CarbonSessions

Episode Summary: In this holiday special episode of CarbonSessions, hosts Leekei, Kristina, and Jenn delve into the intricate relationship between holiday celebrations and environmental impact. 

Holiday celebrations and their global spread especially in today’s consumer-driven societies contribute to the planet’s strain. They went on to discuss the enormous surge in holiday-related consumption.

According to the National Retail Federation, in the US, holiday sales grew from USD 400 billion in 2003 to over 900 billion in 2023 . The hosts discuss the environmental implications of holiday decorations, the energy consumption of festive lights, and the surge in gift-giving, leading to increased waste.

Kristina, Jenn and Leekei explore alternative ways to celebrate, focusing on minimizing waste and maximizing experiences. 

They share personal stories and fun ideas, like using election pamphlets for gift wrapping and creating memorable experiences rather than giving material gifts. The episode also touches on the importance of local and traditional foods during holidays, as opposed to imported, expensive items.

The hosts concluded on the essence of holidays as a time for community and connection, and the importance of aligning our celebrations with our environmental values.

https://nrf.com/media-center/press-releases/2023-holiday-reach-record-spending-levels

https://www.greenchoices.org/

For more information on the project and to order your copy of the Carbon Almanac (one of Amazon best-selling books of the year!), visit thecarbonalmanac.org

Want to join in the conversation?

Visit thecarbonalmanac.org/podcasts and send us a voice message on this episode or any other climate-related ideas and perspectives.

Don’t Take Our Word For It, Look It Up!

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Featuring Carbon Almanac Contributors Leekei Tang, Jenn Swanson and Kristina Horning.

Leekei is a fashion business founder, a business coach, an international development expert and podcaster from Paris, France. 

From Langley in British Columbia, Canada, Jenn is a Minister, Coach, Writer and community Connector, helping people help themselves. 

Kristina has a background in architecture and engineering. Currently in Prague (that it is where she is originally from) and her base is US

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The CarbonSessions Podcast is produced and edited by Leekei Tang, Steve Heatherington and Rob Slater.

Episode Summary: This episode revisits a previous conversation focusing on microplastics in the oceans, particularly those originating from running shoes and tyre erosion. 

Olabanji and Leekei discuss the significant issue of plastics from these sources leaching into the biosphere. Key findings include:

• between 15-31% of microplastics are in the oceans
• main sources of microplastics are from: laundering of synthetic clothes (35% of primary microplastics); abrasion of tyres through driving (28%); intentionally added microplastics in personal care products, for example microbeads in facial scrubs (2%)

source: European Parliement

To listen to the full episode go here.

For more information on the project and to order your copy of the Carbon Almanac, visit thecarbonalmanac.org

Want to join in the conversation?

Visit thecarbonalmanac.org/podcasts and send us a voice message on this episode or any other climate-related ideas and perspectives.

Don’t Take Our Word For It, Look It Up!

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Featuring Carbon Almanac Contributors Leekei Tang and Olabanji Stephen

Leekei is a fashion business founder, a business coach, an international development expert and podcaster from Paris, France.

Olabanji is from Lagos Nigeria, he’s a Creative Director and visual designer that helps brands gain clarity, deliver meaningful experiences and build tribes through Design & Strategy. He founded Jorney - a community designed to help people stay productive, accountable, and do their best work

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The CarbonSessions Podcast is produced and edited by Leekei Tang, Steve Heatherington and Rob Slater.

Episode Summary: In this CarbonSessions episode, hosts Leekei, Jenn, Kristina, and Olabanji dive into the intricacies of 'net zero,' a term increasingly used by governments and companies. 

But what does it genuinely mean? Does it equate to offsetting? And importantly, how does it contribute to addressing the climate crisis?

Inspired by a video from science communicator and astrophysicist Sabine Hossenfelder, Leekei shares her insights, shedding light on the complexities of these climate-related concepts. 

The episode reveals that a lack of understanding can leave us susceptible to greenwashing and manipulation in climate discourse, highlighting the importance of clarity and comprehension in these critical conversations.

To watch Sabine Hossenfelder video The Net Zero Myth. Why Reaching our Climate Goals is Virtually Impossible

For more information on the project and to order your copy of the Carbon Almanac (one of Amazon best-selling books of the year!), visit thecarbonalmanac.org

Want to join in the conversation?

Visit thecarbonalmanac.org/podcasts and send us a voice message on this episode or any other climate-related ideas and perspectives.

Don’t Take Our Word For It, Look It Up!

You can find out more on page 30 of the Carbon Almanac and on the website you can tap the footnotes link and type in 999.

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Featuring Carbon Almanac Contributors Leekei Tang, Jenn Swanson, Kristina Horning and Olabanji Stephen.

Leekei is a fashion business founder, a business coach, an international development expert and podcaster from Paris, France. 

From Langley in British Columbia, Canada, Jenn is a Minister, Coach, Writer and community Connector, helping people help themselves. 

Kristina has a background in architecture and engineering. Currently in Prague (that it is where she is originally from) and her base is US

Olabanji is from Lagos Nigeria, he’s a Creative Director and visual designer that helps brands gain clarity, deliver meaningful experiences and build tribes through Design & Strategy. He founded Jorney - a community designed to help people stay productive, accountable, and do their best work.

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The CarbonSessions Podcast is produced and edited by Leekei Tang, Steve Heatherington and Rob Slater.

Episode Summary: This episode revisits a segment from a previous conversation on Foods and Climate Change, focusing on the carbon footprint associated with various food types. 

Jenn and Olabanji engage in a quiz crafted by Leekei, uncovering insights that highlight the complexity behind seemingly simple food-related questions. 

The episode also sheds light on the diversity of dietary habits, revealing how certain foods that are staples in some regions may be rare in others.

source for the quiz: https://www.foodunfolded.com/

To listen to the full episode go here.

For more information on the project and to order your copy of the Carbon Almanac, visit thecarbonalmanac.org

Want to join in the conversation?

Visit thecarbonalmanac.org/podcasts and send us a voice message on this episode or any other climate-related ideas and perspectives.

Don’t Take Our Word For It, Look It Up!

You can find out more on pages 66, 76, 119 and 139 of the Carbon Almanac and on the website you can tap the footnotes link and type in 013, 022, 676 and 069

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Featuring Carbon Almanac Contributors Leekei Tang, Jenn Swanson and Olabanji Stephen

Leekei is a fashion business founder, a business coach, an international development expert and podcaster from Paris, France.

From Langley in British Columbia, Canada, Jenn is a Minister, Coach, Writer and Community Connector, helping people help themselves.    

Olabanji is from Lagos Nigeria, he’s a Creative Director and visual designer that helps brands gain clarity, deliver meaningful experiences and build tribes through Design & Strategy. He founded Jorney - a community designed to help people stay productive, accountable, and do their best work

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The CarbonSessions Podcast is produced and edited by Leekei Tang, Steve Heatherington and Rob Slater.

Episode Summary: In this episode of CarbonSessions, hosts Leekei, Jenn, Kristina and Olabanji dive into the complex issue of sustainability efforts and greenwashing communication.

They begin by defining greenwashing as misleading marketing that falsely presents products or services as environmentally friendly. The conversation then delves into why greenwashing is harmful, noting its potential to erode consumer trust, undermine real environmental efforts, and create a false sense of progress in combating climate change.

The hosts discuss various examples of greenwashing, such as deceptive product packaging and the illusion of carbon offsetting in air travel. They also touch on the phenomenon of 'green hushing,' where companies making actual positive environmental changes refrain from publicizing them due to fear of being labeled as greenwashers. 

The episode highlights the importance of consumer education, the need for transparency, and the value of community-driven sustainability.

In conclusion, the episode stresses the urgency for authenticity in sustainability efforts, summarized in the powerful message: "Don't fake it, just make it."

For more information on the project and to order your copy of the Carbon Almanac (one of Amazon best-selling books of the year!), visit thecarbonalmanac.org

Want to join in the conversation?

Visit thecarbonalmanac.org/podcasts and send us a voice message on this episode or any other climate-related ideas and perspectives.

Don’t Take Our Word For It, Look It Up!

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Featuring Carbon Almanac Contributors Leekei Tang, Jenn Swanson, Kristina Horning and Olabanji Stephen.

Leekei is a fashion business founder, a business coach, an international development expert and podcaster from Paris, France. 

From Langley in British Columbia, Canada, Jenn is a Minister, Coach, Writer and community Connector, helping people help themselves. 

Kristina has a background in architecture and engineering. Currently in Prague (that it is where she is originally from) and her base is US

Olabanji is from Lagos Nigeria, he’s a Creative Director and visual designer that helps brands gain clarity, deliver meaningful experiences and build tribes through Design & Strategy. He founded Jorney - a community designed to help people stay productive, accountable, and do their best work.

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The CarbonSessions Podcast is produced and edited by Leekei Tang, Steve Heatherington and Rob Slater.

Episode Summary: In this excerpt from a previous episode on Foods and Food Waste, we delve into the staggering fact that over one billion tons of food is lost or wasted each year

While the food wasted in our homes is just a fraction of this total, it's crucial to recognize the impact of our individual actions.  

In this conversation, Leekei, Katherine and Olabanji talked about the culture around food and leftovers, exchanged recipes and shared ideas on how food waste can be reduced at various levels of the production and consumption value chain

To listen to the full episode go here.

For more information on the project and to order your copy of the Carbon Almanac, visit thecarbonalmanac.org

Want to join in the conversation?

Visit thecarbonalmanac.org/podcasts and send us a voice message on this episode or any other climate-related ideas and perspectives.

Don’t Take Our Word For It, Look It Up!

You can find out more on page 201 of the Carbon Almanac and on the website you can tap the footnotes link and type in 031

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Featuring Carbon Almanac Contributors Leekei Tang, Katherine Palmer and Olabanji Stephen

Leekei is a fashion business founder, a business coach, an international development expert and podcaster from Paris, France.

 From the great outdoors of Vancouver in Canada, Katherine is a Copywriter and Brand Designer for Small Eco-Businesses, an Aromatherapist, and Workshop Coordinator.   

Olabanji is from Lagos Nigeria, he’s a Creative Director and visual designer that helps brands gain clarity, deliver meaningful experiences and build tribes through Design & Strategy. He founded Jorney - a community designed to help people stay productive, accountable, and do their best work

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The CarbonSessions Podcast is produced and edited by Leekei Tang, Steve Heatherington and Rob Slater.

Episode Summary: In this episode of CarbonSessions, hosts Leekei, Jenn, and Kristina dive into the fascinating world of ancient low-tech solutions being reimagined for modern environmental challenges. They explore how businesses are harnessing time-tested technologies to create sustainable solutions for today's world.

Key discussion points include:

• Reviving Ancient Maritime Techniques: The hosts discuss the innovative use of "wind wings" on cargo ships, a modern twist on traditional sails, to reduce reliance on fossil fuels.
• Simple Pleasures of Snail Mail: The conversation shifts to the joys of traditional letter writing, specifically a service that sends story chapters via snail mail, fostering connections and sparking imaginations in a low-tech manner.
• Sustainable Milling Practices: They explore the revival of water-powered mills with stone grinders in the Czech Republic, celebrating the unique taste and nutritional value of traditionally milled flour.
• Solar-Powered Bakeries: Highlighting a bakery in Normandy that bakes bread using solar energy, the hosts discuss how this eco-friendly approach is spreading across France.
• Baby-Led Weaning: The discussion turns to the trend of baby-led weaning, where infants transition directly from breast milk or formula to real food, bypassing the need for processed baby food.

Through these examples, the episode showcases how blending ancient wisdom with modern innovation can lead to environmentally friendly and sustainable business practices.

For more information on the project and to order your copy of the Carbon Almanac, visit thecarbonalmanac.org

Want to join in the conversation?

Visit thecarbonalmanac.org/podcasts and send us a voice message on this episode or any other climate-related ideas and perspectives.

Don’t Take Our Word For It, Look It Up!

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Featuring Carbon Almanac Contributors Leekei Tang, Jenn Swanson and Kristina Horning.

Leekei is a fashion business founder, a business coach, an international development expert and podcaster from Paris, France. 

From Langley in British Columbia, Canada, Jenn is a Minister, Coach, Writer and community Connector, helping people help themselves. 

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The CarbonSessions Podcast is produced and edited by Leekei Tang, Steve Heatherington and Rob Slater.

Episode Summary: This episode is an excerpt from a previous episode about How leaf blowers are a problem for the environment.

A 2011 study showed that a leaf blower emits nearly 300 times the amount of air pollutants as a pickup truck.

Having contributed to many areas of the Carbon Almanac, Jenn and Imma came together to discuss a number of different environmental issues.

In this episode, the problem with one piece of garden machinery is discussed; the leaf blower. The pollution from gasoline and noise, as well as the alternatives are covered. How communities can help each other provide different solutions to clearing up, or even making use of, the leaves which fall from our trees.

To listen to the full episode of ‘Leaf Blowers’ go here.

For more information on the project and to order your copy of the Carbon Almanac, visit thecarbonalmanac.org

Want to join in the conversation?

Visit thecarbonalmanac.org/podcasts and send us a voice message on this episode or any other climate-related ideas and perspectives.

Don’t Take Our Word For It, Look It Up!

You can find out more on page 90 of the Carbon Almanac and on the website you can tap the footnotes link and type in 034

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Featuring Carbon Almanac Contributors Jenn Swanson and Imma Lopez.

From Langley in British Columbia, Canada, Jenn is a Minister, Coach, Writer and Community Connector, helping people help themselves.  

Imma is from Cádiz in the South of Spain, living in Aberdeen, Scotland. Imma is a sommelier, a poet, a podcaster, a mother, a slow food advocate, and an animist activist.

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The CarbonSessions Podcast is produced and edited by Leekei Tang, Steve Heatherington and Rob Slater.

Episode Summary: Tune in with hosts Leekei, Jenn, and Kristina as they share good news related to climate change around the world.

Initiatives covered include:

• plastic collection initiative in Bali by Gary Benchegib
• public water fountains in Minneapolis
• fashion repair scheme in France
• EPR Extended Producer’s Responsibility in the EU
• ‘buy nothing groups’ and ‘fix-it-fair’ in Canada
• the ‘Right to Repair Act’ in California

For more information on the project and to order your copy of the Carbon Almanac, visit thecarbonalmanac.org

Want to join in the conversation?

Visit thecarbonalmanac.org/podcasts and send us a voice message on this episode or any other climate-related ideas and perspectives.

Don’t Take Our Word For It, Look It Up!

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Featuring Carbon Almanac Contributors Leekei Tang and Jenn Swanson.

Leekei is a fashion business founder, a business coach, an international development expert and podcaster from Paris, France. 

From Langley in British Columbia, Canada, Jenn is a Minister, Coach, Writer and community Connector, helping people help themselves. 

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The CarbonSessions Podcast is produced and edited by Leekei Tang, Steve Heatherington and Rob Slater.

Episode Summary: This episode delves into a discussion with Brian and Kristina on Eco-Anxiety selected from Episode 86. 

Climate change impacts mental health as learning about the facts and science behind climate change can be stressful and overwhelming. So what can we do about it?

While we encourage our listeners to learn as much as possible about climate change and take action, we also sometimes experience eco-anxiety ourselves. 

Kristina recounts an incident where she nearly had a panic attack after coming across a stack of plastic cups that reminded her of her potential negative impact on the environment. To manage the situation, she used Katie Byron's 4-question framework.

To listen to the full episode of ‘Tips and Framework To Deal With Eco Anxiety’ go here.

For more information on the project and to order your copy of the Carbon Almanac, visit thecarbonalmanac.org

Want to join in the conversation?

Visit thecarbonalmanac.org/podcasts and send us a voice message on this episode or any other climate-related ideas and perspectives.

Don’t Take Our Word For It, Look It Up!

You can find out more on pages 154, 155 of the Carbon Almanac and on the website you can tap the footnotes link and type in 252

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Featuring Carbon Almanac Contributor Brian Tormey and Kristina Horning.

Brian is a Real Estate Title Insurance Professional and Goat Farmer in the US. 

Kristina has a background in architecture and engineering. Currently in Prague (that it is where she is originally from) and her base is US.

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The CarbonSessions Podcast is produced and edited by Leekei Tang, Steve Heatherington and Rob Slater.