Green Dreamer: Seeding change towards collective healing, sustainability, regeneration

Why is it so damn difficult to change or solidify environmental policy at a national level? Here, I share what the "Iron Triangle" is in U.S. politics and what we can do as individuals to support systemic change.

Find the full show notes with references linked at www.GreenDreamer.com/78, sign up for our Weekly Newsletter to  be automatically entered to win our monthly giveaways, and follow me on Instagram @KameaChayne where I'll be sharing more of my inspirations, tips, and learning lessons along the way. Thanks for bringing your light! x

How can we get people who are very much still seduced by fast fashion into the idea of buying less and buying better? How can we deal with perfectionism in terms of sustainable living, and be able to just enjoy this journey rather than just constantly feel bad or feel like we're not enough?

Sharing her wisdom today is Signe Hansen, content creator behind the blog and YouTube channel, Use Less, which explores minimalism, sustainable fashion, and lifestyle.

Let's dive in.

HIGHLIGHTS

[8:43] How Signe deals with perfectionism and criticism from viewers.

[10:54] What Signe says has been one of the keys to growing her audience.

[13:55] Kaméa: "What's been the biggest life lesson you've learned since you've really cut down and embraced minimalism?".

[20:40] Kaméa: "What can we do to inspire the consumers who are still very into fast fashion?"

[21:54] A few benefits of minimalism that don't have to do with sustainability.

[23:03] How the fear of missing out is a huge driver of over-consumption and how we can combat that.

Thanks for bringing your light! Find the full show notes with links and resources at www.greendreamer.com/77, and share your #1 takeaway from the episode tagging our featured guest and me @KameaChayne to spread the light and to let us know you're tuning in!

What if more people with great influence on popular culture were to more boldly speak up for sustainability? What would it mean for our world if we had models who were role models, who stood up for public health, social and environmental welfare, and who represent brands that actually align with their personal values?

Sharing her wisdom on this episode is Anne Therese Bengtsson, a former New York City model and Co-Founder of Role Models Management, which is on a mission to redefine what it means to be a model. She's also the podcast host of Hey Change, where she inspires people to embrace curiosity and positivity and promotes an ethical and sustainable way of life.

Let's dive in.

HIGHLIGHTS

[8:28] How the modeling industry works and how Role Models Management sets itself apart.

[10:09] Kaméa: "What do you think having models whose personal values align with the brands they work with (and vice versa) will make possible for our world and for consumers?"

[13:22] How Anne gets past imposter syndrome.

[15:49] Some social issues within the modeling industry we should know.

[22:10] Anne: "Sometimes, the only thing you need to do is speak up once, plant the seed in someone's head, and then that's going to grow... and we need to plant the seeds today."

Thanks for bringing your light! Find the full show notes with links and resources at www.greendreamer.com/76, and share your #1 takeaway from the episode tagging our featured guest and me @KameaChayne to spread the light and to let us know you're tuning in!

You're reading this on an electronic device. Do you know what happens to electronics after they're disposed of? Here are 7 shocking things I learned when I dug deeper into this topic, as well as simple things we can do to help address issues around e-waste.

Find the full show notes with references linked at www.GreenDreamer.com/75, and follow me on Instagram @KameaChayne where I'll be sharing more of my inspirations, tips, and learning lessons along the way. Thanks for bringing your light! x

What do we need to know about how our skin and hair products may be impacting our ocean's health? Given that our underwater world feels so distant, how can we inspire people to feel more connected to our oceans to want to protect them?

Alicia Ward, a professional underwater photographer and Co-Founder of See Through Sea, which is dedicated to ocean conservation and the art of underwater storytelling, shares her wisdom with us.

HIGHLIGHTS: 

[6:39] Kaméa: "How did you learn to free-dive and how long did it take to master that?"

[9:00] How Alicia and her husband, Jim, started See Through Sea.

[10:48] Alicia discusses what it was like to be one of the very few young, female underwater photographers in an male-dominated industry.

[13:34] Alicia shares a few of her most touching memories from her underwater adventures.

[22:05] Alicia: "The things we put on our bodies should be safe not only for us but for the ocean as well." 

[23:24] Kaméa: "What do you think is the best way for us to inspire the public to think about our ocean's health?"

Thanks for bringing your light! Find the full show notes with links and resources at www.greendreamer.com/74, and share your #1 takeaway from the episode tagging our featured guest and me @KameaChayne to spread the light and to let us know you're tuning in!

What are the social and environmental impacts of travel that we should be aware of? Why do we need to redefine what it means to be a tourist so that traveling can become a more sustainable leisure activity?

Evelina Utterdahl, the ethical and sustainable travel blogger behind Earth Wanderess (who decided to stop flying this year) shares her wisdom with us on this episode.

HIGHLIGHTS:

[14:20] Eve discusses the privilege of having the time, money, and powerful passport to be able to travel freely.

[16:32] Eve on the social and environmental costs of travel we should know.

[19:56] Easy things we can do as tourists to support local economies and help address the social and environmental costs of travel.

[22:21] Eve: "I think we need to change the mindset that traveling has to be far away or exotic... It can be in your own hometown."

[26:36] The greatest life lesson Eve has learned through her travels.

Thanks for bringing your light! Find the full show notes with links and resources at www.greendreamer.com/73, and share your #1 takeaway from the episode tagging our featured guest and me @KameaChayne to spread the light and to let us know you're tuning in!

Given that with soil degradation, we only have 60 years of top soil left... but also that only a tiny percentage of food waste is currently being composted to help regenerate healthy soils, how can we get started in composting even if for the first time?

Special guest of our Bloom Tuesday episode, Celia Ristow of Litterless, shares her expertise with us.

Find the full show notes with references linked at www.GreenDreamer.com/72, and follow me on Instagram @KameaChayne where I'll be sharing more of my inspirations, tips, and learning lessons along the way. Thanks for bringing your light! x

What do we need to know about the environmental impact of modern-day burials, and what are "green burials" all about? Given that our burial methods used to be eco-friendly, how did we come to accept an environmentally harmful and financially costly way of running our funeral services as the norm?

'The Green Reaper' Elizabeth Fournier, who's the Founder of Cornerstone Funeral Services in Boring, Oregon and author of The Green Burial Guidebook shares her wisdom with us on this episode.

HIGHLIGHTS:

[3:16] How Elizabeth came to become a "green mortician."

[8:16] Elizabeth explains what's involved in a traditional burial process versus a "green" burial process.

[11:24] Kaméa: "How did we as a society come to accept an environmentally harmful and economically costly way of doing burials?"

[14:11] Elizabeth: "You have the right to ask questions."

[15:08] A few things Elizabeth says everyone should know about the laws and requirements around burials.

[20:35] Kaméa: "What's been your biggest struggle building your business by yourself?"

[21:43] What's kept Elizabeth going during the moments when she has felt imbalanced in life.

[24:54] Elizabeth: "Love is the answer, I can't say that enough."

Thanks for bringing your light! Find the full show notes with links and resources at www.greendreamer.com/71, and share your #1 takeaway from the episode tagging our featured guest and me @KameaChayne to spread the light and to let us know you're tuning in!

What do we need to know about impact investing and how can that help us accelerate towards a healthier, thriving planet? Why does the traditional idea of first making as much money as possible (at the cost of social and environmental welfare) and then donating to good causes to address those very problems not make sense?

Ibrahim AlHusseini, the Founder of FullCycle Energy Fund, a renowned impact investor, environmentalist, and highly-regarded speaker shares his wisdom with us. Let's dive in.

HIGHLIGHTS

[8:20] What led Ibrahim to become a socially and environmentally driven investor.  

[11:48] Ibrahim tells us about his company, FullCycle Energy Fund, which funds companies with the goal of turning landfill waste into energy.

[14:39] Ibrahim explains how we are actually able to turn trash into renewable energy.

[21:55] Kaméa: "When it comes to impact investing, what do you look for in a company or project to see if it has potential to really take off, scale, and create huge positive impact?"

[26:12] Kaméa: "Why do you think it is that we know what it takes to improve public welfare and the health of our planet, but we still get all of these forces going against that?"

[26:54] Ibrahim: "If we cooperate, we can all live a much healthier life than if we continue to compete the way we're competing."

[27:31] What Ibrahim says we can do as individuals to help promote positive change.

Thanks for bringing your light! Find the full show notes with links and resources at www.greendreamer.com/70, and share your #1 takeaway from the episode tagging our featured guest and me @KameaChayne to spread the light and to let us know you're tuning in!

With indoor air pollution often being worse than outdoor air pollution even in urban spaces, how can we reduce our exposure to toxic chemicals in our homes for our health?

Special guest of our Bloom Tuesday episode, Nimi Kelloway of Haute Coton, shares her expertise with us.

Find the full show notes with references linked at www.GreenDreamer.com/69, and follow me on Instagram @KameaChayne where I'll be sharing more of my inspirations, tips, and learning lessons along the way. Thanks for bringing your light! x