In a landscape where environmental responsibility often takes a back seat to profit margins, PACHA Bread stands out as a business that seamlessly integrates ecological stewardship with entrepreneurial creativity.
Join us for our exploration of PACHA's truly regenerative business model which incorporates regenerative agriculture, reducing plastic waste, and producing nourishing, allergen-friendly food, exemplifying the potential for sustainable, values-driven business to serve both people and the planet.
Resources and links from this episode can be found at https://www.sustainabilitynow.global/2025/02/16/090-pacha-bread-of-life-nourishing-people-and-planet/
#Sustainability #RegenerativeAgriculture #EcoFriendly #PlasticFree #FoodInnovation #ClimateAction #OrganicFarming #CircularEconomy #HealthyEating #ZeroWaste
A Sustainability Now interview with Founder, Adina Popescu—a groundbreaking AI-driven predictive platform that integrates global oceanic and satellite data to map and monitor ocean health.
Starting with the oceans, ÆRTH’s bold mission is to eventually build a real-time, dynamic digital twin of the planet—to uncover global ecosystem patterns, predict ecological impacts, and drive sound restorative interventions. The importance of this work cannot be overstated as illustrated by the cautionary tale of a proposed project to cover the Saharan Desert with solar panels. Predictive modeling revealed the fact that such a project would disrupt the flow of nutrient-rich Saharan sand to the Amazon, potentially causing the rainforest’s collapse. ÆRTH’s mission is to make visible the hidden connections within Earth’s ecosystems to guide responsible environmental stewardship.
Having been an advisor to organizations like Apple’s Media Arts Lab and Conservation International, Adina brings an audacious vision founded in science and technology to creatively address the intricate web of our global environmental challenges.
Links and other resources from this interview: https://www.sustainabilitynow.global/2025/02/02/089-aerth-meets-earth-mapping-our-planets-delicate-web/
#SustainabilityNow, #OceanConservation, #DigitalTwin, #ClimateAction, #EcoInnovation, #AIforGood, #GreenTech, #EnvironmentalStewardship, #SustainableFuture, #TechForGood
Featuring Neal Spackman, Founder and CEO of Regenerative Resources Co. and globally recognized pioneer in ecological restoration and sustainable design. Through his work, Neal showcases the power of nature-based regenerative practices to restore ecosystems, revitalize economies and build cultural and environmental resilience.
We discuss Neal’s groundbreaking Al Baydha Project, a prime example of regeneration in action. In the heart of the desert, he collaborated with semi-nomadic tribes to turn barren, unproductive land into a thriving ecosystem. By employing techniques such as watershed management, reforestation, and agroforestry, and scalable solutions like check dams and silvopasture systems, the project restored the land, revitalized the local community and reintroduced life to one of the harshest environments on Earth.
Neal’s current project, RAFT (Regenerative Aqua-Forestry Technology), reimagines aquaculture through a circular economy lens. By integrating sustainable shrimp farming with mangrove restoration, RAFT addresses global challenges like habitat loss, food insecurity, and climate change. Spackman discusses how this closed-loop system creates symbiotic relationships between aquaculture and coastal ecosystems, restoring biodiversity, improving water quality, and sequestering carbon—all while producing economic value.
At the heart of Spackman’s work is the concept of regenerative systems, going beyond conservation to rebuild the relationship between people and planet. His projects illustrate the profound potential of working with natural processes to align human and ecological interests to foster human well-being along with planetary health.
Resources and links from this episode: https://www.sustainabilitynow.global/2025/01/04/88-sustainable-synergy-where-ecology-meets-economy/
Featuring Nedo Bellucci, Phenom Biotech CEO
Join us for a stimulating conversation with Phenom Biotech’s CEO, Nedo Bellucci, as he introduces us to an eco-innovation with potential to shake up agriculture as we know it. With their Energy Potential Technology (EPT), Phenom has crafted a way to boost crop yields and improve livestock health—all without the usual chemicals and costs. Imagine healthier, faster-growing plants and animals powered by natural compounds like citric acid instead of synthetic inputs. But that’s just the beginning. Nedo reveals how EPT doesn’t just support better farming; it tackles organic waste too. Turning animal waste into high-quality fertilizer with minimal emissions, EPT is redefining what waste management can do for a cleaner planet. Plus, Phenom’s citric acid-based sanitizers are outclassing chlorine and could reshape food safety with natural, powerful disinfection that extends shelf life and neutralizes pathogens. More than just a cool concept, Bellucci’s vision offers a blueprint for the future: profitable, sustainable, and scientifically savvy. This episode showcases how one company's game-changing technology is poised to reshape our food system, turning bold ideas into actionable, eco-friendly solutions. Join us for an inspiring look at how innovation and nature can work hand-in-hand to create a healthier, more sustainable world.
Resources and links mentioned in this episode are available at https://www.sustainabilitynow.global/2024/12/30/087-green-growth-citric-solutions-and-the-future-of-farming/
Featuring Molly Burhans, environmental advocate and Founder of GoodLands
Imagine harnessing the vast resources of one of the world’s largest landowners to combat climate change and promote social justice. This is precisely the visionary work of Molly Burhans, an American cartographer, data scientist, and environmental activist who is transforming how the Catholic Church—and potentially other major landholders—responds to our planet’s most pressing sustainability challenges.
At just 26, Molly founded GoodLands, an organization dedicated to mobilizing the Church’s extensive landholdings for ecological conservation and community benefit.She spearheaded the creation of the first unified digital global map of the Catholic Church, a groundbreaking project unveiled at the Vatican in 2016, which revealed the immense potential for environmental stewardship embedded within the Church’s properties—estimated to exceed the combined size of France and Spain.
Molly’s innovative use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology has not only illuminated the Church’s carbon footprint and conservation opportunities but also set the stage for strategic, mission-aligned land use on a global scale. Her extraordinary contributions have earned her numerous accolades including: being named a United Nations Young Champion of the Earth, an Ashoka Fellow, National Geographic Emerging Explorer, Sierra Club Earth Care Laureate, one of Encyclopædia Britannica’s “20 Under 40 Shapers of the Future” and many more.
In addition to a Master’s in Ecological Design from the Conway School and her work on projects, advocacy, and creative initiatives, Molly is an adjunct professor of Urban Design at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation.
With a deep personal commitment to her faith, Molly embodies a new generation of leaders who are leveraging technology, data, and visionary thinking to create sustainable solutions.Today, she stands at the intersection of ecology, technology, and spirituality, demonstrating how innovative approaches to land management can have profound implications for environmental sustainability and social justice worldwide.
Join us for a thought-provoking conversation with Roland Vandermeer, Executive Chairman of UpTerra, an ag-tech company pioneering the future of farming by combining ancient principles with cutting-edge science.
With over 15 years of experience in sustainable investments across water, agriculture, and energy, Roland shares how UpTerra is introducing a groundbreaking approach to farm wellness through structured water and energetic frequencies.
UpTerra’s innovative three-part system begins by transforming farm irrigation water into structured water, which is more hydrating and energizing for both crops and livestock. The second phase infuses this water with targeted frequencies to boost plant and animal vitality, while the final step introduces remote digital amendments that enhance farm health and deter pests. These technologies have been tested and validated, showing remarkable improvements in plant and animal resilience, crop yield, soil health, water retention, and pest management.
With insights into the energetic foundations of our universe, this episode explores a future where technology and nature harmoniously collaborate for sustainable agriculture. Discover how this visionary technology is reshaping our relationship with nature—and perhaps, our understanding of reality itself.
Founder and Executive Director of Better Giving, Chauncey St. John’s innovative platform is transforming the nonprofit landscape. With a free, all-in-one solution for fundraising, savings, and investment, Better Giving is helping nonprofits globally to streamline their operations and enhance financial sustainability. With more than $6 million raised for over 180 nonprofits, Chauncey shares how Better Giving is reducing administrative burdens and enabling organizations of all sizes to thrive.
Better Giving's model, allows nonprofits to accept donations in multiple forms—from traditional payments to cryptocurrency and stock donations—opening doors to a broader range of affluent donors. The platform’s approach also democratizes access to high-yield savings and managed investment funds, creating a long-term financial strategy for organizations. By providing a seamless, no-cost fundraising service, Better Giving empowers even the smallest nonprofits to compete on a global stage.
Chauncey shares insights into the importance of financial self-sufficiency for nonprofits and how Better Giving simplifies the traditionally complex world of fund management. He explains the revolutionary potential of allowing nonprofits to grow their funds through investments, thus shifting the typical cycle of constant fundraising into one of strategic financial planning.
As we wrap up, Chauncey reflects on the long-term vision of Better Giving, including the role of blockchain technology and the future possibilities of integrating cryptocurrency donations in ways that could reshape how charities manage and grow their resources. This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in the intersection of innovation, technology, and philanthropy.
Join us to discover how Better Giving is not just changing the way nonprofits raise money, but how it’s creating a pathway to financial autonomy.
Links and other resources related to this interview: https://www.sustainabilitynow.global/2024/11/09/084-empowering-nonprofits-how-better-giving-is-revolutionizing-financial-sustainability/
#FinancialSustainability #NonprofitInnovation #BetterGiving #podcast #FundraisingSolutions #CryptoDonations #PhilanthropyTech #NonprofitLeadership #FinancialAutonomy #BlockchainForGood #CharitableGiving
With a distinguished 45-year career and over 1,500 presentations and publications, sustainable energy expert Michael Totten delves into the prospects of transitioning into a solar-powered economy utilizing the transformative power of agrivoltaics and digital innovations.
Michael describes how these technologies are revolutionizing farming practices and creating the potential for sustainable, self-sufficient communities. Learn about his pioneering work on tri-level natural farming using solar microgrids, his collaborations with rock bands like Pearl Jam to combat climate change, and the groundbreaking concept of digital twins, a virtual visualization tool to help manage and optimize all manner of production scenarios.
#Agrivoltaics #SustainableFarming #DigitalInnovations #SolarEnergy #RenewableEnergy #SustainableAgriculture #GreenTechnology #DigitalTwins #ClimateChangeSolutions #FutureOfFarming
Join us for an insightful conversation with Chris Marquis, the Sinyi Professor of Management at the University of Cambridge, as we delve into the world of sustainable economics and his latest book, "The Profiteers: How Business Privatizes Profits and Socializes Costs." In this episode, Chris will share how his academic research aims to tackle some of the most pressing crises of our time, including climate change, inequality, and discrimination.
Discover what inspired Chris to write "The Profiteers" and explore the hidden costs of business, known as externalities. Learn how current business models reward companies for transferring these costs to consumers and whether this practice is prevalent in other countries. We will also dive into critical issues such as who bears the burden of carbon emissions, environmental damage, cheap goods, cheap labor, and systemic discrimination.
Finally, Chris will discuss potential solutions for building a regenerative economy. He will explain the concept of the commons, the role of corporate activism, how governments can contribute, and what individuals can do to make a difference.
Tune in for a thought-provoking discussion that promises to challenge your views on business and economics while offering actionable insights for creating a more sustainable future.
Links and more resources related to this video: https://www.sustainabilitynow.global/2024/08/10/081-the-profiteers-how-business-privatizes-profits-and-socializes-costs/
#SustainableEconomics #TheProfiteers #ChrisMarquis #BusinessEthics #ClimateAction #CorporateResponsibility #RegenerativeEconomy #SocialImpact #EnvironmentalJustice #EconomicInequality
A Sustainability Now Interview with Nathan Lou, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Mongol Tribe. Agro-ecologist Nathan Lou is Co-founder and Executive Director of San Diego-based Mongol Tribe, a 501C3 providing hands-on education and experiences with traditional and regenerative land management practices.
With local resiliency as his rally cry and food sovereignty as its anthem, Nathan is all about taking back our autonomy, the ability of our communities to grow our own food and medicines with less dependency on external inputs.
We talk about urban food forests and public policy, seed libraries and how to develop them, community building and cultivating connection to the land, even in a city environment.
Links and resources from this episode at https://www.sustainabilitynow.global/2024/03/16/urban-food-forests-seed-libraries-as-food-sovereignty-strategies/
#UrbanFoodForests #SeedLibraries #FoodSovereignty #SustainabilityNow #CommunityResilience #RegenerativeAgriculture #LocalFoodSystems #LandStewardship #Agroecology #CommunityBuilding #UrbanAgriculture #FoodJustice #EnvironmentalEducation #PublicPolicy #SeedSaving #UrbanFarming #CommunityEmpowerment #ResilientCommunities #ConnectionToLand #AutonomousFoodProduction
A Sustainability Now interview with Nina Simons, author, speaker, teacher and co-founder of Bioneers
Join us for a thoughtful and visionary conversation with Nina Simons, co-founder of Bioneers and author of the top Nautilus award winning book, Nature, Culture, and the Sacred: A Woman Listens for Leadership. Nina invites us into what she calls “full spectrum leadership;” leadership that reclaims our human wholeness, that values the wisdom of our hearts, our bodies, our intuition, dreamtime and our ancestors.
She calls for regenerating leadership in service to Mother Life in a way that values being as much as doing and is committed to learning how to live in right relationship with nature while reclaiming our fullest human capacities. Throughout her career, spanning the nonprofit, social entrepreneurship, corporate, and philanthropic sectors, Nina has worked with nearly a thousand women leaders across disciplines, race, class, age and orientation to create conditions for mutual learning, trust and leadership development.
Additionally, along with her husband and partner Kenny Ausubel, Nina is a recipient of the revered Goi Peace Award for “pioneering work to promote nature-inspired innovations for restoring the Earth and our human community.”
Nina's book: Nature, Culture and the Sacred: A Woman Listens for LeadershipPreview on Bioneers | Buy on Bookshop.org Bioneers website
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We currently stand at a pivotal juncture where the loss of numerous species from our local ecosystems poses a serious threat. This jeopardizes the ecosystem services that are essential for our well-being, including oxygen production, water purification, flood control, pollination, pest regulation, and carbon storage. However, this isn't a moment of condemning human actions, but an opportunity to embrace an enjoyable path to positive change through stewardship.
Doug Tallamy's message emphasizes a solution-focused approach: small individual efforts can collectively make a significant impact. By working together, we can create new ecological networks that support the growth and resilience of plant and animal populations, allowing them to thrive despite normal population fluctuations.
At the heart of this initiative is the concept of the Homegrown National Park®, a term coined by Doug. It serves as a rallying point, recognizing that even our grand national parks, remarkable as they are, are too isolated and limited in scale to preserve species effectively. The idea behind the Homegrown National Park is a grassroots call to action, encouraging us to restore habitats in our residential and working areas, and to a lesser extent in agricultural and grazing lands, effectively extending the concept of national parks to our own yards and communities.
To visually represent this collective effort, they have created "THE MAP," an interactive community-based tool that tracks each person's contribution to native plantings by State, County, and Zip Code. This map not only gauges progress toward the ambitious goal of planting 20 million acres of native species in the U.S. but also provides individuals with a tangible way to see their role in a larger ecological restoration effort, thereby creating new ecological networks and revitalizing biodiversity.
#HomegrownNationalPark #getonthemap #RewildYourYard #NativePlanting #BackyardHabitats #EcoStewardship #BiodiversityBoost #HabitatRestoration #CommunityConservation #EcoNetworks #DougTallamy #ConservationEfforts #BiodiversityMatters #StewardshipForChange #EcosystemResilience #HomegrownNationalPark #SustainableLiving #DougTallamysVision #CommunityConservation #TheMapForChange #RestoringBiodiversity #CollectiveAction #SpeciesPreservation #SmallStepsBigImpact
Deniz Tekerek is co-founder and Chief Commercial Officer of Archireef, a Nature-tech startup that restores coral reefs with proprietary 3D-printed clay Reef Tiles.
Often called the rainforests of the sea, coral reef structures help slow down and shrink waves as they hurtle towards shore, which helps protect coastlines from hurricanes, cyclones and tsunamis. Corals protect shorelines in 81 countries around the world, sheltering the 200 million people living along those coasts. Found in warm, shallow water, coral reefs cover less than 1% of the ocean floor but host more than 25% of marine life.
Graham Stewart, founder of Fibre52, is creating a revolution in the fabric industry. Over the past 2 years, Graham has developed and patented an environmentally kind and cost-conscious process to bleach and dye cotton that results in a stronger fiber. Without chemical degradation, it produces cooler, naturally dry, soft, wrinkle and stain-resistant clothing that is recyclable, biodegradable, and a natural replacement for plastic.
With his 50+ years in the industry, Graham is an extraordinary source of information, influence and insight. He gives us a deeper glimpse into the world of fiber, fabric and fashion, a world we all rely on yet very few of us know. It is because of his global connections and reputation, and the power of his innovations, that major brands are jumping on the Fibre52 bandwagon in their transition to sustainable practices.
Resources related to this episode at https://www.sustainabilitynow.global/2023/09/02/074-fibre52-a-revolution-in-the-fabric-industry/
Meet Joe Luttwak, a man on a mission to revolutionize #sustainability. With years of experience in the #CarbonFiber sector, including renowned companies like Ferrari, he embarked on a journey to create an eco-friendly alternative. Joe’s brainchild, Lingrove, emerged as a game-changer, introducing a groundbreaking proprietary formulation. This innovative formula transforms waste and rapidly renewable plants into high-performance goods.
One of Lingrove’s standout creations is the remarkable Blackbird Guitar. Blending the strength of carbon fiber with the rich resonance of aged wood, this masterpiece stands out for being tree-free and free from harmful additives. The ingenious combination of flax fibers and plant-based resins holds the key to its success.
The brilliance of this product swiftly caught the attention of designers seeking natural fiber composites. Acknowledging that the construction industry contributes 40% of greenhouse gases, Lingrove evolved to develop ekoa eco-veneers. These cutting-edge materials empower architects and product designers to seamlessly incorporate sustainable elements into their projects.
Ekoa serves as a versatile alternative to wood, vinyl, metals, and plastics, finding its application in interior design. Whether adorning walls, ceilings, cabinetry, millwork, or vehicle dashboards, this low-carbon, clean-air solution boasts a remarkable strength-to-weight ratio, surpassing even that of steel.
Explore the world of Lingrove and Joe Luttwak, where innovation and sustainability converge, revolutionizing industries and shaping a #GreenerFuture.
With a long and distinguished career in microbiology, Mike Cox is an inventor as well as the Founder and CEO of Anaerobe Systems, a microbiology manufacturing and research company. While developing a process to produce hydrogen from biomass, a happy “accident” led Mike to the invention of a miracle “plant food” and fertilizer.
What’s beautiful about Mike’s solution is that the feedstock for his fertilizer is food waste, or as he’s brilliantly rechristened it: food grade fuel. With food waste being one of the greatest contributors to CO2 emissions, how elegant to use that waste to feed plants and restore the soil. Not to mention that hydrogen is essentially a “free” byproduct of the process. All this and a lucrative business model to boot!
While researching the rapid shift in cancer incidents from northern states to the Mississippi Delta, triple board-certified physician, Dr. Zach Bush connected the widespread use of Glyphosate (trade name: Round-up) in America’s farmlands with soil and human health everywhere from the farms to the Gulf of Mexico. This chemical destroys the microbiome in the soil as well as our digestive systems. Dr. Zach realized that it is necessary to restore soil health to allow our farmlands to produce nutrient-dense foods that will then restore human health.
David explains how Farmer’s Footprint was born out of an effort to educate farmers about regenerative agriculture practices through the story of how the Breitkreutz family is transitioning their Minnesota farm from from conventional farming to regenerative agriculture. Storytelling became the root of making connections and helping farmers start making steps toward regenerative farming.
Their ethos is one of progress over perfection. They seek to meet farmers where they are, never allowing divergence in dogma to devalue the food producer’s profound contribution to society. They are engineering the tools, business models, policies, and incentives to scale regenerative practices globally.
Values-based investing, supporting local economies, supporting social change. What if you could literally invest your money where your life and your values are?
Longtime activist and visionary, Michael H. Shuman, has made a career of applying his economics and law training to enable that very thing. Seeing local economies as a vehicle for global change, Michael schools us in strategies to fund local initiatives. In fact, this conversation is a crash course in local investment, crowdfunding, values-based investing, and investment vehicles including Solo 401K's and Self-directed IRSs.
Don't be fooled, all this financial talk is anything but dry. Michael provides us the keys to the kingdom. He shows us ways we can redirect our wealth to things that matter and create impact as well as return on investment.
Resources and more at https://www.sustainabilitynow.global/2023/05/30/put-your-money-where-your-life-is-with-michael-h-shuman/
A positive contrarian and thought provocateur in both business and the regenerative movement, Carol Sanford brings about change by disrupting certainty; and this interview is no exception.
By digging deep to unearth and upend underlying assumptions, Carol has changed the essence of work in corporations such as Google, DuPont, Intel, P&G, and Seventh Generation, making the impossible possible and generating unprecedented results. She speaks of a stellar example with a Colgate plant in South Africa where generations of racial division and prejudice were dismantled by effectively challenging the very concept of race.
Contending with a terminal diagnosis of ALS, Carol also shakes up our concept of and relationship with death, displaying tremendous grace and unvarnished candor.
Resources and more are available at https://www.sustainabilitynow.global/2023/02/04/070-disrupting-certainty-with-carol-sanford/
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Hal Crimmel, educator, author and filmmaker, joins us for a rich conversation about the growing momentum behind the rights of nature movement as well as the making of his film entitled, "The Rights of Nature: A Global Movement." If we can imbue corporations with the same rights as people, doesn't it make sense to empower nature, the very foundation of life, with the legal standing to preserve its right to exist? Like a baby who has to rely on a guardian to represent it in court, shouldn't nature too be defended by our guardianship? These questions are just the tip of the iceberg. We explore the delicate ecological dynamics between people and nature, government and corporate interests, laws and enforcement; and look at the changing experience of our role and relationship to the natural world.
Some have said that the wheel is the most important invention of all time. For 5000 years, it has remained relatively unchanged; until now that is. The folks at Shark Wheel have literally reinvented the wheel and now this new wheel is poised to solve some of the biggest problems in commercial agriculture. The discovery that sine waves can be found everywhere in nature, from planetary motion to the way fish swim and humans walk, was the breakthrough that got things "rolling." Next came the development of the shark wheel, a sine wave-based wheel, developed from a cube, that has the exact same shape as the jaw of a shark. This same sine wave breakthrough is also the foundation of a revolutionary wind and water turbine technology with many more technological innovations likely on the horizon.
with Lauren Tucker of reNourish Studio,
Co-Founder and former Executive Director of Kiss the Ground
Lauren Tucker is on a mission to evolve our food system and is consequently challenging the very foundations of the business of food.
Lauren’s latest venture, reNourish Studio, a project of Farmer’s Footprint, brings together an eclectic group of business people from the food production and distribution system to work on business, ecosystems, equity, biodiversity and food access collectively rather than addressing their individual businesses and these issues as siloed and separate.
At the root of this living systems approach is a radical rethinking of our thinking, and a willingness to challenge our generally imperceptible assumptions. This important and powerful conversation is about what it takes to go beyond our current capabilities to create meaningful and regenerative change that will achieve previously unimaginable outcomes.
with Lauren Tucker of reNourish Studio,
Co-Founder and former Executive Director of Kiss the Ground
Lauren Tucker is on a mission to evolve our food system and is consequently challenging the very foundations of the business of food.
Lauren’s latest venture, reNourish Studio, a project of Farmer’s Footprint, brings together an eclectic group of business people from the food production and distribution system to work on business, ecosystems, equity, biodiversity and food access collectively rather than addressing their individual businesses and these issues as siloed and separate.
At the root of this living systems approach is a radical rethinking of our thinking, and a willingness to challenge our generally imperceptible assumptions. This important and powerful conversation is about what it takes to go beyond our current capabilities to create meaningful and regenerative change that will achieve previously unimaginable outcomes.
with Lauren Tucker of reNourish Studio,
Co-Founder and former Executive Director of Kiss the Ground
Lauren Tucker is on a mission to evolve our food system and is consequently challenging the very foundations of the business of food.
Lauren’s latest venture, reNourish Studio, a project of Farmer’s Footprint, brings together an eclectic group of business people from the food production and distribution system to work on business, ecosystems, equity, biodiversity and food access collectively rather than addressing their individual businesses and these issues as siloed and separate.
At the root of this living systems approach is a radical rethinking of our thinking, and a willingness to challenge our generally imperceptible assumptions. This important and powerful conversation is about what it takes to go beyond our current capabilities to create meaningful and regenerative change that will achieve previously unimaginable outcomes.
with Lauren Tucker of reNourish Studio,
Co-Founder and former Executive Director of Kiss the Ground
Lauren Tucker is on a mission to evolve our food system and is consequently challenging the very foundations of the business of food.
Lauren’s latest venture, reNourish Studio, a project of Farmer’s Footprint, brings together an eclectic group of business people from the food production and distribution system to work on business, ecosystems, equity, biodiversity and food access collectively rather than addressing their individual businesses and these issues as siloed and separate.
At the root of this living systems approach is a radical rethinking of our thinking, and a willingness to challenge our generally imperceptible assumptions. This important and powerful conversation is about what it takes to go beyond our current capabilities to create meaningful and regenerative change that will achieve previously unimaginable outcomes.
Christa Barfield, founder of FarmerJawn, is a force of nature. Healthcare professional turned urban farmer, educator and entrepreneur, Christa had an epiphany in 2018 that led her to create LifeLeaf Organic Farms, parent company to Viva Leaf Tea Co. and FarmerJawn Agriculture, a Philly-based community greenhouse and CSA.
Driven by deep passion, Christa taught herself how to farm and is now sharing that knowledge and the fruits of her labors with members of the Philadelphia community. Her ultimate goal is to eradicate local food deserts, typically communities of black and brown people where there is little access to fresh, nutritious and affordable food, and to provide a more intimate and local connection to its source.
Join us to share in Christa's dynamic journey of creating a sustainable urban farming renaissance, strengthening the local Philly supply chain and healing the relationship of black and brown people to food, land and farming. She epitomizes what it looks like to literally make change from the ground up.
With John Fullerton, founder of Capital Institute and one of four featured experts in the "Going Circular" documentary.
We may think of economics as a dry and academic pursuit, but assumptions about money and economy are both reflective of, and instrumental in, shaping our interactions with the natural world.
In this provocative conversation, we explore a new way of thinking that aligns economics with living systems and the many wisdom traditions, particularly indigenous, that have stood the test of time.
By applying nature’s laws and patterns of systemic health, self-organization, self-renewal, and regenerative vitality to socioeconomic systems, regenerative economics offers an emerging path forward from our current unsustainable economic system and the finance-dominated ideology that drives it. Links and other resources:
In her unique approach to global conservation, founder of Earthfire Institute, Susan B. Eirich, Ph.D. shares transformational tales of people connecting deeply with nature to bring us into a personal relationship with the living world.
Understanding that so many of our human and environmental ills stem from deep dissociation, Susan developed Reconnection Ecology, an ecopsychology and spiritual ecology perspective that blends nature and human psychology.
Her sacred and life-affirming stories bring us into open-hearted connection with wild animals and offer a pathway to healing the trauma that humans, animals, and our Earth are currently experiencing.
Resources and links: https://www.sustainabilitynow.global/2022/06/05/064-reconnection-ecology-healing-humans-and-nature/
What if the water cycles of the planet hold the key to reversing climate change and eliminating the deadly drought, fire, and flood cataclysms that are becoming ever more frequent? What if our focus on carbon is missing the point?
Having spent the last decade working in more than 25 countries on 6 continents, Zach Weiss has been restoring water cycles to transform barren terrains into lush and verdant landscapes. A positive impact can be seen in as little as one rainy season, affecting water tables, temperature, weather patterns and the overall health of ecosystems.
Join us for a profound shift of perspective and possibility as we discuss a viable way to align with nature, reverse climate change and create a truly thriving future.
After joining the Mawah Environmental Commission, Karin La Greca received a letter from Eric J. Fuchs-Stengel, a local high school student who wanted to do a litter clean-up. Wanting to encourage his motivation, she helped him organize the first of what would turn out to be over 200 clean-ups that have removed tons of trash from the community over the past 14 years.
Not satisfied with simply removing trash, they went on to start Fresh Roots Farm, a regenerative farm based on permaculture principles that has fed and educated hundreds of people.
14 years later, MEVO, The Mawah Environmental Volunteer Organization, which is now headed by Violet Reed stands as a shining example of what a single action can take on a life of its own to help shape a world that works. Resources mentioned in this episode can be found at https://www.sustainabilitynow.global/2022/04/19/062-the-letter-that-spawned-a-regenerative-movement/
What if humanity is following a natural evolutionary cycle of maturation that moves from rampant proliferation, consumption and competition to cooperative harmony?
This is the hopeful perspective offered by Dr. Elisabet Sahtouris, world-renowned evolution biologist, futurist, speaker, author, and educator. A deep "pastist" Dr. Sahtouris uses the story of life's evolution on our planet to inspire a new story of a future for humanity that is based in connection and cooperation.
Join us for the premiere of our latest podcast interview followed by a wide-ranging conversation with Dr. Sahtouris that will integrate past and future, sustainability and spirituality and shine a way forward for a thriving human experience on planet earth.
What if we could transform the planet and our relationship to it and each other by simply focusing on transforming one place at a time?
Bill Reed and Regenesis Inc. contend just that: that by understanding the unique essence of a place, its history and geology as well as its social and geographical dynamics, we can regenerate that place and its surroundings as an integral part of a greater whole. Were we to do this on a city by city basis, with only 4037 cities larger than 100,000 people, and 3.5% being an average tipping point, we would need only to transform 141 cities to start a domino effect that would affect the entire planet.
Through our conversation, Bill invites us to think both smaller and bigger at the same time, to recognize systems nested within systems, wholes within wholes. We are challenged to move from separateness to a rich experience of interwoven connectedness, to move into a way of being that has us be an indigenous part of the natural world.
Pilot by day and entrepreneur by night, Steve Churchill is the owner of the Urban Worm Company, a vermicomposting-related blog, online store, and manufacturer of the Urban Worm Bag. Steve is all about the worms, joyfully promoting vermicomposting as a means of turning household and commercial waste into a highly-valuable soil amendment.
Who knew there was so much to talk about when it comes to worms? This conversation runs the gamut from how to build and tend a worm bin to the burgeoning worm farming business. Links and other resources athttps://www.sustainabilitynow.global/2022/01/24/059-vermicomposting-making-worms-sexy-again/
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Pilot by day and entrepreneur by night, Steve Churchill is the owner of the Urban Worm Company, a vermicomposting-related blog, online store, and manufacturer of the Urban Worm Bag. Steve is all about the worms, joyfully promoting vermicomposting as a means of turning household and commercial waste into a highly-valuable soil amendment.
Who knew there was so much to talk about when it comes to worms? This conversation runs the gamut from how to build and tend a worm bin to the burgeoning worm farming business. Links and other resources athttps://www.sustainabilitynow.global/2022/01/24/059-vermicomposting-making-worms-sexy-again/
Please support us and help spread the word https://www.patreon.com/sustainabilitynow https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCumkgzfUTcfuzR5FxAmAyxA https://www.facebook.com/OurSustainabilityNow/ https://www.instagram.com/sustainabilitynow8/ https://twitter.com/SustMovement
Pilot by day and entrepreneur by night, Steve Churchill is the owner of the Urban Worm Company, a vermicomposting-related blog, online store, and manufacturer of the Urban Worm Bag. Steve is all about the worms, joyfully promoting vermicomposting as a means of turning household and commercial waste into a highly-valuable soil amendment.
Who knew there was so much to talk about when it comes to worms? This conversation runs the gamut from how to build and tend a worm bin to the burgeoning worm farming business. Links and other resources athttps://www.sustainabilitynow.global/2022/01/24/059-vermicomposting-making-worms-sexy-again/
Please support us and help spread the word https://www.patreon.com/sustainabilitynow https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCumkgzfUTcfuzR5FxAmAyxA https://www.facebook.com/OurSustainabilityNow/ https://www.instagram.com/sustainabilitynow8/ https://twitter.com/SustMovement
Did you know that cork can absorb 55 times its own weight in carbon from the atmosphere? Join us for an interview with Paul Maughan-Brown, content manager for the wine cork recycling program ReCORK and it’s parent company Canadian orthopedic footwear brand SOLE.
ReCORK, North America’s largest natural wine cork recycling program was launched in 2008 by Canadian footwear company SOLE. ReCORK is an alliance of businesses and individuals who work together to collect and repurpose natural wine corks. The corks are used to innovate and create natural, sustainable alternatives to petroleum-based foams and plastics so common in the footwear industry. ReCORK has generated a truly innovative supply chain solution, collected more than 110 million corks for recycling, and planted over 8000 cork oak trees. And they’re just getting started!
"Vegangelical" Paul Shapiro's activism led him to start The Better Meat Co. in 2018 with a mission to build a more sustainable food system by replacing meat from animals with a next-generation, plant-based mycoprotein superfood. Paul is a four-time TEDx speaker and his book Clean Meat: How Growing Meat Without Animals Will Revolutionize Dinner and the World, is a national bestseller. Additionally, Paul has a podcast called Business for Good which highlights entrepreneurs who use their businesses to solve the world’s most pressing problems.
Resources and links are available at https://www.sustainabilitynow.global/2021/10/26/057-better-meat-for-a-better-world/
In an eye-opening conversation with professional archeologist and herbalist, Lauren Lembo connects us to the world of traditional plant medicine and wakes us up to the social and environmental costs of many personal care products we assume to be green and wholesome. Lauren is the owner and founder of Blue Fox Botanicals, a New Jersey-based company producing vegan skin care solutions and herbal formulas that are sustainably cultivated, fair trade, locally produced, ethically packaged, and palm-oil free.
If the children are our future, it's in good hands with the kids of MUN Impact. Beyond the rich academic training provided by Model United Nations, MUN Impact provides the tools, ideas, networks and inspiration for these kids to translate their knowledge, skills and vision into real world projects aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals.
A true global citizen, Cody Eckert shares his undaunted optimism for the future as he guides and supports these remarkable young people in his role as MUN Impact Director of Global Operations.
Links and other resources can be found at https://www.sustainabilitynow.global/2021/09/13/054-mun-impact-the-kids-who-will-save-the-world/
As Jack Herrera once said, “I don’t know if hemp is going to save the world, but it’s the only thing that can.” Bruce Dietzen, creator of the Renew Sports Car, Founder of Carbon Negative Fiber is about to quantify that with his Drawdown Hemp Project.
In a bid to win the Musk Foundation’s $100 Million X Prize for Carbon Removal, Bruce has built a coalition of entrepreneurs from all disciplines of the hemp industry to develop a consensus on the carbon sequestering power of hemp.
An acre of hemp can sequester tons of carbon. Couple that with the carbon being avoided by not producing materials with conventional methods and the potential for drawdown is huge.
Still very much misunderstood, the effectiveness and importance of cannabis as a plant medicine has everything to do with our endocannabinoid receptors. Tammi Sweet explains the nuances and mechanisms of our biological interactions with this miraculous master plant and teaches us how we can benefit from its medicinal properties.
Visionary, film producer, and activist, Ryland Engelhart is guided by the fundamental question, “How can I use my life to awaken more love?” After years as "Mission Fulfillment Officer" and co-owner of the legendary, family owned, plant-based Café Gratitude and Gracias Madre restaurants, Ryland co-founded Kiss the Ground and is now engaged in full time advocacy of regenerative agriculture. Join us for this deeply spiritual interview about bringing the sacred to commerce and cultivating a culture of gratitude. Resources and links at https://www.sustainabilitynow.global/2021/06/27/051-heart-centered-entrepreneurship-with-ryland-engelhart-of-kiss-the-ground/
If we're going to stop fracking and pipelines, we need future-thinking energy policy.
Tom Gilbert of ReThink Energy NJ joins us to discuss how his organization informs and empowers citizens and decision-makers to support sensible policies to bring about a swift transition to clean, efficient, renewable energy. They advocate reducing the use of dirty fossil fuels and stopping unnecessary pipelines that threaten our land, air, water, health, and safety.
Resources and links: https://www.sustainabilitynow.global/2021/05/02/048-rethinking-energy-policy/
Co-founders of Possible Planet, Jonathan Cloud and Victoria Zelin are on a mission to finance the transition to a regenerative future by creating strategies to attract capital and investment in clean energy. Today's conversation is about PACE, (Property Assessed Clean Energy) — a source of financing that: 1) requires no money out of pocket to make clean energy property improvements, 2) pays for itself with clean energy savings and 3) attaches the cost to the property rather than the property owner. Join us to learn more about this game-changing innovation in financing that can help fund the transition not only to net zero buildings, but to buildings that capture more carbon than they emit.
What if we could use open-source software development principles to reverse climate change? That is exactly what Chris Neidl and The Open Air Collective has done through their Direct Air Carbon Capture (DACC) projects and their leadership in crafting the New York State Low Embodied Carbon Concrete Leadership Act (LECCLA). LECCLA is new legislation that would require all of the state’s agencies to include climate impact in their selection criteria for concrete procurement. The more sustainable a concrete provider’s bid is, the more likely it will be to win the business. This is a big deal. As the single largest purchaser of concrete in NY, the state’s collective buying power could kickstart a market transformation, creating significant demand for low carbon concrete while broadening its availability in the private sector. Resources and links from the interview: https://www.sustainabilitynow.global/2021/03/21/46-concrete-solutions-to-climate-change/
Featuring Tim Paganos, Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer of microshare.io
Smart buildings are good right? Adjusting room temperature and lighting based on patterns of use is more efficient, uses less resources and is therefore more sustainable. Collecting more detailed data enables greater refinement of systems and environments. But when is enough, enough? Join us for this provocative conversation about data collection, sustainability and privacy.
More info and links at https://www.sustainabilitynow.global/2021/03/06/45-sustainability-through-it-a-double-edged-sword/
Starting with the reinstatement of the 1942 Articles of Incorporation for the Kentucky Hemp Growers Association and then inspiring the planting of three feral hemp seeds by Woody Harrelson in the 90's, Joe Hickey has been a primary force behind the legalization of industrial hemp.
Despite being a nearly magical plant with over 25,00 uses that include food, fuel, fiber, housing, health, and so much more, industrial hemp has been hindered in its adoption because of its close association to cannabis — which is known for its psychoactive properties. Industrial hemp contains less than .3% THC, the mind-altering substance present in marijuana. In addition to its multitude of uses, hemp also nutrifies the soil and is thought by many to be the salvation for struggling farmers.
Links and more info at https://www.sustainabilitynow.global/2021/02/13/44-joe-hickey-godfather-of-industrial-hemp/
Director of the documentary film “At War with the Dinosaurs,” John Michael Parkan is a hydrogen energy evangelist extolling the virtues and promise of a burgeoning hydrogen economy. Hydrogen is the third most abundant element on earth and is a sustainable green-energy alternative to fossil fuels that has been around since the early 1800’s. All the major car manufacturers have produced a hydrogen fuel cell car and the technology is more planet-friendly than battery-powered electric vehicles. So why is it that, when so many of us think of hydrogen, our primary reference point is images of the fire-engulfed Hindenburg, an image rife with the misappropriation of danger, while hydrogen fuel is actually so much safer than gasoline? Join us for this VERY illuminating interview and hear the true story of hydrogen and learn how this technology may be the solution for a transition away from a fossil fuel economy to a truly sustainable future. John Michael addresses the perceptions and prejudices related to hydrogen power and provides us with cogent steps we can take to support the emerging hydrogen economy. About John Michael: John Michael Parkan attended the prestigious USC Film School and has shot, produced and directed multiple commercials, music videos, and shorts, in addition to special features for theatrical and library films. At War with the Dinosaurs is his first feature length documentary film. More resources and links at https://www.sustainabilitynow.global/2021/01/30/43-fueling-the-future-with-hydrogen/
Jason Schramm has focused his passion for the vegan lifestyle along with his tech skills on developing global directories for vegan events, vegan-friendly movies, and plant-based meal delivery.
When Jason embraced veganism 5 years ago, it started him on the path of evaluating his own life. He saw how difficult it was for folks interested in a plant-forward lifestyle to find one another and connect. Jason’s solution: VegEvents.com, the largest listing of vegan events throughout the world. VegMovies.com came next, replete with movie descriptions and warnings about potentially disturbing content. His most recent venture, VegMealDelivery.com was a creative response to the COVID lockdown.
Attention to the environmental impact of his food choices brought with it a desire to further minimize his carbon footprint. Thus, Jason’s veganism became a gateway to a life of minimalism, mindfulness, and purpose. It’s his minimalist lifestyle that has afforded Jason the luxury of providing his resource websites at no charge.
Jason’s story is one of self-reflection, freedom, and purpose, stemming from a bold choice to look at the way our actions impact the world at large and respond accordingly.
Anne-Marie Bonneau, the Zero-Waste Chef, is an author, blogger, fermenter, sourdough-er and zero waste evangelist. Join us for a wide-ranging conversation about consumerism, cooking and composting; sourdough, fermenting, and starting a movement.
With tips & tricks as well as recipes & resources, Anne-Marie’s passion and enthusiasm for sustainability has spilled over to social media where she is spreading the word to over 200,000 loyal followers.Anne-Marie’s first book: The Zero-Waste Chef: Plant-Forward Recipes and Tips for a Sustainable Kitchen and Planet is due out in April, 2021.
Mindfulness is the heartbeat of the transition to zero waste; awareness of our behaviors, values, and choices mixed with a solid measure of commitment and creativity. Anne-Marie embodies it all and shows us how we can make that journey one step at a time. More resources at https://www.sustainabilitynow.global/2020/12/19/41-tips-tricks-from-the-zero-waste-chef/
Raz Razgaitis is on a mission to eliminate single-use packaging and put bottled water out of business by making tap water safe and tasty again. Co-founder and CEO of FloWater, Raz sees the bottled water industry as our contemporary "Big Tobacco," capitalizing on a manufactured need while wreaking untold public health consequences due to plastic pollution. FloWater's technology is currently keeping 5.5 plastic Water bottles every second from reaching our landfills and oceans and this is just the beginning.
Using the newest filter technology in their touchless hygienic water Refill Stations, FloWater creates public access to drinking water that tastes and hydrates better than anything in a single-use plastic bottle and is free of pathogens, chemicals, pharmaceuticals and micro-plastics.
We talk about business, the challenges of taking on Goliath, changing prevailing perceptions and following one's heartfelt sense of mission.
Eden Green is helping establish food safety, food independence, and sustainable farming. Its turnkey greenhouse and vertical farming technology gives you the ability to locally grow large amounts of produce safely and efficiently, while using exponentially less land, energy and water than traditional farming and other indoor solutions. Their 1.5 acre greenhouse produces 900,000 pounds of leafy greens each year (a yield that is equal to 33 traditional acres)
- No diesel or other fuel on the farm
- Dramatically reduces fuel in transportation
- Utilizes natural pest control
- Uses the same amount of water as two houses Just in time food supply reduces food waste
- Employs 30 people making a living wage with benefits
Learn more at https://www.sustainabilitynow.global/2020/11/14/39-eden-green/
Meet Colin McIntosh, Founder and irreverent CEO of Sheets & Giggles, a fast-growing brand in the $12B US bedding space. Colin's motto is, "Do good, have fun, make money — in that order. And he does!
Colin shares his entrepreneurial insights: the business criteria that lead him to the bed linen space, marketing strategies that set S&G apart, and most importantly, how he built S&G around his underlying commitment to sustainability.
With their simply sublime bed sheets and duvet covers made of sustainably grown eucalyptus, Sheets & Giggles is a perfect example of truly green entrepreneurship. From environmentally conscious products and production to business practices built around philanthropy and social justice, S&G does it all, with a sense of humor to boot.
Join us for a great conversation about building a new paradigm for business with a guy who is changing the world one sheet at a time.
Resources related to this episode can be found at https://www.sustainabilitynow.global/2020/11/08/38-bringing-sustainability-to-the-bedroom/
Eco-visionary Brian Hicks couldn’t stand sending the hundreds of thousands of pounds of spent coffee grounds from his and other restaurants to landfill, so he started a business called GroundSteam to collect and convert them to compost instead.
Building on his success, Brian has since expanded his service to divert millions of pounds of coffee waste from restaurants in the Edmonton area.
Tim Tan of Affordable Abodes is tackling the low-cost housing crisis in Indonesia and Malaysia with modular, kenafcrete houses.
Kenaf is a plant much like hemp in its versatility with thousands of uses, one of which is as the primary ingredient in an eco-concrete-style construction material called kenafcrete. Affordable Abodes streamlines the construction process by using lightweight, 2ft x 10ft steel reinforced kenafcrete panels to build better homes faster and more affordably than conventionally possible.
Kari McDonald is using her experience and know-how from years in the fossil fuel industry to engineer a transition from traditional fossil fuels and fertilizers to sustainable and regenerative solutions. About two years ago, Kari’s company, Bio Energy Solutions Inc., acquired the Green Power House technology popularized in the movie “The Need to Grow.” Since then, she’s been bringing farmers and fossil fuel technicians and engineers together to make it an even safer and more efficient system. In fact, the rechristened Energy Junction comprises three integrated systems that are customizable and modular. Collectively, they are capable of generating electricity, as well as an assortment of other products including algae, biochar, bio-stimulants and wood vinegar, biogas and biodiesel.
Through her work as an industry consultant, Kari was confronted with the very real question, “What happens to communities of coal miners when the coal mine shuts down?” That’s where her enthusiasm for the Energy Junction comes from. Any truly sustainable solution must address the economic consequences of displaced industries. This technology provides an economic solution as well as one that is environmentally sound.
You will come away from this interview truly hopeful and inspired to see that it’s actually possible to transition from fossil fuels to regenerative earth-and-people-friendly energy and agriculture.
Learn more at https://wp.me/p9ThFB-fW
Zen Honeycutt is unstoppable. Founder of Moms Across America, Zen is a champion for local activism, and an inspirational example of the indomitable power available when we stand up, speak up and take action.
She’s gone toe-to-toe with Monsanto in a campaign to educate the public to the extreme dangers of glyphosate and is currently leading the charge against the 5G technology that is poised to infiltrate our communities with potentially devastating health consequences. Zen inspires and educates us to the impact of our voice and teaches us how to take constructive action that will shape the future for generations to come.
Resources referenced in this show can be found at https://www.sustainabilitynow.global/2020/09/01/33-glyphosate-5g-and-what-you-can-do-about-them/
Join us for an exploration of microbial magic with Dr. Christo Miliotis, eco-entrepreneur and microorganism enthusiast. From gut & soil health to delectable foods, pest & weed control to hydrogen gas, learn how microbes are the key to a thriving future. A renaissance man whose passion for microbes has led him from farm to food and beyond, Christo is a tireless inventor. Guided by the principles of regenerative biodynamic agriculture he’s developed “Agent Green,” an organic fertilizer and weed killer along with a leaf fertilizer and insecticide he’s named “Bee Friendly.” His love of fermentation inspired a beet kvass he’s calling “Up Beet” and a special concoction he’s christened “Fire In The Belly” that contains everything required for optimal nutrition. Christo is even taking his obsession with microbes to the screen with his upcoming documentary entitled “The Universe Beneath Our Feet.” This conversation will open your eyes to an unseen world that shapes the very fabric of our lives. More info and resources mentioned in this interview can be found at https://www.sustainabilitynow.global/2020/08/15/32-the-magic-of-microbes-w-dr-christo-miliotis/
Dr. Stephanie Seneff, Senior Research Scientist at MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory is sounding the alarm about Glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup, the world’s most popular weed killer. Is the 99% correlation between Glyphosate usage and the epidemic rise of autism coincidental, or is it just one of many indicators of the danger posed by this pervasive chemical?
With glyphosate in our soil, our food, and perhaps the very air we breathe, Dr. Seneff suggests that it plays a significant role in the rise of diseases such as cancer, Alzheimer’s, autism, obesity and more. In fact, it may have a significant impact on immunity and susceptibility — as well as the spread of COVID 19.
Join us for an informative interview with Cameron McIntosh, president and founder of Americhanvre Cast Hemp. We’ll discuss hempcrete — an amazing building material that is carbon sequestering, fireproof, non-toxic, soundproof, and resistant to mold, rot, mildew and pests. Hempcrete construction can also save up to 60% of the heating and cooling costs vs. traditional construction.
Cameron sits on the board of the US Hemp Building Association, co-hosts the Hemp Entrepreneur podcast and is the Hemp Local Supply Chain Committee Coordinator for All Together Now PA which aims to unite rural and urban communities via local self-reliance and support of local businesses across a variety of sectors, including plant medicine, local food, zero waste and hemp.
We'll also discuss the first residential spray application of hempcrete in the US along with its benefits and the challenges that the industry faces. Resources and more info from this interview are available at https://www.sustainabilitynow.global/2020/07/18/30-hempcrete-building-a-better-future-w-cameron-mcintosh-of-americhanvre/
Founder of Fearless Farmers, Amy Milliron creates online and onsite regenerative farming curricula for kids of all ages. Amy advocates for regenerative agriculture as a path to reverse climate change, heal the soil and improve health.
Mom, educator, farmer, and activist, Amy came to regenerative farming by way of a deep commitment to feeding her family nutrient dense and healthful food. Starting with a successful battle to change state policies affecting nursing mothers, Amy’s advocacy and vision grew to address solutions related to the greater food supply and its impact on the health of people and planet. Join us for this candid conversation about activism, the future of farming, and the power we each can wield to bring forth positive change.
Like industrial hemp, Kenaf has tens of thousands of uses. Bob Lawrason of Kenaf Partners USA joins us to discuss the role kenaf can play in reversing climate change, reducing pollution, restoring the land, and generating profit for farmers.
Kenaf is fast growing, can be cultivated in most climates, regenerates the soil, and is unencumbered by the legal challenges faced by cannabis and industrial hemp production. When planted by existing corn cotton, and soy farmers as a rotational cash crop, it provides an economically viable way to make a gradual transition from sustainability, to resilience, and ultimately regenerative practices.
Join us to learn about this remarkable plant and how it can be instrumental in solving so many of our current planetary challenges.
Learn more and find resources mentioned in this interview at https://www.sustainabilitynow.global/2020/06/13/28-kenaf-the-next-industrial-hemp/
An almost prescient interview for this unique moment in time, we speak with elder activist Lynne Iser about the role of elder wisdom in shaping a new future. Touching on a range of topics —local economies, inclusive community, the movement from consumerism to conservation, and more — this thoughtful conversation affirms the importance of inter-generational connection and communication to inform the values that will guide our emerging culture.
Andrew Bailey, inventor of the Enviroplex, explains how his off-grid carbon-capture complex pulls CO2 directly from the air. Captured carbon is easily converted to calcium carbonate (for use in concrete), carbon fiber (an alternative to aluminum and steel that can be 3D printing) and baking soda (non-toxic with a plethora of uses).
Carbon sequestration is one step in a three-pronged approach to Climate Restoration, the endeavor to return earth’s atmosphere to the state it was in before the industrial revolution.
- Step 1: Stop burning fossil fuels
- Step 2: Remove excess carbon dioxide from the atmosphere
- Step 3: Re-freeze the arctic
…No small feat, however, the World Economic Forum identifies climate restoration as a multi-trillion-dollar opportunity. This is a conversation about possibility in a time of deep uncertainty and shifting priorities. We invite you join us in sourcing new perspectives and new solutions in this moment of global possibility.
Maya van Rossum, founder of The Green Amendment movement, has sparked an environmental revolution with a truly novel idea: amend the Bill of Rights in every state Constitution to include an inalienable right to clean water, clean air and a healthy environment. As surprising as it may seem, only Pennsylvania and Montana currently enshrine these rights as fundamental liberties. In 2013 van Rossum and her team won a watershed legal victory in Pennsylvania to stop unscrupulous frackers and succeeded in upholding the environmental protections in the PA Constitution, setting a precedent for other states to follow. Maya is a fireball, a woman on a mission to save our planet by shifting the balance of power from corporate interests to true protection of people and planet through constitutional environmental provisions. Join us for a spirited conversation that will ignite your hope, raise your awareness and provide meaningful opportunities to help turn this country around.
Good news! Climate change is not a natural disaster; it is a disaster of our own making, and we CAN reverse it by adopting new cultural assumptions and practices. Join us for an introduction by Vinit Allen to the Awakening the Dreamer Symposium, an initiative from the Pachamama Alliance to challenge and re-educate the notions at the core of our current state of planetary peril.
Ideas such as:
- Money makes things better
- More is better
- We have dominion over nature and it exists for our use
- Men do things better than women
- Life is about competition
are foundational assumptions of our culture that have led to social and environmental abuse and overconsumption. The key to restoring our planet and creating a just and sustainable world is a new cultural story — a story of one human family inextricably connected to all life and to the planet itself.
This conversation is one of hope and possibility, a call to take a stand and take action.
What’s ours to do?
- We can start by cutting back rather than cutting out.
- Change your bank and credit card to banks that are conscientious about who they are loaning to
- Research the companies you buy from
- Invest in socially responsible funds
- Generate less emissions: cut back on flights and do more carpooling
- Eat more plant-based foods
- Create healthy soils: compost
- Talk about the things that matter, spread the message
- Spend time in and cultivate a direct relationship with nature
To support content like this, please support us on https://www.patreon.com/sustainabilitynow
Spread the word! It’s up to us — together — to do this thing!
Rich in free nutritional and medicinal fare, nature serves up a bountiful table as a solution to food insecurity. Learn more in this introductory and informative jaunt into the world of wild food foraging with Philadelphia expert, Lynn Landes.
Starting with the basics, Lynn explains that foraging and plant identification is a multi-sensory experience, engaging sight, touch, taste and smell. She cautions careful introduction of new wild foods and teaches us how to test before we ingest, in order to avoid adverse reactions.
You’ll learn about mulberries, plantains, mugwort and more. You’ll also gain a new appreciation for the generosity of our precious mother earth. Lynn has provided an extensive list of resources to inspire your foraging future and welcome you into a deepening and nourishing relationship with our planet. Enjoy and eat hearty!
The environments in which we work and play impact our health and well-being in a multitude of ways. Emily Winer of the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) explains how the pioneering WELL standard supports people and communities to thrive.
Complimentary to the materials-focused LEED certification, WELL is a holistic framework that sets a new global benchmark for performance in ten areas: air, light, sound, water, movement, physical materials that make up a building, thermal comfort, nourishment, community and mind.
It turns out that incorporating circadian lighting, strategies to encourage exercise, stress management programs, modulating acoustics, air quality, and more is not only good for health but good for the bottom line. Studies show that WELL workplaces are healthier, happier and more collaborative with a reduction in absenteeism and sick days, and even result in better sleep.
Join us to learn how WELL is transforming business and corporate culture from the inside out and from the top down to create environments that enhance physical, social and emotional well-being.
If we think of a city as a living organism, energy and waste are essential parts of the urban metabolism. Join us for an enlightening conversation with zero waste consultant, Alisa Shargorodsky as we explore the challenges of recycling programs, and the impact of recyclables, compostables and single-use packaging on the urban ecosystem.
While they may seem a responsible and sustainable alternative to plastic, you’ll discover the shocking and disappointing truth about compostable single-use items as they currently exist and the threat they pose to both health and environment. This is an eye-opening and myth-busting interview, exposing some uncomfortable truths and challenging us to better solutions. A deeper understanding of the single use product life-cycle makes it clear that sustainability can’t happen until we dispose of disposables and our “convenience-driven” lifestyles to embrace reusables and renewables. In other words, the path to sustainability starts with conscious consumption, voting with our dollars and making a cultural shift to products that sacrifice single-use and serving-size convenience in service to the social good.
Hear from Donovan Spitzman, Lisa Bodey and Nick Nevares, to learn about the Crestone Energy fair — the oldest energy fair in the nation, celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. Crestone is a Mecca for the alternative building movement with structures including climate battery buildings, papercrete and cordwood houses, earthships, straw bale homes and more. The fair incorporates home tours and building demonstrations, alternative energy solutions, vendors, music and more.
Plastic is EVERYWHERE! Plastic containers, packaging and products fill our stores, and microplastics poison the food we eat and the water we drink. Clearly, we have a global addiction that is crying out for a cure.
How can retail establishments and individuals wean themselves from our reliance on plastic?
MOM’s Organic Market has some ideas about that. With a 32 year history and 19 stores in the Mid-Atlantic region, MOM’s is on a mission to protect and restore the environment—and they walk their talk. With an extensive selection of bulk items, MOM’s customers can fill their own containers with products from water — they banned bottled water in 2010 (and plastic bags in 2005) — to oils, grains, sweeteners and even detergent and bath salts. Their produce department is 100% organic and predominantly plastic-free.
MOM’s also has a robust recycling center at each of its stores, accepting even hard to recycle items such as batteries, chip bags, Brita filters and so much more. So, when it comes to going plastic-free, MOM’s offers lots of options to make it possible.
Constraint breeds creativity—and the plastic-free challenge is no exception. It’s a call to explore and discover — new places to shop, new products to use, new habits to build. Ali says it’s all about baby steps, and it all starts with awareness.
Have a listen to get some ideas for how YOU can be part of the solution and maybe even have some fun along the way.
Learn more at https://www.sustainabilitynow.global/2019/07/18/19-stepping-up-to-the-plastic-free-challenge-w-ali-dysard-of-moms-organic-market
Bio-Architect Paul Richardson builds buildings and community where shelter transcends a roof and four walls to become fully self-reliant, self-regenerative, and economically viable—producing food and clean water, and managing and re-using all waste in balance with nature. Paul founded Haven Earth SEED (Stewardship Education & Ecological Design) Training Center — both a physical and virtual education training center — to create a template for eco-communities, bringing together the tools and techniques of self-reliant living, earth architecture, community building, and permaculture. With a team of experts in the fields of permaculture, off-grid living, water self-sufficiency, bio-dynamic structures for healing, and more, the intention is to find solutions to our present reliance upon unsustainable and unhealthy practices, and to create successful models for eco-communities internationally. Grounded in a commitment to conscious, ethical, earth-centered and earth focused principles, Paul is paving the way to a feasible future, a future worth living for.
A self-declared "Spellbreaker," Brian D. Ridgway's very way of describing the world has resulted in spontaneous healings and miraculous transformations of body and spirit. What if, in a flash of awareness, the anguish and pain of your life were to dissolve into an experience of perpetual grace? Brian has helped more than 100,000 people step toward and into that freedom through his Level 5 mentoring programs, his truly unconditional love & presence and irreverent humor & wit.
The transformation Brian talks about is available for you in this interview. This is one to listen to again and again. Allow yourself to breathe deeply and be present. Allow Brian’s words to sink deeply into your awareness and you too may experience a greater sense of freedom as you expand beyond the identity you believed yourself to be. Get a free copy of Brian's book: https://bit.ly/2RhHMc4
Tom Moroz artfully connects the dots between grass roots and horticultural gardens, Burning Man, the Buckminster Fuller Organization, the Global EcoVillage Network and Stonehedge Gardens, a local node of a global network. Resource links on https://www.sustainabilitynow.global/?p=509
Business as a force for good? Chris Jacobs, CEO of Communally, a certified B Corporation, and a member of the Board of Directors of the Sustainable Business Network of Greater Philadelphia fills us in on a new paradigm for business that actually balances purpose and profit. Certified B Corporations are legally required to consider their impact on their workers, customers, suppliers, community, and the environment. Join us to learn more about the global movement to do business based on doing well by doing good.
An active advocate for NOAH, The National Organization for Arts in Health, Karl Anthony is a modern day bard who uses the transformational power of music as an invitation to connect, inspire and heal. Join us as we discuss Karl's work with children and families at the Children's Hospital of San Diego and the profound and important role of the arts in easing pain, reducing anxiety, improving mood and creating positive physiological changes.
Helping people bring themselves out of extreme hopelessness and poverty, Judah Becker is a one-man force for good in the world. But, he doesn't do it alone. From rescuing children from sex trafficking in Southeast Asia to developing tiny home affordable housing communities for folks living on minimum wage in Utah, Judah creates communities that teach people to become self-sustaining entrepreneurs. Tune in to hear how he got started and learn how you can be part of his movement to prosper the poor. Visit the show notes page for more info https://wp.me/p9ThFB-7F
Join us for an enlightening and hopeful conversation with Daphna Nissenbaum, CEO of TIPA. Based in Israel, TIPA produces fully compostable flexible packaging—food grade and non-food grade bags and pouches—which make up the bulk of single-use, non-recyclable plastics.
Unlike conventional plastic that lasts for hundreds and possibly thousands of years, compostable plastics break down to create compost—fertilizer for the soil. Plastic pollution is a scourge that threatens our very existence on the planet. With 8.3 billion tons of plastic produced over the last 30 or 40 years and nearly 300 million tons produced annually, plastics are devastating the oceans, our food supply and our health.
Tune in to learn what you can do to help stem the tide of the plastics plague and visit the show notes page https://wp.me/p9ThFB-7t to sign the Sustainability Now Compostable Plastics Pledge to help us in shaping a world that works!
Progressive change through simple acts of commerce. That’s the heart of Credo’s business model. They resell services that everyone uses—telephone and energy—and utilize the generated revenue to fund social causes. How awesome is it to be able to simply use the services you already use and support positive change at the same time? Join us for this empowering conversation with Trish Tobin, Credo’s Chief Marketing officer as we discuss the difference we each can make in the face of seemingly impossible odds. Areas of focus for Credo Action—the advocacy arm of Credo with about 5 and half million members—include peace, environment, women’s rights, civil rights and economic justice. The Credo Action website even offers a platform to start your own campaign. If you want to participate in progressive change but were unaware of how to get involved, join us to learn more about how Credo makes activism easy.
Shel Horowitz, ten-time author and green-living guru blends activism with business and marketing to solve humanity’s greatest challenges. With numerous examples and principled strategies, Shel shows us we can have it all: the moral gratification of doing good coupled with the financial rewards of good and profitable business. Exploring business models and opportunities that turn tradition on its head, Shel describes a new business paradigm founded in the triumvirate of values that he calls “The Magic Triangle”: quality, integrity, and honesty. Join us for a discussion of business as authentic service and relationship; to our values, to one another and to the planet.
The first Earthship to receive a building permit in a major US city broke ground just north of Philadelphia in Ambler, Pennsylvania on September 19, 2018! So, what’s an Earthship? An Earthship is a free-standing, sustainable structure built from repurposed tires, bottles, cans, concrete and other more traditional building materials. It generates its own power, processes its own sewage, regulates its own temperature and can produce its own food.
Tune in for our conversation with Amzi Smith and Amy Oskins of Pangea Builders to learn about Earthship construction and the “tiny Earthship greenhouse” project that is blazing the trail for adoption of this building method throughout the country. See http://SustainabilityNow.global for complete coverage of the this historic build and links to additional resources.
Here at Sustainability Now we believe that sustainability begins between the ears. In other words, we recognize that self-care is an essential factor in creating a world that works. With that in mind, and knowing that yoga has become a staple in current culture, we thought an exploration of the actual science behind its beneficial impact might be of interest.
Our very special guest, GuruSimran Khalsa, has been teaching and practicing Kundalini Yoga for over 35 years and describes it as the fast track to health and transformation. Sharing just a taste of her encyclopedic knowledge, she explains the physiological changes stimulated through practice of certain postures and breathing sequences.
Best of all, GuruSimran shares several simple and effective practices that can be done in as little as 3 minutes; no yoga mat required. Learn simple breathing techniques that 1) relieve stress and anxiety, 2) increase energy and 3) build concentration and focus.
Join us for this and more as we cover the gamut from passion and purpose to spiritual awakening.
Begun as a college exercise in social entrepreneurship, Evan Lutz founded Hungry Harvest with a mission to achieve zero food waste and put an end to hunger. Four years and a successful Shark Tank deal later, Hungry Harvest is making "ugly food" a beautiful thing, making food deserts flourish, and nourishing body and spirit.
Join us for this inspiring and informative interview with Stacy Carroll, Hungry Harvest Director of Sales and Partnerships. We explore the concept of zero food waste, are tempted by Monster Meals and new delicacies from Chef of the Nation: Ashley Christensen (such as carrot top pesto and broccoli kimchi) and are reminded of the profound impact of healthy food on physical health and well-being.
At the time of this interview, you can become a Hungry Harvest customer in 9 different states and receive delivery of customizable boxes of fresh produce direct to your door.
Magic and miracles driven by the power of purpose, possibility, social entrepreneurship and being in service to making difference in the world… This interview explores the creative power of clear intention and responding to the call of the soul.
Join us for a truly inspiring chat with visionary, Hajjar Gibran, founder of DomeGaia, and learn about the extraordinary journey he took to his current mission: providing affordable housing to the world. Hajjar’s life has been graced by a deep connection to spirit and purpose and what some would call “mystical” experience.
He shares his experience of the shamanic healing of a friend dying from Hepatitis C, the channeling of his great uncle Kahlil Gibran to write the best-selling book, The Return of the Prophet, and the founding of DomeGaia in answer to the question, “What would I do if I could perform a miracle?”
DomeGaia teaches and provides equipment and designs for building magnificent dome homes using aircrete, a material made of concrete mixed with foam, for material costs of under $5,000. Every month, DomeGaia teaches a 10-day workshop and a 30-day Teacher’s Training every few months. People come from all over the world to learn the techniques, building global community in the process.
Be sure to catch this episode and be touched by the magic available to us all when we connect with the mission of our soul.
A school bus converted to a tiny home, educational events at music festivals, a pop-up hemp store; Kate O’Flaherty, is walking her talk by embodying the principles of permaculture in the way she orchestrates her life. Tune in to learn how Solutions Voyage, Kate’s 501(c)(3), cultivates community resilience by sponsoring fun educational and networking opportunities in and around Boulder, Colorado.
Learn how to make your own worm farm, and gain a deeper understanding of how the 12 permaculture principles go well beyond agriculture to become principles for living. “Use the edges and value the marginal” addresses the dynamics of transition points and is equally relevant to gardens and neighborhoods. “Use slow and small solutions” encourages gradual and incremental change, and honors that little things add up to big things.
Join us and be inspired to take small actions that add up to make a big difference!
TerraCycle is on a mission to eliminate the idea of waste by recycling un-recycleables. Learn about the Zero Waste Box Program and what you can do to keep waste out of the landfill.
Nora Chahbazi is on a mission to teach the world to read. Founder of EBLI (Evidence Based Literacy Instruction), Nora has trained thousands of teachers and tens of thousands of students in her center, in classrooms and online at all different grade and reading levels.
Why, on a show about sustainability, are we talking about literacy? Only 35 to 40% of 4th graders are proficient in reading in the US, and over 30 million adults are reading at a 3rd grade level or below.85% of people in the legal system are struggling readers reading at a 3rd grade level or below. The cost of illiteracy and sub-literacy in the United States is $300 billion annually. Sub-literacy impacts people at all socioeconomic levels, and across all sorts of professions impacting doctors, lawyers, teachers, architects, engineers and more. How can this be?
The alarming fact is that people studying to become teachers aren’t taught how to teach reading and today’s prevalent practices are actually detrimental . Nora’s EBLI system is revolutionary in that it works! In as little as 3 hours, with an average of 9, students of all ages can learn to read! Nora explains how it works and shares resources that can be used by anyone—from training programs to apps for phones and tablets.
Nora’s mission is both inspired and inspiring and proof that one person, driven by a sense of mission and purpose can make a profound impact in the world.
Zero Energy Buildings: Yes, they exist and your health depends on them!
James Geppner, Executive Director of Erase40.org, explains how you can save money, improve your health AND reduce carbon emissions by as much as 40% with a zero energy building/passive house. Passive houses cost dramatically less to heat/cool, provide a steady flow of clean air and reduce the amount of outside noise in our indoor environment to provide a profound positive impact on health and wellbeing. It’s a win-win, so why aren’t they more widely adopted?
James applies social science and competitive theory to determine what shapes a market, cause or behavior. The lack of adoption of passive housing inspired him to turn his talents to an extensive analysis of the market for zero energy buildings and the decision-making process of buyers, funders and end users. The goal was to find clues to reducing barriers to widespread adoption and expand market share.
James founded Erase40.org to use behavioral science to speed the adoption of zero energy buildings and has spearheaded market-based initiatives and outreach programs to forward the cause. By providing education on the high financial and health costs of fossil fuel dependent buildings, passive housing becomes a natural and easy choice. Learn what questions you should be asking when buying or renting a property. Find out what you can do to help make zero energy buildings be the go-to building choice for the future.
James Geppner is a graduate of NYU and of SGIB’s investment banking program.
In this episode, I interview Nic Esposito,the Zero Waste and Litter Director for the City of Philadelphia. Nic lets us in on the city’s strategy for taking Philadelphia from being known as one of the dirtiest cities in the country to zero waste and litter by 2035. Learn about Philly Zero Waste Events like the Philly Marathon that has achieved zero waste for the past 7 years through partnership with a number of organizations that recycle and redistribute everything from surplus food to clothing, shoes, metal, plastics and more. Nic shares a wealth of resources for recycling, sustainable living and urban farming with specific tips and action steps to reducing waste and cleaning up our neighborhoods. Take a listen; you’ll be surprised by what you learn!
Mira Rubin is the host of Sustainability Now and is a woman on a mission to save the world. She's passionate about finding and proliferating solutions to planetary problems related to food, fuel, housing, water, waste, health, economics and consciousness.
Mira shares a vision she calls Project EcoPark. Imagine Disney meets sustainability where you have a vacation/education/conference destination that is a demonstration and learning center for a wide range of sustainable solutions. All kinds of building styles, agricultural methods, energy generation, remediation; these and more would be represented. Mira sees Sustainability Now as a vehicle to grow a community, raise awareness and hope, and to potentially connect to the people and technologies that will be represented in Project EcoPark.
Her interviews with change-makers, social entrepreneurs, and visionaries will run the gamut from cutting edge health breakthroughs, to alternative building styles such as foamcrete domes and earthships, to the power of mushrooms to help save the world.
Mira speaks of consciousness as an essential aspect of Sustainability saying, our most divisive cultural myth is that one person can't make a difference. She's committed to emboldening people to discover, connect to and light up their soul song. "By connecting to your unique purpose, you experience an unrivaled sense of fulfillment, clarity and resilience. The world needs us now. We need to rise to our greatness and save the world."
Mira's show is the perfect place for social entrepreneurs and folks committed to creating a world that works.
Links:
http://sustainabilitynow.global