We’re Melting

By Susan Lutz

Forests are dying. Polar bears starving, ice caps shrinking. The list grows. We’ve spent a lifetime stomping on the planet and now world leaders gather in the hopes of finding a solution before we hit the tipping point. Can we pull back? Can we save ourselves?

I read positive stories: a community garden in Haiti becomes a center of growth and revitalization; the price of solar power is dropping fast and becoming an extremely viable alternative energy source; climate adapted strategies are manifesting and working to stabilize wildlife. Around towns, I see trees being planted, youth conversing about important issues. This is great. And there are many more examples of success and ideas which are moving us forward.

Yet, I read bad news, too: the UK starts to cut millions of dollars from its renewable resources; the threat of disease increases due to insects gaining the ability to live longer and travel farther; the sea level is rising; and of course, we’ve all seen the pictures of the polar bears starving. Some days, it’s hard to read the news. Some days it does seem like we’re just going to tip over and sink.

I recently heard a lecture on the cause and effect of our actions and the impact our choices have on climate change. The most interesting, and most powerful, I thought, was this: What are we willing to give up? In this country, the majority of cars during rush hour consist of single drivers. Bottled water and soda fill our vending machines, and we don’t give a second thought to the short pleasure we get versus the amount of toxins in each bottle. We like our stuff. We like our creams, cars, deals online, new phones, and processed, over-packaged foods.

The summit on climate change brings together world leaders. The model of coming together to talk; understanding our differences; taking note of those suffering the most; and, moving forward with dialogue. Regardless of how difficult the task is, it is one we must implement from the highest of offices to the grass-roots level.

We wait too long to act. We wait to change gun laws until terror steps into our cafes (if even then). We wait to ban trophy hunting and poaching and watch as species become threatened and face habitat loss and even become extinct. We’re slowly melting under the take-the-money-and-run philosophy of getting what we need, now, and forgetting how it will hurt us in the future.

When my son picked up an acorn the other day, he thought it was the grandest of discoveries. I held it up and told him it was amazing. We carried it with us as if it were a piece of gold. Our food supply, our land, our water – they truly are gold. We must realize this now, or we will watch as the world melts and slowly slips away.

 

#1534: The End of Plenty

bourneCan we feed the world without wrecking it? Are we farming ourselves out of food? My guest, Joel K. Bourne Jr. and I delve into those questions on this week’s show. Joel’s new book, THE END OF PLENTY: The Race to Feed a Crowded World, discusses the world food crisis, as it relates to population increase and environmental concerns. Farm land is becoming decimated, as water shortages are spreading globally, thus reducing growth of crops needed to feed the populace. Political unrest and revolutions have occurred in various hot spots around the world, as wheat crops have failed, which has lead to tightening grain supplies. Lives are lost as fights break out over bread. Will 3D printing of food save us? Probably not, but there is hope, as farmers are using innovations in food irrigation, as well as conservation methods to solve some of the problems. A new land ethic must be put into place to feed the world. For more information go to joelkbournejr.com and amazon.com for his book, THE END OF PLENTY.

#1525: The End of Plenty by The Many Shades Of Green on Mixcloud

Making Miracles Happen through Our Choices: My Family’s Story of Healing

By Susan Lutz

In 2005, my second child was born with Down syndrome. He underwent surgery on the third day of his life to untangle a defective digestive tract. Without the surgery, he would not live. I knew organic food and lots of exercise would have to be the huge part of his recovery, growth, and development. To believe in this principle was one thing – to implement quite another.

After discovering the benefits of breast-feeding with my first child, I pumped breast milk for my son, freezing the colostrum and bringing fresh bottles to the hospital every day. He received the milk from a drip in the NICU until he was able to eat on his own. After a few weeks in intensive care, an ultrasound exposed two cysts on his bile ducts. Left untreated, the doctor said, the cysts most likely would turn cancerous. As the surgeon drew me a picture what and where bile ducts were, she apologized and said, “I’m sorry, but he’ll need surgery again.” All I heard was a voice in my head that said, No he will not.

DSCN1286Through the years, I traveled between different paths in search of a healthier life. I figured I could get by with a “pretty-good-kind-of” healthy life. There was always room for beer and chocolate and if in small enough quantities, just about every other unhealthy food choice. My first child changed all that. Not long after her teeth came in, I noticed brown spots: rapid, fast-growing tooth decay. I took her to acupuncture. In our sessions, the acupuncturist talked about diets. It was the first time I’d ever heard of the terms alkaline, acid, and ash in the context of our bodies. He said if my daughter’s body changed to alkaline, the carries couldn’t survive.

I went and bought my first juicer – determined to make a difference without the invasive use of surgery. I doubled the amount of organic greens and found creative ways to hide celery, parsley, and kale in smoothies. After a few years, my daughter’s adult teeth came in straight, white, and free of cavities.

Believing my son’s cysts were going to go away amounted to nothing unless I took action. I searched for an alternative doctor, especially one that would implement diet as part of healing. I located a naturopathic doctor more than seven hours from my home. We set up a consultation on the phone. He gave me a list of vitamins and other things that might help. Then, he said one thing, as the acupuncturist did, that made the most sense of all: if the body is in balance, no cyst can live. I got the juicer out again.

2435797833_042756f4b2At nine months, I took my son to check on the cyst in an ultrasound. If the cyst grew, there would be reason for concern. If the cyst had stayed the same size or, was smaller, we’d have reason to know something was going right. Since I couldn’t make heads or tails out of an ultrasound, I watched the doctor’s face instead. I held down my son’s tiny penis down with rough, brown paper towels. It was quiet. My son was calm. The doctor had a very blank look on her face. She moved the wand back and forth across his belly. “They’re not there,” she said.

“What?” I said.

“I can’t find the cysts,” she said. “They’re gone.”

Books and information about Down syndrome listed very matter-of-factly what limitations he could have: speech deficiencies, slow to walk, heart problems, digestive difficulties, fine and gross motor skills challenges, crooked teeth, physical abnormalities, lagging in emotional development, to name a few. Although he seemed to have high level of cognitive development, his walking and gross motor skills were very slow to develop. He struggled with a lot of mucus. Smaller nose and ear tubes made it even harder to breathe. At a young age he contracted a case of bronchitis, which put him in the hospital. Balancing the lists of “what ifs” with the reality of the child in front of me is a constant battle in raising my son.

Each health challenge raised the bar. What more could I do? What more could my son do? I installed therapy machines in my garage and converted my living room to an all-out gymnasium. I measured every step as a tiny victory, every green vegetable eaten a step in the right direction. Several times a day, we worked his lungs through laughing, respiratory therapy, (even crying worked out his lungs!) extracted phlegm and pushed his lungs to work harder.

Deciding what is best for me is one thing because I feel the effects when I make questionable food choices or slack off in exercising. Choosing what to give my children is confounding. Getting all those greens into a child is a daunting task. Yet over many trials, spit ups, tummy aches, and dodging food matter thrown at me, my children and I have settled into a healthy, organic diet that seems to satisfy and push of them to thrive. We eat sprouted lentils, avocados, alfalfa sprouts, celery, parsley, cucumbers and other greens for breakfast; we try to drink another super-green juice for lunch and dinner; and I work hard at limiting the sugar in their diet.

Looking back, I can see what a huge blessing, though uncomfortable, challenging, and painful, all the health challenges were. My children are now thriving. My son climbs, plays soccer, runs track, and plays baseball and basketball. My daughter glows and her smile – white and brilliant – shines. The issue of health care never stops. No diet solves everything; no exercise cures it all; I still indulge on less-than-perfectly-healthy foods. I’m no health guru, just a mom with kids that needed a solution.

I know the miracle was also fueled by of those who care for my children and me: family, coaches, and doctors, even the clerk at the health food store. The combined strength, healthy organic food, community and family support, and the tenacity of my children’s spirit make for a powerful cure.

A portion of this essay appeared on Crazysexylife.com.
I’ve also put it on my site, nomorenicegirl.com.

#1527: Farm to School

staff_Jaime2According the the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, childhood obesity has more than doubled in children and quadrupled in adolescents within the past 30 years. Enter the National Farm to School Network, which is working to bring local, fresh foods to school across the U.S., in an effort to reduce obesity, and bring healthy food choices to cafeteria menus. My guest this week is Jaime Lockwood, Development Director at the Farm to School Network, which helps connect local farmers with schools, chefs to cafeterias, and students to gardens. We talk about the importance of the Farm to School Act of 2015, and discuss how chefs inspire healthy eating, environmental awareness, and fitness via wellnessintheschools.org. Jaime is also a board member of Urban Tree Connection, an organization based in Philadelphia, that works to educate and develop community driven greening and gardening projects on vacant land. For more information visit farmtoschool.org. and urbantreeconnection.org

#1527: Farm to School by The Many Shades Of Green on Mixcloud

#1520: Adam Roberts, CEO of Born Free USA

Born-Free-USA-The-Many-Shades-of-Green-square-2This 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

#1519: “Local Action” a Film for the Bedford 20/20 Movement

Nick-Gutfreund-the-many-shades-of-green-sq-500Nick Gutfreund, founder of Long Run Media, is my guest this week, and we discuss how film is a powerful tool to educate and communicate messages, to help promote participation in the eco-movement. He is currently working on a documentary entitled “Local Action,” which focuses on grassroots community groups, and how those groups move to build awareness of environmental and social issues. Local organizations are the change agents who help create solutions for a more sustainable planet. Please visit longrunmedia.com and bedford2020.org to get more information.

#1519: “Local Action” a Film for the Bedford 20/20 Movement by The Many Shades Of Green on Mixcloud

#1517: 2015 NYC Vegetarian Food Festival

Veg-Food-Fest-the-many-shades-of-green-podcast-squareBe 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

#1515: Overdevelopment, Overpopulation, Overshoot

Butler_TomOverdevelopment, Overpopulation, Overshoot – Tom Butler’s new large format coffee table book, tells the story of how population increase, and the rise of the industrial complex, has led to social, economic and environmental problems world wide. The phrase ” a picture’s worth a thousand words” is most evident in the photos taken during this three year journey to expose man’s quest to dominate the planet, and leave sprawl, over growth, disease and destruction in its path. We over indulge, over-plug, and over saturate this beautiful planet, with blatant disregard for the other species who live on earth. Tom and I discuss how we can resolve and build solutions to these problems. This unique approach, which uses powerful photographs, illustrates that humankind must do better, we must stop drilling, stop building and stop decimating the earth. Mother Nature is not happy, but we can do things to make her smile again. Go to populationspeakout.org for more information.

#1515: Overdevelopment, Overpopulation, Overshoot by The Many Shades Of Green on Mixcloud

#1512: Man Swarm

Dave-ForemanWhat comes first, the Earth or Earthlings? There are a lot of us humans on the planet, and we have to start thinking about keeping our numbers down. Join me and my guest Dave Foreman, activist, author, and founder of Earth First!, the Wildlands Project, and the Rewilding Institute, as we discuss his latest work, a new revised of edition of his popular title, MAN SWARM: How Overpopulation is Killing the Wild World, which is co-authored with Laura Carroll, author of The Baby Matrix. Population is one factor in the environmental degradation of the planet. Should there be a one child policy in the US or should we stop having babies altogether? What can be done to solve this problem? Tune in to find out. For more information go to rewilding.org

#1506: Thinking Animals part 2/2

Bonnie-Wyper-Thinking-Animals-The-Many-Shades-of-Green_5Many 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 thinkinganimals.org to find out how you can help.

#1505: Thinking Animals part 1/2

Bonnie-Wyper-Thinking-Animals-The-Many-Shades-of-Green_4If 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 thinkinganimals.org

#1504: Climate Monologues – Music is in the Message

Sharon-Abreu-2Music 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 irthlingz.org or ClimateMonologues.com.