The Green Divas | s15:e7

Online shopping has become an almost essential modern convenience, especially during the recent pandemic time. But, even us Green Diva have to take a hard look at how all this shipping and packaging is impacting the environment and ultimately climate change. yikes.

So, is it more eco-friendly to order online? The answer isn’t entirely clear — sometimes yes, sometimes no. Hmmmm. But there are some ways you can minimize your shopping impact.

Of course, with the holidays coming (black Friday, ugh.), we like to revert to our GD holiday motto: Buy less, make more and when you HAVE to buy, try shopping local and always look for sustainably made products with the least amount of dreaded packaging.

Listen to this great episode for a lot of great information and ideas and even some humor.

READ MORE ABOUT THIS EPISODE

CORRECTION: Green Diva Lynn mentioned that some 3 billion trees are pulverized every year just for cardboard boxes. That figure is actually related to all paper packaging and equates to 241 million tons of shipping cartons, cardboard mailers, void-fill wrappers, and other paper-based packaging, according to forest conservation group Canopy.

Using less plastic, storing food in glass and generally keeping a clean and healthy home is not enough to keep us safe from microplastics. It is literally EVERYWHERE. We breathe it in every day in our own homes or even outside in nature.

Matt Simon talks to The Green Divas about his research for his new book, A Poison Like No Other: How Microplastics Corrupted Our Planet and Our Bodies.

There is frightening new research about just how corrupted our environment and our bodies actually are with micro- and nanoplastics, but there is still a long way to go to gain a full understanding of the health and environmental impacts of plastic. Ugh.

Read more…

READ ALL THE DETAILS …

Please check out our TikTok@official_greendivas; of course follow us on instagram @TheGreenDivas ; FaceBook @GreenDivas ; and YouTube

Feeling stressed about climate change? Suffered from climate-related events? Worried about the future for yourself or your children or grandchildren? Feeling hopeless about the condition of the environment and our rapidly changing climate?

According to Harvard Health,
more two-thirds of Americans
suffer from some form of
climate anxiety or distress!

It’s no wonder there is now a category in psychology devoted to climate-related distress.

Thankfully people like Leslie Davenport are there to help. Leslie wrote a helpful book, Emotional Resiliency in the Era of Climate Change. Her commentary for this episode was comforting. We needed it.

Also, because we talked a bit about eco-therapy, we included a previous segment we did with Mariel Hemingway about healing with nature.

READ A BUNCH MORE …

About 1.4 million tons of food is wasted globally each year.

That’s ONE THIRD of all food produced in the entire world. With hundreds of millions of people suffering from crisis level or worse food insecurity in 2021, the waste of water and other resources to grow, harvest, transport and package food, plus food waste‘s impact on climate change… we need to do better.

In this episode, we talk turkey about food waste and gratitude (in honor of Thanksgiving). You’ll hear some crazy stats and helpful tips on how you can reduce food waste in your own home. Just in time for the upcoming holidays!

Read more… (much more!)

We hope you enjoy this episode and share it up with friends and family. Also, remember to subscribe to our podcast on your fav podcast app so you don’t miss an episode!

The answer to that question is complicated and constantly evolving. In this episode, with the help of EV experts Seth Leitman (The Green Living Guy) and John Voelcker (Contributing Editor at Car & Driver Magazine), we made an attempt to de-mystify, de-tangle and myth-bust … and answer some of the typical objections of Electric Vehicle naysayers.

From the carbon cost of the full battery lifecycle… to understanding how EVs are charged. It’s all a bit complicated with so many variables to plug in (cute pun?). But the bottom line, according to our experts and many studies, is that EVs seem to win out over their gas-powered counterparts.

In 95% of the world, driving an electric car is better for the environment than driving a gasoline-powered car.

According to researchers from the universities of Cambridge, Exeter and Nijmegen in The Netherlands 

MIT researchers have found that over the course of their driving lifetimes, EVs will create fewer carbon emissions than gasoline-burning cars under nearly any conditions.

According to MIT’s senior research scientist Sergey Paltsev, “Currently, the electric vehicle in the U.S., on average, would emit about 200 grams of CO2 per mile… We are projecting that with cleaning up the grid, we can reduce emissions from electric vehicles by 75 percent, from about 200 (grams) today to about 50 grams of CO2 per mile in 2050.”

That’s good news. But like anything else we humans create, there are downsides. If you’re considering an EV down the road or want to learn more about the environmental impact of the EV you currently have, we hope you’ll listen to this podcast episode and read on for some interesting electric vehicle factoids and resource links.

EVs and Climate Change

Transportation is actually the largest source of climate pollution. EVs can help drive that down, so to speak. According to our EV expert John Voelcker:

The “wheels-to-wheels” fully accounted-for CO2 per-mile emissions of an EV are, at worst, equivalent to those of a 35-mpg vehicle. That’s well above the 25-mpg sales-weight average of new vehicles sold in the U.S. today.

But that figure assumes the EV is charged on the filthiest, most coal-heavy power grids in the U.S. If charged on much cleaner grids (e.g. Pacific VW, the Northeastern U.S.) the equivalence is 100 mpg or more. And there will simply NEVER be a gasoline-only vehicle that achieves 100 mpg.

Better yet, the EV gets cleaner over its lifespan as the grids it’s charged on slowly decarbonize. It will emit less CO2 per mile at the end of its life on cleaner grids than it did on the same grids when they were dirtier at the start of its life.

And, yes, those figures (from the Union of Concerned Scientists and many other studies) include manufacturing burden. An EV has a higher embedded carbon when it rolls off the line than a comparable gasoline vehicle, but because it uses so much less energy per mile, it goes down to equal within 15,000 to 40,000 miles depending on battery size. Everything after that is gravy. And in a 150,000-mile life, the difference is enormous.

EVs and Our Health

Because EV’s lifetime greenhouse gas emissions is lower than for petrol powered vehicles. That means that they’re not only better for our climate, but better for our health, especially in large metro areas.

Gas powered cars spit out fine particulate matter and other harmful compounds. So electric cars, once on the road, are cleaner. Even taking into consideration charging up with coal powered electricity.

Are EVs Worth the Higher Upfront Cost?

This is another rocket science project likely to explode many heads. But we’re here to help. The average sticker price of a new electric car in 2021 was about $10,000 higher than the industry average, which includes both gas-powered and electric vehicles.

According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, the annual EV energy savings range from $440 to over $1070 per year, depending on the electricity provider, and of course the cost of gas. If you have your own solar panels, well, you’d really save a ton.

EVs have lower maintenance costs. A 2020 Consumer Reports study found that EV owners, on average, spend 60% less on fuel compared to internal combustion engine vehicles.

We stumbled upon Car & Driver’s analysis of the cost of ownership comparing the Hyundai Kona vs. Kona Electric and the gas guzzling Ford F150 vs. its electric counterpart, the  F-150 Lightening.

During the 1st 3 years of ownership, the electric versions ended up costing less but ONLY if those vehicles qualified for the federal EV tax credit. In the US, be sure to check both the federal and state tax credit requirements before making your final decision. Search by state here. Still confused? Check out “Understanding the Tax Credits Before Buying an EV.”

You can do you own vehicle cost comparison here.

The Dark Side: Mining for Lithium & Other Minerals for EV Batteries

EVs are in their infancy so there’s a lot of work to do in order to develop more sustainable cradle-to-grave solutions. Mining for the minerals needed for the lithium-ion batteries can be downright disturbing. Especially given the fact EVs aren’t the only products that use these batteries. They’re in vaping devices, your personal devices (cell phones, tablets, and laptops), E-Bikes, electric toothbrushes, tools, hoverboards, scooters…

Our hope is that all the genius level people, like those at MIT, will find more sustainable methods for mining. Until then, we will hope that strict regulations will minimize the environmental damage caused by the mining of lithium and other minerals needed for lithium batteries.

In prepping for this episode, we did a lot of our own mining. The information we dug up only scratches the surface but we’ll share it with you here.

Lithium can be extracted in three ways: from hard rock, which is common in Australia; from sedimentary rock, a process currently under development in the U.S. Southwest; and through the evaporation of brines found beneath salt flats in South America.

The latter method is an extremely thirsty process. Salty lithium-containing water, called brine, is pumped into massive ponds, where it can take years for the evaporation process to separate the lithium.

The production of unrefined lithium through these evaporation ponds uses a lot of water: around 21 million liters per day. Approximately 2.2 million liters of water is needed to produce one ton of lithium. The technique drains already scarce water resources, damages wetlands, and harms communities. 

50% of global lithium and cobalt reserves are in Chile and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) respectively. 

Chile has 43.7% of global reserves but unfortunately uses this evaporation ponds mining technique that drains already scarce water resources, damages wetlands and delicate ecosystems.

Watch this video to see the impact of this mining technique on indigenous communities and their access to safe water.

The United States currently supplies less than two percent of Lithium, with only 3.6 percent of global Lithium reserves according to the Union of Concerned Scientists. Despite these seemingly low numbers, there’s a “white gold” rush underway with more than 17,000 prospecting claims for lithium in Nevada alone.

While lithium mining could be great from an economic standpoint, the environmental impact could be devastating if we don’t put strict environmental guidelines/regulations in place and more sustainable methods developed at this early stage of the mining game.

Deep sea mining for others minerals that are part of the EV battery recipe—like cobalt and nickel—is another environmentally risky option that which could cause irreversible damage to marine ecosystems.

The lithium mining method featured in the video below is promising. It is less energy intensive and can recover geothermal power along with the metals. And potentially do less damage.

Geothermal energy companies have been at Salton Sea in California for decades drilling down into the nearly 700 degree water, allowing it to instantly boil up out of the ground. Steam from the hot brine — so-called because of its high mineral content — spins turbines, generating electricity. It’s then pumped back down into the Earth where it gets heated back up to start over again. This sort of energy is considered clean and renewable since it relies on heat occurring naturally in the Earth.~ CNN BUSINESS

It is promising that they’ve found a way to extract lithium from the brine! This lithium mining method can take place in Arkansas, Nevada, North Dakota and at least one more location in the United States.

The biggest questions:

How much lithium is there? Click here to view world reserves by country.

How long do we have? It would be ideal if we could just use the same Salton Sea method everywhere. And realistically, in order to meet the growing demand for lithium batteries, mountains will literally need to be moved (or just blown up). We don’t have those answers yet…. and can only hope more sustainable methods will be developed before too much damage is done to the environment and entire communities.

The Hopeful Side of EV Batteries:

The good news is that lithium-ion batteries could offer a less toxic and longer-lasting alternative for energy storage compared to lead-acid batteries. And, as long as the battery isn’t damaged, they have a 2nd life with an estimated 80% of its original capacity.

If recycled, the critical materials—cobalt, lithium, nickel, and manganese—can individually be recovered using a hydrometallurgical process at a rate of 95-98 percent.

The question is, will we recycle EV batteries? The recycle rate for lithium-ion batteries in consumer electronics is estimated to be a disappointing 5 percent. We need to do and will likely do better when it comes to EV batteries, especially with more than 12 million tons of lithium-ion batteries expected to retire between now and 2030.

We’re hopeful. There’s a growing network of recycling companies that will likely be ready to handle this influx of EV batteries. That’s great news, given the fact that about one EV every 3 seconds is added to the global fleet, which should reach 25 million total vehicles by the end of 2022.

More great news: Recent research has shown that by 2050 recycled materials could supply 45–52% of cobalt, 22–27% of lithium, and 40–46% of nickel used in the United States light- and heavy-duty vehicle fleet.

We’d love to hear from you about your own experience with EVs!

Leave a comment here or on social media. This is a new frontier and we’d to keep the conversation going with you.

Featuring Eco Artist Geraldina Interiano Wise

A bit down about climate change? There’s no shame in needing a bit of eco therapy! Listen to this episode about how eco-art is inspiring action and potentially helping to heal the negative psychological impact of today’s climate reality and our fears about what tomorrow will look like.

What’s Eco Art?

Eco Art—also known as Ecological Art—is created by artists who are concerned about environmental issues and wish to channel their talents into raising awareness and inspiring change.

Many artists are hopeful that their art will have a healing effect on our climate change stressed psyche. It makes sense: there’s more and more evidence that art can have a positive impact on the brain…increasing blood flow to the brain, enhancing brain function and potentially raising serotonin levels. These benefits don’t just come from making art, they also occur by experiencing art.

In this podcast episode, we had the opportunity to chat with the talented artist Geraldina Interiano Wise. She revealed what lead her to become an eco artist and shared her thoughts about how the 20+ proposed Liquid Natural Gas export facilities influenced her beautiful Jackson Pollock-esque creations. Her passion for creating eco art is evident and contagious. You’ll want to pick up a paint brush after listening and we encourage you to do so.

Learn more about the Geraldina at GeraldinaWise.com; and connect with her on Instagram @wise_arts.

Follow the hashtags #GulfCoastLove to explore the work of eco artists who are working tirelessly to protect the Gulf Coast from the LNG export terminals.

In the meantime, we hope our podcast and the eco art we’ve posted below will offer some much needed eco stress relief.

Take GD Action!

• Share this post!
• Follow and share #GulfCoastLove social media posts
• Create your own eco art and tag us and #GulfCoastLove all across the social media universe
• Click here to Tell America’s Largest Banks: Don’t Fund New Gas Exports
• Tell Federal Officials: No Expansion Of Fracked Gas Exports here
• Talk to friends and family about the LNG issue. Suggest that they listen to this podcast episode, which can be found on most podcast apps, including Apple Music, iHeart Radio, iTunes, Stitcher and many more!

Learn more about LNG with this video or by reading our post about LNG export terminals here.

This episode was brought to you by The Climate Listening Project

The Climate Listening Project is listening to artists and activists working together in the Gulf Coast. The gulf is beautiful. Beaches and bayous. But it is also cancer alley. There are dangerous oil rigs, and now over twenty liquid natural gas export terminals proposed along the beautiful Gulf Coast. These huge export facilities will bring gas to the coast to ship overseas for fossil fuel companies, who will profit in the billions. Not only is it dangerous to local humans, environment and wildlife, but with climate change, why would we even consider this!?!

Tell the EPA, FERC, president Biden, and your senators and representatives to quit it with the liquid natural gas! (There is nothing NATURAL about it!). Learn more at GulfCoastMurals.com. 

Featuring Kelly Sheehan, Executive Director Of Energy for the Sierra Club.

What In The Frack Is Liquified Natural Gas?

First of all, it is anything but natural. It is more accurately called fracked gas or methane gas. Liqufied natural gas (LNG) is a methane gas that has been cooled down to -259 degrees Fahrenheit into a denser liquid form.

LNG is about 600 times smaller than its volume in its gaseous state in a natural gas pipeline, which makes it easier to store and transport.

What’s the Problem with LNG?

LNG is 85-95-plus percent methane, which has more than 80 times the warming power of carbon dioxide over the first 20 years after it reaches the atmosphere. Even though CO₂ has a longer-lasting effect, methane sets the pace for warming in the near term. _{Source: edf.org}

LNG emits about twice as much greenhouse gas as ordinary methane gas and is responsible for more than one-third of carbon emissions and almost half of methane emissions.

LNG devours energy. Chilling gas to such a low temperature eats up a lot of energy. Transporting it uses more energy. Warming it back up to use uses yet even more energy.

Yikes!

And now things seem to be heating up…

According to Sierra Club: Exporting liquefied methane gas, known as liquefied “natural” gas (LNG), has shot up the agenda of US federal policymakers as part of global energy security discussions. The war in Ukraine has led to a severe undersupply of gas in Europe, and US LNG companies are eager to capitalize on the opportunity to pile on to their already record profits by calling for increased export capacity. The story about where the gas is going is plastered across the news, but there has been a concerning lack of discussion about where that gas is coming from and LNG’s impacts on the communities where gas is processed for shipping overseas.

There are now more than 20 LNG export terminals proposed for the Gulf Coast. If approved, we could see an additional 90 million tons of greenhouse gasses (GHG) released into the atmosphere per year, according to a recent analysis by the Environmental Integrity Project (EIP). EIP says, “That’s as much climate-warming pollution as from about 18 million gasoline-powered passenger vehicles running for a year – more than from all the cars and trucks in Florida or New York State.”

Adding these facilities would make it impossible to meet any global emission reduction goals set by the international community or by the Biden administration.

Double yikes! But don’t lose hope. There are many people and organizations working hard to stop these terminals from being built. Read on!

Kelly Sheehan | Featured LNG Expert | Exec. Dir. Of Energy at the Sierra Club

We had the opportunity to talk to Kelly Sheehan, the Executive Director of Energy for the Sierra Club, where she leads a national effort to advance climate justice and a transition off of fossil fuels.

She explained why natural gas is not natural, LNG’s negative environmental impact and the Sierra Club’s effort to put a stop to the 20+ LNG export terminals proposed in the Gulf Coast. We hope you’ll listen to this informative podcast and share it up far and wide!

More about Kelly: Kelly joined Sierra Club in 2012. She has been an environmental activist by passion and by trade for the past twenty years, directing campaigns to protect the environment, training and engaging people to participate in our democracy, and building a movement for social change. Kelly lives in Asheville, NC with her children. She was honored as Best Environmentalist by Blue Ridge Outdoors Magazine and you can often find her exploring trails and rivers in the Appalachian Mountains. Connect with Kelly @ecokelly on Instagram.

Follow #StopLNG and @sierraclub to keep up to date on this issue and ways to take action.

Take GD Action!

• Follow and share #StopLNG social media posts
• Click here to Tell America’s Largest Banks: Don’t Fund New Gas Exports
• Tell Federal Officials: No Expansion Of Fracked Gas Exports here
• Talk to friends and family about this issue. Suggest that they listen to this episode, which can be found on the majority of podcast apps

Learn more by watching these videos….

This episode was brought to you by The Climate Listening Project

The Climate Listening Project is listening to artists and activists working together in the Gulf Coast. The gulf is beautiful. Beaches and bayous. But it is also cancer alley. There are dangerous oil rigs, and now over twenty liquid natural gas export terminals proposed along the beautiful Gulf Coast. These huge export facilities will bring gas to the coast to ship overseas for fossil fuel companies, who will profit in the billions. Not only is it dangerous to local humans, environment and wildlife, but with climate change, why would we even consider this!?!

Tell the EPA, FERC, president Biden, and your senators and representatives to quit it with the liquid natural gas! (There is nothing NATURAL about it!). Learn more at GulfCoastMurals.com. 

Follow @TheClimateListeningProject and @GulfCoastMurals on Instagram.

Sometimes it is hard to feel empowered to impact some of the larger looming issues of our current crazy world, but we’ve had the honor of talking to so many amazing community organizers and activists who have created meaningful change. 

One of the most frequently asked questions when people learn about an issue–whether it be climate change, wildlife preservation or a toxic health hazard–is “What can I do?” 

And if you don’t believe that a passionate group of people can make a difference, consider the many online campaigns that have gotten companies to stop carrying toxic products or remove ingredients… Remembering the Detox the Box Campaign which aired on Saturday Night Live. 

WomensVoices.org made this hilarious video highlighting the fact that companies like Proctor and Gamble didn’t list the ingredients (many of which are highly toxic) in their feminine hygiene products. They had rallies and of course a powerful social media campaign, which involved this fun music video parody. We were part of the push that included tens of thousands of women, who succeeded in getting P&G to begin disclosure of their ingredients, which also resulted in cleaning up some of the more toxic elements for better transparency. Yay! 

Joey Gonzales IV – featured community activist

More recently, we had a chance to talk with Joey Gonzales IV, who calls themself a queer artist and organizer from Corpus Christi, Texas. Joey is making change through art, rallying their community to raise awareness about the potential environmental, health and wildlife devastation from Liquid Natural Gas (LNG, also refered to as liquefied methane or fracked gas ) export terminals in the Gulf Coast. Now there are 20+ export terminals proposed along the Gulf Coast. Pipelines from multiple locations across the country feed the not-so-natural, fracked gas to these HUGE export terminals where it is then shipped overseas. Fossil fuel companies will realize billions in profit. Should the US approve 25 proposed liquefied methane gas – often referred to as LNG – export terminal projects, we could see an additional 90 million tons of greenhouse gasses (GHG) released into the atmosphere per year, according to a recent analysis by the Environmental Integrity Project (EIP). EIP says, “That’s as much climate-warming pollution as from about 18 million gasoline-powered passenger vehicles running for a year – more than from all the cars and trucks in Florida or New York State.”

Joey also talks about participating in the Gulf Coast Murals project and is also a member of Coastal Alliance for Progressive Ecosystems, or CAPE. They talk about the partnership of other organizations working together to fight against huge industry, and succeeding. In early September, they stopped the building of one of the terminals. 

Follow #StopLNG, @gulfcoastmurals and @josegonzales4th on Instagram.

Green Divas get active in their communities

TAKE GD ACTION!

What issues are you passionate about? Whatever it is, find your tribe, get active in your community be it online or in the town square. At the very least, find an organization that resonates with you and your mission and donate money so they can do the boots-on-the-ground work.

This episode was brought to you by The Climate Listening Project

The Climate Listening Project is listening to artists and activists working together in the Gulf Coast. The gulf is beautiful. Beaches and bayous. But it is also cancer alley. There are dangerous oil rigs, and now over twenty liquid natural gas export terminals proposed along the beautiful Gulf Coast. These huge export facilities will bring gas to the coast to ship overseas for fossil fuel companies, who will profit in the billions. Not only is it dangerous to local humans, environment and wildlife, but with climate change, why would we even consider this!?!

Tell the EPA, FERC, president Biden, and your senators and representatives to quit it with the liquid natural gas! (There is nothing NATURAL about it) Learn more at GulfCoastMurals.com. 

The conversation is changing as our climate crisis evolves.

As always, we try to focus on hope, humor and solutions.

Watch our fun promo video, right here!

The Green Diva sisters are psyched about spring for so many reasons, and one of them is getting their huge organic garden ready for another growing season. They take some advice from David Pogue’s book, How to Prepare for Climate Change and of course have some of their own tips. Also, GD Meg welcomes the newest grand to the family in North Carolina and a GDs at Home segment about exercising at home.

for some early spring gardening ideas…

March gardening “to-dos”

Tips for a spring garden

Creating a greener garden {infographic}

for even more fun, watch the video of this episode!

With Valentine’s Day looming large, GD Meg and Weenie Greenie Julie wanted to share their experience of real love, and it isn’t always like a fairy tale! Kahlil Gibran nailed it with his description of love in his book The Prophet, and GD Meg reads it for us. If you want or need to be inspired to find love within and without, hoping you will listen to this great episode.

CLICK HERE to check out GD Meg’s great post about having a magical Valentine’s Day even if you’re solo!

This podcast is sponsored by

ENVI HEATER 

safe, green, & easy on the budget. 

Visit > eHeat.com!

The Green Divas Show Episode 10 {podcast & video}

Many people are starting to hit the wall from being stuck at home and indoors (for most of the country) during a long hard winter, which includes a pandemic. seriously. The GD sisters share ideas for healthy, productive, fun and eco-friendly indoor activities; and talk about indoor air pollution and what you can do about it now.

For even MORE fun, watch the video for this episode!

READ all the details we talk about and reference here!

This episode was sponsored in part by Cariloha – a comfy way to save the world!

Yup. It’s that time again folks. You don’t have to be into astrology to experience the effects of Mercury Retrograde. This episode offers great advice for ANYTIME, but extra useful during this astrological event. WG Julie & GD Meg offer some cosmic insight and great practical advice.

two must-read posts for everything you need to
thrive during mercury retrograde

1. GD Meg’s funny mercury retrograde survival guide…

2. How to have a positive Mercury Retrograde and go with the flow…

While the news on climate change seems pretty dire these days, we asked some of our favorite green divas and green dudes what gives them hope for the future, especially after this crazy covid year! Hear from David Pogue, Harriet Shugarman, Raquel Noboa, Maxine Margo Rubin, Tom Askin, Elly Lessin and of course, Green Divas Meg and Lisa. Enjoy this special Earth Day episode and share the hope!

for even more fun, watch the video!

The Green Diva sisters talk about water — the many ways we need to consider water as our climate changes. From conservation to rethinking what we plant and even where we chose to live, water is a resource we can’t survive without. Mni Wiconi

for even more fun, watch the video of this episode!

The Green Diva sisters talk to David Pogue about generators and why having backup power is going to be more and more important as we prepare for climate change as part of our series based on his book, How to Prepare for Climate Change.

The GDs also offer some great tips for keeping a greener and healthier kitchen in this week’s GDs @ Home segment.

for even MORE fun, watch the video for this episode!

This episode was sponsored in part by Cariloha – a comfy way to save the world!

David Pogue schools the Green Diva sisters on the variety of ways solar energy is available to homeowners as part of our series based on his book, How to Prepare for Climate Change. The Green Divas also offer some excellent laundry hacks to make your laundry greener AND cleaner. 

for even MORE fun, watch the video for this episode!

READ all the details we talk about and reference here!

This episode was sponsored in part by Cariloha – a comfy way to save the world!

The GD sisters talk about how the Biden administration is addressing climate change more aggressively than any other president in history. We need it. NEW segment series based on David Pogue’s book, How to Prepare for Climate Change: A practical guide to surviving the chaos. This first segment focusing on climate migration and how to incorporate climate change issues into your decision making process if you are considering moving.

And can yes, spring is coming (yay!) and we talk about how to reduce the use of plastic and still have great non-toxic cleaning products — offering DIY ideas as well as some companies committed to reducing packaging, especially plastic in their eco-friendly, non-toxic cleaning solutions.

for even MORE fun, watch the video for this episode!

READ all the details we talk about and reference here!

This episode was sponsored in part by Cariloha – a comfy way to save the world!

We were all prepared with a fun Valentine’s Day show and well… winter. So, we decided to expand one of the more delicious segments — chocolate. Not only is it yummy and potentially healthy, there are good reasons to consider how it is grown and who is harvesting and producing it. Chocolate can be an environmental nightmare, so enjoy this fun and yummy show!

For even MORE fun, watch the video for this episode!

READ all the details we talk about and reference here!

This episode was sponsored in part by Cariloha – a comfy way to save the world!

The Green Divas have talked a lot over the years about how dreadful the textile and fashion industry is in terms of the environment and climate change. There definitely have been improvements and the GD sisters have a lot of information and some good news in the textile industry. And if you love bamboo bedding and towels, you’ll appreciate our talk with Scott Brady of Cariloha who informs us about the evolution of bamboo textile manufacturing and why it is a great choice for us, our bodies and the planet!

For even MORE fun, watch the video version of this episode!

READ all the details we talk about here!

This episode was sponsored in part by Cariloha – a comfy way to save the world!

The GD sisters got a chance to speak with NY Times best selling author and Emmy-award winning broadcast journalist and one of their favorite CBS Sunday Morning commentators, David Pogue. His new book, How to Prepare for Climate Change: A practical guide to surviving the chaos; is the ultimate guide for everything you need to know about climate change and how to adapt accordingly. Really fun interview packed with helpful information and even a good dose of hope.

GET THE BOOK HERE!

For even MORE fun, watch the video version of this great episode!

We’d love it if you would check out our YouTube channel. Subscribe and share it up! Thanks in advance…

Big thank you to our intern/producer Liv Burnett and our audio engineer Tom Askin.

Folks, we have a lot of changes to make if we’re going to make it on this planet! The GD Sisters talk about how to make changes in our everyday habits that will help lighten our impact on the environment and climate and even our bank accounts. Be the change people. Let’s do it!

For even MORE fun, watch The Green Divas do this episode on video, and we’d love it if you would check out our YouTube channel. Subscribe and share it up! Thanks in advance…

READ all the details we talk about here!

Big thank you to our intern/producer Liv Burnett and our audio engineer Tom Askin.

This episode was sponsored in part by Your Arbor — shop YOUR values. Please.

Been a crazy week, but the GD sisters recorded this before the drama at the capitol. In this episode, they look forward to a positive future highlighting extraordinary young people who are already taking big steps towards a healthier, more sustainable world. The GDs explore some future tech that could help fix the climate, and offer a fun reading list for those that want to be inspired and/or distracted by great stories and a peak into a potential “ecotopia.”

READ in more detail here!

For even MORE fun, watch The Green Divas do this episode on video, and we’d love it if you would check out our YouTube channel. Subscribe and share it up! Thanks in advance…

Big thank you to our intern/producer Liv Burnett and our audio engineer Tom Askin.

This episode was sponsored in part by Your Arbor — shop YOUR values. Please.

Always trying to keep a sense of humor and focus on the positive, the GD sisters offer some entertaining highlights form this very challenging year. There was some good news on the climate change front and recapping the weird does make it sound a bit surreal. Please enjoy, subscribe to our channel and share!

For even MORE fun, watch The Green Divas do this episode on video, and we’d love it if you would check out our YouTube channel. Subscribe and share it up! Thanks in advance…

Big thank you to our intern/producer Liv Burnett and our audio engineer Tom Askin.

This episode was sponsored in part by Your Arbor — shop YOUR values. Please.

The third and final holiday themed show for 2020… promise… But a great one nonetheless! The Green Divas sisters offer some thoughtful last-minute gift ideas and share a few of their favorite non-profit organizations that are doing important work and may need extra donations this crazy CoVID year.

For even MORE fun, watch The Green Divas do this episode on video, and we’d love it if you would check out our YouTube channel. Subscribe and share it up! Thanks in advance…

Big thank you to our intern/producer Liv Burnett and our audio engineer Tom Askin.

This episode was sponsored in part by Your Arbor — shop YOUR values. Please.

We love a lot of things about the holidays, but we especially love all the yummy traditions that revolve around food. And in 2020, food may provide some of our happier moments. Just sayin. Whether it is giving of food or sharing of food, The Green Divas sisters share some great ideas to have a safe and yummy holiday this year. For even MORE fun, watch The Green Divas do this episode on video, and we’d love it if you would check out our YouTube channel. Subscribe and share it up! Thanks in advance…

This episode was sponsored in part by Your Arbor — shop YOUR values. Please.

NEW Green Divas Show

We’re baaack! The Green Divas sisters are together again and in their new studio making all kinds of new great content, including a new video show and streaming episodes in addition to our usual great podcasts! IN THIS EPISODE, The Green Divas talk about practical and fun ways to enjoy not only a healthy, safe holiday, but an eco-friendly and more sustainable one as well! For even MORE fun, watch The Green Divas do this episode on video, and we’d love it if you would check out our YouTube channel. Subscribe and share it up! Thanks in advance…

This episode was sponsored in part by Your Arbor — shop YOUR values. Please.

In case you didn’t know, we are foodies… We’ve been talking about the relationship between food production and our environmental woes (and health obviously) for many years now. This current pandemic has highlighted issues in our food systems, so we have some great reports from GD Max, GD Lisa, GD Elly and some words of wisdom from Dr. Susan Rubin, who has been on the front lines of the community garden and school garden movement for quite a few years now. 

Green Divas Meg, Lisa & Katie talk the importance of serenity, peace and balance especially during a pandemic! It is a critical part of keeping our immune systems strong. They offer some great reminders of things we already know we need to do, but also some very specific ways to find your serene self.

GD Meg’s Tech Timeout guided meditation

More ways to reduce stress and find balance:

 – Naturally boost immunity

 – Can CBD oil can reduce anxiety?

 – Scientific reasons why you should spend time alone

It’s an odd time for us humans on earth to be sure. The planet and its other creatures have been getting a bit of a vacation from us. A lot of lessons to be learned about our impact during our timeout. Meanwhile, 50 years of earth days!? In this episode, we asked some of our favorite green divas and green dudes what they see as the most important actions we need to take in order to make the 100th earth day even more amazing for the next generation and generations to come. Listen to the wise words of Ed Begley, Jr., Climate Mama (Harriet Shugarman), Raffi, Green Living Guy (Seth Leitman) and others for hope and inspiration. 

Please read more about Earth Day in the time of Corona in GD Meg’s latest post.

Love the earth, wash your hands and be a good human.

Check out last year’s fun Earth Day Video with a rundown on some wonderful past Earth Day posts and podcasts!

Seems like a silly time to be talking about travel, right? But there are questions to be answered. Alice Ford, actress, stunt woman and adventurer has a lot of answers.

This episode was recorded over a week ago… A lot has changed, but no worries, it’s still  very relevant!

You can check out Alice’s travel website Travganic and plan a magical eco-friendly tour when this pandemic is over! 

We are having fun talking to all these talented musicians! Today’s spotlight is on Brian St. John. Great interview. Great music. Also, hear some witty banter about the status of things up at the studio, which involves organic vegetable gardening and bitchy teenaged chickens mostly… we get an always uplifting report from our hugger-in-chief who while abstaining from hugging the outside world is still making great sound from GD PonderRosa Sparta studio. 

Buy music by Brian St. John…

You’ll want to bookmark this episode. There’s a ton of great suggestions for ways to stay healthy and strong during this crazy time of corona and important ways to support yourself should you indeed end up being sick with it and able to stay home and treat yourself.

DISCLAIMER: if you think you are sick with COVID-19, PLEASE contact your medical professionals and get tested if they are available to you. We are not medical professionals and are not offering any medical advice. We are offering supportive measures for both prevention and self-care if you should get sick and are able to stay at home and treat yourself. If you get sick, follow medical instructions. Nothing we are suggesting should be contraindicated or harmful in anyway, but always check with your doctor.

Podcasts referenced in this episode

GD Essential Wellness – Allergies

GD Essential Wellness – Anxiety

Great post & podcast with a ton of helpful information for hunkering down during this global pandemic…

TREAT YOURSELF TO EXCLUSIVE PRE-RELEASE OF MIKE MONTREY BAND TUNE, STATUES & SAINTS w/ HEADPHONES ON! @ 22:22 IN THIS PODCAST!

What do creative producers do when a global pandemic hits? They find a way to get together remotely. We’ve wanted to put together a studio podcast anyway, so now seemed like a good time to make it happen. While the studio building is closed for music recording, our team of engineers and producers each have set up remote studios for some recording and of course lots of mixing. Learn a bit about us and what we are doing up here, especially during this crazy time of corona. Each episode will feature one of our amazing clients (who we refer to as extended family). Shining some love and light on Sean Henry Tonight in this episode. Hope you smile, tap your foot a bit and enjoy… and please turn on a friend to this new podcast! 

To quote Douglas Adams’ from The Hitchhikers Guide to the Universe,

DON’T PANIC! 

Arthur C. Clark said Douglas Adams’ use of “don’t panic” was perhaps the best advice that could be given to humanity. We tend to agree with Mr. Clark.

While the world we live in is altered beyond recognition for many people because of this corona virus COVID-19, there are good things happening despite the hardships and losses so many are facing.

Our goal in this episode is to shine light on the positive things that we are doing with lots of references to DIY projects and various ways to keep healthy and mentally fit during this challenging time of fear, social distancing, sickness and of course spring.

read:

Our related post with a lot of the things we mentioned in this podcast. Hunkering down in the time of corona.

Great show from GD PonderRosa Studios! This episode was kinda lively with GD Max’s Silly Science facts about a very old, but studly tortoise named Diego, who’s active libido has helped his species recover from the brink of extinction — go Diego! GD Lisa shares why we need to consider visiting places that have been hit hard by climate change, and more on why we all need eco-therapy! 

Check out GD Max’s post! Why a dose of eco-therapy will do you good

Check out GD Lisa’s post! Mindful travel in a climate-changed world

NEW SEASON, NEW FORMAT: More of a round table discussion. Imagine you are sitting at a kitchen table w/ your favorite tea or coffee or whatever… each green diva brought a topic. GD Max talked about a film about an amazing woman who loves giraffes and brought some great audio clips from interviewing the director of the film and the subject of the film Dr. Anne Innis Dagg. GD Lisa did an update on the state of green burial. She too brought some interesting interview clips from integrative thanatologist, Gina Colombato. After getting a bit intense about death and all that fun, GD Elly had an uplifting report on reasons for climate optimism — and we do indeed need more of that!

like the new format? give some gd love and give us a great review on your fav podcast app!

What’s in this show…

opening

Introductions, a bit about the new format, a rundown of what’s coming up in the show, and how you can find us on social media, website, podcast apps, etc.

segment 1 – the woman who loves giraffes

@ 8:00 – GD Maxine Margo Rubin gives us a review on a film she recently saw — The Woman Who Loves Giraffes. She had a chance to speak with the director of the film, Alison Reid and the subject of the film Dr. Anne Innis Dagg, and we get to hear some great audio clips of that interview. An inspiring and important story on many levels. Did you know giraffes as a species are now in trouble? Please listen and learn.

segment 2 – a greener death

@ 15:10 – GD Lisa McWilliams offers an update on the latest in green burial. She offers some stunning statistics on why we need to really consider how we will impact the environment when we go. She gives us a rundown of some of the latest green burial technologies (most of us voted for getting shipped to Italy to be part of a sacred forest). She brought a clip of a discussion she had with Gina Colombato, a certified Thanatologist. Yup. It’s a thing. She talks about how some folks are being mixed with cement and buried with fishes… no silly, not like that! Eternal Reefs allows us to become part of a vital reef renewal. It’s a beautiful way to support our oceans and suffering aquatic wildlife.

Read more about green burial in Lisa’s latest blog post HERE!

segment 3 – climate optimism

@ 25:45 – GD Elly Lessin came prepared with a fist full of notes on proof that we can find climate optimism. She shares an eye-opening story about doing ayahuasca in the jungle of Ecuador.

Reasons to be cheerful part 1 – NY Business Council renews their mandate every year, and surprised everyone with a big shift this year by charging companies to go beyond quarterly profits and set goals to be better world citizens!

Reasons to be cheerful part 2 – Elly talked about Prince Charles’ urgent message about impending climate disaster from the recent world leaders gathering in Davos. Of course, the message is a bit scary, but we found hope in the fact that leaders of both governments and industry are beginning to speak up and help wake up those that are slumbering as our climate collapses.

closing

@ 36:15 – GD Max shares a couple of great giraffe poems.

It’s always a good time to have some great natural remedies for anxiety in your wellness toolkit, but the holiday season? More than ever… GD Meg & Katie Shults offer up some solid, simple and effective natural remedies for anxiety and stress. Bookmark this one!

GD Spirit Pub episode on Anxiety

GD Meg’s Tech Timeout guided meditation

Viva Day Spa

Ok. We’ve been neglecting you, but for good reason! We have moved and merged and amped up our game in a BIG way… Joined forces with PonderRosa Studios to become GD PonderRosa Studios. Our new studio is built within this amazing professional recording studio, and yes, we are doing it ALL now people. Podcast production, music production, video production, digital media production, live streaming events, live events, weekend workshops, retreats (even record and retreat packages!)… seriously fun. GDs Meg & Max are joined by rock star (literally) and audio engineer Tom Askin, GD Lisa McWilliams who now lives on the property, and one of our favorite GDs Elly Lessin. SOOOOO much happening. Please listen and share. We hope to be producing shows more regularly now… 

For most people the idea of death and preparing for it seems a morbid bummer, but it is a reality for everyone. no, really. no one gets out of here alive, right? So, if you are concerned for the environment and our climate crisis while living, you may want to consider how you want to go and make sure to let your family know what you want. There are people who are working hard to get the word out about more eco-friendly burial options. We talked to a few of them, and they are anything but gloomy! 

Image: Kerry Potter of Dying to Bloom, a death cafe in Nyack NY

Change ain’t always easy, but according to these green divas, it is definitely worth it. GD Meg and Weenie Greenie Julie Bond Genovese share, ramble and giggle about transformation — what it has meant for them personally, ways to get through it, and why change is a good thing. 

If you love traveling green and want to visit some of the most beautiful and important natural landscapes in the world, you will want to make sure western Ireland is on your travel bucket list. It’s definitely on ours! The Burren region of western Ireland is now a UNESCO global and european designated Geopark. Our travelin’ green diva Raquel Noboa talks about the eco-tourism network that helps to make the Burren one of the best natural destinations in the world. We need more organizations like this one! 

We actually recorded this pilot way back in June! Oddly enough, this allergy season is STILL plaguing so many in August, so it is still (and always) relevant! We are so thrilled to introduce this excellent new podcast series to our GD family of podcasts. 

Find out more about GD Katie Shults @ Build Yoga

Raquel Novoa is on a mission to make the hospitality industry in western Ireland greener. As an ecotourism management consultant, she has set out to abolish single-use condiment “sachets” or packets in restaurants, hotels and anywhere these little bits of landfill filler can be found. Yes, she’s starting with Ireland, but we say, why not do it around the globe? Listen to learn why this is something we need to do. 

Learn more and watch Raquel’s informative video

We’ve done many shows on this topic and there are an endless amount of important facts that cannot be repeated enough… until we get the message of course. Some stunning facts and a lot of useful information in this one. Please listen, like and share!

We love catching up with perhaps the original green dude, Ed Begley! Green Diva Meg chats with Ed about how well his amazing super sustainable house and all it’s green tech is running, his latest TV projects and his involvement with Tree People and their fun summer Once Upon a Canyon series. Great organization helping LA mitigate the challenges of climate change and be a greener more resilient city. All cities need organizations like this one (if they don’t have them already).

Nice to be back to this series! GD Meg chatted with Ylva Williams about raising free-range kids in a natural home environment. She offers great tips for making it easy and fun — from keeping toxins out of the house and toys to growing organic food in the yard. Of course they have chickens and own a very cool biodynamic baby food company. 

READ more about this topic HERE!

Yay! So happy to be doing these Travelin’ GDs podcasts again. You’ll love this one, if nothing else than to listen to Raquel Noboa’s fabulous Spanish/Irish accent! She talks about her eco-travel consulting business and why things are getting greener in the hospitality industry. Listen, enjoy, share and stay tuned because we have lots more of these coming!

Find out more about 50 Shades Greener.

In a lot of parts of the northern tier of the United States, it has not been a good year for tomatoes…so far. We never know what Mother Nature has in store, especially in the era of climate crisis, but that doesn’t stop people from planting their Brandywines, Cherokee Purples, Wisconsin 55s and Green Zebras.

Mike and Peggy talk to two nationally recognized tomato breeders–Craig LeHoullier, author of Epic Tomatoes: How to Select and Grow the Best Varieties of All Time, and Keith Mueller, who has been working with the Seed to Kitchen Collaborative at the University of Wisconsin, among other groups. Their nicknames are, respectively, “NC Tomatoman” and “KC Tomato.”

Visit The Mike Nowak Show‘s website to get more details about this episode > MikeNowak.net!

Anxiety is a modern plague. It impacts nearly everyone on some level, and many of us don’t even know we are dealing with it. It manifests in so many not-obvious ways, and at times it can be completely paralyzing. Whether you are someone who has vast intimate knowledge of the sensation of anxiety or someone who has had only a glancing blow with it, this podcast has some great strategies to help when anxiety hits. SPECIAL GUIDED MEDITATION: @ 25:30 into the podcast there is an excellent guided meditation by WG Julie that can be used whenever anxiety hits. You’ll want to book mark this one!

Most agree we are facing a climate crisis. So, how do we adapt? How are cities, communities and corporations incorporating the new climate reality into their planning and bottom lines. Hear from experts Andrew Winston, Joshua Proudfoot and Dayna Reggero, and learn how pigeons are helping the city of London learn more about climate change and plan accordingly.

Dan Protessis writer and producer of the WTTW (PBS) series Urban Nature, which is now in its second online season. It explores the often invisible natural world of major cities in America. One of his episodes is about Dave Odd, owner of Odd Produce, a company that provides foraged edibles to fancy restaurants from…well, wherever they can find them. Both of them join Mike and Peggy in this podcast.

Learn more about this show HERE

Are you paying attention to signs and messages from spirit? Whatever you call it — your higher self, the universe, God, Goddess, angels, guides, spirits of loved ones — when we pay attention, there are all kinds of signs and messages designed to help us along the way. Listen to this episode to hear how GD Meg & Julie Bond Genovese tune in and get helpful spiritual messages.

Hear our story about getting a powerful message from this amazing mama turtle the day we met to begin this GD Spirit Pub podcast journey…

Yes, every day SHOULD be earth day, but earth day is a great way to highlight important issues and celebrate our eco-heroes. This show is packed with great information about this earth day’s theme, which is about species extinctions and wildlife conservation. GDs Meg & Max talk about their eco-heroes and also offer some great ways to celebrate earth day without being a consumer.

Who is your eco-hero? Let us know – #ThanksAGDMillion 

Watch a few of our GD eco-heroes share appreciation of their eco-heroes!

click HERE to read this year’s earth day post!

The Green New Deal recently proposed by new congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and senator Ed Markey may become the rallying cry and theme for the democratic party… or anyone concerned about climate change, healthcare, fair wages, infrastructure and general social justice. It may seem like an overwhelming proposal, but many feel that the general concept could work. It may require a political miracle, but hey, crazy political things seem to happen every day!

GDs Meg & Wayne got to meet with and have a brief chat with their newly elected congresswoman, NJ democrat, Mikie Sherrill and ask her about her thoughts on this big proposal. 

It’s hard not to get disturbed if you take in ANY news these days. It feels like we are in a particularly polarized time. How to stay centered? GD Meg and Weenie Greenie Julie have some wonderful ways that they use to try and get centered despite this crazy world we live in. Don’t miss WG Julie’s fantastic centering exercise about halfway through! 

Read Weenie Greenie Julie Bond Genovese’s awesome post about all this > HERE!

This podcast is sponsored by Power Post Box safe, green, & easy on the budget. Visit > PowerPostBox.com!

Chef Jason Hammel was a pioneer in bringing the farm to table movement to Chicago twenty years ago at his Lula Cafe in the Logan Square neighborhood. He just received the Chef of the Year Award at Chicago’s Good Food EXPO, and is a 2019 James Beard Award nominee in the category of best chef/Great Lakes Region. He joins Mike Nowak and Peggy Malecki in studio to talk about what it means to have a “farm dinner” in an urban restaurant.

Visit The Mike Nowak Show‘s website to get more details about this episode > MikeNowak.net!

This podcast is sponsored by

Power Post Box 

safe, green, & easy on the budget. 

Visit > PowerPostBox.com!

photo credit: StarChefs.com

Interesting and informative conversation with Dr. Karen S. Lee about the keto diet. She helps us understand exactly what it is and how even vegetarians and vegans might be able to do it.

Here’s a delicious vegetarian recipe from Dr. Karen S. Lee’s latest book, Keto Cooking with Your Instant Pot: Recipes for Fast and Flavorful Ketogenic Meals. yum. If you don’t have an Instant Pot, sorry. If you do have one, enjoy! I got one about a year ago and I use it all the time!

Spaghetti Squash a la Vodka

Making spaghetti squash in the oven takes over an hour. But not in the Instant Pot! And what’s better is that you don’t have to cut it to cook it! Try this method and have the Vodka sauce with it. You’ll fall in love with spaghetti squash and Instant Pot allll over again.

Cooking Time: 27 minutes

Servings: 4

Nutrition: Per Serving: 320 calories; 15g fat; 8g protein; 25g total carbohydrate; 5g dietary fiber; net carbohydrate 20g

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. spaghetti squash
• 1 c water
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
• 1 small onion (5 oz.), finely chopped
• 6 cloves garlic minced
• 4 c crushed tomatoes
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 c good quality vodka
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 c full fat heavy cream
• ½ c grated parmesan cheese
• ¼ c chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

Instructions:

Turn on the Instant Pot by pressing “Pressure Cooker/Manual” button and set the timer for 15 minutes on HIGH pressure. Put the water in the inner pot and place the trivet inside. Poke a few holes in the spaghetti squash and place it on the trivet. Close the lid tightly and move the steam release handle to “Sealing.”

When you hear the beeping sound indicating that the time ended, carefully turn the steam release handle to the “Venting” position to let the steam escape until the float valve drops down. Press “Cancel,” and open the lid carefully. Remove the trivet with the spaghetti squash and place it on a cutting board to cool.

Press “Sauté” on the Instant Pot and set to “Normal.” Pour out the liquid from the inner pot and return it back to the Instant Pot.  Add the EVOO and when the oil gets hot, add onions and garlic and sauté for 2 minutes or until onion is soft. Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, and vodka. Simmer for 5 minutes.

Close the lid tightly and move the steam release handle to “Sealing.”

Press “Cancel, then,” “Pressure Cooker/Manual” button and set the timer for 5 minutes on LOW pressure.

Meanwhile, cut the spaghetti squash in half, crosswise. Using a fork, loosen up the inside into strands. Place them on a serving platter.

When the Instant Pot timer ends, and you will hear a beeping sound, allow the Instant Pot to cool down naturally until the float valve drops down.  Press “Cancel” and open the lid. Add heavy cream and stir. Pour the vodka sauce over the spaghetti squash, sprinkle parmesan cheese, garnish with chopped basil and serve immediately.

Lots of great recipes for vegetarians, carnivores and omnivores! Get Dr. Lee’s book HERE! 

This podcast is sponsored by

ENVI HEATER 

safe, green, & easy on the budget. 

Visit > eHeat.com!

Kids are worried about their future. And they should be. Older generations have pretty much broken our climate. But young people are stepping up and they are loud and clear. From Juliana v. US Gov to #FridaysForFuture, young people around the globe are fighting for a sustainable future for themselves and generations to come. It’s cause for hope. Listen, learn and please share the good news…

This podcast is sponsored by

Power Post Box 

safe, green, & easy on the budget. 

Visit > PowerPostBox.com!

&

This podcast is sponsored by

ENVI HEATER 

safe, green, & easy on the budget. 

Visit > eHeat.com!

The Wisconsin Vegetable Gardener: Yes, there are two of them, but don’t be fooled. “The Wisconsin Vegetable Gardener” is singular, and in more than one sense of that word. They’re creating a media empire around teaching folks in their state–and many others–how to grow their own food. Holly and Joey Baird tell Mike and Peggy that gardeners should prepare for this year’s growing season by looking at new challenges and even examining what went wrong last year.

Visit The Mike Nowak Show‘s website to get more details about this episode > MikeNowak.net!

This podcast is sponsored by

Power Post Box 

safe, green, & easy on the budget. 

Visit > PowerPostBox.com!

&

This podcast is sponsored by

ENVI HEATER 

safe, green, & easy on the budget. 

Visit > eHeat.com!

Prayer is certainly not confined to a strict religious practice. GD Meg and WG Julie talk about their varied experiences with different types of prayer, and why we should all try it, no matter what you believe in. Interesting conversation.

This podcast is sponsored by

Power Post Box 

safe, green, & easy on the budget. 

Visit > PowerPostBox.com!

&

This podcast is sponsored by

ENVI HEATER 

safe, green, & easy on the budget. 

Visit > eHeat.com!

Is gardening in the ground overrated? That’s not exactly what Joel Karsten is saying in his new book, Straw Bale Solutions, but he does offer a “Plan B” if you have nasty soil…or none at all! Half a million people have started growing veggies and ornamental plants in straw bales since he started promoting his technique about a decade ago. Listen to Mike and Peggy’s conversation with Joel and see if it’s right for you.

Visit The Mike Nowak Show‘s website to get more details about this episode > MikeNowak.net!

This podcast is sponsored by

Power Post Box 

safe, green, & easy on the budget. 

Visit > PowerPostBox.com!

&

This podcast is sponsored by

ENVI HEATER 

safe, green, & easy on the budget. 

Visit > eHeat.com!

With all the dire news about climate change acceleration and tipping points being tipped, are we doomed or can technology help to save us? Will we all be driving electric cars in the foreseeable future? Will we be able to create safer, more renewable energy to power them? From giant CO2-sucking air filters to large-scale ocean trash bins, some humans are finding creative solutions.

Learn about the latest in electric cars, battery and charging tech and what’s coming down the road (ha ha) in the next few years from Green Car Dude John Voelcker.

Hear commentary on solar and capacitor tech from Green Living Guy (aka Green Dude) Seth Leitman.

This podcast is sponsored by

ENVI HEATER 

safe, green, & easy on the budget. 

Visit > eHeat.com!

Mike and Peggy talk seed starting and swapping with Lisa Hilgenberg from the Chicago Botanic Garden. In her role as horticulturist for the Regenstein Fruit and Vegetable Garden, she is responsible for growing 50,000 plants and keeping them healthy for the more than one million people who visit CBG each year. No pressure at all.

Visit The Mike Nowak Show‘s website to get more details about this episode > MikeNowak.net!

This podcast is sponsored by

ENVI HEATER 

safe, green, & easy on the budget. 

Visit > eHeat.com!

GDs Heart Wildlife

In this episode John Platt talks about what is coming up in the year ahead for wildlife around the globe. The experts predict three major threats, but of course the news isn’t all bad. Please listen, enjoy and share!

This podcast is sponsored by

ENVI HEATER 

safe, green, & easy on the budget. 

Visit > eHeat.com!

Yes climate depression, climate anxiety and climate denial are all legit problems right now. The answer could be eco-therapy. Hear from Dr. Ed O’Malley, who specializes in eco-therapy; Rolly Montpelier, founder of Below 2C; and actress, activist and author of Running with Nature, Mariel Hemingway.

BONUS: Read more about how Nature Heals!

This podcast is sponsored by

ENVI HEATER 

safe, green, & easy on the budget. 

Visit > eHeat.com!

Even if you know about Community Supported Agriculture, or CSAs, you might not be aware that there is something called Community Supported Fisheries, or CSFs. One of them is Sitka Salmon Shares. CEO Nicolaas Mink explains how they are working to keep ocean fishing sustainable, and he reveals some things you probably should know about the fish you’re buying now.

This podcast is sponsored by

ENVI HEATER 

safe, green, & easy on the budget. 

Visit > eHeat.com!

As always Dr. Karen S. Lee (aka EcoKaren) has dug in and analyzed details about something for us — something about food. She’s concerned about the new Lancet EAT-Lancet Commission report on what we should be eating for sustainability. One of the biggest problems being who funded the study. Listen to find out more!

Get Dr. Lee’s latest book, Keto Cooking with your Instant Pot!

This podcast is sponsored by

ENVI HEATER 

safe, green, & easy on the budget. 

Visit > eHeat.com!

Yes, the mere mention of parasites makes most of us wince and itch. But there are those that are concerned about some parasites’ extinction. Of course, not all parasites are created equal and certainly humans would wish for a few of them to evaporate into biological history. Find out why we should be a bit concerned from John Platt from The Revelator (publication of The Center for Biological Diversity) and The Extinction Countdown.

Holy crap! It’s 2019! Terrifying, exciting, daunting and a bit amazing. GD Meg and Weenie Greenie Julie are gearing up for their annual creative playdate rituals that result in fantastic collages and momentum of great vibes for the upcoming year.

In this episode they share a bit about grace and gratitude and how they find some and use these to help create more presence and less presents.

And don’t forget to read GD Meg’s fun and useful article about ditching New Year’s resolutions and finding more of yourself!

A silly and fun review of our fav moments of 2018 from the 50 shades of GDs show. There is a rather charming bit where GD Meg and GD Max bust out the ukulele and the guitar and sing. You’ll know the song, so sing along!

The GD un-pundits look back on some of the highlights of 2018, the big weird political year. What’s ahead, especially for those of us who care about the environment, climate change? Hear great commentary from meteorologist Paul Douglas and Peter Monroe from Citizens Climate Lobby. And GD Max & GD Wayne each pick a potential 2020 democratic presidential candidate to highlight. Was supposed to be sort of a debate, but nothing much to debate yet, so just getting to know some of the early hopefuls.

To some of us raising the white flag and surrendering seems impossible, but when you’ve done it and experienced the sweet relief, you’ll want to try it again and again. Drawing from the 12 steps of AA, A Course In Miracles, Albert Einstein and their own experiences, GD Meg and WG Julie talk about why spiritual surrender is so important (if you want to find any peace of mind), and just how you can go about it.

One aid in surrender is meditation. Check out GD Meg’s guided meditation! 

A year after an ordinance that would ban horse-drawn carriages in Chicago was introduced into City Council, it languishes in committee. Chicago Alderman Brian Hopkins and Jodie Wiederkehr from Chicago Alliance for Animals talk about whether carriage horses are mistreated, and whether it makes sense to ban them entirely in major urban areas.

50 Shades of GDs

It’s hard to imagine there is still climate change denial in the face of all this extreme weather we’ve been having, but… So, we got to talk to one of our favorite meteorologists, Paul Douglas about how and why climate is super-sizing weather events. And much more of course.

Women and minorities made real progress in the 2018 midterm elections. There were many firsts in races across the country and there seems to be some obvious mandates and messages. Our un-pundits break things down a bit and focus on what’s next.

Mike and Peggy talk honey varietals (did you even know there were such things?) with Carrie Schloss, author of The Asheville Bee Charmer Cookbook . And where there’s honey, there are bees–so they also get the scoop on the 2018 bee season with Jerry Gudauskas of the Illinois Beekeepers Association.

GD Foodie Dr. Karen S. Lee talks about why she eats a primarily paleo diet and about her new book Paleo Cooking with Your Air Fryer. Yum.

Tired of all the hate, fear, anger and divisiveness out there? Talk about fear and loathing on the campaign trail! (Ode to Hunter S. Thomson who is writing furiously from the other side.)

Let Max, Meg and Wayne whip a little wisdom of Yoda on you, and maybe some other helpful words and ideas. Always looking for hope. Find some here and please pass it on! And PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE VOTE!

read more wise words from our own
21st-century philosopher,

Green Dude Wayne

The Greatness of America

Our Creator has endowed all of us with the rights of freedom.

Whether you be a Senator or a refugee, a soldier or a prostitute, you are a free person.

The Muslim engineer or the Jewish moving man, the Catholic plumber or the Hindu landscaper, the Christian check out clerk – all enjoy these same rights of freedom.

No matter your skin color, religion, or your country of origin, nor your birthplace shall differentiate one person from the other.

Lady Liberty stands tall in our harbor and says to all: “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore”.

The Liberty Bell adorns the home of the “Declaration of Independence” and it rings for the homeless, luckless, and abandoned and forsaked. The bell tolls for the poet and the painter and all the incarcerated strung out souls. The teachers, cops and single moms nourishing the next genius to invent that which we can’t imagine which may save all our sorry butts.

Our tired and weary ancestors fled their nations as thief’s, scoundrels, and religious outcasts to journey to the colonies and form a single tolerant nation that welcomed all from everywhere to give rise to these revolutionary idea’s of freedom and liberty for all people.

No leader or government can alter that liberty, nor can they interfere with the teachings of all faiths to be free to love each other as we wish to be loved by others.

This is what makes America great.

Mike and Peggy go completely bats on today’s show. They welcome Dr. Joy O’Keefe , Associate Professor in the Department of Biology and the Director at the Center for Bat Research, Outreach, and Conservation at Indiana State University, who talks about this fascinating and often misunderstood mammal.

A very silly and fun show about finding joy in the moment. GD Meg busted out her ukelele and there is singing involved…

Here’s a video of the original song that inspired “Hakuna Frittata”

Mike and Peggy talk to landscape architect Marcus de la fleur, whose blog, Reshaping our Footprint One Watt at a Time, chronicles his attempts reduce the impact of his home and yard on our fragile planet, while illuminating how so many of us go astray and why there are so many roadblocks along the way.

The Green Divas dive into another aspect of diversity in environmentalism — the lack of diversity in environmental organizations with Donna Hope. They also consider that women around the world are still disproportionately affected by the climate crisis with Dr. Paul Zeitz, author of Waging Justice. Of course, we have some Silly Science Facts w/ GD Max.

Who knew cannabis could be such a culinary delight and have health benefits? Robyn Griggs Lawrence knows wrote the Cannabis Kitchen Cookbook, so she knows! Fun and interesting GD Foodies segment,

but wait! there’s more…

Read more about the benefits of cooking with cannabis from Robyn Griggs Lawrence, here!

Is there such a thing as positive politics? Or is it as Green Dude Wayne says, just an oxymoron. Well, we tried in this episode! We tried to focus our attention on the good things happening, and actions we can take. Of course, we talked a lot about voting and there are some crazy statistics you’ll want to know about.

Mike and Peggy broadcast from Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie, just southwest of Chicago near Wilmington, Illinois, and talk to range of guests about one of the great grass restoration projects in the history of the planet.

“To err is human. To forgive divine.” ~ Alexander Pope. Yup. This episode is all about forgiveness. GD Meg & Weenie Greenie Julie Bond Genovese share some experiences and some practical tips for practicing the fine art of forgiveness — something we all need more of these days!

Mike and Peggy welcome the cast and director of Helianthus! a POWER FLOWER trots the GLOBE! to the studio. They’re part of a group called Green Scene in Chicago, whose mission is “growing community and creativity in gardens.” The teen actors performed the play for free in a community garden wedged between a couple of three-flats on the north side of town.

Our un-pundits weigh in on the shocking lack of civility that was highlighted in the Ford/Kavanaugh hearing, what it has stirred up in so many of us, and again, why it is so vitally important to vote. GD Max gets some great commentary from Lt. Gov of NY Kathy Hochul. We even get a song by Token Mitch Margo about Justice for Some.

You’ll want to save this episode! Green Diva Meg offers a really nice guided meditation to help us remember to disconnect from technology and the busy-ness of the world, and reconnect to nature and find our best selves.

Want more chill? Please go to GD Meg’s post for more on how to find peace in this crazy digital world…

Members of Chicago Chicken Enthusiasts — and even a couple of chickens — join Mike and Peggy in studio to promote the 2018 Windy City Coop & Eco-Yard Tour and to explain how easy it can be to raise chickens in a big city. They even provide some musical entertainment. It’s win, win, cluck!

After years of civil war and economic hardships, the Lemurs of Madagascar need help. These lil cuties are being eaten and captured for pet trade almost to extinction. Listen to John Platt of The Revelator discuss the situation and offer some ways that we can help.

Green Diva Meg chats with Maria Rodale about the inspiration for her new cookbook Scratch. A warm and hearty conversation about why cooking real whole food from scratch is so wonderful for us and the planet.

AND …

Get the recipe for her amazing savory spiced pumpkin soup (pictured above)!

Do we now live in a “post-recycling” world? Marta Keane, Recycling Program Specialist for Will County, explains to Mike and Peggy what can and can’t be recycled, and whether it still makes sense to participate in recycling programs.

GD Meg has created a better butter coffee. Based on the popular wellness craze of bulletproof coffee, which is touted to help boost metabolism and brain function, GD Meg has developed her own recipe that is as delicious as it is nutritious.

Do you love animals? Are you like us and talk to random pigeons, sparrows and squirrels? Delight in any and all wild creatures that appear in your world? We love our local wildlife and appreciate the messages they bring to us. GD Meg and WG Julie share some fun stories and ways to love your local wildlife.

Did you know over 80% of used clothing ends up in landfills! and because so much of it is made from synthetic fibers, it doesn’t biodegrade very well. In honor of fashion week, we thought we’d take a deeper dive into the reasons that the fashion industry is recognized as the world’s second largest polluter. We’re all about slow fashion. Please listen to find out more!

Mike Nowak and Peggy Malecki talk with Carey Gillam, author of Whitewash: The Story of Weed Killer, Cancer, and the Corruption of Science. Gilliam reports on a recent $289 million court judgement against the Monsanto Company and its weedkiller Roundup.

John Platt, editor if The Revelator and Extinction Countdown offers us some excellent tips for ways that we can all take action to help wildlife — both locally in our own backyards (literally) and globally.

Why did we develop a cultural obsession with lawns? We spoke with a couple of experts to understand the historical significance, why we really don’t need them, and in fact why we are mostly better off without them. Listen, learn and share!

Like GD Meg said, “if you are stuck in the cave, you might was well decorate it!” Weenie Greenie Julie Bond Genovese and GD Meg talk about ways to be the light when you are stuck in the dark.

Fresh water mussels are quickly disappearing. Listen to this GDs Heart Wildlife episode with John R. Platt to learn why it is a big problem and what we can do about it.

We love films, some TV and of course live music events, but the waste created by the production of these entertainments is horrifying to any green diva or dude. Listen to this entertaining episode to learn some interesting facts and hear from several eco-heroes, who are working hard to make the industry more sustainable and socially responsible.

As we watch resources for human survival (water, air, food, etc.) dwindle to dangers levels in some parts of the world, we have to start talking about population and ways we can mitigate our compounding growth. There are now over 7 billion people on this earth competing for space and resources. What we can we do? Listen to father of the modern population discussion, Dr. Paul Ehrlich and Bob Walker, president of the population institute talk about the underlying issues and ways we can address … See More

John R. Platt, editor of The Revelator and author of Extinction Countdown shares some good news about how one scientist has discovered a way to help catch elephant poachers using their own poop.

This episode is timely with that massive beast the Farm Bill flopping around in congress… What we really need is more small sustainable farms and regional farm systems. So much to talk about when it comes to farms, but here we talk a bit about farmers markets, CSAs, slow money, and investing in local sustainable farms. oh and goats. enjoy! and of course, please pass it on.

A little good news for a change… Amur Leopards were poised to be extinct with only about 30 of these gorgeous big cats left in the world, but humans stepped up and helped provide a safe habitat and they are now up to a population of 103! Still not perfect, but going in the right direction. Great report from wildlife Green Dude John R. Platt, who writes Extinction Countdown and edits The Revelator for The Center for Biological Diversity.

This earth day, we’ve decided to focus on activism and optimism — because we really need both, not just on earth day, but every day! Hear wise words from Ed Begley, Jr., Climate Mama (Harriet Shugarman), some climate positive music by Mitch Margo and much more!

A topic we have covered a few times and each time, there is more fascinating options to consider. Let’s stop making the topic of death so taboo and find ways to make our legacy and final goodbye more eco-friendly.

READ more about green burial

It seems like kids are breaking through invisible barriers and are demanding to be heard as in the case of Juliana vs. the US government, which is a landmark constitutional climate lawsuit. We talked with environmental legal experts Maya Van Rossum, author of Green Amendment: Securing our right to a healthy environment; and John Parker who is an environmental law advocate, professor and activist.

Important discussions about pollution, poverty and environmental equality with Van Jones, Reverend Yearwood, Vien Troung. And of course some silly science facts by GD Max. Please listen and share!

Award-winning actor and activist James Cromwell and Pramilla Malick, environmental activist and founder of Protect Orange County talk about the CPV power plant, the Percoco trial, corruption and our mounting climate crisis.

What eco-documentaries, films or series are you watching this year? We’ve got some great ones for you. Listen to filmmakers, Jamie Redford, Jessica Wolfson and Dayna Reggero talk about their documentaries, why they made them and hear about other films they recommend.

Ali Hoffman is one of our awesome green divas with the green thumb, but she recently became a bee keeper, so she talks about organic honey — what it really means.

but wait! there’s more…

Read more on this topic, here!

but wait! there’s a whole lot more…

Please learn more and stop sucking, right here!

Actress, stuntwoman, and eco-traveler Alice Ford inspires us to travel to special places around the world that are off the grid.

A great conversation with Dr. Karen Lee (aka EcoKaren) about how and why to eat more sustainably.

but wait! there’s more…

Read more about 25 ways to eat more sustainably, right here!

Green Diva Meg is featured in a new book The Happy Healthy Home: 30 ways to live healthier at home. In this GDs @ Home segment, she talks with sister contributor Caroline Blazovsky, who is actually a healthy home expert about ways to have a safer, non-toxic home.

Another in our series with Green Dude John Platt on his Extinction Countdown. This one is on the state of turtles around the world. It’s not all bad news either!

Birds are in trouble, which means we’re all in trouble really. Listen to this great Green Divas Heart Wildlife segment to hear John Platt talk about what’s happening with some bird species.

Learn about the Suppers Programs, which are dinner meetings designed to help people who have a variety of health issues that can be helped by clean healthy eating.

Listen to this podcast before you believe all those reports that tigers in the wild are on the rise. So much I didn’t know . . . so much that is hard to know. Did you know there are tiger farms where tigers are raised solely for their body parts to make “medicinal” remedies?!? Yea, there’s more. Listen up . . .

Hallie Austen-Iglehart, founder of All One Ocean shares her brilliant and educational beach cleanup stations for any beach to help reduce the garbage flowing into our oceans and water ways from beaches.

Alice Ford, actress, stuntwoman and eco-travler offers some great tips for being mindful of your water use when traveling.

But wait, there’s more!

Watch Green Diva Sun (aka Hungry Gopher) make kimchi in a special video AND get the recipe … right here!