Live. Well. Green.

In this episode, we get into the issues of what impact our food has on the planet and it is a long list! We look at how this relates to environmental degradation, loss of habitat, chemicals in the environment, animal welfare, and what it means for our bodies. But don't worry, I give you the BIG 4 actions that you can take today to eat better for the planet - and for your body. And guess what, it means MORE, not less!

For the full show notes head over to https://www.kristinahunterflourishing.com/blog/eating-for-the-planet

2020 was a difficult year for so many of us all around the world. But even amid hardships, there is always beauty and kindness if we are willing to look. Our guest today, Sarah Coniglio of Project WonderFULL, has captured some of this beauty in her new photography book, There's Always Something WonderFULL: Small Wonders and Big Beauty from 2020, where she shares the beauty of her own neighborhood. Sarah is a social impact photographer and photographs beauty all across the globe. With the pandemic grinding travel to a halt, Sarah found herself at home for much longer than usual. In this episode, Sarah talks about the solace she found in all the beautiful things around her, and why she was so inspired to share it with others. Beauty plays a part in our healing, and Sarah reveals how it helped her. We also talk about her decision to partner with international non-profits and hear the story of the book’s beautiful cover photo. After the conversation with Sarah wraps up, I share findings from research about the power and benefits of smiling. Remember that kindness is a form of beauty too and you never know the impact you might have on someone if you are kind to them.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Get to know Sarah, the work she does, and how the pandemic affected her.
• How Sarah, whose work involves travel, benefitted from staying in one place for several months
• The impetus for creating the book, particularly during the pandemic and lockdowns.
• How the unrest of 2020 also influenced Sarah’s decision to create the book.
• The role that beauty plays in our solace and healing.
• A realization Sarah came to about the beauty that is in her neighborhood.
• What inspired Sarah to partner with nonprofits around the world.
• The story behind the book’s cover photo, where a male cardinal is feeding a female.
• Where you can find Sarah and the book online.
• How Sarah captured kindness, another form of beauty, around her neighborhood.
• What research shows about the benefits of smiling.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Kristina Hunter Flourishing

Kristina Hunter Flourishing Resources

The Unexpected Giftbox

Project WonderFULL

There's Always Something WonderFULL: Small Wonders and Big Beauty from 2020

Project WonderFULL on Instagram

Live.Well.Green Episode 24

Tackling enormous problems like climate change, plastic pollution, and unsustainable fisheries can feel overwhelming and near impossible. The mental and physical toll of not knowing where to get started can really weigh us down. But it is important for us to feel hopeful and know that we can make a difference. That is why in today’s episode, I want to share some manageable ways for you to get started to live a greener life and work towards sustainable wellbeing. Many of us feel an internal conflict when our values don’t align with our actions. With the busyness of everyday life, it is not always that easy to get around to doing the things we want to do. During this show, I explore five simple steps that can help you work towards creating a more sustainable world. Some of what I touch on includes goal setting, determining and selecting actions, and putting them into practice. Given the magnitude of these problems, we might fall into the trap of believing that our small actions are not enough. They are, and we should celebrate all the steps we take to make our world better. If you want to get started on a greener life, this show will offer you the easy steps you need to get going.  

Key Points From This Episode:

• There are so many pressing issues that it can be very hard to even know where to begin.
• Why we feel internal conflict when we do not live out our values.
• A jar metaphor that relates to how we live our lives and the actions we take.
• Sustainable wellbeing means caring for yourself and the planet at the same time.
• When choosing your top three sustainability issues, don’t overthink them, and write them on a sticky note.
• Brainstorm actions you could take to work toward these goals.
• Tips on ranking potential actions both in terms of impact and how likely you are to do them.
• Examples of goals and actions and the quadrants you would put actions into.
• How to find ways to integrate the actions you identified as important into your life.
• It is important to break things into achievable chunks in order to not feel overwhelmed.
• Some actions will be once-off, others will be ongoing.
• Why attaching new actions to existing activities helps them stick better.

Key Messages: 

1. Lots of people feel like it’s hard to find the right place to start. Whether you are new to environmental actions or you have a degree in a related field, it’s difficult to know where to begin but there are some simple steps. 
2. Step one: determine three overarching goals that are meaningful to you. 
3. Step two: brainstorm all of the actions you could take towards your goals.
4. Step three: rank those actions in terms of how impactful they are and how likely you are to do them.
5. Step four: select actions that are important and that you are likely to do and integrate them into your life. If they are once-off actions, schedule them. If they are habits, attach it to an existing part of your routine. If you are swapping one action for another, reduce the barriers to make this possible.
6. Step five: literally keep your goals in sight with sticky notes and visualizations of the end goal.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Kristina Hunter Flourishing

Kristina Hunter Flourishing Resources

The Unexpected Giftbox

Headspace

Tiny Habits

BJ Fogg

First Things First

In today's special episode, we get a virtual tour of the super green, Manitoba Hydro Place. Devin Evenson, a professional engineer of corporate facilities at the Manitoba Hydro joins us to give us a tour of the green features of this incredible space. The 700 000 sq. ft. building was conceived in 2003 and came to life in 2009. In 2012, it received the LEED platinum certificate and was named the most energy-efficient office tower in North America. None of this would have been possible without a strong vision to make a healthy work environment for the 2,200 employees that work there. During the tour, Devin takes us to various areas of the building, including the entrance, the south atrium, the northern tower, and the parkade. While the building is beautiful and aesthetically pleasing, design decisions weren't made in isolation, and everything contributes to the overall sustainability of the tower. We hear about the climatically responsive design, the heating and cooling system that has decoupled heating from ventilation, and the geothermal system. The way the building's design has leveraged both low and high-tech solutions to come up with an ecologically and human-centric outcome is something well worth hearing!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Introducing Manitoba Hydro Place: its size, its location, and the building project objectives.
• What the project charter for the building set out to achieve.
• Hear more about the fascinating water features in the building and the functions they serve.
• The decision to deconstruct rather than demolish the previous buildings on the site and reuse materials. 
• The ways in which the building is energy efficient.
• How the pedestal tower design seeks to match the existing urban context. 
• The south atrium or 'lungs of the building’, how it was designed and the different functions it serves.
• How the building's layout helps with harvesting daylight.
• Reasons that the ceiling is sleek and minimalistic without many additions on it. 
• How the windows help create an optimal temperature.
• What happens in the north end of the building, where the solar chimney is located.
• Why downtown Winnipeg was chosen as the site for the building.
• Some of the building's parkade supports non-motorized transport.
• How the employees handled the changes that came with the new building and location.
• Hear more about the building's geothermal system.
• The importance of having a cohesive vision, integrated process and a team.
• Evidence that shows the building has improved people's health.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Kristina Hunter Flourishing

Kristina Hunter Flourishing Resources

KPMB Architects

LEED Profile

In-Depth Case Study

Manitoba Eco-Network

If you have a general sense that there is a link between health and the environment, but you are not sure what it is, today’s show is just for you! In this episode, I look at the connection between the environment and health and share some fascinating findings. There is even an entire discipline, called environmental health, dedicated to exploring this relationship. You will hear about different definitions of environment and health and why these concepts need to include a range of factors. I also walk through the ways pollutants impact our health and shed light on the reasons we are all differently affected by these contaminants. There is irrefutable evidence illustrating the benefits of spending time in nature. So, when we preserve our environment, we inherently protect our health.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Discover more about the intersectional discipline, environmental health.
• The environment can impact our health and wellbeing both directly and indirectly.
• Definitions of environment from reputable sources like the Canadian government and Environment Canada.
• How we may think about our environment as ripples in water.
• Definitions of health, according to the World Health Organization and the Canadian Oxford Dictionary.
• There are numerous factors that influence our health status.
• An example of how different kinds of pollution impact our health.
• Hear some of the many benefits of spending time in nature.
• Three basic ways that contaminants in the environment can get into our bodies. 
• Various ways we can be proactive in preventing harm and ensuring environmental health for all.
• The links between Sustainable Development Goals and health.

Key Messages: 

1. Environment and health (environmental health) is a discipline in science.
2. We can define the environment quite broadly when we think about the physical, biological, and social environments.
3. When we think about health, we should really include wellbeing, not just the absence of disease.
4. Pollutants can negatively affect human health. The effect they have on us can vary depending on factors such as age, other diseases, and our immune systems.
5. There are real, tangible benefits to spending time in nature.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Kristina Hunter Flourishing

Kristina Hunter Flourishing Resources

The Unexpected Giftbox

Live.Well.Green Podcast

Sustainable Development Goal 3

American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine

Environment Canada

Transitioning to a low-impact lifestyle can be daunting. When you are starting out, there is so much information to get through that you can quickly feel overwhelmed. Today's guest, Candice Batiste, has sought to counter this information overload by creating her website, Eco Hub. The digital platform has a dual purpose; to provide educational materials on all things sustainable and act as a marketplace for low-impact products. Candice does not make these recommendations lightly. With more than 20 years of experience in the environmental activism space, as an environmental journalist, Candice understands the importance of true sustainability at all levels. In this episode, I sit down with Candice for an insightful conversation. After hearing about Eco Hub, we discover her best tips for moving toward low-impact consumption. She cautions us not to fall into the trap of overconsuming when it comes to greening because this is not a problem that we can shop our way out of. We first have to look at what we already have and see what we can repurpose. Candice also touches on some products we can change, such as produce bags, paper towels, and home cleaning products. For Candice, green living is about considering every stage of a product's lifecycle and the resultant impact. Yes, this is not simple, but by becoming more conscious, mindful consumers, we can enact change, however small it may be. Thankfully, there are resources like the Eco Hub that help guide us through mindful decision-making!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Get to know Candice, her background as a journalist and the work that Eco Hub does.
• Why Candice uses the term ‘low-impact living’ rather than ‘zero waste.’
• The urgency of purchasing more mindfully and understanding the impact of our decisions.
• Ethical fashion is not expensive; fast fashion has made us believe that clothes should be cheap.
• Waste of online shopping is overwhelming municipalities with recycling.
• The importance of ‘shopping your home’ before you make any other purchases.
• Some of the first products Candice recommends transitioning out of and suggested replacements.
• Recycling is not the answer; we need to think about systemic change.
• Tips on how to stop using paper towels, which have a huge environmental cost.
• Currently, low-impact products are not accessible to lower-income communities.
• How moving past the stigma of second-hand items can help reduce our impact.
• Why Candice does not recommend making your own laundry detergent.
• Candice’s homemade cleaning product suggestions, made from everyday ingredients.
• Going green is not easy; it requires intention and mindfulness.
• How Candice approaches gift-giving with her low-impact mindset.
• As a consumer, you can take an active role in opening up low-impact conversations with companies.
• Ultimately, the change will come from legislation, so you can be an activist from your home.
• Hear some of what influenced Candice to become an environmental activist.
• Environmental activism is an intersectional cause and should strive for all forms of justice. 

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Kristina Hunter Flourishing

Kristina Hunter Flourishing Resources

The Eco Hub

Candice Batista on Instagram

Candice Batista on Twitter

Green and Frugal

Kinsfolk

The Better Fa

More than ever before, we are shopping online. But is this the most sustainable choice we can make? In today’s episode, I talk about a study that explored greenhouse gas emissions of three different modes of shopping; traditional brick and mortar, pure online, and click and brick, where you purchase online but from a local retailer. I go through some of the key factors that influence greenhouse emissions, including but not limited to the mode of transport, urban density, and basket size. As with all things sustainable, the best practices to incorporate into your life depend on your context. While there is not a single correct way to shop more sustainably, the tips I share today will certainly help you decrease your shopping’s carbon footprint.  

Key Points From This Episode:

• The pandemic has changed the way that we shop completely.
• Environmental and economic concerns that come with buying from large online retailers.
• Insights into a research paper on the greenhouse emissions of different modes of shopping.
• Key variables that influence a product’s transport, distribution, and packaging emissions. 
• The study findings around which method of shopping is most sustainable.
• Some of the major issues with shopping at a pure online retailer.
• How urban sprawl influences the distance between large online retailer warehouses and their customers.
• Ways to be better when shopping at pure online shops. 

Key Messages: 

1. The best option is to walk or bike to your local shop.
2. The second-best option is brick and click, where you buy online from a local retailer.
3. If you must order from a pure online retailer, get the slowest delivery option, bundle your purchases, and don’t plan to return them.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Kristina Hunter Flourishing

Kristina Hunter Flourishing Resources

The Unexpected Gift Box

Comparative Greenhouse Gas Footprinting of Online versus Traditional Shopping for Fast-Moving Consumer Goods: A Stochastic Approach’

Today, you will be getting a tour of my green kitchen. No, we did not paint the walls green, we did a sustainable renovation! About 15 years ago, we embarked on a journey to overhaul our kitchen, not only to improve the aesthetics and functionality of the space but also to improve its overall sustainability. You will hear about how we established our priorities, along with how we managed to achieve a low-impact renovation and find non-toxic, locally sourced materials. I also talk about some of the fantastic energy-efficient appliances we have, like our refrigerated drawers. We are so proud of the sustainable space and the sustainability of the renovation itself. One of our desired outcomes of the renovation was to educate and share, so we entered our kitchen into a local magazine’s renovation competition, and we still talk about the process whenever we can. If you would like to green your kitchen but feel overwhelmed or stuck, this episode is a perfect place to find some inspiration. 

Key Points From This Episode:

• Hear more about our home, including some of the benefits and drawbacks.
• Our approach to our renovation and why we decided not to expand our kitchen footprint.
• The priorities that we came up with after considering the impact of our renovation.
• Some of the different hurdles we experienced: finding a contractor and sourcing materials.
• Different materials that we used, such as strawboard and older wood, from our house.
• Various energy and water-efficient appliances that we bought. 
• Details and benefits about refrigerated drawers, an alternative to standard refrigerators.
• Why we decided to go with a smaller-than-usual stove and oven.
• Our floor and countertop decisions and the materials we ended up going with.
• How we tackled our windows and created a sense of cohesion with the rest of the house.
• Insights into an engineered wood product called Parallam which we used as a structural beam.
• The final touches and how we managed to avoid using any new material.
• Why I am so proud of the reclaimed space that came with the renovation.
• How we communicated and shared our green renovation with others.
• My mini-course that can help you green your kitchen, just like we did. 

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Kristina Hunter Flourishing

Kristina Hunter Flourishing Resources

The Unexpected Gift Box

Green Home Renovations Mini Course

My Green Kitchen Renovation

Habitat for Humanity Manitoba ReStore

Gillis Quarries

Over 40% of the energy used in American homes is for heating them up, impacting both our wallets and our carbon emissions. Today I unpack the best heating systems that you can use to create a greener home. Early in the episode, we discuss how inefficient home heating adds to problems ranging from air pollution to animal habitat loss. Fortunately, you have options that can suit your climate and context. Starting with the top solutions and working downwards, I explore your options, including passive and active solar heating, heat pumps, solar panels, getting electricity from more sustainable sources, burning wood, and finally using boilers and gas furnaces. We also touch on other factors to consider, such as how much energy is taken to create and maintain these different heating solutions. Finally, I wrap up the episode with a concise summary of everything that we’ve discussed. Tune in to hear more about what you can do to make a greener home. 

Key Points From This Episode:

• How energy-intensive it is to heat our homes.
• Exploring the problems associated with energy use.
• What it means to create a green home.
• The factors that impact which green options you should pursue.
• Some of the best alternatives available to heat your home.
• Looking at excellent but less optimal heating systems.
• Getting your electricity from less environmentally damaging sources. 
• How you should heat your home with wood burners. 
• The one-star option; using boilers and gas furnaces.
• Hear which heating options we should always avoid.
• I summarize the solutions for finding the right home heating system.

Key Messages:

1. Green means being concerned with more than just carbon emissions. 
2. Passive and active solar as your 5-star solutions to home heating.
3. Using air-to-air or geothermal heat pumps as your next best solution.
4. Your 3-star solution; generating heat from low-emitting electricity sources.
5. Burning wood in masonry or finished stoves as your 2-star solution. 
6. Using high-efficiency gas furnaces and boilers as your ‘least bad’ option. 

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Kristina Hunter Flourishing

Energy Information Administration: Home Heating

Green Home Guide

Sustainable Wellbeing Starter Kit

The Unexpected Gift Box

The new year always brings fresh perspectives, an opportunity for goal-setting, and a chance for us to reenvision the way we live our lives. While I am not big on resolutions, I love working towards milestones and the chance to reach greater alignment. Today, I offer five habits to help you build sustainable wellbeing into your life in 2021. Although it is hard to pin down an exact definition of sustainable wellbeing because of its intersectional nature, it is definitely worth pursuing. When we find the synergy between what is best for our personal, collective, and ecological wellbeing, we can create real, systemic change. Some of the habits I hope you consider include setting a mantra that reflects your values, building a diverse and supportive community, and getting comfortable with taking action. Change comes through intentional steps, no matter how small, so have faith that your work will pay dividends. I am so excited about all the possibilities this new year holds, and I look forward to our journey together!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Hear about some of the exciting short courses I am bringing out this year.
• No matter what season of life you are in, you should always seek out renewal.
• Habit one: Create a mantra to help you reach your sustainable wellbeing goals.
• Examples of mantras I have used in the past to help me at varying times.
• Habit two: Add green to your routine through habit stacking.
• Suggestions for some activities you can add to your existing routine.
• Habit three: Celebrate all of your wins, even the ones that seem insignificant.
• Why it is so important to celebrate new positive habits and the small reward I give myself.
• Habit Four: Work on building a diverse community that supports you.
• Habit five: Get used to taking action, no matter how small the steps you take are.
• Two different approaches to taking action and their respective advantages.
• How I managed to ditch my bad plastic straw habit.
• A final tip on how to integrate all these new habits into your life. 

Key Messages:

1. Sustainable wellbeing is the intersection of ecological sustainability and personal and community wellbeing.

2. A recap of the reading of Mary Oliver’s ‘Poem of the One World’.

 five habits for building sustainable wellbeing into your life.

3. Look for synergies, where the actions you take for the environment are also good for the community and your personal wellbeing. 

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Kristina Hunter Flourishing

The Unexpected Gift Box

Atomic Habits

The Power of Habit

Marco Polo

The Alter Ego Effect

Mary Oliver

'Poem of the One World'