Sustainability In Your Ear

With Valentine's Day around the corner, Evelyn Lopez and the Earth911 team sits down to talk about what's working in our sustainable lives, as well as what needs improvement. We explore the Reduce. Reuse, and Recycling options in curbside programs, how to apply precycling practices before shopping, and the mysteries of recycling handtool batteries and compostable plastics. Earth911 contributors Sarah Lozanova and Trey Granger share their assessments of home energy use improvement and the viability of nuclear power and carbon-intensive air travel. We also discuss the best lifestyle choices we made in the last year, including shopping local, cooking for a lighter carbon impact, gardening, and entertaining. Of course, we answer Earthling questions. This week, questions from our readers have us digging into recycling options for unused ammunition, what to do with vape pen waste, and the value of glass recycling in the wake of the China ban.

Micaela Preston has raised a family sustainably, sharing her learning with a growing audience along the way. MindfulMomma.com, Preston's site, delivers a wide variety of how-to sustainable living articles and products that she has tested herself. From non-toxic beauty products to natural products for the home, kitchen, and bathroom, MindfulMomma.com encourages people to think before they buy. It's a practice we can all adapt to feel better about ourselves and make the best choices for the planet. Preston talks with Earth911 about the practice of moderation and conscious decision-making.

Greg Seaman, the founder of EarthEasy.com, had the courage to live his values. He, his wife, and son moved to an island off the Pacific Northwest coast more than 30 years ago. They lived off-grid and raised a family in a home they built from recovered wood. The Seamans settled into a comfortably challenging existence living lightly on the Earth. In 2000, he launched EarthEasy.com to share his experience and offer island-tested sustainable products. Building his own community, both on the island and in business, Greg created an income for a dozen people. He talks with Mitch Ratcliffe of Earth911 about the transition to off-grid living, how rural practices can enliven and make cities sustainable, and the problem of educating people about the environment.

It's the deepest cold of the year in the Northern Hemisphere (while in the Southern Hemisphere, Australia is being ravaged by wildfires like the American West in Summer). The Earth911 team gathers at the microphone to talk about keeping warm inside, sealing your home to prevent the cold from entering, and the best ways to take care of yourself during the winter. Green lighting tips, the best vegan slow-cooker recipes, and how to recycle antifreeze are on tap. We also explore getting involved locally for Martin Luther King Day and the annual effort to save baby sea turtles that are attracted to light pollution and away from the sea when hatching. You can get involved with the information on this week's podcast.And, as always, Earthling questions about recycling and sustainability.

Welcome to 2019 and the month of Veganuary. The Earth911 team gathers to talk about the growing Veganuary movement. People around the world are adopting a vegan diet during January and, if it goes well, embracing animal-free eating all year. We also explore the role of recycling oyster shells in the environment and the best ways to start this year's garden in January with indoor seedlings. Sarah Lozanova shares seed sprouting tips for healthier Winter eating and Trey Granger explains a cool new food waste-fighting app, Food Rescue USA. The app has already saved 32 million pounds of food. Plus, taking kids on environmentally positive trips to learn about their world and Earthling Questions!

It's the Sustainable New Year episode of Earth911's podcast as the team gathers around the microphone to talk impactful resolutions. What can we do to combat climate change, improve your use of renewable energy, reduce plastic pollution of the oceans, and lower CO2 emissions? What are the non-profits to support? How can we be better stewards of water? We also discuss getting involved in your community to reduce, reuse, and recycle? Getting kids and grandkids engaged wih sustainable thinking and ready to lead is an important contribution families can make to the world. In Earthling Questions, we answer the wrapping paper and bows recyclability question explain the options for old CD and DVDs.

The Oceanic Society (oceanicsociety.org) is celebrating Pantone's Color of the Year selection, Living Coral, a vibrant message that designers will use in media around the world. Earth911 talks with Wayne Sentman, director of Conservation Travel Programs at the Oceanic Society about the state of coral and raising awareness about coral bleaching and climate change. The organization encourages people to adopt "blue habits" that will reduce pollution and overfishing, as well as to keep coral reefs alive in the face of climate change. Pantone's Living Coral is a vibrant red-orange that could vanish from the natural world in our lifetimes that is "animating and life-affirming coral hue with a golden undertone that energizes and enlivens with a softer edge." You'll be seeing it online, in magazines, and business cards, among many other places -- remember the coral reefs when you do and share blue habits with your community.

The Ray C. Anderson Center for Sustainable Business at Georgia Tech's Scheller College of Business is a hotbed of innovation for the circular economy. Earth911 talks with the school's Dr. Beril Toktay and Michael Oxman about the application of sustainable practices in business and the future of careers in sustainability. If you are a student or a business owner considering how to turn green intentions into profitable practices, this is an interview that will open your eyes to many possibilities. Start your sustainable business journey with this podcast.

Vikram Aggarwal, founder and CEO of home solar comparison-shipping service EnergySage.com, talks with Earth911 about the costs of, and incentives available for, solar installations. The company, which provide free solar product comparisons and on-call expertise, has helped homeowners in more than 30 states get their houses off the traditional power grid. Aggarwal explains the many factors that contribute to decisions about which solar products to buy, as well as how long it typically takes to recoup the investment. We talk tech, policy, and the rapid adoption of alternative power by American homeowners. You'll learn where to start and how to get the biggest solar jolt for your buck.

Evelyn Fielding-Lopez and the Earth911 gang assemble at the microphone to talk about 2018's biggest recycling and sustainability stories. From climate change and environmental protection, to recycling policy in and its impact on U.S. recycling rates, it has been a year we think sets the stage for major changes. Also, what were the best green businesses in apps, retailers that use renewable energy, solar panels, and electric vehicles? We answer Earthling questions about latex paint (it can remain usable for many years) and DirectTV dish disposal.