In an eye-opening conversation with professional archeologist and herbalist, Lauren Lembo connects us to the world of traditional plant medicine and wakes us up to the social and environmental costs of many personal care products we assume to be green and wholesome. Lauren is the owner and founder of Blue Fox Botanicals, a New Jersey-based company producing vegan skin care solutions and herbal formulas that are sustainably cultivated, fair trade, locally produced, ethically packaged, and palm-oil free.

Sustainability Now - exploring technologies and paradigms to shape a world that works

055 Social Responsibility Personal Care Products

If the children are our future, it's in good hands with the kids of MUN Impact. Beyond the rich academic training provided by Model United Nations, MUN Impact provides the tools, ideas, networks and inspiration for these kids to translate their knowledge, skills and vision into real world projects aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals. A true global citizen, Cody Eckert shares his undaunted optimism for the future as he guides and supports these remarkable young people in his role as MUN Impact Director of Global Operations.  Links and other resources can be found at https://www.sustainabilitynow.global/2021/09/13/054-mun-impact-the-kids-who-will-save-the-world/

054 The Kids Who Will Save the World

As Jack Herrera once said, “I don’t know if hemp is going to save the world, but it’s the only thing that can.” Bruce Dietzen, creator of the Renew Sports Car, Founder of Carbon Negative Fiber is about to quantify that with his Drawdown Hemp Project. In a bid to win the Musk Foundation’s $100 Million X Prize for Carbon Removal, Bruce has built a coalition of entrepreneurs from all disciplines of the hemp industry to develop a consensus on the carbon sequestering power of hemp. An acre of hemp can sequester tons of carbon. Couple that with the carbon being avoided by not producing materials with conventional methods and the potential for drawdown is huge.

053 Drawdown Hemp w/ Bruce Dietzen

 Still very much misunderstood, the effectiveness and importance of cannabis as a plant medicine has everything to do with our endocannabinoid receptors. Tammi Sweet explains the nuances and mechanisms of our biological interactions with this miraculous master plant and teaches us how we can benefit from its medicinal properties. 

052 The Science of Cannabis as Medicine w/ Tammi Sweet

 Visionary, film producer, and activist, Ryland Engelhart is guided by the fundamental question, “How can I use my life to awaken more love?” After years as "Mission Fulfillment Officer" and co-owner of the legendary, family owned, plant-based Café Gratitude and Gracias Madre restaurants, Ryland co-founded Kiss the Ground and is now engaged in full time advocacy of regenerative agriculture.   Join us for this deeply spiritual interview about bringing the sacred to commerce and cultivating a culture of gratitude.   Resources and links at https://www.sustainabilitynow.global/2021/06/27/051-heart-centered-entrepreneurship-with-ryland-engelhart-of-kiss-the-ground/ 

050 Heart-Centered Entrepreneurship with Ryland Engelhart of Kiss the Ground

If we're going to stop fracking and pipelines, we need future-thinking energy policy. Tom Gilbert of ReThink Energy NJ joins us to discuss how his organization informs and empowers citizens and decision-makers to support sensible policies to bring about a swift transition to clean, efficient, renewable energy. They advocate reducing the use of dirty fossil fuels and stopping unnecessary pipelines that threaten our land, air, water, health, and safety. Resources and links: https://www.sustainabilitynow.global/2021/05/02/048-rethinking-energy-policy/

048 ReThinking Energy Policy

 Co-founders of Possible Planet, Jonathan Cloud and Victoria Zelin are on a mission to finance the transition to a regenerative future by creating strategies to attract capital and investment in clean energy.   Today's conversation is about PACE, (Property Assessed Clean Energy) — a source of financing that: 1) requires no money out of pocket to make clean energy property improvements, 2) pays for itself with clean energy savings and 3) attaches the cost to the property rather than the property owner.   Join us to learn more about this game-changing innovation in financing that can help fund the transition not only to net zero buildings, but to buildings that capture more carbon than they emit. 

047 Financing the Regenaissance

 What if we could use open-source software development principles to reverse climate change?   That is exactly what Chris Neidl and The Open Air Collective has done through their Direct Air Carbon Capture (DACC) projects and their leadership in crafting the New York State Low Embodied Carbon Concrete Leadership Act (LECCLA). LECCLA is new legislation that would require all of the state’s agencies to include climate impact in their selection criteria for concrete procurement. The more sustainable a concrete provider’s bid is, the more likely it will be to win the business.   This is a big deal. As the single largest purchaser of concrete in NY, the state’s collective buying power could kickstart a market transformation, creating significant demand for low carbon concrete while broadening its availability in the private sector.   Resources and links from the interview: https://www.sustainabilitynow.global/2021/03/21/46-concrete-solutions-to-climate-change/ 

046 Concrete Solutions to Climate Change

Featuring Tim Paganos, Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer of microshare.io Smart buildings are good right? Adjusting room temperature and lighting based on patterns of use is more efficient, uses less resources and is therefore more sustainable. Collecting more detailed data enables greater refinement of systems and environments. But when is enough, enough? Join us for this provocative conversation about data collection, sustainability and privacy. More info and links at https://www.sustainabilitynow.global/2021/03/06/45-sustainability-through-it-a-double-edged-sword/

045 Sustainability Through IT: A Double-Edged Sword

Starting with the reinstatement of the 1942 Articles of Incorporation for the Kentucky Hemp Growers Association and then inspiring the planting of three feral hemp seeds by Woody Harrelson in the 90's, Joe Hickey has been a primary force behind the legalization of industrial hemp. Despite being a nearly magical plant with over 25,00 uses that include food, fuel, fiber, housing, health, and so much more, industrial hemp has been hindered in its adoption because of its close association to cannabis — which is known for its psychoactive properties. Industrial hemp contains less than .3% THC, the mind-altering substance present in marijuana. In addition to its multitude of uses, hemp also nutrifies the soil and is thought by many to be the salvation for struggling farmers. Links and more info at https://www.sustainabilitynow.global/2021/02/13/44-joe-hickey-godfather-of-industrial-hemp/

044 Joe Hickey: Godfather of Industrial Hemp

 Director of the documentary film “At War with the Dinosaurs,” John Michael Parkan is a hydrogen energy evangelist extolling the virtues and promise of a burgeoning hydrogen economy. Hydrogen is the third most abundant element on earth and is a sustainable green-energy alternative to fossil fuels that has been around since the early 1800’s. All the major car manufacturers have produced a hydrogen fuel cell car and the technology is more planet-friendly than battery-powered electric vehicles.   So why is it that, when so many of us think of hydrogen, our primary reference point is images of the fire-engulfed Hindenburg, an image rife with the misappropriation of danger, while hydrogen fuel is actually so much safer than gasoline?   Join us for this VERY illuminating interview and hear the true story of hydrogen and learn how this technology may be the solution for a transition away from a fossil fuel economy to a truly sustainable future. John Michael addresses the perceptions and prejudices related to hydrogen power and provides us with cogent steps we can take to support the emerging hydrogen economy.   About John Michael: John Michael Parkan attended the prestigious USC Film School and has shot, produced and directed multiple commercials, music videos, and shorts, in addition to special features for theatrical and library films. At War with the Dinosaurs is his first feature length documentary film.   More resources and links at https://www.sustainabilitynow.global/2021/01/30/43-fueling-the-future-with-hydrogen/ 

043 Fueling the Future with Hydrogen

Jason Schramm has focused his passion for the vegan lifestyle along with his tech skills on developing global directories for vegan events, vegan-friendly movies, and plant-based meal delivery. When Jason embraced veganism 5 years ago, it started him on the path of evaluating his own life. He saw how difficult it was for folks interested in a plant-forward lifestyle to find one another and connect. Jason’s solution: VegEvents.com, the largest listing of vegan events throughout the world. VegMovies.com came next, replete with movie descriptions and warnings about potentially disturbing content. His most recent venture, VegMealDelivery.com was a creative response to the COVID lockdown. Attention to the environmental impact of his food choices brought with it a desire to further minimize his carbon footprint. Thus, Jason’s veganism became a gateway to a life of minimalism, mindfulness, and purpose. It’s his minimalist lifestyle that has afforded Jason the luxury of providing his resource websites at no charge. Jason’s story is one of self-reflection, freedom, and purpose, stemming from a bold choice to look at the way our actions impact the world at large and respond accordingly.

042 How a Plant-Based Diet Created a Mindful Minimalist

 Anne-Marie Bonneau, the Zero-Waste Chef, is an author, blogger, fermenter, sourdough-er and zero waste evangelist. Join us for a wide-ranging conversation about consumerism, cooking and composting; sourdough, fermenting, and starting a movement.   With tips & tricks as well as recipes & resources, Anne-Marie’s passion and enthusiasm for sustainability has spilled over to social media where she is spreading the word to over 200,000 loyal followers.Anne-Marie’s first book: The Zero-Waste Chef: Plant-Forward Recipes and Tips for a Sustainable Kitchen and Planet is due out in April, 2021.   Mindfulness is the heartbeat of the transition to zero waste; awareness of our behaviors, values, and choices mixed with a solid measure of commitment and creativity. Anne-Marie embodies it all and shows us how we can make that journey one step at a time.   More resources at https://www.sustainabilitynow.global/2020/12/19/41-tips-tricks-from-the-zero-waste-chef/ 

041 Tips Tricks from the Zero Waste Chef

Raz Razgaitis is on a mission to eliminate single-use packaging and put bottled water out of business by making tap water safe and tasty again. Co-founder and CEO of FloWater, Raz sees the bottled water industry as our contemporary "Big Tobacco," capitalizing on a manufactured need while wreaking untold public health consequences due to plastic pollution. FloWater's technology is currently keeping 5.5 plastic Water bottles every second from reaching our landfills and oceans and this is just the beginning. Using the newest filter technology in their touchless hygienic water Refill Stations, FloWater creates public access to drinking water that tastes and hydrates better than anything in a single-use plastic bottle and is free of pathogens, chemicals, pharmaceuticals and micro-plastics. We talk about business, the challenges of taking on Goliath, changing prevailing perceptions and following one's heartfelt sense of mission.

040 Making Tap Water Great Again

Eden Green is helping establish food safety, food independence, and sustainable farming. Its turnkey greenhouse and vertical farming technology gives you the ability to locally grow large amounts of produce safely and efficiently, while using exponentially less land, energy and water than traditional farming and other indoor solutions. Their 1.5 acre greenhouse produces 900,000 pounds of leafy greens each year (a yield that is equal to 33 traditional acres) No diesel or other fuel on the farm Dramatically reduces fuel in transportation Utilizes natural pest control Uses the same amount of water as two houses Just in time food supply reduces food waste Employs 30 people making a living wage with benefits Learn more at https://www.sustainabilitynow.global/2020/11/14/39-eden-green/

039 Farming Goes Vertical with Eden Green Technology

Sustainability Now is engaged in the exploration and proliferation of cutting edge sustainable technologies that solve planetary problems related to food, energy, housing, water, waste, health, economics and consciousness. http://www.sustainabilitynow.global with Host Mira Rubin

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