Conversations on a Sustainable Life

Bonus Track: A possible future on our planet

Renée LaPlante

This is a guided visualisation of a possible <> future on our planet.

Find a quiet place where you can close your eyes and be alone for about 15-20 minutes. We recommend having a journal with you so you can write down what comes up for you after you listen.

In a somewhat unconventional 12-episode podcast series, a Novelist and an ex-Googler – Libby and Renée, based in Switzerland – draw on science and data as well as humanity's creativity and flawed beauty to come to terms with – and find actions to address! – our global, local and personal sustainability challenges.

Reach us anytime at [email protected]

ShownotesNo links this time!

The music! 

’Optimistic Life' performed by The Smithereens, used under license from Shutterstock

Episode 10: Tools for Change, Part 2

Libby O'Loghlin and Renée LaPlante

Libby and Renée get into next-level footprint change with the 4 Decarbonista principles, an approach that has worked for both of us, even as very different people with different life circumstances and different personalities. Renée breaks down her first year reduction actions step by step, and walks us through the principles as an illustration of how this kind of change can be done strategically. She talks us through setting goals, looking at the numbers, and building a plan and sticking to it (so we don’t get all guilty or sidetracked!). Libby wonders whether weighing your compost is a good idea in all circumstances, and we discuss how planning helps us harness our energy and willpower for the critical things rather than getting caught up or stressed out by the little things we “could” be doing. We discuss how, aside from the actual reductions, a growing self-awareness and getting better at tuning into ourselves can actually become a regular outcome of carrying out a reduction plan. We also revisit the rebound effect and how it can rear its head if we don’t plan for it. Join us in this episode for the juice on how to make a robust footprint reduction plan!

In a somewhat unconventional 12-episode podcast series, a Novelist and an ex-Googler – Libby and Renée, based in Switzerland – draw on science and data as well as humanity's creativity and flawed beauty to come to terms with – and find actions to address! – our global, local and personal sustainability challenges.

Reach us anytime at [email protected]

ShownotesLinks

Food calculators, tools and other studies to help you find bite-sized trials for your plan: 

The BBC food calculator https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-46459714 

A study on food CO2 per 100kgs https://ourworldindata.org/environmental-impacts-of-food 

The WWF Top 10 Worksheet and other calculators and data sources are available on https://decarbonista.world/tools 

The Collaction pledge page Renée used for her clothing pause was found here https://www.collaction.org/crowdactions/start 

An old (1994) study: Energy Implications of Glass-Container Recycling https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc1340012/m2/1/high_res_d/10161731.pdf 

The Decarbonista worksheet “Set Yourself up for (Reduction) Success” can be found here https://decarbonista.world/worksheets (Get it for free when you use promo code Podcast2020) 

The music! 

’Optimistic Life' performed by The Smithereens, used under license from Shutterstock

Episode 09: Making space for Sustainability

Libby O'Loghlin and Renée LaPlante

Libby and Renée come back from summer break with an episode that felt like it was missing and yet really matters: It’s about Letting Go! We think it's great to have a sustainability intention, yet most of us can point to some kind of emotional or material clutter holding us back. When we can let go of things that don't serve us anymore – and, in the light of climate change, this might also mean our imagined futures – we naturally become present to our here-and-now priorities, and gain energy for the new things we want to tackle. We talk about ways to do this, such as “releasing to receive” and “ripping off the bandaid”, as well as calling on others for help in the process. And we discuss how releasing stuff can lead to powerful insights and innovation. Enjoy!

In a somewhat unconventional 12-episode podcast series, a Novelist and an ex-Googler – Libby and Renée, based in Switzerland – draw on science and data as well as humanity's creativity and flawed beauty to come to terms with – and find actions to address! – our global, local and personal sustainability challenges.

Reach us anytime at [email protected]

ShownotesLinks

Decarbonista Facebook group “Let’s make space for change” https://www.facebook.com/groups/DECARBONISTA/permalink/1302136656657082 

Worksheet on Uncovering Limiting Beliefs (or Challenging Bottlenecks)

https://www.alifepoetic.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/LP-WORKSHEET_-Challenging-Bottlenecks.pdf

Sas Petherick http://saspetherick.com the Coach Libby worked with 

Renée read the excerpt from page 71 of Thich Nhat Hanh’s book The Other Shore   

“Mother Earth catches Ireland burning fossil fuels” Comedy piece by Foilarmsandhog at https://www.instagram.com/tv/CE8mSR5qMqC/?igshid=pkuqq28ziyi0 

A quick explanation of 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Scope Emissions: 

• Scope 1 - direct carbon emissions - on the individual level this comes from personal vehicles, BBQs, wood fires, or gas burning stoves

• Scope 2 - direct carbon emissions - from purchased electricity, heat and steam 

• Scope 3 - indirect carbon emissions - “upstream” or “downstream” from your personal choices like emissions from what you eat, buy, wear, subscribe to, invest in, etc. 

Wikipedia explanation of Scope Emissions (scroll down to “Direct Carbon Emissions” and “Indirect Carbon Emissions”) - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_footprint 

The music! 

’Optimistic Life' performed by The Smithereens, used under license from Shutterstock

Trailer

Libby O'Loghlin and Renée LaPlante

Libby and Renée welcome you to a series in which we start unpacking climate change and humanity’s role in it. Why? Well, we’re both moms, business owners, and coaches but we have very different perspectives and life experiences, and we firmly believe it takes a complete diversity of people and approaches to tackle this massive predicament! Tune in to discover pathways that could work for you.

Reach us anytime at [email protected]

Episode 08: The gendered identity of Sustainability

Libby O'Loghlin and Renée LaPlante

Libby and Renée unpack the identity around sustainable actions and eco-activism to question if gender stereotypes and biases are getting in the way of humanity’s progress towards sustainability. Considering that, in many societies, men 'control' the resources – whether it’s money, business, politics, or even decision-making at home – we wonder if addressing gender would help us all? We look at the energies of ‘masculine’ and ‘feminine’, and how branding and semiotics (the study of signs and symbols and their use or interpretation) behind advertising and media influences our ‘truth’ of what we all think sustainability is. We propose that becoming aware of how we perceive the word 'sustainability' and the way we choose to apply ourselves to environmental actions will challenge our current western mindset and meta narratives, helping us discover creative ways to retain the lifestyle we enjoy while minimising the CO2 costs.

In a somewhat unconventional 12-episode podcast series, a Novelist and an ex-Googler – Libby and Renée, based in Switzerland – draw on science and data as well as humanity's creativity and flawed beauty to come to terms with – and find actions to address! – our global, local and personal sustainability challenges.

Reach us anytime at [email protected]

Shownotes Mentioned Links 

Article: Is Eco-Friendly Unmanly? The Green-Feminine Stereotype and Its Effect on Sustainable Consumption by Aaron R. Brough, James E. B. Wilkie, Jingjing Ma, Mathew S. Isaac, David Gal (Journal of Consumer Research) https://academic.oup.com/jcr/article-abstract/43/4/567/2630509?redirectedFrom=fulltext

Article (Science Daily): Going Green is for Girls, but Branding Can Make Men Eco-Friendly https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/08/160825102326.htm

Article: Brand Narratives, Sustainability and Gender: A Socio-Semiotic Approach by Nacima Ourahmoune, Anne-Sophie Binninger, Isabelle Robert https://www.researchgate.net/publication/270493518_Brand_Narratives_Sustainability_and_Gender_A_Socio-semiotic_Approach

Article (The Guardian): The Eco Gender Gap: Why Saving the Planet is Seen as Women's Work https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/feb/06/eco-gender-gap-why-saving-planet-seen-womens-work

Article: Petro-masculinity: Fossil Fuels and Authoritarian Desire by Cara Daggett https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/0305829818775817

Women's Coach: Heather Allison: https://www.heather-allison.com/ 

Which wolf do you feed?  https://urbanbalance.com/the-story-of-two-wolves/

Podcast: A New And Ancient Story — Charles Eisenstein with Alnoor Ladha https://podcasts.apple.com/ch/podcast/a-new-and-ancient-story-the-podcast/id1047290956?l=en&i=1000483375162 

The UN's Sustainable Development goals https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainable-development-goals/

SDG #5, Gender Equality: "Women’s and girls’ empowerment is essential to expand economic growth and promote social development." https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/5.pdf

Article: Exploring if BioDIVERSITY is underrepresented in the SDGs  https://www.uq.edu.au/news/article/2020/07/un%E2%80%99s-latest-sustainability-goals-pose-more-harm-good-environment 

Article: Moving beyond gender differences in research on sustainable consumption: Evidence from a discrete choice experiment https://www.alexandria.unisg.ch/211483/1/Gender_Werkstattbericht6.pdf

Article: Aga Bajer, Culture Strategist’s article on the Maasai Tribe and Lion conservation  https://www.agabajer.com/blog/60-maasai-lions-and-organisational-change 

The music!

’Optimistic Life' performed by The Smithereens, used under license from Shutterstock

Episode 07: When Sustainability goes Sideways

Libby O'Loghlin and Renée LaPlante

In this episode, we look at what can go wrong in sustainability. Lying to ourselves, overcommitting, and taking token actions are pitfalls we can all easily fall into. We highlight a few strategies for overcoming this, we share a couple of sustainability bloopers on the personal front, and address how expecting us all to go “cold turkey” or take sides more often creates too high expectations or distraction, undermining our ability to move quickly toward better solutions and incremental transition. We advocate for a mindset of adaptation and getting comfortable with chaos while remaining curious, watching out for silver bullets and blind spots, and still taking action based on the real data we do have. We giggle about some public sustainability fails in the product/branding world — check the Shownotes so you don’t miss out on some good laughs! Finally, Renée walks us through the Rebound Effect and how to watch out for it. We hope this episode really moves you.

In a somewhat unconventional 12-episode podcast series, a Novelist and an ex-Googler – Libby and Renée, based in Switzerland – draw on science and data as well as humanity's creativity and flawed beauty to come to terms with – and find actions to address! – our global, local and personal sustainability challenges.

Reach us anytime at [email protected]

Shownotes Mentioned Links 

Dan Ariely Spotify podcast about his book “The (honest) truth about dishonesty” https://pointofinquiry.org/2012/09/dan_ariely_the_honest_truth_about_dishonesty/

Simon Sinek leadership videos https://www.youtube.com/user/SimonSinek 

From "The Conversation": After 25 Years of Trying, Why Aren't We Sustainable Yet https://theconversation.com/after-25-years-of-trying-why-arent-we-environmentally-sustainable-yet-73911

Podcast: This Jungian Life (episode containing the discussion of Symbols and Archetypes unknown) http://www.thisjungianlife.com/ 

Bill Gates's Blog - Outlining the 5 big sources of CO2 https://www.gatesnotes.com/Energy/My-plan-for-fighting-climate-change#

The UN's Sustainable Development Goals  https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainable-development-goals/

Michael Moore's documentary: "Planet of the Humans" https://planetofthehumans.com/

A few brand sustainability fails  https://www.askattest.com/blog/innovation/sustainability-fails

The Rebound effect  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rebound_effect_(conservation)

Working part time studies and environmental effect https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0959378013000472?via%3Dihub and https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0959652616301044?via%3Dihub

Other links

What people get wrong about sustainability with Jeffrey Hollender  https://www.businessinsider.com/what-people-get-wrong-about-sustainability-2018-6?r=US&IR=

The music!

’Optimistic Life' performed by The Smithereens, used under license from Shutterstock

06: Tools for Change, Part 1

Libby O'Loghlin and Renée LaPlante

In an extended episode — because there’s so much to cover — we started with some personal footprint foundations. Renée names up the 'bathtub' GHG metaphor, and explains how she thinks through the What, the Who, the Why and the How of the sustainability challenges we face. She explains the relevance of the Paris Accord and its link to consumer behaviour, and breaks down behavioural change into smaller, digestible pieces, giving us some tips on ways we can approach change in our everyday lives.

A heads-up: Libby's audio is a bit unruly at times on this episode. But she makes up for it with The Great Swinging Teabag Metaphor … Enjoy! 

Part 2 will cover communities and influencing the world around us, as well as offsetting and understanding natural sinks. Stay tuned for another Tools for Change episode, coming soon! 

In a somewhat unconventional 12-episode podcast series, a Novelist and an ex-Googler – Libby and Renée, based in Switzerland – draw on science and data as well as humanity's creativity and flawed beauty to come to terms with – and find actions to address! – our global, local and personal sustainability challenges.

Reach us anytime at [email protected]

Shownotes Mentioned Links 

The bathtub graphic https://www.climateinteractive.org/tools/climate-bathtub-simulation/

The Paris Accord https://unfccc.int/process-and-meetings/the-paris-agreement/the-paris-agreement

Gilet Jaune movement https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellow_vests_movement

The Top 10% Oxfam study on wealth and relationship to CO2 https://www-cdn.oxfam.org/s3fs-public/file_attachments/mb-extreme-carbon-inequality-021215-en.pdf

Decarbonsta Facebook Post on understanding Greenhouse gases https://www.facebook.com/groups/DECARBONISTA/?post_id=1259454260925322

**Get all Decarbonista Worksheets free by using the code PODCAST2020 at checkout** 

Worksheet to think about your Why and Dedication https://www.decarbonista.world/products/worksheet-reflect-and-dedicate 

Worksheet to get to know your "Motivational Drivers https://www.decarbonista.world/products/worksheet-motivate-and-create-your-environment-for-success

Worksheet on Breaking down Behaviour Change into smaller pieces https://www.decarbonista.world/products/worksheet-set-your-incremental-goals

Lina’s Chrome Plugin for Google Flight search to measure CO2 of prospective flights https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/flight-co2-emissions/dmcojaffchhlalnopfdofepbiceojhpc 

Uncovering Limiting Beliefs (or Challenging Bottlenecks) https://www.alifepoetic.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/LP-WORKSHEET_-Challenging-Bottlenecks.pdf

Social tipping points paper https://science.sciencemag.org/content/360/6393/1116 

Narrative Coaching (David Drake) https://narrativecoaching.com/dr-david-drake

The music!

’Optimistic Life' performed by The Smithereens, used under license from Shutterstock

05: BLM and Widening the Sustainability Lens

Libby O'Loghlin and Renée LaPlante

Libby and Renée — as an Australian and an American — press pause on regular programming to widen the sustainability lens. Libby revisits past episodes to highlight the importance of Context: How we can listen, learn, get curious and get googling towards fuller responsibility and awareness around our mindsets, privilege and actions which hinder or support Black people. Renée talks about the 'invisible backpack metaphor,' stays honest about still having a lot to learn, and we discuss the importance of re-thinking Time and humanity's relationship with it in order to make space for conversations and responsible communication. We also highlight some of the Black musicians, poets, playwrights, plant-based nutritionists, and no-waste activists who have inspired us.

In a somewhat unconventional 12-episode podcast series, a Novelist and an ex-Googler – Libby and Renée, based in Switzerland – draw on science and data as well as humanity's creativity and flawed beauty to come to terms with – and find actions to address! – our global, local and personal sustainability challenges.

Reach us anytime at [email protected]

Shownotes Mentioned Links 

"Standing United", a free-to-share Slideshow by Jenae Butler, a black woman and a Googler https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1ltJmjs20m1rQGXPesYRi7zLq35mgWELQO8oFOrD1UlM/edit?usp=sharing

The Invisible Backpack https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Privilege:_Unpacking_the_Invisible_Knapsack and https://www.racialequitytools.org/resourcefiles/mcintosh.pdf

Libby's article from ImpactHubZurich's blog – The Future of Work: Creating a Culture that Nurtures Diversity in Teams https://zurich.impacthub.ch/future-work-creating-culture-nurtures-diversity-teams/

Krista Tippett interviews Resmaa Menakem (Trauma Psychologist, author of "My Grandmother's Hands" book), OnBeing podcast https://on-being-with-krista-tippett.simplecast.com/episodes/race-and-healing-a-body-practice

Maslow's Hierarchy of needs (Wikipedia) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maslow%27s_hierarchy_of_needs

NonViolent Communication Wikipedia entry https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nonviolent_Communication

Instagrammers:

Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, marine biologist and environmentalist https://www.instagram.com/ayanaeliza/

Tracye McQuirter, MPH, vegan nutritionist https://www.instagram.com/byanygreens/

Jenné Claiborne, vegan chef https://www.instagram.com/sweetpotatosoul/

Dr. Judy Brangman, plantbased nutrition https://www.instagram.com/theplantbasedmd/

Brooklynne (med student) plantbased nutrition https://www.instagram.com/beetsbybrooke/

Marie Beecham, waste-free https://www.instagram.com/wastefreemarie/

Book: "The History of the Blues" by Francis Davis https://www.amazon.com/History-Blues-Roots-Music-People/dp/0306812967

Dr. Tamkea Cage Conley (playwright, poet) talks about writing the range of characters in her play that addresses police brutality and its chokehold on black communities https://vimeo.com/226963454/ From the University of Iowa's International Writing Program MOOC series: Writing Identities through Poetry and Plays 

Camille Rankine (poet) talks about the 'Pantoum' form of poetry, the texture and word rhythms https://vimeo.com/226963156/0acd0a8205 Attribution: from the University of Iowa's International Writing Program MOOC series: Writing Identities through Poetry and Plays 

International Writing Program (University of Iowa) https://iwp.uiowa.edu/programs/between-the-lines

NPR Podcast 'Short Wave': The Inseparable Link Between Climate Change and Racial Justice with Ayana Elizabeth Johnson and Maddie Sofia https://www.npr.org/2020/06/16/878941532/the-inseparable-link-between-climate-change-and-racial-justice

The music!

’Optimistic Life' performed by The Smithereens, used under license from Shutterstock

04: Food that sustains

Libby O'Loghlin and Renée LaPlante

This episode, we tackle the 'food' theme, looking at the role food plays in climate change, and how eating lots of plants can be rewarding for our health, families, communities and environment. Libby shares some learnings and resources from having completed a certificate in plant based nutrition, and how she and her family transitioned to a plant-strong household. We investigate what a nutritious whole foods, 'plant based bowl' can look like, and what practical steps – and supplemental vitamins – we might need to take for responsibly transitioning to sustainable ways of eating. Join us for stories on how we approach food, shopping, and food waste for maximising our pleasure and fun, as well as minimising our CO2 impact.

In a somewhat unconventional 12-episode podcast series, a Novelist and an ex-Googler – Libby and Renée, based in Switzerland – draw on science and data as well as humanity's creativity and flawed beauty to come to terms with – and find actions to address! – our global, local and personal sustainability challenges.

Reach us anytime at [email protected]

Shownotes Mentioned Links 

Project Drawdown and the magnitude of our global Food Waste problem  https://drawdown.org/solutions/reduced-food-waste 

T. Colin Campbell Center for Plantbased Nutrition (where Libby studied for her certificate) nutritionstudies.org

Libby's spheres of plant-eating impact  https://www.alifepoetic.com/why-plants/

Switzerland heart disease and health data http://www.healthdata.org/switzerland

Health Expenditures (US, Pre-COVID)  https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/health-expenditures.htm

Book: "Fiber Fueled" by Dr. Will Bulsiewicz ('Dr. B') https://theplantfedgut.com/

Michael Greger, MD http://nutritionfacts.org and Daily Dozen App https://nutritionfacts.org/daily-dozen-challenge/

On Vitamin B https://nutritionstudies.org/12-questions-answered-regarding-vitamin-b12/

UNFCCC and The 6 Greenhouse Gases (GHGs) https://www.uncclearn.org/sites/default/files/inventory/unfccc02.pdf

The egg float test for freshness https://www.thehappychickencoop.com/egg-float-test/

Cashew and date hot chocolate https://www.alifepoetic.com/cashew-date-hot-choc/

Sarah Wilson’s Book: No-Waste Cookbook "Simplicious Flow" https://www.sarahwilson.com/2018/09/simplicious-flow-now-not-normal-cookbook/

Podcast with Matthew Evans about meat and regenerative farming  https://www.regennarration.com/episodes/060-on-eating-meat

Without accounting for individual manufacturing or farming processes, a single hamburger creates about 7800 grams of CO2 whereas one avocado creates about 200 grams of CO2. So, you can eat about 39 avocados for the CO2 of 1 hamburger! https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-46459714 

More context 

Read about biodynamic, regenerative and sound agricultural practices and labels  https://foodprint.org/blog/regenerative-agriculture-definition/

For Switzerland, this App is excellent for navigating food labels  https://www.wwf.ch/de/nachhaltig-leben/wwf-ratgeber-app 

More resources/links for the plant-curious https://www.alifepoetic.com/plant-based-resources/

Dr. Doug Lisle on The Pleasure Trap (on food habits) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jX2btaDOBK8 

Breaking the Food Seduction by Dr. Neal Barnard https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDgA3T_JF2A 

Zach Bush, MD https://zachbushmd.com/ and his org for regenerative farming https://farmersfootprint.us/

The EAT-Lancet Commission “global planetary health” plate  https://eatforum.org/lancet-commission/eatinghealthyandsustainable/

And, a video on a healthy and sustainable diet (with a great explanation of how health and environment are connected!)  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnlaBhD-124&feature=youtu.be

The music!

’Optimistic Life' performed by The Smithereens, used under license from Shutterstock

03: A sustainable inner world

Libby O'Loghlin and Renée LaPlante

In this episode, we launch into inner space :-). We’re all in close quarters during the Pandemic, so we get practical with some techniques for compassionate and 'clean' communications, and Libby offers some writing tips for clearing out and becoming aware of our obsessions, habitual stories and 'sticky' words. We touch on triggers, discuss releasing emotions, and share some resources for shifting out of fear and into self compassion.

In a somewhat unconventional 12-episode podcast series, a Novelist and an ex-Googler – Libby and Renée, based in Switzerland – draw on science and data as well as humanity's creativity and flawed beauty to come to terms with – and find actions to address! – our global, local and personal sustainability challenges.

Reach us anytime at [email protected]

Shownotes Links 

Dr. Tara Swart (neuroscientist) book The Source https://www.taraswart.com/

Maslow's Hierarchy of needs beautiful representation http://spence-creative.com/portfolio-item/imago-therapy/ 

Marshall Rosenberg PhD on “Compassionate Communication” book Nonviolent Communication (NVC) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nonviolent_Communication

90-second Trigger (Cortisol surge) https://www.virtualpsychologist.com.au/2019/11/10/control-your-emotions-after-90-seconds/ 

Worksheets we created to explore one’s values  

Resource sheets are all on Libby's Resources Page https://www.alifepoetic.com/productivity/

Identifying our Needs (from Marshall Rosenberg's Nonviolent Communications) https://www.alifepoetic.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/LP-RESOURCE_-List-of-needs.pdf

Core Values Detector https://www.alifepoetic.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/LP-WORKSHEET-Core-Values-Detector.png

Assessing where our thoughts were when we were in an unskilful situation/caught up in the 'feels' https://www.alifepoetic.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/LP-Delta-Quadrant-Storyworld-Vortex.pdf

Other stuff we love

Podcast: Brené Brown with Harriet Lerner https://brenebrown.com/podcast/harriet-lerner-and-brene-im-sorry-how-to-apologize-why-it-matters/

Book: "Radical Acceptance" by Tara Brach https://www.tarabrach.com/rain/

Dharma Punx NYC https://dharmapunxnyc.podbean.com/e/communicating-during-the-pandemic-stating-needs-setting-boundaries-working-through-conflict/

The drama triangle https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karpman_drama_triangle

The music!

’Optimistic Life' performed by The Smithereens, used under license from Shutterstock