Soil grows 95 percent of our food and sustains human life. But monocrops, pesticide reliance, and other modern farming methods have degraded soil health in lasting ways. Some scientists believe we have less than 60 harvests left. The way we are feeding ourselves is undermining the very ecology we’re dependent upon. The hope? Regenerative farming. On today's show Kiss The Ground's Chief Executive Officer Evan Harrison urges each of us to participate in the regenerative movement. Here's a preview:[6:00] A laundry list of all the consequences associated with degraded soil[10:00] The main reason why pesticides are a staple of the monocrop farming model, plus: what science says about degraded soil and a food's nutrient density[19:00] For people who buy and eat food (aka everyone), here's how you can support regenerative agriculture Resource mentioned:Kiss The Ground film--Join our (free!) community here.Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube.Say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com.

The enviro-news you need to know for Friday, March 1 2024:[2:30] Air pollution and Alzheimer’s [5:00] Won't you be my neighbor? Supreme Court seems poised to halt EPA's 'good neighbor' rule [9:00] 150 Canadian 'zombie fires' just won't die[12:00] A breakdown on how air quality is measured, plus: How to find the best air quality apps   Join our (free!) community here. Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube. Say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com.   This show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting! Join our (free!) Facebook community here. Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube @sustainableminimalists Say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com.

“From the cradle to the grave … the [wo]man of modern times struggles through a maze of endless complication.”Although Charles Wagner penned these words over 125 years ago, they are more true today than ever before. On today’s show author Suzanne Johnson modernizes Wagner’s tenets of simple living for twenty-first century existence. Here’s a preview of the Wagner-isms we are revisiting today:[7:30] We suffer the consequences of a too artificial life[11:30] The more goods a woman has, the more she wants[18:00] Pleasure cannot be bought or sold[24:00] Obscurity is not a sign of disgrace[30:00] The realm of silence is vaster than the realm of noise[41:00] Simplicity is a state of mindResources mentioned: Simplify Your Life: 100 Ways to Slow Down and Enjoy the Things That Really Matter by Elaine St. James The Simple Life by Charles Wagner —Join our (free!) community here.Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube.Say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com.

Billions of people worldwide rely on seafood for nutrition and economic livelihood, but 90 percent of fish populations are currently overfished.Your seafood choices matter, and buying responsibly is one of the most important ways you can contribute to healthier oceans. On today's show: breaking down exactly how to be an informed seafood consumer.Here's a preview:[3:00] Everything you need to know about that wild-caught fish[14:00] Dirty little secrets from fish farms[21:00] ... But which is healthier: farmed or wild caught?[26:00] 6 ways to buy seafood like an informed and conscious consumer, plus: what it looks like to use a sustainable seafood guide IRL Resources mentioned: Episode #236: The Health Of Our Oceans with Dr. Sylvia Earle Salmon Wars: The Dark Underbelly Of Your Favorite Fish by Douglas Frantz and Catherine Collins Seaspiracy Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch You May Not Be Getting The Fish You Paid For. Here’s How To Spot Seafood Fraud (via WaPo) This show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting! Join our (free!) Facebook community here. Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube @sustainableminimalists Say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com.

Reminder to my fellow moms: You don't have to do it all. Studies have shown for decades that women in heterosexual partnerships are responsible for the "invisible labor" at home. Not surprisingly, carrying the lion's share of the burden has oversized impacts on women's mental health.The solution sounds simple: Divvying up domestic responsibilities decreases resentment and increases family cohesion. But how do we best encourage our partners and children to participate in the work of the home for the long haul?It's not gendered work; it's the work of the family and all should contribute. On today's show Lori Sugarman-Li encourages us to release the need to do everything; she also calls on our partners and children to step up and participate in the essential - yet sadly unpaid! - work of the home.Here's a preview:[6:30] Semi-disturbing stats re: impacts of inequitable unpaid labor on women's wellness[9:00] Defining family flow: How can we best change a family's flow if the flow isn't working for everyone?[17:00] They aren't chores! Here's why we must change both the language and the energy around "chores"[19:00] Full task ownership versus division of labor: Which provides long-term balance?[30:00] Words of encouragement for the default (ahem ... 'she-fault') parents, plus: cycle breaking is in our hands Resources mentioned: Fair Play Pre-order Our Home: The Love, Work, and Heart of Family Lori on Instagram   This show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting! Join our (free!) Facebook community here. Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube @sustainableminimalists Say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com.

The enviro-news you need to know for Friday, February 16 2024:[1:00] Are you a victim of seafood fraud? Probability says yes[6:30] What warm oceans mean for hurricane season here in the US [11:00] Why are Louisiana's coastal wetlands predicted to collapse, and what does this mean for storm protection?  This show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting! Join our (free!) Facebook community here. Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube @sustainableminimalists Say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com.

Weekends *should be* for resting, exploring, and participating in beloved hobbies. Yet for so many of us, our weekends are bogged down with housework. Errands too.On today's show Tyler Moore explains his system for centering his weekends — and his life — around what's most important.Here's a preview:[6:00] Be efficient about it: The order in which you perform household tasks matters![9:00] Mondays are for bathrooms! 3 benefits to maintaining a weekday cleaning routine[18:00] Is it really as simple as lowering expectations, or is this terrible advice?[25:00] Surthrival = getting through a stressful time while simultaneously noticing moments of thriving[28:00] Home rhythms and routines can indeed secure space for more of what actually matters, and here's how Resources mentioned: Tyler on Instagram @tidydad Join our (free!) community here. Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube. Say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com. This show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting! Join our (free!) Facebook community here. Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube @sustainableminimalists Say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com.

It can often feel in our culture as though women aren’t allowed to age. If we do? The patriarchy will (gasp!) deem us irrelevant. Enter countless off-the-shelf products, monthly treatments, and medical procedures that claim to turn back the clock, albeit temporarily. And while hair dyeing, teeth whitening, and more are wildly popular amongst women (and men!) forty-plus, such habits often come with excessive exposure to cancer-causing agents and hormone disruptors.On today's show Sophia Ruan Gushee encourages us to diversify our risks as we consider which anti-aging products to try. Here's a preview:[6:00] "I never worried about toxins and I turned out fine." This logic is flawed, and here's why[11:00] Don't go straight to the permanent hair dye! And other hair dyeing considerations [17:00] Teeth no longer pearly white? Beware of the heavy metals [24:00] Take an inside-out approach (not a 10 step regimen) to glowing, radiant skin  Related episodes:  Episode #194: Safer Nail Polish Episode #203: 5 Non-Toxic Hair Dye Solutions * Have you left this show an Apple Podcasts review yet? I'd so appreciate it, and thank you!  This show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting! Join our (free!) Facebook community here. Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube @sustainableminimalists Say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com.

The enviro-news you need to know for Friday, February 9 2024:[1:00] Your plant-based meat could soon have animal fat[5:00] A hamburger that saves the planet? Hmm ...[10:00] Introducing Michael Mann, the hockey stick chart, and 2 climate change deniers[15:30] Let's talk about Taylor's private jet ... This show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting! Join our (free!) Facebook community here. Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube @sustainableminimalists Say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com.

By the time you open, say, a container of yogurt, the food has taken a looong journey to reach your spoon. And at each step, there's the chance that a little something extra has snuck in.Consumer Reports tested supermarket staples and found high levels of bisphenols and phthalates — also known as plasticizers — within. The bad news? Scientists believe there's no safe level of plasticizers on human health.On todays show Dr. James Rogers breaks down everything you need to know about the plastic chemicals hiding in your food. Here's a preview:[2:00] So many plastic problems, so little time! Breaking down the differences between PFAS, plasticizers, microplastics, and more[6:00] The documented human health effects of plasticizers, plus: What their cumulative effects mean for chronic conditions[12:00] 9 phthalates are banned in toys but they're allowed in food? Make it make sense![15:00] 5 ways plasticizers become stowaways in our food[20:00] Lifestyle changes that reduce your exposure to phthalates and bisphenols Resources mentioned: Episode #339: Dark Chocolate's Dark Side Episode #264: Forever Chemicals The Plastic Chemicals Hiding in Your Food (via Consumer Reports) * Your Homework! Sign the petition to get plasticizers out of Annie's and other General Mills products This show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting! Join our (free!) Facebook community here. Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube @sustainableminimalists Say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com.