Ken Cook Is Having Another Episode

Ken’s having another episode, one that quite a lot of people are having lately, all about the federal job layoffs. This is a little bit tricky, as Ken and EWG have at times been critical of the very agencies that are in the Trump administration’s crosshairs.

To help Ken unpack this, he’s joined by his friend and environmental hero, Peter Galvin. Peter is one of the founders and the director of programs for the Center for Biological Diversity. They talk about policy, strategies for the next four years, and how their organizations will rise to the occasion to ensure all Americans have a cleaner, safer, non-toxic future.

For a deeper dive into today’s discussion:

The Center for Biological Diversity

Frequent Questions and Answers: Draft Sewage Sludge Risk Assessment for PFOA and PFOS (EPA)

WHAT THEY ARE SAYING: EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin to Unleash American Greatness as Head of EPA

ICYMI: Administrator Zeldin on Record-Breaking Response: How EPA Tackled California’s Wildfire Crisis

PFAS in sludge spread on farmland poses health risks, EPA report says

OPM-OMB Memo Guidance on Agency RIF and Reorganization Plans Requested by Implementing The President’s “Department of Government Efficiency” Workforce Optimization Initiative 2-26-2025

She Lobbied for a Carcinogen. Now She’s at the E.P.A., Approving New Chemicals (NYTimes)

PFAS Rule Withdrawn

Ken Cook Is Having Another Episode every other week.

@kencookspodcast

www.ewg.org

@environmentalworkinggroup

The meat industry has been consolidating rapidly for decades, concentrating its power in a way that creates problems not only for the environment but also for farming communities in the U.S. and around the world.

In today’s episode, Ken is joined by Chloe Sorvino, a journalist at Forbes and author of the new book “Raw Deal: Hidden Corruption, Corporate Greed, and the Fight for the Future of Meat.” Chloe unravels a tangled web of bribery, deceit, and international corporate intrigue as she explores the dark side of the modern industrialized meat industry.

For a deeper dive into today’s discussion:

Chloe's website

Raw Deal: Hidden Corruption, Corporate Greed, and the Fight for the Future of Meat.

EWG Food Scores: Meat

Decoding Meat And Dairy Product Labels

Ken Cook Is Having Another Episode every other week.

@kencookspodcast

www.ewg.org

@environmentalworkinggroup

Ken Cook is having another episode, and this one is all about two R’s: Red Dye 3 and RFK Jr.

Ken is joined by his fellow public interest leader Dr. Peter Lurie, the  president and executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, or CSPI. He has a storied career in public health, including a stint as the Food and Drug Administration’s associate commissioner for public health strategy and analysis during the Obama administration.

Thanks to a petition CSPI filed with the FDA in 2022 FDA petition, Red Dye 3 is now banned from use in food products in the U.S.

In today’s episode, Ken and Dr. Lurie celebrate that victory and discuss how CSPI, EWG, and other public interest groups are rising to meet this challenging political moment for public health.

For a deeper dive into today’s discussion:

www.cspinet.org

EWG Food Scores: Red Dye 3

What is GRAS?

Thank you to our live-stream guests

Day One:

Dr. Rob Davidson, Executive Director of The Committee to Protect Health Care

Dr. Georges Benjamin, Executive Director of American Public Health Association 

Day Two:

Tom Philpott, Senior Research Analyst at Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future

Executive Director Northe Saunders and Advocacy Director Jen Herricks at SAFE Communities Coalition Action Fund

Max Goldberg, founder of the newsletter Organic Insider

Darya Minovi, Senior Analyst at The Center for Science and Democracy at The Union of Concerned Scientists

Author and entrepreneur, Robyn O’Brien

Ken Cook Is Having Another Episode every other week.

@kencookspodcast

www.ewg.org

@environmentalworkinggroup

Our skin is our largest organ, and applying some personal care products may let harmful chemicals sink into the body. That’s why Ken feels so strongly about the importance of non-toxic beauty alternatives.

In today’s episode, he’s joined by Hillary Peterson, the founder of True Botanicals, a skincare company offering products without problematic ingredients. Hillary is a cancer survivor who was motivated to start her company after listening to Ken speak on NPR about how chemicals in personal care products end up in the umbilical cord blood in pregnant people.

Every True Botanicals product is EWG Verified® and sourced with organic regenerative farm and wild harvest ingredients. Now entering their tenth year, True Botanicals is dedicated to reimagining what responsible, ethical beauty looks like. Ken and Hillary discuss her journey, influences, and what’s next in the world of better beauty.

For a deeper dive into today’s discussion:

True Botanicals Website

Food Forest Network

Skin Deep

EWG’s Tap Water Database

Body Burden: The Pollution in Newborns (EWG)

Ken Cook Is Having Another Episode every other week.

@kencookspodcast

www.ewg.org

@environmentalworkinggroup

Chemicals in our food, water, and air are risk factors contributing to the rise of Parkinson’s disease. It’s  the fastest-growing brain disease in the world, creating urgency to address not just treatment for Parkinson’s but also its causes.

Today’s guest is Dr. Ray Dorsey, a neurologist who co-authored the book, “Ending Parkinson’s Disease: A Prescription for Action.” He explains why Parkinson’s is a man-made disease and how eliminating harmful chemicals in food, water, and air could help get rid of it. EWG is on a mission to ban harmful pesticides like paraquat that have links to Parkinson’s disease. We’re thrilled to have Ray as an ally and leader in the fight. Head on over to BanParaquat.org to join the effort.

For a deeper dive into today’s discussion:

Paraquat Papers

BanParaquat.org

Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides

Ken Cook Is Having Another Episode every other week.

@kencookspodcast

www.ewg.org

@environmentalworkinggroup

At EWG we believe everyone should have access to safe products, clean drinking water, healthy food, and clean air. We believe in that so much that we’ve spent decades fighting for you.

Ken sits down with his colleagues Scott Faber and Jocelyn Lyle to discuss EWG’s impact in 2024 and what’s to come in 2025. From a potential Red dye-3 ban to pesticides in produce to PFAS in your drinking water, EWG has made incredible progress.

We’ll have our challenges in 2025 but we’re ready to face them head-on, but not before we celebrate this year’s successes with you, our listeners. Thank you for your support and we’re excited to do it again with you next year.

For a deeper dive into today’s discussion:

EWG’s Dirty Dozen

EWG Verified

EWG’s Healthy Living App

Alaska Community Action on Toxics

Breast Cancer Prevention Partners

Center for Environmental Health

Clean Water Action

Natural Resources Defense Council

Sierra Club

Illinois Environmental Council

 

Defend Our Health

Maryland PIRG

Alliance for a Healthier Tomorrow

Resilient Sisterhood Project

Ecology Center

Women’s Voices for the Earth

Clean + Healthy

Earthjustice

Clean Cape Fear

North Carolina Conservation Network

Oregon Environmental Council

Vermont Conservation Voters

Vermont Natural Resources Council

Vermont Public Interest Research Group

Toxic-Free Future

Zero Waste Washington

Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments

 

Break Free From Plastic

Center for Environmental Health

Clean Production Action

Commonweal

Consumer Reports

Environmental Defense Fund

International Pollutants Elimination Network

Learning Disabilities Association of America

National Caucus of Environmental Legislators

Silent Spring Institute

Toxic-Free Future

Union of Concerned Scientists

Ken Cook Is Having Another Episode every other week.

@kencookspodcast

www.ewg.org

@environmentalworkinggroup

We know which healthy choices we need to make to improve our diet and health but it can seem so daunting in the moment. In today’s episode Ken is joined by pharmacist turned wellness content creator, Mona Vand to tackle exactly that. Sometimes it doesn’t feel convenient to eat healthy or find healthy options when you need something quick but Mona helps reframe how to approach food prep and what to look for.

If you travel as frequently as Ken and Mona, eating healthy can be very tricky. Mona provides some great tips to improve your energy and how to eat healthy and move your body while on the road.

For a deeper dive into today’s discussion:

MonaVand.com

Mona's Instagram

EWG’s Dirty Dozen

EWG Verified

EWG’s Healthy Living App

Ken Cook Is Having Another Episode every other week.

@kencookspodcast

www.ewg.org

@environmentalworkinggroup

No matter your politics, you want the food you and your family eat every day to be safe. So why do so many of the products on the grocery store shelves have worrisome  food chemical additives that have been banned in other countries, including many linked to cancer and behavioral problems in children.

To help unravel this, Ken is joined by EWG’s Vice President of Government Affairs Melanie Benesh to do a deep dive into the world of food additives. They discuss how the failures by federal regulators at the FDA have allowed food companies to add troubling chemicals linked to serious health problems into countless foods, and how some states like California are taking a stand on behalf of consumers. 

For a deeper dive into today’s discussion:

EWG’s Dirty Dozen

EWG Verified

EWG’s Healthy Living App

What is Propyl Paraben?

Propyl Paraben: Are you eating an endocrine disruptor?

Common food additives in Cap’n Crunch and Apple Jacks cereal may harm human health

Thousands of children’s sweets STILL contain additive unsafe for human consumption

California agency acknowledges synthetic food dyes’ link to hyperactivity and behavioral problems in kids

Ken Cook Is Having Another Episode every other week.

@kencookspodcast

www.ewg.org

@environmentalworkinggroup

Babies are our most vulnerable population when it comes to chemical exposure. And yet, many baby products contain endocrine-disrupting chemicals.

Entrepreneur, environmentalist, and trailblazer Shazi Visram wants to protect the next generation. Shazi’s mission isn’t just business, it’s personal, and the subject of neurological health is particularly close to her heart. 

Shazi is the creator of the groundbreaking baby food company Happy Baby and has launched her newest venture - HealthyBaby. Her line of baby personal care products are all EWG Verified.

In today’s episode Ken and Shazi sit down after an EWG board meeting to talk about her journey, what inspires her, and why being EWG-verified is so important to her.

For a deeper dive into today’s discussion:

Shazi's website

Happy Family Organics

HealthyBaby

EWG Verified

EWG’s Healthy Living App

Ken Cook Is Having Another Episode every other week.

@kencookspodcast

www.ewg.org

@environmentalworkinggroup

Do you need an election recovery tool kit? Well, you’ve come to the right place. In today’s episode, Ken is joined by activist, educator, author, and podcast host, Jenna Arnold. Her book, Raising Our Hands, dives deep into conversations with white women about their identity, role in the country, and how to become more engaged citizens to make the changes we desperately need.

As a Women’s March Organizer, Jenna is constantly asking questions about what went wrong, what can be done next and what we need to learn more about.

For a deeper dive into today’s discussion:

Jenna Arnold’s Website

Raising Our Hands How White Women Can Stop Avoiding Hard Conversations, Start Accepting Responsibility, And Find Our Place on the New Front Lines

Jenna’s Instagram @itsjenna

Jenna’s Podcast Let’s Begin

Ken Cook Is Having Another Episode every other week.

@kencookspodcast

www.ewg.org

@environmentalworkinggroup