The enviro-news you need to know for Friday, March 8 2024: [00:30] SEC scales back its new pollution-disclosure rules [4:15] Apparently we're smuggling greenhouse gases now [9:00 It's no longer a debate! Our warm winter has human fingerprints all over it [12:00] Gray whales in the Atlantic? How is this possible? Resources mentioned: Weirdly Warm Winter Has Climate Fingerprints All Over It, Study Says (via NY Times) Seasonal Attribution Report (via Climate Central) Join our (free!)...

Yoga pants, baby! Athleisure is a fashion trend that features comfortable, flattering, and aesthetically pleasing athletic clothing designed to be worn all day. And while many of us turned to athleisure during the pandemic and never went back, athleisure has a dirty little secret: petroleum-based fibers. On today's show former Athleta senior fashion designer Nancy Taylor outlines what needs to happen systemically to make the the fashion industry circular; she also introduces bio-based...

Soil grows 95 percent of our food and sustains human life. But monocrops, pesticide reliance, and other modern farming methods have degraded soil health in lasting ways. Some scientists believe we have less than 60 harvests left.  The way we are feeding ourselves is undermining the very ecology we’re dependent upon. The hope? Regenerative farming. On today's show Kiss The Ground's Chief Executive Officer Evan Harrison urges each of us to participate in the regenerative movement. Here's a...

The enviro-news you need to know for Friday, March 1 2024: [2:30] Air pollution and Alzheimer’s  [5:00] Won't you be my neighbor? Supreme Court seems poised to halt EPA's 'good neighbor' rule  [9:00] 150 Canadian 'zombie fires'  just won't die [12:00] A breakdown on how air quality is measured, plus: How to find the best air quality apps  Join our (free!) community here. Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube. Say...

“From the cradle to the grave ... the [wo]man of modern times struggles through a maze of endless complication.” Although Charles Wagner penned these words over 125 years ago, they are more true today than ever before. On today's show author Suzanne Johnson modernizes Wagner's tenets of simple living for twenty-first century existence. Here's a preview of the Wagner-isms we are revisiting today:  [7:30] We suffer the consequences of a too artificial life [11:30] The more goods a woman...

Billions of people worldwide rely on seafood for nutrition and economic livelihood, but 90 percent of fish populations are currently overfished. Your seafood choices matter, and buying responsibly is one of the most important ways you can contribute to healthier oceans. On today's show: breaking down exactly how to be an informed seafood consumer. Here's a preview: [3:00] Everything you need to know about that wild-caught fish [14:00]  Dirty little secrets from fish farms [21:00] ... But...

Reminder to my fellow moms: You don't have to do it all. Studies have shown for decades that women in heterosexual partnerships are responsible for the "invisible labor" at home. Not surprisingly, carrying the lion's share of the burden has oversized impacts on women's mental health. The solution sounds simple: Divvying up domestic responsibilities decreases resentment and increases family cohesion. But how do we best encourage our partners and children to participate in the work of the...

The enviro-news you need to know for Friday, February 16 2024: [1:00] Are you a victim of seafood fraud? Probability says yes [6:30] What warm oceans mean for hurricane season here in the US  [11:00] Why are Louisiana's coastal wetlands predicted to collapse, and what does this mean for storm protection? Join our (free!) community here. Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube. Say hello! [email protected]. Our Sponsors: * Thank you to...

Weekends *should be* for resting, exploring, and participating in beloved hobbies. Yet for so many of us, our weekends are bogged down with housework. Errands too. On today's show Tyler Moore explains his system for centering his weekends — and his life — around what's most important. Here's a preview: [6:00] Be efficient about it: The order in which you perform household tasks matters! [9:00] Mondays are for bathrooms! 3 benefits to maintaining a weekday cleaning routine [18:00] Is it...

It can often feel in our culture as though women aren’t allowed to age. If we do? The patriarchy will (gasp!) deem us irrelevant.  Enter countless off-the-shelf products, monthly treatments, and medical procedures that claim to turn back the clock, albeit temporarily. And while hair dyeing, teeth whitening, and more are wildly popular amongst women (and men!) forty-plus, such habits often come with excessive exposure to cancer-causing agents and hormone disruptors. On today's show Sophia...

The enviro-news you need to know for Friday, February 9 2024: [1:00] Your plant-based meat could soon have animal fat [5:00] A hamburger that saves the planet? Hmm ... [10:00] Introducing Michael Mann, the hockey stick chart, and 2 climate change deniers [15:30] Let's talk about Taylor's private jet ... Join our (free!) community here. Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube. Say hello! [email protected]. Our Sponsors: * Thank you to...

By the time you open, say, a container of yogurt, the food has taken a looong journey to reach your spoon. And at each step, there's the chance that a little something extra has snuck in. Consumer Reports tested supermarket staples and found high levels of bisphenols and phthalates — also known as plasticizers — within. The bad news? Scientists believe there's no safe level of plasticizers on human health. On todays show Dr. James Rogers breaks down everything you need to know about the...

If you're like most humans, 70-percent of your thoughts each day skew negative. The good news? You aren't your thoughts; you're the observer. On today's show therapist Risa Williams shows us how to break free of the negativity bias that afflicts our species once and for all. Here's a preview: [1:00] No-Spend Reset wrap-up! Here are the biggest takeaways from you, our listeners [8:30] The real-life and real-time benefits of being the observer [11:30] How to catch your bias towards...

Enough with excessive educational toys, extracurriculars, and enrichment activities. It’s time to take a step back, put our wallets away, and realize what our children *actually* need. On today's show: re-centering our parenting efforts around 3 of the most important childhood needs. Here's a preview: [10:00] Kids need your undivided attention! Make sure you're giving twice as much positive attention as negative attention [13:00] What recent research says about the benefits of delighting...

Reducing food waste doesn't always jive with societal norms. That's because keeping perfectly edible food out of landfills might mean being the weirdo who boxes their wedding entree. Or asking (gasp!) to take home extra pizza from a child's birthday party. On today's show: A conversation with journalist Rachael Jackson about how to value food more than we value fitting in. Here's a preview: [7:45] Is composting the solution to food waste? (Answer: No.) [10:00] 5 ways to shamelessly...

First facts, then the inevitable spin! The enviro-news we are spinning for Friday, January 26 2024: [1:00] 3 cheers for a White House pause in the natural gas export terminal CP2 [5:00] No one likes air pollution. Enter new rules for fine particulates [10:00] Understanding the global average temperature, with predictions for 2024 [12:30] Where to put Lahaina's toxic debris? Next to an important coral reef, of course Join our (free!) community here. Find your tribe. Sustainable...

When faced with information that challenges our long-held beliefs, we humans do one of two things. Either we think hard about our values and adapt our lifestyles to reflect this new data, or we cling to willful blindness so that we may continue to think and act in the ways we've always thought and acted. In honor of Veganuary I bring you a conversation with Colleen Patrick-Goudreau about changing our beliefs — and perhaps our diets — in the face of new information. Here's a...

Wisdom is the cumulation of valuable lessons we pick up along our journeys through this messy thing called life, and pearls of wisdom are guideposts to help us navigate the complexities of living in an uncertain world in an uncertain time. On today's show: A conversation with author Dr. Elizabeth Kagan Arleo about trusting the wisdom of the experts — both modern and ancient — so as to better overcome life's challenges and improve overall well-being.  Here's a preview of the wisdom we...

The enviro-news you need to know for Friday, January 19 2024: [00:30] Updates from the Greenland ice sheet [5:00] Staggering losses to North American bird populations, plus: outlining their (human-made) threats [10:00] Gross! Our favorite foods have an awful lot of microplastics within [14:00] "Plastic-free" laundry sheets aren't actually plastic-free Join our (free!) community here. Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube. Say...

Over 200 million Americans subscribe to Prime, and estimates suggest that Amazon delivers 3.4 million packages per day in the US alone. Quitters, unite! I'm quitting Amazon Prime, and perhaps it's time for you to consider quitting too. Here's a preview:  [7:30] How on earth is Amazon able to selling items at such low prices? It ain't pretty ... [12:00] Amazon is only the cheapest option if you're willing to buy almost everything on Amazon, and I'm going to prove it  [20:00] What does...

Did you know? Ikea beds, Wayfair desks, and other fast furniture items are designed to last about five years. Fast furniture is mass-produced and relatively inexpensive; it's easy, then, to obtain and abandon. And fast decor? Low price points essentially render disposable those trendy but cheap pillows, artwork, and trinkets. There's a better way, and it always starts with slowing down. Slow Style is Zandra Zuraw's framework for creating homes that nurture without breaking the bank, and...

The enviro-news you need to know for Friday, January 12 2024: [00:45] Want to eat and drink less plastic? Don't drink bottled water ...  [5:00] Vroom vroom! Clean yellow school buses are a-comin' nationwide [10:00] Say it ain't so: Right now the US is producing more oil than any other country ... ever [14:00] Help halt the fossil fuel industry's Liquified Natural Gas export expansion! Here's how Resources mentioned: Petition to Stop New LNG Exports (via actionnetwork.org) #StopLNG...

You've likely been there. That moment when you look at your credit card statement and your heart sinks. Sometimes logic gives way to desire, and nothing's worse than realizing you overshopped on impulses. A lot. It’s time to take a look at what happens in the moments *before* we impulse buy. On today's show: honing in our 5 shopping triggers so we can insert that crucial pause before buying. Here's a preview: [3:45] Advertisers shape our desires, and the credit industry makes these desires...

In some ways, our preponderance toward tech disposability is systemic. We consumers in the US are denied the right to repair: fixing a broken smartphone, then, is costly. It's simply more convenient to replace our broken item for the newest model. When your device is broken you should have more options than a high-priced service or the landfill, and New York agrees. The Digital Fair Repair Act should make it easier to repair our smartphones and laptops at shops of *our* choosing. It's good...

The enviro-news you need to know for Friday, January 5 2024: [00:45] Is drinking toilet water in our future? (Answer: Yes.) [3:45] Some flowers are evolving to pollinate themselves, and this is not good news [7:15] Got climate trauma? Good luck finding professional support [15:00] A lack of EPA oversight in Cancer Alley Resources mentioned: Episode #127: Standing Up To Environmental Racism Join our (free!) community here. Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook,...