Greening Up My Act: A Sustainable Living Podcast

Feeling isolated? You're not alone (ironically). Community is probably the solution, but how do you find it or build it today? Let's talk about what community means, how to build it, and why it's not your fault if you feel like it's harder today than it should be. Plus: can community be dangerous? Find out this week on your favorite sustainability and joy podcast!

Sources

• Psychology Today: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/what-the-wild-things-are/202307/the-importance-of-community
• Ikeda Center: https://www.ikedacenter.org/resources/what-community-and-why-it-important 
• Motherly: https://www.mother.ly/relationships/community-friendship/making-mom-friends-viral-reel/ 
• The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/wellness/2025/feb/05/how-to-build-community 
• The Art of Community: Seven Principles for Belonging 

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Traveling is great, but in this economy?! As anti-tourist sentiments heat up abroad, finding ways to enjoy your local area as a tourist destination is a better idea than ever. Get ideas and tips from Tiff and Kat on how to play tourist in your town to increase your local pride and hey, be a more conscientious tourist wherever you go!

Sources:

• NY Times - https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/16/arts/design/louvre-staff-strikes-tourism.html
• ABC News - https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Travel/us-travelers-amid-anti-tourism-protests-europe/story?id=122771547
• Global Rescue - https://www.globalrescue.com/common/blog/detail/us-policy-shifts-impact-american-travelers-negative-perception/
• The Points Guy - https://thepointsguy.com/news/new-travel-survey-2025/
• Vox - https://www.vox.com/even-better/23801678/explore-your-city-tourist
• https://www.stateparks.org/

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Trying to buy less shite from Amazon but feel a little... intimidated by mom-and-pops (like, do you have to talk to people)? Tiff and Kat are here to teach you the basics, like what does shop local mean. Buying local is one way to get the stuff you need — and build community along the way. Learn how they managed to cut through the awkwardness, so you can get started in your hometown. 

Sources

• LatinoFreeze: https://www.latinofreeze.com/
• Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/dougmelville/2025/03/17/do-boycotts-work-as-targets-traffic-declines-tesla--others-see-shifts-with-consumers/ 
• Newsweek: https://www.newsweek.com/target-facing-permanent-boycott-june-2079736
• Forbes again: https://www.forbes.com/sites/allysonkapin/2025/03/11/economic-boycotts-how-small-businesses-can-benefit/ 
• Mountain West Chamber of Commerce: https://www.mountainwestchamber.org/blog/2022/10/31/how-small-business-season-keeps-money-in-our-community 

Patreon: patreon.com/greeningupmyact
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Email us with questions: [email protected]
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People around the world are obsessed with coffee. But with climate change threatening coffee-growing ecosystems, will mushroom coffee soon be our only option? Pour yourself a cup of Joe and settle in for a cozy chat about why we love coffee, why it's (probably) good for us, and how to choose your brew a little more sustainably. 

Buy Us a Coffee ☕ If you love our show, show your support!  

Sources

• Drive Research - Coffee Statistics -  https://www.driveresearch.com/market-research-company-blog/coffee-survey/
• Daily Coffee News - https://dailycoffeenews.com/2023/10/23/nca-economic-impact-report-us-consumers-spend-301-million-per-day-on-coffee
• John Hopkins Medicine - https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/9-reasons-why-the-right-amount-of-coffee-is-good-for-you
• Clive Coffee – How Climate Change is Affecting Coffee - https://clivecoffee.com/blogs/learn/how-climate-change-is-affecting-coffee
• PBS - History of Coffee - https://www.pbs.org/food/stories/history-coffee
• Food and Wine - The Price of Coffee is at at All Time High - https://www.foodandwine.com/coffee-prices-record-high-8782049

Patreon: patreon.com/greeningupmyact
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Thrifting is on trend again, which is mostly awesome in terms of sustainability. But before you Google "thrift stores near me" to go pop some tags, listen as hosts Tiff and Kat chat about how to thrift responsibly — mostly by avoiding those dang ole thrift hauls. Whether you're headed to a Salvation Army thrift store or a more local second hand store, you'll also want their top tips on how to nab the best finds.

Sources

• Martha Stewart: https://www.marthastewart.com/shopping-tips-thrift-stores-8765480
• The Cut: https://www.thecut.com/2023/04/the-ultimate-guide-to-thrifting-ethically.html 
• Seattle Times: https://www.seattletimes.com/life/food-drink/the-surprising-truth-about-gen-zs-shift-from-malls-to-thrift-shops/ 
• Luna & Blue Vintage - https://www.etsy.com/shop/Lunaandbluevintage

Patreon: patreon.com/greeningupmyact
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Take a stroll with us — or a fart walk, if you will — to learn more about why walking is so great. Can walking actually improve your digestion (the fart walk question)? Is running better for you than walking? And is it better to walk in nature or on city streets? We highly recommend listening to this on an actual walk, so grab your headphones and get moving (just be safe). 

Sources:

• Harvard - Five Surprising Benefits of Walking - https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/5-surprising-benefits-of-walking
• Healthline - Fart Walking May Promote Digestive Health, Lower Diabetes Risk - https://www.healthline.com/health-news/fart-walking-digestive-health-trend
• NBC News - Why walking is the most underrated form of exercise - https://www.nbcnews.com/better/health/why-walking-most-underrated-form-exercise-ncna797271
• Healthline - Which is better for your health: walking or running? - https://www.healthline.com/health/walking-vs-running
• NY Times - Running vs. Walking: Which is Better for Lasting Health? - https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/14/well/move/walking-running-health-benefits.html
• Science Direct - City walk or nature walk? - https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S16188667250006

Patreon: patreon.com/greeningupmyact
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What makes a plant invasive? Join as hosts Tiff and Kat take you through the strange, un-wonderful world of invasive plants. Learn how to tell if a plant is invasive — and how to get rid of them, or at the very least stop them from spreading in your neighborhood (and farther). Start demolishing with your favorite sustainability podcast!

As Amazon affiliates, the hosts may get a small commission from some of these links.

• Maryland DNR: https://dnr.maryland.gov/wildlife/documents/invasive_plants_cards.pdf
• Nature Conservancy: https://www.nature.org/en-us/about-us/where-we-work/united-states/indiana/stories-in-indiana/kudzu-invasive-species/ 
• Smithsonian Mag: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/true-story-kudzu-vine-ate-south-180956325/ 
• Forest Service: https://www.fs.usda.gov/wildflowers/features/books/northeastbooks.shtml 
• Book rec from US Forest Service: Invasive Plants: A Guide to Identification, Impacts, and Control of Common North American Species: https://amzn.to/3ZXkI8m

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Email us with questions: [email protected]
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When was the last time you burrowed into a really great book? Kat and Tiff burrow deep into why reading books (not screens) is good for you and how to get back into it without breaking the bank or destroying the environment. 

Sources:

• ELA Brave and True - High School Students Can’t Focus and Here’s Why - https://elabraveandtrue.com/2022/12/08/why-students-cant-focus-to-read-books
• Education from Seattle PI - The Advantages of Sustained Silent Reading - https://education.seattlepi.com/advantages-sustained-silent-reading-1638.html
• NIH - How Does Fiction Readng Influence Empathy? - https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3559433/
• JCFS - The Importance of Having Books in Your Home - https://www.jcfs.org/blog/importance-having-books-your-home
• Chicago Review of Books - Book Waste: The Dangers of Publishing and the Ethical Consumption of Books - https://chireviewofbooks.com/2023/12/07/book-waste-the-dangers-of-publishing-and-the-ethical-consumption-of-books/
• Statista - Mean Annual Expenditure on Books Per Consumer in the U.S. - https://www.statista.com/statistics/191043/us-consumer-spending-on-books-since-2002
• Automateed - 2024 Amazon Book Sales Statistics - https://automateed.com/amazon-book-sales-statistics/
• Bookshop.org

Patreon: patreon.com/greeningupmyact
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Email us with questions: [email protected]
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Atomic Habits not quite click with you? Same. In this episode, Tiff and Kat analyze the James Clear book, Atomic Habits -- and figure out a few reasons why the advice seems so unrelatable. In a brief step away from sustainability topics, the two hosts explore embracing your sloppiness and taking the pressure off yourself, away from this need to constantly achieve, strive, and produce. 

As Amazon affiliates, the podcast hosts may get a small commission on some of the links below.

Sources

• James Clear, Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones
• Motherboard Press Instagram

Patreon: patreon.com/greeningupmyact
Instagram: @greeningupmyact
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Email us with questions: [email protected]
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It's spring cleaning time! Explore eco-friendly ways to clean out your closets and really get into those crevices based on Tiff & Kat's favorite methods.

Sources:

• www.ridwell.com

Patreon: patreon.com/greeningupmyact
Instagram: @greeningupmyact
Facebook: Greening Up My Act
Email us with questions: [email protected]
YouTube: Greening Up My Act