Author: The Many Shades of Green

Nature is a profound ally in the fight against climate change, and by saving it, we save ourselves. We must, among other things, conserve wetlands, restore coastal habitats, preserve old-growth forests, and reduce fire risks for communities in forested regions. If we use more hemp for paper, clothing and other industrial use we can stop cutting down trees. We need to protect forests, big and small, and one in particular, that is near and dear to me, Buttonhook Forest in New Castle New York. This amazing magical space is home to wildlife, 700 trees, is a carbon sink and watershed which provides many benefits to the ecosystem. It also contains Native American Sacred Ceremonial Stones, thus making it a sacred and revered space for Native Americans.

We need to take action on a personal level to press our elected officials to create policies to help reduce carbon emissions, build infrastructure for transportation (EVs, Maglev trains) and more. Malcolm and I speak with Evalyn Bladstrom and Rusti Wolintz about their shade of green and the importance of being engaged in environmental issues that will bring cleaner land, air and water to planet Earth and lower carbon emissions. Please think about what your shade of green will be in the new year. Take action on both a local and global level. We owe it to Mother Nature and the Seven Generations to come. For more info go to savebuttonhookforest.org, citizensclimatelobby.org, malcolmpresents.com and HudsonRiverRadio.com, please subscribe to TMSOG podcast on Spotify, Apple, Amazon, iHeart, Spreaker.com and more #RaiseYourEcoConsciousness

Mother Earth is not happy with the way the human species is buried, as it’s hurting the planet. According to the Centers for Disease Control, the bodies of 21st century people are full of all kinds of toxins — BPA, heavy metals, volatile organic compounds, preservatives, pesticides, the byproducts of disinfectants and so much more. Your decision over your body’s final resting place could save the environment from the equivalent of emissions from a 500-mile road trip. A a natural burial is the eco-friendliest option for burial today. Our guest on this episode is Edward Bixby, who is a proven leader in the Natural Burial Movement. He has been President of the Green Burial Council Board since 2014. Ed has enjoyed his opportunities to educate the public on the ways of Natural Burial. He operates Destination Destiny Memorials Americas which is a premier Eco Friendly funeral option provider Nationally and Globally. For more info go to greenburialcouncil.org . You can find past shows on HudsonRiverRadio.com and Malcolmpresents.com. Follow TMSOG on Instagram @tmshadesofgreen and on Facebook. Subscribe to our podcast on all major podcast apps. #RaiseYourEcoConsciousness

‘Tis the season to sip hot chocolate or Egg Nog (hi test or low test) around the glow of the fireplace. The aromas from the spices and the scent of the pine from the Christmas tree fills the air. Festive spices linger in our taste buds and tummies  as we enjoy making and eating the gingerbread houses and cookies during the holiday season. But the herbs and spices are not just good for tasting and smelling, a number of them have excellent health benefits too. Seasonal spices can give our mood and energy a boost, help reduce aches and pains, and can heal your wintry blues. Courtney, helps us spice things up for the holidays! 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

“You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference and you have to decide what kind of a difference you want to make.” Jane Goodall

We need to work on a daily basis to make a difference. Our actions to protect the planet are more important than ever. It is crucial to use our collective will to push policies to reduce carbon emissions and help reduce global warming. Federated Conservationists of Westchester County (FCWC), is an umbrella group that uses its platform to build relationships with climate activists throughout Westchester County. FCWC provides leadership that educates about environmental issues and unifies groups and individuals to protect and preserve Westchester’s environment and address climate change. It works with communities to encourage sustainable practices across the county. My guests are Anne Jaffe Holmes, Program Director of FCWC and Tracy Stora, who will soon be taking over the reigns from Anne as Program Director. Tracy has over ten years of experience working with local, county, and state stakeholders addressing climate-related hazards affecting coastal communities in New York . We discuss the importance of community outreach and the need to create grassroots efforts to bring together voices to protect the environment and natural resources of our county, with the focus of bringing in the voices that have been historically left out…For more information go to FCWC.org. Check out past shows on hudsonriverradio.com and malcolmpresents.com. Please subscribe to TMSOG podcast on Spotify, Apple podcasts, Amazon, Spreaker.com, iHeartRadio and more. Follow us on FB and Instagram @tmshadesofgreen #RaiseYourEcoConsciousness

Climate change is primarily driven by greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and reducing emissions from buildings in NYC is the most significant action the city can take to reduce greenhouse gases, as buildings contribute nearly three-quarters of all citywide emissions. The New York City Council recently passed  legislation to reduce emissions and improve energy efficiency for certain buildings in the city, which make up a large portion of energy consumption from electricity use, heating, and cooling. Building owners and managers can improve energy efficiency of building systems and operations and invest in cleaner on-site power generation. There are organizations that push for legislation and work with government offices, landlords, developers and community leaders to help create policy to get renewable energy into communities to help reduce carbon emissions. We talk to friend of the podcast, Jose Tulio Galvez Contreras, who is helping lead the charge for solar energy, as well as working for environmental justice in communities most affected by carbon emissions in their neighborhoods.  New forms of energy, specifically solar, can be put into place to make those areas cleaner and healthier, while also providing jobs. Jose works as the Senior Program Manager and Solar Researcher at Solar One, where he manages solar energy projects for affordable housing in NYC, and leads research on the impacts of these projects in underserved communities. For more information go to solar1.org. Subscribe to the TMSOG podcast and follow us on FB and Instagram @tmshadesofgreen #RaiseYourEcoConsciousness. Check out HudsonRiverRadio.com and Malcolmpresents.com for past shows.

https://www.spreaker.com/user/10880920/tmsog-11-19-2022-jose-tulio-galvez-contr

“In Japan, people practice ‘forest bathing’ (shinrin-yoku), where they spend quiet time absorbing the wisdom of ancient forests, and taking long walks among the trees to stimulate their immune system. In Taoism, students are encouraged to meditate among trees, and it is believed that the trees will absorb negative energies, replacing them with healthy ones. Trees are seen as a source of emotional and physical healing, and themselves as meditators, absorbing universal energies.” NatureAndHealth.com  Trees give us more than we realize and we must care for them, and yes hug them. The American Beech tree is an ecologically important species, providing food and habitat to over 40 species of birds and mammals in eastern forests. This iconic tree has recently been impacted by beech bark disease, and is now under attack by a new enemy-Nematodes, which could be the cause beech leaf disease (BLD), and is of great concern to many forest areas, including Teatown Lake Reservation. We talk to Dr. Danielle Begley-Miller, an ecologist, who is the Director of Science and Stewardship at Teatown Lake Reservation about what might be causing BLD disease, and how scientists are approaching the problem. We also talk about dealing with leaves in the Fall, and if you can, please leave leaves alone. For more information go to teatown.org and leaveleavesalone.org. For past programs go to HudsonRiverRadio.com and Malcolmpresents.com. Follow TMSOG on FB and Instagram @tmshadesofgreen. Subscribe to TMSOG podcast on all major podcast platforms (Apple, Spotify, Amazon, Spreaker.com and more). Please give us a nice review… #RaiseYourEcoConsciousness

Are the actions of the the fossil fuel industry considered a crime against humanity?

“ECOCIDE”

is a word to describe what is happening to our planet; the mass damage and destruction of the natural living world.  It literally means “killing one’s home”. And right now, in most of the world, no-one is held responsible.  

It’s time to change the rules.  It’s time to protect our home. Stop ecocide is working, together with a growing global network of lawyers, diplomats, and across all sectors of civil society, towards making ecocide an international crime. Our guest on this episode, Jojo Mehta, is working to make it a crime to harm the environment. Jojo co-founded Stop Ecocide in 2017, alongside legal pioneer, the late Polly Higgins, to support making severe harm to nature an international crime.  As key spokesperson and Executive Director of Stop Ecocide International, Jojo has overseen the remarkable growth of the global movement while coordinating legal developments, diplomatic traction and public narrative. The Stop Ecocide campaign works to support the establishment of ecocide as a crime at the International Criminal Court. For more info go to stopecocide.earth For past programs visit HudsonRiverRadio.com and Malcolmpresents.com. TMSOG podcast is on all major podcast apps: Spotify, Apple, Amazon, iHeart, Spreaker and more. #RaiseYourEcoConsciousness

https://www.spreaker.com/user/10880920/tmsog-11-05-2022-jojo-mehta

According to the leaveleavesalone.org website, the annual ritual of raking, blowing, piling, and possibly bagging, costs each homeowner – or their landscaper – hours of time each fall. It also robs the yards of one of nature’s greatest resources: rich, natural compost. The practice of leaf blowing causes serious diesel and particulate matter pollution, especially with the 2-stroke backpack leaf blowers so commonly used in suburban backyards. There are many health risks associated with leaf blowers as well as the environmental pollution and destruction of habitat caused by leaf blowers, particularly gas-powered blowers. More than 120 communities around the country have restrictions on leaf blower use and that number continues to grow.  

On this episode we discuss with our resident wildlife and landscape expert, Victoria Alzapiedi, how we can become more in tune with our landscapes by leaving leaves alone and reducing the use of gas powered leaf blowers. There are tremendous benefits to the soil, which the animal and insect ecosystems rely on. For more info go to leaveleavesalone.org, check out New Castle Healthy Yards on Facebook, for past shows go to HudsonRiverRadio.com and malcolmpresents.com. Subscribe to TMSOG podcast on all major podcast apps. #RaiseYourEcoConsciousness

While the #MeToo movement has taken hold to focus on how women are ill treated in the workplace, and as the uptick of reported cases of sexual and verbal abuse continues to rise, it is important that we get the perspective of men. We need to determine what can be done to educate them to help change behavior, yet make sure that they are given a bit of space to speak to each other, and work on their emotions and feelings. Enter The Mankind Project, which helps men develop skills and develop friendships through weekend retreats and meetings. It is important for men to have a place to talk, and we need their input, so we can come up with solutions that will lead to how we can all live and respect each other, sort of a #MenToo moment so to speak.

For more information go to themankindproject.org, thegreendivas.com