We are now in very trying times and the need for putting together the collective will of the people who want clean air, healthcare, gun reform, affordable housing and democratic values is becoming more difficult due to the spreading of misinformation and outright lies. The citizenry must vote for leaders who have the ability to provide policies, and are educated and versed in making government work. Time in not on our side, and my guest on this episode, George Polisner, says that the democracy doomsday clock is quickly ticking away. George is a monthly commentator and friend of the podcast, who is working to educate citizens about civic responsibility to increase participation to promote the civic good. He is working to engage the populous to be more active and take action to protect our democratic values. George is a Behavioral Economist and Technologist with a passion for civic engagement and works to create a growing and fair economy, safe and well-funded schools and environmental protection. He is active in policy, addressing wealth and income inequality, participatory democracy and he has significant experience in corporate social responsibility. George is the Founder of Civ Works, a non-profit technology platform for civic engagement, constituent engagement, participatory democracy and participatory budgeting. For more info go to Civ.works. Please subscribe to TMSOG podcast on your favorite podcast app, and for past shows go to HudsonRiverRadio.com and Malcolmpresents.com #RaiseYourEcoConsciousness
Courtney on Health: Breakfast, a good way to start your day, and Mikey Likes It!
Life Cereal created a commercial which aired in 1972 and featured real-life brothers Michael and Tommy Gilchrist, sitting around a breakfast table, suspicious of the cereal because it’s supposed to be healthy. They’re convinced that Mikey won’t like it, since he is supposedly picky and doesn’t like much of anything. But, lo and behold, Mikey likes it! The catchphrase took off, the commercial won a Clio award in 1974, and it remains one of the most iconic ads of its time. Fast forward to 2023, and breakfast has changed a bit. We have overnight oats, ACAI bowls and burritos. Many people skip breakfast as their morning time is limited, and the mad dash to get the kiddos off to school leaves only a few minutes to drink that first cup of joe. It is important to leave time for breakfast, as it provides necessary fuel for your body and brain. A nutritious breakfast should include unprocessed foods from each of the five food groups: fruits, vegetables, grains, protein foods, and dairy. A good breakfast can also help regulate hunger by reducing the urge to snack throughout the day. For children, eating breakfast has been positively associated with academic performance, as well as a decreased risk of obesity. Courtney discusses what a healthy breakfast should consist of and how it can be a meal that Mikey likes!
To get more info, follow Courtney on her Facebook page Courtney on Health, on Instagram @clgwellnes on TikTok and visit her website: courtneygravenese.com. For past shows go to malcolmpresents.com and themanyshadesofgreen.com. Courtney on Health: Smart, Sound Nutrition. Strong, Safe Fitness!
The Environment, Astrology and solutions to waste in the fashion industry/culture with Charlotte Ghiorse
So let’s talk Astrology… Uranus in Taurus impacts the Environment. Taurus is an earth sign, so it’s associated with nature, the land, and farming, and it’s represented by the symbol of the bull and will stick around through the end of 2026. (Uranus’ transit through Taurus has also aligned with radical changes in the way we think about the environment). The conversation around climate change has become even more critical since Uranus entered Taurus, spurred in part by Swedish youth activist Greta Thunberg’s powerful speech at the U.N. Climate Action Summit in 2019. (Her first ever TED Talk was in 2018, just months after Uranus entered Taurus). There is so much waste produced by humans on planet Earth. Waste in the form of overproduction, lack of proper recycling and overuse of fossil fuel. One industry that has a high waste factor is the fashion industry, and Charlotte and I delve into that topic as well as how Neptune in Pisces with Saturn is working out for President Biden. Charlotte Ghiorse is TMSOG’s resident Sexy Astrologist and environmental contributor. In addition to her expertise in astrology and how it affects life on planet Earth, Charlotte is a painter, video and performance artist, and a mom of three, who has vision and a sense of depth that takes on life one day, hour, minute at a time. Visit Charlotte on her Sexy Astrology You Tube and Facebook pages and at www.houseofchoclet.com. Listen to TMSOG podcast on all major podcast apps and please subscribe on Spotify, Apple, Amazon, iHeart and more. For past shows go to hudsonriverradio.com and malcolmpresents.com. Follow us on Instagram @tmshadesofgreen. #RaiseYourEcoConsciousness
The Rewilding School with Founder Eric Stone
We are living in stressful times, and connecting with nature is a way to become calmer and more centered. Being in a forest, on a beach or any open space adds to ones sense of well being, and provides a needed respite from the day to day grind of life. While being locked up during covid was horrific on so many levels, it brought more people outdoors, as walks in the woods or any open space provided exercise and benefits to your psyche. Children especially needed to connect to the outdoors and play in a park, make a snowman, build a sand castle, climb a tree, spot fireflies or listen to the songs of the birds. In our busy work-a-day lives, it’s good to know that there are people who help us connect with nature, and with each other. In this episode we talk to Eric Stone, who is a true nature connector. Eric is the founder of The Rewilding School, an outdoor education organization he runs with his partner Megan, which is dedicated to building connections between people and the traditional lands of the Wappinger and Lenape that we now call The Lower Hudson Valley. The Rewilding School runs preschool programs, hands-on summer programs, parent child classes, and workshops for school-age kids. For more info go to rewildingschool.com and @rewildingschool
To listen to current and past shows go to hudsonriverradio.com and malcolmpresents.com. Follow TMSOG on Facebook and Instagram @tmshadesofgreen. Subscribe to our podcast on all major podcast apps. #RaiseYourEcoConsciousness
Susiku, And More: A Collection of Poems by Susan L. Pollet
Poetry is a verbal art form. I was awed by the young poet Amanda Gorman who wowed everyone at President Biden’s inauguration. I always try to start my podcasts with a poem, as I feel it is important to push poetry out further into other mediums. When I was in grade school we had to memorize a poem and recite it in class. I remember learning The Children’s Hour, by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, and was so nervous about going in front of the class because I thought I would flub the lines. In an online article in herculture.org Poetry and Social Change Richa Gupta said that “poetry doesn’t solely have a literary dimension; it has a religious one, a social one, a cultural one. An often neglected aspect of poetry is the power it can have in initiating social change, or in raising awareness about different issues people would otherwise remain oblivious to.” Poetry surrounds us daily, especially in the form of lyrics by songwriters (Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell from boomer land, and Billie Eilish, Taylor Swift, and Michael Kiwanuka from Z and Millennial generations. The Internet has been a spring board for poetry making it more accessible online with a click of a button. Our guest on this episode is Susan L. Pollet, a poet, artist, author and attorney who has written thought provoking poems which are now available in her most recent book Susiku, and More: a collection of poems. The poems focus on life moments, struggles, conflicts, as well beauty and the environment. The book is divided into two parts. Part One is called Seeking Connection, However Tenuous, and Part Two, Redemption and Renewal, On Occasion. It is available on Amazon, Barnes and Nobel and other book retail outlets. Go to SusanPollet.com for more info.
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Biodiversity, Birds, Tree Layers, Big Night for Amphibians, Wile E Coyote/The Roadrunner… BEEP! BEEP!
Listen to the birds, listen to their sounds. Watch birds in flight and take heed of their gliding in the breeze or building a nest in a tree. We can spot the majestic eagle or a Northern Cardinal and delight in their beauty. The Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC), which recently took place, brought birders together from around the world to count birds. GBBC was the first online citizen-science project to collect data on wild birds and to display results in near real time. In 2013, it became a global project when the data was entered into eBird.org, the world’s largest biodiversity-related citizen science (community science) project. Biodiversity is a key element in creating a healthy environment for all earthlings. We can observe and even talk to the animals, but who talks for them? We all laugh at the old Looney Tunes cartoon about a bird and a coyote, in particular, Wile E. Coyote and the Roadrunner. Why does Wile E chase such a very fast bird, and is that even a thing? As it turns it is a thing, because the creator of the cartoon, Chuck Jones, based it on a book by Mark Twain called Roughing It, in which Twain noted that coyotes are starving and hungry and would chase a roadrunner for food. Wile E has to survive in the wilderness and a Roadrunner dinner will fill his hungry heart. So how do birds, coyotes, frogs and insects coexist with other species and interact with different ecosystems? What roles do trees play in habitats, and what can humans do to help wildlife have an easier time in their quest to live and survive? Our resident wildlife and habitat guru Victoria Alzapiedi, who is the co-founder of New Castle Healthy Yards, guides us and gives us some great info about biodiverse habitats, the importance of birds, tree layers, Big Night for amphibians and why coyotes are not the bad guys they are always depicted to be. For more information go to New Castle Healthy Yards on Facebook and ebirds.org For past shows, go to HudsonRiverRadio.com and Malcolmpresents.com. Follow TMSOG on Instagram @tmshadesofgreen and on Facebook. Please subscribe to The Many Shades of Green podcast on Spotify, Apple, Amazon, iHeart, Spreaker.com and more. #RaiseYourEcoConsciousness
Courtney on Health: Heart Health
February is Heart Health month and I am a poster child for heart disease. I had a “mild” heart attack in 2017 and had an emergency procedure to put in a stent. A stent is a tiny, metal mesh tube that is placed with a catheter and permanently embedded within the artery wall to prop open and prevent it from collapsing. I was lucky, as I got to the hospital in time and had a terrific surgeon who literally saved my life, so thank you Dr. Pelikan! Some of my heart issues stem from genetics, as my Dad and my paternal grandmother both had heart problems. My dad had open heart surgery when it was still a new procedure, and when I saw him right after surgery, the first thing he said to me was “breathing is good!” Yes, breathing is good and women need to be especially prudent as heart disease is the leading cause of death for women in the United States, killing 314,186 women in 2020—or about 1 in every 5 female deaths. But it is very important for both women and men to invest in heart-healthy habits and activities. According to CDC.gov there are some factors that impact heart health that are beyond a person’s control, such as age and ethnicity, and in my case, genetics, but there are several lifestyle choices that are controllable. According to health experts, maintaining heart health by addressing lifestyle factors can greatly reduce the risk of heart disease. Things you can do to improve heart health are diet, exercise, sleep, watching your blood pressure and reducing stress and more. Courtney gives us some important info on how to maintain a healthy heart. GO TO: www.heart.org for more info.
To get more info, follow Courtney on her Facebook page Courtney on Health, on Instagram and TikTok @clgwellnes and visit her website: courtneygravenese.com. Check out her podcast, and for past shows go to malcolmpresents.com and themanyshadesofgreen.com
Coalition to Prevent Westchester Airport Expansion with Peter Schlactus
If you are living near a large or small airport, please know that you are being exposed to ultrafine particles of air pollution. Emissions from aviation are a significant contributor to climate change. If unmitigated, aviation emissions are expected to double or triple by 2050. Adverse environmental impacts affect communities that are near airports, especially those near watersheds areas which affect stormwater runoff and drinking water. Westchester Airport is a local airport in a suburb of NYC and there are major concerns about water and air pollution, as well as noise and increased usage by private jets. The skies are not very friendly in the surrounding communities, and my guest this week, Peter Schlactus, is tirelessly working to reduce the expansion of Westchester Airport, to help reduce environmental impacts to area residents, as the airport borders the Kensico watershed. Peter is a member of the Steering Committee of the Coalition to Prevent Westchester Airport Expansion, a non-profit watchdog group of community and environmental organizations, as well as many hundreds of unaffiliated residents that together represent thousands of constituents united in seeking a vibrant but limited and environmentally responsible County airport, with no expansion of airport operations. For more information go to CTPWAE.org or https://www.coalition-to-prevent-westchester-airport-expansion.org/
To file a noise complaint go to https://www.coalition-to-prevent-westchester-airport-expansion.org/noise-complaints
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Civic Engagement with George Polisner Founder of Civ.Works
“Every so often, in the midst of chaos, you come across an amazing, inexplicable instance of civic responsibility. Maybe the last shred of faith people have is in their firemen.” ― Kurt Vonnegut, Hocus Pocus
According to the American Psychological Association, one useful definition of civic engagement is the following: individual and collective actions designed to identify and address issues of public concern. Civic engagement can take many forms, from individual voluntarism to organizational involvement to electoral participation. It can include efforts to directly address an issue, work with others in a community to solve a problem or interact with the institutions of representative democracy. An engaged citizen should have the ability, agency and opportunity to move comfortably among these various types of civic acts. In this episode of TMSOG we talk to George Polisner, who is the Founder of Civ.Works, which is a non-profit technology platform for civic engagement, constituent engagement, participatory democracy and participatory budgeting. George is working to educate the citizenry about civic responsibility, to increase participation to promote the civic good, and to engage the populous to be more active and take action to protect our democratic values. We touch on the State of the Union, Climate Change, why certain conservative think tanks deny that climate change exists, and more. Check out Civ.Works for more info. For past shows go to HudsonRiverRadio.com and Malcolmpresents.com. Please subscribe to our podcast which is on all major podcast apps (Spotify, Apple, iHeart, Amazon, Spreaker.com and more). Follow us on Instagram @tmshadesofgreen #RaiseYourEcoConsciousness
Guest Greg Vizzi, naturalist and co-author of THE ORIGINAL PEOPLE: THE ANCIENT CULTURE AND WISDOM OF THE LENNI-LENAPE PEOPLE talks about the Indigenous world view and the philosophy of co-author Chief Quiet Thunder
How is the world view of Chief Quiet Thunder relevant to todays modern world? Guest Greg Vizzi talks about how the Indigenous world view has been lost to modern man, and why it is important to collect the oral histories and tell the stories of Native Americans. The traditions of the Lenni-Lenape, teaches “the sacred obligation to protect the Earth.” We should all be protectors of the earth and do our part to prevent further damage to the planet caused by fossil fuel pollution, which is having a damaging effect on the land, the air and the water. Greg is an American naturalist and writer, and he gives us some answers and background on the need to understand and appreciate the culture of the Original People. For more information go to https://www.natures-wisdom.com/ Please subscribe to TMSOG podcast on all major podcast apps (Spotify, Apple, iHeart, Amazon, Spreaker.com and more). Follow us on Instagram @tmshadesofgreen and on the web at themanyshadesofgreen.com, HudsonRiverRadio.com and malcolmpresents.com #RaiseYourEcoConsciousness #BEEGREEN
Courtney on Health: NEAT
If you’re like me, I tend to fidget during the day, and I write, cook, play with the pup, play the guitar and if I hear a song with a cool latin beat, I get up and dance for a minute or 2 or 3. Do any of these activities count as calorie burning actions? I always wondered why my Apple iWatch has a higher percentage of calories burned, over and above the 2-3 miles I walk daily. This turns out to be NEAT, which is kinda groovy! NEAT is Non Exercise Activity Thermogenesis, and Courtney explains how NEAT benefits those of us who like to tool around in the garden, play catch with the doggie, play piano, do housework, water the plants and bang on the drums! It is good to be NEAT!! To get more info, follow Courtney on her Facebook page Courtney on Health, on Instagram and TikTok @clgwellness and visit her website: courtneygravenese.com. For more shows go to malcolmpresents.com and themanyshadesofgreen.com. Courtney on Health: Smart, Sound Nutrition. Strong, Safe Fitness. #BeWell!
Extreme Weather, Climate Change, Adaptation and Resilience
There is so much beauty on this earth, which is why it is so crucial at this time to be proactive in protecting Mother Earth. We see changes in the flora and fauna, as the planet is warming, and the weather is becoming more extreme. Climate scientist Illissa Ocko stated that “Scientists have no doubt that humans are causing global warming.” It is very evident that hotter heat waves, drier droughts, bigger storm surges and greater snowfall are occurring as the planet continues to warm. Extreme weather is on the rise. A dramatic decrease in greenhouse gas emissions and increases in carbon dioxide capture is needed to keep below a 2oC rise. We need more biodiversity, and often times solutions are right in our own backyard. Shrink your lawn and add native plants and perhaps a meadow. We need to be more resilient, more adaptable and work to reduce our carbon footprint. We discuss these issues with our resident nature expert and friend of the podcast Victoria Alzapiedi, who is the co-founder of New Castle Healthy Yards, and is a Member of the Town of New Castle Conservation Board, as well as the Climate Smart Communities Task Force. She is also a member of Friends of Buttonhook Forest, which is working to save a 20.3 acre forest with Native American complex ceremonial stones, hundreds of mature trees, and is a carbon sink and a wildlife habitat in the town of New Castle NY. Follow New Castle Healthy Yards on Facebook. Help Save a Forest: savebuttonhook.org. Subscribe to TMSOG podcast on your favorite podcast app and on Instagram @tmshadesofgreen. Check out past shows on HudsonRiverRadio.com and Malcolmpresents.com #RaiseYourEcoConsciousness