Podcasts about us environmental protection agency

This week we talk about the NHTSA, CAFE standards, and energy efficiency.We also discuss incentive programs, waste heat, and the EPA.Recommended Book: Africa Is Not a Country by Dipo FaloyinTranscriptIn the United States, fuel-efficiency laws for vehicles sold on the US market are set by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, or NHTSA. They set the Corporate Average Fuel Economy, or CAFE standards by which vehicle-makers have to abide, and that, in turn, establishes the minimum standards for companies like Ford or Toyota making vehicles for this market.That CAFE standard is paired with another guideline set by the Environmental Protection Agency that sets standards related to tailpipe emissions. The former says how many miles a vehicle should be able to travel on a gallon of fuel, while the latter says how much CO2, methane, and other pollutants can be legally emitted as that fuel is burnt and those miles are traversed.These two standards address different angles of this issue, but work together to, over time, reduce the amount of fuel consumed to do the same work, and pollution created as that work is accomplished; as a result, if you're traveling 50 miles today and driving a modern car in the US, you'll consume a lot less fuel than you would have traveling the same distance in a period-appropriate car twenty years ago.Back in the final year of the Biden administration, the president was criticized for not pushing for more stringent fuel-efficiency standards for US-sold and driven vehicles. The fuel economy requirements were increased by 2% per year for model years 2027 to 2031 for passenger cars, and the same 2% per year requirement will be applied to SUVs and other light trucks for model years 2029 to 2031.This is significantly lower than a previously proposed efficiency requirement, which would have seen new vehicles averaging about 43.5 mpg by model year 2032—an efficiency gain of 18%. And the explanation at the time was that Biden really wanted to incentivize carmakers to shift to EVs, and if they weren't spending their time and resources on fuel-efficiency tech deployment for their gas-guzzlers, which Biden hoped to start phasing out, they could spend more on refining their EV offerings, which were already falling far behind China's EV models.Biden wanted half of all new vehicles sold in the US by 2030 to be electric, so the theory was that fuel-efficiency standards were the previous war, and he wanted to fight the next one.Even those watered-down standards were estimated to keep almost 70 billion gallons of gasoline from being consumed through the year 2050, which in turn would reduce US driver emissions by more than 710 million metric tons of CO2 by that same year. They were also expected to save US drivers something like $600 in gas costs over the lifetime of each vehicle they own.Since current president Trump returned to office, however, all of these rules and standards have come into question. Just as when he was president the first time around, rolling back a bunch of Obama-era fuel-efficiency standards—which if implemented as planned would have ensured US-sold vehicles averaged 46.7 mpg by 2026, so better than we were expected to get by 2032 under Biden's revised minimum—just as he did back then, Trump is targeting these new, Biden standards, while also doing away with a lot of the incentives introduced by the Biden administration meant to make EVs cheaper and more appealing to consumers, and easier to make and sell for car companies.What I'd like to talk about today is another standard, this one far less politicized and widely popular within the US and beyond, that is also being targeted by the second Trump administration, and what might happen if it goes away.—In 1992, the US Environmental Protection Agency, under the endorsement of then-president George HW Bush, launched the Energy Star program: a voluntary labeling program that allowed manufacturers of various types of products to affix a little blue label that says Energy Star on their product, boxes, and/or advertising if their product met the efficiency standards set by this program.So it's a bit like if those aforementioned fuel-efficiency standards set for vehicles weren't required, and instead, if your car met the minimum standards, you could slap a little sticker on the car that said it was more energy efficient than cars without said sticker.A low bar to leap, and one that wasn't considered to be that big a deal, either in terms of being cumbersome for product-makers, or in terms of accomplishing much of anything.Energy Star standards were initially developed for the then-burgeoning field of personal computers and accessories, but in 1995 things really took off, when the program was expanded to include heating and cooling infrastructure, alongside other components for housing and other buildings.From there, new product categories were added on a semi-regular basis, and the government agency folks running the program continued to deploy more technical support and testing tools, making it easier and easier for companies wanting to adhere to these standards to do so, relatively easily and inexpensively.And to provide a sense of what was required to meet Energy Star standards in the days when they were really beginning to take off and become popular, in the early 2000s, refrigerators needed to be about 20% more efficient, in terms of electricity consumption, than the minimum legal standard for such things, while dishwashers needed to be 41% more efficient. Computers around that time, more specifically in 2008, were required to have an 85% efficiency at half load and something close to that at 20% and 100% power load—which basically means it they needed to use most of the energy they drew, and release less of it as waste-heat, which was a big issue for desktop computers at the time.Energy Star TVs had to use 30% less energy than average, with more modern versions of the standard requiring they draw 3 watts or less while in standby mode, and a slew of 90s and early 2000s-era technologies, like VCRs and cordless home phones were required to use something like 90% less electricity than the average at the time.This standard helped push the development of more energy efficient everything, as it was a selling point for companies making things for real estate developers, in particular. Energy-hogs like light fixtures, which cost a fortune to power if you're thinking in terms of skyscrapers or just building a bunch of houses, became far more energy efficient after the folks in charge of buying the lighting for these projects were able to eyeball options and use the Energy Star label as a shorthand indication that the cost of operation for those goods would be far less, over time, than their competition; it was kind of pointless to buy anything else in many cases, because why would you want to spend all that extra money over time buying less-efficient fluorescent lights for your office buildings, especially now that it was so easy to see, at a glance, which ones were best in this regard?And the same general consensus arrived on the consumer market not long after, as qualified lighting was something like 75% more efficient than non-qualified, legal-minimum-meeting lighting, and Energy Star verified homes were something like 20% cheaper to own.It was estimated that US homeowners living in Energy Star certified homes saved around $360 million on their energy bills in 2016, alone, and another estimate suggests that US citizens, overall, have saved about half a trillion dollars over the past 33 years as a result of the program and the efficiency standards it encourages.So this is a relatively lightweight program that's optional, and which basically just rewards companies willing to put more efficient products on the market. They can use the little label if they live up to these standards, and that tells customers that this stuff will use less energy than other, comparable products, which in turn saves those customers money over time, and puts less strain on the US electrical grid.This program, consequently, has been very popular, for customers, for the companies making these products—because by jumping through a few hoops, they can get some of their products certified, and that gives them a competitive advantage over companies that don't do the same, and especially over companies selling cheaper goods from overseas, which tend to be a lot less efficient because of that cheapness—and it's been popular for politicians across the political spectrum, because people who buy things and pay energy bills vote those politicians into office, and companies that make such goods hire lobbyists to influence their decisions.All of which brings us to today, mid-May of 2025, a point at which the second Trump administration seems to be considering possibly getting rid of the Energy Star certification program.Initial reports on the matter are seemingly well-sourced, but anonymous, as is the case with a lot of White House briefs right now, so some of this should be taken with a grain of salt, because of how it's being reported and because this administration has flip-flopped a whole lot already, and on things much bigger and more prominent than this, since returning to office, so this could just go away after being reported upon, even if they actually intended to do it before that pushback.But what seems to have happened is this:In January of 2025, after returning to the White House, Trump's administration put a big Trump supporter and Republican politician, Lee Zelden, in charge of the Environmental Protection Agency.Zelden publicly holds a lot of standard Republican talking points, including what's often called skepticism about climate science and vehement support of oil drilling, including fracking. He did say that climate change is a real issue that needs to be addressed during his EPA head confirmation hearing, however.Under Trump's second administration, many government agencies have been either completely done away with, or wiped out, in terms of funding and staff, so that they're basically just zombie agencies at this point, and the EPA is an agency that Trump has historically not been a big fan of, and which he seems to be trying to rewire toward deregulation: so regulations like fuel efficiency standards are not good according to some strains of usually more conservative politics, and for some business owners, because these are additional rules they have to legally abide by, which costs them money.And back in March of 2025 Zelden announced that the EPA would be pulling back on regulations related to power plants, would incentivize rather than disincentivize the production of oil and gas, would do away with a bunch of pollution-related standards, especially those related to coal power plants and how much pollution they can emit, and many other similar things, which—to shorthand all this—may be somewhat popular if you think climate change concerns are overblown and that it's more important to keep coal mines operational than to keep streams and rivers clean, but which will generally look really, really bad if you're any kind of environmentalist and/or are concerned about climate change.The government also recently cut the EPA's budget by 54.5%, dropping said budget back to where it was when Ronald Reagan was president. This cut, along with cuts to other agencies responsible for tracking dangerous weather, saving sea turtles, and keeping US National Parks clean and functional, will, according to the government, save US taxpayers $163 billion.According to reports from a recent all-hands meeting of the EPA's Office of Atmospheric Protection, Trump administration officials announced that that office would be dissolved, and that the Energy Star program would be eliminated.Now, there's a chance that this is just the result of the administration's at times seemingly blind cutting of budgets, backtracking only when there's sufficient pushback, and there's a chance this is a continuation of a political moment a few years back when the Biden administration was considering doing away with Energy Star certification for gas ranges, the idea being that if it uses gas instead of electricity, it's part of the problem, even if it's more efficient than other ranges.Republican politicians responded to lobbying efforts from the US gas industry and stirred that up into a big frenzy, to the point that people were vehemently defending their right to own a gas stove, which was never under threat, but that's how these sorts of astroturfed moral panics work, and it could be that they're looking to replicate some of that magic now, taking down a standard that they hope to frame as an example of liberal overreach, telling people that these things take away their right to choose what they want to buy, and how much energy or fuel to burn, even when that's not actually true.There's also a chance, as I mentioned earlier, though, that this is just a trial balloon, and that once they realize there's a decent amount of bipartisan support for this program, they'll step back from this cut, and maybe even claim it for themselves, using it as an example of American exceptionalism: look how great American-made goods are, we're more efficient than anybody else—not bad messaging at a time in which that kind of competitive language is popular with those in charge, though that competition might not be the real point of all this, at least for some of the people making some of these decisions, right now.Show Noteshttps://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2025/05/09/trump-budget-cuts-environmental-programs/83441472007/https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-launches-biggest-deregulatory-action-us-historyhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee_Zeldinhttps://web.archive.org/web/20201214180957/https://www.energystar.gov/about/origins_mission/energy_star_overview/about_energy_star_residential_sectorhttps://web.archive.org/web/20161202012204/https://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=about.ab_milestoneshttps://web.archive.org/web/20170622184250/http://www.dailytech.com/New+Energy+Star+50+Specs+for+Computers+Become+Effective+Today/article15559.htmhttps://insideclimatenews.org/news/08052025/energy-star-program-could-be-eliminated-by-trump-administration/https://cleantechnica.com/2025/05/10/energy-star-program-gets-the-kiss-of-death/https://www.theverge.com/news/664670/water-energy-efficiency-standards-trump-dishwasher-washing-machine-showerhead-toilethttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy_Starhttps://edition.cnn.com/2025/05/06/climate/energy-star-trumphttps://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/06/climate/epa-energy-star-eliminated.htmlhttps://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2025/05/06/energy-star-program-epa-trump/https://www.energy.gov/eere/buildings/energy-starhttps://www.npr.org/2025/05/07/g-s1-64905/energy-star-program-cutshttps://apnews.com/article/trump-appliances-consumers-energy-efficiency-3b6100e001a2629dfea9be231f467841https://www.reuters.com/article/business/environment/trump-finalizes-rollback-of-obama-era-vehicle-fuel-efficiency-standards-idUSKBN21I25R/https://apnews.com/article/climate-trump-mpg-fuel-economy-standards-automakers-0ef9147a0c3874a50a194e439f604261https://apnews.com/article/vehicle-fuel-economy-requirement-nhtsa-epa-85e4c3b7bbba9a9a9b7e5b117fe099bdhttps://apnews.com/article/epa-electric-vehicles-emissions-limits-climate-biden-e6d581324af51294048df24269b5d20ahttps://www.nhtsa.gov/laws-regulations/corporate-average-fuel-economy This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit letsknowthings.substack.com/subscribe

It's Donald Trump. We're having a lot of fun doing a good show with Charlie. Thank you very much, sir. We really appreciate that. Let's go to the PhD weight loss talk line. We'll talk to Janet in Gastonia about that big, old, beautiful bill. What's on your mind, Janet? Hey, Charlie. Hello? Wanted to know if it's true. I've been hearing a lot of, different stories claiming that the big, beautiful bill does not contain no tax on Social Security. Have you heard anything about that? I'll be honest with you. The only thing that we've heard about this bill is what the different committees have been saying. So I don't know if it's in there or not. I'm not sure. I hope they get it in there because I hate for the folks on Social Security to have to pay taxes again on something that they've earned way past when. Ain't that the truth? You're exactly right about that. But we'll see what happens with that bill, Janet. Appreciate your call. Well, one of the things that the Trump administration has really been working hard on is eliminating all of these ridiculous regulations from the Biden administration. When you look at the cost of all the things you have, there are regulations tied to that. I mean, just look look what they wanted to do. They wanted to do away with your gas stove. They wanted to do away with that. They wanted to do away with your gas dryer. I've never even known anybody that had a gas dryer, but the people that have talked about them have said they're wonderful. They wanted to do away with your gas water heater. They wanted to do away with natural gas altogether. Now it was pretty hypocritical, especially since there were pictures of, Nancy Pelosi and, and and and Elizabeth Warren and, Kamala Harris all standing in front of their beautiful gas ranges. But they wanted to do away away with all of that. Look at how many regulations look how many regulations the government has imposed on Americans. How may how much water your toilet can use. Right? Your ridiculous gas cans that they make you use now, I don't even bother with them. I just go buy me an aftermarket funnel attachment for my gas can. I put the little vent valve on there, and I'm good to go. I take that piece anytime they put a valve on a gas cap on a gas can that you have to go to the website to find out how to use, it's a bad idea. It's literally pouring liquid into a container. Now they wanted to come along and talk about it with safety issues. No. It's not. It was all about the the environment, blah blah blah. But that's where they've been primarily focused. All of these things in the Biden administration, it's all been about. That's that's all the so called inflation reduction act was about. And even Joe Biden admitted that that wasn't even the real name of the bill. It was the Green New Deal. Was another regulation that they've had, maybe you've had to deal with it. It was a few weeks ago. My wife and I went up to Rhode Island to visit my mother-in-law, and we rented a car rented a car. So we're driving out of the was it Hertz, driving out of the Hertz lot, and we come to a stop sign. And I stopped the car, and the car shuts off. And my wife says, oh, no. What happened? And I said, it's a new thing. It's a new thing, honey. So then I stepped on the gas, but a boom, car starts back up. It's that auto stop auto start thing, the start stop technology that they put into these cars. And a lot of people, not surprisingly, hate it. They can't stand it. Now you can disable it, but you can only disable it for that trip. So let's just I don't know. Let's just say you're going to Golden Corral, get you some breakfast. You can disable it in your driveway, drive to Golden Corral. But once you get back in and you're all full as a tick and you're going back home, you gotta disable it again. People loathe it. Well, the US Environmental Protection Agency administrator Lee Zeldin said and and by the way, isn't it funny that we just completely forgot about the ...

It's Donald Trump. We're having a lot of fun doing a good show with Charlie. Thank you very much, sir. We really appreciate that. Let's go to the PhD weight loss talk line. We'll talk to Janet in Gastonia about that big, old, beautiful bill. What's on your mind, Janet? Hey, Charlie. Hello? Wanted to know if it's true. I've been hearing a lot of, different stories claiming that the big, beautiful bill does not contain no tax on Social Security. Have you heard anything about that? I'll be honest with you. The only thing that we've heard about this bill is what the different committees have been saying. So I don't know if it's in there or not. I'm not sure. I hope they get it in there because I hate for the folks on Social Security to pay taxes again on something that they've earned way back when. Ain't that the truth? You're exactly right about that, but we'll see what happens with that bill, Janet. Appreciate your call. Well, one of the things that the Trump administration has really been working hard on is eliminating all of these ridiculous regulations from the Biden administration. When you look at the cost of all the things you have, there are regulations tied to that. I mean, just what look what they wanted to do. They wanted to do away with your gas stove. They wanted to do away with that. They wanted to do away with your gas dryer. I've never even known anybody that had a gas dryer, but the people that have talked about them have said they're wonderful. They wanted to do away with your gas water heater. They wanted to do away with natural gas altogether. Now it was pretty hypocritical, especially since there were pictures of, Nancy Pelosi and, and and and Elizabeth Warren and, Kamala Harris all standing in front of their beautiful gas ranges. But they wanted to do away away with all of that. Look at how many regulations. Look how many regulations the government has imposed on Americans. How may how much water your toilet can use. Right? Your ridiculous gas cans that they make you use now, I don't even bother with them. I just go buy me an aftermarket funnel attachment for my gas can. I put the little vent valve on there, and I'm good to go. I take that piece anytime they put a valve on a gas cap on a gas can that you have to go to the website to find out how to use, it's a bad idea. It's literally pouring liquid into a container. Now they wanted to come along and talk about it with safety issues. No. It's not. It was all about the the environment, blah blah blah. But that's where they've been primarily focused. All of these things in the Biden administration, it's all been about that's that's all these so called inflation reduction act was about. And even Joe Biden admitted that that wasn't even the real name of the bill. It was the Green New Deal. Was another regulation that they've had, maybe you've had to deal with it. It was a few weeks ago. My wife and I went up to Rhode Island to visit my mother-in-law, and we rented a car rented a car. So we're driving out of the was it Hertz? Driving out of the Hertz lot, and we come to a stop sign. And I stopped the car, and the car shuts off. And my wife says, oh, no. What happened? And I said, it's a new thing. It's a new thing, honey. So then I stepped on the gas, but a boom, car starts back up. It's that auto stop auto start thing, the start stop technology that they put into these cars. And a lot of people, not surprisingly, hate it. They can't stand it. Now you can disable it, but you can only disable it for that trip. So let's just say I don't know. Let's just say you're going to Golden Corral, get you some breakfast. You can disable it in your driveway, drive to Golden Corral. But once you get back in and you're all full as a tick and you're going back home, you gotta disable it again. People loathe it. Well, the US Environmental Protection Agency administrator Lee Zeldin said and and by the way, isn't it funny that we just completely forgot about there ...

Hersey Township Board responded to concerns of the local community and turned down a proposed resolution submitted by the Road commission to support MPO so it could access more state funding to build roads for the mine. On March 21, 2025, Ted Pagano, owner of Michigan Potash, finally got a letter denying him a permit to destroy more than 22 wetlands to build his mine. This is a temporary reprieve. but it follows an actual investigation at the site by an independent agency called Peterson Environmental, as requested by the US Environmental Protection Agency. They identified additional wetlands not included in the original permit request that would be impacted and EGLE is requiring that they address these new issues that were not public noticed before. EGLE is proposing “prudent and feasible alternatives” are available and urging Pagano to alter his plans and submit a new request. They gave details on what changes could be made. Although this in no way terminates the project, https://beefinitiative.com/   https://www.thesnowkillings.com/   https://epsteinjustice.com/home   https://jail-guitar-doors.myshopify.com/

The farming community in the Lower Yakima Valley and across Washington state is mourning the loss of multigenerational family dairy Cow Palace, after the US Environmental Protection Agency's unrelenting attacks forced its closure. Amanda McKinney, Yakima County Commissioner, talks with Dillon about the EPA's war on farming, saying it's time for the agency's vicious bureaucrats to be held accountable for the harm they're causing.

The US Environmental Protection Agency is using a court order to demand two Lower Yakima Valley dairies test area residents' water for nitrates, and provide bottled water and treatment systems. But Yakima County has already been doing that exact work for years, and has virtually blanketed the area with its efforts. LaDon Linde, Yakima County Commissioner and former dairy farmer, joins Dillon to explain why a federal judge's approval of the EPA's request for an emergency order against the dairies doesn't make sense.

This week we record live in a Whaler!  Missy co-hosts while Steph is out of town helping a friend. We recap on a big part of what makes boating special - clean water. Missy weighs in on The Oil Exclusion and the US Environmental Protection Agency's Leaking Underground Storage Tank (yes, L.U.S.T) program.  Jeff seeks forgiveness for dissing Whalers, and a nice little Boat Of The Week with the very first boat kiddie ride entry!  Keep in touch, thanks for listening, you're the best!  T-shirts, temporary tatoos, stickers and more at https://www.stickermule.com/theboatyshow. Follow on social media,  YouTube @theboatyshow

Fish on treadmills? Lisa Truong, PhD, MBA, Oregon State University, discusses the unique ways that they test exposure effects using zebrafish. Co-hosts Anne Chappelle, PhD, and David Faulkner, PhD, also ask her about the benefits of having an MBA as a scientist.About the GuestThe overall goal of Lisa Truong's research program is to utilize the zebrafish model to help build computational predictive toxicity models. Secondarily, she aims to move the field to be less reliant on animal testing and to conduct toxicity-testing based on toxicity pathways. Dr. Truong has a Bachelor's degree in pre-pharmacy with a minor in chemistry, which provided the foundation to evaluate a structurally diverse class of fluorinated compounds during her Master's studies. Her PhD thesis was focused on developing rapid in vivo assays to investigate structure response relationships using larval and adult zebrafish. Using the methods that Dr. Truong developed, the zebrafish developmental toxicity screen is now fully automated at the Sinnhuber Aquatic Research Laboratory (SARL). During Dr. Truong's postdoctoral training at the US Environmental Protection Agency, she developed systemic toxicity models while working within the then-National Center for Computational Toxicology and L'Oreal. She built numerous models using the high-throughput data generated from over 800 assays and became adept at programming in R and in advanced statistics. More recently, since her recruitment as the Deputy Director of the SARL, Dr. Truong has begun to build robust statistical methods to integrate multi-dimensional phenotypic and expression zebrafish data and has helped to streamline data collection which has further increased the throughput which is critical for this proposal. In summary, for nearly a decade, Dr. Truong has developed advanced zebrafish as a premier model for environmental health sciences research. The research is now at a point to begin mining the data to develop models to prioritize and predict toxicity of chemicals/nanoparticles/mixtures that have insufficient hazard information.Send SOT thoughts on the episodes, ideas for future topics, and more.

Human-caused climate change increased damaging wind speeds for every hurricane in 2024. That's according to a new study by the Princeton-based Climate Central. From our friends at WHYY's Climate Desk, Susan Phillips explains how higher ocean temperatures led to the higher wind speeds. You may have recently received a letter from your water company about new rules for lead and copper pipes. That letter may ask you to identify your service line, but some consumers are confused about what that means. From our partners at WPSU, Sydney Roach reports these letters are the result of new rules from the US Environmental Protection Agency.Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Safer Choice programme of the US Environmental Protection Agency may be best known for certifying household cleaning products, but it recently gave the green label to an organic chemical product used to clean components on ships. Hendry Marine president Kelly Hendry and organic chemist Patrick Baymont discuss how Seascour won the EPA nod.

After Donald Trump announced former US Rep. Lee Zeldin as his pick to lead the US Environmental Protection Agency, Save Family Farming issued him a challenge: fix EPA's Region 10 leadership. Ben Tindall, Save Family Farming's Executive Director, joins Dillon to discuss why they're calling on Zeldin to clean house in EPA Region 10.

Richard Olson is Director of the Berea Urban Farm (Berea KY), an educational market garden with the mission to increase local food security and build community through urban agriculture. He previously was a member of the faculty at Berea College teaching courses in sustainability, ecological design and environmental justice, and managed research programs on the effects of air pollution on Western forests at the US Environmental Protection Agency lab in Corvallis Oregon. He has degrees in biology, ecology, and agronomy, and personal experience in small-scale farming and horse logging.

On January 27, 1958, newspaper editor Olga Huckins sat down to write an angry letter to a friend. Olga and her husband owned a private two-acre bird sanctuary, and the previous summer the government had sprayed the pesticide DDT all over that two acres to control the mosquitos. She saw wildlife, particularly birds, getting sick and dying. The friend Olga sent the letter to was none other than Rachel Carson, who would go on to write the book Silent Spring, exposing the dangers of synthetic pesticides, including DDT, and helping push forward the modern environmental movement and the creation of the US Environmental Protection Agency.Today on the show we're going to talk about the history of pesticides and their deployment, and how researchers are working to develop more effective, safer pesticides. We will also take a fascinating dive into the coevolution of plants and pests, specifically insects, and what we're learning about the effectiveness of pesticides based on hundreds of millions of years of plant and insect evolution. Send us your science stories/factoids/news for a chance to be featured on an upcoming Tiny Show and Tell Us episode and to be entered to win a Tiny Matters coffee mug! And, while you're at it, subscribe to our newsletter at bit.ly/tinymattersnewsletter.Link to the Tiny Show & Tell story is here. You can find BirdCast here. All Tiny Matters transcripts and references are available here.

In the second half of the episode that released September 24, Andy Whittington from the Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation continues to outline the requirements for herbicide use set forth in the Herbicide Strategy that was recently released by the Us Environmental Protection Agency.    Catch this episode and discover more at our website: http://extension.msstate.edu/shows/mississippi-crop-situation

Humans view waste as a burden, but nature utilizes waste as a valuable resource in a cycle of continual renewal. The US Environmental Protection Agency estimates 600 million tons of construction and demolition debris is generated every year -- and Mycocycle knows this is an opportunity. Joanne Rodriguez discusses how Mycocycle leverages mycelium (fungal root structures) to consume and eliminate toxins from construction waste and produce raw building materials like MycoFILL, MycoFIBER, and MycoFOAM. Imagine a world where we can safely break down harmful materials, or eliminate the need for those materials in the first place. This impactful bio-inspired company is showing what's possible on the pathway to a truly regenerative future. Explore Mycocycle.Reach the TechCrunch article.Grab some Learning from Nature merch including shirts and sweatshirts.If you want to begin your own learning from nature journey, take a course from Learn Biomimicry. Gain the skills to apply 3.8 billion years of research and development to your business, projects, and daily life.Listeners can save 20% on the Biomimicry Short Course Set, and 10% on the Biomimicry Practitioner and Educator Program with code LEARNINGFROMNATURE or by visiting this link.Thank you Pine Peak Productions for helping to evolve Learning from Nature to the next level! Support the show

Today, we connect with Thomas Licker to discuss his decades of experience managing biohazard investigations and remediations. As a certified bio-environmental infection control remediator and recovery master, Thomas serves as the president of the American Bio-Recovery Association. Here, he has helped create and publish the Bio Recovery Site Risk Assessment (BSRA) guidance document and the Restoration Industry Association (RIA) Environmental Risk Specialist (ERS) program. Thomas studied environmental science in college. After researching soil, brown water, air, and industrial hygiene, he found himself working for the US Environmental Protection Agency as a contractor — remediating some of the nation's worst sites. Now, he is in the biohazard response industry full-time, a field of work he has discovered a deep passion for… In this conversation, we cover: What biohazard response is, and why it is a necessary service. How to properly respond to biohazard scenes. OSHA requirements for this type of work. How the opioid crisis impacts Thomas's work in biohazard remediation. To learn more about Thomas and his work, click here now! Episode also available on Apple Podcasts: http://apple.co/30PvU9

Earlier this year, the US Environmental Protection Agency announced a $156 million grant to a Cleveland organization to fund an effort to ensure access to solar power for low-income communities across the Midwest. Although solar power has been available in this country for decades, the upfront cost of even small residential solar arrays has been prohibitively expensive for all but the wealthiest and most committed homeowners. The EPA's support of Growth Opportunity Partners (Growth Opps) could change that.rnrnThe EPA grant provides the seed capital needed for the GO Green Energy Fund, the nation's first African American led Green Bank, which was created by Growth Opps in 2020. The goal of the Green Bank is more than just access to solar power for residents of poor communities. It's a step towards fundamentally restructuring the regional economy to disrupt intergenerational poverty, while supporting low-income Midwesterners in building wealth and improving health outcomes-all while helping the nation and the globe address climate change.rnrnGrowth Opps Founding CEO Michael Jeans has been working towards this for years. He has appeared on the City Club stage before as a moderator and panelist in support of the efforts of others in our community. Join us as he takes center stage to share his vision for a greener-and more inclusive-future.

Despite their huge efforts, three Yakima-area dairies are being accused by the US Environmental Protection Agency of not doing enough to protect groundwater from nutrient contamination. Gerald Baron, former Save Family Farming Executive Director, joins Dillon and says the nature of the legal attack and its threats of massive fines bring up troubling questions about EPA Region 10's true motives, especially considering its long track record of dishonesty on this issue.

Back in March, the US Environmental Protection Agency finalized a long in the works rule requiring automakers here to dramatically increase the number of battery-powered vehicles they're putting on the roads. The government has mandated that by 2032, more than half of new cars sold must be electric. There are some caveats, namely that plug-in hybrid cars will fulfill the federal requirements for what a “battery-powered” vehicle is. This has led to a flood of hybrid cars hitting the market. This week, we talk about what this means for people who are considering buying a new car now, or in the next few years. We explain the differences between plug-in hybrids, full hybrids, and electrics, and we tell you what your options are if you live in an apartment without a convenient place to plug in your car while it's parked. We are joined this week by WIRED staff writer Aarian Marshall, who breaks down the facts, shatters the myths, and turns us all into hybrid car experts.This episode originally aired on April 2, 2024. Read the transcript.Show Notes:Read Aarian's story about the new US emissions rules. Also read her story about automakers struggling to hit their US sales targets for electric cars.Recommendations:Aarian recommends going to one of those baseball games where you also bring your dog. (They let you run the bases!) Mike recommends The New York Trilogy by novelist Paul Auster, who died this week at 77. Lauren recommends The Lights, the newest book of poetry and prose by Ben Lerner.Aarian Marshall can be found on social media @aarianmarshall. Lauren Goode is @LaurenGoode. Michael Calore is @snackfight. Bling the main hotline at @GadgetLab. The show is produced by Boone Ashworth (@booneashworth). Our theme music is by Solar Keys.

The entire universe is comprised of repeating patterns. This is the Hermetic Law of Correspondence. Most commonly stated “As above, so below.” Basically, this Law teaches us that if we want to know how our body works, we need to look at how the universe works. Our entire planet's surface is comprised of approximately 70-71% water. Likewise, your body is comprised of approximately 70% water (if you're healthy) and interestingly, a baby's body is about 78% water; and it tends to decrease with age. Needless to say, drinking enough pure, clean water is essential for maintaining health and body functions. This does not include polluted or flavored waters—rather clean, pure water. You cannot get this from the tap. In 2023 as published a study conducted by the US Environmental Protection Agency found that tap water is full of PFAS (a family of synthetic chemicals that linger in the environment as well as the environment of your body. Exposure to PFAS is linked to cancer, obesity, thyroid disease, high cholesterol, decreased fertility, liver damage and hormone suppression.

The entire universe is comprised of repeating patterns. This is the Hermetic Law of Correspondence. Most commonly stated “As above, so below.” Basically, this Law teaches us that if we want to know how our body works, we need to look at how the universe works. Our entire planet's surface is comprised of approximately 70-71% water. Likewise, your body is comprised of approximately 70% water (if you're healthy) and interestingly, a baby's body is about 78% water; and it tends to decrease with age. Needless to say, drinking enough pure, clean water is essential for maintaining health and body functions. This does not include polluted or flavored waters—rather clean, pure water. You cannot get this from the tap. In 2023 as published a study conducted by the US Environmental Protection Agency found that tap water is full of PFAS (a family of synthetic chemicals that linger in the environment as well as the environment of your body. Exposure to PFAS is linked to cancer, obesity, thyroid disease, high cholesterol, decreased fertility, liver damage and hormone suppression.

We'd love to hear from you about this episode.One thing I know about humans and why we have thrived as a species is our love of learning.Education is a healthy activity that people of all ages can enjoy. Improving intellectual wellness looks different for each of us. For some, it is multiple degrees and certifications. For others, it is researching a hobby or activity of interest. Regardless of how we get education, we are more when we learn more.We often talk about nature as the first teacher. The many lessons we can learn from the natural world are always available; we must only observe them.As part of nature, humans have the right and responsibility to learn how to protect and interact with our environment. This is especially true because of the incredible impact our environment has on our health and well-being.Welcome to Episode Forty-Two of The Nature of Wellness Podcast.  In this episode, we sat down with Sara Espinoza, CEO of The National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF), the nation's leading organization for lifelong environmental learning. NEEF is a non-partisan, non-advocacy organization that was Congressionally chartered in 1990 to complement the work of the US Environmental Protection Agency.Sara shares the incredible journey of how she turned a childhood passion into a successful profession and the importance of educating more people about the environment around us. We discuss the importance of NEEF's work to make the environment "more accessible, relatable, relevant, and connected to people's daily lives" through their programs focus on K-12 Education, Conservation, Health, and Veteran connection.This conversation made us want to learn more, love more, and live more connected to our environment. Please subscribe, rate, and leave a review anywhere you listen to this podcast.We appreciate you all.Be Well-NOWNEEF: www.neefusa.orgNational Public Lands Day: https://www.neefusa.org/national-public-lands-dayGreening STEM Projects: https://www.neefusa.org/what-we-do/k-12-education/greening-stem-projects Find NEEF grant opportunities: https://www.neefusa.org/what-we-do/grants/grantsVeterans and Nature Grant Announcement: https://www.neefusa.org/news/neef-announces-awardees-2024-2025-veterans-and-nature-grantNEEF LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/neefusaNEEF Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/neefusa_org/NEEF Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NEEFusa/ * The unbelievable Shawn Bell produces the Nature of Wellness Podcast, making us sound good.** The NOW theme song was penned, performed, produced, and provided by the dynamic duo of Phil and Niall Monahan. *** This show wouldn't exist without our amazing guests and all of you who listen. Please like, subscribe, follow, and review to help us get these important messages out to more folks who can benefit from them. Thank you all.

Back in March, the US Environmental Protection Agency finalized a long in the works rule requiring automakers here to dramatically increase the number of battery-powered vehicles they're putting on the roads. The government has mandated that by 2032, more than half of new cars sold must be electric. There are some caveats, namely that plug-in hybrid cars will fulfill the federal requirements for what a “battery-powered” vehicle is. This has led to a flood of hybrid cars hitting the market. This week, we talk about what this means for people who are considering buying a new car now, or in the next few years. We explain the differences between plug-in hybrids, full hybrids, and electrics, and we tell you what your options are if you live in an apartment without a convenient place to plug in your car while it's parked. We are joined this week by WIRED staff writer Aarian Marshall, who breaks down the facts, shatters the myths, and turns us all into hybrid car experts.Show Notes:Read Aarian's story about the new US emissions rules. Also read her story about automakers struggling to hit their US sales targets for electric cars.Recommendations:Aarian recommends going to one of those baseball games where you also bring your dog. (They let you run the bases!) Mike recommends The New York Trilogy by novelist Paul Auster, who died this week at 77. Lauren recommends The Lights, the newest book of poetry and prose by Ben Lerner.Aarian Marshall can be found on social media @aarianmarshall. Lauren Goode is @LaurenGoode. Michael Calore is @snackfight. Bling the main hotline at @GadgetLab. The show is produced by Boone Ashworth (@booneashworth). Our theme music is by Solar Keys.

Talking Cyber is a Cybercrime Magazine podcast series that covers the latest news and breaking stories on the cybereconomy, hackers, intrusions, privacy, security and much more. In this episode, host Amanda Glassner is joined by Heather Engel, Managing Partner at Strategic Cyber Partners, to discuss the US Environmental Protection Agency and the National Security Agency's warning to state governments about protecting water and wastewater systems from cyberattacks. To learn more about today's stories, visit https://cybercrimewire.com • For more on cybersecurity, visit us at https://cybersecurityventures.com

Today, we connect with Thomas Licker to discuss his decades of experience managing biohazard investigations and remediations. As a certified bio-environmental infection control remediator and recovery master, Thomas serves as the president of the American Bio-Recovery Association. Here, he has helped create and publish the Bio Recovery Site Risk Assessment (BSRA) guidance document and the Restoration Industry Association (RIA) Environmental Risk Specialist (ERS) program.  Thomas studied environmental science in college. After researching soil, brown water, air, and industrial hygiene, he found himself working for the US Environmental Protection Agency as a contractor — remediating some of the nation's worst sites. Now, he is in the biohazard response industry full-time, a field of work he has discovered a deep passion for… In this conversation, we cover: What biohazard response is, and why it is a necessary service.  How to properly respond to biohazard scenes. OSHA requirements for this type of work.  How the opioid crisis impacts Thomas's work in biohazard remediation.  To learn more about Thomas and his work, click here now! Take advantage of a 5% discount on Ekster accessories by using the code FINDINGGENIUS. Enhance your style and functionality with premium accessories. Visit bit.ly/3uiVX9R to explore latest collection. Episode also available on Apple Podcasts: http://apple.co/30PvU9

Cold water exposure is SUCH a hot topic right now, and I felt I needed to bring on an "expert" in this field to dive deeper into cold water therapy. I am so excited to be joined by Thomas P Seager, CEO of Morozko Forge ice bath company to chat all things cold water therapy.In this episode,  we talk about his story, cold water therapy and mens health, the connections between cancer and cold plunging, and so many other non-cold water therapy topics including trusting personal experiences.  The most asked question I receive regarding my personal cold plunging is the effects of it on females and fertility in specific.  This episode, Tom answers that burning question everyone seems to have and chat about if cold plunging is actually beneficial for women, or just men.Be sure to tune into the whole episode, it is absolutely incredible! Thank you so much Tom for being a guest on Informed Consent.About TomThomas P Seager, PhD teaches Engineering Business Practices at Arizona State University and is co-Founder of the Morozko Forge ice bath company.  Dr. Seager's earned his PhD in environmental engineering at Clarkson University (Potsdam NY).  He has published over 180 research articles, been cited in scientific journals over 8000 times, and has won over $5M in research funding from the National Science Foundation, US Environmental Protection Agency, and the US Department of Defense.  His expertise in resilient infrastructure systems and environmental sustainability has made him a popular speaker and a consultant to the Army Corp of Engineers and the Office of Naval Research.  He has published over 150 scientific articles (including book chapters, commentaries, and letters), over 200 other articles for popular audiences, and has been cited over 8000 times.  Nonetheless, Dr. Seager's teachings in leadership, entrepreneurship, organizational communication, and human resilience have prompted him to reorganize his career around a novel concept called Self-Actual Engineering, in which he applies engineering principles to a fuller realization of human potential.  Informed by his own transformational health journey, Dr. Seager's most recent research reveals the relationship between deliberate cold exposure and human well-being.  Seager is CEO of Morozko Forge ice bath company and an expert in the use of ice baths for building metabolic and psychological resilience.How to Connect With Tomhttps://seagertp.substack.com/twitter & instagram: @seagertpemail: thomas.seager@asu.edu, tpseager@morozkoforge.comSponsors: Grass-Fed Beef Protein Powderhttps://www.equipfoods.comUse Code BROOKEBACCI to save 15%Toxic Free CleaningUse code BROOKE30 to save 30%https://trulyfreehome.comWeNatal Prenatal - Get a FREE Omega DHA+ with a purchase of a WeNatal supplementhttps://wenatal.com/pages/partner?sscid=11k8_l9yzt&Lumebox - Red Light / Infrared Therapy Device Use link below get it about half off ($280 value)https://thelumebox.com/pages/lb68/?_ef_transaction_id=&oid=3&affid=1008&discount=brookebacciOrganic Herbal Remedies Use Code BROOKE10 to save 10%https://earthley.com/ref/brookebacci/

Tim Mohin wrote “Changing Business from the Inside Out: A Tree-Hugger's Guide to Working in Corporations” back in 2012, after three decades in sustainability — first in government, with the US Environmental Protection Agency, and then at companies like Intel, where he served as director of sustainable development. He went on to head the Global Reporting Initiative, which administers the GRI standards for sustainability. He recently helped launmch ESG data provider Persefoni and hosts his own podcast, “Sustainability Decoded with Tim and Caitlin.” We look back on 40 years of sustaiability finance and ahead to the future of Environmental, Social, and corporate Governance (ESG) reporting — its potential for driving real change, its prospects for employment, and its inherent limitations.

Harlan Russell Green, a former Peace Corps Volunteer in Turkey, is the 2023 Winner of the Peace Corps Writers' Publisher's Award for his latest book on “Building Community: Answering Kennedy's Call.”  Mr. Green is a Rotarian, retired Mortgage Banker, and Editor/Publisher of Popular Economics Weekly, a financial wire service he began in 2000. The US Peace Corps put him on an international trajectory that provided unique opportunities to work with the US Environmental Protection Agency, Caesar Chavez's United Farm Workers of America, and several community development projects to create sustainable, livable areas. One of his award-winning films was the “The Great Clean Air Debate.” With the UFWA, he produced “Fighting for Our Lives” and “Why We Boycott.” He also worked on projects with Rotary International and Partnering for Peace, an organization of Returned Peace Corps Volunteers who are now Rotarians that strive to connect Rotary Clubs with Peace Corps Projects.

Dr. Akiko Iwasaki is the Sterling Professor of Immunobiology and Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology at Yale University and President of the American Association of Immunologists. Francisco Gomez-Rivera is an Immunology Program Graduate Student Candidate at the University of Michigan, and Dr. Jason (Swinburne) Augustine is a retired Research Microbiologist/Immunologist at the US Environmental Protection Agency. They talk about the upcoming IMMUNOLOGY2024™ meeting in Chicago, Illinois from May 3-7, 2024. They discuss key sessions to attend, what they're looking forward to at the meeting, and advice for attendees.

This episode completes our pattern of curious conversations with members of the Human Systems Dynamics (HSD) Community. We couldn't think of a better way to end the season and podcast than inviting, Glenda Eoyang, Founder and Executive Director of the Human Systems Dynamics Institute, back as our special guest. In our first episode, Glenda shared: the history behind HSD, why HSD matters, and advice that anyone new to and familiar with HSD can use now. In this episode, we've asked Glenda to explain something many of us are curious about and that is the HSD Vision. She also shares details about the issue that's at the top of her wicked list. Glenda helps public and private organizations thrive in the face of overwhelming complexity and uncertainty. She is a pioneer in the applications of complexity science to human systems, and she founded the field of HSD in 2001.  As founding executive director of the Human Systems Dynamics Institute, she leads a global network of scholar-practitioners who use her models and methods to see patterns in the chaos that surrounds them, understand the patterns in simple and powerful ways, and take practical steps to shift chaos toward coherence. Her recent clients include the Finnish Research Institute (VTT), US Environmental Protection Agency and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, British Columbia Ministry of Health, Oxfam International, The International Baccalaureate Organization, The Sustainability Consortium, the Association for Medical Education in Europe, UK National Health Service, and Roffey Park Institute.  Glenda received her doctorate in HSD from the Union Institute and University in 2001, studying under Drs. Donald Klein and Kevin Dooley. There she discovered three fundamental factors that influence the dynamics of self-organizing change in human systems. This research forms the foundation for the body of work that helps individuals, institutions, and communities respond to complex change. With colleagues around the world, Glenda delivers a hybrid of education and consulting in the form of Adaptive Action Laboratories. Individuals and teams bring their most wicked problems, learn and practice human systems dynamics approaches, and leave with plans for next wise action. Groups from Vancouver to Sao Paulo and Boston to Delhi have used this method to break through apparently intractable issues.  Her published works include scholarly articles in a variety of fields and Radical Rules for Schools: Adaptive Action for Complex Change (HSD Institute, March 2013), and Coping with Chaos: Seven Simple Tools (Lagumo Press, 1996). Glenda's latest book, with co-author Royce Holladay, is Adaptive Action: Leveraging Uncertainty in Your Organization (Stanford University Press, April 2013). It is a roadmap for anyone who chooses to work at the intersection of order and chaos. Glenda grew up in the Texas Panhandle, where there is more sky than ground and the wind “has been blowing for a very long time.” She lives now near the headwaters of the Mississippi River, on a little lake in Circle Pines, Minnesota. Thanks to Zoom, she engages with global partners in local action.  For more information about Glenda and the HSD Institute, visit www.hsdinstitute.org. You can reach Glenda via email @Geoyang@hsdinstitute.org. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/hsdpatterns-possibilities/message

In this week's episode, host Daniel Raimi talks with Ann Wolverton, a senior research economist at the US Environmental Protection Agency, about how the agency incorporates environmental justice in its rulemaking and its analysis of agency regulations. Wolverton discusses the history of accounting for environmental justice at federal agencies, how the availability and granularity of data affect this ability to evaluate environmental justice outcomes, and how formally considering environmental justice can inform federal regulations. References and recommendations: “Environmental Justice Analysis for EPA Rulemakings: Opportunities and Challenges” by Ann Wolverton; https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.1086/724721 “EPA Draft Revision of Technical Guidance for Assessing Environmental Justice in Regulatory Analysis” public comment period; https://www.epa.gov/environmental-economics/epa-draft-revision-technical-guidance-assessing-environmental-justice “Toms River” by Dan Fagin; https://www.pulitzer.org/winners/dan-fagin

This week we talk about weeds, lawn mowers, and California's Air Resources Board.We also discuss ornamental lawns, leaf blowers, and two-stroke engines.Recommended Book: The Lessons of History by Will and Ariel DurantTranscriptThe concept of the modern lawn—a term that originally referred to a somewhat ecologically varied, short-cropped green space that was used for livestock, in contrast to fields that were used for growing agricultural plants—is derived from a variation of the lawns built and maintained by European aristocracy, especially British aristocracy, in the mid- to late-teens centuries, BC.The concept evolved from a sort of posturing that only wealthy people could manage, back then, before the advent of grass-trimming machinery.And the flex here was two-fold:First, here is an expanse of land, which typically would have been put to use, in this case for livestock, but which I, because I'm wealthy, can leave unproductive, untarnished by beasts, and thus for purely beautification and recreational purposes; I can impress people with my sweeping plots of greenery, I can make it uniform and, thus, interesting, in an age in which nature is still being wrestled with and perfection by any standard is rare, and I have enough people working for me that all this maintenance, despite its incredible weight, all that grass in some cases being hand-scythed and sheered by human beings toiling all day long—I can afford to do that. So, look upon my fields, my vast tracts of ornamental land, and be amazed.So simply setting aside land for this aesthetic-focused purpose was big, but so was maintaining such a thing in a period in which that maintenance was the consequence of long, hard, expensive human labor.That ornamentality became more accessible to more people with the advent of early mowing machines, the first of which was unpowered, made from wrought-iron, and used a cylinder of blades that would spin when you pushed it.That was invented in 1830 in England, and from there these Budding Machines, named after the inventor, Edward Budding, were sold to entities with large expanses of land, like the Oxford colleges and Regents Park Zoological Gardens, which in turn helped Budding, mostly financially, evolve his machine, which was then manufactured at a larger scale and licensed to other companies that wanted to make their own version of the same.Within a decade, these mowing devices had been augmented so they could be pulled by horses, donkeys, and other beasts of burden.Just over sixty years after that first model was built by Budding, the first steam-powered mower, still pulled by animals, usually, but much more powerful, was patented, and then eventually built and sold, and by 1900 a popular model of steam-powered mower, the Ransomes' Automaton, which is just a wonderful and steampunk name for anything, was dominant in the English market, and the first riding lawn mowers arose around the same time, as seats for operators were added on to the increasingly complex machines.Mower designs started to show up in patent offices elsewhere around the world around this same time, as the concept of lawns had already spread globally, due to the British Empire's presence and influence, and in the US, the concept of the ornamental lawn was especially appealing: landowners who were gobbling up vast expanses of the—by their standards, basically uninhabited North American continent—were adding these sorts of areas to their growing estates, and the US Civil War meant that some of these landowners were finding themselves with a lot less abundant human labor—of the inexpensive and slave variety, at least—than before, thus the market for mowers, to maintain these brag-worthy lawns, grew quickly from the mid-1860s, onward.The first gas-powered lawn mowers were produced in Lansing, Michigan back in 1914 by a company called Ideal Power Mower Company, and that same company went on to develop the first-ever self-propelled riding lawn mower, of the sort that would be recognizable today, as it didn't need a horse or other animal to pull it, and this collection of mowing-related innovations, combined with the rapid expansion of suburbs around the United States following World War II—which was partially the consequence of trying to keep war-era manufacturing operating at scale, post-conflict, but also the flood of money that entered the economy as veterans were all but given access to higher-education and cheap loans for houses in rapidly developing city outskirts—that ended up being exactly the right combination of elements to help the lawn spread still further, into a country that was looking to flaunt its wealth a bit, and in which a large number of people were suddenly becoming homeowners, with little patches of lawn all to themselves, adopting the standards of landowners that came before them, including using these patches of non-house land more or less exclusively as decoration.What I'd like to talk about today is an impending, near-future disruption the lawn care industry faces as a consequence of the global shift toward renewable energy.—It's estimated that about 2% of the total continental US landmass is lawns.The data on this vary, as this is mostly based on estimates from state-level agencies, which are imperfect, and from entities like NASA which have provided satellite imagery that helps us clarify, with decent resolution, which patches of land are covered by what sorts of materials; but it can only ever really be estimates, because of the nature of what's being measured.But whatever the specific figure, lawns of the ornamental, just kind of sitting there and not doing anything variety, are immensely popular in the United States, and that's made them popular in many other countries, as well, as just like the British Empire was able to spread their norms globally by throwing around money and military units, US norms and priorities tend to spread through the country's vast and powerful media apparatus—so just like American-style malls and toilets and dating and hamburgers, American-style lawns have popped up all over the place, for better and for worse, though by most metrics, mostly for worse.And that's because lawns are almost uniquely net-negatives for the environments they occupy and bump up against.Lawns are typically monocultures, meaning plant-life that doesn't adhere to the visual norms of the prioritized green, green grass of a certain length and shape, is killed, sometimes only at great expense and with much effort, and often at the expense of local species, including pollinators and other food-web staples.Lawns require substantially more watering than a varied collection of local plant-life.They also generally necessitate the application of chemicals to prevent or kill-off weeds and other undesirable elements—weeds, of course, being any plant that isn't uniform grass of the kind we want to see.Turf of the kind typically prioritized for these sorts of lawns also has incredibly shallow roots of less than half an inch, which is part of why they require so much watering—they can't get what they need from the soil, themselves—but this also leads to compacted soils over time, which keeps it from absorbing as much water as it might, otherwise, which leads to more flooding and runoff issues, the soil basically eroding into storm sewer systems, which can clog and block them, compounding flooding issues, rather than helping with them.Another fairly significant issue inherent in ornamental lawns is the volume of greenhouse gas emissions—alongside pollutants—that are churned into the air by all the equipment people use to maintain them.According to data from the US Environmental Protection Agency, using a modern gasoline-powered lawnmower for one hour emits about the same volume of nitrogen oxide and volatile organic compounds—like benzene, formaldehyde, and tetrachloroethylene, all stuff you don't want in the air or environment—as driving a modern car 45 miles.These lawn care tools are responsible for about 5% of the US's total air pollution, and oil spills associated with filling up lawnmowers and other such equipment tally an estimated 17 million gallons across the US each year, that spilled gas then finding its way into the local ecosystem, impacting plant and animal life, but also the drinking water humans ultimately use and consume.Now, gasoline does actually make it into these devices, unspilled, and around 800 million gallons of gasoline is consumed through their use, each year, and because many pieces of lawn care equipment are powered by two-stroke rather than four-stroke engines, the fuel blends with the oil used for lubrication, and consequently around a third of it doesn't fully combust—and as a result emissions from tools and vehicles using two-stroke engines are around 124-times higher than from engines without that blending issue.Four-stroke engines are a bit better than two-stroke, but still not great: a four-stroke engine-powered land mower used for an hour generates emissions equivalent to driving a passenger vehicles about 300 miles.Leaf-blowers are also pretty brutal machines, in terms of emissions and pollution.A typical, off-the-shelf leaf-blower releases more hydrocarbons into the environment than a pickup truck, and research from 2017 suggested that gas-powered leaf blowers, lawn mowers, and other such lawn equipment can produce more ozone-depleting pollution in the state of California than all of the passenger vehicles in the state, combined, leading to an announcement and warning on the issue by the California Air Resources board, that year.That and similar concerns were the primary motivations behind a recent decision to ban the sale of new gas-powered lawn tools in the state beginning in 2024.The argument is this:These types of engines, those that power lawn-care tools, create just a boggling amount of pollution and other emissions, and that's an especially pressing issue in California, which is highly populated, filled with cars, and which has areas that are deserts—like Los Angeles and its metro area—where folks spend gobs of time, energy, and resources, including very finite resources like water, trying to maintain lawns that struggle to survive in the, again, desert where they've been installed.So all that being true, it makes sense to try to temper at least some of this issue by making it more difficult to acquire and use these highly polluting tools, forcing people to either spend less time, energy, and resources on these unproductive, decorative spaces, or to just buy electric versions of the same, which are, today, widely available, and which can be powered by electricity that is generated cleanly, by solar, wind, etc.This ban is not without controversy: folks who have these sorts of devices already will be able to keep using them, and it's not a big issue to acquire a new gas-powered whatever if you really want to do so, but it will likely have some effect in that it makes it more difficult to casually acquire one, and in that it makes alternatives like electric versions of the same, and bigger changes like xeriscaping one's yard—using local plants and rocks and things like that, instead of generic green grass, in areas that are short on water—more thinkable for more people.What it does, in other words, is marks a moment at which a transition in this norm might be kicking off, and that's alarming for business entities that make these sorts of tools and which haven't transitioned their catalog over to electric versions, yet, but also for folks for whom the electrification of things has become a culture-war issue, and for whom—for instance—the idea of not being able to install new gas stoves or buy new gas-guzzling cars feels like an overstep, like oppression, on the part of regulators and other government ne'er-do-wells.There's also the noise element to this discussion: lawn-care equipment with gas-powered motors are incredibly loud, and there's an ever-growing body of evidence that this kind of noise is bad for animals, bad for human stress-levels, and can itself be partially ameliorated by the far, far quieter electric versions of the same, which tend to be something like 15-20 decibels quieter—and with every 6 decibels sound difference, the volume of noise doubles, so that's a pretty substantial change, even if big electric lawn mowers are far from silent.All that said, gas mowers are the more developed and iterated technology, and they'll tend to be cheaper up front, and at times more powerful and convenient in some ways; and the same is broadly true across the arsenal of available lawn tools on the market, today.So even though electric versions tend to be massively better in terms of environmental and public and personal health, and far superior in terms of the noise they generate, the amount and cost of maintenance, and the ease of handling, gas versions are still cheaper and sometimes more powerful, and likely will remain so for some time—though bans like this impending one in California make it more likely that costs on the e-versions will come down quickly, as the market expands, competition picks up, and norms shift, leading to more iteration, more cost-savings, and more overall power for these tools, as well.California is just one state, of course, but their regulations tend to spill-over into other states, as they often opt for stricter regulations on things like passenger vehicle fuel efficiency and the use of potentially cancer-causing chemicals in products, and because their market is huge and on average quite wealthy, which means companies don't want to be left out of the California market, but it also seldom makes sense to produce two versions of every product, one for California and one for the rest of the US, so those tighter restrictions often inform the shape their products take, elsewhere, as well.And though these sorts of tools exist everywhere around the world, these days, North America makes up about 58% of the $25 billion global power lawn- and garden-equipment market, so if this ban is implemented successfully, and then informs the state of things across the US, there's a good chance this industry could shift relatively quickly, in its entirety, leading to a far more rapid than would be the case, otherwise, transition away from inefficient and loud motors, to a cleaner version of the same, and at a more basic level, maybe more consideration for decorative lawn alternatives in relevant regions, as well.Show Noteshttps://www.des.nh.gov/sites/g/files/ehbemt341/files/documents/2020-01/ard-22.pdfhttps://psci.princeton.edu/tips/2020/5/11/law-maintenance-and-climate-changehttps://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2019/04/james-fallows-leaf-blower-ban/583210/https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/our-work/programs/zero-emission-landscaping-equipmenthttps://ww2.arb.ca.gov/news/carb-approves-updated-regulations-requiring-most-new-small-road-engines-be-zero-emission-2024https://www.consumerreports.org/home-garden/lawn-mowers/gas-vs-electric-lawn-mower-which-is-better-a1057954260/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-11-20/gas-lawn-care-ban-in-california-tests-electric-leaf-blower-appealhttps://archive.ph/XCJNIhttps://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/how-bad-for-the-environment-are-gas-powered-leaf-blowers/2013/09/16/8eed7b9a-18bb-11e3-a628-7e6dde8f889d_story.htmlhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xeriscapinghttps://blogs.scientificamerican.com/anthropology-in-practice/the-american-obsession-with-lawns/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lawnhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lawn_mowerhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Civil_War This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit letsknowthings.substack.com/subscribe

On today's Midday Report with host Terry Haines: While the search continued out the road on Thanksgiving Day, many Wrangell residents gathered at the local community center. The US Environmental Protection Agency has announced final action on a state plan to improve Fairbanks North Pole area wintertime air quality. And Alaska's Minimum Wage will rise, but Minimum Salary probably matters more. Photo: Wood stove pipe on a Fairbanks area home.

In episode 113 of the Outdoor Minimalist podcast, I interview author Elizabeth Hillborn, about her new book Restoring Eden. The book is at once a riveting environmental detective story, an inspiring account of citizen advocacy, and a gorgeous ode to the fragile ecosystems that nourish us, both physically and spiritually. Dr. Elizabeth Hilborn is a veterinarian who specializes in honey bee medicine. She uses her veterinary training and broad scientific expertise to shine a light on the interconnectedness of all life; she fully recognizes the power of the pollinator/plant partnership that supports, sustains, and nurtures life on earth. An avid gardener and fruit grower, for decades she's fed family and friends with fresh produce from her family's farm in central North Carolina. For over 25 years, she's served as an environmental health scientist with the US Environmental Protection Agency where she studies and writes in scientific journals about the health effects of water pollution. INSTAGRAM: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/outdoor.minimalist.book/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ WEBSITE: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.theoutdoorminimalist.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ YOUTUBE: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@theoutdoorminimalist⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ORDER THE BOOK: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.theoutdoorminimalist.com/book⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ VENMO: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@OutdoorMinimalist⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ --------------- EPISODE SPONSOR Diorite Gear: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://dioritegear.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@dioritegear⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100089931191484⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/dioritegear/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Get 15% Off Your Next Order with the Code MINIMALIST --------------- Restoring Eden: Unearthing the Agribusiness Secret That Poisoned My Farming Community Website: https://elizabethhilborn.com/ Order Now: https://elizabethhilborn.com/restoring-eden/ --------------- Related Episodes 21. Are We Loving the Land to Death? with Tom Sadler 41. Protecting the Fragile Plants of Desert Landscapes with Jessica Esplin 54. Why We Need Nature with Kenny Peavy 65. The Biodiversity in your Backyard with Dillon Jones --------------- Original music by Alex Carney and Ethan Wiese --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/outdoor-minimalist/support

Keystone-Conemaugh Projects LLC v. US Environmental Protection Agency

In today's episode we discuss the National Estuary Program and how it works. The NEP functions within a unique collaborative governance model structured around collaboration and communication among every stakeholder in the watershed. We talk about the EPA's connection to the NEP, the NEP Management Conference, how the NEP brings people together and our shared mission of protecting and restoring waterways.IRL Community Engagement Coordinator Jessy Wales discusses all these things and more with Jennifer DiMaio, Physical Scientist with the US Environmental Protection Agency and Duane DeFreese, Executive Director of the IRL Council and the IRLNEP.To learn more about the IRL Council and our lagoon home, visit: https://onelagoon.org/➜ Indian River Lagoon vital signs: https://onelagoon.org/steps-to-success/➜ Volunteer: https://onelagoon.org/find-volunteer-event/➜ Help From Home: https://onelagoon.org/helping-from-home/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IRLNEP/Twitter: https://twitter.com/onelagoonInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/onelagoon/

This week the ESG Insider podcast is on the ground at Climate Week NYC for a special series of interviews from the sidelines of The Nest Climate Campus. In this episode, we sit down with Gayle Schueller, 3M's Senior Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer.   3M is a technology and manufacturing company with more than 60,000 products in its portfolio ranging from office and home supplies to industrial products and solutions related to safety, transportation, electronics and healthcare.  Gayle explains how 3M is working to reduce its carbon emissions and water use and impacts while also integrating social issues such as environmental justice into its processes and decision making. For example, she says the company is using the US Environmental Protection Agency's environmental justice screening and mapping tool.   "We recognize that places where there tends to be a disproportionate effect from carbon emissions and water, whether it's usage or quality or availability ...  tend to be the communities that are otherwise disadvantaged as well," Gayle tells us.   Listen to our previous episodes about Climate Week NYC here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/at-climate-week-nyc-using-collaboration-to-tackle-supply/id1475521006?i=1000628737675   Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/on-the-ground-at-climate-week-nyc-the-challenge-of/id1475521006?i=1000628577939      And here: https://www.spglobal.com/esg/podcasts/what-to-expect-from-climate-week-nyc-2023      This piece was published by S&P Global Sustainable1, a part of S&P Global.  Copyright ©2023 by S&P Global  DISCLAIMER        By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that S&P GLOBAL makes no warranty, guarantee, or representation as to the accuracy or sufficiency of the information featured in this Podcast. The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this Podcast are for general information only and any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk. This Podcast should not be considered professional advice. Unless specifically stated otherwise, S&P GLOBAL does not endorse, approve, recommend, or certify any information, product, process, service, or organization presented or mentioned in this Podcast, and information from this Podcast should not be referenced in any way to imply such approval or endorsement. The third party materials or content of any third party site referenced in this Podcast do not necessarily reflect the opinions, standards or policies of S&P GLOBAL. S&P GLOBAL assumes no responsibility or liability for the accuracy or completeness of the content contained in third party materials or on third party sites referenced in this Podcast or the compliance with applicable laws of such materials and/or links referenced herein. Moreover, S&P GLOBAL makes no warranty that this Podcast, or the server that makes it available, is free of viruses, worms, or other elements or codes that manifest contaminating or destructive properties.        S&P GLOBAL EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ANY AND ALL LIABILITY OR RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR OTHER DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF ANY INDIVIDUAL'S USE OF, REFERENCE TO, RELIANCE ON, OR INABILITY TO USE, THIS PODCAST OR THE INFORMATION PRESENTED IN THIS PODCAST. 

Cold therapy for sleep?! Join us as we explore the fascinating world of ice baths and its incredible impact on sleep quality and overall health.Our guest is Thomas P. Seager, Ph.D who speaks to the measurable benefits he has personally experienced with ice baths and how it has transformed his health.But hold on, that's not all! Dr. Seager will reveal groundbreaking discoveries and offer a potential solution for those dealing with declining testosterone levels and anxious thoughts at night. Uncover the latest on how cold can impact this hormone and learn how to reclaim your vitality.Take advantage of these life-changing insights and control your sleep and energy levels.BIO:Thomas P Seager, PhD teaches Engineering Business Practices at Arizona State University and is co-Founder of the Morozko Forge ice bath company.  Dr. Seager's earned his PhD in environmental engineering at Clarkson University (Potsdam NY).  He has published over 180 research articles, been cited in scientific journals over 8000 times, and has won over $5M in research funding from the National Science Foundation, US Environmental Protection Agency, and the US Department of Defense.  His expertise in resilient infrastructure systems and environmental sustainability has made him a popular speaker and a consultant to the Army Corp of Engineers and the Office of Naval Research.  Nonetheless, Dr. Seager's teachings in leadership, entrepreneurship, organizational communication, and human resilience have prompted him to reorganize his career around a novel concept called Self-Actual Engineering, in which he applies engineering principles to a fuller realization of human potential.  Informed by his own transformational health journey, Dr. Seager's most recent research reveals the relationship between deliberate cold exposure and human well-being.SHOW NOTES: ❄️  Metabolism and sleep❄️  Testosterone and sleep❄️  Elevated testosterone levels❄️  Boosting performance with cold exposure❄️  Testosterone in men and women❄️  Screw up your circadian rhythm❄️  Unusual sleep patterns❄️  Ice bath and circadian rhythm❄️  Cold exposure and circadian rhythm❄️  Intermittent fasting and weight loss❄️  Managing anxiety through ice baths❄️  Shivering to release stress❄️ The dive reflex❄️ High T levels & enthusiasm❄️ What could we learn from Dr. Seager's sleep night-habits?❄️ And More!!GUEST LINKS:Website: https://seagertp.substack.com/Instagram: @seagertpTwitter:  @seagertpLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomaspseager/SPONSOR:

My special guest tonight is Dr. Harry Milman, here to discuss his second installment of a series of books detailing the death of the famous and, this time, the infamous.  Get his book Forensics Ii: The Science Behind the Deaths of Famous and Infamous People on Amazon. George Washington, the former first president of the United States, lay in his bed suffering from a high fever, a raw throat, and labored breathing. His three physicians milled around his bed, treating Washington with blisters of cantharides, tartar emetic, and bloodletting, removing nearly 40 percent of his total blood volume and causing excruciating pain. When Washington was finally relieved of his misery and died, the three doctors could not agree on what caused his death. Forensics II: The Science Behind the Deaths of Famous and Infamous People reads like a mystery novel, presenting biographical and scientific information that helps readers understand how medical examiners-coroners utilized forensic analysis to determine the causes and manners of death of thirty-six famous and infamous people, including Napoleon Bonaparte, a French military leader, and politician; Charles Whitman, the University of Texas tower shooter; Bruce Lee, an actor, and martial artist; Kurt Cobain, the lead singer of Nirvana; Jim Jones, a key figure in the Jonestown massacre; Aretha Franklin, a singer-songwriter; Alexander Litvinenko, a former officer of the Russian Federal Security Service; Jeffrey Epstein, a financier and convicted sex offender; and many more. The book is based on a review of publicly available autopsy and toxicology reports, published lay articles, and the scientific literature. Of the deaths reviewed, 39 percent were due to natural causes, 19 percent were accidental, and 6 (17 percent) were suicides. The remaining deaths comprise three cases each of homicide and justifiable homicide by police, one case of court-mandated execution, and three cases in which the manner of death was undetermined.   About the Author Harry A. Milman, Ph.D., is a consulting pharmacologist, toxicologist, and expert witness with over forty years of experience at the US Environmental Protection Agency, the US National Cancer Institute, the National Institute of Health, and the US Public Health Service. Dr. Milman has assisted in over three hundred civil, criminal, and high-profile legal cases and testified at trials and depositions. He authored over seventy scientific articles and has edited five science books, including the highly acclaimed Handbook of Carcinogen Testing. Often quoted in newspapers and magazines, Dr. Milman appeared as a toxicology expert on the History Channel, the Oxygen Channel, TV and radio news programs, and true-crime television shows. Dr. Milman is the author of FORENSICS: The Science Behind the Deaths of Famous People and two novels—A Death at Camp David, winner of the Best Mystery Novel in the 2018 Book Talk Radio Club Awards, and SOYUZ: The Final Flight, a finalist for Best Second Novel in the 2018 Next Generation Indie Book Awards and a finalist for Best Science Fiction Novel in the 2018 Book Talk Radio Club Awards.   It's super easy to access our archives!   Here's how:   iPhone Users: Access Mysterious Radio from Apple Podcasts and become a subscriber there, or if you want access to even more exclusive content, join us on Patreon.   Android Users: Enjoy over 800 exclusive member-only posts to include ad-free episodes, case files, and more when you join us on Patreon.    Please copy and Paste our link in a text message to all your family members and friends! We'll love you forever! (Check out Mysterious Radio!)  

This is TRT World's Daily News Brief for Thursday, June 8th. *) World Bank to assess damaged Ukraine dam The World Bank says it will conduct a rapid assessment of damages and needs after the destruction of the huge Novo Kakhova hydroelectric dam in Ukraine. The region's governor said the flooding from the dam breach extended over 600 square kilometres on the Ukrainian-held right bank of the Dnipro River. Meanwhile, Türkiye's President-elect Recep Tayyip Erdogan has proposed a “comprehensive investigation” into the explosion at the dam. He said the investigation should be conducted “in a way that leaves no room for suspicion.” *) Tunisia recovers bodies of African refugees after new boat disaster The Tunisian Coast Guard has recovered the bodies of nine African refugees and migrants and rescued 29 after their boat sank off the coast of Monastir. The country, whose coastline is less than 150 kilometres from the Italian island of Lampedusa, is a favoured spot for irregular refugees and migrants attempting the journey. In recent years, thousands have either died or gone missing trying to cross the Mediterranean. *) Hundreds of Sudanese children rescued from an orphanage About 300 infants, toddlers and older children have been rescued from an orphanage in Sudan's capital after being trapped there while fighting raged outside. The evacuation at the4 Al Maygoma orphanage came after 71 children died from hunger and illness in the facility since mid-April. The deaths have highlighted the heavy toll inflicted on civilians since mid-April when clashes erupted between the military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. *) Canada wildfires trigger air quality alerts for 100 million in US More than 100 million people in the United States are living under air quality alerts caused by Canadian wildfires. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, the region "includes much of the Northeast US — extending to Chicago to the west and Atlanta to the south". The devastating fires have displaced more than 20,000 people and scorched about 3.8 million hectares of land in Canada, And finally… *) Messi chooses Inter Miami over Saudi, Spain football clubs Lionel Messi says he is planning to sign with Inter Miami. The global soccer icon is choosing the United States as his next destination over a Barcelona reunion or blockbuster deal to play in Saudi Arabia. The 35-year-old 2022 FIFA World Cup winner joined PSG in 2021, and will leave the French powerhouse when his contract expires on June 30. And that's your daily news brief from TRT World. For more, head to trtworld.com

Christine Grimm has over 25 years' experience helping executives grow organizations and lead meaningful change for themselves, their people, and their company. As a practice leader in the area of alignment, she guides major endeavors to grow, merge and restructure organizations, blend and improve the performance of leadership teams and move organizations forward, ensuring that individuals and teams perform better, sustainably. Her client list includes: Microsoft, Endeavor (WME-IMG), Lagardére Sports and Entertainment, The Walt Disney Company, Amazon Consumer Payments, The Motion Picture Association, TMobile, RGP, TiVo, AGICOA (Geneva), Northrup Grumman, AEG, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield (URW), Witco Vinyl Additives Group GmbH (Germany), The Children's Cancer Association, The Office of Homeland Security, The US Environmental Protection Agency, and many others. She received her undergraduate degree from Pepperdine University where she also earned a Secondary Teaching Credential for the State of California. She attended graduate programs at University of California, Santa Barbara, is a member of Forbes Coaches Council and is a regular contributor to Forbes.com. Christine is a past President of the Pepperdine Alumni Leadership Council and serves on advisory boards for BoomCloud 360, Live! Official, and Society5 Innovating for Pediatric Healthcare.   In this episode of Takin' Care of Lady Business®, join Jennifer Justice as she interviews the brilliant Christine Grimm, founder of Aria Consulting. With 27 years of experience, they discuss how Aria sets themselves apart from other coaches, particularly in the context of diversity. They share valuable insights on leadership and problem-solving, highlighting the challenges women face in patriarchal systems and the need for more diverse voices in leadership positions. The discussion covers practical advice for founders and leaders, such as delegating, navigating politics, and creating alternative structures to bring about change.   Here is what to expect on this week's show: - Ways coaching can help you adapt to the dynamic business world, providing new strategies, skills, and perspectives - Identifying what you want to achieve through coaching and ensure that the coach has relevant experience and expertise - How to look for coaches with a proven track record and experience in their field   Quotes: “I see at least my own purpose in being a coach is, you know, bridging the old world and the new world.” – Christine Grimm “The only way for women to succeed in patriarchal systems is to act like them. Otherwise, they're fired.” – Jennifer Justice “For the old system to change, it may have to collapse. The way the change will happen is that we will be creating alternative structures.” – Christine Grimm   https://www.ariacx.com/  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today's show, I'm receiving Ulf Stenerhag the Founder of Wayout, a Swedish-based startup that produces Micro-Water Plants the size of a container.Ulf has a TON of insights to share.-How to crack the production of water locally and make it trustworthy so that people stop using bottles and drink from the tap again-Some surprising and shocking facts about the quality of water in our Western cities, and why we might actually ALSO rely on micro water plants in the future -How could Wayout's model take significant market share away from the Water Giants and eventually create a new model that can scale across all layers of the pyramid-Ulf's vision of the future where Water becomes literally free--------------ABOUT CLIMATE INSIDERS:Climate Insiders is brought to you by Climentum Capital, a Seed+ and Series A cleantech European venture capital firm focused on funding and scaling climate-positive ventures that cut down on CO2 emissions.If you are interested in how smart capitalism and mission-driven founders building innovative tech startups can overcome our climate crisis and build a better future, you've come to the right place.Check us out at: https://www.climateinsiders.co and https://www.climentum.com--------------ABOUT THE GUEST:Ulf Stenerhag is the CEO and Founder of Wayout, a Swedish-based startup that produces Micro-Water Plants the size of a container.They are tackling one core problem - the production and usage of plastic bottles.The US Environmental Protection Agency has called plastics “a climate killer.”If the plastics industry were a country, it would be the fifth largest emitter of greenhouse gases in the world.Today, 1.3 billion plastic bottles are used EACH DAY across the world, THAT IS about 1 million per minute. If you go to any developing country, you will be frightened by the omnipresence of plastic bottles. They are EVERYWHERE and filling up every body of water around the world.Wayout addresses the specific problem of water production. They make local production of water possible and we will speak about HOW.--------------SHOW NOTES:00:12 – Intro01:01 – Welcoming the guest01:11 – How does Wayout work and how do they manage water production?03:29 – How to ensure that the undesirable elements from water are gone?04:14 – What type of minerals are actually required in drinking water?05:37 – Does water even get filtered in the West?07:08 – The perception of bottled water vs. tap water08:20 – How to win the psychological perception of bottled vs tap water?10:37 – How does Wayout envision that the water production experience will change over time? 1 4:57 - Who can afford Wayout's idea, and how will you gradually deploy your solutions?18:34 – How will big companies (Coca-Cola, Nestle, Danone, PepsiCo) respond to Wayout, and can Wayout even compete with them on the market?20:18 - What is the long-term relationship between Wayout Solutions and large-scale water treatment facilities?22:05 – What is the role of the Middle East in Wayout's development? 23:45 - Why haven't we cracked desalination at scale and isn't it the #1 solution to fix the problem once and for all?25:53 – Under what conditions can Wayout Solutions address water access to low-income households?28:23 – Does Wayout always look for two-way solutions30:06 - Outro--------------ABOUT THE HOST:Yoann Berno https://www.linkedin.com/in/yberno/ After a career spent building and investing in top tech startups, Yoann is now a founding member and General Partner at Climentum Capital focused on investing in game-changing technological solutions to our worsening climate...

This week, we feature Chasen Cunitz, an EPA 'super geek' who works at the US Environmental Protection Agency. With a fascinating career journey that began as a lawyer in the oil & gas industry in Alaska, Chasen ventured into the Alaskan wilderness, spending 8 years exploring remote hamlets and meeting native American communities affected by climate change before joining the EPA. We delve into the origins of the EPA, its perspective on climate action, and its audience. We also discuss unexpected benefits of climate change in nature. This episode offers valuable insights for job seekers considering a government career, nature enthusiasts drawn to Alaska's pristine beauty, and anyone pondering life's meaning. Join us as Chasen inspires optimism and a desire to explore the world and its mysteries. Check out https://climatemayhem.com/chasen-part-2 for show notes and be sure to subscribe to Climate Mayhem on your favorite podcast platform.   Connect with Ty Wolfe-Jones and Jakub Kubicka With Ty Wolfe-Jones on LinkedIn With Ty Wolfe-Jones on Twitter With Jakub Kubicka on LinkedIn With Jakub Kubicka on Twitter Subscribe to Climate Mayhem On any podcast platform Read all show notes at climatemayhem.com Ask a question or suggest a topic on our What-The-Climate Listener Mail Form

There is a considerate environmental cost to e-cigarettes. The critical metals that make up their batteries are more likely to be found in landfills than recycling facilities. Not only does this pose a problem for the environment but regulators are starting to take notice. In this episode, we discuss the environmental problem of e-cigarettes and what may be done to address it. Then, we discuss the ambitious new regulation on tail pipe emissions by the US Environmental Protection Agency that might be the most ambitious air quality regulation ever.Host: Mike Disabato, MSCI ESG Research Guests: Aura Toader and Yu Ishihara, MSCI ESG ResearchSpecial thanks to Margarita Grabert and Gabriela De La Serna for their help with this episode.

This week, we feature Chasen Cunitz, an EPA 'super geek' who works at the US Environmental Protection Agency. With a fascinating career journey that began as a lawyer in the oil & gas industry in Alaska, Chasen ventured into the Alaskan wilderness, spending eight years exploring remote hamlets and meeting native American communities affected by climate change before joining the EPA. We delve into the origins of the EPA, its perspective on climate action, and its audience. We also discuss unexpected benefits of climate change in nature. This episode offers valuable insights for job seekers considering a government career, nature enthusiasts drawn to Alaska's pristine beauty, and anyone pondering life's meaning. Join us as Chasen inspires optimism and a desire to explore the world and its mysteries. Check out https://climatemayhem.com/chasen for show notes and be sure to subscribe to Climate Mayhem on your favorite podcast platform. Connect with Ty Wolfe-Jones and Jakub Kubicka With Ty Wolfe-Jones on LinkedIn With Ty Wolfe-Jones on Twitter With Jakub Kubicka on LinkedIn With Jakub Kubicka on Twitter Subscribe to Climate Mayhem On any podcast platform Read all show notes at climatemayhem.com Ask a question or suggest a topic on our  What-The-Climate Listener Mail Form

In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Mike Stone and Dr. Carl Seger, to discuss one of the most controversial topics in the food industry: glyphosate.   Glyphosate is the active ingredient in many weed killers and is also used as a pesticide in agriculture. It has become a hot-button issue in recent years due to concerns about its potential impact on human health.   In this episode, Dr. Stone and Dr. Seger dive into the potential health implications of glyphosate exposure and the conflicting research surrounding its safety. They'll explain what glyphosate is, where it is commonly found, and practical tips on how to avoid glyphosate exposure.   Episode References: International Agency for Research on Cancer. (2015). IARC Monographs Volume 112: evaluation of five organophosphate insecticides and herbicides. https://www.iarc.who.int/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/MonographVolume112-1.pdf US Environmental Protection Agency. (2020). Glyphosate. https://www.epa.gov/ingredients-used-pesticide-products/glyphosate European Food Safety Authority. (2015). Conclusion on the peer review of the pesticide risk assessment for the active substance glyphosate. https://efsa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.2903/j.efsa.2015.4302 National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. (2021). Glyphosate. https://www.niehs.nih.gov/health/topics/agents/glyphosate/index.cfm US Environmental Protection Agency. (2020). Glyphosate. https://www.epa.gov/ingredients-used-pesticide-products/glyphosate National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. (2021). Glyphosate. https://www.niehs.nih.gov/health/topics/agents/glyphosate/index.cfm US Food and Drug Administration. (2021). Questions and Answers on Glyphosate. https://www.fda.gov/food/pesticides/questions-and-answers-glyphosate Parvez S, Gerona RR, Proctor C, et al. Glyphosate exposure in pregnancy and shortened gestational length: a prospective Indiana birth cohort study. Environmental Health. 2018;17(1):23. Shelton JF, Geraghty EM, Tancredi DJ, et al. Neurodevelopmental disorders and prenatal residential proximity to agricultural pesticides: the CHARGE study. Environmental Health Perspectives. 2014;122(10):1103-1109. US Environmental Protection Agency. Glyphosate Issue Paper: Evaluation of Carcinogenic Potential. 2016. Available at: https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2016-09/documents/glyphosate_issue_paper_evaluation_of_carcinogenic_potential.pdf de Cock M, Maas YG, van de Bor M. Does perinatal exposure to endocrine disruptors induce autism spectrum and attention deficit hyperactivity disorders? Review. Acta Paediatrica. 2012;101(8):811-818. Parvez S, Gerona RR, Proctor C, et al. Glyphosate exposure in pregnancy and shortened gestational length: a prospective Indiana birth cohort study. Environmental Health. 2018;17(1):23. Shelton JF, Geraghty EM, Tancredi DJ, et al. Neurodevelopmental disorders and prenatal residential proximity to agricultural pesticides: the CHARGE study. Environmental Health Perspectives. 2014;122(10):1103-1109. US Environmental Protection Agency. Glyphosate Issue Paper: Evaluation of Carcinogenic Potential. 2016. Available at: https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2016-09/documents/glyphosate_issue_paper_evaluation_of_carcinogenic_potential.pdf Cao, C., Wang, X., & Li, J. (2018). Glyphosate residues in breakfast food: a potential health risk to children. Environmental Pollution, 233, 446-454. Li, Z., Li, Q., Du, J., & Zhang, L. (2019). Glyphosate residues and glyphosate-resistant crop interactions with soils and microbes. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 26(21), 21799-21808. US Environmental Protection Agency. (2020). Glyphosate. https://www.epa.gov/ingredients-used-pesticide-products/glyphosate US Food and Drug Administration. (2021). Questions and Answers on Glyphosate. https://www.fda.gov/food/pesticides/questions-and-answers-glyphosate

In this week's episode, host Margaret Walls talks with Carol O'Donnell, executive director of the Smithsonian Science Education Center in Washington, DC, about educating students in kindergarten through grade 12 about sustainability and environmental issues. O'Donnell discusses how the Sustainable Development Goals, formulated by the United Nations, provide a global framework for youth education; how working with educational material in a local context can help students gain data literacy skills; and how the Smithsonian Science Education Center tailors curricula on environmental issues and climate change to different age groups. References and recommendations: “Data, discourse, and development: Building a sustainable world through education and science communication” by Heidi Gibson, Mary E. Short, and Carol O'Donnell; https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcomm.2023.981988/full Smithsonian Science Education Center; https://ssec.si.edu/ Smithsonian Science for Global Goals Project; https://ssec.si.edu/global-goals EJScreen: Environmental Justice Screening and Mapping Tool, from the US Environmental Protection Agency; https://www.epa.gov/ejscreen “Science Denial: Why It Happens and What to Do About It” by Gale Sinatra and Barbara Hofer; https://academic.oup.com/book/39889

On Today's Episode: Today's conversation is a deep and wonderful exploration of both the entrepreneurial journey and the built environment — specifically, how we control it and how it controls us. My guest, Tanya Barham, is the CEO and founder of Community Energy Labs, which aims to make smart energy management and decarbonization accessible and affordable for public building (think schools, municipalities, etc).Tanya is an innovator, serial entrepreneur and self-described utility nerd, skilled in the execution of all aspects of technical service, product development, operations and commercialization from ideation through funding and growth while integrating systems and people. She has 20 years of experience developing programs and software to improve the built environment.In the early 2000s, when solar photovoltaic (PV) was still considered a largely fringe technology, she started a first-of-its-kind solar program called Solar 4R Schools for a Portland, Oregon-based foundation. More recently, she's focused on helping building managers use predictive controls to manage their carbon footprint in places like schools.In today's podcast, she shares fascinating stories about business building, her hard-knock upbringing and even the common ground between choirs and companies. Anyone building a business, climate tech or otherwise, will enjoy the lessons we unpack here today. And yes, we also talk about things like solar, proptech — property technology — and even touch on the artificial intelligence convergences driving climate tech investment. The US Environmental Protection Agency acknowledges the built environment touches all aspects of our lives. It encompasses the buildings we live in, the distribution systems that provide us with water and electricity, and the roads, bridges, and transportation systems we use to get from place to place. These human-made or modified structures provide people with living, working, and recreational spaces — and creating all these spaces and systems requires enormous quantities of materials.Did you know 40% of greenhouse gas comes from the built environment, and 70% is from the electric grid? Even so, most (87%) commercial buildings need more controls to manage the complex solutions and software now available. Today, we're going to unpack that and more. Join us for usable insights and ideas. If you want to connect with today's guest(s), you'll find links to their contact info in the show notes on the blog at https://mysuncast.com/suncast-episodes/.SunCast is presented by Sungrow, the world's most bankable inverter brand.You can learn more about all the sponsors who help make this show free for you at www.mysuncast.com/sponsors.Remember, you can always find resources, learn more about today's guest(s) and explore recommendations, book links, and more than 572 other founder stories and startup advice at www.mysuncast.com.You can connect with me, Nico Johnson, on:Twitter - https://www.twitter.com/nicomeoLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickalus

Back in the days when bands like Led Zeppelin or The Who toured America, teens lined up overnight at ticket booths, hoping for great seats when the window opened. As time went on, the queue moved to the telephone and ultimately online. All the while, one company increased its grip on the live-event market. That company is Ticketmaster.  But that could change thanks to Taylor Swift. Having waited years to see her live again, millions of fans were blocked by a combination of crushing demand, technical breakdown and the ascendance of bot-buyers who funnel tickets to a secondary market that charges sky-high prices. (In the 20th century, they were called scalpers.) As reporter Augusta Saraiva explains, this consumer calamity infuriated Swift's fans, many of whom are swimming in cash saved up during the pandemic and desperate to spend it, regardless of the shaky economic landscape. This strange state affairs already has a name: “Swiftonomics.” Lawmakers have seized on the popular outrage, uniting with fans against what many have long alleged to be Ticketmaster's monopoly power. Host Stephanie Flanders speaks with Bloomberg industry analyst Eleanor Tyler about how the debacle, and its growing political exploitation, may be the tipping point for increased antitrust regulation that finally breaks Ticketmaster's spell over the live event marketplace. Then we dive headlong into a different thicket: how recycling doesn't work as advertised. Consumers may feel better about mass consumption because there's a blue bin for everything, but the hard truth is they're fooling themselves. Most of the plastics, clothes and other items they seek to recycle wind up in landfills or dumped on the developing world. Along the shoreline of Accra, Ghana, what locals call “dead white people's clothes” can be found in piles up to six feet high.  Reporter Natalie Pearson explains that while fast-fashion chains like H&M and Zara encourage recycling, only a small fraction of their clothes will ever be remade into new items. Bloomberg recently surveyed the problem in Accra, where some 40% of the imported clothes end up as trash, and in the Indian state of Gujarat, where roughly one-third have no use. Finally, Flanders sits down with Bennington College Senior Fellow and visiting faculty member Judith Enck, a US Environmental Protection Agency official during the Obama administration, to discuss just how broken the recycling system is, and how it could be made to work better.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Two guests joined the podcast to talk about reducing litter and trash in waterways. Layne Marshall, a Biologist at the US Environmental Protection Agency's Trash Free Waters Program, and Julie Patton Lawson, Workforce Program Analyst for the DC City Government, joined the podcast to discuss a pilot study that used an education campaign to reduce trash leakage associated with curbside municipal trash collection. They shared why this education campaign was initiated, how the neighborhoods in DC were chosen, and what the impact was, as well as lessons for other local governments. Host: Lauren Palmer