Category: Environment

The Holiday Plastic Conundrum, plus Holiday Astrology with Charlotte Ghiorse, Sexy Astrologist

There is a famous quote in the movie The Graduate which is given to Benjamin Braddock by Mr. McGuire as he approaches Benjamin at a party to give him life some advice. Here is the dialogue:

Mr. McGuire: I want to say one word to you. Just one word.

Benjamin: Yes, sir.

Mr. McGuire: Are you listening?

Benjamin: Yes, I am.

Mr. McGuire: Plastics.

Benjamin: Exactly how do you mean?

Mr. McGuire: There’s a great future in plastics. Think about it. Will you think about it?

When Walter Brooke, as Mr. McGuire, spoke those words to Dustin Hoffman in his legendary role as Benjamin Braddock in the classic film The Graduate, audiences would not have known just how enduring the future of plastics would be. Since 1976, plastics have been the most used material in the United States and will most likely continue to be used in many years to follow. While it seemed that Mr. McGuire gave good advice to Benjamin at the time, companies have made billions of dollars in the plastic industry, and we are now inundated with plastic in the water, land and air, and it is even in our bloodstream. According to Stanford University, the average US household throws out 25% more trash from Thanksgiving to New Year’s than the rest of the year. Much of this is wrapping paper, often made with plastic films or glitter that make it impossible to recycle. Then there are the gifts themselves, especially for kids. So many toys are made of plastic! For many people, this plastic exchange takes place under a plastic tree. Plastic’s carbon footprint continues to expand as raw materials are manufactured into products, shipped all over, and eventually disposed of. So what can we do to reduce our trash and our plastic use since almost everything we buy as gifts, from toys and clothes to electronics contain plastic? So as the holiday season kicks off,  we get some insight into the plastic conundrum and also get a holiday astrology update with our resident eco-activist, artist and Sexy Astrologist Charlotte Ghiorse. For more info go to houseofchoclet.com, follow Charlotte on her Facebook page Sexy Astrology. For more shows go to HudsonRiverRadio.com and MalcolmPresents.com. Follow TMSOG on Instagram and Threads @tmshadesofgreen. Subscribe to The Many Shades of Green podcast on Spotify, Apple, Amazon, iHeart and more. #RaiseYourEcoConsciousness

Whistleblowers, The Cost of Clean Air, and Misdirection of the Media with George Polisner, Founder of Civ.Works

This quote by Lionel Fisher is dedicated to my MudgeBro Phil Margo who was the ultimate Curmudgeon….“Curmudgeons speak up because they have to, because it’s become critically important for them to tell the truth as they see it. Telling the truth is as natural to them once more as it was when they were children. The fact that no one cares to listen is inconsequential. Curmudgeons speak up, raise their voices, stand for something too right to be silent about anymore, whatever the cost, despite a world that deals with what it doesn’t want to hear by crucifying the messenger. Increasingly these days, they’re being called by another name: whistleblower.”

 Let’s face it, we live in a topsy turvy world, and times are difficult. We don’t know who or what to trust, and we rely on those on the inside to speak up when something goes awry. People who stand up to report wrongdoing within government, industry and institutions are called whistleblowers. According to the Government Accountability Project a common legal definition of a whistleblower is someone, typically an employee, who discloses information, either internally (to managers, organizational hotlines, etc.) or externally (to lawmakers, regulators, the media, watchdog organizations, etc.), that he or she reasonably believes is a violation of law, rule or regulation; gross mismanagement, as well as a gross waste of funds; abuse of authority; or a substantial and specific danger to public health or safety made according to the law or in protection of the public interest. Some famous Whistleblowers include Daniel Ellsberg, who leaked the  Pentagon Papers to NYT, Karen Silkwood, who outed the nuclear plant Kerr-McGee for plutonium leaks and a unsafe work conditions, as well as Col. Alexander Vindman and John Schilling who both spoke up to call out the wrongs they witnessed. We should all be grateful to the whistleblowers who have the inner strength to speak out and give info that they believe must be reported to disclose wrongdoing. George Polisner, our resident political, economic, environmental and social justice expert, gives us some insight into whistleblowers and delves into the new EPA rules about reducing harmful particulate matter which is being scrutinized by the oil, gas and manufacturing industries as being too costly. We will also touch on the international misdirection of the media. For more info go to Civ.Works and whistlebloweraid.org. For past shows go to HudsonRiverRadio.com and Malcolmpresents.com. Follow TMSOG on Instagram and Threads @tmshadesofgreen, and on FaceBook. Subscribe to The Many Shades of Green on all major podcast apps. #RaiseYourEcoConsciousness

Climate Scientist and Organic Chemist Stacy Morgan talks about Climate Change, Mothers Out Front, Renewable Heat Now, and Buttonhook Forest

I used to say, when I was talking about climate change, that climate change is serious, certain, and soon. But this is no longer accurate. Now it is very serious, very certain, and now.”(Posted August 9, 2021 Sci-Line (sciline.org) Linda O. Mearns, Ph.D. Senior scientist, Research Applications Lab, National Center for Atmospheric Research 

 We need to listen to the scientists, and take heed before it’s too late. So on this episode we talk to scientist Stacy Morgan, who gives us some important information and her thoughts on the climate crisis and how organizations  like Mothers Out Front and Renewable Heat Now are putting solutions into place that can help reduce CO2 emissions. Community involvement on a local level is crucial to getting things done. Stacy is an organic chemist, and she became interested in climate science while working at the National Physical Laboratory in London. She lives in Northern Westchester with her family and is a core member of Friends of Buttonhook Forest, which is group of community residents who are trying to preserve a magnificent 20.3 acres of land, which contains over 1000 trees, is a wildlife habitat and contains Native American Sacred Ceremonial Stones.  Stacy is working hard to save this diverse and important carbon sink and she continues to educate and engage the community in protecting this amazing land. To contact Stacy go to Instagram @savebuttonhook and follow Save Buttonhook on Facebook. Also go to mothersoutfront.org and renewableheatnow.org. For past shows go to HudsonRiverradio.com and Malcolmpresents.com. Follow us on Instagram and Threads @tmshadesofgreen. Subscribe to the TMSOG podcast on Amazon, Apple, Spotify, iHeart and more. #RaiseYourEcoConsciousness

Leading the Way to Fix Things with the Repair Cafe Movement in the Hudson Valley with Suzie Fromer and Kathy Galione

We live in a throw away society, and we tend to toss things out which end up in landfills and perpetuates waste. We used to bring items to folks who would repair them. Televisions, radios, jewelry, clothing would be brought to the neighborhood repair shop to get the item fixed, with nothing being added to the trash. A movement has started to bring back the concept of repair, and  Repair Cafes are popping up which connects folks who need items repaired to those who can fix them. Sasha Nahr, Chair, of the Larchmont Environmental Committee stated that ”So much stuff gets thrown away unnecessarily, adding to ever growing piles of trash.” Anything that is broken, not working, or can be mended, can be brought in to a Repair Cafe. So on this episode, we have two amazing women, Suzie Fromer and Kathy Galione who are working to reduce waste by encouraging items to be fixed, and are active in the creation of Repair Cafes in the Hudson Valley. For more information and upcoming Repair Cafe dates go to repaircafehv.org. Subscribe to TMSOG podcasts on all major podcast apps. For past shows go to themanyshadesofgreen.com, HudsonRiverRadio.com and Malcolmpresents.com. Follow TMSOG on FB, Instagram and Threads @tmshadesofgreen. #RaiseYourEcoConsciousness

War, what is it good for? And Some Good environmental news in Portugal and more with George Polisner founder of Civ.Works

WAR by Edwin Starr 1970—War, huh, yeah…What is it good for? Absolutely nothing, uh!

The sixties and seventies were filled with protest songs like WAR, as battles raged in Vietnam and Cambodia, killing thousands of young men and Vietcong, as well as the collateral damage of innocent lives. There was a draft, and young men did not want to fight what they thought was a senseless war. A song written in the 50’s by Pete Seeger, Where Have All the Flowers Gone, has the lyric “When will we ever learn”? And the Rodgers and Hammerstein song from South Pacific, “You’ve Got to Be Carefully Taught” has lyrics which delve into racism and hate, placed within a beautiful ballad: Here are some of the lyrics: 

You’ve got to be taught to hate and fear. You’ve got to be taught from year to year, it’s got to be drummed in your dear little ear—You’ve got to be carefully taught!

You’ve got to be taught to be afraid of people whose eyes are oddly made, and people whose skin is a different shade—You’ve got to be carefully taught.

You’ve got to be taught before it’s too late, before you are six or seven or eight, to hate all the people your relatives hate—You’ve got to be carefully taught! You’ve got to be carefully taught!

Fast forward to October 2023, and the question stays the same, WAR what is it good for, absolutely nothin’!!! There are no words for the atrocities which are being unleashed in Israel and Gaza. Mankind has once again plummeted into yet another war. So what is the answer? Does one avenge and take revenge? How does one cope with the humanitarian and moral dilemma? I truly have no words to express my feelings and outrage. How long will this hate and destruction go on? So the tune “Where Have All the Flowers Gone” keeps popping into my mind, and the refrain written by Pete Seeger in 1955, “when will they ever learn when will they ever learn” is now a constant ear worm in my head. There is much to discuss, and on this episode of TMSOG George Polisner our resident political, economic, environmental, social justice expert and founder of Civ.works gives us some insight into the Israeli conflict with Hamas, the insanity of US Politics and some positive energy solutions from Portugal. For more info check out Civ.Works and for past podcasts go to HudsonRiverRadio.com and Malcolmpresents.com. Please subscribe to The Many Shades of Green on all major podcast apps. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Threads @tmshadesofgreen #RaiseYourEcoConsciousness

Regenerative Farming, American Climate Corps plus Astrology and more with Eco-activist, Artist and Sexy Astrologist Charlotte Ghiorse

The farmer in the dell, The farmer in the dell, Hi-ho, the derry-o, The farmer in the dell. The farmer takes a wife, the wife takes the child, the child takes the nurse, the nurse takes the cow, the cow takes the dog, the dog takes the cat, the cat takes the mouse, the mouse takes the cheese, and the cheese stands alone.

It would take some time to analyze this song by the Mother Goose Club that we sang as kids in school back in the day. I never quite understood why the nurse took the cow, and don’t get me started on the cheese! In Kindergarten and First grade, we would gather in a circle and do this performance piece as if we were on a farm. Kids were picked to be the farmer, the wife, the dog and so on, but you NEVER wanted to be the CHEESE who stood alone, because your classmates would make fun of you. So who is standing alone now in the farm world? Small farmers have to compete with BigAg, which has turned modern farming into big business.  Industrialization after WWII popularized the use of machinery, pesticides and herbicides in agriculture and suppliers of tanks and chemical weapons looked to pivot to a different business model. While it is important to feed the populous, it is also important to keep the populous safe from chemicals which can cause cancer and other illnesses. The AgriChemical industry has a large lobby and has overwhelming pull on politicians and researchers who get their way in keeping chemicals that should be banned in the agribusiness (Monsanto/RoundUp). Small farmers generally cannot compete on many levels, and they want to reduce the use of chemicals and fertilizers. They are also feeling the effects of climate change. So enter a new, yet old method of farming called Regenerative Agriculture, which is on the rise. It is actually based on both Indigenous and modern farming practices which abides by four principles: no tillage, no chemicals, herd grazing and use of cover crops. There have been recent documentaries like Kiss the Ground, Biggest Little Farm and most recently Common Ground, which focus on regenerative farming and the need to implore that these practices be used to keep the earth fertile for farming instead of scorching the ground. We have spoken on past shows about this farming technique with Farmer and Founder of DIG Farm, Allison Turcan, and on this episode we continue that discussion with our resident Eco-activist and Sexy Astrologist Charlotte Ghiorse, who gives us some more insight into the importance of regenerative farming. We also touch on President Biden’s Conservation Corps, a/k/a American Climate Corps, and Charlotte delves a bit into October Astrology with Mars going into Scorpio. Please check out House of ChoCLet and Sexy Astrology on Facebook and YouTube. For information on the American Climate Corp go to https://www.whitehouse.gov/climatecorps/ Also check out farmaid.org

For past shows go to HudsonRiverRadio.com, MalcolmPresents.com and follow us @tmshadesofgreen on FaceBook, Instagram and Threads! Subscribe to TMSOG podcast on all major podcast apps. #RaiseYourEcoConsciousness

Farm Aid 2023, Support Local Farms, Help Our Farmers with Allison Turcan Founder of DIG Farm and host of the podcast Getting Dirty

“Family farmers have the solutions to some of our toughest challenges. As we face a changing climate, farmers in Indiana, across the Midwest and all over the country are farming in ways that create more resilient farms to build healthy soils and protect our water.” — Willie Nelson Farm Aid

The development of agricultural took place about 12,000 years ago and changed the way humans lived. The nomadic hunter-gatherer lifestyle switched to permanent settlements and farming. The earliest farmers lived in the Fertile Crescent in the Middle East (near what is now Turkey) and grew crops like peas, lentils and barley. As humans learned to control their sources of food, they no longer had to be nomads, as they could settle in one place.  Forward to 2023, and there are 2 million farms in America, 98% of which are operated by families, family partnerships or family corporations. Farmers are the backbone of America, as they provide food for the citizens of the US and the globe. But more than 9,000 farms were lost between 2021 and 2022.  Data from USDA’s Economic Research Service indicates that Michigan led the list with 1,700 fewer farms, Texas lost a thousand, and Kansas fell 900. California, Kentucky, and New Mexico each lost 600 farms, and there were 500 fewer farms in Nebraska. Farmers play an integral role in feeding the populous, and many need economic assistance to keep afloat. Small farms are an important part of the agricultural system, as they promote locally grown food which brings communities together. Our guest on this episode is Allison Turcan, a Farmer and the Founder of DIG Farm, a local farm in North Salem, NY. Allison recently attended the Farm Aid event in Noblesville, Indiana and met with farmers, organizers and some legendary music artists. She is the host and producer of the podcast Getting Dirty on HRR, and she works with Westchester Land Trust as the farmer for their food bank garden. I am proud to call her my friend:) For more info go to farmaid.org, Digfarm.org, Homegrown.org. For more shows go to HudsonRiverRadio.com and Malcolmpresents.com. TMSOG is available on all major podcast apps (Spotify, Apple, Amazon, iHeart, Spreaker.com and more). Follow us on Facebook and Instagram @tmshadesofgreen #RaiseYourEcoConsciousness

It’s Autumn so it’s time to Leave Leaves Alone and use more sustainable practices to prep your lawn. Victoria Alzapiedi Co-Founder of New Castle Healthy Yards gives great info as to why fake Halloween Spider Webs are not environmetally friendly and how window decals can help migratory birds.

F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote, “Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall.”

It’s that time of year when the air cools and you start feeling that autumn vibe. Feeling the chill on your face brings relief from the hot days of summer, (2023), which by the way, was the hottest summer ever recorded. So with the arrival of Fall, Squirrels and Chipmunks start darting around to gather acorns for their survival of the winter months. Birds get ready to migrate south to warmer climates, and Bears get ready to peace out a bit and hibernate. The trees put on a show of magical colors and leaves pile up to become rich compost in the spring and summer. Us humans need to be proactive in this autumn dance and take steps to help wildlife and take care of our landscape so that we can work in balance with nature. We can be proactive to help birds along their migratory path by keeping lights off and putting decals on windows to prevent them from crashing into window panes. We can leave leaves alone and let them nourish the earth to settle into compost. Halloween in almost upon us and we should be cognizant of using decorations which could hurt wildlife, particularly fake webs which can entangle birds, insects and other animals. Our resident wildlife, garden and habitat guru, Victoria Alzapiedi, co-founder of New Castle Healthy Yards gives us helpful info and tips about best practices for being one with the beauty of Autumn. For more info follow New Castle Healthy Yards on Facebook, check out the National Wildlife Federation at nwf.org, the Audubon Society at act.audubon.org and leaveleavesalone.org. For past shows go to HudsonRiverRadio.com and Malcolmpresents.com. Subscribe to The Many Shades of Green podcast on all major podcast platforms. Follow us on FB and Instagram @tmshadesofgreen. #RaiseYourEcoConsciousness

Planet on the Run, Democracy on the Run, Band on the Run… with George Polisner

Democracy is on the run and we must ask ourselves what is truth in democracy and who is working to advance the truth and bring back civic engagement and social decency? Recently two platforms have merged to make that happen. PlaceSpeak and Civ.Works have banded together to authenticate the online civic engagement process with the ultimate objective: to build trust in democracy. It is of the utmost importance to have a well-educated, well-informed, and engaged public for any form of a meaningful democracy to thrive. We also need to take science seriously, as there is only one planet Earth, which is currently on the run, as 6 out of 9 planetary boundaries have transgressed, and we need to heed the warnings and solutions of the scientific community. On this episode of TMSOG podcast we talk with George Polisner, our resident political, economic, environmental and social justice expert.  He gives us some insight into the new agreement between PlaceSpeak and Civ.Works, and we discuss how certain planetary boundaries have transgressed, and why Democracy is on the run. As for the band on the run, my mind immediately goes to Wings, as a specific lyric in Sir Paul’s song Band on the Run stands out to me with respect to climate. It states: Well, the rain exploded with a mighty crash, as we fell into the sun, and the first one said to the second one there, I hope you’re having fun, Band on run, band on the run. Little did Paul know that in 2023 at the Burning Man Festival, that the rain would explode onto the desert causing bands and other folks to literally run, only to get stuck in the mud, but that’s a topic for another episode. So tune in to hear George Polisner’s great commentary on science, the environment, current events and more. To reiterate, George, through Civ.works, brings civic engagement, activism, citizen participation and political communication to the forefront. For more info go to Civ.Works. For past shows go to HudsonRiverRadio.com and MalcolmPresesnts.com. Follow TMSOG on FB Instagram & Threads @tmshadesofgreen. Subscribe to our podcast on all major podcast apps. #RaiseYourEcoConsciousness

Waste of Fast Fashion + What is your Zodiac Signature with Charlotte Ghiorse Eco-Artist/Sexy Astrologist

We as a society in the US and many other parts of the world are wasteful. We waste food, clothing and over consume. We are addicted to social media in hopes of finding the next TikTok influencers who are constantly telling us what to eat, what to wear, and who to date, which is leading to a populous that can only focus on 30 second to two minute soundbites. We are an impatient species within a throwaway world. So on this podcast episode we focus on what we wear and how we can kick the fast fashion habit. Maybe we can use aluminum foil and potato chip bags to create a dress and look sassy, who knows? According to an article in BBC.com about waste in fashion industry, it was stated that the fashion industry is responsible for 8-10% of global emissions. Of the 100 billion garments produced each year, 92 million tonnes end up in landfills. We all want a bargain when it comes to buying clothes, but what is the real price of buying cheap clothes and what is the environmental impact of fast fashion? Producing clothes uses a lot of natural resources and creates greenhouse gas emissions which are responsible for climate change. There are some designers who are producing more sustainable clothes lines, which is a positive movement. Eco-activist, Artist and Sexy Astrologer Charlotte Ghiorse gives us some thoughts on fast fashion, and we talk about what a Zodiac Signature is. For more info go to houseofchoclet.com and visit Sexy Astrology on YouTube. Also check out past shows on HudsonRiverRadio.com, MalcolmPresents.com and themanyshadesofgreen.com. Subscribe to TMSOG podcast on all major podcast apps (Apple, Spotify, Amazon, Spreaker and more). Follow us on Instagram and Threads @tmshadesofgreen. #RaiseYourEcoConsciousness

Are there really hungry people? Martha Elder, co-founder of Second Chance Foods gives us some answers.

Each year, 119 billion pounds of food is wasted in the US, which equates to nearly 40% of food produced. Food insecurity and hunger are issues which must be addressed, and to the question, are there really hungry people, the answer is YES! On this episode of The Many Shades of Green we talk to Martha Elder. Martha is the Executive Director and one of the founders of Second Chance Foods, a Putnam County New York Food rescue. Martha created the organization’s innovative programs which include: gleaning at farms, upcycling recovered food into meals, and she created a last-mile distribution hub to serve multiple local hunger relief organizations. Martha’s work at Second Chance Foods combines her interests in nutrition, protecting the planet and service to underserved communities. A shout out to John Oliver for doing a show about food waste which led in a way to the founders creation of Second Chance Foods. For more info go to secondchancefoods.org. For past shows on TMSOG go to HudsonRiverRadio.com, MalcolmPresents.com, themanyshadesofgreen.com. Follow the podcast on Facebook and Instagram @tmshadesofgreen. Subscribe to the podcast via Spotify, Amazon, Apple, iHeart, Spreaker.com and more. #RaiseYourEcoConsciousness

https://www.spreaker.com/…/tmsog-09-07-2023-martha-elder

We The World, 11 Days of Global Unity with Rick Ulfik and Jana Larsen

I see trees of green, Red roses too, I see them bloom, for me and you

And I think to myself…What a wonderful world

 I see skies of blue, And clouds of white

The bright blessed day, The dark sacred night

And I think to myself…What a wonderful world

Those are the opening lyrics of the song “What a Wonderful World” sung by Louis Armstrong. Yes, the world is filled with beautiful things and with wonderful people, yet humanity is struggling. Countries are still fighting wars, people are still going hungry, climate change is affecting the global landscape, and a sense of helplessness pervades society. We must appreciate the beauty of red roses, blue skies, beautiful landscapes and people who work to do good and act as change agents to make the world a better place. I have the privilege of having two amazing people on this episode, Rick Ulfik and Jana Larsen of We, The World, who are working tirelessly to create a world that works for all Earthlings. They are currently working on the 11 Days of Global Unity program (which runs from September 11th through September 21st) as well as the Campaigns For Change, both of which are designed to build a Movement of Movements with millions of Change Agents. 11 Days of Global Unity brings together voices from around the globe to achieve a cultural shift towards “WE” and away from ME! Rick Ulfik, a friend for many years, is the Founder of WE, The World and the WE Campaign. He is the Co-Creator of the annual 11 Days of Global Unity  program whose participants and supporters have included: Desmond Tutu, Jane Goodall, Deepak Chopra, Bill McKibben, Hazel Henderson, Arun Gandhi and many others. For over 30 years Rick has been a member of hundreds of creative teams producing network television shows, feature films, national commercials, hit records and other media. Jana Larsen, is the Human Resource and Volunteer/Outreach Coordinator at We The World, as well as the Coordinator of Economic Justice. We discuss how the WE Campaign unites and amplifies the efforts of people, organizations and global movements working for the common good. To register for 11 Days of Global Unity and to get more information on We the World and the World Peace Concert go to We.net. Past shows are available on HudsonRiverRadio.com and MalcolmPresents.com. Follow TMSOG on Facebook, Instagram and Threads @tmshadesofgreen. Listen to The Many Shades of Green Podcast on Spotify, Apple, Amazon, iHeart, Spreaker.com and more. #RaiseYourEcoConsciousness