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/
Electric cars are cool, electric cars are fun, electric cars don’t pollute the air we breathe, so why aren’t there more of them on the road? My co-host Brian Horowtiz and I chat about this and other topics, with my guest Seth Leitman, Green Living Guy. Seth is an EV car aficionado, and author of a series of books called the Green Guru Guides. He is working with the Solarize initiative in Westchester County to promote solar energy. Seth will be lecturing and touring colleges this Spring, to spread the word about green living. For more information go to greenlivingguy.com
Why are environmental regulations important in helping reduce greenhouse gas emissions? The Clean Air Act and the Clean Power Standard Rule have been put into place to keep the air, land and water safe, in order to reduce the negative health effects of pollutants. Join me and my special guest, Elon D. Rubin, Esq., Environmental lawyer, entrepreneur, techie, musician and most importantly my awesome son, as we talk about the environmental regulatory process, and how citizens can participate in the process. The climate is changing, and we must be proactive in being resilient and adaptive to current and future climate challenges. For more information visit Edrlaw.com and epa.gov.
Neither rain, nor fog, nor soggy dew could dampen the spirit of the Clearwater 2015 Festival. We spoke to many environmental activists and green entrepreneurs who are creating ideas, and spreading the message about the need to be proactive stewards of Mother Earth. Music echoed throughout the festival, with many performers motivating the populace to take a stand and raise their voices on environmental and social justice issues. Music icon David Crosby, sang new songs with lyrics that commented on the nation’s current state of affairs, and implored people to email, call or show up at the offices of their elected officials and make some noise. Pete Seeger would have been proud to see his vision perpetuated. For more info go to 
This week’s program takes place at the Bedford 2020 Summit and Solar Action Day. We spoke to Andrew Revkin, writer of the Dot Earth Blog for the New York Times, as well as Peter Olmsted, East Coast Regional Director for Vote Solar. We also spoke to Mayor Michael Cindrich of Mt. Kisco, NY about the solar projects on his agenda. Keynote Speaker Amory Lovins, of The Rocky Mountain Institute, spoke about new energy technologies that are on the horizon for the future of electricity. It was a gathering of innovators, educators and community, all working to promote solar and other renewable energy, in an effort to help create actionable solutions to green house gas emissions. A special thank you to Heather Flournoy for her hard work and hospitality. For more information go to 
Music is the message and musicians are the messengers. Fans connect with their favorite artists, and follow their lead in both music and philosophy. Join me and my guest this week, Jesse Carmichael, guitarist and keyboard player for the rock band Maroon 5, as we talk about how he connects with his fans on issues of sustainability and social justice. On his green path he helps foster environmental stewardship of organizations such as SHFT, ACE, The Climate Reality Project and Vote Solar. Jesse is working on a solo project entitled “1863” and Maroon 5 has a great new album out called “V”. For more information go to 
The sun is free, the sun is strong, the sun can power the planet. Join me and my guest Peter Olmsted, Solar Policy Advocate for Vote Solar, as we discuss how grassroot campaigns and communities can bring solar to the people. Peter works to promote energy independence and reduce the effects of climate change by making solar a mainstream energy source across the US. New York is quickly becoming a lead solar state via the NY Sun Initiative. Tomorrow may rain, but we’ll follow the sun. For more info on Vote Solar initiatives and how you can help solarize your community, go to