Live. Well. Green.

So, do those feelings of dread and guilt about the environment make you feel like you could spiral out of control if you spend time looking at it, so you just shut your eyes and hope it goes away, but it never really does?

Well, today we are going to tackle those feelings using the concept of “Emotional Agency”, it has worked really well for me. To be honest, this has been THE MOST meaningful concept that I have applied in my life. I have used it every single time I have had a significant and unwanted challenge.

I talk about how finding acceptance, helped me through the very difficult fall of 2013 and how the lessons I learned during that time can be applied to how difficult it can be to face the environmental challenges and the grief and sadness that can come with that.

After acceptance, we can move forward with empathy - for others and for ourselves. And this leads us to Emotional Agency, where we know that we have meaningful influence over our internal life.

We are living in this situation of climate uncertainty, an uncharted path away from fossil fuels, and an ecological tipping point. But we get to choose our response and in our response lies our growth and freedom.

So, my experience of taking the grief and sadness of a situation and turning it into meaningful action. It involves:
accepting the path before us
feeling empathy towards others AND ourselves
finding our agency

In the coming episodes we will get into what those actions look like.

If you are interested in exploring these issues further, head on over to my website, KristinaHunterFlourishing.com.

Hit the “let’s chat button” if you are a professional woman and are deeply concerned about climate change and the state of the world that we are leaving to future generations and want some guidance on the best steps to take.
I would LOVE to connect with you!

While you are there, sign up for the Flourishing Fridays newsletter. It is your weekly guide to Sustainable Wellbeing and effective environmental action.

Want to be transported to a gorgeous fall day for a tour of a regular city yard where Lori and Keith Michaelson grow dozens of varieties of vegetables, beans, greens, berries, and even fruits in a city that gets only 120 frost-free days each year? It is an urban farm that not only produces food all year-round but is a connecting point for the community's kids and neighbors.

It might surprise you, to find the variety of foods that can be produced from a garden in this climate and some of the edibles may also be new to you - Hosta sprouts anyone?

For the full show notes, photos of the garden and even a few recipes head over here:
https://www.kristinahunterflourishing.com/blog/the-gardening-life-with-lori-and-keith-michaelson

We know that Fair Trade is a certification system that helps to ensure social justice and environmental sustainability in the supply chain of common commodities, but how exactly does it do this and what are the standards that it upholds?

In this interview with Editors Zack Gross, Sean McHugh and contributor Monika Firl, we get up close accounts of how the Fair Trade system provides us with coffee, tea, coca, chocolate and a myriad of other goods in a way that is fair and equitable for the farmers. We get a first-hand account of the difference that this can make in the farmers' lives and see how the Fair Trade system is a route to decolonization and climate justice.

In his review of the book, Adam Sneyd, of the University of Guelph says, “Covering timely issues including decolonization and solidarity, climate change, and the impacts of new environmental, social, and governance criteria on global supply chains, The Fair Trade Handbook is an essential guide on the path that leads to a more sustainable and inclusive world.” This is high praise, but it also speaks to the reality of how enormous and wide-ranging the issues of trade can be.

In this interview, we break it down to better understand what Fair Trade really means and how the average consumer can play a role, not just at the grocery store, but also in their religious group, campus community, town or city.

For the full show notes head over to https://www.kristinahunterflourishing.com/blog/the-fair-trade-handbook-building-a-better-world

So, can businesses be a part of the solution to social and environmental issues? Is there a bigger role for them to play beyond the tax revenues and employment they create? My guest Shaun Loney certainly thinks so, and he has worked with numerous start-up Social Enterprises showing that this model can actually deliver social and environmental outcomes more effectively than governments and without the old model of NGOs turning to funders for their operating budgets.

It is a deeply creative and exciting new form of doing business that I am truly excited about. The integration of creating employment, developing skills, greening homes, and reducing poverty and inequalities is work worth doing. Shaun Loney and the Social Enterprises he has started with others, especially Indigenous partners is hopeful and positive in what it delivers.

For the full episode notes head over here:
https://www.kristinahunterflourishing.com/blog/social-enterprises-with-shaun-loney

Many of us have children in our lives, whether they are our own kids, grandkids, nieces and nephews, or kids we work with, but we often want to help them enjoy nature and gain an appreciation for the beauty and wonder of the "real world", not just the one they see on screens.

In this episode, I explore how to help mentor young children to connect with nature through activities with nature connection teacher specialist, Lauren MacLean.

Lauren lives in British Columbia, Canada, with her own two young children and has spent years as a teacher and researcher looking at how to help young children explore the wonders of nature and their place in it. She gives us insights into specific activities that you can do with your class, children's group, or your own kids to allow them to connect, learn and grow in their understanding of the world, and our connection to all living things and the non-living processes that we rely on.

We learn how to do a nature walk, incorporating activities like the "sit spot", and making the outdoors a part of your daily routine with children.

For the full show notes head over to: https://www.kristinahunterflourishing.com/blog/mentoring-nature-connections-in-children-with-lauren-maclean

We know that the fashion industry is highly unsustainable with massive waste produced from our fast fashion, not to mention the carbon footprint of clothing and the often substandard working conditions, especially for women in garment factories. So, it is clear that we need to rethink our closets and bring sustainability into the industry.

In this episode, I had the chance to chat with Anuradha Singh, a textile designer with two sustainable clothing lines. She wants to help people be able to make conscious choices with their clothing to be a part of the solution in fashion. And, when we support traditional and natural textile production, we support the families that have a hand in the farming, and craft of textile and garment production.

"I feel it carries the energy of the maker", says Singh. What a powerful way to think about how we can make a positive impact through our clothing choices.

Head over here for the full show notes:
https://www.kristinahunterflourishing.com/blog/conscious-clothing-with-anuradha-singh

Eating whole foods - those that have not been processed or packaged, and that often are also local to us is the cornerstone of every healthy eating plan, and the bonus is that it is also really great for the planet. Eating whole foods and eating in season dramatically reduces the carbon emissions, waste, and plastic associated with our foods.

Ok, we are sold, yes, it is the right thing to do for our bodies and for the planet. But, how exactly can I do this with my real-life constraints of time and money and other demands? That's where Getty Stewart comes in. She is a professional Home Economist and loves to help you eat these whole foods, and find ways to prepare them that are simple, flavourful, and good for your body!

Head over here for the full show notes:
https://www.kristinahunterflourishing.com/blog/how-to-enjoy-seasonal-whole-foods-with-getty-stewart

Permaculture is a term that comes from combining the words "permanent" and "agriculture", but it really goes far beyond that. Permaculture is a philosophy of producing food in a way that works with the landscape, nature and even regenerates what we have lost. It helps to build soil organic matter, retain moisture and nutrients and builds healthy and diverse ecosystems, all while producing food.

It is a radical transformation back to what agriculture once was, and can be again, working in harmony with nature, rather than working against nature with large-scale mono-cultures and the dramatic reduction of biodiversity in most modern agricultural systems.

Our guest today, Greg Peterson, has been deeply involved in developing systems for bringing permaculture and farming to the urban environment. He sees this as one of the keys to fixing our broken food systems and creating regenerative food production on a local scale. He is the host of the wildly successful podcast, The Urban Farm and he shares his insights into the importance of re-imagining our food systems and our very relationship with the earth.

For full show notes:
https://www.kristinahunterflourishing.com/blog/permaculture-and-the-urban-farm-with-greg-peterson

This week I chat with Laura Durenberger of the Raising Eco Minimalists podcast and the blog Reduce Reuse Renew. I begin by asking her about the "renew" aspect that she covers on her blog that deals with anxiety and how this ties into her environmental actions.

Laura talks about the relationship between reducing the physical and mental clutter and how this can also help play a role in reducing anxiety. As she says, it helps by "reducing things in your life to give space for other things", which strikes me as a very intentional and meaningful approach to minimalism.

We talk about what living a minimalist lifestyle means, as it goes beyond just the Insta-worthy home photos, but rather, how it is a philosophy and how it can be lived out when raising young children, or even for those of us who like to help impart these values on the children in our lives.

It's a great conversation, for the full show notes, head over here.
https://www.kristinahunterflourishing.com/blog/raising-eco-minimalists-with-laura-durenberger

It can be so stressful trying to figure out the best actions to take to live a greener, more eco-conscious life. This is what sustainable wellbeing is all about. It means living better for yourself, your community, and for the planet. So, to help you figure out the best actions to take and get rid of that eco-guilt, I give you simple steps to get there!

In this episode, I deliver the actions that you should take in the areas of:
Reducing Plastic
Taking Action on Climate Change
Protecting Natural Habitat
Building a Resilient Community
Supporting Your Health and Wellness
I show you what to do in each of these five areas to first get a quick win, then how to decide on intermediate and stretch goals to make an impact, no matter how much time you have or where you are at in your life. Whether it is a small act or a big systemic change, I show you how to take the steps to make it happen.

For the full show notes head over to https://www.kristinahunterflourishing.com/blog/easy-steps-to-sustainable-wellbeing