Go Green Radio

Farmland dominates the landscape and watersheds in the Midwest. The way that land is used and managed has profound effects on our health through the water we drink and the food we eat. Farming can actually make water cleaner and the environment healthier. Farms doing exactly that are scattered across the Midwest. Tune in to learn how the Environmental Working Group’s Midwest division is using remote-sensing, big data and landscape analysis to build pressure to change policy to heal the damage done by poor farming practices and to build excitement about how much healthier the environment could be through often simple changes in the way we farm.

Biomimicry is a practice that learns from and mimics the strategies used by species alive today. The goal is to create products, processes, and policies — new ways of living — that solve our greatest design challenges sustainably. The Biomimicry Institute was founded in 2006 by Janine Benyus and Bryony Schwan to share nature’s design lessons with the people who design and make our world, and empower people to create nature-inspired solutions for a healthy planet. Today we’ll talk with the Executive Director of the Biomimicry Institute, Beth Rattner.

Feeding America is the nation’s largest domestic hunger-relief organization—a powerful and efficient network of 200 food banks across the country. As food insecurity rates hold steady at the highest levels ever, the Feeding America network of food banks has risen to meet the need. They feed 40 million people at risk of hunger, including 12 million children and 7 million seniors. But Feeding America also works to alleviate hunger with a focus on sustainability and environmental justice. Today we will discuss their work in America’s Food Deserts, as well as their work to keep edible food from going to waste.

CR Vasco da Gama (CRVG)—one of Brazil’s top football (soccer) teams—partnered with social impact startup VeganNation to promote sustainability initiatives within the sports industry. In recent months, VeganNation has gathered sports partners across Brazil—including soccer teams Remo, Paysandu, Iranduba, and Nacional Club, which are located near the Amazon rainforest, and legendary soccer player Cafu—to help it bring awareness and solutions to the waste generated by the global sporting industry. Tune in as we speak with Isaac Thomas, co-founder and CEO of VeganNation about his company and how you can join the movement!

California has a compelling need to reduce pollutant emissions to reach health-based ambient air quality goals. The South Coast Air Quality Management District and the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District are currently in extreme non-attainment of the eight-hour federal ozone standard, and in non-attainment for the 24-hour PM2.5 standard. A recent study found that converting medium and heavy duty transportation vehicles to electricity would not only dramatically reduce air pollution, but would also create more jobs than vehicles that run on other fuels. Tune in as we discuss the study with Eileen Tutt, Executive Director of the California Electric Transportation Coalition and Simon Mui, Senior Scientist, Climate & Clean Energy Program, Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC).

California Governor Gavin Newsom recently released his proposed 2020-21 budget, securing critical ongoing support for schools and farmers to collectively advance local, climate-smart procurement, education, and experiential learning in school gardens. The Governor is advocating for more freshly prepared California-grown meals on students’ plates, more training opportunities for food service staff, and more opportunities to engage and educate students about where their food comes from and how it reaches the table. The Center for Ecoliteracy worked in close partnership with a coalition of allied organizations to advance this level of targeted funding and increased investment in school nutrition, labor, and farms. On today’s episode, we’ll talk with Adam Kesselman, Executive Director of the Center for Ecoliteracy about why this is good news for California students!

Today we’ll be joined by Sydney Evans, Science Analyst with the Environmental Working Group, to discuss PFAS, a.k.a. “forever chemicals”, which has been found in municipal water supplies across the U.S. Join us as we discuss the health effects of this family of toxins and steps you can take to protect your family.

Our guest today is Seth Terry, Ph.D, head of Customer Experience at Emporia Energy, and we’ll be talking about their new residential energy monitoring device, Vue. The Vue is a low-cost solution that helps consumers track home energy use at the individual appliance level. The user-friendly app helps you see what appliances are contributing most to your monthly energy bill, and helps you take real-time action to conserve energy with a click on your smart phone. Tune in to learn more about this simple way to save money, time and energy!

Our guest today is Gamal Sherif, Program Manager for Texas-based nonprofit, EcoRise. We will discuss a new program to help high school students attain LEED, Green Associate credential through the U.S. Green Building Council. This credential is recognized as an international standard of green building concept knowledge on topics such as indoor air quality, water efficiency, energy efficiency and much more. EcoRise is working with high school teachers and their students to create a workforce that is ready to create 21st century buildings that are healthier for occupants and the environment. Tune in to learn how to bring this fantastic program to a high school near you!

Never worry about a power outage again. Panasonic Solar has a new solution for consumers who want an eco-friendly, energy independent home: EverVolt™. This new residential energy storage system can be tailored to a homeowner's individual needs, offering both AC and DC coupled options, as well as options to scale down to as little as 5.7kWh of energy storage or expanded to 34.2kWh. Tune in as we talk with Dan Glaser, senior sales engineer for Panasonic!

In the upcoming motion picture, Dark Waters, actor Mark Ruffalo plays the character inspired by Robert Bilott, a lawyer specializing in helping big corporations stay on the right side of environmental laws and regulations. His life took an unexpected turn when a West Virginia farmer named Earl Tennant called. He was convinced his cattle were being poisoned by runoff from a neighboring DuPont landfill. Rob ultimately gains access to hundreds of thousands of pages of DuPont documents that reveal the company has been holding onto decades of studies proving the harmful effects of a chemical called PFOA, used in making Teflon. More toxic than lead, PFOA is often called a “forever chemical,” because once it gets inside the human body, it remains there, building up faster than the body can excrete it. What starts as the case of one farmer soon spawns a shocking realization that virtually every person on the planet has been exposed to PFOA and carries the chemical in his or her blood.

Energy efficiency is the fastest-growing segment of U.S. energy-sector employment, now employing more than 2.3 million Americans, according to a new analysis from E4TheFuture and the national, nonpartisan business group E2 (Environmental Entrepreneurs). Energy efficiency workers now account for 28% of all U.S. energy jobs. The new report, Energy Efficiency Jobs in America, finds energy efficiency jobs grew 3.4 percent in 2018 –more than double the rate of growth for overall jobs nationwide — with 7.8% growth projected for 2019. Not a single state saw declines in energy efficiency employment in 2018. Tune in as we discuss the report with energy efficiency experts from Lever Energy Capital, Energy Optimizers, E2, and E4TheFuture!

Paul Rosolie is a naturalist, explorer, author, and award-winning wildlife filmmaker. For the past decade he has specialized in threatened ecosystems and species in countries like Indonesia, Brazil, India, and Peru.. He has also spent extensive time traveling with poachers documenting the illegal trade in endangered species. Rosolie’s memoir on Amazonian wildlife and exploration, Mother of God, was hailed as “gripping” by Jane Goodall, and the Wall Street Journal applauded Rosolie’s environmental call-to-arms for its “rare immediacy and depth.” His conservation writing has appeared in National Geographic, The Huffington Post and The Guardian. In 2013, Rosolie spoke at the United Nations global Forum on Forests while accepting an award for his Amazonian wildlife short-film An Unseen World. His latest book, “The Girl and the Tiger” is already being hailed as the 21st Century Jungle Book.

What does it mean to recycle plastic? Where does it go, and what is the process for transforming a recyclable plastic bottle or jug into a new product? The answer may shock you. A Guardian report from 11 countries tracks how US waste makes its way across the world – and overwhelms the poorest nations. Today we will be joined by Erin McCormick, one of the U.S.-based journalists for The Guardian working on a new series of articles entitled, “United States of Plastic.” Tune in as she discusses this groundbreaking investigation.

The Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS) released its highly-anticipated K-12 school-focused CHPS 2019 Core Criteria 3.0. The third edition builds upon the CHPS 2014 Core Criteria. It incorporates recent developments in construction and building materials technology and adds additional credits addressing lowering school buildings’ carbon footprint through the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and promoting resiliency to climate change. The national CHPS Core Criteria, and its state and regional versions, are the first green building rating programs developed especially for school learning environments. Since CHPS’ founding in 1999, these guidelines continue to be the only school-specific rating system that prioritizes student performance in its monitoring and benchmarking tools. Our guests today are Elisabeth Krautscheid, CHPS Managing Director, and Lisa Dunnebacke, CHPS Communications & Membership Director.

A new PBS documentary, Inventing Tomorrow, follows six young scientists from Indonesia, Hawaii, India and Mexico as they tackle some of the most complex environmental issues facing humanity today—right in their own backyards. Each student is preparing original scientific research that they will defend at ISEF, the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair. Against the backdrop of today’s most pressing environmental threats, we immerse the audience in a global view of the planetary crisis, through the eyes of the generation that will be affected by it most. The film debuts on July 29, and on today’s episode we’ll talk with the film’s director, Laura Nix, and one of the teens featured in the film, Sahithi Pingali.

According to the California Department of Water Resources, about 12% of the state’s total energy consumption is related to moving, treating and heating/cooling water. The sources of energy used to power these water activities is directly tied to the volume of greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere. Southern California’s allotment of water from the State Water Project has a much higher energy intensity than other parts of the state. Today we will talk with two water management experts about California’s water/energy nexus and large proposed projects in southern California that will save energy and water and limit the transport of water across the state. Projects include a greater use of local water supplies and water recycling. Water and energy savings projections will be shared.

As climate change continues to progress, droughts and floods are expected to become increasingly common. In many parts of the country, our nation’s water infrastructure is inadequate and antiquated. Comprehensive solutions are daunting, but rainwater harvesting is an action that many residents can take that will have a substantial impact on their community water systems. Harvesting rainwater has multiple benefits – stormwater management, reduced energy costs, and free water for irrigating gardens and landscaping. On today’s show, we’ll hear expert advice on how to integrate rainwater harvesting projects in a variety of locations, from the backyard to urban public spaces.

Catskill Animal Sanctuary wants the world to go vegan. It’s who they are; it’s what they do. It’s why hundreds of rescued farm animals call this place home, and why the Sanctuary opens its gates to thousands of visitors each year. Written with love and authenticity, Compassionate Cuisine tells—through its food—the story of one of the country’s oldest and most respected animal sanctuaries. In the book, Chef Linda Soper-Kolton and Chef Sara Boan, the Sanctuary’s vegan chefs, bring its culinary program, Compassionate Cuisine, to life through an array of recipes intended to inspire and delight. Now, home cooks everywhere can savor and devour the same delicious and compassionate cuisine in their own kitchens. Tune in as we talk with Kathy Stevens, co-founder of the Catskill Animal Sanctuary, and Linda Soper-Kolton about their new book!

For school districts, every dollar spent on waste hauling is a dollar that could be used in the classroom. In many school districts the rates for garbage, recycling and organics services is going up, and today we will talk about a smart, proven way for schools to save substantial amounts of money on their waste hauling bill. Our guest today is Jodi Taitt, founder and principal of the waste diversion consulting firm, EcoConsilium, and a TRUE Zero Waste Advisor certified by Green Business Certification, Inc. She will discuss the methods she has used to help schools minimize waste and reduce costs.