Hometown: Earth

In the final episode of Hometown: Earth, I provide 5 steps for committing to live with intention.  I want to thank you for tuning in each week to learn more, and I hope you continue your journey. If you'd like to follow along with my sustainability journey, and I hope you do, you can find more on my website LenaSamford.com.  Episode Shownotes: https://lenasamford.com/commit-to-living-with-intention/

When you think of climate change and sustainability, what do you think about? Do you imagine rainforests and endangered species? Maybe the wildfires or flooding we've seen across the US? Or maybe your mind goes to the ocean and its vast biodiversity. All of these are important - but there's one more thing we should consider when it comes to sustainability: sleep. That's right—sleep is a critical factor in creating a sustainable world and affects us all daily.  In this episode, continuing our conversation about prioritizing our health, I'll talk about why getting good rest is vital for keeping us and our planet healthy. 

How are you, really? I ask because the state of your mental health is key to sustainability. In this episode, we talk about the role of mental health in sustainability and how we can improve our mental health for the collective sustainability effort!  Episode Shownotes: https://lenasamford.com/the-role-of-mental-health-in-sustainability/  

We live in a fantastic time in human history. We live longer, have options to get healthier faster, and can be proactive about caring for our health like never before. But it begs the question - are we robbing peter to pay paul? Are we taking from future generations for development gains right now? A lot of people would say yes.  In this episode, we discuss how human health and planetary health are linked so we can live long and prosper!  

Do you want to live a full, happy life? I'll give you a hint - more stuff isn't the answer. The past few weeks, we've been talking about the psychology behind what drives our consumer habits, how we can start to become green consumers, and why we should choose to use green banks - all in the name of improving our consumer habits to be more sustainable. Continuing with that theme, this episode offers you 7 tips for embracing minimalism! 

We've been discussing consumer behaviors and improving them to be more sustainable. One thing we do almost daily is spend money. While we might think about what we choose to buy as consumer behavior, the banks we use are also part of that equation.  In this episode, we discuss green banking and why it's important for a cleaner, sustainable future.

Last week we talked about our consumer habits and what it is that drives us to make the decisions we do. This week I give you a list of actionable ways you can start to become a green consumer. A Beginner's Guide to Green Consumerism, if you will!   

We make 35,000 decisions throughout the day - many of them without even noticing. What we choose to wear, eat, buy, and more. This month, we start by acknowledging our consumer habits and then learning some tools to improve them to be more sustainable!  In this episode, we learn the 5 factors that influence our consumer behavior, so we can make better choices in the future! 

Are you familiar with Ayurvedic herbs? In this episode, you'll hear from founder Ranjana Hans and Dr. Chetan Hans of Raw Roots Turmeric - the single source for Ayurvedic products in Missouri. We talk about how their products, which they carefully create from plant to production, have changed their lives for the better and how education and community can be just as important as the products themselves.  Learn More and Purchase Products: https://www.rawrootsturmeric.com/ Episode Show Notes: https://lenasamford.com/raw-roots-turmeric-ayurvedic-herbs-w-ranjana-hans/

Have you put much thought into how you get around your town? Do you bike, carpool, walk, or ride the bus? How might your mode of transportation affect your life and other's lives - for good or bad? In today's episode we dive deeper into how transportation systems can affect citizens from all walks of life differently, and how we can work to make cities better for all with Lawrence Simonson, CEO of Local Motion!  Get connected with Local Motion: https://lomocomo.org/ Episode Show Notes - https://lenasamford.com/local-motion-transporation-equity-w-lawrence-simonson/

In order to broaden our perspective, we have to begin to analyze the individual, systemic and structural systems in place in our society that give power to some groups or individuals and not others. In this episode, we discuss definitions and resources to identify, address, and use our privilege the greater good!  Episode Shownotes + Additional Resources: What's Your Privilege?

We live in a world that's constantly changing. Our challenges are becoming more complex—and so are our solutions. It's easy to get stuck in our own perspective, and it can be hard to understand how others see the world. In this episode, we will talk about how you can broaden your perspective for greater self-awareness, empathy, and, ultimately, sustainability.

Resilience is a word that's often used in emergency response and disaster recovery. But what does it mean for ourselves, our friends, and our neighbors? In this episode, we discuss building personal and community resilience so we can work together to face life's challenges!

When you think of personal well-being - do you think about your health, happiness, connections, education, or environment? Now consider what community well-being might look like to you. I am sure many of the things you thought of for your personal well-being translate to community well-being. In this episode, we explore community well-being (connectedness, livability, and equity) and why that makes us better together.  Sharecare Community Well-being Index

I'm proud to say that this is the 100th episode of Hometown: Earth! 100 episodes of hope, solutions, fresh ideas, growth, and more. Throughout the last 100 episodes, you've heard from so many amazing voices. And since this month we are focusing on community - I wanted to bring back some of those voices from a few episodes that really have brought home what community is and reinforce the same themes we've talked about in the last few episodes. Episodes mentioned: Episode 32- Community & You: How To Get Involved Episode 37 - Sunrise Movement: Youth-Led Climate Revolution with Neha Desaraju Episode 53 - Designing Global Climate Activism with Dave Johnson  

This week's episode discusses the ten ingredients for successful sustainable communities and how local organizations and governments can harness their people's passion, imagination, and resources for the greater good!  This episode is adapted from the Rocky Mountain Institute's ‘Framework for Community Sustainability Ten Ingredients for Long Term Success.” If you enjoy this episode, I would like for you to consider giving a $5 donation to the organization by visiting https://rmi.org/

Our communities shape our understanding of the world. These narratives contribute to our beliefs and values and how we perpetuate that to others. Creating this sustainable community and the sense of community, in general, helps us to improve our health and happiness, reach our goals, and most importantly, collaborate on solutions that will enhance planetary health and drive social change!  Episode Shownotes: https://lenasamford.com/the-importance-of-community/

How many of us go to local box stores and buy plants and flowers to put in our yards without considering whether they should ACTUALLY be there? Or mow and water and fertilize just because we think that is what we're supposed to do? A lot of these practices are harmful to our planet, use too many natural resources, and just take up a lot of time that we could be using to appreciate our landscape.  Thankfully, there are plenty of ways to create a beautiful yard on your own that won't require a lot of maintenance and will lend a hand in repairing our earth. This episode covers tips for Naturescaping so you can transform your lawn into an eco-friendly oasis!  Episode Show notes: https://lenasamford.com/naturescaping-transforming-your-lawn-into-an-eco-friendly-oasis/

There are so many things we can do to be more sustainable that may seem minor or insignificant - but those small changes and habits can blossom into a sustainable life for yourself and your community.  I wanted to give you options (that don't take up a lot of time or money) that you can start putting into practice today. So this week's episode is a crash course on 20 small ways to go green at home!  Episode Show notes: https://lenasamford.com/20-small-ways-to-go-green-at-home/

Do we need all the innovative home technology to have a sustainable home? In this episode, we look at sustainable home design and how we might be able to look to the past for answers to a sustainable building future! Episode Show notes: https://lenasamford.com/home-sweet-sustainable-home/

This month our focus will be on adopting the habit of creating an eco-friendly home. Our environment is linked to our health.  If you're not taking care of it, it will eventually suffer. The same thing applies to your home! When we create a sustainable space that minimizes its impact on our environment, we're also creating an eco-friendly home that improves your quality of life and helps protect the planet for future generations.  In this episode, we go over the importance of creating an eco-friendly home and some tips on how you can start living sustainably (wherever you call home) today! Episode Show notes: https://lenasamford.com/creating-an-eco-friendly-home/ Related Episodes: SUSTAINABLE SPRING CLEANING FOR HEALTHY LIVING 5 Easy Plastic-Free Bathroom Swaps! EASY, ECO-FRIENDLY KITCHEN SWAPS WASTE NOT, WANT NOT!

In this episode, we will take a quick trip around the world's top cities for sustainable travel! These cities make it easier to work, travel and live more sustainably. Supporting their residents to reduce their footprint, keep up eco-friendly habits, build community and safety, allowing travelers to tour without making a significant impact.  Episode Show notes: https://lenasamford.com/the-worlds-top-cities-for-eco-friendly-travel/

The truth is, sustainable travel isn't just for tree-hugging hippies and extreme environmentalists; it's for anyone who wants to get around mindfully. So before you tune out sustainable travel, let's bust some myths you might've heard so that you feel confident in traveling sustainably!  Episode Shownotes: https://lenasamford.com/myth-busting-sustainable-travel/

The more time I spend on this planet, the more I realize how important it is to be a sustainable traveler - to tread lightly and support the places I travel to in the best way possible. Not only can it help preserve natural resources and improve human health, but it can also make your travel experiences more enjoyable!  In this episode, I share the impacts of tourism and how you can become a mindful, sustainable traveler! Episode Shownotes: https://lenasamford.com/how-to-become-a-mindful-sustainable-traveler/

It's no secret that traveling, whether it's to run an errand or to make our way to another country, has a significant impact on the planet. The truth is - it's necessary for modern society. However, we can travel in a more eco-friendly way that reduces our impacts on the environment and encourages companies to innovate so that it is easy for everyone to make more thoughtful green choices and do the things they need and want.  In this episode, we look at a few impacts of travel on our environment so we can start to build a picture of why it is so important. Episode Shownotes: https://lenasamford.com/eco-friendly-travel-in-a-modern-world/

Today we are going to switch things up and put our words into practice by doing a walking nature meditation to deepen your connection with nature. Whether you're just joining in, or have listened along the entire month as we have practiced adopting the habit of spending more time with nature, this is the perfect meditation to incorporate while you're out in nature every week.  Episode Shownotes: https://lenasamford.com/walking-nature-meditation-for-deeper-connection/

The Nature Connection aims to improve the well-being of individuals and communities through the therapeutic use of nature by bringing the outside - inside, through plants, animals, and natural materials to people in its service area of Middlesex County, MA, and beyond!  You'll hear from The Nature Connection's program director Taylor Eagan in this episode. We chat about how The Nature Connection makes the healing power of nature accessible to people of all abilities and backgrounds and how you can do the same.  Sign up for The Nature Connection Newsletter: https://www.nature-connection.org/ Episode Show Notes: https://lenasamford.com/the-nature-connection-the-healing-power-of-accessible-nature-with-taylor-eagan/  

The habit of spending more time with nature is pretty broad, as there are so many ways we can spend time with nature. So what do I really mean by connecting with nature, and what can we learn from it to lead us to more enriched lives and more sustainability on this planet? In this episode, I share the levels of human-nature connection and 5 lessons you can learn from nature!  Listen to the Resiliency of Nature Episode: https://lenasamford.com/the-resiliency-of-nature/ Episode Shownotes: https://lenasamford.com/5-lessons-from-nature/

Throughout time, we have reveled in the beauty of our natural world and created beautiful things that make us happy. Seeing the beauty in something helps us form connections and relationships with our environment. But we have begun to shift our perceptions about beauty so that we value the beauty of nature less.  Today I want to read you an essay in a series by Michael Popejoy, a Fellow in the Harvard Philosophy Department, who explored Ralph Waldo Emerson's work on the existence of Truth, Goodness, and Beauty in nature, and how these claims might inform our current approach to the environment.  Read the full essays here: https://green.harvard.edu/series/emerson-and-environment Episode Shownotes: https://lenasamford.com/the-beauty-in-nature/

With the technology, streaming, uploading/downloading, emailing, and social media - many people are tuning out nature even while they're in it. This month we will focus on adopting the habit of spending more time with nature. In this episode, I share 5 tips that have led me to spend more time with nature and bond with biodiversity so that it might help you create the habit of spending more time with nature as well!  Listen to episode 46 ‘Connecting with Nature for a Happier, Sustainable Life”- https://lenasamford.com/hometown-earth/connecting-with-nature-for-a-happier-sustainable-life/ Episode Shownotes: https://lenasamford.com/5-tips-to-bond-with-biodiversity/

Mushrooms are considered one of the most sustainably produced agriculture products in the nation, and they are incredibly beneficial to our health.  In today's episode, Eric Davis of The Mushroom Council gives us insight into the health and sustainability benefits of mushrooms, their Blend campaign, and some really neat ways to start eating more mushrooms today! Learn more about all things fresh mushrooms here: www.MushroomCouncil.com Home cooks and professional chefs around encourage to create and enter a mushroom-blended burger recipe for a chance to win $10,000. Details on the Blended Burger Competition can be found here: https://www.mushroomcouncil.com/blended-burger-contest-2022/

Happy Earth Day 2022! Whether you're listening on Earth Day or any other day - this meditation will help you find a connection with your extended body - the earth. Ideally, listen to this podcast when you are able to sit outside and have your phone playing where you can still hear the sounds around you. 

When you think of the word print, it usually means the impression left behind, or the area affected by something else. In ecology, it means the impact of human activity on the rest of the world. So what about our Foodprint? What effects do our food choices have on the rest of the world?  Today, we get to hear from Jerusha Kemplerer, Director of Foodprint - an online non-profit organization dedicated to educating people on the topic of our food production processes. In this episode, we chat about Foodprint, our food systems, and what you can do to start learning about eating sustainably today!   Reduce your Foodprint Challenge: https://foodprint.org/blog/reduce-your-foodprint-challenge/ Learn More About FoodPrint: https://foodprint.org/ Episode Shownotes: https://lenasamford.com/whats-your-foodprint-with-jerusha-klemperer/    

That I was crazy, right? Here's the hard truth - most American households waste nearly 32% of their food. This means you might not have left it in the parking lot - but maybe you took it home, let it occupy your fridge for a while, forgot about it, and then threw it in the trash. It's not as blatant as leaving the food you just bought in the parking lot - but it is the same idea. In this episode, we talk about 10 Food Waste Solutions that start with you!

It's no secret that our food has a significant impact on Earth - humans and the environment. This month, we explore the effects of our food on our world and how we can adopt healthier sustainable food habits. This episode talks about incorporating plant-forward meals into our lifestyle and their benefits to our health and the planet!  

We think of the fashion industry as beautiful and desirable, but it can be really ugly. In this episode, we talk about the labor behind the label and what we can do to support ethical fashion.  Love the show? Give us a 5-star review! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hometown-earth/id1538626086 Follow Hometown: Earth on Social Media https://instagram.com/hometownearth/

When you put on a pair of sunglasses - it instantly makes you feel cool, right? Well, you're about to meet a sunglasses company that will not only make you look and feel cool - but to see the world better!  Pala Eyewear creates designer sustainable and ethical sunglasses, and today you get to hear from the founder - John Prichard. John tells us about the story behind Pala Eyewear, a B Corp sunglasses brand that put people and the planet first. From their cases to the lenses and beyond, Pala is helping to empower communities and reduce plastic waste in the environment through vision.  Learn more about Pala Eyewear and shop the collection - https://palaeyewear.com/ Episode Show notes - https://lenasamford.com/pala-eyewear-see-the-world-better-with-john-prichard/

It can be overwhelming to shop second-hand sometimes since it isn't as cut and dry as retail fashion. And how do you responsibly shop secondhand - meaning you find pieces that you will genuinely love, wear, and take care of? In this episode, we will go over how to master secondhand shopping (with tips from an expert!), including how to make the most out of your shopping experience and how to find pieces that are smart buys for you, and the planet.  Expert and contributor for this episode is Sabrina Garcia-Rubio of Maude Vintage in Columbia, MO. Check out their styles at MaudeVintage.com. 

Last week I may have shocked you with some statistics about the fashion industry and its waste. A big part of making a habit of choosing sustainable, ethical clothing is supporting brands that choose to create pieces made from sustainable fabrics. So how do you know what to look for? Does 100% of natural materials always mean it's good and synthetic materials always mean it's terrible? What should we consider when buying secondhand items made with unsustainable materials? Does sustainable fashion mean you can't be fashionable? We'll explain it all here!  In this episode, we talk about sustainable natural and synthetic fabrics. Episode Shownotes: https://lenasamford.com/sustainable-fabrics-101/

The fashion industry has been called one of the most environmentally damaging industries, and after this episode, you'll have an idea why. In the next few episodes, we will talk about adopting the habit of choosing sustainable, ethical clothing. In this episode, we talk about why you should choose sustainable, ethical clothing. Listen to the podcast episode ‘5 things to Ask Yourself Before Buying Anything.' Hometown: Earth Instagram - Instagram.com/HometownEarth Episode Shownotes: https://lenasamford.com/choosing-sustainable-ethical-fashion-matters/

Science and poetry meld into one in this special bonus episode! Dr. Sam Illingworth is an Associate Professor in Academic Practice at Edinburgh Napier University in the UK. His research and practice are concerned with using poetry to engender dialogue between different audiences, and in particular to give voice to marginalized or underserved communities.  In this special bonus episode, we get to hear more about Sam's work, along with the poem ‘Deep Sea Plastics' with commentary. Tune in to 'The Poetry of Science' Podcast and find more of Sam's work - https://www.samillingworth.com Purchase A Sonnet To Science - https://manchesteruniversitypress.co.uk/9781526127983/

TerraCycle, the Innovative Waste Management Company, is on a mission to eliminate waste through recycling, but they know we can't recycle the world out of a waste crisis. In comes the brainchild of Terracycle - Loop! Loop reimagines the way we shop - reducing waste at the source through the design and innovation of the products themselves with their company partners. In this episode, we get to hear from PR expert at Loop and TerraCycle, Eric Rosen, about the Loop process their mission to Eliminate the Idea of Waste® worldwide! Explore Loop - ExploreLoop.com Episode Shownotes - Closing the Waste Loop with Eric Rosen (TerraCycle)