Green Rapids Podcast

Nancy and Erica chat about some of the anti-social behaviors on the internet. They uncover some of the truths about how we are influenced and how that can make or break our personal impact on the planet. Promoting mindful content and rebuilding algorithms brick by brick.

We’re talking trash (the good kind, duh. We're girls girls!) Join the converstaion with Nancy, Erica and their guest Katelyn Kikstra from the Kent County Department of Public Works. Sheworks as a Waste Reduction Educator, so she's the perfect person to walk us through the muck of what happens to our waste in Kent County (and it kinda stinks..) Refuse to allow for your purchases to be trash and fin...

Join Nancy and Erica as they listen to what the residents and long term stakeholders of Roosevelt Park Neighborhood have to say about the excessive truck traffic in their community. From shaking houses to COPD, these residents and all residents of Grand Rapids deserve better. Come listen to their stories, solutions and gain an understanding of what it's like to live in the neighborhood with the WO...

Nancy and Erica don't just think they can, they know they can with Michigan Climate Action Network's Executive Director, Denise Keele! Join them as they talk about the track she took to get to MiCAN and her journey along the way. You won't want to miss this inspiring story from the powerhouse herself!

Nancy and Erica invite you to power up! We're talking about the Michigan Public Service Commission, who they are and why some may blow a fuse after leaving a meeting with them. They may hold the seat but collectively, the people hold the power!

Float along the Green Rapids stream with us! Nancy and Erica are catching waves along the LGROW flow with Robert Cloy. We learn more about the GRANDest River in Michigan, urban water spaces and how you can tap into becoming an advocate!

You CAN sip with us! Nancy and Erica dish about climate cafés and it's piping hot! They spill details on how they're foamed and the history behind spices to gather when life gets tough. You may even learn about a climate café near you 👀 Sit back with a warm (or iced) cup of your favorite drink and join the conversation!

Nancy and Erica get into the weeds of Community Development in Detroit with Marco Allegretti from Joy Southfield CDC. He digs deep into his experience with AmeriCorps, biking us through his journey across the US; working in rural and urban areas facing the worst of climate and economic impacts we see today. Plant yourself somewhere comfortable to sow some knowledge and grow with us!

Nancy and Erica talk junk this episode - specifically around junk emails and how our reliance on the "cloud" is impacting our environment. Plug into our episode about unplugging & unsubscribing to clean up the mess our junk actually makes

Erica shares her insight on the current status of Enbridge's Line 5. If you’re not sure what Line 5 is, you came to the right place! Nancy and Erica chat about the history of Line 5 and talk about the pros and cons of it. Let’s just say theres more than just water under the Mackinac Bridge.

Nancy and Erica break down the very first Earth Day, how it began and how we can continue to bring that same energy into our day to day lives. Learn about some of our favorite local and sustainable stops in Grand Rapids to bring in National "Mom and Pop" (local) Business Day - March 29th. Shop local, shop green!

Nancy and Erica are back!! Join our conversation - covering highlights from szn 1, what we've been working on while gone and exciting things to come! Get ready for even MORE interviews, canid moments and lots of laughs. We hope you enjoy szn 2 with Green Rapids! So happy to be back :)

Nancy and Erica rap up their first season with a conversation about the environmental impacts the US Department of Defense is responsible for. They take a deeper look into where emissions come from and why war leaves more than an emotional or traumatic stain on communities all across the world. The fight for a cleaner more just world cannot end while their wars fuel destruction of our planet.

Nancy and Erica give their take on what it means to feel safe as a pedestrian but also a vital piece of society, as we all are. From walking to biking, busses and trains, getting around your city should not have to mean sitting in traffic. Remember, you are not sitting in traffic, you ARE the traffic! Together let's highlight pedestrian safety this month!

Nancy and Erica take a ride down the Green Rapids and reflect on the "climate" of the summer. As the seasons change, we continue to fight for the shifts happening in our environment, with hibernation in mind. Sit back and chill with us this week!

Have you noticed that most of Michigan is bound by an energy monopoly? Join us on this blast to the past to understand how we got here; and how we can look to our history to create a world that runs on cleaner, community-owned power!

Wende Randall of Kent County Essential Needs Task Force bares the essentials about the behind scenes of organizing in Grand Rapids. She helps us understand the systems backing the systems we use to service the community and how we can utilize them to create a better mold for our future foundation.

Nancy and Erica swim through the "body" of the water conversation with Carlos Calderon from the West Michigan Environmental Action Council. He dives deep into the water cycle, how we impact it now and what we can do to reverse some of the more harmful impacts on our city.

Nancy and Erica get to know Ned Andre and C4 a little better, diving deeper into the sea of the climate issue, here in Grand Rapids and across the world. Along the way we explore how building community can aid in climate change solutions.

Nancy and Erica talk about shopping culture, consumerism and where it all stems from. Giving a history on how we got buried in our "stuff" and how we might be able to dig our way out and into a more simple, greener lifestyle.

Let's get real about Women - a conversation about the social, cultural and behavioral climate we live in and how women are not only impacted but also leading the causes to change our environments for the better. Climate Baddies do it best.

Nancy and Erica talk about the importance of our National Parks and preserved land in the United States while also touching on the history of how we acquired the land we cherish today. A way to acknowledge and become more aware of the path we took to get where we are today and how to pave a more sustainable path for our future for everyone.

A conversation with local organizer Janet Zahn, Co-chair with the Grand Rapids Climate Coalition, one of the largest climate based organizations in West Michigan. We learn a brief history of how they were formed and some of the important work they are doing to create effective changes in our environment.

Nancy and Erica discuss some of their favorite ways to send some love letters to Mother Earth. Highlighting solutions from experts, and grassroots environmentalists. A reminder that we can build onto our actions to make a larger impact every day.

We talk with Regional Coordinators Abigail Barker Wesley Watson from the Michigan League of Conservation Voters. They give us a dive into the world of PFAS/PFOS and what it looks like to have the environment were "swimming in".