Sustainable Minimalists

The enviro-news you need to know for Friday May 25, 2023:[00:30] The future of plastic[3:00] The relationship between heat and a poor night's sleep[5:00] Yay or nay: Should we relocate species endangered by climate change?[10:00] The Colorado River's woes  Join our (free!) community here. Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube. Email me and say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com.  Our Sponsors:* Thank you to LifeStraw! https://lifestraw.com/Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/sustainable-minimalists/exclusive-content

It's almost always advisable to refrain from rash actions when emotionally charged, and rage decluttering is no exception. While filling that trash bag may feel great in the moment, enter guilt and shame shortly after.Often feel the impulse to rage clean and declutter? Today I speak with coach Leslie Alder about what to do instead. Here's a preview:[3:00] Rage decluttering isn't about stuff; it's about control[9:00] Getting to the root of the trigger, plus: shame and guilt's consequences[21:00] Exactly how to process our big adult feelings without grabbing the trash bag[27:00] Getting out of the house to refresh your perspective (Srsly, just leave!)[32:00] The antidote to periodic rage declutters? The quarantine box Resources mentioned: Leslie on Instagram Join our (free!) community here. Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube. Email me and say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com.  Our Sponsors:* Thank you to LifeStraw! https://lifestraw.com/Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/sustainable-minimalists/exclusive-content

The enviro-news you need to know for Friday May 18, 2023:[00:30] Indonesia's sinking problem[4:00] Trees can't walk but they're still moving north[7:00] Prepare yo'self! Extreme heat's a-coming in the next 5 years[13:00] Updates from beloved Yellowstone Resources mentioned:  Donate to the Greater Yellowstone Commission Join our (free!) community here. Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube. Email me and say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com.  Our Sponsors:* Thank you to LifeStraw! https://lifestraw.com/Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/sustainable-minimalists/exclusive-content

Maintaining a balanced life isn’t effortless. It takes constant adjustment and re-adjustment to remain steady.The good news? When our health, wellness, or happiness feels a little off, the solution is often as simple as a few tweaks to our mostly-working routines.It pays to take time to re-focus on the basics, and that's what we're doing today.Here's a preview:[6:30] Are you a Toyota, or are you a Lamborghini? (hint: you're a Lamborghini.)[10:30] The 30-second daily practice that promises to transform your life[16:00] Meaningful connections with other humans are worth the effort. Here's why[21:00] Why it's important to be bored Resources mentioned: Episode #365: Old Fashioned On Purpose Episode #300: The Golden Triangle Episode #369: The Commercialization Of Kids David's toothpaste  --Join our (free!) community here.Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube.Email me and say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com.Our Sponsors:* Thank you to LifeStraw! https://lifestraw.com/Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/sustainable-minimalists/exclusive-content

Big tech trains kids to become consumers from ... well, birth.Child-targeted marketing is cringe-worthy at best and unethical at worst. It also undermines our children's healthy development because it robs them of opportunities to play, imagine, and learn freely without manipulation.Today I speak with Dr. Susan Linn about the ways in which technology exploits children (and what we can do about it at home).  Here's a preview: [3:30] Brand loyalty? How media corporations exploit our children for profit[6:30] Societal implications associated with perpetually up-selling to kids[11:30] The ways in which big tech manipulates children into bonding with their devices[17:00] A good, hard look: Addressing our collective preoccupation with technology[28:00] Thoughts on breaking an older child’s screen addiction Resources mentioned: Episode #337: Minimalist Screen Time and Slow TV  Who’s Raising the Kids? Big Tech, Big Business, and the Lives of Children Fair play  * Join our (free!) community here.* Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube.* Email me and say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com.

The enviro-news you need to know for Friday May 12, 2023:[00:30] An Alberta wildfires update[2:00] Unplugged and offshore: The risks associated with 14,000 unplugged oil and gas wells in the Gulf[6:30] Renewable energy and 266,410 square miles[13:00] A sneak peek into our electric vehicle future  Join our (free!) community here. Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube. Email me and say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com. Our Sponsors:* Thank you to LifeStraw! https://lifestraw.com/Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/sustainable-minimalists/exclusive-content

Are you consuming the news, or is the news consuming you?While it's certainly important to be informed, there's a line in the sand between being adequately informed and over-informed. For many of us, regularly crossing that line leads to negative health and wellness effects.On today's show: how to protect your headspace while also staying informed.Here's a preview:[3:00] 5 reasons why it's so darn easy to get caught up in the news cycle[15:00] Headline stress disorder's effect of excessive new consumption on our physical and mental health[18:00] The dopamine loop: 2 reasons why overconsumption of stuff is similar to overconsumption of news[27:00] 3 tips and a final word Resources mentioned: 1440 The Skimm The Dopamine Seeking-Reward Loop (via Psychology Today) How the news changes the way we think and behave (via BBC) Join our (free!) community here. Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube. Email me and say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com.  Our Sponsors:* Thank you to LifeStraw! https://lifestraw.com/Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/sustainable-minimalists/exclusive-content

From an early age we’re taught that personal fulfillment is dependent on both our accomplishments and our possessions. Yet despite advancing in our careers and overflowing our homes, many of us remain unsatisfied.What's missing? According to today's guest, we are far too concerned with living from the outside-in when we should be doing the opposite. There is indeed a reality in which yearning for the bigger house and the better job takes a backseat to the whispers of our inner selves. On today's show: Shirin Etessam on true fulfillment as a byproduct of silencing our mental and emotional clutter.  Here's a preview:[6:00] What do our souls have to do with sustainable minimalism?[9:00] The work is hard, but is the struggle worth it?[17:00] The real reason we must address the mental clutter (and how to do it)[30:00] Exactly how to heal your heart[33:00] The importance of play, creativity, and curiosity in the lives of adults Resources mentioned:Pre-order Free To Be: A Six-Week Guide to Reclaiming Your Soul--Join our (free!) community here.Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube.Email me and say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com.Our Sponsors:* Thank you to LifeStraw! https://lifestraw.com/Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/sustainable-minimalists/exclusive-content

The enviro-news you need to know for Friday May 5, 2023:[00:30] Dear gas stoves, Buh-bye! Love, New York[2:00] Move over, Arabica: Why Liberica excelsa coffee may soon be in your mug[5:00] Harnessing the knowledge of indigenous communities to curb global warming[11:00] The world's leaders are looking to solar geo-engineering for quick, easy warming wins. Here's why Resources mentioned:  Episode #230: A Better Cup Of (Ethical) Coffee Join our (free!) community here. Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube. Email me and say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com. Our Sponsors:* Thank you to LifeStraw! https://lifestraw.com/Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/sustainable-minimalists/exclusive-content

Nonprofit organizations work tirelessly for the better good and they depend on donations from you and me to fund their programs. But giving is not equally distributed: in 2021, just 3% of all donation dollars went to environmental and animal welfare organizations (source).While we do indeed have the power to use every dollar we earn for change, giving can be confusing. There’s a massive difference between a worthy cause and a solid nonprofit and so on today's show I'm giving you the tools you need to find a quality charity that speaks to your heart. I'm also suggesting 7 environmental charities worthy of our hard-earned donations.Here's a preview:[5:00] Stay away from these shell non-profits, PACs, and misinformation funnels[7:45] It's a minefield out there! How to vet a nonprofit like a boss[19:00] Environmental catch-all orgs do an awful lot. Here are two of the best[21:00] Care about animals? I've got you! [24:00] Want to remove carbon from the atmosphere? 2 nonprofit recs Resources mentioned: GuideStar BBB Wise Giving Alliance Charity Navigator Environmental Defense Fund Natural Resources Defense Council  World Wildlife Fund The National Audubon Society Rainforest Alliance Clean Air Task Force Carbon180 Episode #289: The Convenience Tax Episode #353: Are Carbon Offsets Worth It? --Join our (free!) community here.Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube.Email me and say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com. Our Sponsors:* Thank you to LifeStraw! https://lifestraw.com/Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/sustainable-minimalists/exclusive-content