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:
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 
We are all interconnected to one another, yet the cultural mindset continues to focus on the me, rather than the we. My guest this week, Rick Ulfik, founder of We the World, is moving to change the paradigm by promoting awareness of the need for creating a more humane spirit, by enlisting change agents from around the globe, to build a more peaceful, sustainable and empathetic world. We the World works to develop global networks of collaboration via the 11 Days of Global Unity, and 11 Ways to Change the World. It’s time for the collective will of the citizenry to use the power of WE! For more information go to 
Many species are in decline because of climate change. In Part 2 of our talk with Bonnie Wyper, President and Executive Director of Thinking Animals, we discuss what actions can be taken to help stop the destruction of animal habitats due to urban sprawl, air and water pollution, as well as poaching (especially in the ivory trade). Big Ag farms treat animals with little regard to their emotional feelings. Cattle, chickens and pigs are penned up and/or caged with no room to move around, and are led to slaughter in cruel and inhumane conditions. There are ways to change our behavior to stop the destruction of animal habitats, and to work to make life better for the non-human creatures who inhabit the Earth. As humans, we must do better, and we must create a world fit for all the inhabitants of the planet. Conservation is key to making that happen. Go to 
If we could talk to the animals, just imagine it, chatting to a chimp in chimpanzee, imagine talking to a tiger, chatting to a cheetah, what a neat achievement that would be. In Part 1 of my talk with Bonnie Wyper, President and Director of Thinking Animals, we delve into the topic of animal behavior and cognition. Charles Darwin once said that “Evolution is not just the physical body, but our emotional sides as well.” Bonnie and I discuss how animals experience joy, stress, thought and nuance, and are more complex than humans know. Most humans think of themselves as superior beings, and species are being decimated because of that thought process. We need to step up and treat all creatures humanely. For more information go to 
Music is the message, and my guest this week, Sharon Abreu, creates musical shows and programs that help educate people about the environment. She uses multimedia platforms as a tool to get the green message out, and as Executive Director of Irthlingz, she combines entertainment and music with education, to bring issues of sustainability to the forefront. Pete Seeger and Ray Korona are smiling from above, knowing that Sharon is carrying the torch to create activism through music. For more information please visit 
We welcome back friend of the show, and a super green human, Eva Radke, founder of Film Biz Recycling, an organization that diverts set materials from film, television and theatre, and recycles, reuses, redistributes and re-purposes those items. “Not in a Dumpster” is the mantra of Film Biz Recycling, and there are exciting new projects which are on the horizon for the coming year. The prop shop is a great place to find clothes, furniture and collectibles that have been used to dress sets such as 30 Rock, Gossip Girls, The Amazing Spiderman 2 and many more. To find out all the great things 
When your mom yelled “eat your veggies” she was definitely on to something. My guest this week is Ashley Spivak, Director of Restaurant Guides at Clean Plates. We discuss the importance of a well balanced, plant based eating regimen, that will lead to a healthier you. An 80/20 diet of 80% good stuff (vegetables, fruits, whole grains and protein), and 20% of the foods that make you smile (pie, cookies, mac and cheese) is a good formula to follow. Bio-individuality indicates that there is no right way to eat, not every person is the same, and diets and food choices affect different body types in different ways. The Clean Plates Food Guide lists restaurants that are more conscious about where they source their produce, meats, grains, as well as the taste of the food, the prep and the atmosphere. Making informed choices whether eating out or in is essential to being a healthier, smarter and cleaner eater. For more info about Clean Plates online publications, guides, phone apps and recipes, go to 
How does the after-world connect to the green world? Why pollute when you are dead? Christina Orban-La Salle, Director of Programs, Tours and Visitor Services at the historic Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, famous for the tale of the Headless Horseman, is my guest this week, and we talk about a new trend for interment, “green” burials. Most common burials are harmful to the environment, as embalming fluids are toxic, and cement vaults and caskets are not earth friendly. There is now a movement to leave a better legacy by choosing a more natural burial, which is in tune with the harmony of the cycles of life, and is more spiritual, meaningful, and ecologically regenerative. It is a topic that most people shy away from, but it is important to integrate conservation and death care, in order to restore the natural earth. For more information about Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, and the River view Natural Burial Ground, go to sleepyhollowcemetery.org