Imagine If... a Bluedot Living Podcast

What's actually in your spice drawer, and where did it come from? In this episode of the Pantry to Dinner mini-series, host Victoria Riskin sits down with food writer Caroline Saunders, Le Cordon Bleu graduate, Bluedot Living contributor, and author of the Substack Pale Blue Tart , for a tour of the spices every home cook should have on hand.  Caroline traces cardamom from the Western Ghats of...

Imagine if the most important ingredient in your kitchen is the one you're about to throw away? In this episode of Imagine If, Victoria Riskin visits B Bar Ranch in Montana to talk with chef George Pierce about what it really means to cook close to the land. George breaks down why not all grass-fed beef is created equal, how B Bar traces every cut of beef back to the specific cow it came from,...

Imagine if "squeaky clean" was actually a sign your skin is in distress, not a sign of health. In this episode of Imagine If, host Janet Kraus sits down with Eli Halliwell, co-founder of Hairstory and founder of Sans Savon, to question one of the most basic assumptions in personal care: that soap is good for us. Eli explains how the same detergents used to clean dishes and laundry ended...

Most of us have thought carefully about what goes on our skin — our skincare, our cleaning products, even our food. But what about what we sleep in for eight hours every night? This week, Jeanette sits down with Phoebe Yu, founder of Ettitude and PLNTMatter, who started out as a frustrated consumer searching for sheets that were soft, breathable, affordable, and better for the planet — and ended u...

What if some of the most climate-friendly foods in your pantry are the ones you've never heard of? In this episode of Pantry to Dinner , Victoria sits down with Bluedot Living contributor Caroline Saunders to explore a few remarkable grains and seeds that deserve more attention. From the ancient grain-like seed amaranth to fiber-packed chia and the innovative perennial grain Kernza, this conve...

Water impacts everything: our food, our health, our cities, and our future. Yet most of us rarely think about where it comes from or who controls it. In this episode of Imagine If , Victoria Riskin sits down with environmental law professor James Salzman to unpack the hidden realities of water in America — from groundwater depletion and bottled water myths to outdated water laws and the future of...

There’s a change happening. In a fast paced world, more people are craving mindfulness, connecting with nature and being present… slowing down to notice more.  In this episode of Imagine If , Janet Kraus sits down with Chris Mckleroy, founder and CEO of NOCS Provisions, to talk about birding, binoculars, sustainability, mindfulness, and the growing desire many people have to reconnect with nature....

What if one of the best foods for your health, your wallet, and the planet has been sitting in your pantry this whole time? Part of Imagine If’s new Pantry to Dinner series, this episode explores one of the most overlooked foods in our kitchens: beans. Victoria Riskin sits down with food writer and Bluedot Living contributor Caroline Saunders to talk about why chickpeas, lentils, black beans, and...

What if the way we eat isn’t just affecting our health—but how we connect, live, and relate to one another? In this episode of Imagine If , James Beard award-winning chef and founder of Hearth and Brodo, Marco Canora, joins us for a conversation about the cultural shift toward convenience—and what we may have lost along the way. From home cooking and seasonal ingredients to the rise of ultra-proce...

We’ve all been told plastic is an environmental problem. But what if it’s also a human health problem—starting with the water you drink every day? In this episode, we sit down with Ash, co-founder of Epic Water Filters, to break down what’s actually in our tap water, what “clean” water really means, and how to make better choices at home without overcomplicating it. From microplastics and PFAS to...

Living more sustainably does not require perfection, it requires more intention. In this episode of Imagine If , we sit down with Amanda Runkle, founder of Me Mother Earth, a company built on one simple idea: small, everyday changes can create real impact. Amanda shares how a single product (a collapsible straw) grew into a mission-driven business helping households reduce plastic in practical, ap...

Half of all underwear is made with synthetic fibers—which basically means you're wearing plastic next to your skin all day. And the rest? Probably loaded with harsh dyes or pesticides. This isn't just a planetary problem—it's a human health issue. In this episode, Victoria and Cleo sit down with Stacy Grace, founder and CEO of Kent, who's building a company around 100% plant-based, compostable und...

After 15 episodes of interviewing climate changemakers, our four co-hosts sit down together to reflect on what they've learned and why climate optimism matters more than ever. Victoria Riskin, Janet Kraus, Cleo Carney, and Allison Giebutowski share an honest, multi-generational conversation about building this podcast together, why every innovator they've asked has said yes, and how climat...

What if something as small as microplastics could have a meaningful impact on your health—and even your ability to get pregnant? In this episode of Imagine If, we meet Darby and Jesse, a couple featured in Plastic Detox, who spent three years navigating unexplained infertility despite strong health markers and no clear diagnosis. Their journey led them to explore an often-overlooked factor: microp...

What if fighting climate change could start with dessert? Climate journalist and Le Cordon Bleu-trained pastry chef Caroline Saunders reveals why sustainable baking might be the most delicious path to transforming our food system. After years covering climate change at Grist Magazine, Caroline made an unexpected career move: she enrolled at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. Her mission? To explore how dess...

What if the plastic crisis isn’t just harming the planet, but also impacting human fertility? In this episode, Victoria Riskin sits down with Academy Award-winning filmmaker Louie Psihoyos ( The Cove , Racing Extinction ) to unpack the growing concern around microplastics—and how they may be affecting our bodies in ways we’re only beginning to understand. From declining fertility rates to emerging...

That bouquet of roses traveled 3,000+ miles and will be dead in 5 days—but there's a beautiful solution that lasts forever. Here's something most people don't know: fresh cut flowers have a surprisingly large environmental footprint. But after 18 years as a florist, Liz Carter didn't just complain about it—she completely reimagined what flowers could be. As founder of Unwilted, Liz...

What if climate stories didn’t leave you anxious, but actually made you want to take action? In this episode of Imagine If, Vicki sits down with Justin from Imagine5, a nonprofit media organization sharing hopeful, solution-driven stories about sustainability. Justin explains why Imagine5 started in Northern Europe, why the United States is a key next chapter, and how “climate” became unnecessaril...

Imagine a world where seaweed replaces plastic. Where packaging disappears—composted, dissolved, or even eaten. That future isn’t far off… it’s already happening. In this episode, Janet Kraus and Cleo Carney sit down with Pierre-Yves Paslier, co-founder of Notpla and winner of the UK’s Earthshot Prize, to talk about how seaweed is becoming a real alternative to single-use plastic. From supplying 3...

Imagine if music could heal both people and the planet at the same time... Kiran Gandhi (Madame Gandhi) is an electronic music producer, drummer, and climate activist who recorded melting glaciers in Antarctica and credits nature as an artist on Spotify. In this conversation, Kiran shares why joy and love are the fuel for sustained climate action, her daily meditation practice, and how small inten...

You don't need to be an expert, an activist, or perfect. You need to start where you are, do what you can, and connect with people who care, across every age, background, and zip code. When 14-year-old Cleo walked into Vicki's life and asked, "Can I work for you?", neither imagined they'd become proof that our greatest climate advantage isn't technology or policy, it'...

What does it really mean to “build a star on Earth”? In this episode we explore one of the most ambitious clean-energy ideas of our time: fusion power. Joining us is Alex Creely, a plasma physicist and tokamak operations lead at Commonwealth Fusion Systems, who has spent nearly a decade working to turn fusion from a scientific breakthrough into a practical energy source. Alex breaks down fusion in...

Imagine if the food on our plates could do more than nourish us, but also actively restore the planet? In this episode of Imagine If by Bluedot Living, we’re joined by Bun Lai , chef and owner of Miya’s Sushi , for a conversation at the intersection of food, climate change, and biodiversity. Raised in New Haven by parents who believed deeply that food is medicine , Bun grew up immersed in nature,...

Imagine if farms across America were designed to nourish land, people, and community, not commodities. This week we explore what that world could look like through the story of Granor Farm, a certified organic and regenerative farm in Three Oaks, Michigan. Janet Kraus and Cleo Carney sit down with Liz Cicchelli, co-founder and co-owner of Granor Farm, who shares how she and her family transformed...

Imagine if the most effective climate solutions aren’t coming from Congress or global summits, but from mayors working city by city, block by block? In this episode, former LA Mayor and U.S. Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti joins Victoria Riskin and Cleo Carney to unpack how cities have become the real engines of climate progress and why local action, community resilience, and everyday leadership...