The SustainUW Podcast

In this rich and wide-ranging conversation, storyteller, cultural geographer, and "accidental environmentalist" Carolyn Finney speaks with hosts Hannah Kasun and Savannah Holt about race, history, environmental belonging, "colorblindness," and much more. Dr. Finney is the author of Black Faces, White Spaces: Reimagining the Relationship of African Americans to the Great Outdoors (UNC Press, 2014) and is artist-in-residence and the Environmental Studies Professor of Practice in the Franklin Environmental Center at Middlebury College.

With 23 teams and 900 athletes, the Wisconsin Badgers are a huge part of the UW–Madison experience. But that big athletics enterprise also means a lot of resource use and a significant opportunity for sustainability interventions. In this bonus episode, hosted by Catie McDonald and Hannah Kasun, we explore a new student athlete sustainability organization called SALS, or Student Athlete Leaders for Sustainability. Our special guest on this episode is Claire Carlson, a member of the lightweight rowing team who offers insight into why she loves working with SALS and what she's looking forward to in its future. 

Not everyone celebrates St. Patty's day, but it's hard not to notice the green color suddenly washing over many of our cities and towns. In Chicago, they even dye the river green. But what about that other kind of greenwashing--where companies claim "eco" or "organic" labels but don't really back up their claims? In this bonus episode, hosts Norma Behrend-Martinez and Catie McDonald share their St. Patty's traditions and then offer a quick but detailed overview of greenwashing and how to avoid it. 

What were you taught in grade school or high school about American Indians? For many of us, the Native Nations in the United States were historicized, relegated to quick and often deeply problematic anecdotes set in the distant past. But of course, this dynamic obscures the lives of present-day American Indians and their ongoing role in shaping the places in which they live. In this episode, hosts Norma Behrend-Martinez and Catie McDonald look to vital examples of American Indian activism that have occurred across the United States in recent years, and particularly pay attention to examples that touch on environmental concerns. They are joined in this episode by special guest Kasey Keeler, who is a faculty member in Civil Society and Community Studies and American Indian studies at UW–Madison.

When it comes to Valentine's Day, are you a heart-flutterer or an eye-roller? Would you prefer chocolate and roses or an "emo party" with friends? Hosts Savannah Holt, Norma Behrend-Martinez, and Marina Minic debate the pros and cons of Valentine's Day, and along the way ask: can it be sustainable as well as sweet?

What does food access and food security look like in Dane County, Wisconsin? What sort of organizations and nonprofits grow and distribute food to those who need it, and how have they adapted during the pandemic? In Episode 3 of our first season, hosts Hannah Kasun and Marina Minic discuss local food systems, and along the way speak with two special guests: Molly DeVore, who is the Urban Agriculture Director of FHKing, a group of UW–Madison students interested in sustainable agriculture; and Chris Brockel, who is the FEED Kitchens manager and who coordinates a food recovery and distribution project called Healthy Food for All. 

What figures and ideas have shaped the way we understand the "great outdoors" in the United States? And how have established narratives about the great outdoors obscured privilege, racism, and BIPOC histories while celebrating conservation and wilderness? In Episode 2 of our first season, hosts Hannah Kasun and Norma Behrend-Martinez explore the complicated legacies of figures like John Muir, Gifford Pinchot, Henry David Thoreau, and Theodore Roosevelt, whose influence extends to the present. To deepen this discussion, Episode 2 features two special guests: Midy Aponte, who is a communications specialist and former Executive Director of the American Latino Heritage Fund of the National Park Foundation; and Sheamus Johnson, PhD student and teaching assistant at UW–Madison who has taught a variety of environmental studies courses.

Hosts Savannah Holt and Marina Minic share ideas on how to make the holiday season more sustainable. According to Use Less Waste, people in the USA produce approximately 25 million tons more garbage from the end of November to the beginning of January than they do the rest of the year. Savannah and Marina address the issue of waste, how to combat food waste, fun ideas for presents, alternative gift wraps, and more!

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In this bonus episode, hosts Marina Minic and Cassie Sanford dive into the world of voting in Wisconsin in 2020. They talk about who will be on the Wisconsin ballot and then focus on all of the logistics like registering to vote, requesting an absentee ballot, and voting in person. This episode is filled with many important dates, which we'll highlight again below:

Important Links:

In this bonus episode, hosts Natalie Tinsen and Brooke Bowser speak with the new Sustainability Coordinator for University Housing, Malorie Garbe, about how her career led her to UW–Madison and why she's excited for this year's virtual Sustain-a-Bash events, which are happening from September 30-October 7, 2020!