Sustainable Minimalists

Sustainable Minimalists episodes:

• 04.23.2024

  Pleasure-Saturated

  We Homo Sapiens are notorious for avoiding pain and seeking pleasure. In fact, we have transformed the planet from a place of scarcity to a place of overwhelming abundance, with ample opportunities to flood our brains with dopamine at every...

  
• 04.23.2024

  Introducing the Zero To Travel Podcast

  Finding ways to travel on your terms can be a challenge. We’ve become fans of the Zero To Travel podcast and hope you check it out too.

  
• 04.18.2024

  Labors Of Love

  Last year was the hottest year on record, so it's safe to say that Earth Day as we traditionally celebrate isn't working. On today's show I suggest what I believe is the antidote to the climate crisis (and I'm willing to...

  
• 04.16.2024

  The Great Connector

  Reminder! Our hands can do more than type and text. In fact, they can grow things. On today's show — and in honor of National Gardening Day! — permaculture expert Kareen Erbe lists countless tangible and intangible benefits associated with active...

  
• 04.12.2024

  HEADLINES: Geoengineering

  Identifying 5 expensive and downright impractical geoengineering ideas designed to curb global warming: [5:30] 2 direct carbon capture projects (one of which plans to drill more oil) [8:30] A gigantic umbrella in space? [10:00] Adding iron to the ocean in hopes of spurring...

  
• 04.11.2024

  Stealthily Frugal

  Take stealth wealth and reverse it: Stealth frugality is what happens when a person lives big without spending lots of money. On today's show: A laundry list of the ways in which we can each live a rich life but...

  
• 04.09.2024

  Disconnecting

  Work emails. Social media notifications. Weather alerts. The constant news cycle. In the hustle and bustle of modern life, it's easy to get lost in the chaos of endless distractions. Yet research has shown that information overload can lead to mental...

  
• 04.04.2024

  Can We Have Kids And Nice Things?

  Can a white couch and a toddler coexist?  Research finds that environment impacts well-being, and we shouldn't have to wait 18 years to enjoy our homes.  On today's show we address the age-old question: Can we have kids and nice things? The...

  
• 04.02.2024

  The Low-Tox Life

  Living the low-tox life can seem expensive and out of reach. But it doesn’t have to be. On today's show podcaster Regan Nelson suggests 7 research-backed ways to reduce your exposure to toxins that just so happen to *also* be free.  *...

  
• 03.29.2024

  HEADLINES: The Economics Of Climate Change

  The enviro-news you need to know for Friday, March 29 2024: [00:30] Here's why Americans pay the most after a natural disaster [6:00] New laws against intentional methane release, plus: why this new law is a money maker  [9:00] Throwing $$ at the...

  
• 03.28.2024

  Lights Out

  Fossil fuels power our modern lives, and yet fossil fuels are also powering global warming. Because many of us lack the self-sufficient skills necessary to survive an extended power outage event, we are one thing and one thing only: vulnerable. We have...

  
• 03.26.2024

  House Rules

  When it comes to furnishing and styling ours homes, we all deserve spaces that facilitate easeful living. But for those of us without an eye for design? Furniture and decor mistakes can happen (and they can be costly). On today's show...

  
• 03.22.2024

  HEADLINES: Planes, Trains, and Automobiles

  The enviro-news you need to know for Friday, March 22 2024: [00:30] What you need to know about "the most significant climate regulation in US history" announced this week [6:15] It has never been cheaper to purchase an EV, and here's why [9:00]...

  
• 03.21.2024

  INTRODUCING: Book Club!

  Things are a-changin' around here.  On today's show: Introducing new ways to support the show (with fun perks like ad-free shows, subscriber-only episodes and, yes, real life Book Club!) This is YOUR show. As always, thank you for your support! >> sustainableminimalists.substack.com/ -- Join our...

  
• 03.19.2024

  Family Dinner

  Eating meals together is the ultimate parenting cheat code, and that's because in just one hour you can improve your kids' academic performance, self-esteem, and cardiovascular health while simultaneously reducing their risks of substance misuse, depression, and obesity. On today's show:...

  
• 03.15.2024

  HEADLINES: Jevon's Paradox

  The enviro-news you need to know for Friday, March 15 2024: [00:30] The paradox that's holding back clean energy gains [7:15] You're not crazy: Spring is indeed arriving earlier [13:00] Breaking down the EU's new 'gold standard' deforestation law [12:00] A war on utes? Updates...

  
• 03.14.2024

  Three Acts

  Today's show is a series of 3 very diverse updates straight from developments in my own life: The first is about self-sufficiency, the second is sustainability-focused, and the final act dedicates itself to intentional living. Here's a preview: [3:00] Act 1: The...

  
• 03.12.2024

  Excessively Convenient

  There's convenience, and then there's *excessive* convenience. While some modern conveniences are indeed necessary and needed, the excessive ones can be detrimental to ourselves and society as a whole. Items and services of convenience are often substitutes for supportive culture and...

  
• 03.08.2024

  HEADLINES: Good News, Bad News

  The enviro-news you need to know for Friday, March 8 2024: [00:30] SEC scales back its new pollution-disclosure rules [4:15] Apparently we're smuggling greenhouse gases now [9:00 It's no longer a debate! Our warm winter has human fingerprints all over it [12:00] Gray whales...

  
• 03.07.2024

  Athleisure

  Yoga pants, baby! Athleisure is a fashion trend that features comfortable, flattering, and aesthetically pleasing athletic clothing designed to be worn all day. And while many of us turned to athleisure during the pandemic and never went back, athleisure has...

  
• 03.05.2024

  No Topsoils, No Food

  Soil grows 95 percent of our food and sustains human life. But monocrops, pesticide reliance, and other modern farming methods have degraded soil health in lasting ways. Some scientists believe we have less than 60 harvests left.  The way we are...

  
• 03.01.2024

  HEADLINES: Assessing Air Quality

  The enviro-news you need to know for Friday, March 1 2024: [2:30] Air pollution and Alzheimer’s  [5:00] Won't you be my neighbor? Supreme Court seems poised to halt EPA's 'good neighbor' rule  [9:00] 150 Canadian 'zombie fires'  just won't die [12:00] A breakdown on...

  
• 02.29.2024

  Vital Simplicity

  “From the cradle to the grave ... the [wo]man of modern times struggles through a maze of endless complication.” Although Charles Wagner penned these words over 125 years ago, they are more true today than ever before. On today's show author Suzanne...

  
• 02.22.2024

  Sustainable Seafood?

  Billions of people worldwide rely on seafood for nutrition and economic livelihood, but 90 percent of fish populations are currently overfished. Your seafood choices matter, and buying responsibly is one of the most important ways you can contribute to healthier oceans....

  
• 02.20.2024

  Unpaid Labor And Gendered Work

  Reminder to my fellow moms: You don't have to do it all. Studies have shown for decades that women in heterosexual partnerships are responsible for the "invisible labor" at home. Not surprisingly, carrying the lion's share of the burden has...

  
• 02.16.2024

  HEADLINES: An Oceans Update

  The enviro-news you need to know for Friday, February 16 2024: [1:00] Are you a victim of seafood fraud? Probability says yes [6:30] What warm oceans mean for hurricane season here in the US  [11:00] Why are Louisiana's coastal wetlands predicted to collapse,...

  
• 02.15.2024

  How To Stop Playing Weekend Catch Up

  Weekends *should be* for resting, exploring, and participating in beloved hobbies. Yet for so many of us, our weekends are bogged down with housework. Errands too. On today's show Tyler Moore explains his system for centering his weekends — and his life —...

  
• 02.13.2024

  The Anti-Aging Problem

  It can often feel in our culture as though women aren’t allowed to age. If we do? The patriarchy will (gasp!) deem us irrelevant.  Enter countless off-the-shelf products, monthly treatments, and medical procedures that claim to turn back the clock, albeit temporarily....

  
• 02.09.2024

  HEADLINES: The Food Episode (Sort Of)

  The enviro-news you need to know for Friday, February 9 2024: [1:00] Your plant-based meat could soon have animal fat [5:00] A hamburger that saves the planet? Hmm ... [10:00] Introducing Michael Mann, the hockey stick chart, and 2 climate change deniers [15:30] Let's...

  
• 02.08.2024

  Plasticizers

  By the time you open, say, a container of yogurt, the food has taken a looong journey to reach your spoon. And at each step, there's the chance that a little something extra has snuck in. Consumer Reports tested supermarket staples...

  
• 02.06.2024

  The Negativity Bias

  If you're like most humans, 70-percent of your thoughts each day skew negative. The good news? You aren't your thoughts; you're the observer. On today's show therapist Risa Williams shows us how to break free of the negativity bias that...

  
• 02.01.2024

  3 Things Our Kids Really Need

  Enough with excessive educational toys, extracurriculars, and enrichment activities. It’s time to take a step back, put our wallets away, and realize what our children *actually* need. On today's show: re-centering our parenting efforts around 3 of the most important childhood needs. Here's...

  
• 01.30.2024

  Be Bold! Breaking Food Waste Norms

  Reducing food waste doesn't always jive with societal norms. That's because keeping perfectly edible food out of landfills might mean being the weirdo who boxes their wedding entree. Or asking (gasp!) to take home extra pizza from a child's birthday party....

  
• 01.26.2024

  HEADLINES: Spin City

  First facts, then the inevitable spin! The enviro-news we are spinning for Friday, January 26 2024: [1:00] 3 cheers for a White House pause in the natural gas export terminal CP2 [5:00] No one likes air pollution. Enter new rules for fine...

  
• 01.25.2024

  Willful Blindness

  When faced with information that challenges our long-held beliefs, we humans do one of two things. Either we think hard about our values and adapt our lifestyles to reflect this new data, or we cling to willful blindness so that...

  
• 01.23.2024

  Advice For Living

  Wisdom is the cumulation of valuable lessons we pick up along our journeys through this messy thing called life, and pearls of wisdom are guideposts to help us navigate the complexities of living in an uncertain world in an uncertain...

  
• 01.19.2024

  HEADLINES: Losses And "Gains"

  The enviro-news you need to know for Friday, January 19 2024: [00:30] Updates from the Greenland ice sheet [5:00] Staggering losses to North American bird populations, plus: outlining their (human-made) threats [10:00] Gross! Our favorite foods have an awful lot of microplastics within [14:00]...

  
• 01.18.2024

  Is It Time To Quit Amazon Prime?

  Over 200 million Americans subscribe to Prime, and estimates suggest that Amazon delivers 3.4 million packages per day in the US alone. Quitters, unite! I'm quitting Amazon Prime, and perhaps it's time for you to consider quitting too. Here's a preview:  [7:30] How...

  
• 01.16.2024

  The Fast Furniture Trap

  Did you know? Ikea beds, Wayfair desks, and other fast furniture items are designed to last about five years. Fast furniture is mass-produced and relatively inexpensive; it's easy, then, to obtain and abandon. And fast decor? Low price points essentially render...

  
• 01.12.2024

  HEADLINES: President Biden

  The enviro-news you need to know for Friday, January 12 2024: [00:45] Want to eat and drink less plastic? Don't drink bottled water ...  [5:00] Vroom vroom! Clean yellow school buses are a-comin' nationwide [10:00] Say it ain't so: Right now the US...

  
• 01.11.2024

  Identifying Your Shopping Triggers

  You've likely been there. That moment when you look at your credit card statement and your heart sinks. Sometimes logic gives way to desire, and nothing's worse than realizing you overshopped on impulses. A lot. It’s time to take a look...

  
• 01.09.2024

  Why Repairability Matters

  In some ways, our preponderance toward tech disposability is systemic. We consumers in the US are denied the right to repair: fixing a broken smartphone, then, is costly. It's simply more convenient to replace our broken item for the newest...

  
• 01.05.2024

  HEADLINES: A Glimpse Into The Future

  The enviro-news you need to know for Friday, January 5 2024: [00:45] Is drinking toilet water in our future? (Answer: Yes.) [3:45] Some flowers are evolving to pollinate themselves, and this is not good news [7:15] Got climate trauma? Good luck finding professional...

  
• 01.04.2024

  Lessons Re-Learned

  Over the holidays my family and I staycationed for 9 glorious days. During this time of introspection I re-learned these 4 universally applicable lessons which we are discussing today: [2:45] Appearance is EVERYthing (when shopping, at least). [10:00] Explanations are unnecessary. [18:00] No...

  
• 01.02.2024

  Get Growing

  Whether you boast a small windowsill herb garden, a thriving hydroponic system or something in between, growing your own food is great for your well-being. And when you grow what you eat? You also reduce the environmental harm that's incurred...

  
• 12.30.2023

  Your No Spend/Low Spend January

  The holidays are all about overabundance. We buy too much, consume too much and despite our best efforts spend far too much money. But there is a solution, and it’s happening on January 1: A No-Spend Reset.  A practical first step toward adopting a lifestyle...

  
• 12.27.2023

  SMART Resolutions

  A New Year's resolution is a tool that helps us become the best possible versions of ourselves. And yet research finds most people abandon their resolutions by February.  Many New Year's resolutions fail because they're too broad, too lofty, and not...

  
• 12.22.2023

  HEADLINES: Only Good News

  The (only positive!) enviro-news you need to know for Friday, December 22 2023: [3:30] Can microorganisms help in our plastics fight? [6:00] Exactly how plants communicate with other plants (and why it's important in climate change conversations) [9:00] 'Sustainable' Aviation Fuels: Is climate-friendly...

  
• 12.19.2023

  Modern Distractions

  We are taught from an early age that contentment is found in possessions. But lasting peace comes from within, and meditation is a powerful (and free!) way to find what so many of us seek.  Yet thanks to All. The. Distractions, modern...

  
• 12.15.2023

  HEADLINES: Water Wars

  The enviro-news you need to know for Friday, December 15 2023: [00:30] COP28: The good, the bad, and the ugly [9:15] Who gets the (limited) water in California? [13:30] Extreme weather and the cost of sugar Join our (free!) community here. Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are...