Community – Page 2 – The Many Shades of Green

Environmental Art: Does it impact Climate Change? Plus 4 Planets in Gemini… Eco-artist, Eco-activist and Sexy Astrologist Charlotte Ghiorse joins us to discuss these topics and more.

The shade of green for this episode of TMSOG is Hooker Green, which in this instance is purely PG. Hooker Green according to our resident eco-artist Charlotte Ghiorse, is a green with some red, which is left of mint and has a hint of pistachio.

Shades of green aside, I recently went to the Whitney Museum in NYC to see the Biennial Exhibit. There were many displays of modern artists using materials other than oil, watercolor or acrylic paints. Kiyan Williams a young upcoming artist displayed his work Ruins of Empire ll or The Earth Swallows the Master’s House on the outside terrace. The piece was totally composed of earth and depicted the north facade of the White House, which leans on one side and sinks into the floor. It also had an upside down flag on the top which got many museum visitors talking, as it seemed to strike a nerve with the currents events of the day. Another young artist, Ektor Garcia, had an interesting work displayed entitled Teotihuacan. He used welded steel, waxed thread, cotton, bone, upholstery needles and white lace to create a work which hung with grace from the ceiling, and caught everyones eyes. Both of these artists produced works that were thought provoking and incorporated environmental themes, which got me thinking about environmental art, its origins and how it is viewed today. Environmental art can be traced back to prehistoric times, with early humans creating rock art and other forms of visual expression on natural surfaces. The earliest examples of this are cave paintings dating back to around 40,000 BCE. Those early forms of environmental art expressed the understanding of the natural world and the relationship of the painters their surroundings. Ecological related art primarily celebrates an artist’s connection with nature using natural materials, and is created in response to or in collaboration with the natural world. One can question if today’s environmental artists reflect what is happening to the planet today, as climate change is taking center stage. Within the last thirty odd years, it is becoming more and more about awakening to environmental concerns, and green practices. The artist Christo always comes to mind when one thinks of environmental public art. Did he and his wife Jeanne-Claude, create The Gates to get people to walk in Central Park to be one with nature, or was there another motive? It got people together walking through orange colored drapes which took up twenty-three miles of pathways in Central Park from February 12th to the 27th, in 2005, in the dead of winter. It was popular, but the reactions were mixed. Many people loved Christo for brightening the bleak winter landscape and encouraging late-night pedestrian traffic in Central Park; but others hated him, accusing him of defacing the landscape. Public art can serve many purposes and it can also be political. Environmental art and public art have merged in recent years as more and more artists are creating works that are focused on environmental issues which are created to be displayed in public spaces. Our monthly guest commentator, eco-activist, eco-artist and sexy astrologist Charlotte Ghiorse joins us to discuss her perspective on environmental art. We also get some Astrology updates as 4 planets are in Gemini plus much, much more. Check out https://www.houseofchoclet.com/ and Sexy Astrology on FaceBook and YouTube to get more info about what Charlotte is up to.

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

New York City and Westchester County Water Threatened By PFAS Chemicals with Guests George Klein (member of Sierra Club’s Lower Hudson Group) and Richard Ruge (Civil Engineer and Water Treatment Expert)

Clean and safe water is a right for every Earthling on the planet. It is a very divisive political issue in countries, cities, towns and municipalities around the globe. On average, one individual human uses between 135 and 140 liters of water per day. Water is vital for all life, as no other molecule matches water when it comes to properties that support life. We must work to keep our drinking water free of toxins and chemicals, which is why we have to protect watersheds and water quality buffer areas in order to provide safe drinking water to the populous. Adverse environmental impacts affect communities, and on this episode of TMSOG, we talk about a water filtration plant set to be constructed and placed next to Westchester County Airport, which is a local airport in a suburb of NYC. Recently the Westchester County Board of Legislators approved a land swap that provides a 13.4-acre parcel to Westchester Joint Water Works (WJWW) that is adjacent to the airport. There continues to be strong opposition to construction of the facility, partly because the plant will be within the Kensico watershed. This watershed area is in close proximity to the airport where contaminated groundwater is being monitored and treated for assorted toxic chemicals including polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Recently, the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized the first-ever federal limits on toxic PFAS in drinking water, establishing the Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs) of 4 parts per trillion (ppt) for the two most widely-detected PFAS chemicals, PFOA and PFOS. The EPA’s limits are now stricter than the 10 parts per trillion that is the current standard in New York State.

We talk to George Klein and Richard Ruge who are opposing the building of the water filtration plant so close the the Kensico watershed area near Westchester County Airport. George Klein has worked with the Sierra Club nationally and locally on issues of environmental sustainability since 1989. He is currently an activist with the Sierra Club’s Lower Hudson Group, which covers Westchester, Rockland and Putnam counties. The Lower Hudson Group works on local environmental issues, such as the climate emergency, limiting the impact of Westchester County Airport, the safe decommissioning of Indian Point Nuclear Plant and education and outreach programs. Richard Ruge has been working in the public water supply field for 40 years. He has a degree in civil engineering and holds a Grade 1B water treatment license from the NYS DOH. He was Chair, Vice Chair and Treasurer of the Westchester Water Works Conference and was a Trustee at Large for the New York Section of the American Water Works Association. For more info and to find ways to take action go to https://www.sierraclub.org/atlantic/lower-hudson

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/

Blackbirds Singing in the Dead of Night and How Wildlife Mammas Connect with Nature to Raise their Babies with Co-Founder of New Castle Healthy Yards, Victoria Alzapiedi

I was thinking about the podcast topics for this weeks’s episode of TMSOG while walking my Diva poodle Sparkles and I saw a number of blackbirds flying from tree to tree, and communicating with each other with loud screeches. It got me thinking about birds and what they do in the dead of night, as well as how they protect their young. It also got me thinking about the tune Blackbird, which most of us thought was about birds. As it turns out, we were wrong, as the lyrics of Blackbird by Paul McCartney were not actually written about blackbirds. The tune was written about the integration of schools across the American south during the civil rights era in the 60s. More specifically, Sir Paul was inspired by the images of the Little Rock 9 in Arkansas, being assaulted and jeered by an angry mob. It seems that the US has been consumed by angry mobs for centuries, including today, as angry mobs mixed with peaceful protesters converge on many college campuses, but that’s a topic for another time. Paul McCartney met two of the women who were part of the Little Rock 9, Mothershed and Eckford, at his Little Rock concert on April 30, 2016. He took to Twitter after the meeting to say, “Incredible to meet two of the Little Rock Nine–pioneers of the civil rights movement and inspiration for Blackbird.” It’s a wonderful example of music as a message, and we need more more songs like that right now. Since Mother’s Day is almost upon us, Victoria Alzapiedi, our resident garden, wildlife and healthy yards guru discusses the connection with wildlife mammas and their coexistence with nature. Malcolm chimed in with a spider story, so we chat about insects as well. Victoria is a co-founder of New Castle Healthy Yards, and is a member of the Town of New Castle Conservation Board. She is a member of Friends of Buttonhook, which is working to save a 20.3 acre forrest in the Town of New Castle. In addition, Victoria is the co-founder of the New Castle Pollinator Pathways Coalition, and started the Facebook group “The Nature of Westchester” an active community of nature lovers which now has more than 4000 members. She is also a Native plant gardening consultant and coach providing eco-friendly planting recommendations, visit her website mynativegardenoasis.com for more information. Also check out New Castle Healthy Yards on Facebook and help save a forest at https://www.preservebuttonhook.org/ Visit https://www.audubon.org/ for great info on birds.

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 podcast on all major podcast apps. #RaiseYourEcoConsciousness

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/

Senior Swiss Mrs. Fight Climate Change, Earth Day History with an Homage to Rachel Carson, and Workers Rising… with George Polisner Founder of Civ.Works

“We in this generation, must come to terms with nature, and I think we’re challenged as mankind has never been challenged before to prove our maturity and our mastery, not of nature, but of ourselves.” Rachel Carson

We know every day should be Earth Day, but unfortunately it is not. People seem to think that we can continue to pollute the land, air and water with no consequences, and that greenhouse gas emissions, chemicals and plastics will do no harm. So we must put up a fight and make our voices heard so that those who govern us hear us loud and clear. We must use everything in our power to reduce carbon emissions, and legal actions must continue to be filed to take on the fossil fuel industry. There are many lawsuits being bought by young people i.e (Juliana v US) who are proclaiming that clean air, land and water is a right, not a privilege. This action by young plaintiffs is asserting that the federal government violated their constitutional rights by causing dangerous carbon dioxide concentrations. While the youth are taking action, the elders are not standing idly by, and they too are suing governments and fossil fuel companies. In a Swiss case ruling – the ECHR (European Court on Human Rights) ruled that the Swiss government had violated the human rights of more than 2,000 elderly women by failing to do enough to combat climate change. There is much work to be done, and we need to use the courts and our collective will to combat climate change. So on this episode our resident environmentalist, political analyst and curmudgeon, George Polisner, founder of Civ.works, gives us some insight into current events in the environmental and political arenas. We discuss how the women in Switzerland sued the Swiss government for violating the human rights to combat climate change, and we touch on Earth day as well as issues of governance, politics, the UAW/Labor victory at the VW plant in Tennessee and more. Check out civ.works to take meaningful civil action.

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 podcast on all major podcast apps. #RaiseYourEcoConsciousness

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/

Building a Bridge: Garden & Music Connections and Butterfly Wings with Educator, Gardener & Musician Paul Clarke

We are in Earth month, Spring is in the air, music’s in the air and cherry blossoms are putting on a show. The trees and bushes are sprouting their light green buds and we are surrounded by Mother Earth’s beauty. Animals and birds scurry about for food, picking at the ground for insects and seeds. The ecosystems are working in harmony and concurrent to this, Community and school gardens are gearing up to start planting for the season. According to the American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture, research shows school gardens have a positive impact on student learning, health, and nutrition. Gardening helps students become more engaged, as it is an immersive experience which teaches them valuable skills while establishing a greater sense of community. Our guest on this episode is Paul Clarke, a retired Special Ed teacher in NYC for over 25 years, who now works part-time as the Garden Coordinator of the Vito Marcantonio Community Peace Garden, an ongoing project he brought to life originally at P. S. 50, now Central Park East II. Paul is also a life-long song writer, and he calls his genre Theatrical Pop with Conscience. Before he began teaching, Paul participated in Music Under New York, an MTA-sponsored program that promotes subway musicians. He also wrote and performed musicals with homeless New Yorkers via a not-for-profit Manhattan community outreach program. We play his tune Build A Bridge, which has beautiful music and lyrics. Paul believes that beauty, nature, and kindness are powerful healers in our broken world. For more info go to paulclarkesongs.com. To get additional info about school gardens in NYC go to GrowNYC.org. 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 podcast on all major podcast apps. #RaiseYourEcoConsciousness

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/

Paris and Ithaca: A Tale of Two Cities Working to put Green Plans into Action with Artist, Eco Activist, and Sexy Astrologist Charlotte Ghiorse

When I asked Charlotte Ghiorse our guest on this episode of The Many Shades of Green the standard opening question:

Quel ton de vert préférez-vous? (What’s your shade of green/ what shade of green do you prefer?)

She answered “Vert Caca d’oie” (Goose poop green)

Charlotte was in France at the time of the taping, so we got slightly carried away with the what’s your shade of green question. Both Paris and Ithaca have been in the news of late, as both cities have put green initiatives into place to reduce their carbon emissions. In Ithaca, the city is focused on eliminating gas from buildings because as stated in eartheasy.com, homes in the United States are responsible for about 20% of the country’s greenhouse gas emissions annually. These emissions come directly from burning fossil fuels such as coal, oil, fracked gas and gasoline. Shifting your home energy towards cleaner alternatives is a critical component to slashing emissions and creating a healthier future, as natural gas is mostly methane, a potent greenhouse gas with more climate-warming particles. The goal then is to switch buildings to electricity that’s generated mostly from renewable electricity. Heat pumps and geothermal energy are being used as alternatives to gas. Ithaca is working with their electric utility NYSEG, and using incentives to make the gas to electric switch happen.

On the other side of the pond, Paris is working to make the city more resilient and has added more bike lanes and green space. The air quality is not great and the Seine is polluted, but Paris has a plan. The city is preparing for the 2024 Summer Olympics and is working hard to have the various sites be more sustainable. The Mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, has placed green policies at the forefront of her campaigns, and she has plans to plant four new ‘urban forests’ next to major landmarks including the Hôtel de Ville, the Gare de Lyon and the Opéra Garnier. Hidalgo told The New York Times that one of her major goals is to “build this city around the individual” using the “15 minute city” model proposed by Carlos Moreno, a professor at the city’s Sorbonne University. In this model of the city, residents would have access to all basic services (public transport, shops, schools) within a quarter-hour of their home. One simple way to do that, is to put nature back into urban life. I was in Paris at the Eiffel Tower last November and I saw the work being done on the new park surrounding the landmark, and it is going to be beautiful. As mentioned, an area of concern now is the pollution in the Seine. Many Olympic water events are going to take place on and in the river, so something needs to be done quite quickly to resolve this issue, as the controversy surrounding the quality of the water is in the forefront. With that aside, Paris is making headway to be cleaner and greener. By 2030, the most famous street in Paris, the Champs-Élysées, will be turned into an ‘extraordinary garden’ as part of a massive €250 million makeover. The plans include reducing the number of car lanes from four to two, creating new pedestrian and green areas, and planting ‘tree tunnels’ that improve air quality along the 1.9km-long avenue. Joni Mitchell will be happy to hear that news, as her tune Free Man in Paris originally released in 1974, has her wandering down the Champs-Elysees, which will soon look quite different, and will be environmentally friendly.

Our resident artist, eco-activist and astrologist, Charlotte Ghiorse discusses what is happening in Ithaca and Paris to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. She also gives us some updated astrology (Uranus in conjunct with Jupiter in the 11h House), and much more. To get more info as to what Charlotte is up to go to https://www.houseofchoclet.com/ and visit Sexy Astrology on Facebook and YouTube. Check out eartheasy.com for sustainability info. For past shows go to HudsonRiverRadio.com and Malcolmpresents.com. Follow The Many Shades of Green (TMSOG) on Facebook, Instagram and Threads @tmshadesofgreen. Listen to TMSOG podcast on all major podcast apps. #RaiseYourEcoConsciousness

TMSOG is proud to be on Feedspot’s list (at # 8) of the 50 Best Environmental Podcasts to follow in 2024 https://podcasts.feedspot.com/environmental_podcasts/

Unpave the Parking Lot and Put Up a Paradise– Plus Tips for taking action on Climate Change. Do Something! Make a Difference! Get Great info from Victoria Alzapiedi, Co-founder of New Castle Healthy Yards

“I’m convinced that, powered by hope and fueled by courage and anger, we have the power to transform our collective future.” Dr. Katharine Hayhoe, atmospheric scientist and Chief Scientist for The Nature Conservancy.

In an interview with Aspen Ideas on March 8th of this years, Dr. Katharine Hayhoe discussed tips for talking about climate change and what might be done to combat climate issues. She said that “climate change is not only an environmental issue — it’s an everything issue. It affects the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the food we eat. It puts our homes and our health at risk.” Katharine Hayhoe further stated that when people ask me “What can I do about climate change? I don’t respond with a prioritized list of actions to cut your carbon footprint. Instead, I say talk about it — where you live, where you work, where you study. Help people understand why it matters to them, and what we can do together to make a difference.” We must use our collective will to help us rise up to keep the conversation about the environment in the forefront, because there is no Planet B. Our resident garden, wildlife and healthy yards guru Victoria Alzapiedi gives us great information about what we can do within our communities to raise awareness about environmental issues, and the importance of taking action to help implement policies and laws that will help reduce our carbon footprint. Education and messaging are key to creating a cleaner and healthier landscape. Victoria is a 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, which is working to save a 20.3 acre forrest in the Town of New Castle. In addition, she is the co-founder of the New Castle Pollinator Pathways Coalition, and started the Facebook group “The Nature of Westchester” an active community of nature lovers which now has more than 4000 members. Victoria is also a Native plant gardening consultant and coach providing eco-friendly planting recommendations (mynativegardenoasis.com). For more info check out New Castle Healthy Yards and The Nature of Westchester on Facebook, as well as The Nature Conservancy (preserve.nature.org). For past programs go to HudsonRiverRadio.com, Malcolmpresents.com and themanyshadesofgreen.com. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Threads @tmshadesofgreen. Listen to the podcast on all major podcast apps. #RaiseYourEcoconsciousness

TMSOG is proud to be listed in the number 8 spot on Feedspot’s 50 Best Environmental podcasts to follow in 2024- https://podcasts.feedspot.com/environmental_podcasts/

Hail to the Mighty Mushroom plus the Importance of Good Governance and Leadership with George Polisner, Founder of Civ.Works

“There never was a good war or a bad peace.” -Letter to Sir Joseph Banks, president of the Royal Society of London, July 1783

“Pardoning the Bad, is injuring the Good.” Poor Richard’s Almanack, 1748

Benjamin Franklin was a scholar, a thinker, was ambitious, rebellious, persuasive and he helped draft the Declaration of Independence. He tried to make sense out of things while using the art of compromise. He was adept at reading the room. Though I try to make sense of the world these days, I cannot wrap my head around what is going on around me, as very few people seem to be reading the room. I know that there are those who think the same way I do, but I am losing my confidence that even though I think there are more of us who care, those who don’t, those who are bowing to authoritarian leaders, and those who are in it for their version of it’s pay back time, seem to capture the news and the attention of the populous. There are people and companies doing amazing things for the greater good, but they are hidden under the radar. The unsung heroes of science and innovation tend to go unnoticed. In the US, President Biden has accomplished more than the majority of past presidents, and he gets little recognition. The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 has climate/clean energy provisions, medicare drug negotiations, provisions to invest in domestic energy production and manufacturing, and reduce carbon emissions by roughly 40 percent by 2030, and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) law authorizes $1.2 trillion for transportation and infrastructure spending with $550 billion of that figure going toward “new” investments and programs . In addition to these two major Acts, President Biden has expanded overtime guarantees for millions, made over-the-counter birth control pills available, and he established the Office of Gun Violence Prevention. In 2023, schools were awarded $286 million in federal dollars to support student wellness and school mental health professionals. Renewable power is now the No. 2 source of electricity in the U.S. There is a sweeping crackdown on “junk fees” and overdraft charges. He is cracking down on cyberattacks, reinvigorating cancer research to lower death rates, making airlines pay up when flights are delayed or canceled and much, much more. He has experience, and yes, he can read the room. An article in Politico in February 2024 listed the 30 things President Joe Biden has as done you might have missed and I encourage you to read that article at https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2024/02/02/joe-biden-30-policy-things-you-might-have-missed-00139046

How do we get the word out so that people know what is being done to help them. I don’t think we are paying attention, and the media, the fourth estate, is not doing its job. So on this episode our resident environmentalist, political analyst and curmudgeon, George Polisner, founder of Civ.works, gives us some insight into current events in the political and environmental arenas. We discuss eco innovations regarding mushroom technology, plus issues of governance, leadership, politics, the media, elections 2024, and more. Get more info at Civ.Works and check out the mighty mushroom at https://www.ecovative.com/ For past programs go to HudsonRiverRadio.com, MalcolmPresents.com and themanyshadesofgreen.com. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Threads @tmshadesofgreen and listen to TMSOG podcast on all major podcast apps.

The Many Shades of Green is proud to be number 8 on Feedspot’s List of the 50 Best Environmental podcasts to follow in 2024 https://podcasts.feedspot.com/environmental_podcasts/

#RaiseYourEcoConsciousness

Food Scrap programs, Recycle Rangers, and yes, you can recycle used paint cans in NYS, plus more great information on the importance of local community eco-actions with Michelle Sterling and Youth Environmentalist Alexa Troob

The Power of Local community action is essential to empower communities to become resilient. Actions on the local level build a sense of ownership and responsibility and improves the effectiveness of initiatives which promote sustainability. Local governments, schools and organizations must address the climate concerns of the residents in their communities, which helps promote sustainable practices in their towns and villages in order to get green initiatives passed. What happens locally goes global! Our guest on this episode of TMOSG is Michelle Sterling, who has been instrumental in launching sustainability initiatives throughout Scarsdale and Westchester County. She is the co-chair of Scarsdale’s Sustainability committee and is on their Conservation council as well. Michelle works with her sustainability partner Ron Schulhof, to help Scarsdale Village, as well as all seven Scarsdale Schools and a number of Scarsdale Houses of Worship, launch food scrap recycling and zero waste programs. Their efforts have made a tremendous impact within the community as well as throughout Westchester County, and they have now helped 21 towns within in the county, and several towns outside of Westchester start municipal food scrap recycling programs. We are also joined by Alexa Troob, who is a youth champion of the environment, a journalist and a student member of the Sustainability Advisory Board in the Town of New Castle New York. We discuss the Food Scrap Program in Scarsdale, the EPR Packaging Bill in NYS and the Paint Recycling Program. To reach out to Michelle email her at: [email protected]. Some helpful links are below:

https://dec.ny.gov/environmental-protection/recycling-composting/postconsumer-paint-collection

https://insideclimatenews.org/news/20022024/environmental-groups-eye-potential-win-with-new-york-packaging-bill/

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2023/S4246/amendment/A

For past shows go to HudsonRiverRadio.com, MalcolmPresents.com and themanyshadesofgreen.com. Listen to the podcast on apps via Amazon, Apple, Spotify, Spreaker.com and more. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Threads @tmshadesofgreen. TMSOG is proud to be #8 on Feedspot’s 50 Best Environmental podcasts to follow in 2024 https://podcasts.feedspot.com/environmental_podcasts/

Leap Year, ‘Big Nights’ for Frogs Leaping towards their Vernal Pools and Keystone Plants with Victoria Alzapiedi, Co-founder, New Castle Healthy Yards

We are now in a leap year which happens every four years, and it exists, for the most part to keep the months in sync with annual events, including equinoxes and solstices. According to the JPL (Jet Propulsion Lab), it is a correction to counter the fact that Earth’s orbit isn’t precisely 365 days a year. When we think of a Leap year, we think of presidential elections in the US and the Summer Olympics. Spring is now approaching and everyone is becoming more aware that the climate is changing, and that the seasons are starting earlier. Hibernating animals and insects are getting more confused and are waking from their hibernation earlier. Kermit and his friends are finding it harder to be green. During this time of year ‘Big Nights’ occur when frogs and salamanders wake from hibernation to get to vernal pools to lay eggs and mate. Unfortunately, many are killed by cars as they cross roads. The NY DEC (dec.ny.gov) has a volunteer training programs which trains people to help the frogs and salamanders cross roadways get to their vernal pools. This program can also be used for people in other states to help save the lives of these precious amphibians. Our resident garden, wildlife and healthy yards guru Victoria Alzapiedi, gives us great info about Big Nights, and she also talks about the importance of Keystone plants, and what we can do to preserve ecosystems in the coming months. For more info check out New Castle Healthy Yards on Facebook. Go to Scenic Hudson for additional information:

https://www.scenichudson.org/viewfinder/gearing-up-for-amphibians-big-night and https://dec.ny.gov/nature/waterbodies/oceans-estuaries/hudson-river-estuary-program/conservation-and-land-use-program/amphibian-migrations-and-road-crossings and https://www.vernalpool.org/

Link to program NYDEC https://meetny.webex.com/recordingservice/sites/meetny/recording/dbb3114db3fb103cbfbe005056816f6f/playback

https://dec.ny.gov/nature/waterbodies/oceans-estuaries/hudson-river-estuary-program/conservation-and-land-use-program/amphibian-migrations-and-road-crossings

For past TMSOG shows go to https://hudsonriverradio.com/the-many-shades-of-green.html, Malcolmpresents.com and follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Threads @tmshadesofgreen. Listen to The Many Shades of Green on all major podcast apps (Apple, Amazon, Spotify, Spreaker.com and more). TMSOG is proud to be on Feedspots list of the 50 Best Environmental podcasts to follow in 2024 @ #8 https://podcasts.feedspot.com/environmental_podcasts/

#Raise Your Eco-Consciousness

Plastic in the Clouds, Pluto in Aquarius and more with Artist, Eco-Activist and Sexy Astrologist, Charlotte Ghiorse

Plastic is everywhere. In our blood, in our food (beer, honey, salt) and more. A one liter of bottle of water contains 240,000 detectable plastic fragments. Microplastics are even in clouds! Joni Mitchell did not in a million years think that plastic would be inside clouds when she wrote the lyrics to her iconic tune “Both Sides Now” Joni wrote about the clouds and said:

But now they only block the sun

They rain and they snow on everyone

So many things I would have done

But clouds got in my way

I’ve looked at clouds from both sides now

From up and down and still somehow

It’s cloud illusions I recall

I really don’t know clouds at all

Plastic in clouds is not an illusion, so maybe the lyric needs to be updated to say:

Now microplastics are in the air

within the clouds and everywhere,

now scientists are really scared

they know what must be done,

We have to work to clear the skies

and wipe the plastic from our eyes,

from tears and rain we cannot hide

plastic cannot rule the way

On this episode we focus on how plastic winds up in clouds. Researchers recently collected 28 samples of liquid from clouds at the top of Mount Tai in eastern China. They found microplastic fibers—from clothing, packaging, and tires—in their samples. Lower altitude and denser clouds contained greater amounts of microplastics. Plastic is now part of the Earth’s geology as it is in rocks, reefs, and shells, soil and more. It now has a geologic name: plastistones. We discuss how plastic is infiltrating the environment and getting into the clouds, and we delve into astrology-Pluto in Aquarius, with our resident eco-activist, artist, and sexy Astrologist, Charlotte Ghiorse. For more info about plastic/chemicals in our environment go to asc.org. Get more info about Charlotte via HouseofChoclet.com and Sexy Astrology on YouTube. Find more shows on HudsonRiverRadio.com, Malcolmpresents.com, and TMSOG – themanyshadesofgreen.com. Follow us and Like us on Facebook, Instagram and Threads @tmshadesofgreen, and listen and share TMSOG podcast on Apple, Amazon, Spotify, iHeart (Spreaker.com) and more. #RaiseYourEcoConsciousness

The Many Shades of Green is proud to be on Feedspot’s list of environmental podcasts to follow in 2024 (@ #8) https://podcasts.feedspot.com/environmental_podcasts/

The Essential Role of Local Journalism with Adam Stone, Publisher of The Examiner

“The health of a democracy depends in no small part on the vitality of an independent press. Studies across the world continue to demonstrate that access to a robust news system, free from institutional censorship or influence, plays an essential role in effective democracy.” Quote from The Knight Foundation and Gallup, American Views 2022: Part 1

According to the American Journalism Project, local news bridges divides in communities, showcases opportunities for community connection, highlights community perspectives, and sheds light on how policy issues affect readers and their neighbors. Most local issues require the thoroughness, understanding, and diligence that only local, on-the-ground reporters are equipped to provide. The national media is astoundingly out of touch with Americans, with 1 in 5 newsroom employees based in New York, Los Angeles, or Washington, DC. Local news is an essential check on local government and helps improve communities. A robust press is vital to a healthy democracy and newsrooms need resources to create reliable news that is accessible and free from influence. We need to know who is holding local elected officials accountable, who is reporting from the state legislatures, who is covering all the town councils, school board and pubic hearings, court proceedings, environmental policy, school sports, town events and so much more. It is local news publications that provide this vital information, and carry out their important function in keeping the public informed. On this episode of TMSOG, Adam Stone, Publisher of The Examiner, a local print/digital newspaper covering Westchester County, NY discusses the importance of local news as a check on democratic institutions. Adam’s article about how the failure of New York State in operating certain disability programs, which had disastrous effects on local disabled individuals, was highlighted by the New York Times on its list of outstanding local journalism. It is a prime example of local journalism at its best: (see The Examiner News, New York: How the state’s disability program fails locals). Please support local press! For more info go to theexaminernews.com and check out new and archived articles.

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