Category: Environment

There is something bigger than us, there is something that moves the spirit to right the wrongs, and take the higher road. Corporations and individuals must be held accountable for their actions when they disregard life, and poison the land. We must pull together to protect Mother Earth. There is no Planet B.

The following quote brings that obligation to light. “Extractive corporations, and the banks that finance them, are demanding government bailouts and the dismantling of environmental protections in the middle of a global pandemic and economic collapse. The idea that precious funds should bail out the world’s wealthiest corporations, not the people whose lives are at stake, is hard to fathom. This injustice is wrong”.  That quote is by Reverend Fletcher Harper, who is our guest in this episode.  Rev. Harper is GreenFaith’s Executive Director. We know that governments and financial institutions aren’t doing enough about climate change, and GreenFaith is moving to get the interfaith communities to be proactive in educating their congregations to be more sustainable, and lower their carbon footprint. For more info go to GreenFaith.org. Please subscribe to our podcast on all major platforms, and follow us on Instagram and Twitter @tmshadesofgreen. Also check out hudsonriverradio.com and malcolmpresents.com #RaiseYour EcoConsciousness

Listen to “Rev. Fletcher Harper, Exec. Director of GreenFaith” on Spreaker.

The world needs people who explore and catalog nature. We as individuals must take time to explore the beauty around us and be more aware of our surroundings. We need to learn about who was on the land before us, and how they lived as keepers and guardians of the earth.  Our guest this week is Nohham R. Cachat-Schilling, who cares deeply for the earth, the trees, and all its creatures, and works to educate the citizenry about previous keepers of the land. He is a Medicine Elder, Bridge-in-the-Sky Medicine Circle, Opitemakaning Mawhihtit; as well as the Chair of the Massachusetts Ethical Archaeology Society. His keen awareness of nature and his vast knowledge of the contributions of those who were here before us, especially Native Indigenous People of the First Nations, gives us insight into the history of our predecessors, whom we often take for granted. We talk about the importance of balance and leaving the land clean and green for the Seven Generations to come. We also talk about preserving the Buttonhook Forest in the Town of New Castle, NY. For more information go to ethicarch.org and check out Bridge in the Sky Medicine Circle on FaceBook and [email protected] Also check out preservebuttonhook.org for more info on how you can help save this habitat, natural carbon sink and the Native American Ceremonial Sacred Stones. Tweet us @tmshadesofgreen #RaiseYourEcoConsciousness

How do you spread the message about the benefits of healthy plant-based eating and why do people choose to eat plant-based? How do you obtain balanced nutrition, and how can you make the transition to more healthy eating and still satisfy your appetite? What’s in a plant based diet, and is  Beyond Meat a viable option? While we want to encourage people to eat more plant based foods, it has to be done with eyes wide open. Many of the newer trendy products have a lot of filler vs protein, and because of the way they are processed, some of these products have questionable impacts on the environment. Courtney gives us some good insight into plant based foods, the good, the bad, the ugly and the nutritious. For more information follow Courtney on Facebook, follow her on Instagram @clgwellness. For more shows go to malcolmpresents.com. Podcasts are available on Apple and Spotify.

Fossil fuels are contributing to a warming planet, pollution, greenhouse gas emissions and more. Oil execs want to extract all the dino goop, until there is nothing left. We need to get the message out that this is no longer acceptable. The youth movement is setting the stage, along with local grass roots efforts in communities, which take matters into their own hands and work with their citizens to help change habits, and put plans into effect that reduce carbon emissions. One such group is Croton 100, and our guest Patty Buchanan is working to get the community active in programs that will lead to a cleaner, greener planet. For more info go to croton100.org. Subscribe to our podcast on Spotify, Apple, iHeart Radio, Spreaker.com and more. A shout out to hudsonriverradio.com and malcolmpresents.com and The Green Divas! #RaiseYourEcoConsciousness

It’s good to keep staples in your pantry, such as garlic, onions, potatoes, spices, herbs, pasta, beans and more. Keeping your pantry well stocked with healthy foods, is an important factor in eating well.  What foods keep the best, freeze the best, and stay fresher in the fridge, and for how long? In this episode, Courtney gives us terrific info on the best way to stock your pantry with healthful foods, and why it is important to take stock of what’s in your pantry, fridge and freezer. 

 The late American Civil Rights activist James Farmer, Jr. once said “If we do not save the environment, then whatever we do in civil rights, will be of no meaning, because then we will have the equality of extinction.” Environmental history, politics, economics and social issues are all intertwined. From FDR’s New Deal to the Green New Deal, politics extends into environmental issues, and those who represent us in government need to heed the warning, that we must act now to protect and preserve the planet. Time is of the essence. Our guest on this episode is Neil M. Maher, Professor of History and Master Teacher in the Federated History Department at the New Jersey Institute of Technology and Rutgers University-Newark. Neil is working to help protect the planet through his scholarship and his teachings, which explore how the natural environment has mediated power relationships between people over time. He is an award-winning author, instructor, and public speaker interested in the environmental and political history of the United States. His most recent books include Apollo in the Age of Aquarius (Harvard University Press, 2017) and Nature’s New Deal: The Civilian Conservation Corps and the Roots of the American Environmental Movement (Oxford University Press). For more info go to https://www.neilmaher.com/ For past shows go to malcolmpresents.com, hudsonriverradio.com and themanyshadesofgreen.com #RaiseYourEcoConsciousness

Maya K van Rossum has dedicated her life to being the “voice of the Delaware River” and protector of Mother Earth. Maya is the Delaware Riverkeeper and is currently working to empower individuals across the nation to stand up for their environmental rights by pioneering the Green Amendment Movement. The movement began in 2017 in conjunction with the writing of her book The Green Amendment: Securing our Rights to a Healthy Environment. Maya and her organization recently helped achieve passage of The Green Amendment, also known as the  Environmental Rights Amendment (ERA) in New York State, which has been added to the NYS Bill of Rights. It has also been passed in Pennsylvania and Montana. Maya is working to get the Green Amendment passed in Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Vermont, Washington, and West Virginia. There is clearly a lot of work to do and Maya is determined to get the Green Amendment passed every state in the U.S. For more info go to forthegenerations.org and delawareriverkeeper.org. For more shows go to malcolmpresents.com and hudsonriverradio.com Tweet us @tmshadesofgreen #RaiseYourEcoConsciousness

Listen to “Maya K. van Rossum, Founder of the Green Amendment Movement” on Spreaker.

As we slip into a New Year, what can we do to improve our health, fitness and wellbeing? What can we do to speed things up? Maybe speeding up our workout routines and following what the Sweds call Fartleks will inspire us. In this episode, Courtney explains how we can customize our workout routines, using different methods, including moving at a faster pace. For past shows go to malcolmpresents.com. Follow Courtney on her Facebook page, Courtney on Health, on Instagram @clgwellness, and visit her webpage courtneygravenese.com. Tweet us your thoughts @tmshadesofgreen

Every year about this time, we think about the past year, and look to the new year with a fresh perspective. During these pandemic times we need to be hopeful that things will get better. We have all had some tough moments during the past 12 months, but the calendar will flip over and we need to make some changes. What new goals do we have? Can we push forward into the coming year with a positive attitude and fresh ideas? What will be trending in the coming year? Courtney gives us some ideas for what we can do to set goals for the new year, along with some food trends for 2022 and what we can do to maintain our physical and mental well being. Have a Happy Healthy New Year from all of us at Courtney on Health!

For more info, follow Courtney on Health on FaceBook, @clgwellness on Instagram and on the web at courtneygravenese.com. Check out past shows on malcolmpresents.com and tweet us your thoughts @tmshadesofgreen

According to an on-line article on marthastewart.com  there’s no denying that hosting a holiday party, is generally associated with some level of stress. As the host, you may feel all sorts of pressure—financial, social, and beyond. While there’s a lot that goes into hosting loved ones during this festive season, it is possible to host an easy holiday party—one that doesn’t make you feel overwhelmed and out of the control.  You need to give yourself enough time to plan and prepare so you don’t feel overworked on the day of your gathering.  So how will you be spending the holidays this year? What is one “essential” element makes you feel like it is holiday time? What is an unusual food you’ve eaten? Courtney gives us great info on holiday entertaining that is stress free and fun. Follow Courtney on Health on Facebook and on instagram @clgwellness, as well as courtneygravenese.com and malcolmpresents.com

So what can we do to protect the land? Since the new year is just around the bend, let’s create some New Years Resolutions for Nature. Here are some things that can be put into place to protect and restore the land.  They are easy to implement and will have a beneficial impact on our environment. This time of year the temperatures drop rapidly and the littlest creatures must struggle to keep warm.  The bigger ones must find enough food to get through the night. What we do on our landscape greatly affects the wildlife.  Leave leaves alone so that animals and insects can take cover and setup nests and habitats.  Think about using a rake or use an electric leaf blower to have less of a detrimental impact on animal habitats. Please leave downed trees in place, as animals use them for cover. Another thing you can do is reduce or stop applying pesticides. Toxic chemicals kill pollinators and other beneficial insects and creatures. Donate to a Land Trust to preserve open space. There are many things that can be done to have a safer and more eco-friendly landscape, and we can all make an effort in the new year to incorporate better practices to keep the land, air and water around us clean and healthy. Our resident nature expert, and friend of the show, Victoria Alzapiedi gives us some great tips and New Year’s Resolutions that will help nature. For more info follow New Castle Healthy Yards and Help Save Chappaqua Buttonhook Forest, both on Facebook. Please subscribe to our podcast, The Many Shades of Green on Spotify, Apple, iHeartRadio, Spreaker and more. Visit HudsonRiverRadio.com and Malcolmpresents.com for past shows. A shout out to our wonderful engineer Neil, and to Malcolm, Brian, Victoria, GD Meg, the team working to preserve the Buttonhook Forest, and everyone concerned about Mother Earth. She needs our help… #RaiseYourEcoConsciousness

Eating is a favorite pastime of many people, and home cooking tends to take up a lot of time, especially during this ongoing pandemic. So if spending long hours in a hot kitchen cooking, baking and cleaning is not “your thing” there are ways to make it easier and more fun. It is important to have a kitchen management plan in place to help keep vegetables from rotting and food from spoiling. By having good storage methods, using good kitchen tools, gadgets and recipes, many obstacles during your time in the kitchen, or grilling outside, can be over come.  There are tricks of the trade which are called “kitchen hacks”, that will make kitchen life a happier experience. 

Courtney, gives us some tips, a/k/a kitchen hacks, to help make your time in the kitchen a more pleasant experience. Just FYI, my kitchen hack is a bottle of red or a bottle of white, and some good music from Billy Joel’s ‘The Stranger’ album from my Spotify playlist.  For more information visit Courtney on Health on Facebook, on Instagram @clgwellness and visit courtneygravenese.com. For past shows go to malcolmpresents.com, tweet us @tmshadesofgreen