EcoJustice Radio

Now is the time to invest in a regenerative economy that supports climate finance at scale. Our banking and investment practices can proactively regenerate the planet and foster a clean, green economy that is both socially conscious and sustainable.

EcoJustice Radio discusses the rise of regenerative economy and green banking with Tom Duncan, CEO & Founder of Earthbanc, the world's first green digital banking platform [https://earthbanc.io/] that pays its customers to restore and conserve ecosystems, and sequester carbon. Our host, Carry Kim does the interview.

Interview by Carry Kim

Intro by Jessica Aldridge

Engineer: Blake Lampkin

Executive Producer: Jack Eidt

Show Created by Mark and JP Morris

Music: Javier Kadry

Episode 63

Image: pakissan.com

Plastic Plague Series: PART 5 (of 7) THE BOTTLE SCAM - we connect the dots between the Water Bottle Scam and the fight for Land, Water, and Indigenous Rights.

Our guests include Stiv Wilson, Co-Director of Peak Plastic and Creator and Producer of the film, The Story of Plastic [https://www.storyofplastic.org/] and Raven Stevens, Board Member of W.A.T.E.R. (We Advocate Thorough Environmental Review) [http://cawater.net/]

The chain of environmental and social impacts is an embedded cost of bottled water, a resource that is supposed to give us life, but now arguably the process to extract, make, ship, store, and dispose seems to take from it.

Clean, reliable, and free water should be available to all. Companies want us to fear our tap water and sell us “solutions,” increasing our dependency on bottled water by providing something that was once free, but now costs us $2k times more. That isn’t a surprise when Pepsi has been quoted saying, “the biggest enemy is tap water.”

With a ½ billion bottles used and disposed of every week in the United States, while land and water resources are stolen and polluted it is time to close the tap on the Bottle Scam. The solution isn’t as easy as switching over to a reusable water bottle.

After seven years of controversy, Crystal Geyser Water Company announced in May 2021 that it had given up on opening its Mount Shasta facility. Raven Stevens advocacy was a big part of this massive victory.

Stiv Wilson, is an award winning activist, filmmaker, and educator working at the nexus of marine conservation, plastic pollution, petrochemical production and human rights. After completing 35,000 nautical miles sailing the world to study marine plastic pollution, Stiv co-authored the first ever global estimate of the abundance of plastics in all of the major five oceans in the peer reviewed journal, PLOS ONE. Stiv is the Co-founder of Break Free from Plastic [https://www.breakfreefromplastic.org/] and Creator and Producer of the film, The Story of Plastic.

Website: https://www.storyofplastic.org/

Twitter https://twitter.com/AgentStiv

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/peakplastic/

Raven Stevens is a Water Protector and Community Advocate, living in Mt. Shasta, California. She is working with W.A.T.E.R. (We Advocate Thorough Environmental Review) and the local community to stop industrial water extraction in and around Mt. Shasta. Raven Stevens is a spokesperson for the Gateway Neighborhood Association and representing W.A.T.E.R. for this interview. She kept up the fight and prevented Crystal Geyser from further harming the mountain and all life downstream by stopping their Mt. Shasta project.

Website: http://cawater.net/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mtshastawater/

Raven does not speak for the Winnemem Wintu Tribe. They are a sovereign nation and speak for themselves. They can be reached at: https://www.winnememwintu.us/ for further information.

Hosted by Jessica Aldridge from SoCal 350 and Adventures in Waste [http://adventuresinwaste.com/]

Engineer: Blake Lampkin

Executive Producer: Jack Eidt

Producer: Georgia Tunioli

Show Created by Mark and JP Morris

Music: Javier Kadry

Episode 62

Photo Credit: Cuyahoga Recycles

Updated 22 September 2021

This is PART FOUR of a special seven-part series, called, “The Plastic Plague: Connecting the Dots between Extraction, Inequity, and Pollution.”

Plastic Plague Series: PART 4 (of 7) THROWAWAY SOCIETY – we investigate the economics & inequity of plastic consumption once thrown away. Does plastic truly get recycled and what is the burden of other countries? More than 300 million tons of new plastic is produced annually and less than 10% is recycled. 40% of the plastic produced is for packaging. China was the recycling destination for over 40% of the USA’s waste commodities. When they shuttered their doors to recycling imports, new opportunities popped up in other countries, but with it came the same issues of contamination, excess waste, and a dumping ground for the consequences of a “throwaway society.”

Our guests include Shibu Nair, India Coordinator for GAIA - Asia Pacific and Michael Doshi, Director of Partnerships for Algalita Marine Research & Education.

Shibu K. Nair is an environmental activist from South India with 20 years of experience in environmental education, conservation, movements, policy and advocacy campaigns. He is a former Saathi Fellow of Association of India’s Development and Bay area chapter and Zero Waste Fellow of GAIA and Ecology Centre in Berkeley, CA.

http://www.no-burn.org

Michael Doshi is Algalita's Director of Partnerships, spearheading strategic partnership collaborations, engaging like-minded organizations working on innovative solutions to participate in educating youth through Algalita’s leadership programs. Doshi travels the world conducting waste investigations to experience where our plastic ends up in the environment and how it impacts humans.

https://algalita.org/

Hosted by Jessica Aldridge from SoCal 350 and Adventures in Waste

Engineer: Blake Lampkin

Executive Producer: Jack Eidt

Producer: Georgia Tunioli

Show Created by Mark and JP Morris

Music: Javier Kadry

Episode 61

Photo Credit: Shibu Nair

On this episode, we visit with the members of an inspiring community garden and culture-space called The BirdHouse, in Hollywood, CA.

Creating the conditions to reconnect people and place, The BirdHouse serves as a hub of exchange for those attracted to caring for the land and community through arts and ecology. Its purpose is to engage members in finding creative solutions through permaculture, systems thinking, medicinal plants, art, singing, science and storytelling. The BirdHouse envisions a lush and vibrant urban landscape where people are cooperating with nature to attain health and well-being born of genuine concern for each other and the environment.

John Allen, with his wife Bella co-founded the BirdHouse. It is their intention to attract agents of change to address the question, “What will it take to live a life that the planet earth now demands?” John has extensive experience working as a musician, filmmaker, editor, and director.

Cameron Miller is Site & Projects Manager for the BirdHouse. He grew up in the industrial Midwest and went to university in Massachusetts, before landing in Los Angeles, working as an actor and writer. After years of work in Hollywood, Cameron answered to a different call and turned his focus to permaculture, landscape design, community building, and food systems, through his work at The BirdHouse and beyond.

Website: https://atthebirdhouse.org/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/atthebirdhouse/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/atthebirdhouse/

Interview by Carry Kim

Intro by Jessica Aldridge

Engineer: Blake Lampkin

Executive Producer: Jack Eidt

Show Created by Mark and JP Morris

Music: Javier Kadry

Episode 60

This is PART THREE of a special seven-part series, called, “The Plastic Plague: Connecting the Dots between Extraction, Inequity, and Pollution.”

HUMAN HEALTH – On this episode, we will investigate the impacts plastics have on our personal health and quality of life. From our food packaging to our building material, we cover the toxins types, corporate responsibility, and how can we avoid exposure. We dive into what it means to support the efforts of frontline communities to minimize exposure by reducing these toxic chemicals. Did you know that after packaging, the #1 global use of plastic is building materials?

Our guests include Yvette Arellano, Policy Research & Grassroots Advocate for TEJAS, Dr. Julia Varshavsky, Reproductive Health and the Environment, UCSF Medical Center, and Bill Walsh, Healthy Building Network

Yvette Arellano, is a community organizer for TEJAS, Texas Environmental Justice Advocacy Services. She focuses on the human health impacts of petrochemicals involved in plastics production, chemical clusters, risk of accidents and access to information in the 52-mile industrial corridor between Houston and Galveston.

Dr. Julia Varshavsky is a Postdoctoral Scholar in environmental epidemiology and biostatistics for the Research team, conducting biologically-based, population-level studies on exposure and health risks associated with endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs).

Bill Walsh, has been working on issues related to plastics and environmental justice for more than 35 years. He founded the Healthy Building Network in 2000 to be the green building movement’s leader in product transparency, healthy materials and related issues of health equity and environmental justice. Prior to that he spent 15 years with Greenpeace USA.

Hosted by Jessica Aldridge from SoCal 350 and Adventures in Waste

Engineer: Blake Lampkin

Executive Producer: Jack Eidt

Producer: Georgia Tunioli

Show Created by Mark and JP Morris

Music: Javier Kadry

Episode 59

Photo Credit:

This is Installment Two of our National Zero Waste Conference series meant to elevate the voices featured during the two-day event in Berkeley, California (postponed this year). Our guests are Meleny Thomas, Shashawnda Campbell, and Greg Sawtell all Leadership Organizers with United Workers in Baltimore, Maryland, speaking with our host, Jessica Aldridge from Adventures in Waste. More Info: zwconference.org/

Baltimore, Maryland, is setting the standard for #ZeroWasteCities by ensuring social equity! Their racially and economically just Zero Waste Plan goes beyond the successful management of resources and waste by lifting up human rights values and ensuring that those communities who are historically burdened by the ill effects of our waste system are made a priority.

People in South Baltimore are living 15 years less than other communities in the same city. Their Bresco Incinerator is responsible for $55 million in health damages annually. “When you think of Zero Waste, you can’t have a dumping ground community; and we have that.” Meleny Thomas.

MELENY THOMAS is a published author and member of the South Baltimore Community Land Trust. Her work focuses on mobilizing youth leadership and community leadership around environmental injustice and affordable housing.

SHASHAWNDA CAMPBELL is a member of the South Baltimore Community Land Trust. She began as a high school student that co-founded Free Your Voice, an advocacy group that was successful in shutting down the proposal of an incinerator.

GREG SAWTELL also co-founded the Free Your Voice group. He has been instrumental in accelerating the Zero Waste movement in South Baltimore.

The National Zero Waste Conference is a two day educational and networking event organized by the National Recycling Coalition.

Hosted by Jessica Aldridge from SoCal 350 and Adventures in Waste

Engineer: Blake Lampkin

Executive Producer: Jack Eidt

Show Created by Mark and JP Morris

Music: Javier Kadry

Episode 58

Photo courtesy Meleny Thomas

This is PART TWO of a special seven-part series, called, “The Plastic Plague: Connecting the Dots between Extraction, Inequity, and Pollution.”

REFINEMENT - Once extracted, how does oil and gas become the resin that will eventually be the plastic we use in our daily lives? Then we buy these products, the social and environmental justice issues are covered up by cool marketing campaigns.

On this episode, we will breakdown how fossil fuels become plastic and follow the train of economic interests and irresponsibility. We will hear from front-line activists dealing with plastic manufacturing and the impact to their communities’ quality of life.

Our guests include Diane Wilson, Executive Director of San Antonio Bay Estuarine Waterkeeper; Sharon Lavigne, Founding Director of RISE St. James; and Jim Vallette, President of Material Research L3C. Hosted by Jessica Aldridge.

LINKS & RESOURCES

Diane Wilson, Executive Director, San Antonio Bay Estuarine Waterkeeper

Social Media: @UnreasonableWoman http://www.breakfreefromplastic.org/

Diane is a fourth-generation shrimper, mother of five, author of three books, and an environmental, peace, and social justice advocate who during the last 30 years launched legislative campaigns, demonstrations, hunger strikes, sunk boats, and even climbed chemical towers in her fight to protect her Gulf Coast bay. She is executive director of San Antonio Bay Estuarine Waterkeeper and recently won the largest ever citizen Clean Water suit against the plastic polluter Formosa Plastics, accruing $50 million in penalties against them and achieving zero discharge of plastics from their facility.

Sharon Lavigne, Founding Director of RISE St. James

Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/risestjames/

Sharon is the Founding Director of RISE St. James, and founding executive member of the Coalition Against Death Alley. She is a dedicated activist committed to protecting her community of St. James, Louisiana. She was a teacher for 39 years and loves working with children. It is her conviction that God ignited this environmental justice fight with in her.

Jim Vallette, President, Material Research L3C

Social Media: https://materialresearch.net/

Jim is President and co-founder of Material Research L3C. In 2019, they investigated the delivery of tar sands by rail through Portland, Oregon, the life cycle impacts of 20 toxic chemicals (with Earthjustice), and completed a global inventory of the chlorine industry, the source of many of the world's most problematic petrochemicals and plastics.

Hosted by Jessica Aldridge from SoCal 350 and Adventures in Waste

Engineer: Blake Lampkin

Executive Producer: Jack Eidt

Producer: Georgia Tunioli

Show Created by Mark and JP Morris

Music: Javier Kadry

Episode 57

Photo Credit: Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Hear urban planner and anti-nuclear activist Torgen Johnson present information regarding the stranded nuclear waste situation at the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station located at the northern end of San Diego County. Torgen discusses with co=host Carry Kim the inherent dangers and risks to the public and surrounding communities, the involvement of Congressman Mike Levin’s task force, and what the public can do to reduce those risks.

Additionally, learn about potential impacts to indigenous communities in New Mexico that could be imposed by the Holtec International C.I.S. waste plan. The nuclear waste issue at San Onofre presents the largest and most complex decommissioning of a nuclear power plant in the U.S. and will undoubtedly set a precedent of how we do or do not prioritize the public's safety regarding the containment and location of the waste on a national level.

More info: https://sanonofresafety.org/

Sign This Petition: https://www.change.org/p/san-onofre-nuclear-waste-recall-defective-storage-system

Torgen Johnson holds a professional degree in Architecture from the University of Southern California, and two Masters degrees in Urban Design and large Landscape Planning from Harvard University. He is the founder of Johnson Design in Solana Beach and formerly Paradigm Design in the U.S. Virgin Islands, both of which are multi-disciplinary design firms with services in urban design, urban planning, community-based planning, landscape design, and architecture. More recently Mr. Johnson has become involved in energy issues related to nuclear power in California, with outreach to Japan and the Northeastern U.S. He resides in Solana Beach with his wife and their four children.

Interview by Carry Kim

Intro by Jessica Aldridge

Engineer: Blake Lampkin

Executive Producer: Jack Eidt

Show Created by Mark and JP Morris

Music: Javier Kadry

Episode 56

This is Installment Two of our National Zero Waste Conference series meant to elevate the voices featured during the two-day event in Berkeley, California (postponed this year). Our guests are Mike Sangiacomo, President & Chief Executive Officer of Recology and Eric Potashner, Vice President & Senior Director of Recology, speaking with our host, Jessica Aldridge from Adventures in Waste.

More Info: https://zwconference.org/

What is the responsibility of the businesses creating the products we use, including packaging material? Should they share in the responsibility to ensure a product is truly recyclable or compostable in current markets? What is their role if a product they create cannot be readily recycled and composted? Should the product have a minimum recycled content in order to stimulate a healthy economy for recycled resin? Or is it alright for their responsibility to be completely abandoned once a product is sold and consumed?

On this show we dive into these questions and talk about what is happening with California legislation that is looking to reduce plastic pollution and support recycling and Circular Economy efforts.

Ballot Measure website: https://plasticsfreeca.org/

MICHAEL J. SANGIACOMO has served as the Recology President & Chief Executive Officer and a member of its Board of Directors since November 1990. Over the past three decades, under Mr. Sangiacomo’s leadership, Recology, an integrated resource recovery company, has expanded its operations from Northern California to include more than 60 operating solid waste processing companies and facilities across California, Washington, and Oregon. As the largest employee-owned company in the waste and recycling industry, Recology serves 140 communities along the West Coast.

Website: https://www.recology.com/

ERIC POTASHNER joined Recology’s Corporate team in 2012. Eric is responsible for a team that executes on the company’s strategies for government affairs, permitting, planning, and community and media relations across California, Oregon, and Washington.

The National Zero Waste Conference is a two day educational and networking event organized by the National Recycling Coalition.

Hosted by Jessica Aldridge from SoCal 350 and Adventures in Waste

Engineer: Blake Lampkin

Executive Producer: Jack Eidt

Show Created by Mark and JP Morris

Music: Javier Kadry

Episode 55

Photo credit: Greenpeace USA

This is PART ONE of a special seven-part series, called, “The Plastic Plague: Connecting the Dots between Extraction, Inequity, and Pollution.”

As most people understand, plastic originates from oil and fracked natural gas. In order to limit the flow of plastic, we must look to the well from which it came, before it ever becomes waste.

The rapid growth of cheap fracked gas in the past decade has led to accelerating methane emissions, a potent greenhouse gas planet warmer. Drilling and fracking leads to serious public health and safety impacts, poisoning and destroying public lands and wildlife, and contaminating our air and water.

The fight against the expansion of new oil development and the fight to reduce plastics pollution are inseparable. To stop the flow of plastic, you have to go to its beginning.

On today’s episode (part 1 of a 7-part series), we tackle the beginnings of plastic at the source of its initial social and environmental impacts.

Jane Patton is the Senior Campaigner, Environmental Health Program - Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL). Jane has been a campaigner, coordinator, and organizer for many years with global movements and organizations working to stop plastic pollution at the source, including in her home state of Louisiana.

Social Media: https://twitter.com/ciel_tweets, http://www.ciel.org/, http://www.stopformosa.org/

Sharon Wilson the Senior Organizer, for Earthworks is a 5th generation Texan who pursued her dream of living in the country with her two sons surrounded by her animals. Her beautiful country farm turned into a fracking sacrifice zone and Sharon became @TXsharon (https://twitter.com/TexasSharon), a leading activist fighting against oil and gas. Blog: http://www.texassharon.com/

Ethan Buckner the Energy Campaigner of Earthworks is a longtime social movement organizer and singer/songwriter living in Los Angeles. As Earthworks’ Energy Campaigner, Ethan works alongside communities directly impacted by oil, gas, and petrochemical companies to fight for a fossil-free future.

Social Media: Twitter https://twitter.com/ethanbuckner & Facebook https://www.facebook.com/earthworksaction/IG: @earthworksaction

Hosted by Jessica Aldridge from SoCal 350 and Adventures in Waste

Engineer: Blake Lampkin

Executive Producer: Jack Eidt

Producer: Georgia Tunioli

Show Created by Mark and JP Morris

Music: Javier Kadry

Episode 54