Talk Green to Me

Trees and forests may be our most valuable natural resources for reducing greenhouse gases, preserving ecosystems, supporting wildlife, and providing for people. In this episode we talk about what sustainable forestry is and why managing forests is important for the environment, people, and the economy. We also talk about how harvesting and using trees through sustainable practices is good for the environment in many different ways, including helping reduce global warming. We also give a handful of suggestions on what you can do to help save and manage forests, reduce carbon emissions, and more.

Thinking about starting composting at home? We learned from composting expert, co-founder and director of Terra Nova Compost, Corrine Coe, that it doesn’t take a whole lot to get started. In this episode we talk about backyard thermophilic composting, what it needs, and how you can get started. And it’s pretty cool! Learn why composting is important for reducing methane in landfill and reduces the effects of climate change too.

Your food scraps can be more than just waste, they can be recycled! We interview Ben Parry, CEO of Compost Crew who talks to us about the full cycle of compositing starting with collection. Join us to learn about how food and other organic waste from your home can avoid landfill and be turned into useful materials such as soil amendment. We also learn about steps you can take to get started with composting and involved in reducing waste to do better for earth!

Teflon is a fluoropolymer that is super useful for non-stick and heat-resistance applications. Fluoropolymers have unique properties that we can't get from any other material. However, the chemicals used to produce them are known to be bad for human health. We talk about how teflon is made, how it can be recycled, and some ideas on what scientists can do to make the situation safer. We also give some easy suggestions of things you can do to reduce the amount of fluoropolymers in your life.

Scientific research can take naturally occurring materials, like lignin from trees, and turn them into chemicals and products. While creating sustainable alternatives to materials from fossil fuels sounds great, it can be a bit more challenging than you'd think. We interview Eric Gottlieb, the CEO and a cofounder of Lignolix, a company converting lignin into sustainable chemicals and materials. He talks about the path that led academic lignin research to become a start-up company and why it takes more than just sustainability to convince companies to make a change.

The material that's left over after making paper from trees can be used as an alternative to petroleum-based products and in a lot of different ways. This lignin is a naturally occurring biopolymer that can be broken down to make vanilla flavoring, biofuels, carbon fibers, and more! Check out this episode to learn more about this sustainable material.

Eating healthy and sustainably go hand-in-hand. We interview a clinical dietitian, Valerie Espinoza, on nutrition and the environment. She gives us perspective on how harming the environment can mean harming our bodies. Listen in to hear her recommendations on how you can do better for yourself and the planet.

It's National Nutrition Month! The foods we eat are materials that our bodies use for fuel to help us function and stay healthy. In this episode we discuss the sustainability of different food items from a 4 course meal. We talk about crops with GMOs, beef, fish, rice, and sugar. Learn about what you can eat to do better for your body and the planet!

This week we interview Teija Mortvedt. Teija works in the field of battery recycling. We discuss lithium ion and electric vehicle batteries, their recycling, and sustainability

What powers that pink bunny that keeps going and going? Batteries! We explain how different types of batteries work and how they can be recycled. And what you can and should do with your old batteries.