Sustainable Minimalists

A hotter planet is here, my friends. Don't believe me? Just turn on the news. On today's show we first break down major current climate events; we then ask ourselves a set of ethical quandaries. Should the global north pay reparations to the global south for its centuries-long polluting behaviors, or are the inequitable and unjust natures of climate change simply bad luck?    Here's a preview: [4:...

When it comes to growing up, we tend to believe it's only for children. Adults, then, are assumed to be fully grown. But even us "grownups" are constantly changing, maturing, and evolving (and often at a rapid pace). Such inner changes also run concurrent with external ones that pop up as we move through our respective life seasons, day after day. If embracing change as life's only true constant i...

"Much of the time I tell my kids that material possessions aren't that important, but I also want them to take care of the possessions they have. How should I best juggle these messages and still get my points across?"   As sustainable minimalists, we want our children to devalue stuff, as we certainly don't want them to associate their sense of self-worth with what they own. But at the same time...

Many people try to 'Marie Kondo' themselves out of clutter but find themselves unsuccessful. The reason? Decluttering only sticks when you first examine the deep roots into why clutter accumulated in the first place. Today I speak with with celebrity decluttering expert Tracy McCubbin about the excuses we tell ourselves, the clutter blocks that hold us back, and the real reasons why we can't let g...

A triangle is complete only when its three corners are intact. Our wellbeing similarly demands that three pillars work together in quiet harmony. The Australian Wellbeing Index is a 15-year-and-counting study with data from over 60,000 participants. Its results remain consistent year after year: optimal wellbeing hinges upon 3 essential intangibles. The good news? These three intangibles are entir...

Many people — and many societies, for that matter — rely on short-sighted quick wins as their go-to when managing oversized problems. But what works in the short-term likely isn't best in the long run; worse, such near-sightedness rarely considers its impacts on generations to come. Enter longpath thinking, a mindset that prioritizes future-conscious thinking and behavior. On today's episode I spe...

Good cooks cook on gas, or so we've been told. Any realtor will likely tell you that a gas stove ranks high on homebuyers' lists of new home must-haves, but are they good for us? Are they good for the planet? Fellow Americans, it's time to end our love affair with gas stoves. On today's show, we discuss All. The. Things. the natural gas industry doesn't want you to know about gas stoves, natural g...

Have you ever bought an irresistibly on-trend outfit for a child in your life? If so, I'm willing to bet it was worn just a handful of times (or perhaps not at all). Gendered children's fashion is a twentieth century invention and — surprise!— it was invented by marketing pros hoping to sell more clothes. The sad truths are that while kids' fast fashion creates unnecessary clutter for parents, the...

In 1986, California passed Proposition 65. The legislation forced companies that sell products with chemicals linked to cancer and birth defects to label them as such. While the legislation was originally a gigantic win for environmentalists, these days it's a running joke. Cancer warnings adorn everything from organic soaps to steering wheel covers, bikinis, parking garages, Disney Land, and much...

In eco-leaning circles, bamboo is hot, hot, hot. The grass (yep, it's a grass!) is touted as *the* solution to deforestation and these days bamboo is the main fiber in some paper products, textiles, bathroom necessities, furniture, flooring, and more. But as with any crop, there are plenty of problems associated with worldwide reliance on a monoculture. Are marketing claims that tout bamboo's bene...

When it comes to trash bags, there's plenty of confusing verbiage. Compostable? Biodegradable? Bags with post-consumer recycled content? While one could certainly make the argument that biodegradable and compostable trash bags aren't worth the money since they're headed to the landfill anyway (those pits aren't gardens, after all); the more cynical amongst us could say there's no such thing as an...

Your pantry can be your friend or your foe. When it's well-stocked and organized it will support your health goals, but disorganized spaces will likely derail your long-term wellness objectives. The worst part? Pantry staples that are marketed as healthy (ahem ... bars, protein powders, and crackers) are oftentimes the main culprits contributing to brain fog, weight gain, and belly bloat. Today I...

The first iPhone hit the market in 2007 and most of us jumped on the smartphone bandwagon without looking back. 15 years later, countless studies document the pitfalls associated with reliance on powerful tech at our (literal) fingertips: impaired cognitive functioning, loss of self-esteem, and increased depression and anxiety are just a few. The minimalist cell phone movement seeks to take back w...

Gas prices are through the roof and we're feeling the pinch at the gas station. Is now the right time to invest in an electric vehicle? There's no sugarcoating it: Automobiles leave a big footprint. Extracting petroleum products from the earth and shipping them around the planet is both energy-intensive and damaging (let's not forget about oil spills!). There's also the tailpipe emissions problem:...

Underneath all of life's burdens, many of us experience the triple losses of time, freedom, and mental space. Self-care is generally touted as burnout's antidote, and advocates argue that regular self-care routines lower stress, anxiety, and frustration while simultaneously improving energy, concentration, and overall life satisfaction. Sounds wonderful, right? But there's a problem with #selfcare...

All too often (and perhaps without even realizing it!) many of us live our lives by taking the path of least resistance. What's the easiest choice? What's most convenient? But there's cognitive dissonance to be felt when we sacrifice our values in the name of convenience, and experiencing such dissonance can be uncomfortable. Today I speak with author and social impact expert  Sharon Schneider  ab...

Comedian Phyllis Diller famously once said, "Housework can't kill you, but why take the risk?" Our homes are for living, and living is a messy business. But warding off messes before they become unmanageable is indeed possible, and seasoned minimalists often rely on tried-and-true prevention techniques to reduce both housework and overwhelm. On today's show I offer 5 and a half tips to help you va...

Calorie counting, diet cycling, and heaps of food guilt. Sound familiar?  We have diet culture to thank for our body image woes, and that's because corporations first sell us unhealthy food that detracts from our health, and then we're sold the promise of yet another restrictive diet as the ultimate - and only - solution. Today my guest and I answer a listener's question about the fundamentals of...

Materialistic, overly consumptive, and incredibly wasteful: The stereotype of the average American isn't flattering. And while being wasteful isn't a personality trait most of us aspire to have, for many US citizens, wasting enormous amounts of resources and money is simply our way of life. Fellow Americans, we can do better. On today's show I rank order 10 specific ways Americans waste money with...

Ah, game night. Something special happens when we put our phones away, sit around the table, and have fun with our loved ones. But if you have children, game night can be fraught with whines, groans, and tantrums. And after a long workweek? Game night can feel like another To-Do item. On today's show we discuss what research says about the benefits of game night. In Part 1 I offer 6 strategies for...

Perhaps you’ve seen buzzwords like upcycled, renewed, or repurposed on fashion websites and are confused. Perhaps, too, you've invested in natural fibers when purchasing clothes but doing so simply doesn't seem like you're doing enough. While the planet operates in a circular system in which everything is reused and repurposed, the fashion industry operates within a vastly different, linear system...

You've likely noticed that we're in a period of inflation, and that's because rising prices are difficult to ignore (hey there, gasoline!). But what about nonexistent customer service, smaller food packages, and the nagging, overall sense that we as consumers are getting the bad end the deal every time we make a purchase? That, my friends, is skimpflation. When you start looking for skimpflation i...

Can a sun-toasting, memory-making, blue sky summer also be eco-friendly? I believe that the greenest habits are the ones that don't cost much money; they'd never upend our already busy lives, either. Today I speak with Paul Hope, Home & Garden Editor for  Consumer Reports , and together we offer 8 summer-specific tweaks to your days that are so easy-peasy you won't even realize you're *also* helpi...

A vacation. A dinner party. The arrival of a package you've been waiting for. There’s happiness to be found in looking forward to something, and that's because anticipation simultaneously increases levels of optimism and decreases feelings of irritability. But in a consumerist culture, it's often assumed that anticipation's benefits come with spending money. Don't bigger purchases and grander trip...

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) and Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES) are found in loads of personal care, beauty, and cleaning products. But there are both environmental and human health concerns associated with SLS and SLES: why, then, do eco-conscious brands continue to include such surfactants in their product offerings? On today's show I'm answering a listener's question about the well-known "green"...