#1526: What is the Clean Air Act anyway?

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.

#1526: What is the Clean Air Act anyway? by The Many Shades Of Green on Mixcloud

#1525: 2015 Clearwater Music Festival

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 clearwater.org.

#1525: 2015 Clearwater Music Festival by The Many Shades Of Green on Mixcloud

The Environmental Hazards of Consumerism

By Susan Lutz

Products stacked high. Priced low. That’s the box-store shopping model we’ve come to accept. Shoppers expect cheap bargains, and for the most part, get it. From my small college town in Minnesota to Central America, I’ve watched Walmart build and consumers follow. I watched as the college town almost died out. Buildings begged for renters, to buyers rather than shoppers. Today, we watch the scope of Walmart’s impact reach for the skies, adding a negative carbon footprint at a fervent pace.

Walmart’s positive green press spins differently. Walmart reports all is right with the company’s clip to reduce emission and go green. However, The Institute for Local Self-Reliance reported that Walmart is guilty of going in the opposite direction and increasing greenhouse emissions with no stop in sight. In addition, many of Walmart’s products do not reflect the consciousness of a company dedicated to sustainability.

About ten years ago, Walmart started issuing it’s own, Global Responsibility Report. In developing countries, it’s hard to keep people away from the lure of the American brand (though many products are not made in America). I found the stores overpriced. The appeal for many, as Walmart knows, is the location. It was on a bus line, the parking lots are huge, and taxis even wait outside. Everything sat under one roof. A lure, even to this shopper, who couldn’t resist when the rain poured (the parking was not only huge, it was covered), and I needed some over-sized paper for my child’s school project.

Walking the aisles of these big box stores feels overwhelming and too much. Do we need purple and green and pink toilet paper? Are those products a “green” company should support. Jeffrey Hollender, founder and former CEO of Seventh Generation, Inc. took a look at what companies are doing to confuse customers into thinking a company is going green, when in fact it’s not:

“In essence, Walmart is saying, ‘Hey, Walmart shopper, here’s a totally unsustainable product from one of our supposed Sustainability Leaders.’”

What do we do? Walmart and other box-stores are now planted as an option for shopping, for everyone, for everything. What do we need? Do we need so much? The visual of green and pink toilet paper is one I’d never thought of until now. Walmart’s not just going to go away. We’ve helped create it. Yet, it must change. It’s too important. They’ve got the power to do it. We’ve got the power to demand it.

I returned to my college town a few years ago. It had made a bit of a comeback. The diner I cooked for was gone. But a few coffee shops and new stores had taken hold. It’s the main street of postcards. The place where community gathers and owners greet customers. Between the Walmart model and the main street, a model exists where we can reduce our impact, empower local retailers, and promote that which truly is good for the planet.

#1524: Greener Media

This week’s program features Jesse Ash, principal and lead producer at Greener Media, an eco-conscious production company based in NYC. We discuss how storytelling via digital and film mediums, is an essential tool in helping raise awareness about environmental and social issues. Jesse has won a Webby for his animated short Magical Cure, and his current project, Common Ground, was recently screened at the United Nations and at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo in Washington, D.C. In addition, Greener Media’s short documentary, Man in the Maze, was a winner of the Sundance Short Film Challenge this year. To find out why Bette Middler has been deemed the “Queen of Green” and why it is helpful to have a celebrity name attached to a particular cause, you have to tune in. For more information go to: greenermedia.com

#1524: Greener Media by The Many Shades Of Green on Mixcloud

#1523: Mamapalooza, Eco RV’ing & More

This week’s show takes us to the Mamapalooza Festival in NYC, which celebrates moms via education and entertainment. We spoke to “super mom” Joy Rose, founder of Mamapalooza and the Mom Rock Movement. She started the band “Housewives on Prozac” to not only rock out, but take us through the trials and tribulations of Motherhood. We also talked to Pierce Delahunt, a masters student at the Institute for Humane Education (IHE), to get some insight into education and how IHE is working to grow a more just, humane and healthy world. In addition, we chat with Brian Horowitz, host of the Rock and Roll History Show, about the greening of RVs and hitting the road in his solarized Air Stream. For more information go to mommuseum.org, humaneeducation.org and glacier-entertainment.com

1523: 2015 Mamapalooza, Eco RV’ing & More by The Many Shades Of Green on Mixcloud

#1520: Adam Roberts, CEO of Born Free USA

This week’s show takes us to jungles, plains, back lots and road shows to focus on animal welfare and the need for wildlife protection. My guest, Adam Roberts, CEO of the organization Born Free USA, and I discuss the plight of elephants and lions and what is causing them to be endangered. We also talk about the cruelty and neglect of Exotic pets, and the treatment of animal actors in circuses, film and TV. Lions may be sleeping, but we need to ROAR to save them. For more information go to BornFreeUSA.org.

#1520: Adam Roberts, CEO of Born Free USA by The Many Shades Of Green on Mixcloud

#1518: To Life! Eco-Art in Pursuit of a Sustainable Planet

What is Eco-art and how does it differ from conventional western art and mediums? For the answer, tune in to this week’s program, as Eco-artist, educator, author and curator, Linda Weintraub and I discuss how eco-artists connect to the natural earth via photography, performance and public art, and much more. These cutting edge artists help transform our way of life, through their unique approaches and unconventional methods, which set out to transform our environmental consciousness. From the use of microbes, which ebb and flow into divergent patterns of life forms, to a sunflower which is equipped to photograph the sun as it follows it in the sky, this burgeoning art field helps raise awareness of the environmental impact, both positive and negative, that we humans are having on the planet. For more information about Linda’s work and her book: To Life! Eco-Art in Pursuit of a Sustainable Planet, go to lindaweintraub.com.

#1518: To Life! Eco-Art in Pursuit of a Sustainable Planet by The Many Shades Of Green on Mixcloud

A Place of Peace with Daily Food Choices

At times, I pile the bags of food in my car after spending a boatload of money and feel lost. With all my research and knowledge of the world of organics, I should radiate confidence. Instead, I doubt my choices and wonder if I even make a difference in what I feed my family.

Back in the store, I gazed upon the simple choice of cookies. With food allergies and touchy digestive issues for my kids, I can spend time laboring over even the simple choice of which animal cracker I should choose. Do I buy the kind without sugar? If so, what other kind of sweetener does it have? Is it organic? Gluten-free? Loaded with food dyes? Preservatives? GMOs? Is it local? The days of walking out to the barn to get the milk is gone for most of us. Now, we rely on a chain of people, machines, and often corporations to bring us our food. Instead of a place to nourish my family, stores feel like science labs – the joy of life squeezed right out of it.

Avoiding one toxic choice feels like bowing down to another. I’d like to always buy organic and planet-friendly for my kids and not stumble over ingredients I often cannot pronounce. The word organic gives me hope that there are fruits and vegetables still glistening with nutrition. Then, I look at the prices: a single cucumber is $2.29. $2.29? Each? The other cucumbers are $.79 each. Yet I remember (from all my research) that cucumbers are one of the most chemically sprayed crops. When I go back to the bin of organic cucumbers, I wonder about the plastic each cucumber is wrapped in: Isn’t that bad for the environment? The conventional cucumbers feel waxy. But just one cucumber for $2.29?! One won’t last the whole week! It’s my kids’ favorite vegetable. And it’s so nutritious! Which one should I buy? After only being in the store for five minutes, I was exhausted. This shouldn’t be how we have to buy food.

We’ve polluted our planet and can’t eat our foods without loads of labels warning us what the food does and does not have. We can’t drink the water unless it is filtered or eat the fish unless it is found in the right waters.

Whether organic or not; whole grain or gluten-free, vegan or vegetarian, we’ve got to eat. I have to find a place where food is happy again. I’ve put down my food-battle sword and written a seal of peace on my shopping list. I eat organic whenever I can. I eat as little sugar as I can. I eat greens more than anything else. I stay within budget without beating myself up. I let it go when eating with others so as not to be a know-it-all or worrywart about the food contents.

Most of all, I relax and give thanks for every bite I take and am able to give my children. No food is any good unless it is served with joy.

#1517: 2015 NYC Vegetarian Food Festival

Be Kind to Animals, Don’t Be Cruel, Eat Your Veggies. All these phrases come together on this week’s program, as we celebrate vegetarian cuisine and cruelty free living at the New York City Vegetarian Food Festival. We spoke with Zoe Weil, Co-founder and president of the Institute for Humane Education, Nora Kramer, Founder and Executive Director of YEA (Youth Empowerment Action) Camp, Annie Hauck Lawson, Founder of Brooklyn Mompost, Susan Hargreaves, Founder of Animal Hero Kids, and Isis Phillips, Executive Director of Indy Kids. It was a pleasure speaking with all this dynamic and amazing women, who do so much to make the world a better place. For more information on these organizations go to humaneeducation.org, solutionaryschoolnyc.org, yeacamp.org, brooklynmompost.org, animalherokids.org, indykids.org and nycvegfoodfest.com

#1517: 2015 NYC Vegetarian Food Festival by The Many Shades Of Green on Mixcloud

#1516: Earth Day Special with Dr. Joel Scheraga, EPA Senior Advisor

The First Earth Day took place on April 22,1970 and on this week’s episode, we celebrate the 45th Anniversary of Earth Day, as well as the 45th year of the EPA, with special guest, Dr. Joel Scheraga, Senior Advisor for Climate Adaptation at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The climate is changing, and we have to adapt to the results of those changes, which are coming in the form of more intense weather, super storms, droughts, pollution, and an increase in greenhouse gas emissions. The change in climate is causing the oceans to get warmer, and the temperatures are rising globally. This rise cannot continue, as it is causing degradation of natural resources, and is affecting human health and safety. We do have the power to help reduce our carbon foot print. Simple things like taking shorter showers, changing light bulbs to LEDs, recycling, reusing and reducing our consumption can make a big difference. We have to be more conscious of how our actions affect the planet, and take small steps to make things better. The EPA is working to help us adapt to climate change. For more information go to EPA.gov.

#1516: Earth Day Special with Dr. Joel Scheraga, EPA Senior Advisor by The Many Shades Of Green on Mixcloud

Watch the full “Cost of Inaction” video on youtube which plays on the show:

#1514: Bringing Zen Into Your Life

What steps can you take to enhance the flow of chi? How do you create functional, sustainable and balanced spaces in your home by using Feng Shui techniques? What does the color green represent on the BAGUA MAP, and how many shades of green are there? Find out by tuning in, as this week’s guest, and friend of the show Anjie Cho and I discuss how to put some Feng in your Shui. Her new book: 108 Ways to Create Holistic Spaces, is a must read to bring zen and harmony into your life. Anjie is a LEED certified green architect, and is a BTB Feng Shui practitioner. For information go to holisticspaces.com. Her new book is available on amazon.com

#1510: Eco Artist, Donna Sharrett

My guest this week is the multi-talented artist Donna Sharrett, whose most recent exhibit, Love Songs, captivated art lovers with a beautifully crafted array of pieces that were intricately assembled using materials donated and re-used. This collection of artwork was formed from Donna’s memories, as she re-used fabric, jewelry, dirt, guitar strings and other items to create these beautiful pieces. We also talk about how Patti Smith was in some small way part of the exhibit via her song, Dancing Barefoot. Donna is also a master gardener and started the Community Garden in Ossining, NY. Art and the environment are interconnected, and Donna is a prime example how that connection is made. For more information go to donnasharrett.com