POPULARITY
84 episodes with jessica aldridge
4 episodes with jessica aldridge
2 episodes with jessica aldridge
2 episodes with jessica aldridge
3 episodes with jessica aldridge
In his book “An Afro-Indigenous History of the United States,” Kyle T. Mays, Assistant Professor of African American Studies, American Indian Studies, and History at UCLA, argues that the foundations of the United States are rooted in Anti-Black racism and settler colonialism, and that these parallel oppressions continue today. Speaking with EcoJustice Radio in 2021, he explored how Black and Indigenous peoples (sometimes together, sometimes apart) have always sought to disrupt, dismantle, and reimagine US democracy. He uses examples of the Black Power and Red Power movements of the 60s and 70s, as well as collaborations for the Standing Rock Sioux and Black Lives Matter. Dr. Mays' work seeks to illuminate how we can imagine and put into practice a more just world. For an extended interview and other benefits, become an EcoJustice Radio patron at https://www.patreon.com/ecojusticeradio Kyle T. Mays [https://www.kyle-mays.com/] is an Afro-Indigenous (Saginaw Chippewa) writer and scholar of US history, urban studies, race relations, and contemporary popular culture at the University of California, Los Angeles. Dr. Mays is an author of 3 books. “An Afro-Indigenous History of the United States” is available from Beacon Press. Jessica Aldridge, Co-Host and Producer of EcoJustice Radio, is an environmental educator, community organizer, and 15-year waste industry leader. She is a co-founder of SoCal 350, organizer for ReusableLA, and founded Adventures in Waste. She is a former professor of Recycling and Resource Management at Santa Monica College, and an award recipient of the international 2021 Women in Sustainability Leadership and the 2016 inaugural Waste360, 40 Under 40. Podcast Website: http://ecojusticeradio.org/ Podcast Blog: https://www.wilderutopia.com/category/ecojustice-radio/ Support the Podcast: Patreon https://www.patreon.com/ecojusticeradio PayPal https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=LBGXTRM292TFC&source=url Executive Producer: Jack Eidt Hosted by Jessica Aldridge Engineer and Original Music: Blake Quake Beats Episode 123 Photo credit: Kyle T. Mays
Devil's urine. That's what Dupont employees called PFAS. These toxic, human made forever chemicals are now in the blood of almost every human on the planet. They are found in drinking water around the world, even Antarctica. And they are used in a broad range of consumer products, like non-stick cookware, stain-resistant clothing, waterproof items, dental floss, and even medical masks. These are only a few examples of many. This group of toxic chemicals, perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), permanently concentrates in your body and the environment. You can't get rid of them. In fact, they bioaccumulate, meaning they get worse and worse. The public awareness from uncovering of the truth behind Dupont's misdeeds now contaminating much of the planet is tantamount to this generation's Silent Spring. Our guest Rob Bilott is very much a Rachel Carson sort of figure who has stood up to the chemical industry as the lead attorney to bring light to the dangers of PFAS and its many variations. He fought and won a 20+ year battle against Dupont for the poisoning of over 70,000 people in West Virginia and Ohio. His work was even captured in the 2019 feature film, Dark Waters where he was portrayed by Mark Ruffalo. Rob has continued his groundbreaking work and is looking at the potential of a nationwide class action lawsuit as newer versions of PFAS emerge, unregulated and as dangerous as ever. In this interview from Summer 2022, we explore the history of PFAS, what exposure means, where it can be found, and what we can do. Rob Bilott is a partner in the Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky offices of the law firm, Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP [https://www.taftlaw.com/people/robert-a-bilott], where he has practiced in the Environmental and Litigation Groups for over 31 years. During that time, Rob has handled and led some of the most novel and complex cases in the country involving damage from exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (“PFAS”), including the first individual, class action, mass tort, and multi-district litigation proceedings concerning the toxic chemical, recovering over $1 billion for impacted clients. In 2017, Rob received the Right Livelihood Award, known as the “Alternative Nobel Prize,” for his decades of work on behalf of those injured by PFAS chemical contamination. Rob is the author of the book, “Exposure: Poisoned Water, Corporate Greed, and One Lawyer's Twenty-Year Battle Against DuPont,” [https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Exposure/Robert-Bilott/9781501172823] and his story is the inspiration for the 2019 motion picture, “Dark Waters,” starring Mark Ruffalo. Rob's story and work is also featured in the documentary, “The Devil We Know.” Jessica Aldridge, Co-Host and Producer of EcoJustice Radio, is an environmental educator, community organizer, and 15-year waste industry leader. She is a co-founder of SoCal 350, organizer for ReusableLA, and founded Adventures in Waste. She is a former professor of Recycling and Resource Management at Santa Monica College, and an award recipient of the international 2021 Women in Sustainability Leadership and the 2016 inaugural Waste360, 40 Under 40. Podcast Website: http://ecojusticeradio.org/ Podcast Blog: https://www.wilderutopia.com/category/ecojustice-radio/ Support the Podcast: https://www.patreon.com/ecojusticeradio Guest: Rob Bilott Host and Producer: Jessica Aldridge Engineer and Original Music: Blake Quake Beats Executive Producer: Jack Eidt Created by: Mark and JP Morris
Humans are the greatest threat to mountain lions. In California, close to 40 million people live within, or adjacent to, cougar habitat. Mountain lions as a species are not listed as endangered. But generally speaking, vehicle strikes, rat poison, inbreeding, wildfires, poaching, urban encroachment complaints, livestock depredation kill permits, and freeway systems are all contributing to what scientists call an “extinction vortex.” In this show from 2024 we discuss the efforts to protect predators, particularly the mountain lion, who are still somewhat numerous, but declining fast in the world of sprawling housing developments and freeways. First, we air parts of a Documentary series called California Mountain Lions, Legends of California, by UC Davis Karen C. Drayer Wildlife Health Center [https://youtu.be/GLvRuSjSYgo?si=wOMXEOB60EjdUpjd]. We include sections from an interview our host Jessica Aldridge did with Beth Pratt, California Regional Executive Director of National Wildlife Federation, focusing on mountain lion populations, wildlife connectivity, and existing and planned transportation crossings as a solution to protect wildlife. [https://wilderutopia.com/ecojustice-radio/room-to-roam-the-importance-of-wildlife-connectivity-crossings/] For an extended interview and other benefits, become an EcoJustice Radio patron at https://www.patreon.com/ecojusticeradio Beth Pratt, California Regional Executive Director of National Wildlife Federation, joins us to discuss the importance of connectivity and wildlife crossings. She explains why they are an integral strategy in land and habitat conservation and why preserving biodiversity not only protects wildlife, but also all of us humans! Beth's Website: http://www.bethpratt.com/ Save LA Cougars: https://savelacougars.org/ Jessica Aldridge, Co-Host and Producer of EcoJustice Radio, is an environmental educator, community organizer, and 15-year waste industry leader. She is a co-founder of SoCal 350, organizer for ReusableLA, and founded Adventures in Waste. She is a former professor of Recycling and Resource Management at Santa Monica College, and an award recipient of the international 2021 Women in Sustainability Leadership and the 2016 inaugural Waste360, 40 Under 40. Jack Eidt is an urban planner, environmental journalist, and climate organizer, as well as award-winning fiction writer. He is Co-Founder of SoCal 350 Climate Action and Executive Producer of EcoJustice Radio. He is also Founder and Publisher of WilderUtopia [https://wilderutopia.com], a website dedicated to the question of Earth sustainability, finding society-level solutions to environmental, community, economic, transportation and energy needs. Podcast Website: http://ecojusticeradio.org/ Podcast Blog: https://www.wilderutopia.com/category/ecojustice-radio/ Support the Podcast: Patreon https://www.patreon.com/ecojusticeradio PayPal https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=LBGXTRM292TFC&source=url Stories read by Jack Eidt from “Old Man Coyote,” Crow/Apsáalooké People, in ‘Myths and Traditions of the Crow Indians' by Robert Lowie, Univ of Nebraska Press, 1993. And “Origin of the Honey Festival,” Tembé People, in ‘From Honey to Ashes' by Claude Levi-Strauss, Harper and Row Publishers, 1966. Executive Producer and Host: Jack Eidt Co-Host Jessica Aldridge Engineer and Original Music: Blake Quake Beats Episode 204 Photo credit: pixabay
Breathing clean air and drinking clean water are fundamental rights. However, these rights have been denied to many low-income communities and communities of color, who often live next to massive industrial facilities that pollute the air and water. Our guest is Dr. Mustafa Santiago Ali [https://www.mustafasantiagoali.com/] former EPA official and now Executive Vice President at the National Wildlife Federation and Founder and CEO of Revitalization Strategies. He has been working toward solving historical injustices that target certain communities for class- and race-based discrimination putting them in the path of harm from toxic exposure, climate disruption, and industrial accidents. In this show we discuss Dr. Ali's history of working at the EPA and why he had to leave that position. We talk about the toxic train derailment in East Palestine, OH; the EPA regulation of forever chemicals in drinking water; and vehicle pollution standards. We also discuss how the EPA authority to regulate greenhouse gasses has been dialed back by a recent supreme court decision. Through his public advocacy, Dr. Ali shares his holistic approach to empowering and revitalizing vulnerable communities to secure environmental, health, and economic justice. And how all of us can use our talents to be part of the larger change while also curbing climate anxiety and burnout. Dr. Mustafa Santiago Ali is a thought leader, international speaker, policy maker, community liaison, trainer, and facilitator. Dr. Ali serves as the vice president of environmental justice, climate, and community revitalization for the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) [https://www.nwf.org/About-Us/Leadership/Mustafa-Santiago-Ali]. He is also the founder of Revitalization Strategies [https://www.mustafasantiagoali.com/about-mustafa/], a business focused on moving our most vulnerable communities from “surviving to thriving.” Before joining NWF, Dr. Ali was the Senior Vice President for the Hip Hop Caucus (HHC), a national nonprofit and nonpartisan organization that connects the Hip Hop community to the civic process. Prior to joining the HHC, Mustafa worked 22 years at the EPA and 2 years on Capitol Hill working for Congressman John Conyers, chairman of the Judiciary Committee. He began advocating on social justice issues at the age of 16 and joined the EPA as a student, becoming a founding member of the EPA's Office of Environmental Justice. Jessica Aldridge, Co-Host and Producer of EcoJustice Radio, is an environmental educator, community organizer, and 15-year waste industry leader. She is a co-founder of SoCal 350, organizer for ReusableLA, and founded Adventures in Waste. She is a former professor of Recycling and Resource Management at Santa Monica College, and an award recipient of the international 2021 Women in Sustainability Leadership and the 2016 inaugural Waste360, 40 Under 40. More Info/Resources: https://www.gq.com/story/mustafa-ali-epa-interview Podcast Website: http://ecojusticeradio.org/ Podcast Blog: https://www.wilderutopia.com/category/ecojustice-radio/ Support the Podcast: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=LBGXTRM292TFC&source=url Guest: Dr. Mustafa Santiago Ali Executive Producer: Jack Eidt Host and Producer: Jessica Aldridge Engineer and Original Music: Blake Quake Beats Episode 177
Join us as we explore the transformative potential of tiny living with Lindsay Wood, the Tiny Home Lady, and Theresa Bradley, founder of Race to Zero Waste. Discover how tiny homes can redefine the American Dream, address the housing crisis, and contribute to environmental sustainability. Our guests from a 2023 interview share insights on the challenges and rewards of downsizing, the intricacies of zoning laws, and the movement's accessibility. Tune in to learn how living with less can lead to a richer life. As house prices escalate, the concept of living in smaller homes has gone viral. Whether fixed to land or portable, the tiny house movement has swept across the US. Yet, what is the day-to-day reality of living the downsized life? Our guests, Lindsay Wood - The Tiny Home Lady [https://www.thetinyhomelady.com/] - and Teresa Bradley from Tiny Green Adventures [https://www.youtube.com/@tinygreenadventure], bring a dose of reality to the challenge, but also the splendor, of living simply with few belongings in a tiny home. Can you really save money by going tiny? Is it a net positive for the environment? And what about zero waste, is that possible? Are tiny homes the way to tackle the housing crisis across the United States? Tiny Homes, although lauded as a green way forward in a world covered in wasteful McMansions and debt enslaving rent payments, must overcome land and building regulations (that in many places) still consider this form of housing either illegal or difficult to approve. We go into all these points and more on this show. For an extended interview and other benefits, become an EcoJustice Radio patron at https://www.patreon.com/ecojusticeradio Lindsay Wood, "The Tiny Home Lady" [https://www.thetinyhomelady.com/] is on a mission to develop 100,000 Tiny Homes as attainable and affordable houses in California and across the US. Lindsay has been investing in Real Estate since 2015 and believes Tiny Homes are a solution to the housing and climate crisis. Lindsay consults and guides people dreaming of going Tiny through The GO TiNY! Academy, GO TiNY! Showcase. Teresa Bradley is the founding Director of Race to Zero Waste [http://racetozerowaste.org] and lives with her partner, daughter and cat who all live a low waste lifestyle while traveling most of the year in a 24-foot Class C Motorhome. She and her partner travel for environmental project work throughout California and showcase their lifestyle on their Instagram & YouTube channel called Tiny Green Adventure [https://www.youtube.com/@tinygreenadventure] . Jessica Aldridge, Co-Host and Producer of EcoJustice Radio, is an environmental educator, community organizer, and 15-year waste industry leader. She is a co-founder of SoCal 350, organizer for ReusableLA, and founded Adventures in Waste. She is a former professor of Recycling and Resource Management at Santa Monica College, and an award recipient of the international 2021 Women in Sustainability Leadership and the 2016 inaugural Waste360, 40 Under 40. More Info/Resources: https://garageshedcarportbuilder.com/tiny-homes-a-big-idea/ Podcast Website: http://ecojusticeradio.org/ Podcast Blog: https://www.wilderutopia.com/category/ecojustice-radio/ Support the Podcast: Patreon https://www.patreon.com/ecojusticeradio PayPal https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=LBGXTRM292TFC&source=url Executive Producer: Jack Eidt Host and Producer: Jessica Aldridge Engineer and Original Music: Blake Quake Beats Episode 172
In this interview from 2023, we delve into the harrowing experience of wildfires and their aftermath with author and poet Margaret Elysia Garcia. Join us as we explore her poetic journey through loss, resilience, and the stark realities of climate change. Margaret shares her poignant poetry from her chapbook "Burn Scars" and discusses the impact of the Dixie Fire on her hometown of Greenville, California. Don't miss this powerful narrative on the intersection of environmental disaster and human spirit. Watch On YouTube: https://youtu.be/Ka3zeXnw2_M?si=y9KUvufWjr5V5W6I Margaret Elysia Garcia [http://www.margaretelysiagarcia.com/]is the author of the short story collection Graft, the poetry chapbook Burn Scars, and the debut poetry collection the daughterland poems. Shes the editor of the forthcoming Red Flag Warning Anthology. She teaches poetry with the Community Literary Initiative and writes a history column for High Country Life magazine in Northeastern California. Shes currently working on her second collection of poems, Watershed, also to be released by El Martillo Press [https://www.elmartillopress.com/margaretelysiagarcia]. Jessica Aldridge, Co-Host and Producer of EcoJustice Radio, is an environmental educator, community organizer, and 15-year waste industry leader. She is a co-founder of SoCal 350, organizer for ReusableLA, and founded Adventures in Waste. She is a former professor of Recycling and Resource Management at Santa Monica College, and an award recipient of the international 2021 Women in Sustainability Leadership and the 2016 inaugural Waste360, 40 Under 40. Podcast Website: http://ecojusticeradio.org/ Podcast Blog: https://www.wilderutopia.com/category/ecojustice-radio/ Support the Podcast: Patreon https://www.patreon.com/ecojusticeradio PayPal https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=LBGXTRM292TFC&source=url Executive Producer: Jack Eidt Host and Producer: Jessica Aldridge Engineer and Original Music: Blake Quake Beats Ep. 193
Toxic Exposure: The Monsanto Roundup Trials, and the Search for Justice," reveals the dark side of the world's most widely used herbicide. Jessica Aldridge interviewed Dr. Chadi Nabhan in 2023, who offered his expert insights on the link between glyphosate and cancer, the landmark legal battles against Monsanto, and the ongoing struggle for environmental justice. Tune in for a compelling narrative that exposes the failures of regulatory agencies and the courage of individuals standing up to agrochemical giants. Monsanto is now owned by Bayer, one of the largest agrochemical companies in the world. These companies and the EPA downplayed the health dangers of Roundup and the active ingredient glyphosate even after Monsanto lost numerous court cases (owing billions in judgements) and settled out of court for more than $11 Billion for more than 100K patients. In this interview we discuss the history of Roundup, the dangers of glyphosate, the trial stories and verdicts, and what the everyday person can do to fight for justice against this agricultural behemoth. Dr. Chadi Nabhan is an expert in lymphoid malignancies and treating and diagnosing cancers. He is author of Toxic Exposure: The True Story behind the Monsanto Trials and the Search for Justice [http://www.chadinabhan.com]. He received his medical degree from Damascus University in Syria. After performing basic science research at Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School, he completed his internal medicine residency as well as an MBA in Healthcare Management at Loyola University in Chicago. Dr. Nabhan maintains active medical licenses in five states, and has over 300 peer-reviewed articles and abstracts. He is also a sought-after speaker, moderator, facilitator, and the creator and host of his own podcast, "Healthcare Unfiltered" [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjiJPTpIJdIiukcq0UaMFsA]. Jessica Aldridge, Co-Host and Producer of EcoJustice Radio, is an environmental educator, community organizer, and 15-year waste industry leader. She is a co-founder of SoCal 350, organizer for ReusableLA, and founded Adventures in Waste. She is a former professor of Recycling and Resource Management at Santa Monica College, and an award recipient of the international 2021 Women in Sustainability Leadership and the 2016 inaugural Waste360, 40 Under 40. More Info/Resources: Buy the book, Toxic Exposure: https://chadinabhan.com/mybooks/ Salon Article: https://www.salon.com/2023/02/25/glyphosate-roundup-chadi-nabhan-interview/
In this industrialized country, we have had a war on wild what we call "predators," helicopter gunners shooting wolves to “protect” caribou herds in Alaska. Every day is open season on mountain lions in Nevada. Between 2000 and 2021, at least 4,229 mountain lions were killed in Nevada by hunters, trappers, and the state's lethal removal effort, according to data from the Nevada Department of Wildlife. Humans are the greatest threat to mountain lions. In California, close to 40 million people live within, or adjacent to, cougar habitat. In this show we air parts of a documentary series called California Mountain Lions, Legends of California, by UC Davis Karen C. Drayer Wildlife Health Center [https://youtu.be/GLvRuSjSYgo?si=wOMXEOB60EjdUpjd]. Featured speakers are Walter Boyce, UC Davis, Dave Garcelon, Institute of Wildlife Studies, T. Winston Vickers, Veterinarian, UC Davis, and Jessica Sanchez SoCal Puma Project, Eric Gagne, Post Doc, Colorado State Univ., Trish Smith, The Nature Conservancy, and Pablo Bryant, SDSU Santa Margarita Ecological Reserve. We also share from Indigenous stories and mythology about the importance of predators like the big cats, or jaguars in their southern relatives. We further include sections from an interview our host Jessica Aldridge did with Beth Pratt, California Regional Executive Director of National Wildlife Federation, focusing on mountain lion populations, wildlife connectivity, and existing and planned transportation crossings as a solution to protect wildlife. [https://wilderutopia.com/ecojustice-radio/room-to-roam-the-importance-of-wildlife-connectivity-crossings/] More Info: https://mountainlion.org/2022/03/02/mountain-lion-minutes-the-archaeology-of-americas-lion/ https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2024-01-07/california-has-fewer-mountain-lions-than-previously-estimated Beth Pratt, California Regional Executive Director of National Wildlife Federation, joins us to discuss the importance of connectivity and wildlife crossings. She explains why they are an integral strategy in land and habitat conservation and why preserving biodiversity not only protects wildlife, but also all of us humans! Beth's Website: http://www.bethpratt.com/ Save LA Cougars: https://savelacougars.org/ Jessica Aldridge, Co-Host and Producer of EcoJustice Radio, is an environmental educator, community organizer, and 15-year waste industry leader. She is a co-founder of SoCal 350, organizer for ReusableLA, and founded Adventures in Waste. She is a former professor of Recycling and Resource Management at Santa Monica College, and an award recipient of the international 2021 Women in Sustainability Leadership and the 2016 inaugural Waste360, 40 Under 40. Jack Eidt is an urban planner, environmental journalist, and climate organizer, as well as award-winning fiction writer. He is Co-Founder of SoCal 350 Climate Action and Executive Producer of EcoJustice Radio. He is also Founder and Publisher of WilderUtopia [https://wilderutopia.com], a website dedicated to the question of Earth sustainability, finding society-level solutions to environmental, community, economic, transportation and energy needs. Podcast Website: http://ecojusticeradio.org/ Podcast Blog: https://www.wilderutopia.com/category/ecojustice-radio/ Support the Podcast: Patreon https://www.patreon.com/ecojusticeradio PayPal https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=LBGXTRM292TFC&source=url Stories read by Jack Eidt from “Old Man Coyote,” Crow/Apsáalooké People, in ‘Myths and Traditions of the Crow Indians' by Robert Lowie, Univ of Nebraska Press, 1993. And “Origin of the Honey Festival,” Tembé People, in ‘From Honey to Ashes' by Claude Levi-Strauss, Harper and Row Publishers, 1966. Executive Producer and Host: Jack Eidt Co-Host Jessica Aldridge Engineer and Original Music: Blake Quake Beats Episode 204
Check out our special encore presentation of our interview with Human Rights Attorney Steven Donziger recorded in December 2020. We investigate the story of Chevron's crimes in Ecuador with Mr. Donziger who represented Ecuadorian communities demanding justice in a $9.5 billion decision against them for one of the largest-ever oil disasters. In this episode, we investigate the story of New York based attorney Steven Donziger who represented Ecuadorian communities demanding justice from Chevron-Texaco for one of the largest-ever oil disasters, where they deliberately dumped more than 16 billion gallons of toxic wastewater, spilled 17 million gallons of crude oil, and left hazardous waste in hundreds of open pits dug out of the forest floor. In a historic judgment, Chevron was found liable by Ecuadorian courts and ordered to pay $9.5 billion. Chevron says it will never pay. Instead, they launched an extraordinary racketeering and extortion lawsuit against the Ecuadorian and U.S. attorneys, and various consultants alleging they were all lying about Chevron's pollution and that the entire case was "sham litigation." Chevron has turned our guest Steven Donziger into a corporate political prisoner, placed under house arrest, bankrupt, disbarred. We look into how Chevron, supported by US federal judges, is using retaliatory attacks against Mr. Donziger and the Ecuadorian Peoples, and how their actions set a dangerous precedent and represent a growing and serious threat to the ability of civil society to hold corporations accountable for their misdeeds around the world. Steven Donziger is a New York-based attorney, human rights advocate, and member of the international legal team that won the historic $9.5 billion Ecuador pollution judgment against Chevron. Steven spent 995 days in detention on what was at most a misdemeanor, both in house arrest and prison, after he refused what appears to be an unlawful order to turn over his computer and cell phone to Chevron as he fought to protect the rights and lives of his Indigenous clients, including their right to confidential communications with their own lawyer. He can be reached at the websites https://www.freedonziger.com/ Jessica Aldridge, Co-Host and Producer of EcoJustice Radio, is an environmental educator, community organizer, and 16-year recycling industry and Zero Waste leader. She is a co-founder of SoCal 350, organizer for ReusableLA, and founded Adventures in Waste. She is a former professor of Recycling and Resource Management at Santa Monica College, and an award recipient of the international 2021 Women in Sustainability Leadership and the 2016 inaugural Waste360, 40 Under 40. In her day job she is the Sustainability and Zero Waste Programs Director for Athens Services. Podcast Website: http://ecojusticeradio.org/ Podcast Blog: https://wilderutopia.com/ecojustice-radio/criminalizing-activism-steven-donziger-vs-chevron-2/ Support the Podcast: Patreon https://www.patreon.com/ecojusticeradio PayPal https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=LBGXTRM292TFC&source=url Executive Producer: Jack Eidt Host and Producer: Jessica Aldridge Engineer and Original Music: Blake Quake Beats Episode 84
Well, we all know we have a problem with waste, trash, single-use plastics, wrappers, plastic bags. Plastic has become ubiquitous in our daily lives thanks to its convenience and artificially low prices. But it comes with many costs, upstream and downstream, so to speak. Fossil fuels fracked and pipelined to produce it, petrochemical facilities polluting communities, ecosystems, and the climate. Millions of tons of plastic waste are dumped every year, much of which makes its way into the oceans, harming wildlife and ecosystems in the process. Yet the majority of all plastic that has ever been made, some say around 90 percent, is not recycled. But keep in mind that recycling has some value, and we will get to that. Our EcoJustice Radio co-host, as most of our regular listeners know, has been working for the last sixteen years in the waste industry to help clean up their act and provide solutions to this insane dilemma. We decided to have her take the interviewee seat this week to give us a vision of what can be done to confront this problem. And taking over the interviewer seat this week is Auri Jackson, a veteran of viral video news site BuzzFeed, who became known for telling stories using humor to transform scary and unsexy topics like the climate crisis and plastic pollution into inspiration and action. Auri Jackson [http://www.aurijackson.com/] tells stories using humor to transform scary and unsexy topics like the climate crisis and plastic pollution into inspiration and action. During her seven years at BuzzFeed, she pioneered viral environmental content, the only dedicated sustainability video producer there, created multiple successful unscripted series, and gained a deep knowledge of what makes millions of eyes pay attention. Jessica Aldridge, Co-Host and Producer of EcoJustice Radio, is an environmental educator, community organizer, and 16-year recycling industry and Zero Waste leader. She is a co-founder of SoCal 350, organizer for ReusableLA, and founded Adventures in Waste. She is a former professor of Recycling and Resource Management at Santa Monica College, and an award recipient of the international 2021 Women in Sustainability Leadership and the 2016 inaugural Waste360, 40 Under 40. In her day job she is the Sustainability and Zero Waste Programs Director for Athens Services. Podcast Website: http://ecojusticeradio.org/ Podcast Blog: https://www.wilderutopia.com/category/ecojustice-radio/ Support the Podcast: Patreon https://www.patreon.com/ecojusticeradio PayPal https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=LBGXTRM292TFC&source=url Executive Producer: Jack Eidt Host and Producer: Jessica Aldridge Engineer and Original Music: Blake Quake Beats Ep. 198
The Right to Repair our electronics and other materials sounds like a no brainer. But historically manufacturers have said otherwise and fought, with millions of dollars, to stop legislation that allows consumers access to the resources to repair items like cell phones, toasters, and even tractor trucks. On this show Right to Repair takes center stage with guests Liv Butler, Policy Associate for Californians Against Waste [http://www.cawrecycles.org] and Elizabeth Chamberlain, Director of Sustainability for iFixit [https://www.ifixit.com/]. From new legislation in California to the national and global movement and successes, we discuss how manufacturers are being required to provide repair tools, parts, and manuals and examine concern around manufacturer compliance. Right to Repair is an important element in combating planned obsolescence and empowers consumers and small businesses. Our guests provide a thought-provoking look at this intersection of environmentalism, economics, and consumer rights and access. You may be surprised to learn that fixing your own items doesn't actually void the manufacturers' warranty. We discuss this and much more. Liv Butler is a Policy Associate at the Sacramento-based environmental advocacy group, Californians Against Waste [http://www.cawrecycles.org]. There, she works on legislation related to Extended Producer Responsibility and recycling issues. Elizabeth Chamberlain heads iFixit's advocacy work, supporting Right to Repair legislation around the globe and pushing for more repair in green electronics standards. The role blends her commitment to climate action, her love of technology, and her doctoral work in digital rhetoric [https://www.ifixit.com/]. Jessica Aldridge, Co-Host and Producer of EcoJustice Radio, is an environmental educator, community organizer, and 15-year waste industry leader. She is a co-founder of SoCal 350, organizer for ReusableLA, and founded Adventures in Waste. She is a former professor of Recycling and Resource Management at Santa Monica College, and an award recipient of the international 2021 Women in Sustainability Leadership and the 2016 inaugural Waste360, 40 Under 40. Related Show https://wilderutopia.com/ecojustice-radio/the-right-to-repair-your-devices-the-corporate-stranglehold/ Articles https://www.cbsnews.com/sacramento/video/right-to-repair-rally-held-at-the-california-state-capitol-in-sacramento/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/08/24/apples-surprising-about-face-right-repair/ Resources https://www.repair.org/ https://pirg.org/campaigns/right-to-repair/ Podcast Website: http://ecojusticeradio.org/ Podcast Blog: https://www.wilderutopia.com/category/ecojustice-radio/ Support the Podcast: Patreon https://www.patreon.com/ecojusticeradio PayPal https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=LBGXTRM292TFC&source=url Executive Producer: Jack Eidt Host and Producer: Jessica Aldridge Engineer and Original Music: Blake Quake Beats Ep. 196
Breathing clean air and drinking clean water are fundamental rights. However, these have been denied to many low-income communities and communities of color, who often live next to massive industrial facilities that pollute the air and water. Our guest from an encore presentation from early in 2023 is Dr. Mustafa Santiago Ali {https://www.mustafasantiagoali.com/] former EPA official and now Executive Vice President at the National Wildlife Federation and Founder and CEO of Revitalization Strategies. He has been working toward solving historical injustices that target certain communities for class- and race-based discrimination putting them in the path of harm from toxic exposure, climate disruption, and industrial accidents. In this show we discuss Dr. Ali's history of working at the EPA and why he had to leave that position. We talk about the toxic train derailment in East Palestine, OH; the EPA regulation of forever chemicals in drinking water; and vehicle pollution standards. We also discuss how the EPA authority to regulate greenhouse gasses has been dialed back by a recent supreme court decision. Through his public advocacy, Dr. Ali shares his holistic approach to empowering and revitalizing vulnerable communities to secure environmental, health, and economic justice. And how all of us can use our talents to be part of the larger change while also curbing climate anxiety and burnout. Dr. Mustafa Santiago Ali is a thought leader, international speaker, policy maker, community liaison, trainer, and facilitator. Dr. Ali serves as the vice president of environmental justice, climate, and community revitalization for the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) [https://www.nwf.org/About-Us/Leadership/Mustafa-Santiago-Ali]. He is also the founder of Revitalization Strategies [https://www.mustafasantiagoali.com/about-mustafa/], a business focused on moving our most vulnerable communities from surviving to thriving. Before joining NWF, Dr. Ali was the Senior Vice President for the Hip Hop Caucus (HHC), a national nonprofit and nonpartisan organization that connects the Hip Hop community to the civic process. Prior to joining the HHC, Mustafa worked 22 years at the EPA and 2 years on Capitol Hill working for Congressman John Conyers, chairman of the Judiciary Committee. He began advocating on social justice issues at the age of 16 and joined the EPA as a student, becoming a founding member of the EPAs Office of Environmental Justice. Jessica Aldridge, Co-Host and Producer of EcoJustice Radio, is an environmental educator, community organizer, and 15-year waste industry leader. She is a co-founder of SoCal 350, organizer for ReusableLA, and founded Adventures in Waste. She is a former professor of Recycling and Resource Management at Santa Monica College, and an award recipient of the international 2021 Women in Sustainability Leadership and the 2016 inaugural Waste360, 40 Under 40.
Margaret Elysia Garcia, author and poet published by El Martillo Press, has spent a couple of decades living in Greenville, a Gold Rush-era Northern California town, that no longer exists as it did in 2021. That's because it was devoured by the Dixie Fire, one of the largest blazes in California history. Margaret began writing her poetry collection “Burn Scars” while waiting at traffic stops driving from her mother's house to her former hometown. She grappled with the destructive aftermath that began with a eulogy and ended with a 79 page poetry book memoir. On this show, we discuss with Margaret how poetry serves as a vehicle to process, mourn, and raise awareness around climate disruption while honoring those on the front lines. She shares her poetry and tells us how a town of marginal incomes, set in dense forests, was almost completely destroyed. Margaret relates how the fire started near a Pacific Gas and Electric power station and spread at an incomprehensible rate as a result of gusty winds and historically dry conditions. Thankfully no lives were lost. But the fire resulted in significant losses of property and livelihoods with major challenges for rebuilding. One thing's for sure, lots of lessons were learned and stronger community bonds were built. Listen to the extended interview: https://www.patreon.com/posts/margaret-elysia-90722908 Margaret Elysia Garcia [http://www.margaretelysiagarcia.com/]is the author of the short story collection Graft, the poetry chapbook Burn Scars, and the debut poetry collection the daughterland poems. She's the editor of the forthcoming Red Flag Warning Anthology. She teaches poetry with the Community Literary Initiative and writes a history column for High Country Life magazine in Northeastern California. She's currently working on her second collection of poems, Watershed, also to be released by El Martillo Press [https://www.elmartillopress.com/margaretelysiagarcia]. Jessica Aldridge, Co-Host and Producer of EcoJustice Radio, is an environmental educator, community organizer, and 15-year waste industry leader. She is a co-founder of SoCal 350, organizer for ReusableLA, and founded Adventures in Waste. She is a former professor of Recycling and Resource Management at Santa Monica College, and an award recipient of the international 2021 Women in Sustainability Leadership and the 2016 inaugural Waste360, 40 Under 40. Podcast Website: http://ecojusticeradio.org/ Podcast Blog: https://www.wilderutopia.com/category/ecojustice-radio/ Support the Podcast: Patreon https://www.patreon.com/ecojusticeradio PayPal https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=LBGXTRM292TFC&source=url Executive Producer: Jack Eidt Host and Producer: Jessica Aldridge Engineer and Original Music: Blake Quake Beats Ep. 193 Photo credit: Margaret E. Garcia
The fossil fuel industry has been promoting hydrogen as a reliable, low carbon, next-generation fuel to power cars, heat homes, and generate electricity. However, currently 99% of the annual supply of hydrogen comes from fracked methane gas. So will switching to hydrogen only lock us into continued fossil fuel use and additional investments in fossil fuel infrastructure? Proponents argue that when hydrogen is made using renewable power it can cut climate-warming industrial carbon pollution from the steel, oil, and agricultural industries. However, does hydrogen measure up when compared to powering our cars and homes with alternative renewable energy generated directly from wind and solar? In this encore presentation, Ashley Kosak, 2022 Research and Project Management Fellow with FracTracker Alliance [https://www.fractracker.org/], explains how hydrogen is generated, transported, stored, and burned; the environmental and social impacts; and what it means for the future of clean energy. Listen to the extended interview: https://www.patreon.com/posts/ashley-kosak-on-77020057 Ashley Kosak is a mechanical engineer who started her career as an engineer at SpaceX. She is an advocate for decarbonization for energy and aerospace, consumption reduction, and social advocacy. She worked with FracTracker Alliance to distill complex emerging technologies into a simple process that can be understood by anyone who wishes to be informed of shifts within the clean energy movement. Jessica Aldridge, Co-Host and Producer of EcoJustice Radio, is an environmental educator, community organizer, and 15-year waste industry leader. She is a co-founder of SoCal 350, organizer for ReusableLA, and founded Adventures in Waste. She is a former professor of Recycling and Resource Management at Santa Monica College, and an award recipient of the international 2021 Women in Sustainability Leadership and the 2016 inaugural Waste360, 40 Under 40. More Info/Resources: Greenwashing Hydrogen Webinar with Ashley: https://halttheharm.net/2022/12/greenwashing-hydrogen-understanding-the-climate-risks-of-blue-hydrogen/ Ashley on her time at SpaceX: https://www.lioness.co/post/at-spacex-we-re-told-we-can-change-the-world-just-don-t-try-to-stop-the-sexual-harassment Related Shows: On Building Decarbonization/Home Electrification: https://wilderutopia.com/ecojustice-radio/zerohouz-ditching-fossil-fuels-for-a-zero-emissions-home/ Podcast Website: http://ecojusticeradio.org/ Podcast Blog: https://wilderutopia.com/ecojustice-radio/the-truth-about-hydrogen-green-fuel-or-greenwash/ Support the Podcast: Patreon https://www.patreon.com/ecojusticeradio PayPal https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=LBGXTRM292TFC&source=url Guest: Ashley Kosak Executive Producer: Jack Eidt Host and Producer: Jessica Aldridge Engineer and Original Music: Blake Quake Beats
Is a 100% clean, renewable energy future by the year 2050 possible? Our guest, Stanford Professor Mark Z. Jacobson proposes that the most efficient and socially and environmentally just way is to replace fossil fuels through a combined implementation of Wind, Water, and Solar energy solutions. Are these solutions perfect? No. However, when compared to other so-called energy solutions like nuclear, biofuel, biomass, waste to energy, and hydrogen (just to name a few) these three (Wind, Water-Geothermal, Solar) show significant promise. As our guest explains, real solutions must always be BOTH clean and renewable, rapidly deployable, low cost, and carry with them very few side effects. In this encore interview from early 2023, Professor Jacobson responds to his detractors and also debunks some myths, while getting at the solutions. What about the intermittency of wind and solar? Is there enough battery storage? Are wind turbines dangerous to wildlife? What is the real cost of battery mining and disposal? Why don't small nuclear reactors make the cut and how are they dangerous even to global security? How do the proposed costs-benefits of these solutions pencil out when compared to other options and the fossil fuel industry? In his latest book, No Miracles Needed, How Today's Technology Can Save Our Climate and Clean Our Air, Professor Mark Z. Jacobson [https://web.stanford.edu/group/efmh/jacobson/] lays out a clear framework based on peer reviewed studies, and he does so in a way that is easy to understand. Professor Jacobson has developed computer models and roadmaps that illustrate how countries, states, cities, and towns can transition to 100% renewable energy for all their energy needs. He is a man with a clean energy plan, one with a stable and efficient grid that would provide reliable electricity at lower cost while creating new jobs. Mark Z. Jacobson is Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Stanford University, and Director of their Atmosphere/Energy Program. Jessica Aldridge, Co-Host and Producer of EcoJustice Radio, is an environmental educator, community organizer, and 15-year waste industry leader. She is a co-founder of SoCal 350, organizer for ReusableLA, and founded Adventures in Waste. She is a former professor of Recycling and Resource Management at Santa Monica College, and an award recipient of the international 2021 Women in Sustainability Leadership and the 2016 inaugural Waste360, 40 Under 40. More Info/Resources: Public course on 100% renewables: Clean, renewable energy & storage for a sustainable future: https://online.stanford.edu/courses/xeiet100-clean-renewable-energy-storage-sustainable-future New book: "No Miracles Needed": https://web.stanford.edu/group/efmh/jacobson/WWSNoMN/NoMiracles.html Stanford Solutions Project infographic map https://sites.google.com/stanford.edu/wws-roadmaps/home Related Shows: Podcast Website: http://ecojusticeradio.org/ Podcast Blog: https://www.wilderutopia.com/category/ecojustice-radio/ Support the Podcast: https://www.patreon.com/ecojusticeradio Guest: Mark Z. Jacobson Executive Producer: Jack Eidt Host and Producer: Jessica Aldridge Engineer and Original Music: Blake Quake Beats Episode 165
Humans are eating more seafood than can ever be replenished, a vital source of protein for 3.3 billion people. There are many different ways to feed people while conserving our marine ecosystems without overfishing and industrial fish farming. Unfortunately, the US government and multinational corporations are pushing offshore industrial fish farming as a way to keep people eating their salmon and shrimp. In fact the US government is fast tracking industrial fish farms in federal waters, in underwater or floating net pens, pods, and cages. International agribusiness companies are pushing legislation that would open the floodgates for US offshore factory fish farms (think Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations on the ocean). Our guest, Andrianna Natsoulas from the Don't Cage Our Oceans coalition campaign [https://dontcageouroceans.org/], says no to these industrial fish farms, while advocating for community-centered seafood supply chains. We talk about the impacts to public health and the environment from these massive open net-pens. She also advocates for the alternatives: sustainably managed wild-caught seafood and aquaculture fish farming practices that are embedded in social, economic, and environmental values. For the extended interview, click here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/andrianna-of-our-86979454 Andrianna Natsoulas is the Campaign Director of the coalition Don't Cage our Oceans [https://dontcageouroceans.org]. She has worked on agricultural and fisheries issues in varying capacities and venues for over two decades. She has been an independent consultant and worked for organizations, such as Food & Water Watch, the North American Marine Alliance, and the Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York. Andrianna wrote the book, Food Voices: Stories From the People Who Feed Us, which is a collection of personal stories from farmers and fishermen who are part of the food sovereignty movement. Jessica Aldridge, Co-Host and Producer of EcoJustice Radio, is an environmental educator, community organizer, and 15-year waste industry leader. She is a co-founder of SoCal 350, organizer for ReusableLA, and founded Adventures in Waste. She is a former professor of Recycling and Resource Management at Santa Monica College, and an award recipient of the international 2021 Women in Sustainability Leadership and the 2016 inaugural Waste360, 40 Under 40. Podcast Website: http://ecojusticeradio.org/ Podcast Blog: https://www.wilderutopia.com/category/ecojustice-radio/ Support the Podcast: Patreon https://www.patreon.com/ecojusticeradio PayPal https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=LBGXTRM292TFC&source=url Executive Producer: Jack Eidt Host and Producer: Jessica Aldridge Engineer and Original Music: Blake Quake Beats Photo credit: Andrianna Natsoulas
The upcoming documentary ‘Feeding Tomorrow' explores the intersection between the food we eat, our personal and community health, and protection and regeneration of ecosystems. In today's interview, Oliver English, Co-Founder & CEO of Common Table Creative [http://www.commontablecreative.com] and Filmmaker, Chef, and Food Advocate, shares the stories of visionary leaders in agriculture, healthcare, and education working to build a more just food system in their local communities - giving rise to a new global vision for Feeding Tomorrow. Oliver illustrates tangible, working examples of regenerative farming methods that not only grow healthy food, but also heal both the land and the people. As a professional chef that grew up in a restaurant family, he makes the case for why restaurants and chefs must have an intimate knowledge of their food system impact and how they can be part of the solution. All that and more on this show. Listen to the Extended Interview: https://www.patreon.com/posts/filmmaker-oliver-86305333 Oliver English [http://olivertenglish.com/] is the Co-Founder & CEO of Common Table Creative (CTC), an impact-driven production and hospitality company specializing in advancing global food, sustainability, and social justice issues. Common Table Creative [http://www.commontablecreative.com] works with the world's leading NGOs, non-profits, and innovative food companies to tell stories about the power of food, and drive change through inspiring individual action. He co-created CTC's signature documentary, ‘Feeding Tomorrow', and launched WE UNITE, a short-form documentary, together with the United Nations & the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements. He grew up in a family restaurant business, and has worked for some of the most prestigious global hospitality companies, including Alain Ducasse Enterprise in Paris, France, Eleven Madison Park in New York, and for Celebrity Chef Daniele Boulud. Jessica Aldridge, Co-Host and Producer of EcoJustice Radio, is an environmental educator, community organizer, and 15-year waste industry leader. She is a co-founder of SoCal 350, organizer for ReusableLA, and founded Adventures in Waste. She is a former professor of Recycling and Resource Management at Santa Monica College, and an award recipient of the international 2021 Women in Sustainability Leadership and the 2016 inaugural Waste360, 40 Under 40. Podcast Website: http://ecojusticeradio.org/ Podcast Blog: https://www.wilderutopia.com/category/ecojustice-radio/ Support the Podcast: Patreon https://www.patreon.com/ecojusticeradio PayPal https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=LBGXTRM292TFC&source=url Executive Producer: Jack Eidt Host and Producer: Jessica Aldridge Engineer and Original Music: Blake Quake Beats Photo credit: Oliver English
Dr. Scott Coffin joined us in this encore presentation from 2022. As a toxicologist and Research Scientist at California State Water Resources Control Board, he speaks about how microplastics are entering our environment, how to assess risk and implement precautionary solutions. Microplastics, small, micro-sized plastic fragments are showing up in our water sources, rain, drinking water, and beverages like beer. It is in food, salt, and seafood. Moreover, it has recently been found in human breast milk, placentas, human lungs, and blood. One report indicated that blue whales are consuming 10 million pieces of microplastic particles a day. As plastic fragments, it continues to shed fibers smaller than a strand of human hair. Most of the time we are unaware how and when this happens. Did you know, when you open a plastic cap on a bottle, you release thousands of particles. But then there is also our clothing, roads, artificial turf, food packaging, tea bags, or plastic that comes in contact with friction, hot liquid, or hot food. For the extended discussion with Dr, Coffin, click here: www.patreon.com/posts/more-on-and-with-74660652 Dr. Scott Coffin [https://scottcoff.in/] is a research scientist and subject-matter expert for microplastics at the California State Water Resources Control Board, where he leads the agency's efforts to monitor and manage microplastics pollution in drinking water and the environment. Dr. Coffin holds a PhD in environmental toxicology from the University of California, Riverside. Jessica Aldridge, Co-Host and Producer of EcoJustice Radio, is an environmental educator, community organizer, and 15-year waste industry leader. She is a co-founder of SoCal 350, organizer for ReusableLA, and founded Adventures in Waste. She is a former professor of Recycling and Resource Management at Santa Monica College, and an award recipient of the international 2021 Women in Sustainability Leadership and the 2016 inaugural Waste360, 40 Under 40. More Info: https://www.sccwrp.org/about/research-areas/additional-research-areas/trash-pollution/microplastics-health-effects-webinar-series/history-california-microplastics-legislation/ https://www.plastiverse.org/ https://www.springeropen.com/collections/sccwrp Related Show: The EcoJustice Radio Plastic Plague Series: https://wilderutopia.com/ecojustice-radio/the-future-solutions-policy-resistance-around-plastic-plastic-plague-pt-7/ Podcast Website: http://ecojusticeradio.org/ Podcast Blog: https://wilderutopia.com/ecojustice-radio/microplastics-are-everywhere-whats-the-risk/ Support the Podcast: Patreon https://www.patreon.com/ecojusticeradio PayPal https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=LBGXTRM292TFC&source=url Guest: Dr. Scott Coffin Executive Producer: Jack Eidt Host and Producer: Jessica Aldridge Engineer and Original Music: Blake Quake Beats
Green Building. Organic Architecture. Regenerative Design. These concepts have come to prominence recognizing the built environment as one of the largest contributors of carbon dioxide emissions, using toxic materials that can damage human health as well as pollute the environment. Following Nature's design process, our guest this week has developed an organic approach to design with an eye toward innovative buildings that embody ecological & social responsibility. Organic architecture, coined by master architect Frank Lloyd Wright, unifies every element of the building—from windows to doors and even floors and furniture—with Nature. Biomimicry has become an important advance in this movement, harnessing functional design elements from—mimicking—Nature. Our guest, award-winning Architect Eric Corey Freed, 12-time Author, and Director of Sustainability for CannonDesign, has made this central to his work when designing buildings. On this show we discuss Eric's approach to designing for the human systems, our senses, cycles, and signals, to engage people through using biology as a technology. We explore his process in how to build a non-toxic building that can also increase our connection to the natural world. If that sounds abstract, Eric Corey Freed is here to walk us through the work he has been doing for decades now. Eric Corey Freed is an award-winning architect, author, and global speaker. As Principal and Director of Sustainability for CannonDesign [https://www.cannondesign.com/people/eric-corey-freed], he leads the healthcare, education, and commercial teams toward low-carbon, healthy, regenerative buildings for over 30 million square feet a year. For two decades, he was Founding Principal of organicARCHITECT [http://www.organicarchitect.com/about/ecf.html], a visionary design leader in biophilic and regenerative design. He serves on the board of Design Museum Everywhere, whose mission is to “bring the transformative power of design to all.” Eric is the author of 12 books, including "Green Building & Remodeling for Dummies” and "Circular Economy for Dummies." In 2012, he and his firm were named one of the 25 "Best Green Architecture Firms" in the US, and one of the "Top 10 Most Influential Green Architects." Jessica Aldridge, Co-Host and Producer of EcoJustice Radio, is an environmental educator, community organizer, and 15-year waste industry leader. She is a co-founder of SoCal 350, organizer for ReusableLA, and founded Adventures in Waste. She is a former professor of Recycling and Resource Management at Santa Monica College, and an award recipient of the international 2021 Women in Sustainability Leadership and the 2016 inaugural Waste360, 40 Under 40. More Info/Resources: https://www.terrapinbrightgreen.com/reports/14-patterns/ Fossil fuel firms owe climate reparations of $209bn a year, says study https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/may/19/fossil-fuel-firms-owe-climate-reparations-of-209bn-a-year-says-study Oil and gas health impacts cost $77 billion per year, study finds https://www.axios.com/2023/05/10/oil-gas-health-impacts-study Podcast Website: http://ecojusticeradio.org/ Podcast Blog: https://www.wilderutopia.com/category/ecojustice-radio/ Support the Podcast: Patreon https://www.patreon.com/ecojusticeradio PayPal https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=LBGXTRM292TFC&source=url Executive Producer: Jack Eidt Host and Producer: Jessica Aldridge Engineer and Original Music: Blake Quake Beats Photo credit: Eric Corey Freed
For years, Monsanto declared that their product Roundup, the world's most widely used weed killer, was safe. But in 2015, scientific studies concluded that glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup, is probably carcinogenic. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Monsanto disagreed with the findings, as scientists worked to understand the link between glyphosate and cancer. Dr. Chadi Nabhan's book, Toxic Exposure [https://chadinabhan.com/mybooks/], tells the true story of his role as an expert physician witness who testified in multiple state and federal trials against Monsanto. His book recounts the heartbreaking stories of numerous patients who developed the cancer non-Hodgkin lymphoma, after regularly using Roundup on yards and school grounds. Monsanto is now owned by Bayer, one of the largest agrochemical companies in the world. These companies and the EPA downplayed the health dangers of Roundup and the active ingredient glyphosate even after Monsanto lost numerous court cases (owing billions in judgements) and settled out of court for more than $11 Billion for more than 100K patients. In this interview we discuss the history of Roundup, the dangers of glyphosate, the trial stories and verdicts, and what the everyday person can do to fight for justice against this agricultural behemoth. Listen to the Extended Interview: https://www.patreon.com/posts/dr-chadi-nabhan-84123670 Dr. Chadi Nabhan is an expert in lymphoid malignancies and treating and diagnosing cancers. He is author of Toxic Exposure: The True Story behind the Monsanto Trials and the Search for Justice [http://www.chadinabhan.com]. He received his medical degree from Damascus University in Syria. After performing basic science research at Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School, he completed his internal medicine residency as well as an MBA in Healthcare Management at Loyola University in Chicago. Dr. Nabhan maintains active medical licenses in five states, and has over 300 peer-reviewed articles and abstracts. He is also a sought-after speaker, moderator, facilitator, and the creator and host of his own podcast, "Healthcare Unfiltered" [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjiJPTpIJdIiukcq0UaMFsA]. Jessica Aldridge, Co-Host and Producer of EcoJustice Radio, is an environmental educator, community organizer, and 15-year waste industry leader. She is a co-founder of SoCal 350, organizer for ReusableLA, and founded Adventures in Waste. She is a former professor of Recycling and Resource Management at Santa Monica College, and an award recipient of the international 2021 Women in Sustainability Leadership and the 2016 inaugural Waste360, 40 Under 40. More Info/Resources: Buy the book, Toxic Exposure: https://chadinabhan.com/mybooks/ Salon Article: https://www.salon.com/2023/02/25/glyphosate-roundup-chadi-nabhan-interview/ Related Show: Kelly Ryerson - Glyphosate Girl - https://wilderutopia.com/ecojustice-radio/glyphosate-an-herbicide-that-kills-more-than-weeds/ Podcast Website: http://ecojusticeradio.org/ Podcast Blog: https://www.wilderutopia.com/category/ecojustice-radio/ Support the Podcast: Patreon https://www.patreon.com/ecojusticeradio PayPal https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=LBGXTRM292TFC&source=url Executive Producer: Jack Eidt Host and Producer: Jessica Aldridge Engineer and Original Music: Blake Quake Beats Photo credit: Dr. Chadi Nabhan
Breathing clean air and drinking clean water are fundamental rights. However, these rights have been denied to many low-income communities and communities of color, who often live next to massive industrial facilities that pollute the air and water. Our guest is Dr. Mustafa Santiago Ali [https://www.mustafasantiagoali.com/] former EPA official and now Executive Vice President at the National Wildlife Federation and Founder and CEO of Revitalization Strategies. He has been working toward solving historical injustices that target certain communities for class- and race-based discrimination putting them in the path of harm from toxic exposure, climate disruption, and industrial accidents. In this show we discuss Dr. Ali's history of working at the EPA and why he had to leave that position. We talk about the toxic train derailment in East Palestine, OH; the EPA regulation of forever chemicals in drinking water; and vehicle pollution standards. We also discuss how the EPA authority to regulate greenhouse gasses has been dialed back by a recent supreme court decision. Through his public advocacy, Dr. Ali shares his holistic approach to empowering and revitalizing vulnerable communities to secure environmental, health, and economic justice. And how all of us can use our talents to be part of the larger change while also curbing climate anxiety and burnout. LISTEN to the Extended Interview: https://www.patreon.com/posts/dr-mustafa-ali-83445663 Dr. Mustafa Santiago Ali is a thought leader, international speaker, policy maker, community liaison, trainer, and facilitator. Dr. Ali serves as the vice president of environmental justice, climate, and community revitalization for the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) [https://www.nwf.org/About-Us/Leadership/Mustafa-Santiago-Ali]. He is also the founder of Revitalization Strategies [https://www.mustafasantiagoali.com/about-mustafa/], a business focused on moving our most vulnerable communities from “surviving to thriving.” Before joining NWF, Dr. Ali was the Senior Vice President for the Hip Hop Caucus (HHC), a national nonprofit and nonpartisan organization that connects the Hip Hop community to the civic process. Prior to joining the HHC, Mustafa worked 22 years at the EPA and 2 years on Capitol Hill working for Congressman John Conyers, chairman of the Judiciary Committee. He began advocating on social justice issues at the age of 16 and joined the EPA as a student, becoming a founding member of the EPA's Office of Environmental Justice. Jessica Aldridge, Co-Host and Producer of EcoJustice Radio, is an environmental educator, community organizer, and 15-year waste industry leader. She is a co-founder of SoCal 350, organizer for ReusableLA, and founded Adventures in Waste. She is a former professor of Recycling and Resource Management at Santa Monica College, and an award recipient of the international 2021 Women in Sustainability Leadership and the 2016 inaugural Waste360, 40 Under 40. More Info/Resources: https://www.gq.com/story/mustafa-ali-epa-interview Podcast Website: http://ecojusticeradio.org/ Podcast Blog: https://www.wilderutopia.com/category/ecojustice-radio/ Support the Podcast: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=LBGXTRM292TFC&source=url Guest: Dr. Mustafa Santiago Ali Executive Producer: Jack Eidt Host and Producer: Jessica Aldridge Engineer and Original Music: Blake Quake Beats Episode 177
Jessica Aldridge, TRUE Advisor is the Director of Sustainability & Zero Waste Programs at Athens Services, she designs programs for the most challenging waste scenarios, consults with corporate brands, and advances Athens' environmental goals. She leads on Athens' organics and Zero Waste outreach and education programs and hosts/produces EcoJustice Radio an award-winning podcast and radio show (on KPFK Los Angeles and KPFT Houston), presenting environmental and climate stories from a social justice frame.
#94: Are you all composting at home? Well, you should be, because we're now kind of required to by law! California's landmark composting mandate went into effect in January of 2022. It states that all residents and businesses must separate “green waste” from other trash. To comply, LA developed a new composting program called “organics recycling,” but roll out has been complex, especially for multifamily residences. Today, How To LA and LAist's climate emergency reporter, Erin Stone, go to Park La Brea Apartments – the largest apartment complex on the West coast – to see how they're making composting happen for their renters. Guests: Aryn Thomez, VP of property management at Park La Brea Apartments; Jessica Aldridge, director of sustainability at Athens Services; Erin Stone, climate emergency reporter for LAist. Check out Erin's reporting on the roll out of the composting program. And check out Athens Services guides on properly composting and recycling.
Greenhouse gases from fossil fuels, such as carbon dioxide and methane, are warming the planet. This warming is then setting in motion ice and permafrost melting, release of more greenhouse gases, more heat and storms – these are feedback loops, which then feed upon themselves, as well as interact with each other and spiral further out of control. In this show, we sat down in 2022 with Susan Gray, Director and Bonnie Waltch, Senior Producer and writer of the five-part documentary series, “Climate Emergency: Feedback Loops.” [https://FeedBackLoopsClimate.com] Narrated by Richard Gere, this series of five short films features twelve leading climate scientists, who explore how human-caused emissions are triggering nature's own warming loops. We also learned why natural warming loops have scientists alarmed—and why they feel we have less time to correct climate disruption than previously thought. The series is subtitled in 23 languages and can be paired with an educational science curriculum for students in grades 6-12. The films can be viewed in full at https://FeedBackLoopsClimate.com For an extended version of this interview: https://www.patreon.com/posts/feedback-loops-64015141 Susan Gray is the award-winning director and co-writer of Climate Emergency: Feedback Loops, & Earth Emergency. She began her career as an environmental political activist and now makes documentary films about the pressing social issues of our times. Her films have been aired on major television networks around the world. Bonnie Waltch is a Boston-based freelance producer/director/writer for documentaries and museum exhibit media and the award-winning senior producer and writer of Climate Emergency: Feedback Loops, & Earth Emergency. Other recent work include a short film about super reefs for the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and media for the Pikes Peak Visitor Center in Colorado. Jessica Aldridge, Co-Host and Producer of EcoJustice Radio, is an environmental educator, community organizer, and 15-year waste industry leader. She is a co-founder of SoCal 350, organizer for ReusableLA, and founded Adventures in Waste. She is a former professor of Recycling and Resource Management at Santa Monica College, and an award recipient of the international 2021 Women in Sustainability Leadership and the 2016 inaugural Waste360, 40 Under 40. Resources/Articles: https://www.woodwellclimate.org/ WOODWELL CLIMATE RESEARCH CENTER; https://www.oneearth.org/who-we-fund/media-advocacy-grants/project-drawdown-100-solutions-to-reverse-global-warming/ PROJECT DRAWDOWN: 100 Solutions for Global Warming Podcast Website: http://ecojusticeradio.org/ Podcast Blog: https://wilderutopia.com/ecojustice-radio/feedback-loops-climate-changes-most-critical-dynamic/ Support the Podcast: Patreon https://www.patreon.com/ecojusticeradio PayPal https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=LBGXTRM292TFC&source=url Executive Producer: Jack Eidt Host and Producer: Jessica Aldridge Engineer and Original Music: Blake Quake Beats Episode 131
As house prices escalate, the concept of living in smaller homes has gone viral. Whether fixed to land or portable, the tiny house movement has swept across the US. Yet, what is the day-to-day reality of living the downsized life? Our guests this week, Lindsay Wood - The Tiny Home Lady [https://www.thetinyhomelady.com/] - and Teresa Bradley from Tiny Green Adventures [https://www.youtube.com/@tinygreenadventure3464], bring a dose of reality to the challenge, but also the splendor, of living simply with few belongings in a tiny home. Can you really save money by going tiny? Is it a net positive for the environment? And what about zero waste, is that possible? Are tiny homes the way to tackle the housing crisis across the United States? Tiny Homes, although lauded as a green way forward in a world covered in wasteful McMansions and debt enslaving rent payments, must overcome land and building regulations (that in many places) still consider this form of housing either illegal or difficult to approve. We go into all these points and more on this show. For an extended interview and other benefits, become an EcoJustice Radio patron at https://www.patreon.com/posts/tiny-home-lady-81679651 Lindsay Wood, "The Tiny Home Lady" [https://www.thetinyhomelady.com/] is on a mission to develop 100,000 Tiny Homes as attainable and affordable houses in California and across the US. Lindsay has been investing in Real Estate since 2015 and believes Tiny Homes are a solution to the housing and climate crisis. Lindsay consults and guides people dreaming of going Tiny through The GO TiNY! Academy, GO TiNY! Showcase and the GO TiNY! VIP Tours [https://www.youtube.com/@GOTINYTV] . Teresa Bradley is the founding Director of Race to Zero Waste [http://racetozerowaste.org] and lives with her partner, daughter and cat who all live a low waste lifestyle while traveling most of the year in a 24-foot Class C Motorhome. She and her partner travel for environmental project work throughout California and showcase their lifestyle on their Instagram & YouTube channel called Tiny Green Adventure [https://www.youtube.com/@tinygreenadventure3464] . Jessica Aldridge, Co-Host and Producer of EcoJustice Radio, is an environmental educator, community organizer, and 15-year waste industry leader. She is a co-founder of SoCal 350, organizer for ReusableLA, and founded Adventures in Waste. She is a former professor of Recycling and Resource Management at Santa Monica College, and an award recipient of the international 2021 Women in Sustainability Leadership and the 2016 inaugural Waste360, 40 Under 40. More Info/Resources: https://www.thetinyhomelady.com/press.html https://garageshedcarportbuilder.com/tiny-homes-a-big-idea/ Podcast Website: http://ecojusticeradio.org/ Podcast Blog: https://www.wilderutopia.com/category/ecojustice-radio/ Support the Podcast: Patreon https://www.patreon.com/ecojusticeradio PayPal https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=LBGXTRM292TFC&source=url Executive Producer: Jack Eidt Host and Producer: Jessica Aldridge Engineer and Original Music: Blake Quake Beats Episode 172 Photo credit: The Tiny Home Lady
In the coming decades, at least thirteen million coastal U.S. residents will have to pack their bags and move from their homes, rising sea levels and superstorms put lives at risk and cause billions of dollars in damages. In the popular tourist town of Charleston, South Carolina, climate denial, widespread gentrification, over development, and racial issues compound. The city, like so many other coastal regions across the world, has no workable plan to relocate its most vulnerable populations away from the path of harm. Harvard Law Professor and Author Susan Crawford tells the story of a city that has played a central role in this country's painful racial history since the early 1800s and now, as the waters rise, the city stands at the intersection of climate and race. In her book, 'Charleston: Race, Water, and the Coming Storm' [https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Charleston/Susan-Crawford/9781639363575 ], Susan Crawford puts out a well-researched call for climate adaptation and mitigation, guided by Black community leaders whom she documents with in-depth narratives. Some say a sea wall is the answer, others find the suggestion to be an expensive undertaking that falls short of impending climate predictions. So what would it mean to uproot an entire town due rising sea levels and flooding neighborhoods? In this show we discuss the issues Charleston and other similar cities face and how long term planning and respectful engagement and treatment of local communities of color can result in necessary solutions. BUY THE BOOK: https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1639363572?tag=simonsayscom For an extended interview and other benefits, become an EcoJustice Radio patron at https://www.patreon.com/posts/author-susan-on-80990896 Susan Crawford is the John A. Reilly Clinical Professor of Law at Harvard Law School and author of ‘Charleston: Race, Water, and the Coming Storm' [https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Charleston/Susan-Crawford/9781639363575 ]. She previously was Obama's special assistant to the president for science, technology, and innovation policy and co-led the FCC transition team between his and the Bush administrations. Earlier in her career, Crawford was a partner at Wilmer, Cutler & Pickering. As an academic, she teaches courses about climate adaptation and public leadership. Crawford is the author of several books, including Captive Audience: The Telecom Industry and Monopoly Power in the New Gilded Age and Fiber: The Coming Tech Revolution and Why America Might Miss It. Jessica Aldridge, Co-Host and Producer of EcoJustice Radio, is an environmental educator, community organizer, and 15-year waste industry leader. She is a co-founder of SoCal 350, organizer for ReusableLA, and founded Adventures in Waste. She is a former professor of Recycling and Resource Management at Santa Monica College, and an award recipient of the international 2021 Women in Sustainability Leadership and the 2016 inaugural Waste360, 40 Under 40. More Info/Resources: Coastal Flood Resilience Project: https://www.cfrp.info/ Podcast Website: http://ecojusticeradio.org/ Podcast Blog: https://www.wilderutopia.com/category/ecojustice-radio/ Support the Podcast: Patreon https://www.patreon.com/ecojusticeradio PayPal https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=LBGXTRM292TFC&source=url Executive Producer: Jack Eidt Host and Producer: Jessica Aldridge Engineer and Original Music: Blake Quake Beats Episode 170 Photo credit: Susan Crawford
Multiple banks have pledged to clean up their fossil fuel funding with net-zero carbon commitments, but they continue business-as-usual, pushing for profit by championing destructive projects responsible for driving climate chaos. The 2022 annual report, Banking on Climate Chaos [http://www.bankingonclimatechaos.org], revealed that fossil fuel financing from the worlds 60 largest banks has reached nearly $4.6 trillion in the six years since the adoption of the Paris Climate Agreement, with $742 billion in 2021 alone. On this show recorded in 2022, we delve into the Banking on Climate Chaos report with Ruth Breech from Rainforest Action Network [https://www.ran.org/], one of the organizations that authored the report. She discusses how these findings underscore the need for banks to immediately implement policies that end their financing for fossil fuel expansion. Moreover we highlight some of these projects causing climate chaos and the worldwide movement of communities coming together to demand that the financial sector get out of the oil and gas business altogether. We also feature special reports from Producer Jack Eidt on Liquified natural Gas expansions on the Louisiana Gulf Coast and the recently approved Willow drilling project on Alaska's North Slope. Listen to the extended version of the show: https://www.patreon.com/posts/banking-on-chaos-66503029 Ruth Breech is Senior Campaigner, of Rainforest Action Networks Climate and Energy team. She is responsible for organizing corporate accountability campaigns on financial institutions, supporting front line communities impacted by fossil fuels and climate change, partnering with Indigenous leaders and working with grassroots networks across the country to Defund Climate Chaos. Ruth brings 20 years of on-the-ground-work with environmental justice frontline communities. She is the recipient of the 2009 Healthy School Heroes Award for her leadership in relocating an elementary school in Ohio away from a plastics plant and its cancer causing emissions. She serves on the board of Crude Accountability International & Earth Guardians. Jessica Aldridge, Co-Host and Producer of EcoJustice Radio, is an environmental educator, community organizer, and 15-year waste industry leader. She is a co-founder of SoCal 350, organizer for ReusableLA, and founded Adventures in Waste. She is a former professor of Recycling and Resource Management at Santa Monica College, and an award recipient of the international 2021 Women in Sustainability Leadership and the 2016 inaugural Waste360, 40 Under 40. Podcast Website: http://ecojusticeradio.org/ Podcast Blog: https://wilderutopia.com/ecojustice-radio/banking-on-climate-chaos-the-fossil-fuel-finance-report/ Support the Podcast: Patreon https://www.patreon.com/ecojusticeradio PayPal https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=LBGXTRM292TFC&source=url Executive Producer: Jack Eidt Host and Producer: Jessica Aldridge Engineer and Original Music: Blake Quake Beats
We've been “saving the planet” for decades and environmental crises just continue to compound. All this Tesla driving, green-roofed corporate headquarters, and carbon trading seems to accomplish little to nothing — all while low-income communities of color continue to suffer the worst consequences. Jenny Price is an ardent advocate for increasing public environmental access, activism, and effectiveness in solving the myriad of challenges we face. She joined us in 2022 to talk about her latest book, 'Stop Saving the Planet, An Environmentalist Manifesto' [https://www.jennyjjprice.net/stop-saving-the-planet]. Its message is that environmental advocates must do better. She suggests a plan with 39 steps to get to cleaning up the toxic messes and rolling back climate change. Buy the Book: https://www.jennyjjprice.net/stop-saving-the-planet# Jenny Price is a writer and public artist, and a Research Fellow at the Sam Fox School at Washington University-St. Louis. She tells stories about the environment and public space, and deploys a wide variety of public arts and humanities formats to do so. Her writings include Stop Saving the Planet: An Environmentalist Manifesto (2021); Flight Maps: Adventures with Nature in Modern America; “Thirteen Ways of Seeing Nature in L.A.” and other essays; op-eds in the NY Times and LA Times; and her not-quite advice column “Green Me Up JJ.” She has created, co-created, and sometimes stumbled into public art projects to work for environmental justice, as well as to de-privatize essential public spaces. She has co-founded the LA Urban Rangers collective, led tours of the concrete LA River, designed the alternative Nature Trail in Laumeier Sculpture Park, co-launched the "What Are You Doing?! (stop saving the planet!)” video series, and co-created the popular Our Malibu Beaches mobile phone app. Jessica Aldridge, Co-Host and Producer of EcoJustice Radio, is an environmental educator, community organizer, and 15-year waste industry leader. She is a co-founder of SoCal 350, organizer for ReusableLA, and founded Adventures in Waste. She is a former professor of Recycling and Resource Management at Santa Monica College, and an award recipient of the international 2021 Women in Sustainability Leadership and the 2016 inaugural Waste360, 40 Under 40. Podcast Website: http://ecojusticeradio.org/ Podcast Blog: https://wilderutopia.com/ecojustice-radio/stop-saving-the-planet-an-environmentalist-manifesto-ep-125/ Support the Podcast: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=LBGXTRM292TFC&source=url Hosted by Jessica Aldridge Engineer and Original Music: Blake Quake Beats Executive Producer: Jack Eidt Episode 125 Photo credit: Igor Heifetz
The fashion industry contributes to roughly 10% of all global carbon emissions (releasing 1.2 billion tonnes of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere every year). It is also the world's second worst offender in terms of water and plastic pollution, seeing that the majority of our clothes are made from plastic and contribute to microplastic pollution. In this show, our guest Dr. Joanne Brasch, Special Projects Manager for California Product Stewardship Council, walks us through the current state of disposal, shares what prime solutions must exist, and how their organization and others are pushing on policies and legislation that will hold manufacturers accountable, create transparent industry practices, and address social and environmental justice concerns. It is estimated that 100 billion garments are produced each year, while 92 million tons end up in landfills. That is the equivalent of one trash truck full of clothes being dumped into the landfill every second. In 7 years, it is expected that the 92 million discarded tons will increase upwards of 148 million tons according to Fashion Revolution. In the United States, wasted clothing and textiles make up almost 8% of all landfill waste. Many times, textile waste isn't recycled due a complex web of issues from mixed material types to lack of sorting and processing infrastructure. Undesirable clothing donated to thrift stores or dropped off in parking lot collection bins could very well be disguised as second hand clothing that is exported to and dumped on other countries, such as Ghana, Kenya, Chile and more. A recent documentary revealed that 300m items of junk plastic clothing from around the world are dumped in Kenya every year. So what needs to happen to turn the tide on the textile dilemma? LISTEN TO THE EXTENDED INTERVIEW: https://www.patreon.com/posts/joanne-brasch-of-79723489 Dr. Joanne Brasch holds a PhD in Textile Economics and Environmental Analysis from the University of California, Davis, where she also received a Master's degree in Textile Science and a Bachelor's degree in International Agricultural Development. She currently works as Special Project Manager at the California Product Stewardship Council (CPSC) [https://www.calpsc.org/textilestewardship] and has worked for its national spinoff, the National Stewardship Action Council (NSAC). Dr. Brasch is appointed by the state agency CalRecycle to two advisory committees for carpet and mattress recycling where she serves as the chair on both. She made Waste360's 2021 “40 under 40” awardees list. Jessica Aldridge, Co-Host and Producer of EcoJustice Radio, is an environmental educator, community organizer, and 15-year waste industry leader. She is a co-founder of SoCal 350, organizer for ReusableLA, and founded Adventures in Waste. She is a former professor of Recycling and Resource Management at Santa Monica College, and an award recipient of the international 2021 Women in Sustainability Leadership and the 2016 inaugural Waste360, 40 Under 40. More Info/Resources: https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202320240SB707 Related Shows: Circular Fashion: Designing for Equity & Environment https://wilderutopia.com/ecojustice-radio/circular-fashion-designing-for-equity-environment/ The Steep Environmental and Social Costs of the Fashion Industry https://wilderutopia.com/ecojustice-radio/the-steep-environmental-and-social-costs-of-the-fashion-industry/ Podcast Website: http://ecojusticeradio.org/ Podcast Blog: https://www.wilderutopia.com/category/ecojustice-radio/ Support the Podcast: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=LBGXTRM292TFC&source=url Guest: Dr. Joanne Brasch Executive Producer: Jack Eidt Host and Producer: Jessica Aldridge Engineer and Original Music: Blake Quake Beats Episode 167
Jessica Aldridge is the Director of Sustainability & Zero Waste Programs at Athens Services, she designs programs for the most challenging waste scenarios, consults with corporate brands, and advances Athens' environmental goals. She leads on Athens' organics and Zero Waste outreach and education programs and hosts/produces EcoJustice Radio an award-winning podcast and radio show (on KPFK Los Angeles and KPFT Houston), presenting environmental and climate stories from a social justice frame.
Is a 100% clean, renewable energy future by the year 2050 possible? Our guest, Stanford Professor Mark Z. Jacobson proposes that the most efficient and socially and environmentally just way is to replace fossil fuels through a combined implementation of Wind, Water, and Solar energy solutions. Are these solutions perfect? No. However, when compared to other so-called energy solutions like nuclear, biofuel, biomass, waste to energy, and hydrogen (just to name a few) these three (Wind, Water-Geothermal, Solar) show significant promise. As our guest explains, real solutions must always be BOTH clean and renewable, rapidly deployable, low cost, and carry with them very few side effects. In this interview, Professor Jacobson responds to his detractors and also debunks some myths, while getting at the solutions. What about the intermittency of wind and solar? Is there enough battery storage? Are wind turbines dangerous to wildlife? What is the real cost of battery mining and disposal? Why don't small nuclear reactors make the cut and how are they dangerous even to global security? How do the proposed costs-benefits of these solutions pencil out when compared to other options and the fossil fuel industry? In his latest book, No Miracles Needed, How Today's Technology Can Save Our Climate and Clean Our Air, Professor Mark Z. Jacobson [https://web.stanford.edu/group/efmh/jacobson/] lays out a clear framework based on peer reviewed studies, and he does so in a way that is easy to understand. Professor Jacobson has developed computer models and roadmaps that illustrate how countries, states, cities, and towns can transition to 100% renewable energy for all their energy needs. He is a man with a clean energy plan, one with a stable and efficient grid that would provide reliable electricity at lower cost while creating new jobs. Mark Z. Jacobson is Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Stanford University, and Director of their Atmosphere/Energy Program. Jessica Aldridge, Co-Host and Producer of EcoJustice Radio, is an environmental educator, community organizer, and 15-year waste industry leader. She is a co-founder of SoCal 350, organizer for ReusableLA, and founded Adventures in Waste. She is a former professor of Recycling and Resource Management at Santa Monica College, and an award recipient of the international 2021 Women in Sustainability Leadership and the 2016 inaugural Waste360, 40 Under 40. More Info/Resources: Public course on 100% renewables: Clean, renewable energy & storage for a sustainable future: https://online.stanford.edu/courses/xeiet100-clean-renewable-energy-storage-sustainable-future New book: "No Miracles Needed": https://web.stanford.edu/group/efmh/jacobson/WWSNoMN/NoMiracles.html Stanford Solutions Project infographic map https://sites.google.com/stanford.edu/wws-roadmaps/home Related Shows: Podcast Website: http://ecojusticeradio.org/ Podcast Blog: https://www.wilderutopia.com/category/ecojustice-radio/ Support the Podcast: https://www.patreon.com/ecojusticeradio Guest: Mark Z. Jacobson Executive Producer: Jack Eidt Host and Producer: Jessica Aldridge Engineer and Original Music: Blake Quake Beats Episode 165
From the late 1800s to the early decades of the 1900s, African Americans started to occupy and steward recreational sites and public spaces throughout the United States, and thus challenged racial hierarchies while expressing Black identity on the social landscape. In her book, ‘Living The California Dream: African American Leisure Sites During The Jim Crow Era', our guest historian Alison Rose Jefferson [http://www.alisonrosejefferson.com] examines how African American leisure sites were a catalyst for economic individualism, political perspectives, and self confidence and broader sense of community for Black society. In our discussion, Alison demonstrates how Black communal practices and economic development around leisure confronted the politics of racial exclusion in recreational spaces. She shares with us some unique stories of these leisure sites, their rich history, and the influence they still have today. Listen to the extended interview - click here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/alison-rose-78372020 Alison Rose Jefferson is a community engaged independent historian and heritage conservation consultant. a third generation Californian, her research interests focus on United States history, the African American experience, historical memory, social justice, and cultural tourism. She is the author of the book, ‘Living The California Dream: African American Leisure Sites During The Jim Crow Era'. in her work she aims to engage broad audiences through applied history projects in the struggle for social justice. Jessica Aldridge, Co-Host and Producer of EcoJustice Radio, is an environmental educator, community organizer, and 15-year waste industry leader. She is a co-founder of SoCal 350, organizer for ReusableLA, and founded Adventures in Waste. She is a former professor of Recycling and Resource Management at Santa Monica College, and an award recipient of the international 2021 Women in Sustainability Leadership and the 2016 inaugural Waste360, 40 Under 40. More Info/Resources: Publications: https://alisonrosejefferson.com/about/publications/ Belmar History+Art Project: https://alisonrosejefferson.com/belmar-history-art-a-santa-monica-commemorative-justice-initiative-continues-rolling-out-2020-2021/ Thanks to Penny Elia and her tireless work on coastal access for all for inspiring this interview. Related Shows: Civil Rights History Conservation in Alabama: https://wilderutopia.com/ecojustice-radio/conserving-civil-rights-history-and-biological-diversity-in-alabama/ Black-Indigenous History in the US: https://wilderutopia.com/ecojustice-radio/intersection-of-black-and-indigenous-resistance-justice-in-the-united-states-ep-123/ Podcast Website: http://ecojusticeradio.org/ Podcast Blog: https://www.wilderutopia.com/category/ecojustice-radio/ Support the Podcast: https://www.patreon.com/ecojusticeradio Guest: Alison Rose Jefferson Executive Producer: Jack Eidt Host and Producer: Jessica Aldridge Engineer and Original Music: Blake Quake Beats Episode 163 Photo Credit: Alison Rose Jefferson
Fueled by influencers, celebrities, and a wellness community, white sage has become a hot commodity from body products to the infamous smudging sticks of bundled dry leaves. However, most people are unaware that most white sage is poached from the wild and sold on the black market. White sage, also known as salvia apiana, only grows naturally from Southern California to Baja Mexico where it is stolen from the wilds and sold all over the world in boutiques, big box stores, and online. But at what cost? White Sage is deeply rooted in the cultures and lifeways of Indigenous communities within its native range. Barbara Drake, a Tongva elder who passed away in 2020, called it a sacred grandmother plant, a relative. Our guest, Deborah Small, along with Rose Ramirez and the California Native Plant Society, have made the award-winning documentary Saging the World [https://www.cnps.org/conservation/white-sage]to raise awareness and call for action around the protection of white sage. Deborah Small [http://deborahsmall.wordpress.com/] is a gardener, artist, writer, and Professor Emerita in the School of Arts at CalState University San Marcos. She is co-writer of The Ethnobotany Project with Rose Ramirez, and Cooking the Native Way with the Chia Cafe Collective. She is Co-Director and Co-Producer of the Saging the World documentary and campaign. Jessica Aldridge, Co-Host and Producer of EcoJustice Radio, is an environmental educator, community organizer, and 15-year waste industry leader. She is a co-founder of SoCal 350, organizer for ReusableLA, and founded Adventures in Waste. She is a former professor of Recycling and Resource Management at Santa Monica College, and an award recipient of the international 2021 Women in Sustainability Leadership and the 2016 inaugural Waste360, 40 Under 40. More Info/Resources: Flora, the White Sage CNPS magazine issue: https://www.cnps.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Flora-v5n3-Spring-LR.pdf Saging the World Trailer: https://vimeo.com/694109001 “Saging the World” article: https://deborahsmall.wordpress.com/2020/07/30/saging-the-world/ Al Jazeera's 13 minute new video, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_KvbfczDQk Samantha Morales-Johnson, Gabrielino-Tongva https://www.instagram.com/native.illustrator/?hl=en and How Celebrities Are Causing a Black Market for White Sage https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_KvbfczDQk United Plant Savers Species At-Risk Downloadable List (includes White Sage as one of the at-risk plants) https://unitedplantsavers.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/22229-UpS-Species-At-Risk-List-2022-rev-7-22.pdf Related Shows: On Protecting the Joshua Tree and climate change in the desert https://wilderutopia.com/ecojustice-radio/climate-change-in-the-desert-with-ecologist-james-cornett/ Podcast Website: http://ecojusticeradio.org/ Podcast Blog: https://www.wilderutopia.com/category/ecojustice-radio/ Support the Podcast: https://www.patreon.com/ecojusticeradio Guest: Deborah Small Executive Producer: Jack Eidt Host and Producer: Jessica Aldridge Engineer and Original Music: Blake Quake Beats
Jessica Aldridge is the Director of Sustainability & Zero Waste Programs at Athens Services. She is a 15-year waste industry leader and long-time environmental steward having received the international 2021 Women in Sustainability Leadership award, the 2016 inaugural Waste360 award, and a 40 Under 40 designation. As the Director of Sustainability and Zero Waste Programs for Athens Services, she designs programs for the most challenging waste scenarios, consults with corporate brands, and advances Athens' environmental goals. She leads on Athens' organics and Zero Waste outreach and education programs and hosts/produces EcoJustice Radio an award-winning podcast and radio show (on KPFK Los Angeles and KPFT Houston), presenting environmental and climate stories from a social justice frame.
The fossil fuel industry has been promoting hydrogen as a reliable, low carbon, next-generation fuel to power cars, heat homes, and generate electricity. However, currently 99% of the annual supply of hydrogen comes from fracked methane gas. So will switching to hydrogen only lock us into continued fossil fuel use and additional investments in fossil fuel infrastructure? Proponents argue that when hydrogen is made using renewable power it can cut climate-warming industrial carbon pollution from the steel, oil, and agricultural industries. However, does hydrogen measure up when compared to powering our cars and homes with alternative renewable energy generated directly from wind and solar? Our guest, Ashley Kosak, Research and Project Management Fellow with FracTracker Alliance [https://www.fractracker.org/], and CEO of Green Aero [http://greenaero.org], will explain how hydrogen is generated, transported, stored, and burned; the environmental and social impacts; and what it means for the future of clean energy. For an extended interview, click here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/ashley-kosak-on-77020057 Ashley Kosak is a mechanical engineer who started her career as an engineer at SpaceX. She is an advocate for decarbonization for energy and aerospace, consumption reduction, and social advocacy. She now works with FracTracker Alliance to distill complex emerging technologies into a simple process that can be understood by anyone who wishes to be informed of shifts within the clean energy movement. Jessica Aldridge, Co-Host and Producer of EcoJustice Radio, is an environmental educator, community organizer, and 15-year waste industry leader. She is a co-founder of SoCal 350, organizer for ReusableLA, and founded Adventures in Waste. She is a former professor of Recycling and Resource Management at Santa Monica College, and an award recipient of the international 2021 Women in Sustainability Leadership and the 2016 inaugural Waste360, 40 Under 40. More Info/Resources: Greenwashing Hydrogen Webinar with Ashley: https://halttheharm.net/2022/12/greenwashing-hydrogen-understanding-the-climate-risks-of-blue-hydrogen/ Ashley on her time at SpaceX: https://www.lioness.co/post/at-spacex-we-re-told-we-can-change-the-world-just-don-t-try-to-stop-the-sexual-harassment Related Shows: On Building Decarbonization/Home Electrification: https://wilderutopia.com/ecojustice-radio/zerohouz-ditching-fossil-fuels-for-a-zero-emissions-home/ Podcast Website: http://ecojusticeradio.org/ Podcast Blog: https://www.wilderutopia.com/category/ecojustice-radio/ Support the Podcast: https://www.patreon.com/ecojusticeradio Guest: Ashley Kosak Executive Producer: Jack Eidt Host and Producer: Jessica Aldridge Engineer and Original Music: Blake Quake Beats
Devil's urine. That's what Dupont employees called PFAS. These toxic, human made forever chemicals are now in the blood of almost every human on the planet. They are found in drinking water around the world, even Antarctica. And they are used in a broad range of consumer products, like non-stick cookware, stain-resistant clothing, waterproof items, dental floss, and even medical masks. These are only a few examples of many. This group of toxic chemicals, perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), permanently concentrates in your body and the environment. You can't get rid of them. In fact, they bioaccumulate, meaning they get worse and worse. The public awareness from uncovering of the truth behind Dupont's misdeeds now contaminating much of the planet is tantamount to this generation's Silent Spring. Our guest Rob Bilott is very much a Rachel Carson sort of figure who has stood up to the chemical industry as the lead attorney to bring light to the dangers of PFAS and its many variations. He fought and won a 20+ year battle against Dupont for the poisoning of over 70,000 people in West Virginia and Ohio. His work was even captured in the 2019 feature film, Dark Waters where he was portrayed by Mark Ruffalo. In this interview from Summer 2022, we explore the history of PFAS, what exposure means, where it can be found, and what we can do. For an extended discussion, click here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/extended-with-on-70223811 Rob Bilott is a partner in the Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky offices of the law firm, Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP [https://www.taftlaw.com/people/robert-a-bilott], where he has practiced in the Environmental and Litigation Groups for over 31 years. During that time, Rob has handled and led some of the most novel and complex cases in the country involving damage from exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (“PFAS”), including the first individual, class action, mass tort, and multi-district litigation proceedings concerning the toxic chemical, recovering over $1 billion for impacted clients. In 2017, Rob received the Right Livelihood Award, known as the “Alternative Nobel Prize,” for his decades of work on behalf of those injured by PFAS chemical contamination. Rob is the author of the book, “Exposure: Poisoned Water, Corporate Greed, and One Lawyer's Twenty-Year Battle Against DuPont,” [https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Exposure/Robert-Bilott/9781501172823] and his story is the inspiration for the 2019 motion picture, “Dark Waters,” starring Mark Ruffalo. Rob's story and work is also featured in the documentary, “The Devil We Know.” Jessica Aldridge, Co-Host and Producer of EcoJustice Radio, is an environmental educator, community organizer, and 15-year waste industry leader. She is a co-founder of SoCal 350, organizer for ReusableLA, and founded Adventures in Waste. She is a former professor of Recycling and Resource Management at Santa Monica College, and an award recipient of the international 2021 Women in Sustainability Leadership and the 2016 inaugural Waste360, 40 Under 40. More Info: Book: Exposure: Poisoned Water, Corporate Greed, and One Lawyer's Twenty-Year Battle Against DuPont https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Exposure/Robert-Bilott/9781501172823 Feature Film: Dark Waters https://www.focusfeatures.com/dark-waters Documentary: The Devil We Know https://www.amazon.com/Devil-We-Know-Bucky-Bailey/dp/B07J35G3P4 Podcast Website: http://ecojusticeradio.org/ Podcast Blog: https://wilderutopia.com/ecojustice-radio/exposing-pfas-global-contamination-one-lawyers-battle-for-justice/ Support the Podcast: https://www.patreon.com/ecojusticeradio Guest: Rob Bilott Host and Producer: Jessica Aldridge Engineer and Original Music: Blake Quake Beats Executive Producer: Jack Eidt Episode 145
The proliferation of suburban sprawl, built where wildlife live and thrive, threatens the safety and genetic diversity of wild animals and plant species. Migrating wildlife of all shapes and sizes must contend with humans driving on the 4.8 million miles of roads in the US, facing the danger of colliding with vehicles. Aside from driving less, one strategy to mitigate these accidents has gained bipartisan acceptance: providing wildlife crossings that facilitate connectivity for a diverse group of species. Not all wildlife crossings are simple bridges or tunnels, and our guest Beth Pratt, California Regional Executive Director of National Wildlife Federation, has been championing for years what will become the world's largest urban wildlife crossing, planned for suburban Los Angeles. And she worked for years to support the most famous mountain lion ever, P-22, who had to be euthanized this month after he lost his long battle for survival navigating freeways and suburbia in the Los Angeles hills. Beth Pratt joined us earlier this year to discuss the importance of connectivity and wildlife crossings. She explained why they are an integral strategy in land and habitat conservation and why preserving biodiversity not only protects wildlife, but also all of us humans. LISTEN TO THE EXTE4NDED VERSION: https://www.patreon.com/posts/room-to-roam-of-62124923 Beth's Website: www.bethpratt.com/ Save LA Cougars: https://savelacougars.org/ Beth Pratt has worked in environmental leadership roles for more than twenty-five years, and in two of the biggest national parks: Yosemite and Yellowstone. As the California Regional Executive Director for the National Wildlife Federation, she leads the #SaveLACougars campaign to build the largest wildlife crossing in North America—and potentially the world—to help save a population of mountain lions from extinction. Her work has been featured by the New Yorker, the Wall Street Journal, BBC World Service, CBS This Morning, the Los Angeles Times, and NPR. She is the author of three books, the most recent, Yosemite Wildlife, will be released in 2023. Jessica Aldridge, Co-Host and Producer of EcoJustice Radio, is an environmental educator, community organizer, and 15-year waste industry leader. She is a co-founder of SoCal 350, organizer for ReusableLA, and founded Adventures in Waste. She is a former professor of Recycling and Resource Management at Santa Monica College, and an award recipient of the international 2021 Women in Sustainability Leadership and the 2016 inaugural Waste360, 40 Under 40. Podcast Website: http://ecojusticeradio.org/ Podcast Blog: https://www.wilderutopia.com/category/ecojustice-radio/ Support the Podcast: https://www.patreon.com/ecojusticeradio Guest: Beth Pratt Executive Producer: Jack Eidt Host and Producer: Jessica Aldridge Engineer and Original Music: Blake Quake Beats Episode 126
What would it take to transform a 100 year old house sitting near oil fields into the most sustainable clean energy zero-emissions house? That was the challenge our guest, architect Avideh Haghighi, took up with her personal project she named ZeroHouz [http://www.zerohouz.com]. We discuss the dangers of gas appliances inside homes and why people should consider replacing - and how to replace - their “natural” gas (or some people call it fossil gas) stove, furnace, air conditioning and water heater with electric appliances. We also look into why a transition to clean energy in your home or apartment is not a one-size-fits-all question and share tips on how to get started. Does Net Zero Energy have a Net Benefit for the climate and our personal health? What happens when our homes become a place for climate action and environmental responsibility by promoting energy efficiency and reducing carbon emissions. For the extended discussion, listen here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/zerohouz-with-75883321 Avideh Haghighi is a Registered Architect with a passion for transforming the built environment towards a net positive impact. She has a decade of experience and a diverse portfolio of work spanning public and private sectors, including the State's largest Net Zero Carbon building currently under construction. Recently she has turned her attention to the single family housing market, recognizing the need for resources and innovation to decarbonize the existing housing stock. She is applying her knowledge from designing and constructing zero energy commercial buildings to the all-electric deep green retrofit of a 99 year old house dubbed 'Zerohouz'. Jessica Aldridge, Co-Host and Producer of EcoJustice Radio, is an environmental educator, community organizer, and 15-year waste industry leader. She is a co-founder of SoCal 350, organizer for ReusableLA, and founded Adventures in Waste. She is a former professor of Recycling and Resource Management at Santa Monica College, and an award recipient of the international 2021 Women in Sustainability Leadership and the 2016 inaugural Waste360, 40 Under 40. More Info/Resources: https://switchison.org/ https://www.cleanenergyconnection.org/ https://www.redwoodenergy.net/research/a-pocket-guide-to-all-electric-retrofits-of-single-family-homes Find Oil Wells near You: https://maps.conservation.ca.gov/doggr/wellfinder/#openModal/-118.21152/33.77232/14 Podcast Website: http://ecojusticeradio.org/ Podcast Blog: https://www.wilderutopia.com/category/ecojustice-radio/ Support the Podcast: https://www.patreon.com/ecojusticeradio Guest: Avideh Haghighi Executive Producer: Jack Eidt Host and Producer: Jessica Aldridge Engineer and Original Music: Blake Quake Beats
The Gulf Coast of Louisiana and Texas face a petrochemical and fracked gas export boom. Super-heat-charged hurricanes strike almost every year. As a result, Black, Indigenous, People of Color, and Low-Income Communities, face an interrelated number of issues including environmental justice; voting suppression; and access to housing, healthcare, clean water, energy, and safe fresh produce, just to name a few. In this encore presentation, our guest, Roishetta Ozane, started the Vessel Project of Louisiana [https://www.vesselprojectoflouisiana.com/] to assist the most vulnerable communities by meeting their emergency needs in times of crisis. As an organizer for the nonprofit Healthy Gulf [https://healthygulf.org/team-member/20227/], her work includes stopping a rush of new fossil fuel facilities slated for the Southwest Louisiana region. If the fossil fuel companies get their way, 17 new Liquefied Natural Gas export terminals would be built nationwide, most of them in the Gulf of Mexico, which will guarantee more climate chaos for the entire planet. Roishetta's mix of building community, inspiring mutual aid, and organizing in solidarity with environmental justice leaders and regional and national nonprofits, brings hope to overcoming this managed chaos. For an extended interview with Roishetta, go here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/vessel-for-ep-69539449 Roishetta Sibley Ozane has over a decade of experience representing organizations as a community outreach specialist. Not only is she the founder, director and CEO of The Vessel Project of Louisiana, she is the Clean Energy Organizing Director with Healthy Gulf [https://healthygulf.org/] for the Southwest Louisiana and Southeast Texas region. Roishetta is also She Leads Fellow alum and Environmental Justice Coordinator for the Power Coalition for Equity and Justice [https://powercoalition.org/], where she empowers women of color to go out into their communities and make positive change. Jessica Aldridge, Co-Host and Producer of EcoJustice Radio, is an environmental educator, community organizer, and 15-year waste industry leader. She is a co-founder of SoCal 350, organizer for ReusableLA, and founded Adventures in Waste. She is a former professor of Recycling and Resource Management at Santa Monica College, and an award recipient of the international 2021 Women in Sustainability Leadership and the 2016 inaugural Waste360, 40 Under 40. Podcast Website: http://ecojusticeradio.org/ Podcast Blog: https://www.wilderutopia.com/category/ecojustice-radio/ Support the Podcast: https://www.patreon.com/ecojusticeradio Guest: Roishetta Ozane Host and Producer: Jessica Aldridge Engineer and Original Music: Blake Quake Beats Executive Producer: Jack Eidt Created by: Mark and JP Morris Episode 143 Photo Credit: Roishetta Ozane
Microplastics, small, micro sized plastic fragments are showing up in our water sources, rain, drinking water, and beverages like beer. It is in food, salt, and seafood. Moreover, it has recently been found in human breast milk, placentas, human lungs, and blood. One report indicated that blue whales are consuming 10 million pieces of microplastic particles a day. As plastic fragments, it continues to shed fibers smaller than a strand of human hair. Most the time we are unaware how and when this happens. Did you know, when you open a plastic cap on a bottle, you release 1000s of particles. But then there is also our clothing, roads, artificial turf, food packaging, tea bags, or plastic that comes in contact with friction, hot liquid, or hot food. Our guest Dr. Scott Coffin [https://scottcoff.in/] has been studying plastic since 2014. He is a toxicologist and Research Scientist at California State Water Resources Control Board speaks about how microplastics are entering our environment, what solutions are being put in place to assess risk and implement precautionary solutions, and how we might limit our own exposure. The biggest human body entry point for micro plastics isn't our water, food packaging, or clothing (which are still of great concern), it is the air we breathe. Plastics and their chemical additives can be toxic, of the more than 10,000 unique chemicals used in plastics, more than 2,400 are of potential concern, most of which are unregulated. So should we be worried about micro plastic in the environment and our bodies? What is the average level of human exposure? And is there enough evidence to prove that a health risk exists? Dr. Scott Coffin is a research scientist and subject-matter expert for microplastics at the California State Water Resources Control Board, where he leads the agency's efforts to monitor and manage microplastics pollution in drinking water and the environment. Dr. Coffin holds a PhD in environmental toxicology from the University of California, Riverside, and has been studying plastic's impacts on the environment since 2014. Jessica Aldridge, Co-Host and Producer of EcoJustice Radio, is an environmental educator, community organizer, and 15-year waste industry leader. She is a co-founder of SoCal 350, organizer for ReusableLA, and founded Adventures in Waste. She is a former professor of Recycling and Resource Management at Santa Monica College, and an award recipient of the international 2021 Women in Sustainability Leadership and the 2016 inaugural Waste360, 40 Under 40. For the extended discussion with Dr, Coffin, click here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/more-on-and-with-74660652 More Info: https://www.sccwrp.org/about/research-areas/additional-research-areas/trash-pollution/microplastics-health-effects-webinar-series/history-california-microplastics-legislation/ https://www.plastiverse.org/ https://www.springeropen.com/collections/sccwrp Related Show: The EcoJustice Radio Plastic Plague Series: https://wilderutopia.com/ecojustice-radio/the-future-solutions-policy-resistance-around-plastic-plastic-plague-pt-7/ Podcast Website: http://ecojusticeradio.org/ Podcast Blog: https://www.wilderutopia.com/category/ecojustice-radio/ Support the Podcast: https://www.patreon.com/ecojusticeradio Guest: Dr. Scott Coffin Executive Producer: Jack Eidt Host and Producer: Jessica Aldridge Engineer and Original Music: Blake Quake Beats
Just as we analyze the impacts of our food and energy use, equally important is understanding from where our clothes originate, their environmental and social impacts, and how to dispose of them in an environmentally responsible manner. According to a 2017 Ellen MacArthur Foundation report, every second on this planet, the equivalent of a garbage truck full of clothing and textiles is landfilled or burned. On this show we interview Karri Ann Frerichs, CEO and Founder of Circular Fashion LA [http://www.circularfashionla.com/] whose mission is to give new life and add more value to clothing and to help customers keep loving the clothes they already own for much longer. Circular fashion moves away from single use products and services that don't reflect the true cost of an item; spoiler there is no such thing as a truly $10 t-shirt. Circular fashion is a system where the design of our clothing and personal belongings considers both the production of an item and the end of its life as of equal importance. It rethinks the linear “take-make-dispose” model and instead asks the industry to prioritize responsible materials, manufacturing, labor, use, and end-of-life for every garment. Karri Ann Frerichs has been a fashion industry entrepreneur and innovator since 2008, working in retail management, wholesale distribution, brand development and apparel manufacturing, with a focus on zero-waste, regenerative product development. She has taught the Business of Fashion to university students since 2010 and in her current position at Woodbury University, has also spearheaded the addition of Circular Economy curriculum since 2019. In 2020, she became an Ellen MacArthur Foundation Circular Economy Pioneer and mentor to the From Linear to Circular Programme, and also launched the Los Angeles Chapter of the Circular Economy Club. Jessica Aldridge, Co-Host and Producer of EcoJustice Radio, is an environmental educator, community organizer, and 15-year waste industry leader. She is a co-founder of SoCal 350, organizer for ReusableLA, and founded Adventures in Waste. She is a former professor of Recycling and Resource Management at Santa Monica College, and an award recipient of the international 2021 Women in Sustainability Leadership and the 2016 inaugural Waste360, 40 Under 40. More Info: http://laincubator.org/startups Related Show: https://wilderutopia.com/ecojustice-radio/the-steep-environmental-and-social-costs-of-the-fashion-industry/ Podcast Website: http://ecojusticeradio.org/ Podcast Blog: https://www.wilderutopia.com/category/ecojustice-radio/ Support the Podcast: https://www.patreon.com/ecojusticeradio Guest: Kari Ann Frerichs CEO and Founder of Circular Fashion LA, A Social Purpose Corporation. Executive Producer: Jack Eidt Host and Producer: Jessica Aldridge Engineer and Original Music: Blake Quake Beats Board Operator: J.P. Morris
The poetry of Matt Sedillo [https://www.mattsedillo.com/] -- a fearless, challenging and at times even confrontational blend of humor, history and political theory -- is at times a shot in the arm of pure revolutionary adrenaline. It also is a sobering call for the fundamental restructuring of society in the interest of people not profits. Passionate, analytical, humorous and above all sincere, Matt's poetry revolution is a clarion call for those who know a new world is not only possible but inevitable. Matt Sedillo has been described in ROAR Magazine as one of the most important working-class intellectuals of our time. On this encore presentation, Matt discusses his latest book, City on the Second Floor, published by Flowersong Press [https://www.flowersongpress.com/store/poetry]. He is a Poet and Writer in Residence at Re Arte and also author of 'Mowing Leaves of Grass'. Author Paul Ortiz wrote "Matt Sedillo's poetic work is full of history, struggle, tragedy, anger, joy, despair, possibility and faith in the struggles of working class people to overcome the forces of capitalism and racism. Matt Sedillo also has been called the "best political poet in America" as well as "the poet laureate of the struggle" by academics, poets, and journalists alike. He has appeared on CSPAN and has been featured in the Los Angeles Times, among other publications. Jessica Aldridge, Co-Host and Producer of EcoJustice Radio, is an environmental educator, community organizer, and 15-year waste industry leader. She is a co-founder of SoCal 350, organizer for ReusableLA, and founded Adventures in Waste. She is a former professor of Recycling and Resource Management at Santa Monica College, and an award recipient of the international 2021 Women in Sustainability Leadership and the 2016 inaugural Waste360, 40 Under 40. Listen to the Extended Version: https://www.patreon.com/posts/poetry-and-with-73402113 He is also a returning guest of EcoJustice Radio; check out episode 105 where he and fellow poet Awa Ndiaye discuss Spoken Word: Challenging Mainstream Discourse on Climate. https://wilderutopia.com/ecojustice-radio/spoken-word-challenging-mainstream-discourse-on-climate/ To buy Matt Sedillo's latest book, 'City on the Second Floor': https://www.amazon.com/City-Second-Floor-Matt-Sedillo/dp/1953447899 Podcast Website: http://ecojusticeradio.org/ Podcast Blog: https://www.wilderutopia.com/category/ecojustice-radio/ Support the Podcast: https://www.patreon.com/ecojusticeradio Executive Producer: Jack Eidt Host and Producer: Jessica Aldridge Engineer and Original Music: Blake Quake Beats Episode 129 Image: Matt Sedillo
On this show we explore the world of Shelterwood Collective [http://www.shelterwoodcollective.org], a Black, Indigenous, and LGBTQ-led community forest and retreat center that seeks to heal people and ecosystems through active stewardship and community engagement. Recently they took on the role of stewards for 900 acres of forest in Sonoma County, California, on Unceded Kashaya and Southern Pomo territory. Our guest is Layel Camargo, Co Founder & Co Executive Director of Shelterwood Collective. We explore what it means and why it is important to heal self and environment through land management, shaping culture change, and narrative shifting (also sought by story telling). Shelterwood Collective believes that ecosystem health can only be achieved by communities who are in deep relationship with the Earth and with one another. The work of Shelterwood Collective extends beyond the forest edge through training & programming focused on antiracism, decolonizing conservation, inspiring resilient leadership, promoting artistic expression, and community health. For the extended interview, click here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/extended-with-72808679 Layel Camargo is a non binary and trans person uses they/them pronouns . They are an indigenous descendant of the Yaqui and Yoeme tribes of the Sonoran Desert. Co founder and co executive director of Shelterwood Collective, a land stewardship project building a retreat center and artist residency. In the last 10 years they have been a champion of Zero Waste, veganism, and a cultural organizer and producer for podcasts such as 'Did We Go Too Far?' & 'Climate Woke'. In 2020 they were named on the Grist Fixers List of Climate Activists to follow. Jessica Aldridge, Co-Host and Producer of EcoJustice Radio, is an environmental educator, community organizer, and 15-year waste industry leader. She is a co-founder of SoCal 350, organizer for ReusableLA, and founded Adventures in Waste. She is a former professor of Recycling and Resource Management at Santa Monica College, and an award recipient of the international 2021 Women in Sustainability Leadership and the 2016 inaugural Waste360, 40 Under 40. More Info: Grist: https://grist.org/fix/arts-culture/2021-intersectional-future-for-the-climate-movement/ Cultural Power: https://www.culturalpower.org/stories/trail-ahead-layel-camargo/ Podcast Website: http://ecojusticeradio.org/ Podcast Blog: https://wilderutopia.com/ecojustice-radio/reclaiming-land-culture-narrative-through-black-indigenous-queer-stewardship/ Support the Podcast: https://www.patreon.com/ecojusticeradio Guest: Layel Camargo Host and Producer: Jessica Aldridge Engineer and Original Music: Blake Quake Beats Executive Producer: Jack Eidt
The Gulf Coast of Louisiana and Texas face a petrochemical and fracked gas export boom. Super-heat-charged hurricanes strike almost every year. As a result, Black, Indigenous, People of Color, and Low-Income Communities, face an interrelated number of issues including environmental justice; voting suppression; and access to housing, healthcare, clean water, energy, and safe fresh produce, just to name a few. Our guest, Roishetta Ozane, started the Vessel Project of Louisiana [https://www.vesselprojectoflouisiana.com/] to assist the most vulnerable communities by meeting their emergency needs in times of crisis. As an organizer for the nonprofit Healthy Gulf [https://healthygulf.org/team-member/20227/], her work includes stopping a rush of new fossil fuel facilities slated for the Southwest Louisiana region. If the fossil fuel companies get their way, 17 new Liquefied Natural Gas export terminals would be built nationwide, most of them in the Gulf of Mexico, which will guarantee more climate chaos for the entire planet. Roishetta's mix of building community, inspiring mutual aid, and organizing in solidarity with environmental justice leaders and regional and national nonprofits, brings hope to overcoming this managed chaos. Roishetta Sibley Ozane has over a decade of experience representing organizations as a community outreach specialist. Not only is she the founder, director and CEO of The Vessel Project of Louisiana, she is the Clean Energy Organizing Director with Healthy Gulf [https://healthygulf.org/] for the Southwest Louisiana and Southeast Texas region. Roishetta is also She Leads Fellow alum and Environmental Justice Coordinator for the Power Coalition for Equity and Justice [https://powercoalition.org/], where she empowers women of color to go out into their communities and make positive change. Jessica Aldridge, Co-Host and Producer of EcoJustice Radio, is an environmental educator, community organizer, and 15-year waste industry leader. She is a co-founder of SoCal 350, organizer for ReusableLA, and founded Adventures in Waste. She is a former professor of Recycling and Resource Management at Santa Monica College, and an award recipient of the international 2021 Women in Sustainability Leadership and the 2016 inaugural Waste360, 40 Under 40. For an extended version of this interview and other benefits, become an EcoJustice Radio patron at https://www.patreon.com/ecojusticeradio Check out our related interview with activist John Beard on Port Arthur, Texas: https://wilderutopia.com/ecojustice-radio/port-arthur-texas-community-resistance-vs-the-climate-change-nexus/ More Info: https://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/2021-6-winter/feature/halting-gas-export-boom https://lailluminator.com/2022/07/12/as-peak-hurricane-season-looms-banks-bolster-cozy-relationship-with-fossil-fuel-industry/ Podcast Website: http://ecojusticeradio.org/ Podcast Blog: https://www.wilderutopia.com/category/ecojustice-radio/ Support the Podcast: https://www.patreon.com/ecojusticeradio Guest: Roishetta Ozane Host and Producer: Jessica Aldridge Engineer and Original Music: Blake Quake Beats Executive Producer: Jack Eidt Created by: Mark and JP Morris Episode 143 Photo Credit: Roishetta Ozane
The act of composting ensures that food scraps and green waste are never wasted, but returned to enrich the soil. It sequesters carbon, and helps to minimize greenhouse gas emissions from landfills. Furthermore, it also enriches the community, creating cooperative human networks, inclusive spaces, and green jobs. Our guest Michael Martinez, Founder and Executive Director of LA Compost [http://www.lacompost.org], illustrates how composting should and can be available to everyone (no matter if you are in an apartment or single family home). We explore how his organization has grown a successful urban composting model by developing spaces and collaborations with a wide variety of partners including the community, nonprofits, business, and city departments. For an extended version of this interview and other benefits, become an EcoJustice Radio patron at https://www.patreon.com/posts/soulful-to-urban-68931890 LA Compost cultivates community through their extensive network of accessible compost hubs including food-scrap drop-off locations and urban composting sites. They have even set up infrastructure at Griffith Park, one of the largest urban parks in North America. Composting is an act of social justice; supporting food security and localized food systems. This, in turn, improves the environment by implementing restorative practices, which can mitigate negative health impacts and empower communities. Michael Martinez, Founder and Executive Director of LA Compost - Michael is a former elementary school teacher, a father of two, and the Founder and Executive Director of LA Compost. Michael has grown LA Compost from a group of volunteers collecting organics using bikes, to a decentralized network of community compost hubs that span the most populated county in the country. LA Compost now oversees over 40 compost hubs, all in partnership with existing communities, nonprofits, and organizations committed to healthy ecosystems , while also honoring the community's perspective, lived experience, and leadership. Jessica Aldridge, Co-Host and Producer of EcoJustice Radio, is an environmental educator, community organizer, and 15-year waste industry leader. She is a co-founder of SoCal 350, organizer for ReusableLA, and founded Adventures in Waste. She is a former professor of Recycling and Resource Management at Santa Monica College, and an award recipient of the international 2021 Women in Sustainability Leadership and the 2016 inaugural Waste360, 40 Under 40. Podcast Website: http://ecojusticeradio.org/ Podcast Blog: https://www.wilderutopia.com/category/ecojustice-radio/ Support the Podcast: https://www.patreon.com/ecojusticeradio Guest: Michael Martinez Host and Producer: Jessica Aldridge Engineer and Original Music: Blake Quake Beats Executive Producer: Jack Eidt Created by: Mark and JP Morris Episode 141 Photo Credit: LA Compost
This week we look into the truth about compostable foodservice and packaging with Erin Levine, Resource Recovery Manager at World Centric [https://www.worldcentric.com/]. We delve into environmental concerns, what is actually biodegradable, how fossil fuel dependence fits into the game, and whether we should focus instead on reusable cups, bags, flatware, etc. We also talk about organics waste, which includes yard waste and plant trimmings, food scraps, and food soiled paper. At approx. 40%, organic matter is the largest contributor of material in the landfill. Waste food makes up around 20%. When this material starts to slowly decompose it creates the 3rd largest source of human related methane emissions in the USA according to the EPA. Methane is a climate super pollutant up to 84 times more potent than carbon dioxide. Diverting wasted organics away from landfills and into systems like compost can not only reduce methane emissions, it supports healthier soils, stronger plants, and cleaner air through carbon sequestration. Composting is a climate oriented solution that we need and can enact immediately. That being said, business and public participation in accurately separating organic waste so that it can be composted is key to collecting and processing this material, especially wasted food. So by using compostable foodware can we divert more food from landfill, reduce ghg emissions, and lessen the consumption of single use plastics? *Erin Levine is the Resource Recovery Manager at World Centric, manufacturer of compostable products. Erin has been involved with resource recovery for 18 years and in the last decade has focused specifically on the sales and marketing of finished compost. She has supported commercial compost facilities throughout the West Coast and has worked closely with the end users of compost, particularly the agricultural industry. Erin is a Certified Composting Professional through the US Composting Council and a Certified Compost Programs Manager through the Solid Waste Authority of North America. *Jessica Aldridge, Co-Host and Producer of EcoJustice Radio, is an environmental educator, community organizer, and 15-year waste industry leader. She is a co-founder of SoCal 350, organizer for ReusableLA, and founded Adventures in Waste. She is a former professor of Recycling and Resource Management at Santa Monica College, and an award recipient of the international 2021 Women in Sustainability Leadership and the 2016 inaugural Waste360, 40 Under 40. Podcast Website: http://ecojusticeradio.org/ Podcast Blog: https://www.wilderutopia.com/category/ecojustice-radio/ Support the Podcast: https://www.patreon.com/ecojusticeradio Guest: Erin Levine, Resource Recovery Manager at World Centric. Host and Producer: Jessica Aldridge Engineer and Original Music: Blake Quake Beats Executive Producer: Jack Eidt Created by: Mark and JP Morris Episode 139 Photo Credit: Down2EarthMaterials.ie
Each US resident creates an average of 4.5 to 4.9 pounds of trash per day. For many, once it's in the garbage can, it's out of sight, out of mind. However, what if we lived our daily lives walking around with the waste we created? Not throwing it into a trash or recycling can, but having to carry our waste with us wherever we go. Would this change our perception? For 30 days, Environmental Activist Rob Greenfield [http://robgreenfield.org/] has been doing just that, wearing a suit that holds the waste he creates on a daily basis. He has set out to walk the streets in his suit to bring awareness to the amount of trash people create and inspire others to reduce, reuse, repair, refill, recycle, and of course, let the food scraps rot. His message is also one of rethinking – change the system that has made plastic ubiquitous and also encourages a throw away mentality. Rob has become a social media sensation by undertaking living experiments to inspire people to live sustainably and take personal and collective responsibility in solving environmental challenges. He has documented his bike rides across the US and South America; built and lived for years in tiny houses in San Diego, CA and Orlando, FL; and subsisted for a year growing his own food. Rob Greenfield is an activist and humanitarian dedicated to leading the way to a more sustainable and just world. He embarks on extreme projects to bring attention to important global issues and inspire positive change. In a time when many feel disempowered, he believes that our actions really do matter and that as individuals and communities we have the power to improve the world around us. He is wearing the 30 days of his trash to bring awareness to the amount of waste created on a daily basis. Jessica Aldridge, co-host of EcoJustice Radio, is an environmental educator, community organizer, and waste industry leader. She is a co-founder of SoCal 350, organizer for ReusableLA, and founded Adventures in Waste. She has worked for 15 years as a Zero Waste professional, a former professor of Recycling and Resource Management at Santa Monica College, and is a recipient of the inaugural Waste Expo 40 Under 40 award. Podcast Website: http://ecojusticeradio.org/ Podcast Blog: https://www.wilderutopia.com/category/ecojustice-radio/ Support the Podcast - Become a Patron: https://www.patreon.com/ecojusticeradio Host and Producer: Jessica Aldridge Engineer and Original Music: Blake Quake Beats Executive Producer: Jack Eidt Created by: Mark and JP Morris Episode 136 Photo credit: Jack Eidt
Hello Gintalkers on today's episode: We are live from the 2nd Annual BBU's (Black Businesses United) Block Party that was held in Columbus, GA. We are on scene doing live interviews with some of the Tri-City best business owners. We have interviews from Tasha Magana owner of Doris' Daughter Private Chef and catering, Shana Rutledge owner of Savory Sips and Tipsytails. Also we on spot interviews with Mr Davian Chester of Real Toons. And Mr Bronson McBride of B Good Clothing Company and Mrs Natasha McBride of Ethereal Glow. And a very power interview with Ashley Harris from Teen Resource 5 a nonprofit organization out of Columbus, GA. We would like to thank BBU's President Jessica Aldridge and Vice President Christian Reliford for inviting us out to this amazing event. We hope you all enjoy this episode
On this week's episode of GinTalk we are joined by The President of Black Businesses United (BBU) Jessica Aldridge of Columbus, Ga we discuss her nonprofit Organization Black Business United (BBU) and their mission to unify black businesses across the Tri-City area. Thinking big and putting goals into action. And the overall mission to take the organization global. We also discuss her amazing board of directors: Jessica Aldridge- BBU, KGLOW SKINCARE, & 0508Solutions Sharena Smith, licensed esthetician- Snatched Beauty Christian Reliford- Trap n' Healthy Kito Perry- Perry Residential Solutions Terri Eaddy- FaceTime Terri Jennifer Frazier- SoGorgeouslyFit Ehren Robinson- Sumo's Printing Kaylana Norris- Royal Mama Kymia Haywood- Mama Mia Bronson McBride- B GOOD CLOTHING Kurstyn Jolly- Jolly Girl Curls Brandy Kennedy- The Brandy K Shanell Johnson- Mocha Madame Cathy Carter- Pump It Up With Poe Danielle Patterson- Divine Taste & Sweets Gary Jackson- Fourann Life Photography And we also discuss her others businesses. We discuss the power of manifestation and talking your goals and dreams into existence. And on the second part is the Club scene dead or have we changed? We want to thank everyone for listening and the supporting us you guys are the best!!!
The President of Black Businesses United Jessica Aldridge stops by to enlighten us about the power of unity, business, entrepreneurship, and more!
© 2020-2025 Ivy Podcast Discovery LLC
