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206: The annual quickie Black Friday episode! We're all feeling the pressure to shop for ourselves, to shop off TikTok gift guides, to overbuy when we're starting early.... today's conversation will hopefully help us think more mindfully around what we're giving and how we're navigating sales. Meet me online - @ecochicpodcast on Instagram + @lauraediez on Tiktok. Email me at laura@lauraediez.com....

205: Heidi Harmon is the former Mayor of San Luis Obispo, CA and currently serves as Senior Public Affairs Director of Let's Green CA!. She discusses impactful climate policies from her time in office, including affordable housing, sanctuary cities, and fighting utilities in phasing out methane gas in buildings. We also talk about electrification - personal vehicles, infrastructure, public transpo...

204: We are overviewing the top climate solutions across four major sectors demanding major overhaul to heavily decarbonize: Transportation, the Built Environment, Food/Agriculture, and Electricity. As we are awaiting climate commitments from the currently-underway COP27, let's understand all the interwoven opportunities to meet our goals of keeping warming below 2C. Sectors discussed + resources:...

203: Walkability has some clear climate benefits: lower carbon footprints, resource sharing, and decreased reliance on cars for transportation. We're exploring all those, and also discussing some major social sustainability aspects to walkable cities, yielding healthier, happier communities. Today's episode is a deep dive through research on both the climate and community values around mixed-use d...

202: Lindsay McCormick is the Founder + CEO of Bite Toothpaste Bits, a brand dedicated to a plastic-free personal care routine through novel products, like their flagship, viral toothpaste tablets. Lindsay and I discuss all things sustainable entrepreneurship: early challenges, deep research, finding partners that align with your mission... everything from her previous career as a producer on Hous...

201: We're learning from Yesh Pavlik Slenk, the Network Senior Manager of Environmental Defense Fund’s Climate Corps program and host of Degrees: Real talk about planet-saving careers. Yesh is literally an expert at helping folks get paid to save the planet - and she's sharing thoughtful insight and tangible tips, whether you're just starting your career journey, pivoting into a more climate-consc...

200: We're joined by the coolest girls rebranding politics - Sammy Kanter and Maddie Medved, cohosts of The Girl and The Gov, The Podcast. Sammy and Maddie educate us on lesser-known political basics as we prep for Midterm Elections, coming up November 8th. We learn how to "review" candidates, what ballot initiatives are, and how to motivate our friends. Plus, we learn all about two major pieces o...

199: Annie Spence is a freelance creative and marketing consultant in fashion blogging, who also blogs and offers personal styling services. She's also one of my favorite people - an IRL friend turned internet bestie. Annie gives immediate, actionable tips for whatever stage you're in crafting the perfect-for-you closet: purging, finding your "uniform", deciding where to invest vs save, and all th...

198: From costumes to chocolate... Halloween is an easy time to trip up on our conscious consumerism. We're discussing some quick tips to keep your waste and impulse purchases this time of year, and also exploring some heavier ethical issues surrounding seasonal consumerism. We discuss costumes, decor, chocolate's dark history of child slavery, palm oil ... a quickie episode jam-packed for whateve...

197: With more extreme weather events, we're hearing more and more about climate refugees: communities forced to flee due to environmental factors. We are having a conversation about why people migrate, whether from gradual or sudden climate stressors, and how climate change is accelerating and exacerbating humanitarian crises globally. Thanks to today's sponsors! CozyEarth.com with code ECOCHIC f...

196: Architect and sustainable design advocate Amanda Gunawan of OWIU Designs joins us to discuss spaces: how we live, the spaces we create, and how conscious consumption can be brought into your build environment. Amanda and I discuss thoughtful design, sustainable architecture and development, and some of our favorite 'trends' in mindful living spaces. Thanks to our sponsor! Use ECOCHIC for 15%...

195: One of the most common pitfalls when we're working to become more conscious consumers is figuring out if the clothing we're buying is fast fashion. I'm breaking down five tried-and-true guidelines for us as we examine brands and think more deeply about our purchases. We're also walking through examples of greenwashing campaigns (cough cough, H&M Conscious) and discussing the juicy news of Kou...

194: We're joined by Brennan Coker: content creator, food waste reduction superstar, and friend of the pod. Today's conversation is a friendly, fluid mix of take-home tips to reduce your own food waste and Brennan's reflections on becoming a TikTok educator. Thanks to our sponsor! Use ECOCHIC for 15% off sitewide at DameProducts.com. Find me online - @ecochicpodcast on Instagram + @lauraediez on T...

193: We’re exploring a common sentiment in the sustainability space: eco-guilt, or any feelings of shortfalls around our own environmental action. We’re discussing the causes of these emotions, and how we can rationalize giving ourselves some grace around these self-defined benchmarks of being a “good” environmentalist. We’re also revisiting an excellent example of collective and personal action w...

192: We're joined by fashion historian Dr. Kimberly Chrisman-Campbell for a fun, thoughtful conversation on women's ever-changing relationships with clothing. We explore the historical context of natural fibers and wedding gowns, and discuss the influence of the Industrial Revolution on our wardrobes. Kimberly discusses iconic styles we love today, like wrap dresses and body-cons, through their or...

191: We're joined by Sharon Schneider, impact investor, social entrepreneur, and author of recently released Handbook for an Integrated Life: A Practical Guide to Aligning Your Everyday Choices With Your Internal Compass. We discuss the shady things big banks do with our money, and exploring alternatives like credit unions for our savings and mortgages. Sharon shares insight on charitable donation...

190: We're talking today about practices and products that give the air of casual elegance - the girl that's always put together but never trying too hard, can host on a whim, and loves a little indulgent skincare. Creating moments of little luxury does not mean compromising our values of conscious consumption; we're exploring the more sustainable options to habits we're picking up with time. Than...

189: Climate change has been front-and-center in the news this week - we're breaking down *the big deal* with heat waves across the United Kingdom, from public health to city infrastructure. More for you: Episode 152: Heat Waves, MegaDroughts, + Wildfires... Why 100-degree heat is so dangerous in the United Kingdom (NPR) Heatwaves: What do they do to the body and who is at risk? (BBC) Thanks to to...

188: We're walking through one of the trickest parts of building a more sustainable, ethical wardrobe: cleaning out the closet you already have! I've got five easy tips on how to critically assess what you already own, plus a handful of questions to ask yourself as you make new purchases to help stay true to your own values. Thanks to today's sponsor: OregonState. ECampus.edu/ECOCHIC Find me on: I...

187: Poisoned Water: How The Citizens of Flint, Michigan, Fought For Their Lives and Warned the Nation is a powerful, personable reflection on one of the biggest public health failures in modern American history. We're reading this month with N'Dea Irvin-Choy of @bmekween - she is a PhD candidate in biomedical engineering, a superstar content creator, and an avid reader. We discuss the series of u...

186: How can the EPA actually tackle climate change? West Virginia vs EPA ruled that the agency doesn't have authority to regulate emissions reductions - so now what do we do about greenhouse gases? We're breaking down the case today, better understanding the Clean Air Act amendments, and learning more about what solutions are still available to reach our ambitious, necessary climate goals. Thanks...

185: Today's episode is emotional - we are discussing the SCOTUS decision to overturn Roe v Wade, effectively retracting the constitutional right to abortion. We review what this decision means for women living in poverty, BIPOC women, women threatened by extreme weather events... and ultimately the challenges that continue to mount for these individuals in the face of climate change. Soundbites:...

184: We're chatting with Emily Pelland of @hikingwithheels all things outdoor recreation. Emily shares her story of building up an online presence as a hiker-influencer, and the challenges that ultimately encouraged her to step away from the space. We discuss the behind-the-scenes of creating her beautiful images, community in the online space, and the positives/negatives of publicizing trails (th...

183: Taking a juicy, investigative look into one of the most controversial sustainability topics: bottled water. We are diving deep into the controversies surrounding big brands like Nestle (and the 51 brands they own) and Fiji - what the players in this multibillion-dollar industry legally have claim to, how they interact with governments, and how communities are speaking out. Next book club pick...

182: We are rewinding to one of my favorite guests ever! We’re joined by Wanjiku “Wawa” Gatheru, a brilliant environmental justice scholar passionate about empowering BIPOC communities! Wawa is a recent alumnus of the University of Connecticut, and a Rhodes scholar attending Oxford continuing her intersectional environmental studies. She has had two recently published pieces shake the Internet: he...