Audiotocracy

Please note that this interview was recorded some time ago, so some of the information you’ll hear is out of date. That’s my fault, not theirs; it was accurate at the time of the recording. To update you as of August 2024, Recompose has composted 450 people, and 12 states, including California, have legalized the process.

Over a year ago, I had the idea to do a short series on how to have a legacy of sustainability. Dying is a messy business: we leave behind so much stuff, including a body. So the question I wanted to ask and hopefully answer was: Is there a way to leave life a bit more gently?

Turns out, there absolutely are ways. Sadly, we couldn’t find a sponsor for the series - which I wanted to title “Going Green” but was overruled by my team - and ultimately it didn’t get made. However, we did have a couple of amazing interviews along the way, one of which is this one.

Katrina Spade is one of those people whose LinkedIn profile makes you wonder what you’ve been doing with your time. She is the founder and CEO of Recompose, the first human-composting funeral home in the United States. To make Recompose possible, she also spearheaded the human composting movement, convincing legislators of the wisdom of a more natural, sustainable exit from Earth.

In getting human composting accepted in Washington state, Katrina worked with Washington State Senator Jaime Pedersen, and Washington became the first state to allow its citizens this option. 

Sadly, I had to work with Recompose personally when my father passed away in October of 2023, and I can tell you, the process is as gentle and respectful as anyone could wish, and I couldn’t be more grateful to Katrina and her team.

The interview you’re about to hear features Ross Reynolds as the interviewer, and he questions Katrina and Jaime on the process of getting human composting legalized, why it’s far and away the most sustainable choice, and how it works. 

Find out more about Katrina Spade and Recompose on the Recompose website: https://recompose.life/

Learn more about Senator Jamie Pedersen at the Senate Democrats website: https://senatedemocrats.wa.gov/pedersen/. 

Connect with the interview-master, golden-voiced Ross Reynolds on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rossrey/. 

This is, as they say, a Very Personal Episode™. In April of 2022, I lost my life partner of 17 years. It was every kind of horrible, as such things are, and I was lucky to have a solid bulwark of family and friends.

Additionally, I'll always be grateful to Earth™ for their amazing service during this time. Richard hadn't committed his preferences to paper, but I knew what they were. He wanted to leave the earth gently, no coffin, no chemicals, so I contacted Earth, and they took it — and him — from there.

Science, technology, innovation, and compassion don't always line up as neatly as we'd like. This is one of those magical moments when they do. Please take a moment to hear from Earth co-founder & COO Carolyn Maezes. Check out their website, which even includes a glossary of terms to help us avoid confusion and misunderstanding.

Then, if you're like Richard and me and want your final goodbye to be a gentle one, consider signing up if you can or advocating for soil transformation in your state.

Earth phone number: 877-327-4109

Opening music by Danail Draganov from Storyblocks.

It's Earth Month, and Earth Day is just two days away, on April 22. Climate change is already affecting us all, but some are definitely more affected than others.

Access to healthy food and clean air and water isn't universal around the globe. While some live in food privilege, others definitely don't, and the global climate crisis is increasing that gap exponentially.

It's always an honor and a pleasure to talk with experts who know so much but are eager to learn more and share what they know with the rest of us.

Mary Purdy and Sofia Cavalleri are two such experts, and even though the topic is a rough one, they share expertise, enthusiasm, and most vitally, hope.

Please listen in on our conversation about food, equity, nutrition, sustainability, justice, conservation, and hope.

You can find more from Mary Purdy on her website, and please do, as she has a ton of wonderful resources. https://marypurdy.co/

You can find Sofia on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sofia-cavalleri-740812145/ and you can learn more about SEI Asia on their website: https://www.sei.org/centres/asia/ 

As ever, if you think a podcast or other audio could support your business or organization, sign up for a free consult with us. We promise to share value; not (just) a sales pitch. https://audiotocracy.com/contact/ 

The cold, dark waters of the deep ocean are teeming with creatures that live without light or oxygen. How do they do it? 

On this episode, we sit down with deep-sea biologist Annie Lindgren, PhD, who is the Director of the Center for Life in Extreme Environments at Portland State University. She studies cephalopods off the coast of Oregon, who live half a mile below the ocean’s surface. Who are these fascinating animals? And what can they teach us humans about adaptation as our climate changes? 

Learn more about Dr. Lindgren and life in extreme environments at https://www.pdx.edu/extreme-environments/. 

January is National Blood Donor Month, a great time to start,  extend, or renew that blood/plasma/platelets-donation schedule!

Blood, says Bloodworks NW President  & CEO Curtis Bailey, is a part of our bodies we'll likely never be able to duplicate or recreate in a lab. And, he says, the act of donating blood, of literally giving away part of your body so someone else can live, is one of the most amazing, generous things humans do. 

Learn more about the process (what happens to your blood when it leaves your body?), what it's like on the BloodBus, and what it means to be an O or an A or B or some combination thereof, then go to the website and set up your appointment.

How awesome is it to start off 2022 by maybe saving a life?

As I'm typing this, my dog is awaiting her afternoon walk.

As anyone who's had the pleasure of sharing space with an animal knows, the bond between people and critters can be very special, very powerful, and very healing.

In this episode, Audiotocracy CEO Shannon Perry talks with Elisabeth Van Every of Pet Partners on how animals can help us lead happier, healthier lives, even if we can't have a critter in our home.

Have a listen, then visit PetPartners.org to learn more about the amazing work these therapy pairs do. 

Resources mentioned:

https://therapyanimalstandards.org/ Dr. Aubrey Fine:  http://www.aubreyhfine.com/ Andrea Beetz

From Rachel Miller-Howard, Creative Director at Audiotocracy Podcast Production, this is the Picnic Podcast, where we introduce delicious products that are made for each other.

In this episode, one of the best late-autumn pairings out there: whiskey and pecan pie. The smooth booze is brought to you by Jill Kuehler of Freeland Spirits. And the pie is made from scratch by Jessica Woods of Pie Spot.

Both of these all-star establishments are in the foodie’s paradise of Portland, Oregon.

Our theme music is composed and performed by Darren Hart Robinson. Many thanks for the intro to Wendy Sloneker, Caroline Giffon, and Tara Tran-Viray!

The Audiotocracy Podcast Picnic introduces delicious local food products – and their makers! – that pair together like poetry.

On this episode: wine and cheese. We hear from cheese maker Lori Babcock of Tieton Farm and Creamery, and winemaker Kevin Mueller of Virtue Cellars.

Tune in, and then treat yourself to these delights. Enjoy them on a picnic blanket in a park, or on a cozy couch in front of a crackling fire. Your tastebuds will thank you.

Your host is Rachel Miller-Howard, Audiotocracy Creative Director. For more information about our guests, find them at:

https://www.tietonfarmandcreamery.com/

https://www.virtuecellars.com/

What is an "eco-dietitian"? you ask. You'll love this — it's the intersection of nutrition, sustainability, food justice, and human and animal welfare.

And probably more things, but you'll have to hear the podcast to get the deets.

Mary Purdy MS, RDN, and integrative eco-dietitian does it all: she speaks, writes, teaches, podcasts, and counsels clients on how we can all eat more healthfully and more thoughtfully. And here's the good news — it's not that hard, and it's delicious. 

Mary recommends:

Book: Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer Podcast: Hidden Brain with Shankar Vedantam Vegetable: collard greens (esp used as a wrap) Practice: rest. Not necessarily sleep, but just resting.

Learn more about the Healthy Future Students and Earth Pilot Program Act

Our awesome theme music is by Darren Hart! Learn more at MagikMountainband.com. 

As I record this, it’s Memorial Day here in the US, a day dedicated to remembering those who lost their lives in military service.  I think one way to honor fallen soldiers is by helping veterans who are dealing with post traumatic stress and military sexual trauma as a result of their time in service. 

Aaron Phillips served six and a half years in the United States Marine Corps during the first Gulf War, deploying to the Persian Gulf.    Aaron came to The Warrior Connection, the organization where he is now Executive Director, as a participant suffering from PTSD. The story of how he got to TWC is incredible and included here.    He stayed at TWC because he believes everyone deserves to be whole and healthy, so he’s putting his degree in Behavioral Science and his many other skills to use helping veterans heal.   Please listen, then consider making a donation to The Warrior Connection.    And for those who suffer PTSD or sexual trauma, please be aware there is some frank discussion here that may be triggering. If you feel you’re in any danger, the suicide hotline in the United States is 800-273-8255. Please seek help. You matter.   Aaron recommends these books: Work Rules by Laszlo Bock Tribe by Sebastian Junger The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk Warrior by Doc Shawna Springer   Also, check out films The Legend of Bagger Vance and Good Will Hunting.   Audiotocracy's theme music is by Darren Hart Robinson.