Solutions News

This episode of Solutions News features a "Best of" show from our archives. Rinaldo Brutoco interviews Joe Simonetta, and they dig into Joe's latest book - 7 Words to Change the World: The Simple Truth and The Death of Sacred Cows. Other topics we address on this show: PG&E's Bankruptcy, a coal plant that transitioned to solar, working from home, and other great solutions! This episode first played on January 18, 2019. (Produced by Kristy Jansen)

In honor of the Original Earth Day in April 1970, this episode of Solutions News features an interview with one of the original environmental activists in the US. Tune in to hear Rinaldo and Kristy talk with local environmental icon Marc McGinnes about his 50-year journey as an "environmental elder" and his newest book In Love with Earth. Other topics on the show include the Exxon lawsuit, right-to-repair laws, and tips for mastering emotions. This is one of our favorite episodes, and rounds out the April 2020 "Earth Month" special.

On this episode of Solutions News, we mix things up. Last week we featured an interview with Brent Goodlet, who helped to organize the General Climate Strike that occurred on September 27, 2019 - the day we recorded this show. In honor of this action and the millions who participated in the youth-led strikes that occurred around the world on September 20, 2019, we are going to take a listen to some of the young voices and others who are making this a global event. We will hear from some of the activists, organizers, and participants from both the youth-led and General Climate Strikes and talk about the power of a collective youth voice in helping to change the world.

On this "best of" episode of Solutions News (recorded Sept 20, 2019), we take a look at the role the media can play in informing the general public, and how this is an essential part of American Democracy. We also address the false dichotomy that’s now a firmly held cultural belief that we have to choose EITHER cheap goods made with extractive procedures OR pay more for “Green” products produced sustainably. This is a false dichotomy, and in fact, it pays off “BIGLY” to invest in renewable, power and sustainable procedures that support the environment and worker paychecks. Our guest on this show is Brent Goodlet, a post-doc in materials science, who is also a community activist and organizer of a local Climate Strike. We will be talking with Brent about the concept of the strike, and how the youth-led large scale civil disobedience movements like the climate strike and walking out of class are designed to provoke substantive action by government, business and other halls of power in our society. Finally, we highlight some of the reasons we support the climate strike, and why we are taking this episode AND next week’s to give voice to this movement. (Produced by Kristy Jansen)

This month, we're turning Earth Day into Earth Month. Why only celebrate and discuss the power of Mother Nature and what we can do to help for one day? In the midst of the global crisis, we cannot forget about our beautiful Earth. Tune into our next few shows, replays of some of our favorite Earth-related topics, to learn from the experts on what we as citizens of the Earth can do to help!

Our first story with Stacy discussed how to repair a fraying democracy. Political theorist Teresa Bejan studied and wrote a book about civility. After concluding her studies, Bejan learned “the virtue that makes un-murderous coexistence possible [in society] is the virtue of civility,” as she states in her TED Talk. “Civility makes our disagreements tolerable so that we can share a life together, even if we don’t share a faith — religious, political or otherwise.” The point of civility, she says, is to allow us to “have fundamental disagreements without denying or destroying the possibility of a common life tomorrow with the people we think are standing in our way today.” It is up to all of us-- teaching our leaders to lead, voting, and putting country above party. AND MORE...

(Producer: Kristy Jansen)

In this episode of Solutions News, as we all call in to the show from our respective home or yurt based offices, Rinaldo Brutoco and Kristy Jansen talk with Jon Aimonetti, Executive Director of Fairview Gardens – an urban farm collective in Goleta, CA. They discuss chronic diseases based on unhealthy ultra-processed food, which have been the leading causes of death in the United States for the past several decades, and are still linked to American’s unhealthy bodies. The solution is to reimagine our food culture, reinvest in local, organic farms and gardens, and reorient our food systems to prioritize foods low on the processed food pyramid. In addition, we explore some key skills to master in the kitchen, which might make us all question the assumption that fast and cheap rules out healthy and good. We also enjoy didyaknows! (Produced by Kristy Jansen).

Our lead story on this episode of Solutions News explores areas of public intervention that might be most effective, and asks how smart, targeted moves at the federal level, in coordination with various business sectors might give this nation a head start in reimaging an economy that works BETTER for MORE of us for when we can all get back to work. Our guest is Congressman Tom Malinowski, who represents New Jersey’s 7th district. We will be talking with him about what actions are being taken at the federal level in the face of both the public health emergency we are already in, and about the economic crisis that’s just beginning to be felt. After our conversation with the Congressman, we will finish with a few words on how critical to our collective well-being is that we have good leadership. (Producer: Kristy Jansen)

On this Friday the 13th, we have a tremendously important episode of Solutions News for you, built around the questions we’ve been hearing from our friends and neighbors about what to do with the pandemic knocking at our door. Our guest today is Dr. Douglas Metz, Deputy Director of SB County Public Health. Officials across the nation have begun to make proactive decisions to temporarily close schools, and shut-down public events, sports games, conferences, and other non-essential groupings of people to help slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus. In this context, a new question arises - how badly will this health crisis morph into a full-blown economic crisis; how will it affect our personal ability to pay our bills; and, how will it impact our consumer economy more broadly? While it’s impossible to know the future, in our lead story, we explore a few proactive business solutions that in the absence of, or in addition to, fundamental and substantive assistance from the federal or state policymakers, can help to smooth out the economic fallout from this pandemic. Then we talk with Dr. Metz and ask him all about how to protect ourselves and our families and the community at large in the face of this public health emergency - as well as how to take care of ourselves or our loved ones in the case of getting ill. In our final word today, we discuss some ways to curtail negative “emotional contagion” and promote good mental health in the face of media narratives and panicky friends or family members that feed our fear of this public health emergency. In the best advice in the universe, from Douglas Adam’s Hitchhiker’s Guide - “Don’t Panic.” (Produced by Kristy Jansen) For more go to solutionsnews.org/listen

On this episode of Solutions News, our first story is about repurposing real estate into space with a vision, but then we roll into a fascinating interview with Sandy Blair, CEO and Founder of Operation WEBS, a nonprofit that works with women veterans experiencing homelessness. We finish off the program with a look at women's equality and a salute to empowerment. Listen now to hear more! (Produced by Kristy Jansen) solutionsnews.org/listen

On this episode of Solutions News, our guests are Susanne Chess and Bob Evans, two mission-driven entrepreneurs who have made it their business to manufacture solutions to address problems large and small. Their latest project is focused on sustainable desalination using the power of the deep ocean to create clean freshwater without creating more problems for the animals, plants and other creatures who live there. We also feature other business-driven solutions, our didyaknows and feature an update on the Ocean Clean-up River project. (Produced by Kristy Jansen) For more details go to solutionsnews.org/listen