Author: Divas@72

“There is one thing I almost never hear leaders talk about, and that is loss and damage. For many of us, reducing and avoiding is not enough. You cannot adapt to lost cultures, you cannot adapt to lost traditions, you cannot adapt to lost history, you cannot adapt to starvation. You cannot adapt to extinction.”  This quote is by youth activist Vanessa Nakate who founded the Rise Up movement, a platform for African climate activists. 

What can any of us do to make the fossil fuel and other industries understand that you cannot adapt to extinction and that climate change is affecting the livability of the planet?  The coal, gas and oil industries are responsible for the majority of GHG emissions and must be held more accountable. The question is, how do we do that? An online article by Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility stated that: “every year, companies as varied as oil and gas to tech and banking spend hundreds of millions of dollars lobbying to block or delay federal and state regulations designed to avert the climate crisis. They do this through direct lobbying and through support of and leadership in various trade associations. Increasingly, companies also advocate against climate progress and policy through highly targeted and widespread social media persuasion.” On the other side of that, there are organizations like Citizens Climate Lobby which works to provide government representatives solutions to climate change, especially via a carbon tax policy. Education and lobbying are important components in the creation of policies to help reduce carbon emissions.  We talk to Frankie, Matthew and Devin members of the Westchester Chapter of Citizens Climate Lobby, who represent the terrific things youth are doing to lead the way to protect the environment. For more info go to citizensclimatelobby.org, Instagram @cclwestchester. Find past shows on HudsonRiverRadio.com, Malcolmpresents.com Tweet us @tmshadesofgreen # RaiseYourEcoConsciousness

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, an annual campaign by the National Breast Cancer Foundation to raise awareness about the impact of breast cancer. The campaign for 2022 is RISE UP. When we raise our voices together, we help spread the word about the importance of breast cancer screening and support. We need to RISE Up and help reach even more people throughout Breast Cancer Awareness Month by sharing NBCF messaging on social media channels. The more outreach about the need to have more women get a mammogram, the more likely that early detection will help save lives. Courtney will give us some important info and we have a special guest, Marianne Santee, a breast cancer survivor who tells her story. For more info go to nbcf.org, @the_breasties Be proactive, BOOK a yearly mammogram!

What drives people to do good? People who try to help people feel that they are living their life in an altruistic way.  Author Larrisa MacFarquhar, said that “It’s one of the differences between them and the rest of us: they don’t feel that they have a choice about whether they should help others or not. What they show you is you can live a happy life, even with a very strong commitment to people who are not in your family, not in your community, people who have a need that you don’t necessarily see in front of you. Here is a statement from the cooperation.org website which states: despite many big problems, and recent great political challenges, our world overall is still a great deal better off than most of us realize, and for many decades has been improving significantly, if unsteadily, in so many ways. In follow-up to that I did a google search to find out if people asked the question: how can I do good in the world, the closest I got was: how can I donate to good will. In 2022 the top searches in question form are #1 what to watch, followed by what is my IP address, what time is it, and where am I. The question should really be where are we, especially in the context of altruism, empathy, morality, compassion, looking out for one another and bridging differences. The world is in turmoil, but there are amazing people doing great work to help make things better by creating solutions, and putting them into place to help protect the environment, human rights and more.  On this episode we speak to two dedicated and compassionate women: Golda Velez, co-founder and senior software engineer at cooperation.org and Sakshi Bahuguna, the CEO and Co-Founder of Coupons for Good. Golda and Sakshi both have a passion to create innovative solutions for everyday problems to help people, and create a product that users love. Golda is also a Board member of Civic Works and works with friend of TMSOG podcast, George Polisner. For more info go to Cooperation.org, Civ.works, and check out Coupons for Good. For past shows go to HudsonRiverRadio.com and MalcolmPresents.com. Please subscribe to TMSOG podcast, Tweet us @tmshadesofgreen and #RaiseYourEcoConsciousness

Who are the happiest people on the planet. The answer is in The World Happiness Report 2022, which indicated that the happiest country on Earth is Finland, a title they have held for 5 years, Denmark ranks number 2, with Iceland 3, Switzerland 4 and the Netherlands 5. Does cold weather play a factor in these metrics? Maybe the folks in those countries have to cuddle more to which makes them happy. The US ranked 16th, which was actually up 3 slots since 2021. According to Jeffrey Sachs, Director for the Center of Sustainable Development at Columbia University, “the lesson of the World Happiness Report over the years is that social support, generosity to one another, and honesty in government are crucial for well being.”  Sach’s further went on to say that “world leaders should take heed, politics should be directed as the great sages long ago insisted: to the well-being of the people, not the power of the rulers.” National and Local leaders should do the same. We talk to friend of the program Nada Khader, Executive Director of WESPAC, who follows the tenants of that statement, and works to improve the lives of those most in need in order to secure our rights to a healthy and peaceful environment. For more info go to WESPAC.org. Also visit hudsonriverradio.com and malcolmpresents.com. Subscribe to TMSOG podcast, and tweet us @tmshadesofgreen. #RaiseYourEcoConsciousness

On this episode we talk to our resident wildlife and Healthy Yards expert Victoria Alzapiedi about raising awareness of wildlife on the roadways. Roadkill is a serious problem in motor transportation. An online article from education.nationalgeographic.org stated that crossing deer and other large mammals can create life-threatening hazards on roadways. In the United States alone, there are more than a million automobile accidents per year involving wildlife, racking up more than $8 billion in medical costs and vehicle repairs annually. According to some estimates, automobile collisions kill more than a million animals every day, making them the leading cause of death for many vertebrate species. Still worse is the way major roads and other forms of development can subdivide animal populations and fragment their habitats. Losing access to large areas of their living space makes it much harder for many woodland creatures to forage for food, find mates and carry on their genetic legacies. Victoria gives us great information and tips as to how to be more aware of wildlife on the roads. She is the co-founder of New Castle Healthy Yards, and is a Member of the Town of New Castle Conservation Board, as well as the New Castle Climate Smart Task Force. Victoria is also a member of Friends of Buttonhook, which is working to save a 20.3 acre forest with over 670 mature trees, Native American complex ceremonial stones, and is a wildlife habitat in the town of New Castle. For more info go to New Castle Healthy Yards on Facebook and savebuttonhook.org. Catch past shows on HudsonRiverRadio.com and Malcolmpresents.com. Subscribe to TMSOG podcast on all major podcast apps. Tweet us @tmshadesofgreen #RaiseYourEcoConsciousness

While many people cherish freedom and democracy, there are those among us who have a different perspective. Our rights seem to be slipping away, and we are at a crossroad in our quest to maintain democracy, and the freedoms that come with it. In the US, our Constitution and rule of law is being trampled. Authoritarian rule is at our doorstep, yet many of us have blinders on. How can we push the pendulum back and preserve our freedom? People need to stand up and do their civic duty and VOTE! We must do everything in our power to save democracy. On this episode we speak to George A. Polisner, who is the Founder of Civ Works, a non-profit technology platform for civic engagement, constituent engagement, participatory democracy and participatory budgeting. We talk about the Lewis Powell Memorandum and the US Chamber of Commerce and what we need to do to protect our rights and freedom from being taken away. George is putting his words in to action by doing work aligned with his values. He is helping create mechanisms for the populous to become more civic minded and engaged in politics and democracy. For more information go to civ.works. Listen to TMSOG podcast on Spotify, Spreaker.com, Apple Podcasts, Amazon, iHeartRadio and more. Find past shows on hudsonriverradio.com and malcolmpresents.com. #RaiseYourEcoConsciousness

We don’t seem to be paying enough attention to what is going on in the world, and how climate change is affecting life, both here in the US and throughout the world. There are organizations that are finding solutions and employing those solutions in areas that need help. Keith Voos, Co-Founder of DrawdownNYC, is a friend of the podcast, and a workshop presenter at Drawdown NYC. His dedication to getting the message out about sustainability and environmental justice is exemplary, and he knows what we need to do to protect Mother Earth and to use every tool available. The mission of Drawdown is to help the world reach “drawdown”—the point in the future when levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere stop climbing and start to steadily decline, thereby stopping catastrophic climate change—as quickly, safely, and equitably as possible. Keith gives tips on what individuals can do everyday to help get to Drawdown. For more info go to drawdown-nyc.org

For more shows go to hudsonriverradio.com and malcolmpresents.com. Subscribe to TMSOG podcast on all major podcast apps. Tweet us your thoughts @tmshadesofgreen. #RaiseYourEcoConsciousness

As we ease into fall and cooler temperatures start to take hold it is a good time to enjoy the beautiful weather. This is the time of year to take advantage of the scenery and the great outdoors before the snow arrives and walk, bike, or take a hike. Get outside with family and friends and start a game of soccer, football or basketball and work those muscle groups and get your heart pumping. Find a good activity and stay with it. It is also good for your mental state to be out in nature. Courtney has some great tips to help you exercise your way into Fall. To get more info follow Courtney on her Facebook page Courtney on Health, on Instagram @clgwellnes on TikTok and visit her website: courtneygravenese.com.  For more shows go to malcolmpresents.com and themanyshadesofgreen.com

The lyrics of the song Mercy Mercy Me (Ecology) are about the environment and how mankind is sadly destroying it. The song’s profound lyrics mention, among other things, the blue skies vanishing, oil spilling on the oceans and destroying aquatic life, radiation killing animals and the over population of the Earth. It was written in 1973, when pollution was so bad, you couldn’t see city skylines through the black soot. There was little action being taken to balance nature and reduce pollution despite the EPA being put into place in December 1970, by President Nixon. The agency was created to reduce pollution and regulate industries that polluted the land, air and water. Someone needed to call attention to the degradation of Mother Earth and in this case, it was Marvin Gaye, whose lyrics and music brought the subject more attention.  Music and lyrics evoke emotions which drive people to act. Protest songs move to motivate people by changing the way they feel about the divisions between “us” and “them.” Do we want war or do we want peace?  Neil Richter, Malcolm Burman and I discuss the message in the music from the 60’s to today. From Dylan to Joni Mitchell, to Bob Marley to Green Day music remains an integral part of social movements, as it speaks to war, climate injustice, pandemic life and more. Check out The Richter Observatory on HudsonRiverRadio.com and watch great programs on MalcolmPresents.com. Subscribe to The Many Shades of Green Podcast on Spotify, Spreaker, iHeart, Apple, Amazon and more. Tweet us your thoughts @tmshadesofgreen #RaiseYourEcoConsciousness

On The Many Shades of Green podcast this week we discuss ways to HELP SAVE BUTTONHOOK FOREST.

The ecosystems of forests are so very important. Forests which are teeming with life and color, help protect us from the ravages of climate change. Having a forest with open space comes with many benefits, as it preserves wildlife and biodiversity. Forests are carbon sinks which absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. On my podcast this week we focus on actions being taken by community residents to preserve and protect a beautiful pristine parcel of land, the Buttonhook Forest, in Northern Westchester. It is a wildlife habitat with 700 trees, as well as a watershed area and a carbon sink. It also contains Native American Ceremonial Stone landscapes and other remnants of Native American life. We talk to guests Stacy Morgan and Christina Shih of Friends of Buttonhook Forest, who are working tirelessly to save this amazing open space. For more info and to DONATE go to savebuttonhook.org Visit their Facebook page Friends of Buttonhook Inc. Open space is crucial to protect the planet. Help Save the Buttonhook Forest! TMSOG podcast is available on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon, iHeart, Spreaker.com and more. For more shows go to HudsonRiverRadio.com and MalcolmPresents.com. Tweet us your thoughts @tmshadesofgreen… #RaiseYourEcoConsciousness

Yorktown 100 is an all-volunteer community-based organization that seeks to reduce Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions in Yorktown, NY, to net zero by 2040. Their goal is 5% reduction per year from 2020 to 2040. They work to reach this goal through a combination of advocacy, education and campaigns to help Yorktown residents choose a lifestyle with zero or lower emissions. Everyone can and should do their part to reduce the effects of climate change, so that future generations will have a healthy planet to live on. Our guest on this episode Cara Donohoe, is an environmental advocate who is passionate about creating and leveraging community at the grassroots level as a means to achieve transformational change. She is a member of the CURE100 chapter, Yorktown100, and volunteers at their events. For more information go to: Yorktown100.Cure100.org. For past shows visit hudsonriverradio.com and malcolmpresents.com. Subscribe to our podcast and tweet us your thoughts @tmshadesofgreen #RaiseYourEcoConsciousness

Summer is not complete without eating juicy, delicious Watermelon, which is a staple at many summertime picnics and gatherings around the country. Most people agree that watermelon is a tasty sweet treat, but a majority are unaware of its many health benefits. Watermelon is packed with lycopene, more than many other fresh fruits or vegetables. Lycopene is an antioxidant linked to decreased risk of cancer, heart disease, age-related eye disorders and more. Courtney gives us some great information about the benefits of watermelon.