Author: The Many Shades of Green

Susiku, And More: A Collection of Poems by Susan L. Pollet

Poetry is a verbal art form. I was awed by the young poet Amanda Gorman who wowed everyone at President Biden’s inauguration. I always try to start my podcasts with a poem, as I feel it is important to push poetry out further into other mediums. When I was in grade school we had to memorize a poem and recite it in class. I remember learning The Children’s Hour, by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, and was so nervous about going in front of the class because I thought I would flub the lines. In an online article in herculture.org Poetry and Social Change Richa Gupta said that “poetry doesn’t solely have a literary dimension; it has a religious one, a social one, a cultural one. An often neglected aspect of poetry is the power it can have in initiating social change, or in raising awareness about different issues people would otherwise remain oblivious to.” Poetry surrounds us daily, especially in the form of lyrics by songwriters (Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell from boomer land, and Billie Eilish, Taylor Swift, and Michael Kiwanuka from Z and Millennial generations. The Internet has been a spring board for poetry making it more accessible online with a click of a button. Our guest on this episode is Susan L. Pollet, a poet, artist, author and attorney who has written thought provoking poems which are now available in her most recent book Susiku, and More: a collection of poems. The poems focus on life moments, struggles, conflicts, as well beauty and the environment. The book is divided into two parts. Part One is called Seeking Connection, However Tenuous, and Part Two, Redemption and Renewal, On Occasion. It is available on Amazon, Barnes and Nobel and other book retail outlets. Go to SusanPollet.com for more info.

Check out past shows on: HUDSONRIVERRADIO.COM, MALCOLMPRESENTS.COM AND THEMANYSHADESOFGREEN.COM TWEET US YOUR THOUGHTS @TMSHADESOFGREEN. FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM AND FACEBOOK AND SUBSCRIBE TO TMSOG PODCAST ON ALL MAJOR PODCAST APPS. REMEMBER TO PICK A SHADE OF GREEN AND #RAISEYOURECOCONSCIOUSNESS

Biodiversity, Birds, Tree Layers, Big Night for Amphibians, Wile E Coyote/The Roadrunner… BEEP! BEEP!

Listen to the birds, listen to their sounds. Watch birds in flight and take heed of their gliding in the breeze or building a nest in a tree. We can spot  the majestic eagle or a Northern Cardinal and delight in their beauty. The Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC), which recently took place, brought birders together from around the world to count birds. GBBC was the first online citizen-science project to collect data on wild birds and to display results in near real time. In 2013, it became a global project when the data was entered into eBird.org, the world’s largest biodiversity-related citizen science (community science) project. Biodiversity is a key element in creating a healthy environment for all earthlings. We can observe and even talk to the animals, but who talks for them? We all laugh at the old Looney Tunes cartoon about a bird and a coyote, in particular, Wile E. Coyote and the Roadrunner. Why does Wile E chase such a very fast bird, and is that even a thing? As it turns it is a thing, because the creator of the cartoon, Chuck Jones, based it on a book by Mark Twain called Roughing It, in which Twain noted that coyotes are starving and hungry and would chase a roadrunner for food. Wile E has to survive in the wilderness and a Roadrunner dinner will fill his hungry heart. So how do birds, coyotes, frogs and insects coexist with other species and interact with different ecosystems? What roles do trees play in habitats, and what can humans do to help wildlife have an easier time in their quest to live and survive? Our resident wildlife and habitat guru Victoria Alzapiedi, who is the co-founder of New Castle Healthy Yards, guides us and gives us some great info about biodiverse habitats, the importance of birds, tree layers, Big Night for amphibians and why coyotes are not the bad guys they are always depicted to be.  For more information go to New Castle Healthy Yards on Facebook and ebirds.org For past shows, go to HudsonRiverRadio.com and Malcolmpresents.com. Follow TMSOG on Instagram @tmshadesofgreen and on Facebook. Please subscribe to The Many Shades of Green podcast on Spotify, Apple, Amazon, iHeart, Spreaker.com and more. #RaiseYourEcoConsciousness

Courtney on Health: Heart Health

February is Heart Health month and I am a poster child for heart disease. I had a “mild” heart attack in 2017 and had an emergency procedure to put in a stent. A stent is a tiny, metal mesh tube that is placed with a catheter and permanently embedded within the artery wall to prop open and prevent it from collapsing. I was lucky, as I got to the hospital in time and had a terrific surgeon who literally saved my life, so thank you Dr. Pelikan! Some of my heart issues stem from genetics, as my Dad and my paternal grandmother both had heart problems. My dad had open heart surgery when it was still a new procedure, and when I saw him right after surgery, the first thing he said to me was “breathing is good!” Yes, breathing is good and women need to be especially prudent as heart disease is the leading cause of death for women in the United States, killing 314,186 women in 2020—or about 1 in every 5 female deaths. But it is very important for both women and men to invest in heart-healthy habits and activities. According to CDC.gov there are some factors that impact heart health that are beyond a person’s control, such as age and ethnicity, and in my case, genetics, but there are several lifestyle choices that are controllable. According to health experts, maintaining heart health by addressing lifestyle factors can greatly reduce the risk of heart disease. Things you can do to improve heart health are diet, exercise, sleep, watching your blood pressure and reducing stress and more. Courtney gives us some important info on how to maintain a healthy heart. GO TO: www.heart.org for more info.

To get more info, follow Courtney on her Facebook page Courtney on Health, on Instagram and TikTok @clgwellnes and visit her website: courtneygravenese.com.  Check out her podcast, and for past shows go to malcolmpresents.com and themanyshadesofgreen.com

Coalition to Prevent Westchester Airport Expansion with Peter Schlactus

If you are living near a large or small airport, please know that you are being exposed to ultrafine particles of air pollution. Emissions from aviation are a significant contributor to climate change. If unmitigated, aviation emissions are expected to double or triple by 2050. Adverse environmental impacts affect communities that are near airports, especially those near watersheds areas which affect stormwater runoff and drinking water. Westchester Airport is a local airport in a suburb of NYC and there are major concerns about water and air pollution, as well as noise and increased usage by private jets. The skies are not very friendly in the surrounding communities, and my guest this week, Peter Schlactus, is tirelessly working to reduce the expansion of Westchester Airport, to help reduce environmental impacts to area residents, as the airport borders the Kensico watershed. Peter is a member of the Steering Committee of the Coalition to Prevent Westchester Airport Expansion, a non-profit watchdog group of community and environmental organizations, as well as many hundreds of unaffiliated residents that together represent thousands of constituents united in seeking a vibrant but limited and environmentally responsible County airport, with no expansion of airport operations. For more information go to CTPWAE.org or https://www.coalition-to-prevent-westchester-airport-expansion.org/

To file a noise complaint go to https://www.coalition-to-prevent-westchester-airport-expansion.org/noise-complaints

Please subscribe to The Many Shades of Green Podcast on Spotify, Apple, Spreaker.com, iHeart, Amazon and more. Check out past shows on HudsonRiverRadio.com and MalcolmPresents.com. Follow us on FaceBook and Instagram @tmshadesofgreen #RaiseYourEcoConsciousness

Civic Engagement with George Polisner Founder of Civ.Works

“Every so often, in the midst of chaos, you come across an amazing, inexplicable instance of civic responsibility. Maybe the last shred of faith people have is in their firemen.” ― Kurt Vonnegut, Hocus Pocus

According to the American Psychological Association, one useful definition of civic engagement is the following: individual and collective actions designed to identify and address issues of public concern. Civic engagement can take many forms, from individual voluntarism to organizational involvement to electoral participation. It can include efforts to directly address an issue, work with others in a community to solve a problem or interact with the institutions of representative democracy. An engaged citizen should have the ability, agency and opportunity to move comfortably among these various types of civic acts. In this episode of TMSOG we talk to George Polisner, who is the Founder of Civ.Works, which is a non-profit technology platform for civic engagement, constituent engagement, participatory democracy and participatory budgeting. George is working to educate the citizenry about civic responsibility, to increase participation to promote the civic good, and to engage the populous to be more active and take action to protect our democratic values. We touch on the State of the Union, Climate Change, why certain conservative think tanks deny that climate change exists, and more. Check out Civ.Works for more info. For past shows go to HudsonRiverRadio.com and Malcolmpresents.com. Please subscribe to our podcast which is on all major podcast apps (Spotify, Apple, iHeart, Amazon, Spreaker.com and more). Follow us on Instagram @tmshadesofgreen #RaiseYourEcoConsciousness

Guest Greg Vizzi, naturalist and co-author of THE ORIGINAL PEOPLE: THE ANCIENT CULTURE AND WISDOM OF THE LENNI-LENAPE PEOPLE talks about the Indigenous world view and the philosophy of co-author Chief Quiet Thunder

How is the world view of Chief Quiet Thunder relevant to todays modern world? Guest Greg Vizzi talks about how the Indigenous world view has been lost to modern man, and why it is important to collect the oral histories and tell the stories of Native Americans. The traditions of the Lenni-Lenape, teaches “the sacred obligation to protect the Earth.” We should all be protectors of the earth and do our part to prevent further damage to the planet caused by fossil fuel pollution, which is having a damaging effect on the land, the air and the water. Greg is an American naturalist and writer, and he gives us some answers and background on the need to understand and appreciate the culture of the Original People. For more information go to https://www.natures-wisdom.com/ Please subscribe to TMSOG podcast on all major podcast apps (Spotify, Apple, iHeart, Amazon, Spreaker.com and more). Follow us on Instagram @tmshadesofgreen and on the web at themanyshadesofgreen.com, HudsonRiverRadio.com and malcolmpresents.com #RaiseYourEcoConsciousness #BEEGREEN

Courtney on Health: NEAT

If you’re like me, I tend to fidget during the day, and I write, cook, play with the pup, play the guitar and if I hear a song with a cool latin beat, I get up and dance for a minute or 2 or 3. Do any of these activities count as calorie burning actions? I always wondered why my Apple iWatch has a higher percentage of calories burned, over and above the 2-3 miles I walk daily. This turns out to be NEAT, which is kinda groovy! NEAT is Non Exercise Activity Thermogenesis, and Courtney explains how NEAT benefits those of us who like to tool around in the garden, play catch with the doggie, play piano, do housework, water the plants and bang on the drums! It is good to be NEAT!! To get more info, follow Courtney on her Facebook page Courtney on Health, on Instagram and TikTok @clgwellness and visit her website: courtneygravenese.com.  For more shows go to malcolmpresents.com and themanyshadesofgreen.com.  Courtney on Health: Smart, Sound Nutrition. Strong, Safe Fitness. #BeWell!

Extreme Weather, Climate Change, Adaptation and Resilience

There is so much beauty on this earth, which is why it is so crucial at this time to be proactive in protecting Mother Earth. We see changes in the flora and fauna, as the planet is warming, and the weather is becoming more extreme. Climate scientist Illissa Ocko stated that “Scientists have no doubt that humans are causing global warming.” It is very evident that hotter heat waves, drier droughts, bigger storm surges and greater snowfall are occurring as the planet continues to warm. Extreme weather is on the rise. A dramatic decrease in greenhouse gas emissions and increases in carbon dioxide capture is needed to keep below a 2oC rise. We need more biodiversity, and often times solutions are right in our own backyard. Shrink your lawn and add native plants and perhaps a meadow. We need to be more resilient, more adaptable and work to reduce our carbon footprint. We discuss these issues with our resident nature expert and friend of the podcast Victoria Alzapiedi, who 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 Climate Smart Communities Task Force. She is also a member of Friends of Buttonhook Forest, which is working to save a 20.3 acre forest with Native American complex ceremonial stones, hundreds of mature trees, and is a carbon sink and a wildlife habitat in the town of New Castle NY. Follow New Castle Healthy Yards on Facebook. Help Save a Forest: savebuttonhook.org. Subscribe to TMSOG podcast on your favorite podcast app and on Instagram @tmshadesofgreen. Check out past shows on HudsonRiverRadio.com and Malcolmpresents.com #RaiseYourEcoConsciousness

Teach Your Children Well about Climate Change with Guest Harriet Shugarman-Founder of Climate Mama

We are all anxious about world events and particularly to the degradation of the environment. The term eco-anxiety, includes “worry, fear, anger, grief, despair, guilt, and shame, as well as hope. A recent BBC Newsround survey found that 70% of 8- to 16-year-olds report feeling worried about the state of the planet. So how do parents, caregivers and teachers talk to kids about climate change? What can we tell them that will ease their tension about the climate crisis? We discuss these issues with our guest and friend of the podcast Harriet Shugarman, an incredible woman who is working to put children’s minds at ease. Harriet wrote the book, How to Talk to Your Kids About Climate Change:Turning Angst into Action, which provides tools and strategies for parents to explain the climate emergency to their children and galvanize positive action. Check out these websites for more info:

Our Kids Climate https://ourkidsclimate.org/

Parents for Future Global  https://parentsforfuture.org/

How to Talk to Your Kids About Climate Change, Turning Angst into Action. https://www.amazon.com/Talk-Your-About-Climate-Change/dp/0865719365/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=anthropocene&qid=1570739365&s=books&sr=1-2

Global Warming Six Americas, Yale Climate Communications https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/about/projects/global-warmings-six-americas/

You can find The Many Shades of Green podcast on all major podcast apps (Spotify, Apple, iHeart, Amazon and more) Also check out HudsonRiverRadio.com and Malcolmpresents.com #RaiseYourEcoConsciousness

Sexy Astrology, Gen Z, the planets and more with Charlotte Ghiorse Part Deux

“People move towards the things they are good at,” that quote by our guest on this episode, Charlotte Ghiorse, gives us some insight into how astrology might play a role in daily life. While astrology can’t fix anything per se, it can help you grow and make decisions. There is a rise in a particular segment of the population which is now very interested in astrology. A recent survey that found that nearly 40% of Gen Z believes that astrology can help them make better financial decisions and help their social life – and that astrology-specific platforms are rising in popularity. A representative for the app Co-Star told TIME magazine that their app was downloaded “every three to four seconds” in the US. Astrology is far from new, but a resurgence of interest in star charts and planetary retrogrades has seen it trending on social media. So what is it about astrology that makes Gen Z so enamored with the moon in the Seventh House? Charlotte Ghiorse, Artist and founder of Sexy Astrology delves into the many shades of the Zodiac, the direction of the planets, intuition, and more. Malcolm adds some good vibrations to the conversation. For more info go to Sexy Astrology on YouTube and houseofchoclet.com. Check out past shows on malcolmpresents.com and HudsonRiverRadio.com. Follow The Many Shades of Green on Facebook and Instagram @tmshadesofgreen. Subscribe to the podcast on Spotify, Apple, Amazon, iHeart (Spreaker) and more. #RaiseYourEcoConsciousness

Sexy Astrology 2023 Outlook and Uranus Neptune and Pluto Go Direct

The New Year is upon us, and predictions are made in many areas of life, particularly financial, social and relationships. Millions of people check their Horoscope on a daily basis as a guide or forecast to their day. Astrology stems from around the 3rd Millennium BC with the central premise that the placement of the stars and planets on the day of your birth (i.e. your “star sign”) impacts your character and behavior.  It suggests that the continuing movement of celestial bodies affects events on earth. You might have heard, that some people blame their run of bad luck on Mercury being in retrograde… and that you should run for the hills (or not) during times of retrograde. On this episode of TMSOG we talk to artist Charlotte Ghiorse, who knows a thing or two about astrology. Charlotte is a painter, video and performance artist and a mom who has vision and a sense of depth which gives purpose to her art and life. Charlotte is the founder of Sexy Astrology and has a show on YouTube which gives astrological advice and forecasting, as well as horoscopes. We talk about Perfectionism/Irritability, Mars in Gemini, the OUTER PLANETS Uranus Neptune and Pluto (yes, Pluto) going direct, the Lunar New Year of the Rabbit, Mercury in Retrograde, Gen Z’s rising interest in the Zodiac (maybe that is what the Z stands for) and more. Some phenomena in our world might never be explained, human nature moves us to explore the possibilities and the connections between humans and celestial bodies and how we are all quantum entangled. Check out Sexy Astrology on YouTube and the House of ChoCLeT (houseofchoclet.com). For more shows go to HudsonRiverRadio.com and Malcolmpresents.com. Please subscribe to TMSOG podcast on Spotify, Apple, Amazon, iHeart, Spreaker.com and more. #RaiseYourEcoConsciousness

Courtney On Health: Leave the holiday drinking behind and try having a Dry January!

We’ve been in holiday mode for months. We drank, we ate, we partied, and now it’s time to reset the clock and get back to healthier routines to maintain a proper life balance. Resolutions aside, we’ve got a lot of living to do! The spiked egg nog is in retreat, and it is a good time to revaluate our habits and perhaps think of going dry for January. No Bourbon, No Scotch, No Beer (sorry Mr. Thorogood). Maybe we can  start getting back on track by reducing our liquor intake and going dry! Courtney explains and gives great info on the practice and origin of Dry January. For 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