Art – The Many Shades of Green

The Spirit of Doves with Poet, Artist Attorney and Renaissance Woman Susan L. Pollet

We start off the TMSOG podcast with the song When Doves Cry, which was written by Prince for the film Purple Rain in 1984 and it was his first Billboard number 1 single. Prince used doves as a metaphor in that a dove in distress or crying represents the violent shattering of peace. Doves are a universal symbol of peace and Prince’s lyrics refer to his parents differences and not getting along. He states:

Maybe I’m just like my father, too bold

Maybe you’re just like my mother

She’s never satisfied

Why do we scream at each other

This is what it sounds like when doves cry

By using doves as a symbol, was Prince hoping that his parents could work things out?

We need connectedness and peace more than ever, as we live in a world which is teetering on the brink of moral and ethical collapse. Wars continue to be fought between countries and the environment is being decimated by human behavior. While I truly believe that most people want to do good things, it seems like the evil empire is holding us hostage, and we need to fight the powers that be who are bent on destroying the earth so they can rule the world. We don’t want war, we want peace, clean air, clean water, untainted food, good medical care, a living wage and a better life for our children. We need to take a stand and fight for our rights, and so we bring out our symbols to try to counter the madness. While those who resist and protest dress up as frogs or unicorns, the ultimate symbol of peace are doves. Doves are gentle, quiet, and non-aggressive. The nature of doves makes them a natural visual metaphor for harmony. Ancient Mediterranean cultures used harvested olive branches as an offering to signal peaceful intent to end hostilities. The white dove carrying an olive branch is a universal symbol of peace and renewal, deeply rooted in ancient traditions, biblical stories and modern art popularized by Pablo Picasso. With the world in dire need of peace, we are lucky to have poets, artists and musicians to help us get through tough times, and fill our need for joy. I am delighted to have Susan Pollet on this episode to talk about the relationship between poetry and art and how these two forms of creativity speak to each other, inspire each other, and connect in many ways. Susan is a poet, an artist, published author and an attorney. Her poetry and artwork have been featured in many publications, and she created the cover art for her latest poetry collection, Deep Diving. Other recent collections are Managerie of Musings, Palpable Ponderings and Susiku And More which was her first collection of poetry. In addition to writing poetry, Susan is an attorney who has practiced law for for over 40 years, primarily in the area of family law. She has published over 60 articles on a variety of legal topics. Susan is a published author, poet and artist, and truly is a Renaissance woman. So let’s read some poems and explore the mindset of my friend Susan Pollet. Check out her poem The Spirit of Doves and others by going to https://susanpollet.com/ and https://susanpollet.substack.com/

To help defend democracy please donate if you can to help lawyers defend our constitution by going to: https://www.aclu.org / www.brennancenter.org/ https://libertyjusticecenter.org/ and learn more about civics at https://civ.works/

To help protect the environment visit and please donate to https://earthjustice.org Help save a forest by going to https://www.preservebuttonhook.org/

To listen to past TMSOG shows go to: https://hudsonriverradio.com/ https://malcolmpresents.com and https://themanyshadesofgreen.com/

Follow The Many Shades of Green on FB, Threads and Instagram @tmshadesofgreen and on Blue Sky @tmshadesofgreen.bsky.social. Listen to TMSOG podcasts on all major podcast apps.#RaiseYourEco&SocialConsciousness.

A big shout out to Neil for all his engineering wizardry!

The Bees, The Octopus and The Plastic Eating Mushrooms with Charlotte Ghiorse Founder of House of ChoCLet

The Opening Song for this episode is Flight of the Bumble Bee.

“Flight of the Bumblebee” is an orchestral interlude composed by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov in 1899 for his opera The Tale of Tsar Saltan. Its musical meaning is to depict the erratic, frantic flight of a bumblebee, serving as magical background music for a prince transformed into an insect. While intended to be a minor background transition in the opera, the song’s vivid, frantic imagery caused it to take on a life of its own.

It became famously used as the theme for the 1930s radio and television show The Green Hornet. It has many musical challenges because of its immense speed and technical difficulty, it is frequently arranged for solo instruments and serves as a virtuosic showpiece for musicians wanting to display their dexterity and skill.

Bees are among the most important pollinators on Earth!

While honeybees often get the spotlight, thousands of native bee species quietly perform essential pollination services every day. One Spring day in 2022, a Cornell University entomology technician Rachel Fordyce, who regularly walked through East Lawn Cemetery in Ithaca New York, noticed bees everywhere and became quite curious. She collected several specimens and brought them back to the lab for identification. Hidden underground, beneath the gravestones and grassy pathways of the cemetery, scientists have uncovered an estimated 5.5 million bees—one of the largest known aggregations of ground-nesting bees ever documented anywhere in the world. What seemed like a routine observation soon turned into a major scientific discovery. It made national headlines, and many people imagined a gigantic underground hive, but that is not what is actually occurring. (Cornell Chronicle)

The bees at the cemetery are solitary mining bees. Each female builds her own nest in the soil. Unlike honeybees, they do not live in large colonies with queens and workers. Instead, millions of individual bees have chosen the same favorable habitat for nesting. This discovery reminds us that nature often thrives in the places we least expect it to. What is underground is often not noticed by us humans. There are massive mycelium (fungi) networks underground in forests which breakdown environmental toxins and can absorb radioactive waste. Nature is remarkable, and scientific discoveries teach us about conservation, biodiversity, and the hidden wonders beneath our feet.

On this episode of TMSOG podcast we delve into the bees of Ithaca, mushrooms that eat plastic, plus we will talk about the amazing Octopus, as well as politics, astrology and other eco and social issues with our resident eco activist, artist, astrologer, comic, marvelous mom and founder of House of ChoCLet, Charlotte Ghiorse. Go to https://www.houseofchoclet.com/ for more information.

To help defend democracy please donate if you can to help lawyers defend our constitution by going to: https://www.aclu.org/ https://www.brennancenter.org/https://libertyjusticecenter.org/ and https://civ.works/defend

To help protect the environment visit and please donate to https://earthjustice.org and https://action.nrdc.org/ Help save a forest by going to https://www.preservebuttonhook.org/

To listen to past TMSOG shows go to: https://hudsonriverradio.com/https://malcolmpresents.com and https://themanyshadesofgreen.com/

A big shout out to Neil for all his engineering wizardry!

Will AI Inherit the Earth? With Charlotte Ghiorse

The opening song is this weeks podcast is “The Geeks Will Inherit the Earth” by I Fight Dragons. The song is an anthem celebrating the triumph of outcasts, intelligence, and passion over popularity. It asserts that those who are ignored for being “different” are destined to inherit the world and succeed later in life. The common phrase “the geeks shall inherit the earth,” reflects a cultural shift where intellectual and technological skills are valued over social conformity. The song highlights that the social hierarchies of early years are temporary, and the people ridiculed for being “nerds” or “geeks” often become the leaders and innovators of the real world. The question now is, will AI created by geeks inherit the earth?

One can bet that Artificial Intelligence was developed by the nerds and geeks of the world, but how did it get started? People like Alan Turing, who first asked whether machines could think, laid the philosophical groundwork. Later, researchers like Geoffrey Hinton, Yann LeCun, and Yoshua Bengio pushed forward neural networks—the technology behind modern AI. These weren’t celebrities. They were researchers, often working in labs, driven by curiosity more than profit. Yes, these brilliant scientist are considered the geeks who started the research into Artificial intelligence. AI seems to be everywhere and it is one of the most transformative forces shaping our world today. It is in our phones, our computers, our schools, our workplaces, social media and is part of our daily lives. So what does it really mean for society? Artificial intelligence/AI refers to machines designed to perform tasks that typically require human intelligence—things like learning, reasoning, problem-solving, and in some cases, even creativity. Recommendation algorithms decide what you watch, how your GPS apps predict traffic, and how chatbots answer questions in seconds. As computing power exploded and data became abundant, the ideas of the creators of AI, the “geeks” created something that worked very well. What started as niche research turned into the backbone of trillion-dollar industries. While many of the “geeks” of the past are no longer at the center of AI, it is now in the hands of the most powerful companies in the world, which are being led by major tech organizations, venture capital firms, and governments. There are pros and cons to AI, and one of the cons is that AI Data Centers are sucking electricity and water from the communities where these centers are located. Data centers are renowned for their intensive energy consumption and many are facing challenges sourcing reliable electricity supplies for campuses that need to be up and running 24/7. With grids already under pressure from electrification strategies, the industry must deal with many projects which include plans to build their own power generators and fund connections to the grid. Communities are opposing the building of these centers and some have been successful in stopping them. On this episode of TMSOG we talk with our resident artist, comedian, writer, astrologist and super mom Charlotte Ghiorse. We touch on Artificial Intelligence and the problem with AI Data Centers, as well as the innovative inventions which have come out of NASA and the space program (hail Apollo and Artemis ll), as well as what’s being done to clean up plastic pollution, good things about banana trunks and of course, astrology. For more info about Charlotte, House of Choclet and Sexy Astrology go to https://www.houseofchoclet.com

For more information on civic action go to https://civ.works/ To help defend democracy please donate if you can to help lawyers defend our constitution by going to https://www.aclu.org/ https://www.brennancenter.org/

To help protect the environment visit and please donate to https://earthjustice.org Help save a forest by going to https://www.preservebuttonhook.org/

To listen to past TMSOG shows go to: https://hudsonriverradio.com/ https://malcolmpresents.com and https://themanyshadesofgreen.com/ Follow The Many Shades of Green on FB, Threads and Instagram @tmshadesofgreen and on Blue Sky @tmshadesofgreen.bsky.social. Listen to TMSOG podcasts on all major podcast apps.#RaiseYourEco&SocialConsciousness.

A Special shout out to Neil Richter for all of his help and engineering wizardry in getting TMSOG up and running each week.

Are We Living In A Cartoon?

South Park Theme Song (Opens the program)

I’m goin’ down to South Park, gonna have myself a time.

Friendly faces everywhere, humble folks without temptation.

Goin’ down to South Park, gonna leave my woes behind.

Ample parking day or night, people spouting: “Howdy, neighbor!”

Headin’ on up to South Park gonna see if I can’t unwind.

Has any series ever had a more fitting theme song than “South Park”? The “South Park Theme” by funk metal group Primus, later reworked by projects led by Les Claypool, is a twanging, frenetic jingle that quite deliberately fails to convince the viewer that its monotone lyrics about the titular small town’s idyllic nature hit their mark. It’s a perfect way to set the stage for the absurdities that invariably follow. The whole thing was carefully planned out and arranged, but as “South Park” co-creator Matt Stone said back in 2010, “the whole thing took just one incredibly lucky cold call to pull off. “

So the question is, are we living in a cartoon?

In a cartoon, characters exaggerate everything: emotions, reactions, conflicts. Sometimes I feel that we are living in an episode of South Park which just keeps rotating day in and day out, sort of like the plot in the movie Groundhog Day. If you’ve ever watched South Park, you know the formula. Something ridiculous happens in the news. The characters react in completely over-the-top ways. Everyone argues, chaos spreads, hypocrisy gets exposed, and by the end of the episode you’re laughing… but also slightly uncomfortable because the satire feels a little too real. The creators, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, built their reputation on one simple idea: take the most outrageous thing happening in society and push it just a little further until the absurdity becomes obvious. At its core, animation is a form of storytelling, and stories are an essential part of the human experience. From the earliest days of human history, people have used stories to make sense of the world around them, pass on knowledge and wisdom, and connect with others.

Animation takes this storytelling to a new level, using visuals and sound to create a rich and immersive experience that can transport us to new places and introduce us to new characters.

In a cartoon, a character falls off a cliff and pops back up unharmed, in real life, when systems break, people get hurt. In the current moment in the United States, sometimes reality seems to be moving faster than the satire. It feels like we are living in an alternate universe and we are being governed by what resembles a reality show. Even if politics feels like a cartoon, the consequences are very real. Policies affect healthcare, schools, immigration, climate policy, and civil rights. Trust in elections are declining, environmental protections are being dismantled and economic inequality is widening. We are now at war with Iran, and we have not received a credible explanation as to why. Every day there is chaos and people are suffering and are stressed. Prices for oil, gas, food, rent and more are rising daily, and we the people are not being heard. When will the madness end? It’s no wonder that Americans are moving to Europe and other places globally, but we need to stay and we must continue to fight, protest, and bring our collective will together to fix this mess. Actions speak louder than words, and we need to take action, so in the words of Bob Marley, “Get up stand up, stand Up For Your Rights!“

On this episode of TMSOG podcast, Charlotte Ghiorse joins me as we delve into the question: are we living in a cartoon? Charlotte is our resident eco activist, artist, astrologer, comic, marvelous mom and founder of House of Choclet. We talk about the environmentally conscious ten your old fashion designer Max Alexander, and what he is doing to reduce fashion waste. We also touch on politics, astrology, eco and social issues and more. For more info about Charlotte, House of Choclet and Sexy Astrology go to https://www.houseofchoclet.com

To help protect the environment visit and please donate to https://earthjustice.org Help save a forest by going to https://www.preservebuttonhook.org/

A Special shout out to Neil Richter for all of his help and engineering wizardry in getting TMSOG up and running each week.

The Environmental Cost of War, Wave Browser, December Astrology and more with Charlotte Ghiorse

The opening song of this episode is Some People Sleep, by The Tokens, which was written by my Token Bro, Mitch Margo. The last line of the lyric, sung in three part harmony is “some people sleep to the sound of the falling bombs… and some people don’t sleep at all.” The tune was written during the Vietnam War, and Mitch wrote it to bring out his opposition, but in beautiful way with music. War is horrific, and mankind continues to wage wars through the centuries, with little end in sight. People lose their lives fighting each other, and innocent lives perish as collateral damage. There is also another area of collateral damage, which seems to fall under the radar, and that is the destruction of the land where conflicts occur. When we think of war, we think of human loss, destruction, migration, trauma. But with every bomb that drops and every military convoy that rolls through a landscape, nature absorbs a blow too. War doesn’t just change borders. It reshapes ecosystems.

There is an environmental impact of war which includes air, water, and soil pollution, habitat destruction, and a significant contribution to greenhouse gas emissions. Conflicts lead to deforestation, biodiversity loss, and long-lasting contamination from chemical weapons, landmines, and military waste. Warfare also causes long-term damage to ecosystems and natural resources, affecting everything from food security to the availability of clean water.

According to the Conflict and Environment Observatory in an article dated May 5, 2025, the environmental impact of wars begins long before they start. Building and sustaining military forces consumes vast quantities of resources which includes metals or rare earth elements and critical minerals, water or hydrocarbons. Control over militarily relevant critical minerals is becoming an increasingly important strategic consideration for militaries, as evidenced by policies towards Ukraine and the DRC. The CO2 emissions of the largest militaries are greater than many of the world’s countries combined. It is estimated that militaries are responsible for 5.5% of all greenhouse gas emissions globally, however military emissions reporting to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change is poor and not all of the information gets out. So, war, what is it good for, absolutely nothing! Charlotte Ghiorse is on this episode of TMSOG. Charlotte is our resident eco activist, artist, astrologer, comic, marvelous mom and founder of House of Chochlet. We talk about the environmental effects of war, as well as some eco-innovations (Wave Browser), plus an homage to a cat that lived to be 38, fake vs real Christmas trees, some Astrology, and other things. For more info about Charlotte go to https://www.houseofchoclet.com/ and https://www.houseofchoclet.com/sexy-astrologyflkx9h8uma0

To help defend democracy please donate if you can to help lawyers defend our constitution by going to https://www.aclu.org/ https://www.brennancenter.org/ https://www.democracydocket.com/ and if you want to take more effective civic action visit https://civ.works/ To help protect the environment visit and please donate to https://earthjustice.org Help save a forest by going to https://www.preservebuttonhook.org/

To listen to past TMSOG shows go to: https://hudsonriverradio.com/ and https://malcolmpresents.com Follow The Many Shades of Green on FB, Threads and Instagram @tmshadesofgreen and on Blue Sky @tmshadesofgreen.bsky.social. Listen to TMSOG podcasts on all major podcast apps.#RaiseYourEco&SocialConsciousness.

A Special shout out to Neil Richter for all of his help and engineering wizardry in getting TMSOG up and running each week.

Octopus’s Plastic Garden with masterful creator of art, eco activist, and Sexy Astrologist Charlotte Ghiorse

I want to give a shout out to Ringo Starr and wish him a Happy 85th Birthday. He still bops around the stage and plays the drums with gusto and is an example of how to live life to the fullest, and defeat ageism. Ringo wrote the the song Octopus’s Garden in 1969 with playful lyrics “We would sing and dance around, because we know, we can’t be found. I’d like to be under the sea in an octopus’s garden in the shade.” I opened the podcast with this tune, as a roundabout way to continue discussions on plastic pollution and its affect on sea life and oceans, specifically the Octopus. Ocean plastic is a growing threat to octopuses, impacting their habitats, food sources, and even their ability to survive. There is a theory that Octopuses are aliens, as they are so biologically unusual that they may have originated from another planet. They have a genetic uniqueness with many genes that are not found in other animals. They exhibit intelligent behavior, such as problem solving, communication and camouflage, and they have an alien like appearance with their large eyes, long tentacles and bulbous bodies. Their highly skilled abilities can put them in harms way as they use human-made trash as shelters, which can expose them to harmful chemicals and potentially disrupt their natural behaviors. Plastic pollution can affect the availability of prey for octopuses, such as crustaceans and small fish, by degrading their habitats or altering water quality. Larger plastic items can entangle octopuses, causing injury or death. Plastic debris can also block their digestive tracts when ingested. Octopuses can ingest plastic directly or indirectly through their prey, leading to potential health issues. Chemicals leached from plastics, like cadmium, can accumulate in octopus tissues and disrupt their endocrine and immune systems. There is a pervasive and harmful impact of plastic pollution on marine ecosystems and the creatures that inhabit them. Organizations like the Octopus Foundation support scientific exploration and public awareness about the marine world.

Plastic is present in everything, as we ingest microplastics daily through consumer products such as toothpaste, shampoos, plastic water bottles and more. Our masterful creator of art, eco activist, and astrologist Charlotte Ghiorse gives us some of her thoughts and insight on plastic pollution and scientific innovations that are being developed to solve the plastic problem. We also touch on other environmental issues, as well as astrology, and Charlotte’s upcoming art show in NYC Relentless Women. So think about adopting an Octopus and as per Ringo, show some peace and love. For more info go to https://www.houseofchoclet.com/ and Sexy Astrology on FB and YouTube. Check out Charlotte’s upcoming show RELENTLESS Women from July 16-August 16 at the Theatre For The New City: TNC Gallery 155 First Avenue, NYC. Join an Octopus fan club via OctoNation – The Largest Octopus Fan Club! which raises awareness and funds for octopus conservation through educational resources and community engagement. World Wildlife Fund: WWF offers symbolic adoptions of octopuses, which support their global conservation efforts.

Also please go to the following organizations to get info and if you can, donate to https://www.ucs.org/ (Union of Concerned Scientists which helps scientists continue their valuable work). If you want to help protect the environment please donate to https://earthjustice.org/ You can also donate to help lawyers defend our constitution by going to https://www.aclu.org/ https://www.brennancenter.org/ and https://civ.works/

A Special shout out to Neil Richter for all of his help and engineering wizardry in getting TMSOG up and running each week.

Astrology of LA, Biodegradable Plastic, and an Homage to Brian Wilson and Sly Stone w/Charlotte Ghiorse

We lost a great one this week Brian Wilson, actually two great ones, as Sly Stone also passed away this week. Brian Wilson was a musical genius! His work is unparalleled and his song God Only Knows is one of the most beautifully crafted love songs ever written. I could have played Wouldn’t It Be Nice, Good Vibrations, God Only Knows, and so many others, but Surfin USA is light, it’s fun, it’s a feel good song, and we need to feel good in these uncertain times, as quite frankly, it’s hard to feel good in today’s America. I actually chose Surfin’ USA because of the chorus, which is “inside, outside, USA” It is hard to be inside America at this moment, as we are witnessing a breakdown of democracy. Those in other nations, are looking at us from the outside, and are wondering WTF is going on. Many of the Beach Boys songs of the early 60s were about surfing and getting the girls. You can say that the California boys loved their California Girls and lived to catch the waves and the get the gals. California has always been a place where folks could see the stars, drive on Highway 1 along the Pacific Ocean, and put the top down to enjoy the beautiful weather, but California, especially Los Angeles, City of Angels, has been dealing with some very difficult problems. In early January of this year fires destroyed the Pacific Palisades and Altadina, and lit up parts of Hollywood, the Valley and other areas. LA is still reeling from those fires, and its aftermath. But now things have gone completely mad, as peaceful protests have risen in response to the tactics of ICE being used to arrest and make immigrants disappear. LA is not a DMZ, and there is no insurrection taking place. The majority of protests are peaceful! Yes, agitators infiltrated the protests, and criminal activities have taken place in South LA, but many were caught and arrested. It is our right under the First Amendment as citizens of the US to protest, but it is not a right for masked individuals without proper IDs and warrants to take people away from their place of work, their homes, schools, or places of worship without DUE PROCESS! ICE is going into courthouses where hearings are taking place on the status of many immigrants, and they are arresting them when they leave the courtroom while trying to exit the building. Marines are on their way to LA in direct violation to the Posse Comitatus Act enacted in 1878, which prohibits the use of the U.S. military, including the National Guard, for domestic law purposes. This is not about quelling a conflict, it’s about control!

We have crossed the red line where the rule of law and checks and balances are failing, and we are losing our rights and freedoms! In this moment, I feel that I am floating though the vortex of the “upside down world”, a world where things are not as they should be, and where the established order is disrupted. We are living in a reality show, and the Mad Hatter is directing his minions to paint the roses red. Those in charge of the US are taking us backwards, which is dangerous path to go down. Citizens are taking a stand and are protesting authoritarian rule. We are living in a world where chaos reigns!

We have to take care of ourselves and take time in this scary moment to enjoy nature, look up at the blue skies, oooh ahhh at the ocean sunsets, hike on the majestic mountain ranges and listen to the birdies sing. I just don’t know what to make of the human species right now, and where we land is up to us. Are we inside or outside of the USA? Will we get through these difficult times? Can we overcome the quagmire that we are in? In the words of the Beach Boys, Wouldn’t It be Nice and God Only Knows. Surfs up, but we don’t know where the tide will take us. Our roving artist, eco activist, astrologist Charlotte Ghiorse gives us some of her thoughts on the current state of the union, environmental issues, some LA astrology and more. For more info go to https://www.houseofchoclet.com/ and Sexy Astrology on FB and YouTube.

Also please go to the following organizations to get info and if you can, donate to https://www.ucs.org/ (Union of Concerned Scientists which helps scientists continue their valuable work). If you want to help protect the environment please donate to https://earthjustice.org/ You can also donate to help lawyers defend our constitution by going to https://www.aclu.org/ and the Brennan Center for Justice https://www.brennancenter.org/ and https://civ.works/

A Special shout out to Neil Richter for all of his help and engineering wizardry in getting TMSOG up and running each week.

Rising Revolution: The Extremes are Too Extreme: Plastic Eating Enzymes and More with Eco Activist, Artist and Sexy Astrologer Charlotte Ghiorse

The song Revolution had 3 versions and was written by John Lennon as a reflection of his feelings about the Vietnam War and other civil unrest taking place around the world. The lyrics expressed sympathy for social change but expressed doubt about the violence espoused by the New Left. He wanted change without the violence. Now enter Bruce Springsteen, the “Boss” who has thrown down the gauntlet and is outspoken about the dismantling of democracy in the U.S. He is using his music and status to make some noise. He said at a recent concert in Manchester England that “The mighty E Street Band is here tonight to call upon the righteous power of art, of music, of rock and roll in dangerous times!” So a question that keeps arising is are we on the cusp of a Revolution? The United States is currently facing intense political polarization, and there are legitimate concerns about the erosion of democratic norms, trust in institutions, and the rule of law. However, a full-scale revolution in the traditional sense remains highly unlikely in the near term due to various factors including resilience, protest, and institutions like the judiciary, the press (which to me is questionable) and civil society which are still in place to maintain checks and balances. While mistrust in government is high, most Americans still seek change through elections, protest, and civic engagement rather than violent uprising. Political scientists and democracy experts have been identifying warning signs that suggest democratic backsliding and potential systemic instability in the United States. These signs don’t mean a revolution is inevitable, but they indicate that the foundations of democratic governance are being strained. Political scientists like Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt (How Democracies Die) argue that democracies don’t usually collapse through coups anymore—they decay slowly when norms are eroded and institutions are co-opted from within. The United States is not “doomed,” but these warning signs show that vigilance and civic action are essential to preserving democratic stability. On this episode of TMSOG we talk to our resident artist, eco-activist and astrologer Charlotte Ghiorse about the problem of dealing with the narrow politics of the far left and the extreme right. We also touch on innovations that are breaking down plastics. Scientists are discovering enzymes that literally eat plastic. Dr. Antoine Roy, Lead Scientist at Carbios said:“Our enzyme breaks PET down into its original molecules, allowing true recycling. It’s like giving plastic a second life—again and again.” We also touch on what role mushrooms could play in the plastic fight, as companies like Ecovative are growing packaging from mycelium, the root structure of fungi. Charlotte also gives us her latest astrology reading. For more info go to https://www.houseofchoclet.com/ and Sexy Astrology on FB and YouTube.

A Special shout out to Neil Richter for all of his help and engineering wizardry in getting TMSOG up and running each week.

Plastic Rain, Acid Rain, Purple Rain and the Dismantling of the EPA, NOAA, FEMA, with Eco-activist/artist Charlotte Ghiorse

First there was acid rain, then Prince brought us Purple Rain, and now we have plastic rain. In simple terms, acid rain refers to precipitation—rain, snow, sleet, or fog—that has high levels of acidic components, like sulfuric and nitric acid. It occurs when sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides are released into the air from burning fossil fuels. These pollutants react with water, oxygen, and other chemicals in the atmosphere to form acidic compounds, which then fall to the earth’s surface as precipitation. It also disrupts aquatic ecosystems by making lakes and streams too acidic for fish and other wildlife to survive. Now we have plastic rain, which refers to the phenomenon where microplastic particles, tiny pieces of plastic, less than 5 millimeters long, are deposited from the sky in rain through atmospheric deposition.
The presence of microplastics in rain raises concerns about their potential impact on ecosystems and human health, as they can contaminate water sources, food chains, and even penetrate deep-sea habitats. Studies have shown that microplastics can be found in rainwater and even in remote areas like national parks and Antarctica. A study published in Science found that over 1,000 metric tons of microplastic particles fall into protected areas in the western USA each year. Microplastics get into the food we eat, the water we drink, the land we walk on and it is in our brains, lungs, bloodstream and more. Microplastics come from from synthetic fibers, industrial waste, and the breakdown of plastic products. Plastic pollution has become very pervasive and unless solutions are in place to stop plastic production, the problem will persist. To add to these problems, we now have a government which has slashed the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), along with many health agencies and organizations which do research and put policies into place to protect the land, air, water and citizens of the US and the globe. How can we dodge the DOGE? Our resident eco-activist, artist and astrologer Charlotte Ghiorse joins us on this episode to talk about plastic rain, the dismantling of the US government agencies which were put in place to protect us, and she gives us an astrology update. Prince, as usual, was ahead of himself with Purple Rain, now if we can turn the clock back to 1999, that would be a good thing, as we would all sleep much better. For info on Charlotte go to https://www.houseofchoclet.com/ @sexyastrologer on Facebook and Youtube Donate to Union of Concerned Scientists https://www.ucs.org/ and ACLU https://www.aclu.org/

To listen to past TMSOG shows go to: https://hudsonriverradio.com/ and https://malcolmpresents.com Follow The Many Shades of Green on FB and Instagram @tmshadesofgreen and on Blue Sky @tmshadesofgreen.bsky.social. Listen to TMSOG podcasts on all major podcast apps. #RaiseYourEcoConsciousness

A Special shout out to Neil Richter for all of his help and engineering wizardry in getting TMSOG up and running each week.

TMSOG is proud to be on Feedspot’s list of the 50 Best Environmental Podcasts.

2024 Roundtable Wrap Up

“It is time for the people to run the government, not the other way around.” Jimmy Carter— Acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention in 1976. (Carter Presidential Library)

The bond of our common humanity is stronger than the divisiveness of our fears and prejudices.” — Carter’s closing remarks during his Nobel Peace Prize address.

The 39th President of the United States, Jimmy Carter passed into the heavens at the age of 100. In a word, he was a mensch, and he was a shining example of the good that can be done for society if one takes action to do so.

So here we are at the end of 2024, a year that has been tough in many ways, but as there is always a ying and a yang, there were some good things to balance out the bad. On this episode of TMSOG we reflect on the highs, lows, and everything in between from the past year. I truly cannot believe that we’re already wrapping up 2024. The year has flown by, and I would like to take a moment to thank our listeners for sticking with us through another crazy year. My favorite monthly resident commentators take part in a roundtable discussion of various topics that have been touched on throughout the year. George Polisner (founder of Civ.works) Charlotte Ghiorse ( Eco-activist, and Sexy Astrologer), Mark W. Sutton (author of How Democrats Can Win Back Men: Why Understanding Male Voters and Their Issues is Vital for Democratic Victory) and Victoria Alzapiedi (Founder of New Castle Healthy Yards and Chair of New Castle Conservation Board) inspire and inform us with some great information. Also chiming in we have my fellow Tush Twin Rusti Wolintz (Realtor and cannabis expert) plus my co-host Malcolm Burman and Neil Richter, our engineer extraordinaire and rock and roll aficionado. So tune in to our annual year end wrap up as we say adieu to 2024. We recap important events on the global and national levels, discuss the environment, social justice and other topics, and highlight some stories big and small. We also share some of our favorite moments from the year and talk about what’s coming in 2025. Check out these links for more info: https://www.oregonkelp.com/projects/sunflower-sea-star-recovery/ https://civ.works/ https://www.houseofchoclet.com/ https://earthjustice.org/ https://www.nature.org/en-us/about-us/where-we-work/priority-landscapes/appalachians/ https://www.mark-sutton.com/ Please visit New Castle Healthy Yards on Facebook.

To listen to past TMSOG shows go to https://hudsonriverradio.com/ and https://malcolmpresents.com Follow The Many Shades of Green on Facebook, Instagram and Threads @tmshadesofgreen and on Blue Sky @tmshadesofgreen.bsky.social. Listen to TMSOG podcasts on all major podcast apps. #RaiseYourEcoConsciousness

TMSOG is proud to be on Feedspot’s list of the 50 Best Environmental Podcasts.

Got Wood? Lab Grown Wood! Plus what is “Plogging” and new innovations to reduce the Great Pacific Garbage Patch with Charlotte Ghiorse

The climate agenda was barely mentioned by either campaign in the 2024 election cycle, and it is virtually non-existent within the incoming administration, as after all, they say it is a hoax. Up is down and down is up! How do we make sense of this?

It will be up to individuals and environmental organizations to stop the red line from destroying our precious lands. What we do as individuals is more important than ever. I was looking to find something that was fun and helpful in the context of being stewards of the planet. I came across an article about plogging, which piqued my interest. Yes, plogging! The term comes from Sweden and combines the Swedish word “plocka upp,” which means “to pick up,” with the English word “jogging.” Essentially, it’s jogging while picking up trash along the way. Plogging has become a global movement, combining fitness and environmental activism in a unique way. Picture it: you’re on a run, you spot some litter, you bend down to pick it up, and toss it into a bag you’re carrying. The environmental impact is very positive. A single plogging session can result in bags of trash being removed from natural spaces, keeping plastic and other pollutants out of our oceans and helping wildlife. Plogging not only keeps the environment cleaner but also raises awareness. When people see others picking up trash while running, it’s a reminder of our shared responsibility to keep our spaces clean. Another topic that we discuss which recently got my attention is Lab Grown Wood. Charlotte Ghiorse, who is on this podcast episode, is our resident artist, eco-activist and astrologer. She sent me some info about Lab Wood and it is a very innovative idea. We also talk a tiny bit about the election, as well as an innovation the will help clean up the Great Pacific Garbage Patch a/k/a the Gyre. While many of us are shell shocked about what has happened in the US, we must try as the Brits say to “Keep Calm and Carry On”. There are many wonderful people doing amazing things to keep the environment safe and make the world a better place. For more info about Charlotte go to https://www.houseofchoclet.com and visit @Sexy Astrology on YouTube and Facebook. For info on plogging go to https://www.plogging.org/what-is-plogging

To listen to past TMSOG shows go to HudsonRiverRadio.com and Malcolmpresents.com. Follow The Many Shades of Green on Facebook, Instagram and Threads @tmshadesofgreen. Listen to TMSOG podcasts on all major podcast apps. #RaiseYourEcoConsciousness

TMSOG is on Feedspot’s list of the 50 Best Environmental Podcasts to follow in 2024!

Hurricanes, Plastic Pollution, Microplastics and Composting- plus Charlotte Ghiorse’s new art show “American Things”!

John Morales a meteorologist for NBC News in Miami said this on the air about Hurricane Milton: “It is gaining strength in the Gulf of Mexico, where you can imagine the seas are just so incredibly, incredibly hot, record hot, as you might imagine. You know what’s driving that. I don’t need to tell you — global warming, climate change leading to this. Fossil-fuel-driven climate change is causing the world’s oceans to rapidly warm. Warm water acts as jet fuel for tropical storms, allowing them to quickly gain strength.” Morales further said “It’s just an incredible, incredible, incredible hurricane,” and he started choking up, getting teary eyed, as he described the storm’s catastrophic drop in pressure over a 10-hour period. “I apologize. This is just — horrific.”

A recent NYT Opinion piece by Margaret Renki stated that there is no such thing as a climate haven anymore. We all live in Florida now. Americans who still dismiss climate change outright must surely know this. They simply choose to parrot the talking points of the right-wing media figures who are paid by Big Oil — or Big Construction — to lie to vulnerable Americans and leave them ever more vulnerable. There’s no denying that we would be in much better shape today if utility companies and the fossil-fuel industry had not launched a new disinformation campaign to cover up the truth of climate change decades ago. One needs to question why GOP officials vote against measures that increase climate resilience and tell outrageous lies about the federal governments disaster response. Just keep on drillin’.

Drilling, fracking, plastic and chemical production are all adding to global warming and GHG emissions. Fossil fuel emissions are wreaking havoc on the climate, which in large part is being sponsored by big oil and gas. So where does this all lead us and how can we take action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions? Here’s an answer, educate yourself, be part of the solution not the problem. Believe in facts and science, and become involved in your community. Take your local, state and national representatives to task about climate change and environmental issues. Join an environmental group, and work to create policies that can put adaptation and resiliency into place. Lobby for less development, more open space, protect pollinators, stop using pesticides, and single use plastic. Become a steward of Mother Earth! Our resident eco-activist, artist and sexy astrologist Charlotte Ghiorse chimes in on what we can do about reducing plastic pollution and microplastics, as well as reducing food waste by composting. We also talk about fabricating wood and October Astrology. For more info go to houseofchoclet.com, bigreuse.org and NOAAClimate.gov. To help those affected by Hurricanes Helene and Milton go to:https://www.redcross.org/about-us/our-work/disaster-relief/hurricane-relief.html, https://www.directrelief.org/emergency/hurricane-helene/ and World Central Kitchen https://donate.wck.org/give/628338/

TMSOG is proud to be on Feedspot’s list of the 50 Best Environmental Podcasts to follow in 2024: https://podcasts.feedspot.com/environmental_podcasts/