Biophilic Solutions: Nature Has the Answers

This week, we’re talking all about how to amplify your impact with Carbon Almanac contributing writer Paige NeJame. Have you ever wondered whether your efforts to recycle, compost, and eat a plant-based diet make a real difference for the planet? While individual action is good, Paige provides tangible, creative - and most importantly, doable - ways to take our action steps to the  next level and create actual, systems-level change. The best part? Paige is living proof that regular people can make a huge difference; even with all of her work with the Carbon Almanac network, she has continued in her role with a commercial paint company and has used her knowledge to affect major, positive changes. The Carbon Almanac is a collaboration of hundreds of volunteer writers, researchers, thinkers, illustrators, and experts. Using drawings, histories, and lots and lots of data, The Carbon Almanac is the definitive (and highly approachable) guide to carbon’s impact on our food system, oceans, energy, the economy, human health, and extreme weather. Paige NeJame wrote the “Climate Change for Rookies” section of The Carbon Almanac, as well as a children’s guide to climate change, Generation Carbon. Show NotesThe Carbon Almanac: It’s Not Too LateThe Carbon Almanac NetworkGeneration CarbonThe Carbon Almanac PodcastsSeth GodinAkimbo: A Podcast From Seth GodinConnect the DotsThe Daily Difference NewsletterKey Words: Carbon, Carbon Emissions, Climate, Climate Change, Emissions, Nature, Environment, Sustainability, Solutions, Environmentalism, Alternative Energy, Carbon Almanac, Seth Godin, Biophilic, Biophilic Design, Biophilia Biophilic Solutions is available wherever you get podcasts. Please listen, follow, and give us a five-star review. Follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn and learn more on our website. #NatureHasTheAnswers

We firmly believe that this time of year should be all about slowing down, enjoying quality time with friends and family, and of course enjoying some time outdoors (weather permitting). So, as the holiday season approaches, we’re back with another roundup of biophilic books to curl up with on those cold, cozy nights or give as gifts to the nature lovers in your life. Themes include brain health, climate change, fungi, and even the intersection of botany and booze. Show NotesThe Awakened Brain: The New Science of Spirituality and Our Quest for an Inspired Life by Lisa Miller, PhDThe Carbon Almanac: It’s Not Too Late, edited by The Carbon Almanac Network and Seth GodinThe Body Keeps The Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel Van Der KolkEntangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds, & Shape Our Futures by Merlin SheldrakeThe Comfort Crisis: Embrace Discomfort to Reclaim Your Wild, Happy, Healthy Self by Michael EasterBewilderment by Richard PowersThe Drunken Botanist: The Plants That Create The World’s Great Drinks by Amy StewartBuy all these books and more from our favorite local bookstore Hills & Hamlets or their online partner BooksShop.Key Words: nature, holiday, reading list, nature books, biophilia, biophilic, biophilic design, climate change, climate, climate crisis, mindfulness, wellness, carbon footprint, carbon, fungi, mushrooms, bewilderment, richard powers, the overstory, botany, cocktails, holiday cocktailsBiophilic Solutions is available wherever you get podcasts. Please listen, follow, and give us a five-star review. Follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn and learn more on our website. #NatureHasTheAnswers

Mary Davidge has spent her career at the forefront of biophilic design. Between 2014 and 2021, Mary served as Google’s Director of Global Design, where she worked closely with biophilic leaders like Bill Browning and Judi Heerwagen to implement design solutions across Google’s campuses that prioritize health, happiness, and the environment. Prior to that, she ran her own firm, where her groundbreaking work in biophilic design and green building helped lay the foundation for certifications like LEED Platinum and the Living Building Challenge. Nowadays, Mary serves on the board of the Biophilic Institute and on the advisory board of the International Living Future Institute Biophilic Design Initiative, advocating tirelessly for biophilic solutions at scale. In this episode, we discuss Mary’s career at the intersection of tech and green building, the importance of placemaking, and why greening cities can solve multiple societal problems at once. Show NotesAbout Mary Davidge Google’s Mary Davidge Talks Sustainability Changes in Silicon Valley Over the Years (Green Building Matters)Why Does Biophilic Design Make Us Feel So Good? With Bill Browning (Biophilic Solutions)Biophilic Design and the Human Habitat with Dr. Judith Heerwagen (Biophilic Solutions)Terrapin Bright GreenLEED Rating System (U.S. Green Building Council)Living Building Challenge (Living Future)Defining the Worst Type of Street Design (City Lab)What is Placemaking? (ArchDaily)Opinion | Since When Have Trees Existed Only for Rich Americans? (New York Times)The Biophilic InstituteKeywords: Nature, Biophilia, Biophilic Design, Green Building, Google, Google Campus, Silicon Valley, Tech, Tech Industry, Design, Architecture, Equity, Environmental Justice, HealthBiophilic Solutions is available wherever you get podcasts. Please listen, follow, and give us a five-star review. Follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn and learn more on our website. #NatureHasTheAnswers

The world is losing its biodiversity at a rapid rate, due in large part to habitat loss caused by climate change. These dual threats pose serious risks to human health and wellbeing, particularly if global leaders fail to take meaningful and quick action. Our guest today is Brian O’Donnell, Director of the Campaign for Nature, an organization whose goal is to protect at least 30% of the world’s land and oceans by 2030. The Campaign for Nature works with scientists, environmentalists, and policymakers to advance solutions on a global scale. In this episode, we talk to Brian about why 30% is a benchmark number, why biodiversity loss is as great a threat to us as climate change, the highly significant Biodiversity Conference (COP15) which will take place in Montreal this December, and much more. Show NotesCampaign for Nature30 x 30 Sign the 30 x 30 Petition UN Biodiversity Conference (COP15)Rodale InstituteNew report shows why fighting climate change and nature loss must be interlinked (World Economic Forum)Shifting to a Green Economy with Dr. Edward B. Barbier (Biophilic Solutions)Can Organic Agriculture Feed the World? (Biophilic Solutions)Key Words: Nature, Biophilia, Biophilic Design, Infrastructure, Government, Environment, Environmental Policy, COP15, Montreal, Biodiversity, Biodiversity Loss, Climate, Climate Change Biophilic Solutions is available wherever you get podcasts. Please listen, follow, and give us a five-star review. Follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn and learn more on our website. #NatureHasTheAnswers

One of our most effective tools for improving planetary health is the food we choose to eat. In environmental terms, a vegetarian diet is great and a vegan diet is even better. However, imagining that the bulk of the population will willingly shift to a vegan diet over the next few years seems pretty unlikely (to put it mildly). So, where does that leave us? In today’s episode, we’re joined by Eat the Change co-founder Seth Goldman to advocate for a plant-based approach to food and diet. In a plant-based model, vegetables, fruits, fungi, and legumes are the key players - but there’s not a single food group that’s entirely off-limits. In this episode, we chat about Seth’s line of delicious and healthy snacks made from back-to-basics ingredients like carrots and mushrooms, his background as an entrepreneur in the health food space, and why you can’t sacrifice taste if you want to change peoples’ eating habits. Show NotesEat the ChangeAbout Seth GoldmanPLNT BurgerBeyond BurgerHonest TeaETC ImpactInnovator’s Agenda: How We Approach Innovation at Eat the ChangeEat the Change on Instagram, Twitter, and FacebookBiophilic Solutions is available wherever you get podcasts. Please listen, follow, and give us a five-star review. Follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn and learn more on our website. #NatureHasTheAnswers

Natural places, untouched by man made noise pollution, are practically nonexistent in the modern world. Unfortunately, the lack of quiet in today’s world doesn’t bode well for our health; noise pollution is tied to an array of health problems like cardiovascular disease, anxiety, depression, and attention disorders. Our guest today, Matt Mikkelsen, is a sound engineer, audio recordist, and documentary filmmaker who also serves as the Executive Director of Wilderness Parks at Quiet Parks International, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to save quiet for the benefit of all life. Preserving these places for our own calm and respite - and for the biodiversity and habitats of other species - is absolutely vital. In this episode, we chat with Matt about his work governments all over the world, the importance of true listening, and finding hygge in the wilderness. Show NotesQuiet Parks InternationalGordon HemptonQuiet Parks International CertificationQuiet Parks International AwardFollow Quiet Parks on InstagramFollow Matt on InstagramKey Words: Quiet, Silence, Wellness, Biophilia, Biophilic Design, Environment, Noise, Noise Pollution, Parks, State Parks, Park, Conservation, Land Conservation, Climate Change, HyggeBiophilic Solutions is available wherever you get podcasts. Please listen, follow, and give us a five-star review. Follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn and learn more on our website. #NatureHasTheAnswers

Picture this: you’re at the office and you’re having a terrible day. We’ve all been there at one time or another. So … where do you go to cry? That is the question that designer Oliver Heath poses to all of his prospective clients. More often than not, the response he gets back is the bathroom. From Oliver’s perspective, this answer reflects a larger issue in the built environment, especially in the workplace: a lack of spaces specifically designed with restoration and wellbeing in mind. Oliver is the founder of Oliver Heath Design, an architecture and interior design practice that focuses on health and wellbeing in the built environment and he is one of the leading experts on biophilic design. In this episode, we chat with Oliver about his approach to nature-inspired spaces, the fascinating and approachable white papers he has co-authored with Interface, and why we need to design with individual needs in mind. Show NotesDesign a healthy home: 100 ways to transform your space for physical and mental wellbeing by Oliver HeathOliver Heath DesignBiophilic Design Courses from Oliver Heath DesignWhitepapers, Reports & Guides (Oliver Heath Design x Interface)Interface14 Patterns of Biophilic Design (Terrapin Bright Green)Exploring the Nature Pyramid by Tim Beatley (The Nature of Cities)Oliver Heath Design InstagramOliver Heath Design TwitterOliver Heath Design FacebookKey Words: Nature, Design, Interior Design, Architecture, Sensory Experience, Biophilic, Biophilic Design, Biophilia, Restorative, Attention Restoration Therapy, Wellness, Wellbeing, Built Environment, Office, Work, Covid-19Biophilic Solutions is available wherever you get podcasts. Please listen, follow, and give us a five-star review. Follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn and learn more on our website. #NatureHasTheAnswers

This week we’re diving into environmental economics, specifically how global economies can start valuing nature and shift to a model that is greener, more inclusive, and more democratic. Have you ever wondered why many environmentally damaging industries receive government subsidies while natural raw materials are treated like inexhaustible resources? What about businesses who maintain the status quo even though their bottom line would benefit from incorporating more sustainable practices? We’re tackling all of this and much more with economist Edward B. Barbier. Dr. Barbier is a University Distinguished Professor in the Department of Economics at Colorado State University, where his main expertise is in environmental and resource economics as well as international environmental policy. He has served as a consultant and policy analyst for a variety of national, international and non-governmental agencies, including many UN organizations and the World Bank. His latest book, Economics for a Fragile Planet, provides solutions and action items for building a green economy. Show NotesEdward B. BarbierEconomics for a Fragile Planet by Edward B. BarbierA New Blueprint for a Green Economy by Edward B. Barbier and Anil Markandya Paris Climate AgreementAdopt a carbon tax to protect tropical forests (Nature)The Water Paradox: Overcoming the Global Crisis in Water Management by Edward B. BarbierSeveral states will follow California’s lead in banning gas-powered car sales by 2035 (The Hill)Inflation Reduction ActHow to Help People in Jackson, MS Right Now (The Cut)Key Words: Nature, Climate, Climate Change, Economy, Economic Systems, Fossil Fuels, Fossil Fuel Industry, Emissions, Democracy, Deforestation, Natural Resources, Sustainability, Environment, Environmental Policy Biophilic Solutions is available wherever you get podcasts. Please listen, follow, and give us a five-star review. Follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn and learn more on our website. #NatureHasTheAnswers

Is it important to know the cultural context of a place? How do landscape architects help connect us to nature? This week we’re talking all about Native American ethnobotany, environmental ethics, and finding the right balance between wildness and order with Dr. Alfred “Alfie” Vick, the Georgia Power Professor of Environmental Ethics at the University of Georgia and Director of the Environmental Ethics Certificate Program. With Alfie as our guide, we explore the cross-section of landscape architecture and Native American studies, the changes he’s observed in the fields of landscape architecture and biophilic design, and he even reveals a hot tip for combating poison ivy naturally. Show NotesUGA Environmental Ethics Program About Alfie VickThe Experience of Nature: A Psychological Perspective by Rachel Kaplan and Stephen KaplanLos Angeles River Revitalization ProjectFlight Path and Lost Waters with Urban Designer Hannah Palmer (Biophilic Solutions Podcast)State Botanical Gardens of Georgia - UGAKey Words: Native American, Indigenous Wisdom, Plants, Botany, Ethnobotany, Landscape Architecture, Landscape, Environment, Biophilia, Biophilic Design, Climate, Climate Change, UGA, SerenbeBiophilic Solutions is available wherever you get podcasts. Please listen, follow, and give us a five-star review. Follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn and learn more on our website. #NatureHasTheAnswers

This week, we’re exploring the rise of the single-family home and its many pitfalls, including the isolation brought on by large homes on expansive plots of land, exclusionary zoning that exacerbates social issues, and environmental factors like resource-intensive turf grass, massive energy usage for few people, and the necessity of cars. Luckily, however, new trends in housing are reshaping the way we live - from co-living spaces with shared utilities, resources, and perks to chic tiny homes to eco-conscious villages like Serenbe that encourage community, wellness, and biophilia. Our guest is Diana Lind, author of ‘Brave New Home', which investigates how the single-family home became synonymous with the American Dream before delving into the paradigm shifts making housing more accessible and environmentally aware. Diana is a writer and urban policy specialist whose writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Architectural Record and Next City, where she also served as Executive Director and Editor in Chief. Currently, she is the incoming Communications & Publications Director for the Penn Institute for Urban Research. Show NotesBrave New Home: Our Future in Smarter, Simpler, Happier Housing by Diana LindAbout Diana LindAgainst the White Picket Fence (New York Times)WATCH: Five Things Diana Lind taught us about housing (Philadelphia Citizen) Ideas We Should Steal: Treat Homelessness as a Health Issue by Diana Lind (The Philadelphia Citizen)Key Words: Urban Policy, Urban Planning, Housing, Housing Crisis, Biophilia, Biophilic Design, Wellness, Health, Zoning Laws, Suburban, Suburbia, Tiny Home, Environment, Climate Change, Climate Policy Biophilic Solutions is available wherever you get podcasts. Please listen, follow, and give us a five-star review. Follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn and learn more on our website. #NatureHasTheAnswers