Sustainable Minimalists

The enviro-news you need to know for Friday, March 29 2024: [00:30] Here's why Americans pay the most after a natural disaster [6:00] New laws against intentional methane release, plus: why this new law is a money maker  [9:00] Throwing $$ at the industrial carbon emissions problem [12:00] Introducing radar gaps (a.k.a. another thing to worry about)   Resources mentioned: Radar gaps threaten milli...

Fossil fuels power our modern lives, and yet fossil fuels are also powering global warming. Because many of us lack the self-sufficient skills necessary to survive an extended power outage event, we are one thing and one thing only: vulnerable. We have become over-reliant on the very thing that's destroying our planet. On today's show: Imagining the ways in which modern life, interpersonal connect...

When it comes to furnishing and styling ours homes, we all deserve spaces that facilitate easeful living. But for those of us without an eye for design? Furniture and decor mistakes can happen (and they can be costly). On today's show best-selling author  Myquillyn Smith  reveals her signature house rules for homes of every size, style, and budget; she also shows us how to get the most amount of c...

The enviro-news you need to know for Friday, March 22 2024: [00:30] What you need to know about "the most significant climate regulation in US history" announced this week [6:15] It has never been cheaper to purchase an EV, and here's why [9:00] ... Speaking of EVs: enter mega mining [12:00] Hi, TIM! How to book a flight like a conscious consumer    Resources mentioned: This show is listener-suppo...

Things are a-changin' around here.  On today's show: Introducing new ways to support the show (with fun perks like ad-free shows, subscriber-only episodes and, yes, real life Book Club!) This is YOUR show. As always, thank you for your support! >> https://sustainableminimalists.substack.com/   -- Join our (free!) community  here . Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on  Facebook,   Instag...

Eating meals together is the ultimate parenting cheat code, and that's because in just one hour you can improve your kids' academic performance, self-esteem, and cardiovascular health while simultaneously reducing their risks of substance misuse, depression, and obesity. On today's show: author  Annette Thurmon  on making the kitchen the heart of the home once again.   Here's a preview: [7:30] A l...

The enviro-news you need to know for Friday, March 15 2024: [00:30] The paradox that's holding back clean energy gains [7:15] You're not crazy: Spring is indeed arriving earlier [13:00] Breaking down the EU's new 'gold standard' deforestation law [12:00] A war on utes? Updates from Australia's emissions regulations   Resources mentioned: Episode #187: Everything You Need To Know About Palm Oil Joi...

Today's show is a series of 3 very diverse updates straight from developments in my own life: The first is about self-sufficiency, the second is sustainability-focused, and the final act dedicates itself to intentional living. Here's a preview: [3:00] Act 1: The hydroponic growing hype. (Stephanie's good, bad, and ugly experiences with her new grow tower) [16:00] Act 2: Electrify Everything? (Our...

There's convenience, and then there's *excessive* convenience. While some modern conveniences are indeed necessary and needed, the excessive ones can be detrimental to ourselves and society as a whole. Items and services of convenience are often substitutes for supportive culture and connection. On today's show historian  Jennifer Newton  and I discuss how culture - and specifically excessively co...

The enviro-news you need to know for Friday, March 8 2024: [00:30] SEC scales back its new pollution-disclosure rules [4:15] Apparently we're smuggling greenhouse gases now [9:00 It's no longer a debate! Our warm winter has human fingerprints all over it [12:00] Gray whales in the Atlantic? How is this possible?   Resources mentioned:  Weirdly Warm Winter Has Climate Fingerprints All Over It, Stud...

Yoga pants, baby! Athleisure is a fashion trend that features comfortable, flattering, and aesthetically pleasing athletic clothing designed to be worn all day. And while many of us turned to athleisure during the pandemic and never went back, athleisure has a dirty little secret: petroleum-based fibers. On today's show former Athleta senior fashion designer  Nancy Taylor  outlines what needs to h...

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 Executiv...

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. Sustai...

“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:...

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 kn...

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 cohesi...

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 commun...

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] M...

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 wit...

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...

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 huma...

If you're like most humans, 70-percent of your thoughts each day skew negative.  The good news? You aren't your thoughts; you're the observer. On today's show therapist  Risa Williams  shows us how to break free of the negativity bias that afflicts our species once and for all. Here's a preview: [1:00] No-Spend Reset wrap-up! Here are the biggest takeaways from you, our listeners [8:30] The real-l...

Enough with excessive educational toys, extracurriculars, and enrichment activities. It’s time to take a step back, put our wallets away, and realize what our children *actually* need. On today's show: re-centering our parenting efforts around 3 of the most important childhood needs. Here's a preview: [10:00] Kids need your undivided attention! Make sure you're giving twice as much positive attent...

Reducing food waste doesn't always jive with societal norms. That's because keeping perfectly edible food out of landfills might mean being the weirdo who boxes their wedding entree. Or asking (gasp!) to take home extra pizza from a child's birthday party.  On today's show: A conversation with journalist  Rachael Jackson  about how to value food more than we value fitting in.    Here's a preview:...

First facts, then the inevitable spin! The enviro-news we are spinning for Friday, January 26 2024: [1:00] 3 cheers for a White House pause in the natural gas export terminal CP2 [5:00] No one likes air pollution. Enter new rules for fine particulates  [10:00] Understanding the global average temperature, with predictions for 2024 [12:30] Where to put Lahaina's toxic debris? Next to an important c...