Live. Well. Green.

Welcome, my flourishing friends! In today’s episode, we are going to talk about wellness and buildings, including different green and sustainable building standards that are out there (such as the WELL Building Standard) and how that evolved into thinking about wellness in our built environment. So, why does sustainability matter when it comes to buildings? From an environmental perspective, we know that a third of our greenhouses gas emissions are associated with buildings and the heating and cooling of those structures. Moreover, plenty of materials need to be produced to build them. When these buildings have served their time, they are dumped in a landfill without being properly deconstructed, which causes large volumes of waste. 

In places like Canada, where I live, we spend more than 90% of our time indoors. Therefore, a better indoor environment becomes increasingly important. Green building standards have been around for a long time. The first one, Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM), was established in 1990 in the UK. Today’s discussion is all about the built environment and how we can think about human health, wellbeing, and restoring the planet through the built environment. Listen along as I give you an explanation of the various features that the WELL Building Standards consider when evaluating the environmental impact and sustainability of a building, with particular focus on office spaces. 

Key Points from This Episode:

•    Several reasons why sustainability is relevant in how we construct our buildings. 

•    Learn about BREEAM, the world’s first and leading sustainability assessment method.  

•    The U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standard.  

•    The Green Globes standard: a practical and easy-to-implement framework. 

•    Examples of the kind of infrastructural components evaluated by these standards. 

•    The origin of the WELL Building Standard, what the programme entails, and its accreditation.  

•    The prevalent concerns around the sick building syndrome that emerged in the 1980s. 

•    Shifting thoughts about building energy-efficient buildings while still protecting the wellbeing of their occupants. 

•    Unpacking the condition of “nature deficit disorder” and its plethora of repercussions. 

•    The levels of certification and the preconditions for projects to be certified. 

•    Why green buildings and sustainability are also in the best interest of employers. 

Quotables: 

“I do believe that how we build our infrastructure plays an enormous role in how we live our lives and how we interact with the world that sustains us.” — Kristina Hunter [0:38:47]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode: 

Kristina Hunter

International WELL Building Institute

BREEAM

The U.S. Green Building Council

Green Globes 

BOMA BEST

World Health Organization

Last Child in the Woods 

Richard Louv

Fitwel

Living Building Challenge

The theme of today's episode is happiness and overall wellbeing! I will be talking about how wellbeing has traditionally been measured, such as with gross domestic product, before looking at some more novel approaches to gauging happiness and wellbeing, through genuine progress indicators and gross national happiness. We'll be diving into the concept of the middle path, which is a deep-seated idea that has roots in many traditions, from Buddhism to Christianity, with many ancient civilizations possessing something analogous to it. It is all about avoiding extremes and helps us attain contentment without directly seeking out pleasure. It also means avoiding too many restrictions, self-denial, and austere lifestyles. I'll be talking about what happiness is, where it comes from, and the ways we can foster and observe it in our inner and outer lives. I also want to consider happiness in ways that are less traditional — something beyond mere joy, cheer, and pleasure. Lasting happiness can often be characterized as something more akin to contentment, peace, and satisfaction. Ultimately, sustainable wellbeing can only be achieved when the personal and planetary align, so what is good for you and me and the planet will lead to more lasting happiness all around!

Key Points From This Episode: 

•    What is happiness? The many ways that we can broadly define it. 

•    The deep history of the measurement of happiness and wellness. 

•    Simon Kuznets and the idea of gross domestic product; correlation and inconsistencies.

•    The examples of Singapore and Costa Rica and the genuine progress indicator.

•    Gross national happiness; the indicator that takes the focus away from economics. 

•    The country of Bhutan as a champion of Gross National Happiness. 

•    The World Happiness Report and the International Day of Happiness.

•    Components of gross national happiness; complimentary material and spiritual development.

•    The nations who are at the top of the World Happiness Report!

•    The middle path as the way to happiness! An old idea that can help us all.

•    Understanding what this median means; acceptance, non-attachment and mindfulness.

•    The current situation in Bhutan and its four basic pillars for development.

•    Applying the middle path to happiness to our own lives; avoiding extremes.

•    Meditation, inner dialogue, and acceptance — adding to the inner ocean. 

Quotables: 

“There are also definitions of happiness that include things like contentment and satisfaction.” — Kristina Hunter [0:01:25]

“What I wanted to talk about today though is more than the idea of happiness but how do we get there.” — Kristina Hunter [0:12:29]

“The middle way is the way of moderation. It is living in between extremes.” — Kristina Hunter [0:13:00]

“I personally like to think of it as having an inner ocean. That is our true selves.” — Kristina Hunter [0:15:39]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode: 

Kristina Hunter Flourishing

Sustainable Wellbeing Starter Kit

World Happiness Report  

International Day of Happiness 

In today’s episode of Live Well Green Podcast, I am going to talk about affluenza and the antidotes to this dreadful condition. Together, we’ll explore what is affluenza, where do we see it around us, and talk about a variety of antidotes such as voluntary simplicity and the slow movement. I also share a personal life experience story of living minimally, how the effects of minimalism flow into the rest of your life, and some key strategies for slowing down in our everyday lives. So if you are ready to implement these tips into your day-to-day living, tune in and get ready to learn more about today’s topic to see how it can benefit us in our sustainability quest and how we can truly flourish. 

Key Points From This Episode: 

• The definition of affluenza: Affluent + Influenza 
• Where we see affluenza in our lives and how it plays out in different areas.
• The distinction between perceived obsolescence versus planned obsolescence.
• The effect affluenza has on our personal well-being and validation as a person. 
• A quote from a documentary called The Story of Stuff.
• Antidotes to affluenza: Can we live more and buy less?
• Antidote number 1: Voluntary simplicity and what that means for affluenza.
• Substituting new things with finding depth in other areas of our lives.
• I share a personal life experience of voluntary simplicity.
• A few tips on how to incorporate voluntary simplicity into your daily lives.
• Antidote number 2: Minimalism.
• How decluttering can go beyond a tidy closet and have positive impacts on our lives. 
• How minimalism spills into not only the physical but your whole being.
• Antidote number 3: Down-shifting.
• The benefits of down-shifting in your life.
• Antidote number 4: The Slow Movement — A cultural revolution.
• A few different examples and benefits included in the Slow Movement ideology.
• Four practical tips on how to live slow in our day to day lives.

Quotables:

“A partial restraint in some directions is necessary to in order to secure greater abundance of life in other directions.” — Kristina Hunter [0:14:46]

“Voluntary simplicity asks us to redefine what we consider to be wealth. Consumer culture has been said to have an impoverished definition of wealth, we should look for all different dimensions of wealth. That includes intellectual, ecological, spiritual, health, and social wealth.” — Kristina Hunter [0:16:00]

“We should think about voluntary simplicity as choosing to consume less and being more mindful with our purchases. Buying quality, and environmentally friendly products, consuming more locally and choosing how to spend our time, intentionally.” — Kristina Hunter [0:17:45]

“The idea in all of the spheres in the slow movement are to get us to slow down, connect, enjoy, savour and just really live in the moment.” — Kristina Hunter [0:32:45]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Kristina Hunter on LinkedIn

Voluntary Simplicity by Duane Elgin

Sustainable Well Being Start Kit

In Praise of Slowness by Carl Honore

Walden by Henry David Thoreau

Marck Burch

Joshua Becker

Courtney Carver

Dealing with eco-anxiety, often defined as a chronic fear of environmental doom, is a recurring issue for many of us today. It stems out of a place of deep caring for the planet and its inhabitants and as such, can really impact our overall well-being. It seems to become real when regarding the state of the environment, the future of our physical planet, the humans and the other species that call Earth home. This, all because of issues we seem to be causing, including human-induced climate change, pollution, deforestation and so on. In today’s episode, we are going to deal with combatting eco-anxiety. We dive into more about what it is, and some ways that we can deal with it, how we can confront the changes we need to make in the world, without eroding our own personal well being. We’ll discuss 5 elements of combatting eco-anxiety, that are tried and true methods, from my own personal experience but are also backed by the mental health research. Stay tuned for more on this intriguing topic and how we can be sure to combat eco-anxiety and remain flourishing.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Defining eco-anxiety or climate-anxiety and how it shapes your outlook.
• The 5 key elements backed by mental health research.
• First Element: Spend time in nature. 
• Two main ways to amplify the time you spend in nature and get the most out of it.
• Second Element: Find your tribe.
• Third Element: Take action.
• The parable of the Starfish and how it ties into the elements. 
• Fourth Element: Take time out. 
• Fifth Element: Integrating resiliency in all forms. 

Tweetables:

“Make sure you understand that there really is nature all around you and it is accessible, as long as we open our eyes and understand that it is out there in front of us.” — Kristina Hunter [0:5:45]

“We need to find time to be out in nature. Make it part of your daily routine. Make it part of your lunchtime, do walking meetings outside, or simply just spend time in a park. Whatever you can do, to find little bits of time in nature.” — Kristina Hunter [0:06:30]

“We really shouldn’t ignore the need to be out in nature on a day-to-day basis, because that really fuels us.” — Kristina Hunter [0:07:30]

“Take action. Choose your action. Just one small action — you don’t have to do it all. It will matter.” — Kristina Hunter [0:13:05]

“We have to think about it in such a way that our action makes a difference for at least that one person. It mattered to that one. It matters what we do, even the very first small action we take — it matters.” — Kristina Hunter [0:17:20]

“Make sure that overall your downtime aligns with your values. Those physical, mental wellness values, your sustainability values and so on, otherwise, it won’t feel like good downtime. The downtime that aligns with our values and overall goals — that is good downtime.” — Kristina Hunter [0:18:45]

“For our own wellness, we really need to think about balancing the physical, mental as well as the work part of our lives. They should be balanced and aligned with one another for us to really be in our zone.” — Kristina Hunter [0:20:29]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Kristina Hunter

Combatting Eco-Anxiety Worksheet

Kristina Hunter on LinkedIn

Climate Change and Mental Health 

Eco-Anxiety

Greta Thunberg on Twitter

Sustainability has increasingly become a topic of importance in today’s society. But what does sustainability truly mean in our everyday lives and what can we do to implement these core values? In today’s episode, we are going to explore the concept of sustainability more deeply to better understand what it means to focus on meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. In this episode we will uncover what sustainability is, and how can we put it into practice. We will talk about the roots of sustainability in the term “sustainable development,” the three different pillars of sustainability, environmental, social, and economic, and we will also discuss what it might look like in our day-to-day lives. I will also unpack a few examples of sustainability that I have seen in my own life, through a variety of different snapshots including one that involves a toilet — which is more of a romance story! Let’s dive into the show to see how we can explore today’s topic and how it is not only good for the planet and ourselves but so that we can truly flourish!

Key Points From This Episode:

•    Understanding sustainability and what it looks like in our everyday lives.

•    Sustainable development: Defining sustainability with regards to development.

•    The three-legged sustainability stool: Environment, Social and Economic.

•    A closer look at the 2015 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

•    Exploring the 17 Sustainable Development Goals and accompanied suggestions. 

•    The importance of sustainability being conceived of in a local context.

•    We talk through an example of local context and sustainability.

•    5 Different snapshots of sustainability that I have found in my life.

Tweetables:

“There is a nice quote about how development interacts with what we are doing. ‘The environment is where we live, and development is what we all do in attempting to improve our lot within that abode. The two are inseparable.’” — Kristina Hunter [0:02:47]

“We have to understand that sustainability should be and must be part of all development that we think about. And that’s really the foundation of the modern understanding of sustainability and sustainable development. It has often been characterized as thinking about it as a three-legged stool. Where those legs are environment, social and economic sustainability and when they are all coming together and balanced then we have sustainability.” — Kristina Hunter [0:03:05]

“There is a definite need for sustainability to be situated in place. We really need to think carefully about where we are when we talk about sustainability because it needs to include the environmental context as well as that social, cultural, economic and political context.” — Kristina Hunter [0:14:10] 

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Kristina Hunter

Kristina Hunter Flourish — Defining Sustainability 

Our Common Future Document 1987 United Nations

2015 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals

United Nations Goal Tracker 

In this episode, I get personal. I share with you how I came to understand the deep connection between environmental sustainability and personal wellbeing and went from a little girl who loved the outdoors to a sustainability professional and someone who has a deep understanding of personal wellness. I share a timeline of my growing interest in the environment, my academic background in the Sciences, teaching at the University of Manitoba, advising the government on integrating sustainability into policies and laws. 

But just when I thought I had a firm grasp on my life and career, I was diagnosed with a serious illness, one which led to the development of deep friendships and unexpected experiences and that I ultimately found to be a journey of personal growth. What I learned in the process is not only our strong connection to other human beings but also our relationship with nature and how we are all part of the whole. Be sure to join me as I take you through the story that shaped my passion for sustainability and personal well-being!

Tweetables:

“I felt really empowered; empowered to make the world better in all sorts of ways and especially for women going through cancer.” — Kristina Hunter [0:10:40] 

“It felt like this cancer had been an enormous journey of personal growth for me. It was an important time for me because I learned I’m part of this community of other women.” — Kristina Hunter [0:12:25] 

“I realized this really is a garden that I live in and it’s who I am – it makes me who I am. All of it, and I’m part of it.” — Kristina Hunter [0:19:55] 

“There’s no preparing for this journey but we can understand our role in it. That we are organic beings; that we are beings of life and light; that we are part of this earth, not separate from it.”  — Kristina Hunter [0:20:12]  

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Kristina Hunter on LinkedIn

Doctors Without Borders

Woman Redefined: Dignity, Beauty, and Breast Cancer

Second Story Press

https://www.instagram.com/garnetandrubycreativity/?hl=en

http://www.garnetandruby.com/

In this episode, we take a deep dive into the rationales out there for degrading our environment and think about some of the theories around conservation and environmental ethics. People have diverse beliefs about our relationship with the natural world, from believing that exploitation is our right to treating all living beings as equals and living with an understanding of our profound connectedness with our environment. Joining in the conversation, you will hear about the convictions that drive people to either care for or cause damage to the environment, and why commonly-held resources such as water, air, and land often get polluted or overgrazed. 

We also weigh up the pros and cons of certain conservation strategies, including leveraging peer pressure, privatizing property, penalizing polluters, and advocating all the personal benefits of going greener. We also cover some of the historical figures who have contributed to our changing perspective on natural resources as well as the prominent theories and movements and the particular aspects of conservation they each focus on. At the end of this episode, you will also know more about your own understanding and whether you have an anthropocentric, biocentric, or eco-centric approach to the environment. 

Key Points From This Episode:

• How the degradation of our environment happens and why raising awareness is not enough.  
• The need for a new system to replace the destructive one we wish to deter people from. 
• Degrading the environment as a result of underestimating its value. 
• Underestimating the value of nature and viewing exploitation as a right and obligation.
• “The Tragedy of the Commons” principle and how it pertains to all commonly-held resources.  
• Changing societal values by appealing to people’s conscience and promoting altruism. 
• How the privatization of resources could encourage conservation.
• Concerns about the “polluter pays” approach to managing public resources. 
• Collective restraint and other helpful ways to change behavior on a social level.  
• Emphasizing the benefits of preserving natural resources and making eco-friendly choices. 
• Comparing anthropocentric, biocentric, and eco-centric approaches to the environment. 
• The Seven Grandfather Teachings in the North American indigenous culture. 
• How reverence for the natural world emerges in cultures and religions around the world.
• Aldo Leopold, his life as a forester, and the encounter that shaped his philosophy. 
• The principles of deep ecology, including that we humans are inseparable from nature.
• Ecofeminism and the problem of approaching nature from a patriarchal perspective. 
• The historical event that saw the intersection between civil rights and environmental rights. 

Quotables:

“Overall we know that more people and more impact per person equals more pressure on the planet.” — Kristina Hunter [0:01:33] 

“All too often, the fines involved in ‘polluter pays’ systems are just far too low, and that means that sometimes companies just say, ‘Well, that’s a cost of doing business, I’ll pay the fine.’” — Kristina Hunter [0:09:09]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode: 

The Tragedy of the Commons 

Plato 

Seven Grandfather Teachings 

Aldo Leopold

A Sand County Almanac 

We are all connected to the earth in countless ways. Not only do we rely on the nutrients and chemicals produced by the myriad natural cycles going on around us, but we also have deep emotional and spiritual connections to the planet too. Sometimes it is easy to forget how intimately linked we are and we see ourselves as somehow outside of nature. In this episode, we take some time to reestablish our awareness of this connection by focusing specifically on our biological dependencies on the environment. You will be taken through the different steps of some of the cycles that keep us alive today: the nitrogen, phosphorus, carbon, and hydrological cycles. You’ll discover the magic of how each of these processes filter nutrients in ways that make these otherwise unreachable elements accessible to humans. 

In every description, we will also learn how each cycle is under threat by human-made processes, which equates to humans harming themselves at the end of the day. Toward the end, we devote some time to the inspired prose of Joanna Macy, John Seed, writers who have woven the interconnectedness between humans and nature into intricately beautiful imagery. We hear an excerpt from Richard Louv’s Last Child in the Woods book that reflects on the changing relationship that children have with their surroundings. Follow along as we remind ourselves of the divine complexity that nourishes us biologically each day, and how our emotional and spiritual senses intuit the threat to this connection.

Key Points From This Episode:

• An introduction to the themes of human connection to nature discussed in this show.
• Ways that humans can connect to their surroundings: emotional, spiritual, biological.
• A look into the un-obvious natural origin of daily objects and foods we need very much.
• Our need for nitrogen which can only be accessed after being processed by soil bacteria.
• Ways we disrupt nitrogen: burning fossil fuels, agricultural practices, sewage discharge.
• The value of phosphorus for the flourishing of plant life.
• Algal blooms which occur through the accelerated man-caused release of phosphorous.
• The way carbon is integrated into all life: through photosynthesis.
• A major concern: the rising release of carbon through human processes.
• How unwanted carbonic acid in the ocean reduces its pH levels.
• Another problem: areas of primary productivity land are being used for human needs.
• Questions over when a looming tipping point signifying system collapse will come.
• The intimate need humans have for water to drink and feed their crops.
• Ways humans intervene with the hydrological cycle and the harmful effects this produces.
• Moving prose by John Seed and Joanna Macy about human oneness with nature.
• Moral concerns that are seen to arise from an intuitive sense of our connection to the earth.
• The position of children, who are both disconnected from nature and aware of its vulnerability.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Kristina Hunter

Joanna Macy

John Seed

Thinking Like a Mountain

Richard Louv

The Last Child in the Woods