Sustainable Minimalists

While fresh fruits and vegetables are irreplaceable parts of a healthy diet, pesticides aren't benign. Sadly, many of our favorite produce items carry unhealthy levels of pesticides, and each one comes with its own unique risk profile.On today's show: A comprehensive review of the most recent research into pesticides in produce.Here's a preview:[5:00] Not all pesticides are the same, and different pesticides have different risk profiles[10:00] DDT, bald eagles, Silent Spring, and America's history with pesticides[19:00] Stephanie's thoughts on the EWG's Clean 15 and the Dirty Dozen[25:00] Are the EPA's maximum residue limits too high?[30:00] ** You need to know about these countries with organic reciprocity![34:00] Does peeling help? How should we best wash conventional produce?[38:00] For subscribers! 6 concrete action steps for informed consumers Resources mentioned: EWG's Clean 15 and Dirty Dozen Produce Without Pesticides (via Consumer Reports)   This show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting! Join our (free!) community here. Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube. 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 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We know climate change is expensive, but how expensive is it really?A new analysis finds that beyond its effects on the broader economy, rising temperatures seriously hurt our personal finances. On today's show: A conversation with Alexandra Grose about what happens when climate change reduces lifetime income and simultaneously raises prices on ... well, everything. Resource mentioned:Climate Change Could Cost Each American Born Today $500,000 (via Consumer Reports)  This show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting! Join our (free!) community here. Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube. Say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The environmental news headlines you need to know for Friday, May 3 2024:[1:30] Newly released documents and Big Oil's secret climate strategy[7:00] Here's what Patagonia's doing with all its profits[13:00] Therapists are trading the couch for the great outdoors, and here's why[16:00] Sea levels are rising in the US coastal South faster than anywhere else on Earth Resource mentioned: Tell DOJ to Investigate Big Oil (via Action Network)  This show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting! Join our (free!) community here. Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube. Say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Something semi-sad happens as we age: We lose our nimbleness. So many of us white-knuckle grip long-held habits and beliefs and thus fail to question whether such routines and ideas are working in our best interests. Worse, such rigidity goes directly against our "factory settings" as human beings: As a species, we fully live when we prioritize resilience, light-footedness, and fearlessness. (Don't believe me? Just observe a child!)On today's show: embracing fresh starts, prioritizing roads less travelled, and unpacking pressures associated with cultural uniformity with author and podcaster Shannon Leyko. Here's a preview:[14:00] How to lean into tension by taking "messy action"[18:00] It's not *just* about trying a new hobby; it's about resiliency. Self-efficacy, too![23:00] Timelines are rarely linear, and "starting over" isn't starting back at square one[30:00] Common struggles associated with living unconventionally in a conventional world Resources mentioned: The Paring Down Podcast Shannon on Instagram You're Completely Normal: Trading Where You Think You Should Be For Where You Want To Go   This show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting! Join our (free!) community here. Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube. Say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Many corporations are hopping on the sustainability bandwagon these days, but it's not for altruistic reasons. It's likely due to the green premium: because eco-friendly products cost more, business owners see an opportunity for increased revenue. The result? Greenwashed products abound (And guess what? You're likely paying *extra* for a product that isn't at all eco-conscious!). On today's show Aidan Riehl offers advanced tips for avoiding greenwashing in today's ever-changing market.  Here's a preview:[6:30] Some questions to ask: Is this eco-friendly product owned by a conglomerate? Is this one product the *only* eco-conscious product in their product line?[9:30] Getting to the bottom of "biodegradable" claims once and for all[16:30] Should we look for pre-consumer or post-consumer recycled plastics?[19:00] Laundry sheets and dishwasher pods! Is polyvinyl alcohol actually benign?[22:00] So many pledges, so little action[25:00] Steph's tips to spot greenwashing in influencer marketing Resources mentioned: Episode #106: Greenwashing 1.0 Ecolabelindex.com EU bans ‘misleading’ environmental claims that rely on offsetting (via The Guardian) How We Avoid A Climate Disaster (by Bill Gates) The World Is Falling Short of Its Climate Goals. Four Big Emitters Show Why. (via NY Times) Good On You Think Dirty   This show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting! Join our (free!) community here. Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube. Say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Environmental headlines are discussed, including the world's biggest plastic polluters, Biden's oil drilling limits in Alaska, coral bleaching in the Great Barrier Reef, unhealthy air in America, and the potential role of cloning in species extinction.

We Homo Sapiens are notorious for avoiding pain and seeking pleasure. In fact, we have transformed the planet from a place of scarcity to a place of overwhelming abundance, with ample opportunities to flood our brains with dopamine at every turn.But over-consuming has consequences: Exposure to prolonged and repeated pleasurable stimuli decreases our capacity to tolerate pain and increases our threshold for experiencing pleasure. On today's show: Resetting your neural set point to make dopamine work FOR you, not against you.Here's a preview:[3:00] Here's exactly why our brains aren't designed to work optimally in our 2024 world of pleasure[7:00] Measuring the dopamine-induced addictive potential of various foods, habits, and drugs[10:00] What goes up must come down: Here's what opponent process theory means for you and your brain[14:00] Quantifying leisure time from the Civil War to present day[24:00] Dopamine fasts work! Here's how to recalibrate your brain[28:00] How to best lean into a bit of pain (and why you may want to) Resources mentioned: Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance In The Age Of Indulgence (by Dr. Anna Lembke) Episode #316: Moderation In All Things Episode #299: Future-Conscious Thinking   This show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting! Join our (free!) community here. Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube. Say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Last year was the hottest year on record, so it's safe to say that Earth Day as we traditionally celebrate isn't working.On today's show I suggest what I believe is the antidote to the climate crisis (and I'm willing to bet you won't be able to guess what it is!). Here's a preview:[3:45] The Big 5: We know what we should do environment-wise, so why aren't we doing it?[7:15] Communal care is anti-capitalist, and that's really darn important[16:30] Here's what research finds re: the relationship between collectivist culture and pro-environmental behaviors[24:00] If the problem is disconnection, is the solution as simple as authentic reconnection?[34:00] It's actually not hard at all to pivot from the conventional, negative feedback loop we find ourselves currently in This show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting! Join our (free!) community here. Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube. Say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Reminder! Our hands can do more than type and text. In fact, they can grow things.On today's show — and in honor of National Gardening Day! — permaculture expert Kareen Erbe lists countless tangible and intangible benefits associated with active participation in your local growing community; she also offers practical suggestions for getting off our screens and reengaging with the natural world. Here's a preview:[8:00] Industrializing our food systems has benefits, sure. But in doing so, what have we sacrificed?[19:00] Industrial agriculture is the problem, but agriculture is also the solution[23:00] Don't want to grow anything? You don't have to! Here's how to best invest in your *local* food systems[27:00] It's not that local, organic food is so expensive; it's that corporate, industrialized food is too cheap[31:00] The 5 S-es: Scalable tips for newbie growers[35:00] Kids who grow kale eat kale! Resources mentioned: Episode #447: No Topsoils, No Food Kareen on Instagram   This show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting! Join our (free!) community here. Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube. Say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Identifying 5 expensive and downright impractical geoengineering ideas designed to curb global warming:[5:30] 2 direct carbon capture projects (one of which plans to drill more oil)[8:30] A gigantic umbrella in space?[10:00] Adding iron to the ocean in hopes of spurring algae blooms[13:00] Sending sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere in weather balloons, oh my Resources mentioned: This show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting! Join our (free!) community here. Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube. Say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.