Brace For Impact

We’ve been learning about recycling since elementary school: what to recycle, how to recycle, and why we recycle. And yet, there’s so much we dont know. Are you aware of what the recycling symbol and respective number means on the bottom of a can?  Do you know what types of plastics are unable to be recycled? How about why your water bottles won’t be recycled if the cap is still on? We weren’t aware of any of this either. This week, Ben Gardy joins us to answer all of these questions and more. Tune in to learn about the ins and outs of the recycling industry and Bens unique perspective having worked as a Co-op in sustainable packaging. 

To conceive that you, one out of over seven billion people, can have an impact on bettering the world is difficult. However, you can. In this week’s episode we break down the injustices in our globally shared food systems that perpetuate deforestation, the exploitation of low-paid workers, contribution to greenhouse gas emissions and overuse of our natural resources. In this episode our guest Mirsa Freed, member of Net Impact, shares with us the ways she has altered her own diet and lifestyle to stray away from aiding such destructive systems and shares how others can too. Join us this week to find out how you can have an impact.

Exactly one year ago today, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic, resulting in many universities, including Northeastern, cancelling in-person classes. Since then, countless lives have been lost and millions have suffered the consequences of living in a world marred by a highly infectious disease and the uncertainty that comes with it. On this week of Brace For Impact, co-hosts Catherine and Laith break down the economic and environmental impacts, the flaws in the US healthcare system, the way the pandemic shed a light on systemic racism, the Black Lives Matter movement, and how society has fundamentally changed as a result. Join us this week to listen to our reflection of the past twelve months and our questions about what the future will hold.

How has climate change increased our vulnerability to power outages like the one we saw last week in Texas? By what means has the privatization of energy resulted in disproportionate access to affordable and quality energy sources? What are modern energy grids, and how does energy storage play a role in the future of sustainable energy? These are just a few of the questions that co-hosts Catherine and Laith break down with the previous President of Net Impact, Melissa Rath. On this episode Mel shares her insight of the energy systems that currently run our country and the sustainable alternatives that should be. Join us this week to find out more!

For decades, United States residents have known nothing else but living under capitalism. Oftentimes, we hear capitalism is best at bolstering innovation or creating opportunity -- a system that everybody will optimally benefit from. The other argument we frequently hear about capitalism, especially in recent years, is how truly inefficient it is. This week, we are joined by Josh Sisman, to enter a conversation on capitalism in its current state and what capitalism looks like remiagned… or completely done away.

The fashion industry is stuck in a toxic cycle of overproduction and overconsumption, posing a monumental problem to environmental sustainability and human health. On this week’s episode of Brace For Impact, Catherine and Laith welcome Net Impact member, Randall Gee. Together they break down how the industry has transformed, the role consumers and corporations play in it, and the harmful consequences it has. Randall shares his thoughts on the importance of conscious consumption and how thrifting and shopping more mindfully are actions we can all start taking to be part of the solution.

Climate change and its disastrous consequences disproportionately impact marginalized communities. On this Episode of Brace For Impact, Catherine Blocker and Laith Matari invite the president of Net Impact, Julia Carlin, to discuss Environmental Justice. They highlight the importance of this movement and discuss how minority communities around the world are most affected by pollutants, global warming, and discriminatory climate policies. Together they shed a light on the depth of this problem and how truly heartbreaking it is.

In the two weeks since his inauguration, President Joe Biden has wasted no time in unraveling Trump era policies and ushering in his own. In this week on Brace For Impact, Catherine Blocker and Laith Matari welcome Vice President of NU Dems and Net Impact member Ryan Wallace. Together, they dive into Biden’s climate policy: what has already been done, the effectiveness of these policies, the anticipated effects of his agenda, and what we should expect to see next. There’s even a little glimmer of hope - how such a partisan issue will soon produce bipartisan support.

The world is an overwhelming place to live right now, we understand. In this trailer episode of Brace for Impact we look forward to introducing ourselves and Brace for Impact to you. Join us each week to hear what we will be talking about, why we feel there is a need to talk about it and when we will be releasing episodes. We are truly ecstatic to bring this podcast to you and hope Brace For Impact will fill your dorm rooms, homes or apartments every week.