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Jessica Davis knows salvage - where to get it, how to move it, and how to help others buy and sell architectural salvage and used building materials. Jessica is the founder and owner of Rebuilders Xchange (RBX) and she is on a mission to build a salvage economy here in Cleveland. In this episode, Jessica gives us a quick tour then we sit down to talk about how she turned 70,000 sq. ft. of the old Osborn Manufacturing plant into a vibrant retail hub filled with unique items rescued from homes, factories, and warehouses in the region.  A trip to RBX in Cleveland's St. Clair-Superior neighborhood is a treasure hunt. You may have an idea of what you are looking for, but you will likely come home with something totally different, and that’s the fun of it.  Visit RBX to experience architectural salvage, Cleveland history, and connect with Jessica, Kris and Ron who are at the heart of Cleveland’s reuse economy. They are as unique as the times they sell. 

 Guest(s):
Jessica Davis, Founder, and Owner of Rebuilders Xchange (RBX)
with a quick appearance by Ron Copfer, Creator of the RBX FabLab

Resources:
About our Guests
Join Eco Speaks CLE at the 4 Miles 4 Water fundraiser on June 11th
Contact us at [email protected]

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Meet Erin Huber Rosen, the Founder and Executive Director of Drink Local. Drink Tap., Inc.™ Since 2010, Erin has been inspiring people to "Be the Drop" to recognize and solve our local and global water issues. What started as a campaign to encourage people to ditch bottled water and conduct beach cleanups to protect Lake Erie, grew into a global campaign to increase access to clean water and sanitation in rural Uganda. Imagine being a kid and walking 4 miles every day just to get water. Erin is changing that by digging wells in remote villages. She just returned to Cleveland after completing her 100th Drink Local. Drink Tap project and joined Eco Speaks CLE to talk about her work as a filmmaker, writer, educator, organizer, fundraiser, hydrologist,  and above all, humanitarian. You will never take water for granted after hearing her speak. Erin inspired Greg and me to create the Eco Speaks CLE team to raise money for Drink Local. Drink Tap through its annual fundraiser - 4 miles 4 water. The event will be in Cleveland on June 11th. We invite all Eco Speaks listeners to participate on our team. Our goal is to raise $6,000. That is enough to fund the drilling of one well in Uganda. Find a link below.

Guest:
Erin Huber Rosen, Founder and Executive Director of Drink Local. Drink Tap

Resources:
About Erin
Join the Eco Speaks CLE team at the 4 Miles 4 Water fundraiser on June 11.
Learn about World Water Day - March 22 
DLDT Wavemaker Curriculum
Buy the book Make Waves 4 Change

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Contact - [email protected]

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Spring is right around the corner and Eco Speaks CLE is here to help you get ready.  In this episode, we speak with Alec Mclennan, the founder and president of Good Nature Organic Lawn Care and Amy Roskilly, the manager of conservation education for the Cuyahoga Soil and Water Conservation District. This episode is jam-packed with eco-friendly spring cleanup and planting tips for lawn, landscape and garden. Our experts share ways to maintain a healthy, safe and beautiful yard without harmful chemicals and ways to create pollinator-friendly habitats using native plant species. Order your native plants, seeds and garden kits now through the Cuyahoga Soil and Water Conservation District and learn how easy it is to incorporate them into your outdoor space.

Guests:
Alec McClennan, Good Nature Organic Lawn Care
Amy Roskilly, Cuyahoga Soil and Water Conservation District

Resources:
CSWCD Native Plant Sale
Benefits of Micro Clover
Benesafe Solutions Chemical-Free Pest Control
Home Grown National Park

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Cuyahoga County and Solar United Neighbors are working to expand solar in northeast Ohio by making it more affordable and accessible. In this episode, we demystify solar power and the process of going solar by speaking with Cuyahoga County Sustainability Director, Mike Foley, and  Ohio Program Director for Solar United Neighbors, Tristan Rader.  Join us for our conversation as we hear the latest about the Cuyahoga County Solar Coop, local solar projects, and what the future holds, including the County's forward-thinking plan to create micro-grids that will foster local economic development using clean and reliable power.

Guests:
Mike Foley, Director, Cuyahoga County Department of Sustainability
Tristan Rader, Ohio Program Director for Solar United Neighbors

Links:
Join the Cuyahoga County Solar Coop
Solar United Neighbors of Ohio
Choose a Renewable Energy Supplier - Ohio Energy Choice
Modern power grids
Energy Savings Tips
 

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In this episode,  Dan Brown and Zoe Apisdorf with Rust Belt Riders speak about how they are feeding people and not landfills by collecting food waste from residential and commercial customers and turning it back into resource-rich compost and soil products to support our local food system.  Listen and hear about the importance of composting for our planet, ways to participate, and the opportunities for increasing composting access and infrastructure in the region. 

Guests:
Dan Brown , Founder and Co-Owner Rust Belt Riders
Zoe Apisdorf, Director of Residential Experience, Rust Belt Riders 
Photo credit - Gary Yasaki

Resources:
Rust Belt Riders 
Tilth Soil
Cuyahoga County Composting Seminars and Bins 

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In our first interview of 2022, we spoke with Patrick Kearns and Michael Bartunek about The Ohio City Farm, one of the largest urban farms in the United States. This six-acre gem cultivates fresh organic produce, along with opportunities for refugees that have resettled here in Cleveland.  Our cover photo shows the farm on a winter day while winter vegetables grow in the hoop houses and planning for the 2022 growing season is underway. In this episode, we talk about the history of the farm, its unique mission, and ways we can support the farm and the refugee community through produce purchases and volunteering.

Guests:
Patrick Kearns, Executive Director,  The Refugee Response
Michael Bartunek, Senior Farm Manager, The Ohio City Farm

Resources:
The Refugee Response
The Ohio City Farm  and CSA sales
More about our guests
Grow at Home 

 

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In this episode, we "talk trash" and hear how the City of Brooklyn implemented a city-wide Cart Tagging project to reduce contamination in its curbside recycling. In this feet-on-the-street approach to recycling education, teams of students were sent through the city to inspect recycling carts. Households that were not recycling correctly got an OOPS Tag attached to their cart that identified what they did wrong and how to recycle properly.  Cart tagging can be a time-consuming and labor-intensive way to educate residents about recycling, but the direct feedback it provides can measurably reduce contamination and save communities money. Brooklyn was the first community in Cuyahoga County to put cart tagging to the test. In our interview, we find out if this very personal way of educating residents worked, how they reacted, and the recycling "oops" being made.

Guests:
Kathleen Pucci, Councilwoman, City of Brooklyn
Nina Savastano, Cart Tagger and John Carroll University Student
Carin Miller, Education Specialist, Cuyahoga County Solid Waste District

Resources:
Cuyahoga County Recycling Information
Recycling Ambassador Program
The Recycling Partnership

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In this bonus episode to Brewing for Good, we continue our conversation with Pat and Dan Conway of Great Lakes Brewing Company to hear how they got their start in the craft beer industry and opened the first micro-brewery in Ohio in 1988.  Sustainability takes on new meaning in this story because the story of Great Lakes Brewing is also the story of the rebirth of a neighborhood. Tune in for some interesting insights about these two entrepreneurs and their Ohio City neighborhood.

Guests:
Patrick Conway
Daniel Conway

Links:
Great Lakes Brewing Company
Great Lakes Brewing Company History

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The Conway brothers are two of the most trailblazing, generous, and fun people you could ever meet. Together, they brought us craft beer, the first Christmas ale, a revitalized Ohio City, and a model company that incorporates a Triple Bottom Line approach in all they do.  Since 1988, Great Lakes Brewing Company founders and co-owners, Pat and Dan Conway have been brewing award-winning beer while also brewing good for the environment, the community, and their workers.  In this podcast, I was able to reconnect with Dan and Pat whom I first met in 2000 when they first began hosting meetings of a local networking group called E4S - Entrepreneurs for Sustainability. An instrumental beginning to Cleveland's environmental renaissance.  In this episode, Pat and Dan talk about how this renaissance got its start and the pioneering things they did as a business to lead the way. 

Guests:
Patrick Conway
Daniel Conway

Links:
Great Lakes Brewing Company
Great Lakes Brewing Sustainability
Local Farming

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Diane and Greg introduce themselves and talk about why they started  ECO SPEAKS CLE and what they want to share with their listeners.  

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